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Technical Ecstasy by Black Sabbath, limited edition, remastered, new mix, 90 mins of unreleased outtakes, alt mixes, live tracks from Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill plus extensive book, tour program and poster. LP set on 180g vinyl.



In the summer of 1976, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward headed to Miami to record Technical Ecstasy at the famed Criteria Studios. The band was coming off a world tour for their previous album, Sabotage, that had found their live performances evolving to include keyboards and synthesizers. These newly incorporated instruments and sounds were then introduced into the recording process on Technical Ecstasy. The new songs encompassed a wide range of styles from the hard charging “Back Street Kids” and single ballad “It’s Alright,” to the funky “All Moving Parts (Stand Still)” and progressive rock “Gypsy.” The Deluxe Edition presents a newly remastered version of the eight-track album, along with an entirely new mix of the album created by Steven Wilson using the original analogue tapes.



With eight previously unreleased outtakes and alternative mixes. Among those are different mixes of “You Won’t Change Me” and “Rock ’n’ Roll Doctor,” as well as both outtake and instrumental versions for “She’s Gone.” The collection concludes with 10 previously unreleased live tracks recorded during the 1976-77 World Tour. The songs touch on different eras of the band’s history with early tracks like “Black Sabbath”, “War Pigs” (from Paranoid), “Symptom Of The Universe”, “Snowblind” and “Children Of The Grave” alongside new songs “Gypsy” and “Dirty Women.”



The collection comes with an extensive hardback book featuring artwork, liner notes, rare memorabilia and photos from the era, plus a replica of the 1976-77 world tour concert book and a large colour poster of the iconic Hipgnosis (Storm Thorgerson/Aubrey Powell/Peter Christopherson) futuristic robots image which is perfect for framing.



Black Sabbath embraced change in 1976 when the heavy metal innovators started managing themselves and began exploring different sounds on the band’s seventh studio album, Technical Ecstasy.



BMG honours this daring album with a collection that includes a newly remastered version of the original, a brand-new mix by Steven Wilson, plus more than 90 minutes of previously unreleased outtakes, alternative mixes and live tracks. TECHNICAL ECSTASY: SUPER DELUXE EDITION will be available as a 4CD box set and 5LP box set on 180g black vinyl.



Contents:



Vinyl box set includes:

Original album newly remastered
New Mix LP
Outtakes and Alternative Mixes LP
2LP live concert from the World Tour 1976 - 77
40-page book with photos, artwork and liner notes
Technical Ecstasy colour poster

Delsin welcomes Jayson Wynters into the fold for a four-track EP that embodies techno as a vibrant, expressive artform with the ability to uplift. On The Affect Heuristic, Wynters strides forth with an electrifying machine language, calling to mind the feverish, psychedelic tweaking and layering of visionaries like Dan Curtin and Lee Purkis (In Sync). Across four tracks, Wynters pivots between distinctly Motor City-indebted funk, springy electro-techno and vivid, immersive soundchasms. The artwork - a canny meld of bold geometry, bright colours and rough textures from Erosie and Erris Huigens (Graphic Surgery) - responds to the music in a wholly appropriate way.

A repress for four prime slices of classic Baby Ford minimal tech gear, from the rhythm-centric drum machine fest 'Very', the resonant bleepy tones of 'Test', the sparse and spacious 'Down' and the subtle acid undertones of 'Percy'. Baby Ford is finally getting his props as one the UK acid and techno scene's true innovators and pioneers, and these four very mixable tracks are four more reasons why this is only right.

Early member of future house label Beat X Changers, Paris based artist Takadoum drops his first release on Momo's Basement. This oddball is a spontaneous and enigmatic collaboration between ancient instruments and modular synthesis. Based on eerie cosmic grooves and immersive dubby melodic loops, the four track EP, Keep it vague, is a contemplative journey through lofihouse and early minimal techno for warm sunrise festival mornings.

After more than 20 years in the business, HD Substance is still here as a full actor in the global scene.

Missing Link is a three-track EP, printed on Vinyl, signing and opening our new Vinyl release series.

TTR006 is a sophisticated piece by HD Substance, delivering Beats & Pieces 7 and 8, which are techno hypnotic vibe tracks with an electro touch; to complete the EP, we have an outstanding breaky electro track called Lady On The Floor.

