Cerca:wink

NO MORE don't need much of an introduction - the legendary Kiel-based (No)Wave / PostPunk band project took the worlds dancefloors by storm with the release of their seminal single "Suicide Commando" in 1981 which was later re-introduced to the Techno / Electro youth of the world, when Munich's DJ Hell famously reinterpreted the tune in 1998.

Still actively touring and releasing on a regular NO MORE are now making their debut on the freshly launched Intrauterin Recordings-offshoot EL CABALLO SEMENTAL..

The labels cat.no. 001 is a first time on vinyl release taken off NO MORE's "The Return Of The German Angst" digital mixtape and sees one of the bands hit tunes being reworked in a unique, highly captivating manner, pressed exclusively as a limited to 200 copies whitelabel edition on purple / violet vinyl.

"123456789 (baze.djunkiii + Herr Brandt Dream A Nudream Remix)" exceeds the bands natural musical realm by far and transfers the song into MoombahGoth / DubWave territories previously unheard of, not only for a classic band like NO MORE.. The rework picks up latest developments from the urban and bass music world whilst keeping the haunted vibe of the original songs chorus intact, slighty references NuBeat / PostPunk and Dub, adds lush, dreamy Cosmic guitar textures and even winks to the underground whistle and rave posse with a sweet as candy piano breakdown.

In their conjunctional remix work we see Intrauterin Recordings-founder baze.djunkiii, quality electronic music activist and prolific DJ for more than 20 years, and Herr Brandt, founding member of the classic German Wave / Indie / Alternative outfit The Convent as well as of the praised underground Synth Pop / Minimal Wave band Sonnenbrandt, effortlessly merge the best of two musical worlds to create something new and captivating, like they used to do on the decks with their former BETA-ZERFALL parties which were the main and initial reason the two of them and NO MORE came together in the first place.

a A- 123456789 BAZE.DJUNKIII + HERR BRANDT DREAM A NUDREAM REMIX

The sought after LP from Zann ‘Strange Ways / Inside Jungle’ originally released as a private press in 1990 finally receives a full reissue.

Zann started life as a 7-member live band in 1982. Founder member Udo Winkler had been a part of New Wave & Post Punk band Konec touring extensively and releasing one LP on Polydor titled ‘Schrille Blitze’. Zann was an outlet for more experimental works heavily influenced by Brian Eno's collaborations with David Byrne and Jon Hassell, German bands like Embryo and Dissidenten, David Sylvian and middle & far eastern music.

In 1988 Udo and Hjalmer Karthaus built a small basement studio with a 4 track tape machine and musical experiments began in earnest. After the limitations of playing live it was an acoustic wonderland and they gave themselves no musical boundaries. The unlimited studio time meant they could pick up ideas and develop pieces gradually, friends would come to the studio to play and songs evolved from extensive jamming sessions. The resulting LP has Middle Eastern instrumentation at its core, particularly wind & string instruments such as the Tabla and Gong, and is a melting pot of influences incorporating elements of Ambient, Jazz and Folk with strong synth programming on a number of tracks. The band pressed up a handful of copies and sold them exclusively at record fairs in Germany and in the intervening years the LP has become highly sought after with copies changing hands for 150 Euros.

The LP has been fully remastered from the original DAT tapes with new full sleeve artwork from Bradley Pinkerton and is pressed on 180 Gram Vinyl.

Especial is delighted to welcome Alphonse back to the label for a third EP to again show his deep knowledge of the past to make a future. After the debut dub-breaks-poem of Same For Me and success of his warrior afro-dance Smokey 12", Alphonse made new friends with acclaimed releases for Klasse Wrecks, Hypercolour and Black Orpheus, before here returning like a chosen one with four sun kissed blessings.

Before the fields of Letchlade, hills of Castlemorton or beaches of Skegness had witnessed Alphonse exploring the sounds of many a free party sunrise, summers were misspent travelling the "disco" buses of Europe, tripping the light fantastic from Spook to Amnesia, Disco Piu to Euritimia.

The music, shared experiences and inclusion all led to an acute understanding apparent in his production skills. Ambient dreamscapes, warm bass lines, 808 breaks, 909 kick, piano, flute and horn melodies atop all lift to the heavens. In Moan Up and White Pepper Alphonse takes, reshapes, rebuilds and rewrites to create anew, expanding minds and hearts like never before.

Long stories, short stores, a nod and wink, at its heart Stolen Sunrise is an EP of wonderful expression, a producer peaking, providing a soundtrack to share for those that look to the future horizons with love.

Hold Up ft Kendra Foster is the breakout first single on Lonely C’s (aka Charles Levine of Soul Clap) debut album, Charles & Tribulations. Foster, known as a multitalented force of singer/songwriter who's toured the world for over a decade with Parliament-Funkadelic, won a Grammy for her co-writing on D’Angelo & The Vanguard’s Black Messiah, most recently set forth as a solo act with her 2016 eponymous sophomore album.

This may be Kendra’s first foray into house music, but she’s no stranger to the groove. This is a dance-floor classic in the making, already receiving powerful response from crowds at Soul Clap’s DJ sets.

Lonely C’s original mix features vocal/songwriting super talent Kendra Foster’s cathartic tale of a love gone away. Mike Dunn’s remix is a guaranteed dance floor activity, Javonntte dub for the dancers.

