emotional response continues the second schleiben series with a pan-ocean exploration of meditative spiritualism meets psychedelic ambience.

r-time records releases two tracks from iceland’s sanasol, aka thor and yagya, entitled long lost thoughts - originally appearing on deep thoughts lp via hey babe! in 97. out of all of thors aliases, which includes oz artists, flow machine and thor54, sanasol, his duo project alongside yagya, is arguably the most prolific. on top of appearances on thors own renowned imprint thule records, as sanasol the pair have released on fear of flying, connaisseur superieur and alex azary and pascal f.e.o.s.s hey babe! of which the latter homed the‘deep thoughts album. matt edwards r-time now releases two of the long players finest tracks, following recent revivals of timeless music by sir lord commix and fbk. long lost thoughts begins by utilising filtered chord stabs alongside a thumping bass and sustained strings before the track progresses with ethereal pads combined with resonant bells playing a top line melody. on the flip, in the sky of normality presents shuffled drums with crisp hi-hats and a strong low-end whilst delayed synths pan left and right throughout keeping things atmospheric and mesmerising.

tom dicicco is best known for his stern techno output, so its intriguing to seem him donning a new alias, veyg, and exploring a new sound palette. as with the last veyg 12inch, the tone here is somewhere around the slower tempo, discoid acid end of the spectrum, and hes made the sound his own. my sweet soul is a dusty affair with squashed drums and looped up bongos rubbing up against trippy globules of lysergic monosynth action. when they fall- is a downcast electro track for rainy sundays, while these feelings waits for the clouds to break and dances on the damp lawn with no shoes on. west of the sun is the most adventurous offering on the 12inch, escaping the 4/4 thud and twirling in an off-grid stylee with ample dub fx tugging the melodic parts around in a mellifluous haze of experimentation.

&#8203,,,re-issue of hard-to-find 1971 jazz album, originally recorded and released in finland. fascinating fusion of modern jazz and elements of caribbean music, african roots and pan. quintet featuring rudy smith from trinidad & tobago, plus musicians from barbados, surinam, and ghana. tip! lars samuelson, a jazz trumpet player and producer in sweden who heard this quite unique quintet, was captivated by their concept and sound, and asked them to record an album. otinku, the resulting album, was recorded in stockholm in 1971, produced by samuelson, and originally released on the odeon label, a subsidiary of emi finland. with an afro-jazz/caribbean orientation, the selections are a rich mixture of jazz standards and original compositions, including recently re-discovered killer funk tunes otinku and sugar daddy, and a fine steel jazz version of bags groove. the album was their only release and is now a sought after item for steel pan/caribbean music fans and vinyl diggers.

martyn releases new album voids, his first for ostgut ton over the past year, dutch-born, washington d.c.-based producer martyn has undergone a metamorphosis – one that began with a medical emergency and has dovetailed into personal musical transformation. having narrowly avoided death after suffering a heart attack, martyn reentered his studio and began a process of reassessing the elements that drive him to make music: sampling, unpredictability, melancholy, sci-fi, polyrhythms, texture, ecstatic moments, detroit, interlocking percussion and bass. however, the initial spark to start producing again came through his experience listening to max roach’s 1979 ensemble percussion album m’boom.

following up their highly acclaimed debut collaboration ‘last day on earth’ (l.d.o.e.), the trio from berlin took it literally and decided to leave this planet’s orbit behind. an introductory epilogue a1.‘prologue (don’t panic)’ sets the tone for the journey to come.harmoniously but pulsing the traveler leaves the earths gravitational force to reach the title track a2. ‘moon’ . an emotional touching and growing deep house art piece. b. ‘point of no return’ at last leaves the bounding limitations of contemporary club music behind by exploring a completely distinct soundscape, even referencing a certain 80s pop vibe. one thing is for sure: the voyage is just beginning. godspeed! moon made on earth by humans

in a greek mythology, the river styx is the connection to the underworld, but also one of the few river goddesses. according to the myth, the river styx represents the border between the world of the living and the realm of the dead. the souls of the dead hoping at the riverbank to crossing into the underworld so as not to remain there forever.
the second release of the label unterland defines the stygian sound with its mystic and underworldly tone. additionally, the artwork underlines the musically interpretation also in a visual way. the image was created by talented photo artists salar kheradpejouh. his identity thrives on cinematic vision and matches perfectly to interpret the stygian sound artistically.
unterland 02 is a various artists ep by monoloc and jonas landwehr. with his dark production the young artist gained the attention of monoloc already 1.5 years ago, who then started to followed him closely as an artists as well as his creations. for monoloc it was clear that he wants to publish jonas’ music on his new arising label. jonas landwehr delivers three melancholic dub techno production, which are mostly influenced by his stay in the taiwanese capital taipeh.
monoloc continues to determine the stygian sound with three further productions. strong atmospheric plains, which are characterized by various cinematic sound elements.