Described by Swiss press as an “inventive genius marked by total unpredictability,” Roger Baudet’s music has preserved its freshness and spontaneity. Provoking feelings of surprise, anxiety and subjugation, he ends up bewitching you completely through his bizarre non-conformity. The oddity of the sounds is a choice of heterogeneity: the works gathered, although coming from one person, have little to do with each other. Forming a mosaic that provides a fragmented vision of atmospheres without apparent links, his music multiplies diverse rhythms and combinations, rejecting any principle of hierarchy in the musicality of the moment. The decorative music was composed as the soundtrack for theatre and ballet performances, documentaries, short films and exhibitions of paintings – a context that inevitably shines through the twenty-two pieces. Despite these classical settings, the music had a forward-facing, futuristic cadence – a precursor to the electronic genres that would later become techno or trance. This compilation from the past century is a collage of ornaments made out of sounds; stripped down, yet undoubtedly imbued with sensitivity, with hints of classical training, all suitable for contemplation.

Matterwave Records presents its faith EP with a combination between new and mature blood of producers to edit "ALLIANCE" release. Specific collaboration series. Ferdinand Prairie and Hector Mad, one side for each one where they express an electronic language balancing minimal techno
forms.

Four original tracks + Locked grooves, high quality limited 12" with a full colour sleeve. 200 copies

YWF is one of those producers who is capable of bringing a twist to his dedicated genre with every release. His cooperation with the TDS crew truly undermarked the concept of technodub.

The second release of TDS Records is dedicated to a forgotten TV show character, this sets the dynamic and emotional focus. The original track was written and named by the Danish producer, and it starts the vinyl with a twisty opus, followed by some jolly dub vibes from Garpo and beko. On side B Krisz Deak brings his stirring, metallic sounds back to the table, and the season ends with the ambient style closure that we all deserve.

With TDS02 the label continues to pay its respect to the timeless sounds of dub & techno, by keeping this kind of raw minimalist aura alive.

Superb acid techno-tribe, full of creativity, morphing, new ideas, drop squrprises...
Thin and thick. fat tricks here !!

ENJOY !

Introducing USA based artist Jon Linskey aka ‘Sectra’ to Tectonic! With a truly unique sound, Sectra’s music sits among the crushing, claustrophobic weight of Shapednoise drone spaces, the percussive dexterity of a Detroit techno wizard and summoning the power of DMZ with sub bass sonics designed to hug your ankles.

‘A Demon In My View’ runs at a dangerous 90bpm, a total night stalker of a beat riddled with menace and the deep stench of fear. You will be scared, but that’s OK, we’ll get through this. ‘Counter Culture’ runs at 126bpm and projects us far out into distance space for a Sci-Fi adventure to a distant galaxy with a techno shaped rocket to propel us out there (well, there’s a 4/4 kick in there at least..).

Flip for ‘Ashes’ where we get a hint of dubstep influence melded with mangling technology and more perfectly placed sounds. Lastly we turn to ‘Bedlam’ which takes the pace down a few notches and we find ourselves hypnotized in a half-step, rocking gently, wrapped in a blanket, slowly shaking off the trauma.

A brand new multi genre label. Releasing Jungle, Hardcore and Jungle Techno that pay's tribute to the orginal 90's vibe but presents it with a modern take. TufStuf focuses on the harder and faster side of rave, with rough layered breakbeats, deep sub bass, and emotive and catchy melodies.

With already some very experienced, talented and create producers signed to the label there is many exciting things to come. The first release is a perfect fusion of Hardcore & Jungle vibes the A side with a more melodic theme to it. While the B side brings some serious dark hardcore vibes.

Pan-Pot zeigen mit einem unkonventionellen, von Breakbeats gekennzeichneten Techno auf Voodoo Signs eine ganz neue Seite von sich. Mit atmosphärischen Klängen voller kontrastreicher Elemente eröffnet Voodoo und hypnotisiert die Zuhörer:innen mit gebrochenen Rhythmen und bedrohlichen Vocals. Signs sorgt mit seinem treibenden, von einem wiederholten und spannungserzeugenden Piepen getragenen Rhythmus für Peaktime Stimmung. Plötzlich durchschneidet ein Breakbeat die energischen Klänge, bevor der 4/4 Beat die frenetische Clubatmosphäre wieder herstellt.

Neon Christ, the Atlanta hardcore luminaries founded by Alice in Chains singer William DuVall have announced the official release of 1984 for 17th September. This collaboration between Southern Lord Recordings/DVL Recordings was originally released on Record Store Day U.S.only, now to be made available more widely.

The package includes a full-colour gatefold sleeve and a 12-page oral history booklet featuring dozens of never-before-seen photographs. Heavyweight vinyl at 45 RPM for maximum fidelity.