Then last but no means least FSQ’s Funkadelic Touch mix of “True” featuring Billy Bass Nelson, GKoop, O-Man, & Kim Manning”

Upfront DJ Support:

Dixon, Seth Troxler, Gilles Peterson, Moxie, Francois K, Osunlade, Josh Wink, Jovonn, Kraak & Smaak, Tensnake, Horse Meat Disco, Crazy P, Leo Mas, Luke Solomun, Hot Chip, Nightmares on Wax, Honey Soundsystem, Danny Tenaglia, Red Rack’em, Soul Clap.

“What to do with a spud like you?” Melbourne post-punk wags Terry return this summer with their new EP ‘Who’s Terry?’. You can just make him out in his hobnail boots, peering from behind the sandwich board, wink, wink. Following on from last year’s huge-sounding ‘I’m Terry’ album, this third EP from the band brings you right up to date with their wobbly politico-pop.

‘Spud’ is a class A toe-tapper that sees the band don fatigues and set their sights on the enemy. The rough and the tough, wrestled wrists and fools with crooked smiles all make an appearance as Terry sing as one over snare snaps and keyboard croaks. ‘Bizzo and Tophat’ follows with a stride across the underbelly, a thick slice of bop-heavy observation that gives way to one of Terry’s most elegiac refrains… “holding on and going forth”! Their gang vocal approach never sounding more resolute. ’Eggs’ then picks up the pace, a sure-footed romp that skips alongside prods of saxophone to join the parade.

‘Drawn for Days’ pulls the EP to a close, a sedate, melodic ponderance of strummy guitar, jangling bells and Amy and Xanthe’s soft-sung vocals. “Haunted by the big and small, hunted hanging for the fancy fall”.  “I can’t stand up” the band decry in unison as the track scales its peak and gives way to warping synth noise. ‘Who’s Terry’ encapsulates what Terry does best, the queasy marriage of the upbeat and traumatic, the catchy instant and the nagging distance. Their alliterative lyrics always sharp as tacks, their sense of melody and beat sunk deep in the heart of now.

Mysterious white label release 'ALFA EP' coming from new kid on the block 'Alfa Cornae'.

This EP is all Italian, recommended listening: cruising through the Tuscany countryside, riding shotgun in a vintage Alfa. If the above is not at hand, then any local nightclub with a decent sound system will do.

Ok so you climb into your Alfa, a thing of beauty, you rev the engine, it sounds like your ex... in a good way.... This is a serious roadster, we're not talking Ford Mondao, we're talking all Italian smooth V8 engine, luxury leather upholstery, the real deal!

You're on your way to the best party in town, driving down the freeway toward Milan, 120 mph, roof down, a virgin Negroni in the passenger seat, casually smoking on a fat Toscano cigar; you're on the way to the biggest discotheque this side of the river Po.

Now you're in a hot tub. You don't know who's it is but it has bubbles. You turn to your right; next to you is Roberto Baggio. You take a big drag on your cigar and smile at him, he responds with a cheeky wink. Next thing you know you're dressed as a goalkeeper and everyone's dancing. Negronis all round, even for the reserves. Everyone is dishing out high fives; there's been one too many cigars smoked. Gerd Janson is dressed as a lama and the crowd is loving it.

Moff & Tarkin's second Lagaffe installment marks the label's 8th vinyl release. The release sports three original tracks from the Austrian-based Icelander and a remix from label boss Jonbjorn.

The record starts of with the track 'Buzz Lightyear', who flies us off out of the atmosphere filled beginning into the depths of the spacey synths, delays and feedback.

Followed is the track 'Friends Be like', which feels like a refreshing strut down the boulevard where everyone you meet knows you and you know them but instead of saying hello you are wearing headphones and just strut down the street nodding, winking and walking in beat with true swagger. A track with confidence written all over it.

The flip side features the track 'Takk!' which roughly translates as Thank You! in Icelandic. Maybe not roughly, but rather exactly. The track is dramatic and starts off rather stress inducing but takes a whole new direction when Moff n Tarkin adds in soothing piano chords and makes the track's whole mood switch.

Maybe its a fitting goodbye for the listener as you make your way through label boss Jonbjorn's remix which has a very warm and feel good atmosphere, lush drums and elements that add on layers to the already great original. A very personal remix and a good ending to a great record that we hope you can enjoy.

V & B

Opening track 'In The B' kicks off proceedings in no uncertain fashion. It's 100% wall shaker material, the type of techno music best paired with strobe lights and towering speaker stacks. It mesmerises with its low-slung undulating bassline and Detroit rhythms before giving way to some riotous old school Essex stabs and sharp claps. No messing, this is a certified 3 AM red light burner! Track 2 'Chocolate Biscuit' accelerates proceedings! Beginning with unfussy drums and a robotic, bleep-heavy melody driving it off into a wonderfully off-kilter direction. Its arpreggio'd rhythms may be brutish and wrestle a growling sense of menace out of the track, but the overall feel, however, suggests considerable care and attention has been paid to make it sound this way. There's clearly an uncommon musicality at play here to make something this complex feel so simple.
The BPM drops next on 'Jenny's Hall' but from the offset, there's enough funk and thrust in the motorised synth line to get bodies gently grooving without the beauty getting lost in the slower loop. This is blissed out, psychotropic techno - the kind of track where it feels like you're floating and falling at the same time, but all the while making sure you still remain fit for purpose on the dancefloor. Ian Blevins takes on remix duties this time and the Berlin-based DJ/producer offers up a sleek peak-time banger that fizzes, bubbles and percolates. He gives the rhythm on 'Jenny's Hall' less space to swing and ties it to a tight motorik beat turning it into a slice of shiny, modern techno but with extra shoulder-checking force. Its vibe drawing from a sense of outsider-party fun with a wry smile, and a knowing wink running throughout before bringing the package to a suitably left of field crescendo.