part 1 of rommeks set in stone trilogy for blueprint sets the tone of the ep with an ambience of dark, atmospherics that build intensely leaving you with a feeling of anticipation of what is to come. rommek then delivers 3 tracks of rhythmic techno from the driving 4/4 of obsidian, to the gripping 3/4 of rhyolite, finishing with the disjointed spatial beats of scoria. idm sound design constantly evolving the menacing undertones.

western australia s red ember records is back from another archive diving adventure. -embers only : swan songs- presents four previously-unreleased, deeply emotive cuts by ewan jansen written between 1999-2000. the lead track swan marks the dance-floor tone in the collection with a hypnotic pseudo-electro groove sky lined by cathedral-like chords. following on, sea for yourself reaches into deep minimal house territory with a powerfully gentle, piano topped, 4/4 approach. on the flipside, the earnest and leafy love machine is drawn down the proverbial path, dropping broken beats and inhibitions along the way. the collection is signed off with the ambient chordal wash of afterlude ... an introspective repeater equally on call for any early morning after party or your final few waking moments.

monday off is a vinyl only record label from brooklyn, new york, founded by mary yuzovskaya. its ethos is to showcase artists that explore techno s hypnotic side, specifically where trippy and dark music goes deep yet dynamic. for the third release, nyc/berlin/washington dc transplant arthur kimskii dives in with a heady trio of his productions. title track -verbal variance- slowly unfurls with a myriad of textures and sounds to both confuse and delight the senses, while -swan an ocean for you- takes on similar terrain albeit kicked up a notch and warmer in tone. -basement moves- is an emotive and partially beat-less affair steeped in layers of noise, and moff favorite stephanie sykes strips the a-side down for a sinister and chugging remix.

electronic music label sheik n beik announces its new release snbv013, an ep called daisy cutter by jem. this ep is the third release in their series aimed at celebrating the diversity and history of new york and its boroughs. as sheik n beik s hometown and source of constant inspiration, the label focuses on spotlighting and paying homage to the five boroughs of new york including manhattan, queens, brooklyn, staten island and the bronx. each borough s flag is given a modern and colorful twist via the cover art and design of each outer jacket. the first release in the series, manhattan, featured local nyc hero and co-founder of voodoo down records n conduit, and the second, kathisma resident mr. dello s vaadhoo ep. the new ep from jem, dedicated to the bronx, opens up with title track daisy cutter, which directly sets the tone of the release with a straightforward, dynamic techno, elevated by an eerie, dark atmosphere. it goes on with neb, a downtempo second track with a lighter tone that progressively gets back to the initial mysterious mood and capriciously brightens it with warmer back-and-forth sounds. next on the 12- is semiotic, a third track structured by a clever balance of deconstructed rhythms and sparse acid and synth melodies in the continuity of the lighter, warmer mood previously built up. the ep ends with temple, with a more aggressive accent animated by several lighter melodic layers and a stifled background bass.

death in vegas return with the single ‘honey’, its second collaboration with sasha grey. ‘honey’ is a slow, seductive serenade, with an organic, psychedelic tone: dreamy and dripping with intensity.

the b side features ‘witchdance dub’, richard fearless’ long-held remix of ‘witchdance’ off trans-love energies, featuring the haunting vocals of katie stelmanis from austra. fearless cut three dubplates of ‘witchdance dub’ after he mixed this track. dj harvey has one, prosumer the other, and fearless kept the 3rd: delicate acetates that have been played out sparingly but with electric effect. this track is effortless, minimal dance music imbued with fearless’ unique production sound- it’s not one to miss.
180g vinyl

max loderbauer, who has so far made consistently engaging contributions to the arjunamusic family, is back to lend his unique interpretive skills to the master recordings for the brightbird album by joão paulo esteves da silva, mário franco and samuel rohrer. loderbauer has set himself up for a challenge, since the original album’s completely improvised flow of small-ensemble, conversational jazz feels complete enough without outside intervention. however, loderbauer’s role as electronics operator in the similarly attuned ambiq trio has already shown that, through his mastery of tone color, he has a talent for teasing out the additional hidden details within an apparently ‘complete’ sonic environment. it’s a task he manages to accomplish without ever overriding or contradicting the cohesive message provided by his collaborators.

top release from brussel s based cabasa who happens to the son of belgian newbeat dj lium fans of pan, timedance, peder mannerfelt take note.

