quête:wobbly

With music from a mix of talented producers, ISSUES is about to release their first ever VA vinyl only limited edition compilation. Each quarter there will be a VA which will contain the best selling tracks of each release and it will also be a way to showcase the sound of the label and promote the artists.

On the A side artists there is Joseph Edmund “It’s ON” track which has Josephs trademark sound with trippy breakdowns, strong buildups and heavy basslines and also Spanish producer Alvaro Am “Activate” reflecting his new renovate sound, offering an infectious vocal hook and a heavy bassline.

Side B includes Kabbina’s “Amnesia” which effectively reflects the trio’s unique style. Using an unmistakable synth shot, prolific vocal and a wobbly bass line that complete the dynamic track and Campbell Fryer’s “Moody” which is a unique groovy tech house track that has appeared in many sets including Michael Bibi, Detlef, Steve Lawler to name a few.

Worldwide Award winners First Word Records are pleased to welcome back Souleance; a duo that have been releasing music with us for a decade now, and triumphantly returning to the fold with some brand new music for 2020.

This vinyl / digital EP, 'Les Mouches', is their first release for First Word since the acclaimed beat-tape 'French Cassette' from early last year.

Expanding on the original Normand-Parisian super-duo of Fulgeance and Soulist, the Souleance crew now includes Vincent Choquet on synths and Guillaume Rossel on drums as part of their live outfit. Whilst sonically their style remains unchanged, the formation into a full band sees the Souleance sound become bigger, more realised and more formidable than ever.

The title track 'Les Mouches' sets off the EP in a playful disco manner - a chugging bassline, assorted synthesisers, disco claps and a four-to-the-floor drum track, inspired by the likes of Larry Levan and Candido. Meaning "flies", Les Mouches was a legendary Manhattan club that existed around the era of Studio 54, and was infamously a hangout spot for Imelda Marcos. The club itself was named after a play by Jean-Paul Sartre.

Next up is the single 'Aquarelle' (meaning watercolours), which contains more layers than a Bob Ross painting. With its various elements splayed across its aural canvas, sprinkled with some subtle scratches, it's four minutes of funk presented in Souleance's inimitable way.

'The Bounce' follows and enters a more soulful side of the dance, dropping the tempo a touch and inviting in a huge bassline, squelchy keys and intermittent vocal hooks.

'Mont Maudit' takes more of a latin jazz direction with big drums and cymbals rocking throughout, whilst an infectious piano hook cruises throughout, and an ethereal gospel choir switches up the proceedings mid-way.

Things get deeper still with the epic broken beat-esque 'Maneuevers'. Crunchy rhodes dominate this slightly tweaked-out rhythm, a delectable piece of heads-down nujazz fused with Souleance's unmistakable funk once again.

'L'Opuleance' closes out this EP with some more traditional Souleance fare - the tempo a little more head-nod, this one is comprised of some deliciously wobbly bass, chopped samples and hefty breaks.

This EP is essentially a set of grooves marinated in nostalgia whilst managing to sound entirely current. Analogue synths, live bass, sleek cuts and intoxicating drums. This is another round of sure-shot dancefloor fire from our favourite French family.

Previous support has come from OkayPlayer, Bill Brewster, BBC 6 Music's Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft & Huey Morgan, and various DJs on Worldwide FM, NTS & Le Mellotron,

Imagine for a minute that Klein MBO would return from the Italo heaven to deliver a brand new EP. How amazing would that be? Sometimes such miracles lay just around the corner. Nijmegen based Luca Dell’Orso found some sort of time machine that brought him back to the days of Disco Magic and Il Discotto; a time where wobbly synths, heart felt handclaps and sweet melodies flled the air. After appearances on Red Laser Records, Bordello A Parigi and Shmlss’ label XXX it’s time for his debut on Utrecht based SoHaSo sublabel OOSSHA. Filled to the rims with stylish Italo-disco, the Eternal Waves-EP has it all. Slow motion Gaz Nevada-esque disco on Common Occurrence (which comes with two beautiful Cosmo Vitelli-remixes); sun blissed and fast paced happiness on Return Of You and stark new wave- vibes on Constriction. Closer Bont & Blauw proves that Luca understands the essence of the genre. It has the same fnesse of the best Gazebo-records, back in the day. If you have a heart for italo, you don’t want to miss this perfect wave.