Paul Dickow Aka Strategy Is A Musical Polymath With A Signature Sound Derived From His Immersion In Hardware-based Electronic Music. He Has Spent Close To Two Decades Traveling Freely Through House, Techno, Rave, Noise, Ambient, And Sounds More Difficult To Categorize. Strategy's Sound Is Inimitable Because It Is Literally Built By Hand - His Hands. Through All Of This Sonic Journeying, Including Multiple Full Length Releases, A Constant Has Been His Love Of Reggae And Dub, Yet Somehow A Proper Dub Album Has Never Emerged - Until Now.

After Two Much-loved 7' Singles On Zamzam - To Say Nothing Of Dubwise Excursions On Idle Hands, Shockout, Peak Oil, 100% Silk And More - dub Mind Paradigm' Is The Fulfillment Of A Clear, Simple Goal. "i Set Out To Make A Full Set Of Dub Tracks Good Enough To Make An Album -- Something That Had Always Eluded Me-- And It Worked, Finally. A Simple Exercise In Seeing If We Could Launch The Capsule To Orbit Planet Reggae And Make It Home Again.'

Reaching Planet Reggae, The Album Explores Analog Caverns Of Dubwise At All Tempos, From The 80s To 140, Full Of The Ghosts Of Ancient And Future Technologies, Glimmering Shards Of Hope Among Heaps Of Folly, Ruin And Rubble. Music Fans With Crates Deeper Than The Contemporary Will Find Shades Of Wackies, Firehouse, Unity Sound, Burial Mix And More, But Only Winks And Nods... No One Sounds Like Strategy, And Strategy Sounds Like No One.

Mastered By Sam Precise.

Art & Design By Polygon Press.

Distributed By Unearthed Sounds Ltd.

Limited To 700 Vinyl Lps - No Repress, No Digital.

Awanto 3 and Meditation Tunnel appear on the latest Blitz, DJ Tennis' ongoing, limited, vinyl-only series. These colourful records sometimes pop-up around Life and Death showcases, often featuring non-standard cuts + off-kilter attitudes.

Dekmantel affiliate, Awanto 3 offers-up an infectious after-party gem, with "The Phone We Call It." Slow-burning cosmic keyboards pair with elements of Detroit techno and a subtle wink to RDJ's masterstroke, Xtal.

The flip contains a killer from Meditation Tunnel, the newly-birthed dance project from The Rapture's Luke Jenner. La La La is a Blitz future-classic. Syncopated bass guitar, crusty synthetic strings and the purest of vocal performances - Blitz #2 is one to remember.

· Bart Davenport's 7th album since his 2002 solo debut
· West Coast yacht rock meets '80s English pop
· Produced by L.A. Takedown's Aaron M. Olson
· Confirmed live dates in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, San Diego, Vida Festival (Spain)

Recorded in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, Blue Motel is the new album by Bart & The Bedazzled, a brand new musical enterprise by Bart Davenport and his seventh album proper since his solo breakout in 2002. Alluding to Los Angeles with the lights down, it's an amalgam sound of '80s English pop and West Coast yacht rock jams, sprinkled with cinematic flourishes clearly influenced by the understated production of L.A. Takedown's Aaron M. Olson. The jangly pop aesthetic, resplendent with choppy chorus tinted guitar, snappy snares, sax and bass is underlined with life trodden stories about day jobs, dating, financial insecurities, lost innocence and most prominently, time travel.

The album lives somewhere in an imagined past (or future) that is curiously both the 1960s and 1980s conveying the groups's nostalgia for a fantasy world with a cheeky cynicism, despite a perception of a world that is, for Bart, on the downfall. To that end, Davenport's songs are, as always, delivered with a happy and sad sensibility reminiscent of the great Burt Bacharach. From the surreal yet humorous 'The House That Built Itself' to the sad surf music of 'Halloween By The Sea' or the romantic L.A. noir of the title track, Blue Motel arrives with a spoonful of tears, a nod and a wink.

The Bedazzled band lineup, united by their love of the 'Elegant '80s', includes the guitar of Wayne Faler (Dream Boys), drums, percussion and beats by Andres Renteria (Jose Gonzales) and post-punk bass lines from Jessica Espeleta (L.A. Takedown). The four friends from Los Angeles, united in their affection for the more sophisticated sounds of English '80s groups like Prefab Sprout and Style Council give the setlist a more distinctively pop flavour compared to Bart's soulful last outing on his album Physical World, also released on Lovemonk. Blue Motel features regular appearances from female vocalist Nedelle Torrisi (Domino, Asthmatic Kitty) who notably adds the lush layers of harmony on 'The Amateurs'. Saxophonist Billy McShane is also featured on three songs with improvisations that evoke the scene of whales in outer space.