sagmen third release featured greg pidcock and andre salmon who combine to deliver ‘you got it’ ep with four dark house cuts plus two digital only mixes. uk producer greg pidcock’s nomadic tendencies have fostered a strong connection with his music which has seen releases on esteemed labels like hot creations, get physical, culprit, saved, not to mention founding his montreal-based imprint flora. meanwhile, andre salmon’s extensive knowledge of music production has earnt him releases on the likes of repopulate mars, leftroom, hottrax, suara, before founding sagmen alongside aert prog. ‘you got it’ delivers a heavyweight kick and sharp percussive rhythms that lay the foundation for haunting arpeggios and an intoxicating vocal hook before ‘loco’ provides grooved drum patterns, a powerful bass melody and an array of intriguing synthesiser transitions, with epic vocals effects . “tfss’ offers up warped vocal samples and mesmerising motifs on top of a pulsating low-end whilst “esto es montanita’ hits hard with crunching drum sounds, enticing filter sweeps and hypnotic samples. two digital only ‘black mixes’ conclude the package, with the first reinterpretation of ‘loco’ setting an ominous tone until the alternative version of ‘tfss’ follows with a rumbling bass, crisp percussion and dubbed out vocal licks.

the latest joint on uzuri comes from mark hand, a secret weapon of the uk house underground who has been active for a long time and now seems to be finally getting the props he deserves. his mood on -all caught up- reflects the infectious positivity of his live sets at freerotation, all mellifluous rhodes keys and classic deep house signifiers that seep into your soul. -cobwebs- is just as smooth, although it takes on a more deep-diving tone laden with transcendental chord progressions and a dash of motor city melancholy. that makes patrice scott the perfect choice to remix the track, and he takes a measured approach to simmering the component parts down for a version garnished with gorgeous piano and synth tones.

naif 009 is the second in a series of five eps that are released around the release of the dj-mix-cd also named naif which has its release in april 2018 the second strike comes with two superstrong techno tracks: lean forward is a contribution by nihad tule that wil burn the dancefloors. followed by not now, not yet, a scratchy track from the hands of one half of cassegrain: rhyw. side b heads into trippy territories with a heady, sparse but seductive groove by marco shuttle followed by a track from efdemin in a collaboration with his close friend and fellow konrad sprenger (pan) after more then three years of silence as a producer, efdemin a.k.a phillip sollmann returns with a striking hybrid concept that merges the album format with the continuous dj mix format, presenting completely new material in a seamless manner. the cd-mix, named naïf, officially reinstates his label of the same name and is a sprawling tour of inner space featuring 19 distinct tracks from fellow producers along with an additional ten that feature efdemin himself (either as soloist or collaborator). the release condenses his decade-long dj-ing journey and evolution as a producer into a single potent elixir of contemporary techno. naif consists of completely unreleased material from both himself and valued collaborators, all of which will eventually manifest as ep releases: five on his own naif label and two more on curle.

after putting out kito jempere s well received sea monsters album last year, hell yeah now serve up another selection of remixes of it. accomplished musician jimi tenor, plus miskotom and max essa all contribute before a 7inch, also taken from the album, lands later in summer. first up is jimi tenor, the legndary finnish musician who has released on warp, collaborated with tony allen and has his own band as well as occasionally playing sax with kito jempere band at live gigs. he flips puzzled into five minutes of stripped back and moody electronics with plenty of his own flute playing in the track. busted drum sounds, spooky sci-fi synths and scattered hits make it woozy and late night and utterly absorbing. miskotom—a newly emerging pair made up of mik and his wife andra, both based in vilnius, lithuania with credits on pleasure unit and balearic —then reimagine ampa as a beatdown but of deep house with trudging drums staying low and shimmering synths drift out in all directions. crunchy hits bring a subtle sense of funk and reverb drenched vocals bring a heavenly feel to the soul drenched grooves and summery keys. then comes max essa, the japan based brit who is a regular on this label as well as the likes of is it balearic?. his first remix is a huge one that is sure to soundtrack many a boat party this summer. it s a gorgeous rework of ampa that puts achingly blissful vocals front and centre as low slung bass and slowly turning drums sink you into a pan-pipe laced reverie. secondly, essa offers a dub reprise that removes the vocals and places all the focus on his churning drums and new age grooves. this is another perfect package of masterfully electronic horizontal sounds.

