the first release of 2018 on the feel my bicep label welcomes back hammer for his first solo outing on the imprint, c-space ep. having collaborated with bicep on dahlia back in 2015 - a glistening ep that soared through myriad clubs into the wantlists of many-a-fervid discogs user - hammer is now granted space to stretch his legs and does so across 3 galactic tracks. c-space, atlantic 252 and inside soul all play with rich, sweeping chords, 80s synth lines and sharp analogue drums - a blend that lends them perfectly to the feel my bicep catalogue. c-space ep comes as the first feel my bicep release since the success of biceps self-titled debut album.

nanni and francois le roy are both accomplished producers and djs in their own right. together as ruff stuff they make extremely well produced tracks that always have one thing in common – making dancefloors go crazy. after starting their own vinyl-only imprint (ruff stuff music) with four fully sold out releases, we are excited to get four banging disco house heaters that work equally well as dj tools and at a house party.
implementing their knowledge gained as hard-core clubbers throughout the 90s, nanny and francois make tracks that they know will evoke strong reactions from the dance floor. this release is equal parts thumping, driving, peak-time house and bright and beautiful disco bangers with a bit of italo flare! with its beautifully worked afro samples mixed perfectly with techno-infused house drums and hats, “kiss of death” is set to be huge on dancefloors from the clubs in berlin and london to the open fields of dekmantel and dimensions.

the ecstatic sounds of a fruit machine spewing out winnings or a computer game bleeping a player upwards to the next level chirp and bleep all over ‘true beauty (and other things), a jubilant and chaotic tape from philadelphia’s nah aka michul kuun. his first release under new alias michul kuun, the seven track album lurches between church bells, angsty video game chimes and battered drums (kunn pummelled drums in punk band 1994! in the past). there are flashes of mutated house and techno (“threes, threes, threes” and “written house”) as panicky, stammery rhythm structures are built up, battered down then kicked around. “taking station” seems like it’s going to be the most mellow, almost melodic jam, then rounds off with a solid minute of air horn, before exiting on what sounds like a motorbike through a swooshing traffic for jittery finisher, “follow thruu”. - claire sawers, for wire magazine

copenhagen s tartelet is returning to their roots with a dancefloor-focused ep, pizza trance, from dirk 81—a.k.a label head emil m. nyholm. having previously dropped a slew of tracks as muff deep and ctepeo 57 (with max graef), the dj and producer is blessing the universe with three cuts of dancefloor heaven under a new moniker lifted from his days tagging concrete walls in the 90s. influences draw everywhere from disco, to african hi-life, dub, underworld, a few old trance records, and timeless house music.

recorded over a year in berlin and copenhagen, the record kicks off with -m.f.c-, a disco-afro-house hybrid oozing with roland jupiter 6 keys and some funky drums processed on old equipment from the former ussr. the b-side spreads things deep and delicious with -pizza trance (main mix),- a euphoric serving of sounds that substitutes pepperonis and pineapples for glittering sequencers and a bangin bass drum.

the ep s closer tastes like a bit of both, mixing up some more acid sounds into the recipe for a retro-sounding house track. it s another tasty delight from the label that will fulfil any and all late-night cravings, especially if you fiend for neapolitan pizza.. leave room for seconds.

there is no doubt that bobby moore is an absolute f***ing legend, and a true icon r.i.p. a hero who lifted the world cup for england at wembley. he is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time, and was cited by pele as the greatest defender that he had ever played against. a leader of the highest quality and a true inspiration to us all. we would love to say that neil diablo shares these traits and acomplishments but his bewuda ep is tribute enough to one of footballs gretaest ever captians. the ep itself is a remix record , the track is called bewuda, and what a track it is. a 6 min trancy club banger. 808 drums all over the place give it a 90s vibe but with mr diablos signiture italo feel. and what we can we say about his team mates. coyote, tiago & dawn again on the same record.yes please! the coyote boys dont mess around at all. straight into a ravey, sweeping banger.teasing balaerica but keepng it a fully loaded dance floor bomb.tiago does what tiago does. his signiture sunshine vibe oozing out of the track from start to finish. the drums are something to behold and the piano riff drop packs a real punch. and last but not least our mate from melbourne dawn again tears up the track and brings us a classic weird re-triangluation in true banging dawn again fashion. big record from team rothmans for their 15th release!