Producer Olson often incorporates soundtrack and avant-garde elements in his own work. His gift for song arrangement, understanding of the synth and penchant for subtlety all shine brightly on Blue Motel.

Exclusive edition imprint, very different from the general style of the TochnoTechno label but still in a techno acid way and includes 4 names of the biggest producers coming from Eastern Europe. We are calling it "Acid Era" in present days so why don't we put out something provocative. We are excited about Tripmastaz' debut on the label who has absolute support by Josh Wink, Dj Sneak, Ricardo Villalobos and many more... Oleg Mass real techno star of Fachwerk Berlin and Koett, rhythm composer and genius from South of Russia who makes the most underground and cool party XoXo. Yulia Niko is dropping last track of her album she has done in 2016 at Brooklyn before moving to Berlin.

Ninth instalment of Redscale. Grad_u with a masterpiece of dub techno. Vinyl only.

"Holdback", an unexpected twist of events for followers of Redscale, is actually a bold step forward in terms of pace and light. The enticing chords work like a magnet, and the potential of the lady on the mic is no lower than that one of a siren. The personal weapons of grad_u, the most powerful of which are the embracing loops, are of course out there, indicating the
producer's inner spirit and roots.

Picking up where "Holdback" left off, "Outwards from Laniakea" is a statement more rugged, yet as absolute as the message on side A. It's an invitation to put that jacket back to the
cloakroom, switch off that phone and let yourself go, again and again. It's, once again, a compelling statement against conformity.

***

Early support by DJ Deep, Cari Lekebusch, Jonas Kopp, Shlømo, Josh Wink, John Osborn, Echoplex, Don Williams, Wata Igarashi, Regal, Mark Broom, Marcus Intalex / Trevino, Ryan James Ford, Francois X, Albert van Abbe and many more... .

(180 gr) Talamanca System are the unlikely trio of Gerd Janson, Phillip Lauer of Tuff City Kids and Mark Barrott. Their sole release in late 2014 became one of the best selling on the International Feel imprint. My Past Is Your Future brings them back together for a trio of magical productions that cumulate the power of their production skills and winks at a forthcoming album coming on the imprint this summer.

Talamanca System are the unlikely trio of Gerd Janson, Phillip Lauer of Tuff City Kids and Mark Barrott. Their sole release in late 2014 became one of the best selling on the International Feel imprint. My Past Is Your Future brings them back together for a trio of magical productions that cumulate the power of their production skills and winks at a forthcoming album coming on the imprint this summer.

Talamanca System's debut set them alight across the dance music press and the follow up catapults their distinctive take on modern dance music back into the current consciousness. The EP delivers a nirvanic state, with My Past Is Your Future's use of delicate chords, cascading keys and effortless groove. This is a divine record, paired with a Beatless Stars Is Space mix that strips it back to its core and the Chukka Chukka Dance mix squares up to the dancefloor with an end of night classic.

Best known for his burgeoning Running Back imprint, Gerd Janson is a DJ's DJ, a connoisseur of dance music with an inimitable style that cross genres. His production partner Phillip Lauer forms part of Tuff City Kids and Black Spuma, who have also released on International Feel, with a style that fuses the rhythms of house music with bold melodies to form structured songs. The result is music that can sit comfortably in many worlds.

Mark Barrott started out in the mid 90's as Future Loop Foundation and since has composed music for numerous films & TV shows and founded one of the world's leading music consultancies. His highly-respected International Feel label has featured albums from the likes of DJ Harvey and Jose Padilla, with a huge portion of the releases dedicated to Barrott's own anonymous pseudonyms. Barrott's Sketches from an Island project has gained support from Pitchfork, the Fader, the Guardian and even the Financial Times for its bold and quirky take on Balearic music.

The three of them form an exhilarating partnership in Talamanca System and this EP gives a snapshot into their forthcoming album due to be released on International Feel in May 2017.

When Kompakt came across Amsterdam-based Harm Coolen and Merijn Schotte Albers aka WEVAL back in 2014, we were blown away when we heard their slow-burning, darkly emotive tracks.