Neon Christ formed in the fall of 1983 with William DuVall on guitar, Jimmy Demer on drums, Danny Lankford on bass, and Randy DuTeau on vocals. They made their debut in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day 1984. That March, they recorded their eponymous debut 10-song EP. Released in June ’84, the EP's songs exemplify the band's signature musical diversity, from DRI-style thrashers like "Parental Suppression" to the atmospheric improv of "After." A short east coast tour followed. On Labor Day 1984, the band recorded four tracks in the home studio of Nick Jameson, of Foghat fame. A few months later, "Ashes to Ashes" was included on the International Peace/War compilation released by MDC's R Radical Records, bringing the band worldwide exposure.

Neon Christ shared the stage with the luminaries of 80s hardcore including the Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks, and Corrosion of Conformity. In 1985, the band added Shawn Devine on second guitar, as their sound and songs became slower, heavier, and more melodic. DuVall wrote an album's worth of songs in 1985, but only "Savior (Drawn In)" was ever recorded in what would be the band’s final studio session on December 26, 1985 (the master tapes were lost). Returning to the four-piece original lineup, the band played a handful of Atlanta shows and then took a break in March of 1986. A few months later, William moved to Santa Cruz, CA, to join BL’AST!, and Jimmy, Danny, and Randy formed Gardens of…William later founded jazz/punk/world improvisers No Walls. In 1999, he would form Comes With The Fall and move the band to Los Angeles, where he struck up a friendship and musical collaboration with Jerry Cantrell. William joined Alice in Chains as vocalist and guitarist in 2006. On February 2, 2008, Neon Christ reunited to headline the Ratlanta Punkfest 2.

To this day, the band members maintain a close friendship, as well as a desire to honour the legacy of the group. So when longtime fan Greg Anderson of Southern Lord contacted them about reissuing a deluxe edition of Neon Christ's 1984 sessions, "1984" quickly came to life. To remaster the original tapes using an all-analog process, William DuVall made multiple trips to Nashville to one of the few remaining studios maintaining the vintage technology to play and process the audio. Side one of "1984" features the original Neon Christ 7" EP, and side two contains the four songs of the Labor Day session

Bart Skils returns to Drumcode with a trio of dancefloor weapons. The artist has been one of the most consistent label contributors over the last 18 months, with two Truesoul EPs, a cut on A-Sides Vol.10 and now ‘New Era’, his second Drumcode EP in a year.

‘All Over My Body’ features a collaboration with well-regarded US producer/DJ/vocalist Superchumbo and is a ready-made festival track, propelled by a memorable vox hook, driving groove and thrilling effects. ‘Golden Temple’ is trademark Skils and builds to a hypnotic laser-kissed climax. ‘Dub Killer’ is punchy techno at its finest, capped off by a woozy vocal drop.

Danish producer Uffe presents his innovative third LP Words and Endings, which further explores the boundaries between post-punk, dub, UK bass hybrids, and spiritual and free jazz. His first full-lengthouting on genre-breaking London imprint On the Corner, Uffe utilises the techniques that have long fueled his reputation as a purveyor of offbeat sonic fusions and delivers a diverse trip that leans into unusual territory with thrilling and unpredictable results.

The Madness, originally released in May 1988, is the only album recorded by Suggs, Chas Smash, Chrissy Boy and Lee Thompson of Madness. Calling themselves “The Madness”, the group explored a new direction without Mike Barson, Woody and Mark Bedford. The result was an album bathed in all the new technology the late 1980s had to offer, and features some of this incarnation of Madness’ most experimental work.

Lead vocals were shared between Suggs and Chas Smash, while all members of the group contributed music and lyrics. The album also features a host of other musicians including Steve Nieve (Elvis Costello & The Attractions) on keyboards and The Specials’ Jerry Dammers on piano.

Although short-lived, this version of Madness marked a significant detour from the original band’s trajectory and preceded one of the most extraordinary music comebacks ever witnessed, when the whole band reformed in 1992 for two sold-out “Madstock” shows in London’s Finsbury Park. The fans’ excitement led to a legendary mini-earthquake, and ‘Madstock’ would prove that no members of Madness ever truly leave the band.

This LP reissue is pressed on 180g black vinyl and features brand new liner notes by Chrissy Boy, Chas Smash and Lee Thompson.