The Magic Movement welcomes Anatta to the family with her Fields Of Play EP.

Following her debut Album on Random Collective, her new EP comes as a four-track package:

In the original mix, Anatta invites us to discover a sonic world between pitched down UK House and future-primitive downbeat.
Rough Drumbeats, quirky synths, and catchy vocal chops guide us through a sophisticated arrangement with unforeseen twists and turns.

Salon des Amateurs resident Tolouse Low Trax delivers the 'Knights & Wheels Remix' in his signature style: While a hypnotic vocal loop hooks you up from the very beginning, minimalistic and dreamy synths slowly submerge the listener into a jam of stripped-down Lo-Fi funk.

The 'Beat Mix' by Rio de Janeiro's sound wizard Carrot Green and long time family member of the label, speeds up the tempo, and puts together a groove of classic electro boogie vibes with a P-Funky bassline that sounds like a futuristic liaison between Afrika Bambaataa and George Clinton.

Increasing the UK house vibe with strong drums and a wobbly bassline, Noema's 'Acid Ghetto Style Remix' works the mysterious vocals of Anatta into a delicious hook and creates a highly animating and fun dancefloor monster.

And now, let's get weird!!!

Green Vinyl

The HEX series explores the more clean side of the spectrum with a common denominator called acid influenced elements in all it's possible forms.

BPM, structure, form, styles can and will all be switched up held together by that wobbly origin called acid :)

The HEX series (based on the hexagons as you can see in the design) comes in a clear plastic outer sleeve with a big double-sided printed thick inlay card where the information about the record can be viewed. The records itself are all clear/silver mixed so every record is unique in its own way.

The first release by Prime features 4 different approaches to the genre ranging from trance influenced acid techno to electro and anything in between with the most RAW of the 4 tracks on the B1 which is dark and unwelcoming. The perfect opening record to start with broken beats going into a raw 4/4 frenzy later on.

Inspired by the nocturnal city life, Syntax Error emerges from the dark and lights up your ears with a bunch of new techno shooting stars. Clearly, it is time for a night rave – of course all Syntax Error style.
For all vinyl lovers, he pushes four full-flavored techno tracks through the turntables. Already the first beats of A1 “Finnisage” hit right in the middle of the dusty underground heart. Starting with a pure beat, he builds up level by level and creates his signature sound – an energizing drive, wobbly bass lines all wrapped in spherical sounds. The following tracks “Powder”, “Vegan Monster” and “DT Style” continue this exciting symbiosis of dramaturgy and driving beats.
In the digital version, Syntax Error adds four tracks and enlarges his vinyl ep to a digital album. “Deep Saw” clearly keeps its promise, “Elakt” and “Future” go with full steam ahead through the night, whereas “Test1” finally hijacks you into an experimental sound conglomerate just ready for dawn.

Flat White Records launch into 2020 with Meowsn’s, “Stages EP”.

This 7 track slice of genius showcases the Russians trademark style, with every twist and turn more wobbly and pleasing to the ears than the last.

The mysterious talent out of Russia is the second producer from his country to feature on Flat White Records, proving that they have a really good thing going on there.

O'Girl aka Ellinor Jackson is back once again on Borft! Her debut left me wanting for more. Like label boss Villa Abo said 'Sometimes you just feel right about it'. Although this 4-tracker is her second record out there the music is fully matured house goodness. Stabs and chords builds up a funky groove on a solid beat foundation in Corners Couch. Proper sunset/sundown dance music. Snap Happy dives right into filtered loopy loops and voice samples. It takes its time so you can get snug and cosy and then unleashes a percussion party right at the end so you'll be smile-dancing and sipping fizzy in no time. Shoddy Shoes is a straight up club joint. Dark wobbly techno bass moves dubby stabs forward while a mysterious mist floats on top. Some strong clap action keeps everything moving from side to side! The last track is a lush French Riviera happy moment. Warm pads, classic house piano and bass action all day long. Smiles everywhere and not a cloud in sight! - Sahpo Ripasso

After inaugurating the label with a tape in 2015, our local friend Richard Brown (AKA Brown Irvin) returns to Motion Ward with an oblique two-track 12" entitled "Run Me That Soul". "Locution" flexes a wobbly equilibrium of dubbed dancefloor energy and amorphous acid while "Overcast" coats the B Side in a smeared gradient of ambient wash and shape-shifting stasis. A persuasive pair of parallel worlds for winding up and winding down.