Their debut EP 'Half Age' on Atomnation featured painfully intimate and surprisingly kinetic electronic chamber pop that convinced us they were a perfect fit in Kompakt's family. Following two widely acclaimed EPs for Kompakt and playing numerous festivals including DGTL, Reeperbahn, Iceland Airwaves and Piknic Electronik, we now see the two tackle their self-titled debut full-length WEVAL. What you have before you is not a mere collection of tracks, but a complete listening experience with organic flow, emotional heft and a narrative thread.
Smitten with WEVAL's uniquely personal and catchy approach to producing dark electronic music, it didn't take much to win us over... and so came WEVAL's acclaimed 2014 label debut EASIER EP (KOMPAKT 318), followed by the bold and beautiful 2015 offering IT'LL BE JUST FINE / GROW UP (KOMPAKT 344) which saw the two soundsmiths digging deeper into the granularities of electronic funk than ever before. However, Harm and Merijn's music - while astonishingly fully-formed even in its earliest stages - always seemed destined for more, a bigger format, more space to explore the nooks and crannies of their rapidly evolving sound cosmos. Simply put, they needed to think about an album and their beloved living room studio wasn't cutting it anymore.
An old school building became WEVAL's new home, repurposed to house small creative businesses - but in the summer of 2015, it was abandoned most of the time, with everybody out in the sun while our heroes turned the building's attic into a sweet spot to make some noise, have 24-hour access and lose track of time. And apart from a sketchy tenant being evicted, the occasional soccer game with friends and live gigs across Europe, there really was no interruption to the focussed vibe. It's not like they were looking for distraction anyway: "working on the album all by ourselves in this bloody hot attic was all we had on our mind", the artists admit. And they decided that their album shouldn't sound too clean: "We try to find the beauty in imperfection. It makes things sound more human".
Weval draw their inspirations from no single genre of music but a cumulation of music that inspires them. The results present an astonishingly coherent vision - cuts like the dramatic THE BATTLE, bass growler I DON'T NEED IT or the trippy epic MADNESS share the same DNA of zestful nostalgia, a knack for immersive sound-sculpting and that certain kink in the groove. They also feed on deeply personal experiences and moods, as exemplified by the haunting electronic ballad YOU'RE MINE, the carefully layered, polaroid-tinted JUST IN CASE or the beautifully voiced closer YEARS TO BUILD. And sometimes, it's just an old, out-of-tune piano that stands in the hallway: "Whenever I'd pass by it, I couldn't resist playing it", says Merijn, "so Harm decided to start recording and it became an integral part of YOU MADE IT (PART I)". No doubt about it: this is WEVAL's most powerful and organic material yet - which means a lot, considering the amount of skill already on display in their small, but weighty portfolio.
(de) Als sich 2014 in Amsterdam Kompakts Wege mit denen von Harm Coolen und Merijn Schotte Albers aka WEVAL kreuzten, waren wir sofort Feuer und Flamme für ihre schwelenden, emotional aufgeladenen Tracks. Ihre Debüt-EP "Half Age" auf Atomnation präsentierte intimen und überraschend kinetischen, elektronischen Kammer-Pop, der wie angegossen zu Kompakt zu passen schien. Nach zwei vielbeachteten EPs auf dem Label und einer Reihe von Festvialgigs (inklusive DGTL, Reeperbahn Festival, Iceland Airwaves und Piknic Electronik) nehmen Weval nun mit dem gleichnamigen Release ihr erstes Album in Angriff. Und legen dabei nicht einfach nur eine Ansammlung von Tracks vor, sondern kreieren eine komplette Hörerfahrung mit organischem Flow, emotionalem Gewicht und einm roten Faden.
Angetan vom einzigartig persönlichen und mitreissend düsteren Klang WEVALs brauchte es nicht viel um uns zu überzeugen... und so kam es 2014 zum gefeierten Labeldebüt EASIER EP (KOMPAKT 318), gefolgt vom kühnen und wunderschönen 2015er Release IT'LL BE JUST FINE / GROW UP (KOMPAKT 344), für das die beiden Soundtüftler tiefer denn je in die Granularitäten des elektronischen Funks abtauchten. Nichtsdestotrotz - und obwohl sie schon von Anfang an ausgereift klang - schien die Musik von Harm und Merijn auf dem 12"-Format stets bestimmt für mehr: mehr Freiraum um auch die äussersten Winkel ihres rapide expandierenden Soundkosmos zu erkunden. Sie mussten schlichtweg zum Langspielformat wechseln, und ihr heissgeliebtes Wohnzimmerstudio konnte da nicht mehr mithalten.
Ein altes Schulgebäude wurde schliesslich WEVALs neues Zuhause, umfunktioniert für kleine Kreativunternehmen - doch im heissen Sommer 2015 stand es zumeist leer, da alle draussen in der Sonne badeten, während unsere Helden im Schweisse ihres Angesichts das Kellergeschoss in ein lärmfestes Aufnahmestudio verwandelten. Mit Studiozugang rund um die Uhr liess es sich bestens die Zeit vergessen. Und abgesehen von der Räumung eines zwielichtigen Nebenmieters, dem gelegentlichen Fussballspiel mit Freunden und natürlich Live-Gigs in ganz Europa, gab es auch keine Ablenkungen vom hochkonzentrierten Kreativfluss. Ablenkungen, die das Duo ohnehin nicht suchte: "ganz allein in diesem verdammt heissen Keller am Album arbeiten war alles, was wir im Sinn hatten", geben die Künstler zu. Und sie entschieden sich, dass ihr Album nicht zu sauber klingen sollte: "Wir versuchen die Schönheit im Makel zu finden. Es lässt die Dinge einfach menschlicher wirken."
Weval beziehen ihre Inspiration nicht aus einem einzelnen musikalischen Genre, sondern eher aus einer Akkumulation von Musik, die sie inspiriert. Die Ergebnisse zeichnet eine beeindruckend kohärente Vision aus - Aufnahmen wie das dramatische THE BATTLE, der Bassknurrer I DON'T NEED IT oder die Trip-Saga MADNESS teilen diesselbe DNA aus schwungvoller Nostalgie, einer Schwäche für immersive Klangschnitzerei und einer gewissen Delle im Groove. Sie nähren sich auch aus zutiefst persönlichen Erfahrungen und Stimmungen, wie zum Beispiel bei der eindringlichen elektronischen Ballade YOU'RE MINE, dem vorsichtig geschichteten, polaroid-gefärbten JUST IN CASE oder dem wunderschön gesungenen Schlussakt YEARS TO BUILD. Und manchmal ist es nur ein altes, verstimmtes Klavier, das im Flur herumsteht: "Immer wenn ich dran vorbei lief, musste ich darauf herumklimpern", erklärt Merijn, "also wurde es ein zentraler Bestandteil von YOU MADE IT (PART I)". Kein Zweifel: dies ist WEVAL's stärkstes und organischstes Material bisher - was durchaus was bedeutet, wenn man das Talent bedenkt welches bereits in schmalen, doch gewichtigen Portfolio der Band steckt.