Georgian DJ and producer Vulkanski returns to BITE with his first full length album Skeptical Answers. Serving as a longtime resident at Tbilisi club KHIDI, he’s also known as one of the key figures pioneering the local electronic music scene. Achi Tabukashvili stands for rich, vibrant techno and grinding, metallic soundscapes that are elegantly arranged through his high fidelity productions and singular dj sets. Vulkanski’s Skeptical Answers traverses over 10 tracks the infinite ranges between tectonic club techno, to UK-inspired IDM and broken beat, while reaching to contemporary weightless and electro territories. Producer Tabukashvili describes and questions a period of a deeper esoteric search through the labyrinth of contemporary viewpoints on instrumental sonics and its unexpected answers. In addition, Vulkanksi is known as one half of duo Greenbeam & Leon who began DJing and performing throughout Georgia in 2002. They notably appeared on Boiler Room in response to the police raids at Bassiani and Cafe Gallery 5 years ago. With Vulkanski’s debut BITE EP Science Gardens in 2018, he illustrated his detailed vision of his own dense soundscape productions culminating in a memorable Berghain debut for label cofounder Phase Fatale’s Ostgut Ton album release party in 2020. Now, Skeptical Answers examines a wider spectrum of sonic possibilities, aimed towards the most daring of dancefloors existing between the liminal bounds of club music and its deconstructions. A dissection of his focused elements in heavy electronics. ALSO INCLUDES DOWNLOAD CODE….

White Marbled Vinyl

Georgian DJ and producer Vulkanski returns to BITE with his first full length album Skeptical Answers. Serving as a longtime resident at Tbilisi club KHIDI, he’s also known as one of the key figures pioneering the local electronic music scene. Achi Tabukashvili stands for rich, vibrant techno and grinding, metallic soundscapes that are elegantly arranged through his high fidelity productions and singular dj sets. Vulkanski’s Skeptical Answers traverses over 10 tracks the infinite ranges between tectonic club techno, to UK-inspired IDM and broken beat, while reaching to contemporary weightless and electro territories. Producer Tabukashvili describes and questions a period of a deeper esoteric search through the labyrinth of contemporary viewpoints on instrumental sonics and its unexpected answers. In addition, Vulkanksi is known as one half of duo Greenbeam & Leon who began DJing and performing throughout Georgia in 2002. They notably appeared on Boiler Room in response to the police raids at Bassiani and Cafe Gallery 5 years ago. With Vulkanski’s debut BITE EP Science Gardens in 2018, he illustrated his detailed vision of his own dense soundscape productions culminating in a memorable Berghain debut for label cofounder Phase Fatale’s Ostgut Ton album release party in 2020. Now, Skeptical Answers examines a wider spectrum of sonic possibilities, aimed towards the most daring of dancefloors existing between the liminal bounds of club music and its deconstructions. A dissection of his focused elements in heavy electronics. ALSO INCLUDES DOWNLOAD CODE….

Ryan James Ford is back on Clone Dub Recordings with his promising first full length album! After relocating to Berlin Ryan realized how much influence the soil of his home town have on him. Exshaw, Canada, where the home of Heart Mountains begin. Ryan has tried to capture his youth and musical influences over the years. Growing up in an area were the interaction of man and technology was more than palpable. Stories of haunted areas... swimming in the cold, strong current river with people disappearing... going to raves in the nineties. Exploration, optimism, youth and and living there forever... His memories of Exshaw are all translated in the sound design and programming on this 14 track album ranging from almost cinematic pieces to full on dancefloor belters. Artwork by Delphine Lejeune & Jonathan Castro.

To mark EPM’s 20th anniversary we’ve been releasing a series of EPs, each one focussing on a different genre. In May we brought you a taste of Techno with Robert Hood, Ben Sims, James Ruskin and Mark Broom each delivering their distinct production skills, whilst this September sees the release of our second EP bringing together cuts by some of Electro’s leading lights - The Advent & Zein Ferreira, Carl Finlow, Detroit’s Filthiest and Modulator (a.k.a. Freddie Fresh).

For the third and final EP in the series we turn our attention to House music, and once again we’ve commissioned four brand new and exclusive tracks from artists who we’ve had the pleasure to work with over the years.

First up is none other than a Detroit Techno founding father and the TechnoSoul innovator himself Eddie Fowlkes, who delivers a classy opener in ‘1-2-3’ that’s deep yet vibrant and showcases his legendary status. Next is a fellow Motor City modernizer, Jon Dixon whose musicianship and productive talent takes him from jazz to techno which he skilfully brings to ‘Mack & Bewick’. Motech Records’ founder DJ 3000 brings us the spirit of ‘Summer 1995’ as he briefly steps away from techno to give us this uplifting sun-drenched stunner. Final track ‘The Beat’ comes from Rico & Sonny, the pseudonym of Chicago based DJ duo and production team of Adam Stolz and the talented Tim Baker, recorded before his devastating and untimely passing. His music lives on and we’d like to dedicate this EP to him.

The ‘EPM20’ compilation which features all the tracks from the EPs plus additional cuts from a host of other artists and EPM friends will follow this autumn.

What started as an underground techno label in the early 90's, Juice Records typified the head in the clouds ambition of the techno generation by both sound and action. Anything was possible and similar minds would be reached through the vinyl medium. By the mid 90's, Juice Records established itself as a southern beacon to the techno and house music movement.