formerly of france, now based in brazil, d3 elements returns with their second instalment of the beatz series, this time with jazz artist, bruno e, also hailing from brazil. bruno, who has been producing and performing since the late 90s, has worked with and remixed the likes of silhouette brown and gilles peterson, as well as releasing albums in his own right. this limited colour 10inch release features three versions of the track ventos do outono, (loosely translated to autumn winds). first up is drummer, composer and producer, pat van dyke, taking a break from composing the soundtrack to jerry seinfeld s comedians in cars getting coffee, with a breezy, laid back version of the original. featuring lush horns and flutes, along with vintage keyboards, the track urges us to get down, while straddling the boundaries of jazz and golden era hip-hop. still on the a side, it s bruno s turn, delivering a wonderful broken beat track. full of beautiful keys, strings and intricate rhythms, this track is reminiscent of the sound championed by kaidi tatham and nu era. flip over to the b side, and techno legend, kirk de giorgio takes us on a deep, futuristic ride. the track starts off with banging drums and a pulsating bass line, priming us for the cosmic pads and keys to come as the uk producer takes us on a journey to outer space and back. another quality release from bryan hervieus label, with three diverse versions of the same track, sure to appeal to a wide variety of tastes

ess o ess (aka chris stoker and jamie blanco) return to not an animal to further indulge in the organic house territories previously mined for the previous releases. the duo have an uncanny nack for deftly balancing the rockier end of disco with the authenticity of early house, and never more so than on -secret place. the original bounces and struts in a pleasingly groove laden hypnotic fashion, while the dub version turns down the guitars and turns up the synthesisers for a more heads-down dance floor excursion. on remix detail kuniyuki takahashi makes his 1st appearance on the label. on the vinyl you ll find an interpretation which can be best be described as pitched-down balearic-techno, which clicks, clacks and folds upon itself, drowning in waves of reverbed drama-drums at a deceptively low tempo. kuniyuki also provides a second remix as a digital exclusive, mildly pulling back on the pomp of the vinyl version, but replacing it with a spacious pathos, complete with backwards guitars that reminiscent of an electronic within without you era beatles. angaphora make their naar debut with their own wildly stirring remix of the lead track, which evokes the golden era of 80s melodic pop music to bewildering success, laden with digitised emotion, singing ebow guitar, and not a kick drum in site.

astrophonica label head fracture launches himself into 2018 with take you . nodding hard towards saucer-eyed 90 s italian piano house it features the lush vocals of lucie la mode while full tempo kick drums light the touch paper. smiles wide. utopia now. aa ‘northbound spiral’ continues the ascension to enlightenment with some hyper-rapid 4/4 escapism. hot on the heels of 2017’s anthem ‘cold & rain’, fracture and astrophonica continue to join the dots like no one else out there.

troy gunner continues to strengthen his new imprint gunner with a second self-released title. having had 001 hotly-tipped by the likes of ra, dj mag and mixmag - plus a plethora of dj support from hodge, zenker brothers, john osborn, carl craig and moxie to name but a few, gunner stays firmly on track with another trio of armoured uk-techno tracks packed with chilly atmospherics and gnarly drums.

we re not sure who s behind the mysterious ac-exp project, but the shadowy figure returns with more of that strange, submerged house music he s been tickling discerning djs with over the past few years. after taking last year off, 1a is a fine place to start things up again with a strutting jack track carrying acidic synth pulses that flirt with measured delay processing. its a jam that sounds steamy and sinister all at once. 1b maintains this restrained but seductive vibe with the slightly trancey throb of the lead synths pivoting around the snappy drums to great effect.

as you may probably know, we have a sister digital label called aine, where we release mainly the work of new talents of the scene. now it’s time to step forward and give them physical exposure, of course on wax. for this purpose we have selected four tracks from aine’s back catalogue to start this mini compilation series. the chosen are ribe, oisel, refracted and ruptur3. three spanish producers and an italian one.

coloured vinyl + insert
inner surface music is proud to present its next release from canadian duo mdd. falling inside opens the ep bringing together industrial and punk prototypes of the duo’s influences in the shape of a techno stomper. chunky kick drums and gnarly textures fizzle and pop to the march of the industrial rhythms before the low slung bassline and abstract vocal cuts take the track into a darker realm. tension builds and welds together heavy broken kick patterns with crisp but rusty percussion demolishing everything in sight. the elements amalgamate together creating tension with walls of sub bass, while remaining spacious and nonchalant with glacial atmospheric pads, dropping and breaking like a thunderstorm overhead.