20/20 vision welcome nathan jonson to the label to deliver some of his esteemed beats - he was previously known as hrdvision, and as a member of midnight operator alongside his infamous brother mathew. it is in fact mj who gets the run of the a side with a bouncing, bubbly remix of -business- that calls to mind some of the most wriggly threads in that unmistakable jonson sound. -let your body- strikes a different tone on the b-side, conjuring up some rave ghosts and decanting them into a thoroughly modern club burner heavy on the dramatic arrangement and sure to create wild responses on the dancefloor. -business- in its original form is a loose and funky-as-hell electro jam with live, glutinous monosynth flex and detroit-tinted pads to die for.

it s time for a fresh new release from the apollonia stable, and this time around we unveil four groovy gems from shonky and tolga fidan working together for the first time, giving us a winning combination and one which is sure to satisfy fans of both artists. the first track dynamo sets the tone for the ep, the bassline has a deadly groove, while playful effects dance around at the top end creating an immersive atmosphere. intergalactic vibes. after that comes bastille , which features a similarly jaunty rhythm with a variety of bleeps, chirps and twangs layered on top on each other to give the track its depth and character, while a menacing b-line does its dirty work in the low end.on the flip we get micro-ondes , a mysterious into the undiscovered lands of planet funk. you feel as though you ve been transported to another world, where warped creatures lurk, calling out for your attention. as for the bass, its rhythm is utterly contagious. finally americana completes the collection, maintaining the unusual use of sound prevalent throughout the ep it utilises a myriad distorted instruments. support in the low end comes via a tough, punchy bass riff.

real name takeshi fukushima, takecha has been a key figure within japan’s electronic music scene for decades and belongs to the same pioneering crew as soichi terada and shinichiro yokota. now in his mid- fifties, ‘deep soundscapes’ is an album encompassing fukushima’s sound with every track written by the producer between 1990 and 2013. intricate percussion and crystalline chords set the tone in ‘deep drive’ before a funky bassline joins serene synths in ‘midnight things’. appearing in soichi terada’s mix for resident advisor (under its promo title ‘deep loop c’), ‘gradual atmosphere’ is comprised of a galloping beat and saccharine chimes, ‘factory 141’ sees takecha demonstrate a murkier aesthetic, whilst ‘rhodes detox’ is a definitive example of takecha’s flair for expertly balancing elements within his productions. an homage to shufflepuck cafe&#769,,, an old mac plus video game takecha would play on a black and white 9- inch monitor back in the day, ‘shufflepuck’ blends ghostly melodies with clicks, whirrs and pops. ‘calm imagination’ is a poignant affair from start to finish with its hypnotising atmosphere, contrasting to the more up-tempo ‘warm rondo’ with its soulful keys and purring low-end. tying it all together, ‘genuine innocence’ is a cut that takecha made two versions of, one with a solo from a pianist and another with more emphasis on the beat, the latter of which appears on this album.-

following the u.s. army’s liberation of munich in may 1945, the world’s first amerikahaus was inaugurated there with a library, a magazine reading room, a children’s library, a record and lm department, and lecture and seminar rooms, together with a concert hall and exhibition space. up to 80.000 people a month utilized the offerings of amerikahaus during its early years. beginning in 1953, the united states information agency (usia), an institution founded as an instrument of the cold war, began to finance amerikahaus. in addition to representing the u.s., its principal task in west germany was to democratize and denazify the postwar population. after the beginning of the cold war, many of these re-educative measures also served as propaganda in a programmatic linking of democratic and economic principles meant to strengthen transatlantic relations against the communist bloc. in 1997, the u.s. government concluded its work at amerikahaus in munich and shipped almost all its items back to the states. however, 1.630 long-playing vinyl records from the library were left behind in cardboard boxes in the basement. when michaela melián looked through this forgotten collection, one of the first things she came across was don gillis’ 1940 tone poem »portrait of a frontier town«, whose second movement is entitled »where the west begins«. don gillis, a composer and radio producer, used the musical styles and genres of that decade to create an explicitly american program music. michaela melián’s »music from a frontier town« is fueled by the diverse sonic material of this extensive record collection once considered as an instrument of cultural education. this record has been produced in addition to melián’s twenty-four hour performative music installation »music from a frontier town« in the garage of what is now the bavarian center for transatlantic relations at karolinenplatz, munich (4-5 may 2018).

the safe trip organisation has been broadcasting their musical version of a traditional numbers station on the frequency 5079. human intelligence suggests the agent behind four regular, ear-pleasing transmissions is the safe trip associate artis. using a specially modified one-time pad, we were able to decipher these undercover operatives. the ethereal, dreamy, arpeggio-driven throb of panthera pardus, with its poignant tone and undulating lead lines, was clearly meant as a warning.. the same could be said of -cetacea-, where melancholic synthesizer sounds and meandering electronics gently wind their way around hybrid electronic/acoustic percussion. panic set in once we deciphered giganthopithecus, a composition littered with frequent increases in percussive intensity and a mind-altering melodic refrain. our hunch that artis was ordering immediate action by agents was confirmed by delphinae, whose colourful melodic fluidity, futurist new age construction and layered wooden drum hits deeply affected our researchers. we ordered our own agents to raid the station, but artis had long since scuttled off into the hazy morning sunshine.