… but many people would have little knowledge of where the label sits in todays music sphere. Juice Records, wether by choice or default have remained free from the uber industry of dance music but continue to represent with our Adelaide based music activities.

What started as casual discussions about Antony's studio activities with label owner, Donato, soon progressed to talk of an album. A couple of years and many iterations would follow till the vision was clear. Juice 020 highlights the musical existence that Antony commits too. It goes beyond the drum machine and synthesiser sounds the label would be known for and embraces a wider spectrum with use of a Yamaha baby grand, Fender Rhodes, Washburn bass and Yamaha Electone E-75.

With a definitive genre hard to pin on the album, Juice 020 remains very much a traditional Juice Record. It is a clear example of what Adelaide happenings have been missed by the global industry while it plays with a techno formula that goes beyond our underground imaginings.

Freund der Familie broadens its musical scope for this one, exploring the hazier, atmospheric corners of ambient, Balearic, house and dub techno. Consisting of reimaginings from Brawther, Prins Thomas, Markus Suckut and Thomas Fehlmann, Omega's second iteration provides the artists with the space for freedom and expression, giving each of them an entire side of the double LP to explore as they wish

Mighty Lord Deathman is the solo project of Mat Colegate (ex Teeth of the Sea). New album LIFEFORCE will be released on the London based Hot Fools Records on 300 black vinyl LPs. Influenced by such diverse inputs as Arthurian myth, the short stories of Laird Barron, the pulse and rattle of Jamaica’s Equiknoxx and the heavily stylised phantasmagorias of the hallucinatory crime/western movie Let the Corpses Tan, Mighty Lord Deathman’s sound has been pushed towards a new, more cinematic, plateau. However, not content with simply being ‘music for an imaginary film’, LIFEFORCE is the thing itself: an unnerving abstractnarrative told in whispers and hieroglyphics, burnt brickwork and full-throated roars. “The scornful gatekeeper. The pissy ferryman who will be paid. The techno noise bastard and his awful fucking machines. The Mighty Lord Deathman.” John Doran, The Quietus.

Dublin’s Woozy label premieres on wax with Radial, the debut EP from newcomer Coe. 3 dubstep-informed club weapons b/w a percussive rework from Or:la.

The title track recalibrates mid-noughties FWD> pressure, suspending us in an E-licked smog before puncturing the rave-lry with thrusting bass stomps and fervorous IDM-adjacent drums for an electro-id crazed stomper. Say (KL Tribute) flexes Coe’s wub mechanics, presenting computerised sound chaos before dropping a half-step hungry wobble fest, mounting the pressure on the ‘floor to a near combustible, skanking peak.

On the flip, 403 slightens the pace for a chugging techno/electro zinger with a faint dembow shell, sounding like the soundtrack to a sinister salsa dance. Or:la’s drum-tastic Radial rework sees us out, conducting an orchestra of percussive pistons akin to a ravey engine room for a mid-tempo grooving killer.

French techno pioneer/DJ/Producer Laurent Garnier – friend of Ed Banger records - and Mad Rey, new signing of Ed Banger (also co-founder of D.K.O Records & Red Lebanese labels) did exclusive remixes of 2 MYD ‘s classic songs.
Family business and definitely a Club 12’’, offering both remixes & original versions.

Industrial Harcore flower.

Banger of a pure Hard techno style, schrantz frontier sometime... Hgetting harder and harder. Rave openner.

"DJ Shadow's groundbreaking debut album, Endtroducing, is a genre-defying masterpiece that has helped redefine sample-based music. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, UMC/Island Records are releasing a special remastered vinyl edition of this groundbreaking record, plus a 7"" single featuring isolated elements from the album.
The forthcoming Endtroducing 25 Abbey Road Half Speed Mastered edition will be released 24th September on gatefold, double 12"" vinyl and features totally remastered audio taken from the original master tape and cut at half speed - a technical, specialised process that results in significantly more detailed, high quality sound.
In tandem with the remastered album, DJ Shadow is dropping a separate bonus 7"" - also out 24th September - featuring Cut Chemist's classic remix of The Number Song plus a new DJ tool created especially for the release, Endtroducing: Drums, Drops & Scratches. "

Native from south of France, Ogmah is a DJ/Producer of industrial and noisy techno, embellished with hardcore influences. Founder of the label Askorn Records, his music is raw, hard hitting and harsh, and his mixing style is fast, hard and precise.

A1) This first track deserves a powerful broken beat rhythm, combined with some aggressive noises & FX and a stormy atmosphere. Sounds like an unchained monster in a disaffected metallurgic factory.

A2) Pure violence into this hard hitting 4x4 industrial track. Collapse of the business techno. Heavy hammering kick with some organic noises, perfect soundtrack for a sacrifice.