Richard Sen's last outing on (Emotional) Especial - the bleep revival brilliance of "Songs of Pressure" - was something of a stone cold killer, so hopes are naturally high for this belated follow-up. The title track again digs deep for inspiration, doffing a cap to the starry futurism of Detroit, psychedelic acid and the drum-machine driven jack of early Chicago house. The flipside Dub of the same track takes it into uncharted territory, with hazy, drawn-out chords and post-production effects only serving to emphasize the heavy nature of Sen's vintage groove. Bonus "Shoc Horracore" explores similar territory, while offering a knowing wink towards obscure 1980s horror movie soundtracks and the bold synthesizer lines of Italo-disco.

Gone with the flow - after a little break the German musicians Julius Steinhoff and Abdeslam Hammouda revived their musical adventures and left all electricity untouched this time. For their new acoustic project the duo has chosen the alias Tonight Will Be Fine - a name that is familiar to those who followed their work in the past years. As Steinhoff & Hammouda they used the name for their first 12" on Smallville Records, the worldwide acclaimed house and beyond label and record store that Steinhoff co-runs. Now they reheated the phrase and chose it as the alias for a bittersweet acoustic singer/songwriter project. Their wonderful, captivating new musical venture came into life due to happenstance and old ferventness. After their trips into house music the duo parted geographically. Hammouda moved away from Hamburg while Steinhoff strengthened his label Smallville, built up a global DJ career and produced acclaimed house records on diverse labels - solo" and with his buddy Dionne as Smallpeople. In all the time Steinhoff and Hammouda never stayed out of touch, bound together through deep friendship.

At some point they met again for musical missions and started to record music that had nothing in common with their prior work. Steinhoff re-activated his self-taught guitar abilities and entered the studio of his friend Lawrence in the back of the Smallville record store to capture some steeldrums and vibraphone sounds. Hammouda brought more instruments like a banjo, a violine and tablas and they just started to record sketches and songs. Hammouda's musical backround leads to a widespread range of influences while growing up, before he got into producing hip hop and electronic music. For Steinhoff, the transformation from an electronic music producer into a singer/songwriter wasn't that new too, as his first musical steps have been routed in band music. Until his late teenage years, when he discovered house and techno, he played drums in a local indie group in Freiburg and for Tonight Will Be Fine he now also freed his old drum kit from cellar dust.

After the duo felt that their musical communication elevates into something more profound then a session thing, they provided themselves with additional instruments like new guitars, claves, an accordion, a piano and more. Initially the songs were very rough and sketchy. Musical ideas that did not have a real song structure. Then we started to arrange the tracks and added our voices and lyrics.' both reveal. Their charming singing covers almost the whole album with a characteristic sense of deep winking melancholy. Their lyrics are exercising the possibilities of words and are inspired by life, the world and all the those questions a human can ask in his time on earth. At some point both started to show their new songs to some friends and they liked it and encouraged the duo to move on. Somehow one of the tracks landed in Toshiya Kawasaki's mailbox. He instantly fell in love with it and asked if they would like to do an album for Mule Musiq. They did what was asked and after some reformatting and reinventing Tonight Will Be Fine originated 13 songs full of sweeping acoustic guitars, airy rhythms, piano melodies, gloomy accordion emotions, touching voices and a bunch of other exotic instruments, done without the help of electronics. They all form Elephant Island' - an incredibly inspirational place where impressionistic lyrics dance gently with kinetic acoustic music that comes out of plain jamming fun. The melange of a structured song base and free improvisation injects all songs a loose feeling. And shows two handsome fellas carving out their own musical utopia. It is a warming one, full of hope and musical freedom powered by an unabashed instrumental playfulness.
nstrumental playfulness.





É a5 | soliloquy

Ovum's 20th birthday celebrations continues with the return of Itamar Sagi. Itamar Sagi debuted on Ovum in 2009 with the amazing Fiona/Agnes Blue. After a five year hiatus from the label, he triumphantly returns with the Invisible Key EP. Raised in the hot spot of Tel Aviv, with his artist roots deep in the techno underground. Itamar is from the new breed of the current techno wave. Already well respected, Sagi's reputation continues to grow with his unique floor filling productions. His productions have caught the attention of legends such as Laurent Garnier, Josh Wink, Carl Craig, Francois K and others. It wasn't long before he found recognition on a worldwide scale, including reviews and interviews with many of the world's most popular dance magazines and radio stations. With releases on Ovum, Be As One, Soma, Drumcode and more, Sagi has shown that he is here to stay. The Invisible Key EP kicks off with the title track 'Invisible Key", which is classic Sagi. The track slowly brings you in with it twists and turns. The track bubbles and builds and creates a tension that will keep the dance floor wanting more and more. The second track from this EP 'New Order' harkens back to the sound of Basic Channel, G-Man, and John Ciaffone. Sagi once again builds the tension with vocal samples and effects that deliver an absolute massive punch without being over done. For the final track 'Dub Superstitions", Sagi brings us a proper techno workout. The track percolates and builds and once again Sagi's amazing use of tension deliver a proper massive finish to this stellar EP.