pushing movies is a collaborative project from jeffrey sire and dimitri soemotional that celebrates the vintage tones of italo disco, synth pop and all things slick and 80s. -thinking about you- does indeed sound like it could have been made 30 years ago - from the slap bass to the reverse drum fills, plastic fm synth lines and overall aspirational tone, it s the consummate extended 12- mix track. lauer takes the original and smacks it up sharp with some tougher drums and a greater sense of urgency, and then fort romeau takes a subtle approach that keeps much of the original spirit of the track intact while honing the edges for maximum club play and using some cosmic synth flourishes to devastating effect.

having turned heads with shedbug and laroze already, flux expands its modest operations to include a new white sublabel that kicks off in fine style with d b. -subtleties- is a gorgeous minimal house jam shaped out by snaking rhythms and amorphous ambient tones - the consummate spirit animal for your dancefloor trip-out needs. -synergi- has a more typical shuffle, but it s no slouch in the head-melting psychedelic tone department. -splash- completes the package with a swerve into more explicitly broken beat territory, using a similar sound palette but placing the emphasis on tricky programming to create a divine slice of electronica for the more rhythmically adventurous heads out there.

georgian producer hamatsuki appeared on gasp last year with the uncertain loops cassette release, but makes his vinyl debut on this damn fine 12- for the recently minted sensu label. -remember- is a rich, undulating swirl of deep house laden with melancholic pads, while -rett- sports a sunnier tone for its own arsenal of soft, rounded synth tones. dj sports comes on board for a remix of -rett- that plays with said synths and creates springy, computer jazz melodic threads out of them. -inexplainable inner sadness- completes the set with another trip into warm, chicago-indebted house tones for the introspective dancer.

hailing from the dark and mysterious world of bunker records, shemale makes a welcome return after many years of silence with this fantastic release on tabernacle. -star chamber summoning- sets a powerful tone - this is ambient music that demands attention through its sheer force of presence. -way to hyperborea- actually taps up some kind of beat structure, but it still behaves like a wayward backroom track with its undulating bassline and gravelly, brutally submerged beat. -shores of the western sea- is all analogue soundtrack bombast of the finest b-movie kind, and -wisdom of the stars- strikes a more nightmarish note in its use of discordant synth drones.

* following the success of his eveyday emotions ep, nymfo returns to spearhead records with the sequel. * title track crystal clear is packed full of emotion and sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the ep. * underwater life demonstrated the deeper side of nymfo’s production and is defo one for the beard strokers. * keeping things balanced, time zone and in transit are the ‘solid rollers’ of the pack and the ones for the dj’s. * support from rene la vice, dj marky, high contrast, bcee and a whole load more...

its been a year and a half since we last saw la fleur grace watergate records with a proper ep, having been featured on remix duties for sashas trigonometry and her contribution femton to the celebrated 15 years compilation. so her brand new outbreaker ep arrives just in time to curb any impatience you might have waiting for her signature blend of house and techno aesthetics fused with modern production techniques that sets her apart from her peers. la fleur kicks things off with a wild heaving bass line and crisp, distinctive organic claps on ‘devils sigh setting the tone for the hypnotic groove that soon turns into a high energy burner of explosive bursts and an incredibly unique lead guaranteeing an absolute hit. it only gets better when one of the hottest acts on the scene, tuff city kids, lend their talents for a remix and turn devils sigh into an analog heavy, future-retro banger thats as different as it is the same as the original, creating a perfect alternative to the already killer original. wrapping things up, la fleur takes it a little slower and deeper with outbreaker by utilizing lush organic percussion and washed out guitars to build a tune that will be the anthem for early mornings, open airs and beach sessions alike. we couldnt be happier to have the first lady of watergate back at the controls and we think you will agree.

mikkel metal returns to copenhagen’s echocord this may with his new mini lp ‘just enough light’, comprising six originals from the danish artist. copenhagen based producer and dj mikkel metal has been a beacon of light in the danish electronic music scene and further afield for nearly two decades now, with the dub techno imprint from his hometown, echocord, being the predominant home for his output, whilst also releasing material on cologne’s kompakt, tartelet, semantica and avant roots, a telling sign of the quality embodied in his work. here though we see mikkel deliver a mini album concept in the shape of ‘just enough light’ and opener ‘awake’ perfectly sets the tone with emotive, dynamically unfolding atmospherics, tension building bass drones and spiraling dub chords subtly easing us into the project. ‘bregnan’ then stirs in some classing dub-techno tropes with billowing stab sequences, lumpy subs and off beat high hats carrying the hypnotic groove for six and a half minutes. ‘jech’ then strips things back to an almost beatless amalgamation of murky chords and modulating synth whirrs. opening the flip side of the release is ‘include’ which embraces a brighter feel via ethereal pad swells, jazztinged synth melodies and bumpy 909 rhythms before ‘konkin’ edges back into the eerie, brooding aesthetic with bubbling echoes, broken drums and menacing bass swells at its core. ‘restore’ then closes the package on a stripped-back vibe, laying focus on an ever- eveolving singular dub chord to ebb and flow around thunderous subs, kicks and bright hats.