B1) Keepsakes brings his famous crazy groovy drums patterns in this one! Boxing kick, scary atmosphere & disturbing synth, perfect for dancing until you die in a gloomy & wet Berlin cellar.

B2) Noisy as hell remix with a crazy sound design by Exome! Dark & violent, this track is a fucking tank that will crush your soul and chase you in your scariest nightmares...

B3) This last remix by Alessandro Nero will make you broke into a furious gallop! Metallic noises with a recognizable modular style, this track will make you remember some good old schoolish hardcorish vibes.

"Widerstehe dem Drang, den Raum zu füllen." Diesem Impuls folgt die New Yorker Elektronik-Experimentalistin Nicky Mao aka HIRO KONE auf ihren vierten Album "Silvercoat The Throng", das Elemente von experimentellem Techno, Spoken Word, Neo-Klassik und Industrial Noise verwebt. Kompositorisch drückt sich dies in einer schwelenden, schattenhaften Energie aus, die verschleiert, aber variabel ist und in einer Komposition aus Streichern, Synthesizern, Rhythmus und Stimme nachgezeichnet wird. Der Titel spielt auf den poetischen Begriff der "Möglichkeit, die aus der Dunkelheit gerettet wurde" an, was das formverändernde, hingebungsvolle Gefühl dieser ehrgeizigen und eleganten Klangentwürfe treffend beschreibt, die trotz der Vergänglichkeit entstanden sind, angetrieben von dem Streben, "immer artikulierter, differenzierter" zu werden. "Silvercoat The Throng" zeigt HIRO KONE auf dem Höhepunkt ihrer Kräfte, aber lauscht selbst.

Proud to announce the first vinyl-only release of Rythmē, the Turin queer party made with the effort of all of his lovers and dancers. The A-side opens with “Tomorrowasteland”, an open question about the dancefloor of tomorrow – a dystopic stomper with ready-made and punk attitude. Hard Ton served a luscious waterfall of synths on their original take of Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo’s song while Matteo Coffetti “Kelakitun’s Pipe” explore an exotic imaginary with an Indian touch. Last but not least, an original track of Barabbah closes this heavyweight vinyl with a sunny and techy stomper. And yes, inside the sleeve there’s also a download code for a Rythmē exclusive and digital only edit…

TOTAL turns 21 this year, and Kompakt’s venerable compilation series couldn’t have asked for a more auspicious coming-of-age collection. If TOTAL 20 was consolidation against the odds, the Kompakt crew producing for a dreamt-of dancefloor in an uncertain future, then TOTAL 21 feels abuzz and alive with possibilities. Significantly, it’s the first TOTAL in some time that’s streamlined down to a single disc; this makes TOTAL 21 even punchier than usual, a joyous, reflective, and always thrilling 75-minute audio scan of the world according to Kompakt.

As with every instalment of TOTAL, there’s a deft balancing here of Kompakt regulars and new blood. Of the latter, there’s a first appearance by KOLLMORGEN, remixed by PATRICE BÄUMEL into an astral torch song; Amsterdam’s NICKY ELISABETH, offering up ROMAN FLÜGEL’s pulsating, arpeggiated remix of “Celeste”; and CAPTAIN MUSTACHE swoops down into view, PLAY PAUL in tow, with the dream-like electro lift-off that is “Everything”. JONATHAN KASPAR also drops by with a new track, “Von Draussen”, a stealthy and lethal floor-hugger with prowling bass.

Elsewhere, there’s the lead track to MICHAEL MAYER’s astonishing recent EP, “Brainwave Technology”, which not-so-gently spears the tech-futurist babble of AI, transhumanism and posthumanism, soundtracked by one of Mayer’s typically lush, glimmering soundscapes. JOHN TEJADA reaches back to the heyday of glitch and dub techno with the gorgeous “Spectral Progressions”, while the brothers VOIGT & VOIGT, on “Nicht Mein Job”, seem reinvigorated by the interwoven patterns and funky minimalism of the Profan days. Not to be outdone, JÜRGEN PAAPE kicks TOTAL 21 with “La Guittara Romantica”, a chiming and lilting lullaby for woozy late-night reflection.

Throughout, it feels as though Kompakt are taking a moment to both breathe in the dust of the past and look forward to a bright future. Perhaps that’s why, on “Fasson”, SASCHA FUNKE seems so confident, with pinprick melodies bouncing around a hall of audio mirrors, or why THE BIONAUT returns with “Blue Sky Motor Lodge”, a song so moistly melancholy, so enduringly lovely, it’ll make you weep tears of joy. ROBAG WRUHME gets a little delirious on the ticking, twisting “No”, and then GUI BORATTO mops everything up with the bubbling, bumping glam-stomp “Wake Up”.