Kinway is short for “no fuckin way!“ And that is exactly what
we thought, when we stumbled upon this suite of lush detuned
chords, heavily filtered down drum machines and wobbly,
pumpin tape compression. „It’s raining here“ is a five track LoFi manifesto that just waited there to be pressed on wax. …So
now it is. And it’s all yours! “Shit’s gettin’ wiggly”

Around the year, the sturdy red brick walls of an old Cable Factory stand there like a mountain, facing weathers of all kinds rising from the Gulf of Finland. It might be freezing winter winds whipping the whole shore line into submission, fog heavy as concrete, or the relentless sun of the summer months, softening the asphalt to a boiling point. Whatever the weather may be, the narrow courtyard of the old factory embraces those musicians, who are looking to get down. They gather from all directions, making their way towards a pair of doors that lead towards a flight of stairs, again through a few doors all the way to the last portal, where an open padlock and a loosely hangin crossbar signal that Cold Diamond & Mink are inside, locked in a groove.

Who could it be with them this time, perhaps the jazz prophet Jimi Tenor beaming out of his space ship, maybe it's the golden voiced knight of soul Tuomo "Pratt" Prättälä, the number one trumpet wielding dandy Jukka Eskola or the saxman Pope Puolitaival, who loses nothing in coolness compared to the former? The reel to reel is always there in the monitoring room, catching each analog layer of sound, even the silences and banter between takes. Seppo lays down the guitar and tries to catch the riff on organ instead, Jukka throws a rare tune on the turntable, hoping to guide their unit through that wobbly chorus, Sami waits there bass in hand, maybe already thinking about the next production.

After a whole lot of playing instruments, arranging and taking care of business, after the moon has travelled around the old industrial building for some rotations, Carlton Jumel Smith comes waltzing through those same doors. There's a handful of unnamed tracks waiting for him. He sits there listening and then starts writing, maybe echoes of soul classics from his own record collection in New York projecting inside his mind. Then the tape is rolling again. Starting with a short intro rap Carlton lets it out, singing on the edge of shouting "Woman you made me...". After the vocals are in the can, Carlton ascends out of the basement and heads out to entertain an audience somewhere. Some months later, after the mix is said and done, there's the question of the instrumentals. It seems they're pretty good as they are. And here they are.




d 4 Help Me (Save Me From Myself) [Instrumental]

Durban gqom ambassador DJ Lag and London-based Okzharp combine over four club heavy tracks rooted in their long-term long-distance connection, the EP’s title originating from the Durban nickname for the local clubs where much early gqom-style music was played. Opener ‘Now What’ layers a wooden percussion scraper with a ticking cow bell and chants. Set at a slightly faster pace than most gqom, the track harbours a dark energy at its core generated by a low rumbling background synth and pitch shifting claps.

‘Steam One’ - inspired by DJ Lag’s set at Hyperdub’s club night Ø after he brought the heavy steam room vibe - has a slow and entrancing build up with a subtle melody layering on stabbing syncopated kicks, leading up to awoozy synth breakdown. “We were inspired by that moment in the club when things get hazy and bendy and glowy. It has South Durban via South London DNA, so inevitably there's a heavy kwai-gqom vibe with a grimey funky London twist running through it”. ‘Nyusa’ opens with a grinding acidicbass line overlaid with a metallic and gravelly melody with suppressed chants.

Sharp kicks drive the track leading up to a wobbly synth breakdown and back up synth stabs raising the energy. Finally, ‘Sambe’ pairs menacingstrings with a steel drum melody, displaying characteristics of both funky house and gqom in a subtle meeting of the two styles. ‘Steam Rooms’ is a collection of dancefloor heaters set to make the club sweat, the amalgamation of a London / Durban link up reflecting both producers environments and sound palettes for icey cold gqom tracks with funky house shadings.

“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.

Architectural returns to Wolfskuil Records with 4 exceptional cuts on his 'Beautiful Life After Death' twelve inch. Complex sound design and a warm and open atmosphere go hand in hand with the Spanish studio wizzard's sonic world. From lush ambient in the title track, the addictive groove in 'Piedras' to wobbly modular bass excursions in 'Luminous Path' and moody textures from the abyss in 'Gris'. Architectural covers a lot of ground in just 4 tracks. Diverse and coherent at the same time, few artists have such a recognizable sound signature as the Barcelona artist.