archeo recordings chart a course for the balearics with this laid back delight of overlooked italian island grooves. tony esposito is a long-serving singer-songwriter, and two tracks from his 2004 cd viaggio tribale get a vinyl cut here. dove ce luce gets a special, 90s tinged remix from lucaeffesunset. antonio nicola brunos storia della terra mia is the first of three unreleased tracks from this little known lucan artist, striking a curious note with folk undertones and a sunny disposition. ther s a more dramatic tone to danza e ridanza, which takes on an almost talking heads-esque quality for the b version that closes this high quality 12inch from the ever reliable archeo camp.

broken district is a new label launched by the creative minds of jus jam, momla and antwan. the project is born with the idea of exploring alternative music styles that blend the influences of the label s creators, including jazz, house-music, hip-hop, funk, soul, and experimental music. in order to give a global overview of the label s territory, broken district is kicked-off with a series of va eps. momla inaugurates the label s first release with an instrumental funk ballad. he is using soul samples, synths and an electronic piano to create a smooth vibe, led by a catchy bassline. up next, hip-hop producers yepes & plae casi are stepping out of their favourite field to incorporate house-music rhythmic elements over an old-school r&b flavour. berlin-based producer marian tone is closing the first side with a laidback, jazzy hip-hop instrumental. the other side opens with the copenhagen-based talent jeppe wolmer. -normal position- is a modern take on disco & boogie, with a rhythmic bassline and reverbing rhodes, ending with acid infused synths. concluding this first release, label s co-founder jus jam gives us another glimpse of his musical talent through a dreamy journey that blends house-music, hip-hop and jazz together. welcome to the broken district.

the uk based label will offer up several releases throughout 2018 and yama music 001 perfectly sets the tone of what’s to follow. taking the lead here is ‘margaret made me do it’ which lays down woozy synth tones and modulating glitches alongside a snaking sub bass groove, shuffled minimalistic percussion and an amalgamation of contemplative spoken word vocal cuts to create a tripped-out opening to the record. ‘ddderlooon party’ follows and retains a similar aesthetic with swinging drums and ethereal atmospherics at its core whilst hypnotic, billowing synths ebb and flow dynamically across the composition, again creating something raw yet refined. then lastly to round out the package ‘moon boots’ tips the focus over to a more straight percussive groove and stirs in vacillating low-end pulses, murky, evolving stabs and mind-bending electronic blips.

limited edition of 300 on transparent pink 180 gram vinyl, 100 copies numbered for rsd. karen willems returns under the moniker inwolves with perhaps her most ambitious record to this date. color in the zoo is a playful album, masterfully composed, wrapped in dreamy sound waves and repetitive rhythm patterns, but the tone became somewhat lighter. it literally bridges the gap between north and south as nils gröndahl and barkin engin, among others are guests on the record. expect a colorful sound palette, with outlandish sounds, that all cohesively click together in an utterly engaging aural trip around the world.

while attempting and failing to apprehend the shadowy figure known as max abysmal during a frenzied chase through the underground amsterdam arts establishment het skatecafe, we recovered a boxed reel of quarter-inch tape. intelligent assets have confirmed that this contains musical recordings of the type used to pass on coded messages to the safe trip organisation. the first recording we have titled donna, dont stop. we include it with this message so you can perform your own anaylsis. note the use of a rising and falling electronic motif capable of inducing a trance-like state in those untrained in listening to electronic music this potent and emotive. sutekhs mirage, the second coded composition, is bolder and warmer in tone, making use of dazzlingly colourful melodic patterns and passages of percussion that reference polyrhythms. do not be fooled by the surface beauty of this recording: it is capable of inducing hallucinations and irregular heartbeats, and therefore could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.