uss is a collaborative studio project that has been active since 2014. individually, chicago native natan h has released on labels as respected as manmakemusic and finale sessions, while maltese producer owen jay has been spotted on underground quality and minuendo to name but a few. independent from their accomplished solo careers, gauss has a strong identity all of its own which taps into the immersive mood of ornate music while coming at it from a fresh direction. building on the foundations of their self-released 12- series and appearances on contrast-wax and hizou deep rooted music, the maximum entropy ep finds the duo in formidable form. from low-blowing electro drums to shimmering pads, rugged, snaking house grooves to hypnotic, metallic chords, on this record gauss have carved out a cohesive sound world that channels the spirit of classic dub techno. it s this common thread that brings the four distinct tracks together into a truly engrossing exercise in deep-diving electronic music. to celebrate this landmark release each record includes a limited edition printed insert featuring the label artwork from the 1st 25 releases cataloguing the story so

for its third release, sensoramic turns to new york minimalist and renowned modular artist, kamran sadeghi. fresh from releasing on key techno imprints meander, brouqade, fasten musique and cocoon, he finishes a strong year with an exceptional three tracker. lead track undone suspends time for a twelve minute lesson in modular hypnotism, twisting its way through various chapters and subtle, naggingly hooky melodic passages with the interlude of a deftly placed riser. sentient takes an alien vocodor style sound through a tense peak time work out while not here runs a dense droning pad through a gamut of minimally applied drums and modular noises.

always a reliable destination for cult talents operating on exciting frontiers of techno, meandyou this time shine a light on j.s. zeiter, who adopts the analog 1 alias for some dense, meticulously crafted trips into the strange psychedelic underbelly of dub techno. sm4l features pastoral chord swells straining behind a babbling brook of high frequency sound design, while mistral takes a classical approach to ambient composition, all yearning arpeggios and lingering keys. interlude is a brief twirl around blown out drums and textural impulses, and then skiv loop (rework) sets a more positive tone for the end of the ep, pushing classic dub techno sounds into a hazy, summery space away from the usual icy tundra the genre normally inhabits.

60 miles presents 2 more transmissions of swamp techno from john daly and frawl, aka 60 miles. not a long distance to travel for such hot shit. as always cut live straight to cassette, no sync, just pure vibe. this time you lucky listeners and deejays even get some vocals. you heard it here first. drums, jazz, techno soul, total surrender. 60 miles.

about this release *first 10 tracks only come with the limited edition. nijmegen s eshu welcomes co-founder ivano tetelepta for his first solo release on the label. it is also the imprint s first full length, but tetelepta s second album after the hypnotic drum workout that was true colours, his debut on fear of flying in 2012. it comes as a double vinyl release with the first disc being limited, and finds the producer casting himself free from the dance floor and serving up a beautifully atmospheric soundtrack that would be a perfect companion for a nature documentary. when making eps and 12 s, tetelepta s smooth and infectious drums are always front and centre in his work, whether solo or as producing with label mates under the eshu alias.

giovanni damico is back for another round on lumberjacks. the b-side fills some percussion heavy funkdriven excursion into deepness while the a-side is as disco as it gets. again four unmatched tracks from the italian wunderkind.

formed of laura lee on bass, mark speer on guitar, and donald “dj” johnson on drums, khruangbin’s sounds are rooted in the deepest waters of world music infused with classic soul, dub and psychedelia. their 2015 debut album ‘the universe smiles upon you’ was heavily influenced by 60’s and 70’s thai cassettes the band listened to on their long car journeys to rehearsal in the texan countryside. ‘con todo el mundo’ takes inspiration not just from south east asia but similarly underdiscovered funk and soul of the mediterranean and the middle east, particularly iran.

the ebm-indebted techno funk of james welshs thread reemerges from the industrial fog, evolved into two outstanding remixes by a trio of established, emerging and somewhat unexpected artists. ozel ab delivers his debut remix, reimagining thread to encompass a widescreen vision of depth and drama. unfolding slowly and ethereally, with military kicks holding down a seemingly weightless, extended breakdown, his taste in dreamlike rave euphoria contains the same magic touch as it has done on previous, acclaimed releases for workshop and lobster theremin. on his garten remix, radio slave takes a percussive approach to the relatively raw electronics of the original track, adding a deceptively simple but immediately effective layer of drums to the production, before unleashing a more filtered and fucked-up interpretation of the riff to winning effect.