Life is all about rhythms. We don't know what we're dancing to until we're in so deep we can no longer control ourselves. The rhythm controls us.

Right now both Guti and the Martinez Brothers are dancing to the conga rhythm. Guti's third album, they've been dancing to it since the summer, teasing us with a whole slew of percussive new... And they'll continue throughout 2019. Chance are you will, too. Eventually the rhythm will control all of us. It's too infectious not to.

Here's the 411: 'The Year Of The Conga' is Guti's third and most rooted album to date. It came about through a personal request from brothers Chris & Steve Martinez. Both unapologetic Guti fans they wanted the very first album on their Cuttin' Headz label to be his. The result is a total reconnection back to his Argentinian foundations, his club roots and everything that first lured him to the dancefloor...

'I'm back to my roots and found my Latino groove again,' says Guti who wrote the album throughout 2018, starting it whilst bulleting through Japan by train, the majority crafted in the jungle of Dominican Republic, having collected and sampled native percussion instruments, and then finally mixing down on his return to Europe. 'Every song is full of rhythm and created to make you dance...'

He's not messing around; from the writhing snakelike percussion and rousing calls and cries of opener 'Aee' right through to the final mesmerising waves and farewell struts of finale 'Voladora' this an album is born both for and from the dancefloor. No overthinking, no purism, no exclusion; just unabashed physical hypnosis, fuelled for the floor, guided with gut instinct and years of groovecraft. It's the sound of an artist who's disconnected, explored and reconnected. He's older, he's wider and more in tune with his own pace and palette. One of the most diverse and explorative artists to come from Loco Dice's Desolat stable, this is Guti simplifying his passions down to an essence of everything that's magic about his roots and our shared dancefloor culture.

The highlights are in abundance; those hazy-but-persistent New Jersey organs on 'Telling The Truth', that wobbly sub on 'Red Eye', that shimmering sinewy acid line on 'Se Baila', the spicy pianos and wet horns of 'La Orchestra Fantasma', the list goes on. Each cut designed for deep mix pleasure, each cut rolling with a strong organic flavour and alluring percussive dynamics, each cut showing Guti at his most inspired, warmest, playful and ready to wrap you up so deep in a conga you'll soon lose yourself.

Cuttin Headz, cuttin straight to the chase but never cutting it fine... Let us be the first to wish you happy new year with the first ever album on the currently unstoppable label. We'll wish you a happy new conga, too. 2019's going to be a vintage and Guti and the Martinez Brothers are leading the charge.

Masterworks Music Rolls Into Town Once Again, This Time With France's Very Own Chevals Firmly In The Saddle. Four Peak Time Disco Edits Of Tried And Tested Dancefloor Anthems, Ready And Raring To Be Unleashed.

First Out Of The Blocks, 'my Feet Keep Changin', Drenched In Uplifting, Gospel Leaning Vocals That Will Have Hands Reaching For The Heavens. Couple That With Dazzling Piano Melodies, A Pulsating Bass And Staccato Strings, Alongside A Spiritual Breakdown That Will Bring About Full-on, Holy Disco Enlightenment. Next Up, A Filtered Disco House Gem In The Form Of 'this Time Is Dedicated To Love'. Shimmering Vocals, Synth Trills And Guitars That Radiate Warmth Combine With Fresh Percussive Samples And Lush Female Harmonies.

Take To The B Side And You're Hit With 'never Will I Leave You Baby'. Sun-kissed, Beachside, Wind In The Hair Vibes - Bringing Back Memories Of Those Warmer Months, Where Everything Just Seemed That Little Bit More Blissful. '80s Synths, Fuzzy Hats, Filtered Phrases And Sweet Chord Progressions In Abundance. Closing Out The Ep Chevals Goes Heavy On The Modulated, Wobbly Synthwork And Rich Bass Tones On 'love Somebody' Before Those Deep, Soulful Keys Take Centre Stage.

Disco Edits Done Properly!