nyc label homage continues a hot streak with their third project from uk producer jvxta (pronounced jux-tuh). after an excellent debut on his label hardmatter, jvxta gifts homage with four ny-inspired deep house cuts. brawn is an immediate tone setter. the banging stand-out made waves overseas prior to it s online premier thanks to cinthie, who pressed it to dub plate and played it as the opening track at her boiler room set in berlin. the remaining tracks offer a look into jvxtas unique tastes, and listeners will find themselves lost in quick-fire deep jazz, dreamy 80s tinged house, and a rolling tribal cut that we wished never ended. serious selectors take note, homage is not messing around, and this is a project that you ll reach for again and again.

marc biancos first ep on moonrise hill material is going to surprise more than one person. after a quick appearance on the 6th release of the french imprint, marc bianco is now unveiling a totally different side of his project. purely jazzy & j dilla influenced, the tone of this record is given with organic flights on 3 chords basis. it will surely please bedroom listeners as well as club dancers.

the pendletons return with their latest ep, funk forever, a jazz flavored boogie affair with soul inspired song-writing that evokes old school vibes while still staying fresh and current. horn lines, yamaha dx7 keys and snapping hip hop inspired drum programming topped by sweet singing with heartfelt themes, the group carves out a bold new sound on these 5 solid tracks. featuring elive, potatohead people and ishtar. the pendletons are a long-standing boogie-funk and modern soul project of e da boss (of myron and e on stone s throw) and trailer limon. the group emerged with their very first release in 2010, a 7inch inch of coming down/waiting on you on the slept on record label, which set the tone for the group to emerge it instantly became a cult classic receiving constant play at nights like sweater funk and funkmosphere, and fetching for serious sums among collectors. most recently, in 2016, they released the ep gotta get out. the title track caught the ear of renowned dj gilles peterson, who liked it enough to release it on his brownswood bubbler compilation. in 2018 the group is hitting the ground running with a brand new ep out this spring, and a full-length album to follow later later in the year on the renowned bastard jazz label. now armed with a horn section, a vast array of accomplished jazz and funk contributors, and a knack for quality song-writing, the pendletons sound has shaped into something fresh and unique, setting it apart from the legions of imitators.

kalbata has turned his hand to many styles over the years, not least the excellent soundsystem explorations of congo beat the drum, but on this second release for his label brush & broom, he s decided to fling himself into the fiery pit of acid while paying tribute to 90s motocross bikes. honda is dripping with 303, punctuated by a twitchy set of drums, while yamaha takes a diversion into moodier territory, letting hazy chords set the tone for an energised but defiantly heads down acid workout. suzuki is a bit spicier, capturing the essence of up-for-it early trax records but edging it into more hypnotic, looped up territory. toyota finishes the ep off with an atonal bleep out with an electro undercarriage

junction - a six track ep produced entirely by samrai & platt - features vocalists from jamaica, ireland & the uk and rounds off an excellent 12 months for the label & crew whove toured across north america, mexico and europe in 2017. the set kicks off with st favourite alexx a-game (originally voiced at his studio in kingston in 2016) urging listeners to free up their mind and souls and let the good times take control. it sets the tone for upcoming jamaican talent blvk h3ro to step up on the soulful party number cant wait (recorded at equiknoxx’s studios in vineyard town in 2016), which has been a staple in swing ting sets over the last 18 months. slowing the pace is addiction, a link up with irish artist and frequent murlo collaborator gemma dunleavy who lays down an impressive vocal over the skittering drums, muted guitar and glistening keys. the listen is interrupted momentarily for an interlude from gavsborg whose moving voicemail is accompanied by a poignant piano line from jp aka without understanding. one for the clubs turn it up features equiknoxxs shanique marie riding a stripped funky-esque riddim with ease. fittingly the set closes with contagious which finds two of manchester’s finest vocalists fox & tyler daley searching for an escape from the reality of our turbulent times over a refined yet sparkling production. the 12inch vinyl will be limited to 200 copies

hypnotizing nostalgia that dictates the dance floor. with previous releases on rythm section, echovolt and les yeux orange, earth trax & newborn jr. are unapologetically consistent in building a legacy. the maze ep is the fourth collective delivery of the duo, sent off into the world by dopeness galore. while hypnotizing synths dictate the dance floor, it is hard to resist the balearic arrangements of new wave nostalgia. the record elevates through soothingly repetitive ambient dreamscapes, while minimalist entrancement pulls us right back into underground territory. the ep represents a side a. meant for club settings and a more ambient side b. once the vocals on a2 set the tone, we bear witness to what seems to be the true ethos of the maze ep: where theres a will, theres a way

aikens recent contribution to psyks non series gets remixed by talented uk producers blawan, volte-face and james ruskin. blawans remix of genetics sets the tone with energetic rhythms and trippy sound textures, volte-face delivers a progressive and hypnotic version of hybrid and james ruskin ends the release with his own intense yet funky interpretation of dominance.