open s 5th release invites japan s sasaki hiroaki from yotsume music. sasaki s smooth blend of thoughful tech house has been presented in 2 original pieces as key ingredients for any after hours gathering expressing tripped out broken piano excursions with subtle driving drums. frazer campbell pulls his version back from the after party to the daytime with a version that raises the heartrate with bold 101 synth leads and chicago influenced percusion. finest hours pablo tarno joins the release with his signature sound of garage meets early techno providing a classy envelope of silk like power for the peak time floor.

this is the first vinyl release for genau recordings, a brand new independent techno label born in torino (italy) from the unfamous genau party series. four pure techno tracks signed under the collective artist name genau that put together the experiences of two local artists as gandalf and kessa and the already well known (production wise) duo noizyknobs (also active with their new project exilles). this ep is the result of one year of intense work from these four artists and it s the perfect synthesis of their ways to see techno music.the ep opens with pac-man, a dancefloor killer featuring a strong acid bassline and a paranoid modular synth on it. -genesi is the deepest of all tracks, and it s one of the first productions ever recorded by the genau team. side b features pressing plant, another dancefloor oriented techno track with a solid drums section and a driving bassline, while dont speak is a minimalistic bass orented dark tunnel.

desolat label boss loco dice kicks off 2018 in fine style with a huge new single which sees the him reflecting on his musical roots and his connection to dusseldorf, detroit and beyond, whilst giving a taster for a brand new long player to come later in the year. dices recent past has seen the master of robust house and techno funk serve up killer remixes of mobys classic ‘go and release his underground sound suicide album, whilst continuing to headline the biggest clubs and festivals around the world. at the same time, he has directed his endless passion and musical sensibilities to bare upon his desolat label, with a stream of records released from some of the most exciting artists around and supported by djs across the globe. now though the stage is set for the first new loco dice original recording in some time and it is sure to see him once more at heart of the global scene. the bristling ‘roots is a typically forceful track that blurs the lines between house end techno. it has twitchy synths bringing the energy to hurried drums as smooth chords add real soul. the claps are coarse & edgy, whilst dices own dark vocals bring a brooding atmosphere and the whole thing is a synapse firing rave-up that cannot fail to detonate any dance floor. an instrumental is also included for even more visceral thrills. this timely new single is the lead track from dices latest album project, entitled love letters and to be released later in 2018.

lp theres been an air of hypnagogic mystery surrounding acid tests sublabel avenue 66 from the start. joey andersons oblique, prince-inspired incantation above the cherry moon set the tone for a label thats sound that has found beauty in the furthest recesses of the dance floor, in the murkiest decay of kick drums and rave stabs. fitting then, that the first album on the imprint comes from trux, an artist who has chosen to reveal nearly nothing about themselves. following a cult classic mini-lp for office recordings, orbiter bears out the anonymous producer as a master of liminal, conceptual dance music. orbiters ten tracks have a vaporous, shape-shifting quality, threatening to topple over into full-on kick drum bliss or vanish into ambience. opener, with it, moves from heady ambient rush to skeletal piano, while blinko and roys garage spell out a hazy memoriam for the uk continuum. forlorn pianos ring out amongst the field recordings, excitable toms and jungle bass all softened in the enveloping gauze. orbiter positions trux as an unknown auteur who puts evocative world of tone and echo into dizzying motion, content to watch from the wings. track list with it orbiter blinko roys garage third glow in my world my row odd u agoma

with his album in between re:deep presents not only an impressive specimen of his musical spectrum. the artist also merges deep house elements and experimental folk as well as extremely minimized indie pop into a whole new sound concept. re:deep intensively bends the boundaries of the genres, delves deep into the soundscapes of different epochs and styles. thereby warmly crackling field recordings blend into analogue basslines and sequencers as well as melancholic guitar drones meet sensitive vocals. the always smoothly appearing and cocooning sound is the subtle recurring theme of the whole album, which develops a close intimacy and captivates by its analogue warmth, which you can t escape of. tender strings float on vibrant drums and wafting surfaces. the album features the japanese artist cokiyu, her voice in combination with the arrangement form a symbiotic relationship and evolve wearing lights into a journey through slowly drifting electronica landscapes. the field recordings, which were made - inter alia - in iceland s rough countryside, are particularly noticeable between the lines and infuse the soul of the album as well as the love to detail in general. a total of nine tracks are featured on the album, which convince not only by their sound density and close interconnectedness, but also by the shift in emotions. music, that is enjoyable at your home as well as on the dancefloor and - after all -just touches your body and soul.