That’s not all – spring for the digital and/or vinyl edition and you’ll get a new cut, “Happy”, from MICHAEL MAYER, and MARC ROMBOY & C.A.R.’s “I Am A Dancer”. But however you choose to play it, now TOTAL’s turned 21, it’s your duty to throw it the celebration to end all celebrations. Let the party begin, and don’t forget to bring a party favor…

This summer, Saft welcomes Dubbyman after a three-year hiatus from releasing music. He serves up a gorgeous new EP in the SAFTX series that features a remix from Detroit mainstay FIT Siegel.

Dubbyman is a master of the deep. As a DJ and producer, he explores warm and heady soundscapes that are rooted in house and techno but decorated with much more. His musical synths and compelling rhythms have resulted in countless vital EPs on labels like Ferrispark, Soul People Music and the Deep Explorer label he co-runs. Now, after a break, he is back and in brilliant form.

Opener 'En La Ciudad' is an effortlessly loose and languid house track. The hip-swinging claps and funk bass riffs bring a sunset vibe, with wordless vocals from Carlito Brigante Rojo and dreamy pads really soothing the soul. Remixing is legendary FIT Sound label head, FXHE associate and pillar of the Motor City scene FIT Siegel. His famously no-nonsense approach results in a track here that is laced up with smoky soul. The dusty beats roll deep, the twisted synth work brings light and lush pads soften the whole groove with a real sense of heart.

"Up Again" strikes another perfectly seductive pose with its jazzy keys, soulful vocals, and rough-edged beats that make you want to dance. It's a tune packed with feelings and irresistible funk, and is sure to be the soundtrack to many outdoor parties this summer. The Deep Explorer Mix is a little more direct, with dynamic house drums, sunkissed motifs and warm pads taking you straight to the Mediterranean. Last of all, "Tropic" featuring Arturo Sanchidrian on bass is a downtempo classic, with beachy vibes, gently breaking synth waves and soft-focus melodies sinking you deep into a
reverie.

This is an EP of life-affirming, heart-warming house sounds that take you to a better place.

Cult jazz soundtrack to supernatural Soho
strangler epic ‘Der Wurger Vom Tower’ by Swiss
electronic pioneer Bruno Spoerri that has been
locked away since 1966.
 Translated as ‘The Strangler In The Tower’, this
lesser-known thriller possibly stretched the
imaginations of cinematic crime buffs beyond the
genre’s parameters before disappearing into
obscurity.
 Liberated from Bruno Spoerri’s meticulous master
tape vault this, his first-ever feature-length
soundtrack commission, can finally take its place
alongside other recently resuscitated oblique jazz
scores by the likes of Basil Kirchin, Krzysztof
Komeda (Cul-De-Sac), Roger Webb and Jonny
Scott.
 The real sacred jewel in Bruno Spoerri’s crown as
the leader and pioneer of Switzerland’s electronic
underground (not to mention sample source
amongst rap royalty) and a mysterious monarchial
figure in European jazz and music technology

Global reggae stars SOJA are back with their first album in 4 years.
‘Beauty In The Silence’ features special guests Rebelution, UB40, Dirty
Heads, Slightly Stoopid, Collie Buddz and more.  SOJA deliberately took their time in creating ‘Beauty In The Silence’ as
they explored new sonic terrain, recording in such iconic spots as
Miami’s Circle House Studios and Dave Matthews Band’s Haunted
Hollow, and teaming up with producers like Niko Marzouca (Bob Marley,
Pharrell, Rick Ross, A$AP Rocky), Mariano Aponte and Johnny Cosmic.
The band eventually phased into working remotely as stay-at-home
orders set in across the country and, in that process, lead guitarist
Trevor Young (formerly SOJA’s guitar tech) took on a much greater role
in the band’s creative direction, co-producing alongside Hemphill and
carefully shaping the album’s hypnotic sound.  For more than two decades, SOJA have elated audiences across the
globe with their fresh yet timeless take on roots reggae, a sound born
from their shared passion for making music that transports and inspires.
The band was originally formed by a group of friends while still in middle
school and they have since built a massive, dedicated global fanbase. In
the years following, SOJA have headlined shows in over 30 countries
around the world, received multiple GRAMMY nominations and
generated 7 million social media fans and more than 1 billion streams;
attracting an international fanbase along the way, with caravans of
diehards following them from city to city.  “Charismatic bandleader Jacob Hemphill writes SOJA’s lyrics as an
attempt to find a path to unity in the world.” - NPR
 “SOJA has cultivated a dedicated global fanbase with their socially
conscious lyrics, catchy sound and a ceaseless touring schedule.” - MTV
 “Contemporary reggae with a forthright social conscience.” - Billboard
 “Over the course of their near-20-year career, SOJA has amassed a
loyal following for their social justice-minded brand of roots reggae.” - USA Today