michael klein gelingt es schon fast mühelos, sich und seinen hocheffektiven, auf das wesentliche konzentrierten sound kontinuierlich zu steigern. nach einer reihe beeindruckender releases auf seinem eigenen label blk drp und der herausragenden hub ep in kooperation mit pan-pot, amelie lens, stephan hinz sowie roman lindau setzt michael klein seine steigerung als technoproduzent mit seiner neuesten ep peters hand einwandfrei fort. mit einem heiko laux remix

doubtingthomas returns to organic for his 3rd vinyl release !!! he has been part of the family since day one and never disappoints with that signature sound that is so proper to him ¡! kicking off with “puffed dandy” a stellar stripped back minimalist cut that should make some proper damage on the dance floor . on the flit side, “diapason” is slightly deeper and jazzier, but yet with that distinctive and infectious groove signed dt. “passing tone” is closing the ep nicely. classy atmospheric textures and depth , a real treat for the after hours !

2018 repress - the follow up to one/three. tip! james t cotton / tadd mullinx teams up with a wide range of mc s (wildchild, mf doom, kadence, vast aire, ag, beans, invincible. ta raach, big tone, phat kat..) and producers (waajeed, jay dee) to support his hi-tech productions. the result in this killer album with a wide variety of productions, from deep headnoddin cuts to crazy offbeat work and deep kraftwerk inspired instrumentals. where hiphop meets techno.

helena hauff s mighty return to disorder is back with a various artists 12inch packing phasers set to slay. lft is as evil as it gets on flare, dropping the kind of sleazy, bunker-ready, acid inflected electro that darkroom dreams are made of. marc ash has an edgier tone, maximising the distortion but also capitalising on uneasy space in the mix on grimy workout beirut calling. morah sends things in an airy direction on cold water, building up layers of noise but maintaing a strange air of optimism. hauff herself lands the b2 slot with a curious belter that channels the spirit of 90s midi game soundtracks amidst searing arepggios and a bloated kick.

mysterious berlin imprint mask preps its second release with four more untitled tracks this march. continuing the theme of the first release, noah has been produced and recorded live in one take using a selection of analogue gear, including an emu sp 1200, mutual instruments ambika, nord rack 2x, octatrack, vermona action filter 4. a soothing synth line sets the tone of the a1 before implementing sporadic drums and squelchy notes, making way for the melodic chords and a wall of sub bass in the mesmerising a2. murky atmospherics and a medley of percussive hits generate a dusty aesthetic in the b1 until the organic beat and distorted robotic sounds of the b2 provide an otherworldly conclusion to the enigmatic release.

since launching their ksmisk project in 2015 the pair have returned to some of these labels whilst also dropping two releases on renowned bergen-based techno label ploink, of which 2017 s magma ep is the precursor to their inaugural album mikrometeorittene . opening the package is the ominous and beatless lonsdaleite , setting the tone for an otherworldly aesthetic throughout. off-kilter kicks then rain down in silicate as sinister drones ebb in and out of the mix before meandering back into a ghostly ambient cut named vesta . crunchy percussion and tantalising atmospherics then make up blitz , moving into the twisted and syncopated marinate until the raw sounding spherules exhibits a compelling groove combined with echoing effects. the dusky wustite sees the album retreat from 4/4 once again, returning for the effervescent westergas before concluding on a melancholic outro entitled chondrites .

it is undeniable that bjarki and his bbbbbb imprint are at the forefront of iceland’s dance music scene, playing a vital role in asserting the country as a hub for genre bending electronic music. although the label has proved to be a solid platform for bjarkis own experimental material, bbbbbb continues to host some of icelands best talents (notably last year’s lauded release from volruptus who followed up with another killer outing on &#1090,,&#1088,,&#1080,,&#1087,,). for bbbbbb’s 10th release bjarki continues to substantiate his a&r abilities, introducing the world to lord pusswhip. having enjoyed a meteoric rise as a key player in icelands hip-hop scene, the young producers sound has continued to evolve since befriending bjarki and the bbbbbb crew, and the hand of glory ep now sees him at arguably his most adventurous and experimental yet. murky atmospherics introduce xmas jam creep before a cacophony of percussion ups the energy, setting the tone for a dynamic release. crazy shit mane follows with its crunchy drums, scintillating synths and sultry bass until hop out the car blends hip-hop vocals with mesmerising chord sequences reminiscent of richard d.james early work. an undulating bassline then works alongside a chorus of angelic voices in ‘the hand of glory, making way for the syncopated and dreamlike shroomm0(u)rning. moving into ambient territories, green house living layers pads and samples together to generate an otherworldly aesthetic until choppa hard combines ominous drones with a steady beat to conclude the release.