American producer David Alvarado continues his exploration into the depths of techno with his new Monclova concept. Fresh off of a successful release on Josh Wink's Ovum Recordings, Monclova 01 is a stripped down techno release featuring 2 tracks and 4 mixes of solid big room techno tools that are sure to find a place in many record boxes this fall. Monclova 01 comes out setting the tone with solid support and offers a glimpse into this exciting new label.

GREEN VELVET MAKES HIS CIRCUS RECORDINGS DEBUT WITH BIGGER THAN PRINCE, HIS MOST TALKED ABOUT TRACK IN YEARS...

BIGGER THAN PRINCE WAS BORN OUT OF A CONVERSATION BETWEEN LABEL BOSS YOUSEF AND GREEN VELVET WHEN BOTH PLAYED THE INDONESIAN LEG OF THE ANNUAL CIRCUS TOUR. THE IDEA OF THE CHICAGO LEGEND CONTRIBUTING A BRAND NEW TRACK FOR THE CIRCUS X // PART 1 COMPILATION WAS FLOATED AND SOON HE WAS JOINING NINE OTHER FRIENDS OF CIRCUS WHO WERE ALL TO FEATURE IN CELEBRATION OF TEN YEARS OF EVENTS.

'BIGGER THAN PRINCE' IS A CLASSIC GREEN VELVET VOCAL NUMBER AND SHARPER AND FRESHER THAN ANYTHING WE'VE HEARD THIS SUMMER. QUIRKY AND DRIVING, ITS SET TO BE ONE OF THE TRACKS OF THE SEASON.

TO BACK THE ORIGINAL, YOUSEF HAS DRAFTED IN MORE FRIENDS OF CIRCUS ON REMIX DUTIES, HOT SINCE 82 AND THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS...



DJ FEEDBACK



STEVE MAC - "LOVE THIS RECORD AND THE REMIXES... GREAT RELEASE!!"

TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS - "I LOVE THIS RECORD!!! I'LL PLAY THE ORIGINAL!"

MATTHIAS TANZMANN - "BOTH REMIXES REALLY ARE GREAT!! PERFECT FOR ME!"

LEE BURRIDGE - "IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE ORIGINAL FOR THIS GREEN VELVET FAN!"

SINDEN - "ORIGINAL WINNING FOR ME!!!! CLASSIC GREENB VELVET... I LOVE IT!"

ZOMBIE DISCO SQUAD - "WOW! I DON'T THINK I NEED TO SAY MORE. THAT COVERS MY ENJOYMENT MARTINEZ BROS. MAYBE MY FAV."

TIEFSCHWARZ (ALI) - "A GREAT GREAT RELEASE FROM GREEN VELVET. SUPPORT!"

AXEL BOMAN - "THIS IS SUCH A COOL TRACK... LOVE THE ORIGINAL FROM GREEN VELVET!"



DANNY HOWELLS - "MEGA PACKAGE... SUPERB ORIGINAL AND STUNNING REMIXES TOO... ALL GOOD!"

DEETRON - "REALLY LIKE THE ORIGINAL AND THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX AS WELL. I'LL BE PLAYING."

UNER - "THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX IS SUPERB!! <3"

DRUMS OF DEATH - "I LOVE THIS WHOLE PACKAGE... WILL PROBABLY PLAY THEM ALL ACTUALLY! "

SOUL CLAP - "PURE FUNK, STRAIGHT UP NASTY!! "

MOXIE - "BIG BIG TUNE!!"

RALPH LAWSON - "THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX IS BEST OF THE PACKAGE FOR ME. GONNA TRY IT OUT AND LET YOU KNOW."

ALEX WOLFENDEN - "CLASSIC GREEN VELVET TRACK WITH GREAT REMIXS! MARTINEZ BROS' THE ONE FOR ME, FULL SUPPORT."

ANNIE NIGHTINGALE - (BBC RADIO 1) - "HOT SINCE 82 SOUNDS QUITE HOT IN 2013!"

LARSE - (KLUBBING, WDR 1LIVE, GERMANY) - "I LIKE THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX. WELL DONE GUYS!"

WAIFS & STRAYS (AMOS) - "ALL TRACKS ARE KILLER! THE MARTINEZ BROS REMIX IS AMAZING...FULL SUPPORT."

LUKE SOLOMON - "I HATE TO SAY IT AS I AM SUCH A HUGE GV FAN...BUT MB'S MIX KIND OF TIPS IT FOR ME. SORRY CAJ."

&ME - "I DON'T LIKE IT, I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

GERD - GREEN VELVET = BIGGER THAN PRINCE! LOVIN' THE LINNDRUM WINK... GREAT REMIXES TOO!"



ZDAR - "LOVE THIS TUNE!!! CURTIS IS THE BEST AND ALWAYS BE... VERY GOOD MARTINEZ BROS. MIX TOO! LOVE!"

DJ HELL - "AND ANOTHER BIG TUNE FROM THE NEW PRINCE OF DANCE MUSIC! THIS IS GREAT!"