New York electronic experimentalist Nicky Mao's 4th full-length, Silvercoat the throng, emerged against the backdrop of lockdown, compelled by an intuitive directive: “resist the urge to fill the space.” Compositionally this translated as a simmering, shadowy energy, veiled but variable, traced in a composite of strings, synthetics, rhythm, and voice. The title alludes to a poetic notion of “possibility, rescued from darkness,” which aptly evokes the shape-shifting, devotional feel of these ambitious and elegant sound designs, crafted in defiance of impermanence, driven by the pursuit of becoming “more and more articulated, differentiated.”

Collaborations with travis from ONO, Speaker Music, and Muqata'a further expand the album's lyrical, liminal palette, meshing elements of experimental techno, spoken word, neo-classical, and industrial noise into a fluid, encrypted dialect all its own. Mao speaks of creative strategies of solidification and reification, encounter and transformation, pure being and punctuation – a multitude

of sparks, fuses, and forking paths leading across fresh thresholds and twilit terrain. Taken as a whole, Silvercoat captures Hiro Kone at the peak of their powers, alchemizing disruption and decomposition into regenerative interior worlds: “Within the darkness and absence is an opportunity for discovery.”

Effortlessly hopscotching between vintage acid and 80s Rn’B, insouciant Francophone pop and twinkling electro house, Lou Hayter has delivered something at once utterly unique and defiantly timeless with her much anticipated debut solo LP, released on Skint Records. It has been a long time coming for London native Hayter, who first made her mark professionally as keyboardist for New Young Pony Club, one of THE bands at the epicentre of the white hot day-glo nu rave scene alongside the likes of the Klaxons and Test Icicles in 2006. But, to fully place her debut album in context, it is necessary to rewind a little bit – to the very beginning in fact, with Hayter growing up on a diet of Bowie, Prince, Human League and Jellybean-era Madonna while concomitantly learning classical piano from the age of five. The flames of this deliciously varied musical palette were further stoked by trips to record shops in Soho with her brother (Soul Jazz was a particular obsession), but it was while studying in Cambridge that the match was well and truly struck – she used her student grant to buy a set of Technics and started putting on club nights, before moving to London and working at Trevor Jackson’s seminal Output Recordings, placing Hayter smack bang in the middle of all the action, with disco punk fever hitting full force and bands like the Rapture and LCD Soundsystem first breaking out.

The hugely successful, Mercury-nominated New Young Pony Club followed shortly after, but it’s through her subsequent output that she started to distil and refine her idiosyncratic tastes. And certainly, you can hear hints of both the New Sins, the 80’s New Wave duo she formed with Nick Phillips, and Tomorrow’s World, the swooning Gallic pop act she fronts alongside Air’s JB Dunckel, in her remarkable debut. Full to bursting with evocative electro-soul love letters to her home town of London alongside addictive disco torch ballads, it’s like Kylie meeting Mr Fingers or, Jam & Lewis producing Jane Birkin – something beautiful and melancholic yet sharply modern and new. From the warm, woozy, lysergic harmonies of opener “Cherry on Top”, which sound like a beloved old cassette unravelling, to the fizzy, infectious “Cold Feet”, which calls to mind Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam at their most heartworn, taken in toto the album perfectly nails the essence of gorgeously nostalgic synth-pop with a twist; crisp, stylish and sophisticated music which heralds the next chapter of Lou Hayter quite nicely, actually. Her retro-futuristic results will give 2021 the pop fix it so desperately needs.

From the UK, South Africa, France and Australia, Inner Shift Music presents their Collective Continents II release, with Mark Hand, Platform 001, G-Prod and Leo Gunn. The Ep starts with Take Some Chances which has Jazz influenced pads, chords and changes with an addictive hook, by Mark Hand who has recent releases on Soul Print and Apollo. Next comes The Last Letter by newcomer Platform 001 - a deep house track with some funk style house chords and an inspiring spoken word poem, which holds the listener's attention throughout.

On the B side we have the Gaugain brothers G-Prod (who have releases on R&S and Nightflight), with their track Horizon which has a more techy feel with its moody pads, melodic lead and subtle but driving bassline.AAThe EP is complete with a whole other level of head-nodding deepness and warmth, with Aheeoo which you would come to expect from Leo Gunn, who is noted for his multiple appearances on Deep Explorer.

Deep, jazzy, techy, warm and diverse, this EP is everything there is to love about deep house.