The Tel-aviv Based Label Parallax Brings Yogg And Pharaoh Together For Their 8th Vinyl Release.
It Starts Off With The Epic Title Track, A Laid-back Bassy Groove Surrounded By Crispy Hits And Shifted Electrical Noises, Building Up To A Climatic Second Part Which Fuses A Lot Of The Producers' Unique Soundscapes, All On A Hypnotic Pounding Rhythm Section.
This Is Followed By A Quirky Broken Electronica Short, ompti', Chopped-up Modular Sweeps And Lush Melodic Hints Create This Uniquely Structured A2 Track.
The B-side Starts Of With maurice', A More Direct And Intensive Techno Cut, Which Also Breaks Into An Energetic - Wobbly 2nd Section Which Also Features Many Of Their Unique Sound Explorations In A Dramatic Final Section.
B2, abadei' Has A Deeper Buildup Approach For Most Of It, Starting From A Pure Yet Uneven Rhythm Section, And Growing Into A Mass Of Counterparts And Layers Of Noise And Crackle.
The Ep Ends With An Unlisted Locked-groove, An Intense And Dirty Industrial-techno Groove.

Following Induction's Liturgical Hymns Remixes EP, Ravage is proud to announce the next release on their White Series. It's a various artists release, containing tracks produced by artists who are very close to the label. Hence, it's title: Familiar Affairs.

A1. sees the return of Forward Strategy Group, with their track Pet a Burning Dog. It's hard not to think 'Sandwell District' when first laying ear on this minimalistic beauty. Bleeps, screeches and haunting synth-work with some outstanding rhythm laying underneath. Following on A2 we have Unbalance picking up the pace with his track Hard Solutions; a track very true to its name. Atmospheric, yet with a healthy dose of punch.

Kicking off his favourite position on the record, on B1 we've got Dutch techno legend Dimi Angélis. He produced a self-proclaimed 'Acid Bomb' which goes by the name of Tarazed. We dare you not to dance when this one hits the floor. Closing off the EP is Liverpool based artist Binny, who produced the wobbly-banger Relax. Proper techno from a man of whom you'd expect this kind of sound.

7"

Melbourne/Geelong quartet School Damage began as a bedroom recording project for Carolyn Hawkins (Chook Race, Parsnip) and Jake Robertson (Ausmuteants, Frowning Clouds etc). They released a cassette for Moontown Records in 2013, then were joined by Jeff Raty on drums and Dani 'Damage' Hakim on bass.
Taking cues from pop outfits such as The Vaselines, The Particles and Young Marble Giants, School Damage's sound is defined by wobbly keyboards, weaving bass lines, and lyrical content focused on the vagaries of modern life.
Following on from last year's excellent debut album through Chapter, School Damage return with a new EP for Upset The Rhythm titled 'Sings... Four Songs About One Cat'. As titles go this one hits it on the head, School Damage tell the tale of a very independently-minded feline that they share their life with called Lumpy (also known as Scump). As Jake from the band explains, 'Lumpy is incredibly naughty, she's not very cuddly and she definitely plays by her own rules.  The songs here are a mix about us having anxiety as pet owners - whether she'll run away, or if we're suffocating her by our constant need of attention... and also about how much she enriches our lives.'
For a cat who spends much of her time scratching up record spines, it seems fitting that Lumpy will now grace the cover and sentiment of her very own 7'. Maybe she's just been making room all this time for as many copies as possible of her hit record.

Dublin based musician Lerosa has built an impressive discography throughout the years. With his first efforts dating back to 2005 the producer who has a broad palette of sounds has already been around for over 10 years with releases for a vary of respected labels.

For the first release on SAFTX , Lerosa hands out a taster of the labels new series ambitions. Vivrant house music is most definitely the back bone of Playa De La Guancha as a whole. The opening is packed with a strapping rhythm section and a vocal cut that is reminiscent of the Trax Records classic House Nation . Julius Steinhoff (of Smallpeople fame) gives Soul Tracing a modern sounding treatment that completely shifts the feel of the original and turns it into an adventurous piece of contemporary electronics.

Lerosa opens up the B side with Bruised which is a work out of alternating basslines and brutal machine claps that give the piece a club oriented feel. Acidic sounds cut through the mix with determination and wobbly synth sounds serve as a pleasant sauce for this intergalactic sounding work. Marauder is a hefty bit at a slower tempo than it s predecessors. A loose rhythm section is causing for the listener the focus on the immense LFO threated sounds that float on to and the low down bassline that supports the overall atmosphere in a grounded manner. Playa De La Guancha will be available through all specialized retailers starting early April.