TOM FINDLAY (GROOVE ARMADA) - "GREAT EP!! MASSIVE, SUPER FRESH! GREAT CHOICE OF REMIXES TOO, BOTH SMASH IT!"

SHADOW CHILD - "YES! THE HOT SINCE 82 REMIX SOUNDS DOPE!!! "

SKREAM - "SICK RECORD!! MARTINEZ BROTHERS REMIX IS MY FAV ON FIRST LISTEN."

JORIS VOORN - "WAHAAHA CLASSIC GREEN VELVET ATTITUDE! GREAT STUFF GUYS!!"

ALIX ALVAREZ - "GREAT PACKAGE. GREAT MIXES, ESP FROM MY GUYS TMB, BEING MY FAVORITE. GONNA TRY IT OUT THIS WEEKEND."

TAYO - "THE COOLEST MOFO OUT THERE. CLASSIC GREEN VELVET. SLEAZY "CONTROVERSY" STYLE BUSINESS. LOVE."

CATZ N DOGZ (VOITEK) - "FUCK!! YES PLEASE!!! THIS IS FANTASTIC... MARTINEZ BROS. MIX MY FAV TO PLAY ON FIRST LISTEN."

IAN POOLEY - "THE HOT SINCE 82 MIX IS WICKED!! I'LL BE PLAYING THIS OUT FOR SURE!"

JD TWITCH (OPTIMO) - "I REALLY LIKE THE ORIGINAL OF THIS!! SUPPORTING."

MARC ROMBOY - "GREAT SELECTION OF VERSIONS AND GREAT TO HAVE A NEW GREEN VELVET IN THE BOX! HS82 IS MY PICK TO PLAY OUT THOUGH!!!"

DIESEL (X-PRESS 2) - "THE ORIGINAL AND THE HOT SINCE 82 MIXES AT ARE THE BEST FOR ME. WE'LL BE PLAYING THESE!!"

COPYRIGHT (DEFECTED RADIO) - "HARD TO CHOOSE A FAV. WHAT A PACKAGE...LOVE THE BEATS ON THE MARTINEZ BROS MIX...KILLER!"

New release from the mysterious Ex-Pylon on Studio Barnhus. Shakes is a twisted, noisy 12 minute techno epic with razor sharp drums, acidic basslines and a daredevil breakdown, while Helmet comes correct with swirling pads from outer space and a deadly groove from deep within the core.
Some selected feedback:
Agoria - i looooooooooooooove helmet so much!
Catz N' Dogz - LOVE IT MORE THAN POLAND
Dave Aju - cool and trippy tracks... 'helmet' is a cosmic space jam!
Deetron - This is so so good, exactly what I needed! Lovely use of the samples in Shakes and Helmet reminds me of Co-Fusion, great EP!
Ewan Pearson - Shakes is great!
Ivan Smagghe - huge
Jacques Renault - Helmet is cool, I'm going to test it out for sure.
Jimpster - Another slice of gorgeous deepness! Both tracks are double heavy and going to be getting plenty plays. Nicely done!
John Talabot - loving shakes!!! SB love
Josh Wink - out there release. fresh and i like.
Robag Wruhme - Download for Robag /Robag's mom
Sandrien - Shakes is a cool trip!
Superpitcher - super!!
Tim Sweeney - Yes to techno!

Kartel is delighted to announce the 18th March release on Soundway Records of Magical Thinking by Antibalas multi-instrumentalist, Chico Mann. Tipping a genre-bending wink at 80's funk, boogie and electro stylings, with just a hint of Afrobeat spicing the mix, Chico effortlessly merges a downtempo groove with timeless pop sensibility to create a contemporary dancefloor classic. UK/European dates for March/April will be announced shortly.

The time has come. The funky nerd and knob-handler Erdbeerschnitzel alias Tim Keiling is releasing his first physical album on Mirau. The young producer, who has moved from his hometown of Mittelfischbach to Bonn, tapped into the lode of versatility early on, and has been extracting one surprise after another ever since. After single-handedly releasing a first digital album that was obviously bursting with ideas ('Pathetik Party', 2009), Erdbeerschnitzel rapidly made himself a name with first-class single releases in the following years on 3rd Strike Records, 4 Lux and Mirau - a name not easily forgotten. The release of the much-celebrated single 'To an End' on Mirau made clear that this was but the beginning of a work together. In the wake of anticipation created by the digital single 'Through the Night', the album 'Tender Leaf' is now available on beautifully packed double vinyl. 'Tender Leaf' is a collection of 12 wonderful tracks, splashing at the edges with Erdbeerschnitzel's signature deep, driving vibe throughout the entire album, pulling us into a pool of swinging, iridescent oomph. Each elaborate audio-bouquet is full of spirit. Sometimes weirdly romantic and introverted, then breaking out into raucous assemblage, flaunting sonar reverb. Keiling's production makes these gems sound like an essence of all the music around us today, which calls out to us in echoing vocal traces. In 'The Mattress Excursions', guest singer 'The Drifter' steers his soulful voice through the escalating arrangement and broken beats as we remember from early Jamie Lidell tracks. Erdbeerschnitzel frequently gives things a humorous turn, flashing us winks from the midst of the fray. His characteristic beat programming, clever and exulting, makes otherwise bland patterns swing into pulsating vivacity; picking up on contemporary styles and aesthetics, he re-animates sounds within his own parameters. Multifacet-flow

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