from the archives of the legendary belter and discophon labels, ps has selected 14 dance-friendly tracks taken from overlooked lps and 45s. gipsy–funk sound, full of screaming flamenco vocals, funk drums, electric guitars, wah–wah, organ, electric bass, exotic percussions, soulish horns, latin and even oriental touches

at some moment last year novo mundo (aka niagara) made itself manifest. it was pretty simple, like most necessities are. here is tenda, the result. dezembro is but one idea, never ashamed of its simplicity, straightforward techno: its all about the basics of motion. leviathan is circular, a slow burn, until the kick and the hi-hat surprise you: insane in the membrain. the record ends with arsenale, a very slow motion, no drums, the calm after the storm. limited edition of 250 12inch vinyl copies. a-side 45rpm, b-side 33rpm

frank is the latest release from dolfin records, a texas indie label with a prominent underground roster that includes rapper lord byron, producer ben hixon, r&b singer jon bap, and former stanley clarke drummer mike mitchell. liv.e is one of the newer artists on the label, having previously collaborated with hixon through a series of dj parties in dallas (“new math mondays”). hixon and bap have significant marks on this project, providing production, mixing, and background vocals. the beats they lend are often heavy on the drums, with short, hazy riffs that resemble dilla-style syncopated loops. frank opens with a short hiss, launching into a jittery pattern of cymbals and drums, stinging bass slaps, and bouncy guitar riffs. you can almost see the tape reels rolling in front of you as the instrumental loops play themselves out with occasional flutters and skips. a chorus of voices enter with harmonies out of the george clinton songbook, blending in behind the slow, finger-snapping beat. it sounds more like a lost, dusty funk recording from the ’70s than an r&b song made in 2017. -nitish pahwa (passion of the weiss)

new york’s p.leone debuts on rekids special projects with four vinyl-only techno cuts this february. debuting on spencer parker’s work them records in 2016, p.leone has since launched his own imprint entitled e-missions alongside label partner caiazzo. moving to berlin last year, the american producer has quickly earned himself a name within the german capital, making regular appearances at the likes of tresor and ://about blank, and now joining respected berlin-based label rekids as part of their vinyl-only series. metallic echoes, robust kicks and breakbeat percussion lay the foundation for ‘rose petal breaks’, before ‘noon service’ demonstrates crystalline synths and futuristic effects. on the flip, thudding drums and energetic claps form ‘hold me down’ until the ominous ‘sometimes i feel strong’ concludes the package with rattling components and a cacophony of intricacies.

seth troxler’s play it say it label opens up 2018 with another release from the highly regarded ataxia, who serve up their third ep for the imprint. the detroit duo impressed with their previous outings on the label, the supertouch ep back in july 2017 and the acid ep in 2016. since then they have also released on leftroom and nervous and continued their eight year residency at prominent detroit venue tv lounge. their fresh take on motor city techno often comes with flashes of acid and makes cyber punks ted krisko and eric ricker one of the most interesting pairs in the game. opening up the essential ep is ‘quicksand’, an immediately arresting and busy electro track with real machine soul. the bassline bubbles and boils underneath crisp percussion and emotive keys bring a sense of tenderness. it’s a macho cut with robust drums and is sure to win over any crowd. the fresh ‘hot snakes’ is a deep, menacing track with dark bass gurgling beneath the airy hi hats. frazzled synths are dystopian and brain frying, and together the whole thing takes you into hypnotic territory with an intense sense of urgency that is impossible to ignore. last of all is the freakiest of the lot. the brilliant ‘texas is the reason’ has circling bass that is warped and intriguing and will own any club, while the drums drive on and trippy keys are skewed and twisted up top. it’s a truly intense record for late in the night that is sure to become a big tune. this is an expressive and varied ep full of contemporary and innovative detroit house and techno sounds and marks another step in the ataxia story.

an enticing taste of the upcoming debut album ‘eventual reality’ by the james l’estraunge orchestra. brainchild of scottish producer ricky reid, pianist on both 6th borough project albums and one half of the soul renegades alongside craig smith, the james l’estraunge orchestra is “the band that never was”, lovingly pieced together from a series of late-night studio sessions with some incredibly talented jazz and classical players. best described as jazz arranged with dance music sensibilities, the james l’estraunge orchestra sound is warm and organic, atmospheric and at times somewhat bleak, a perfect reflection of the remote log cabin in which it was created. immediately iconic both musically and lyrically, ‘closer’ is a powerful commentary on today’s self-regarding, materialistic world with a strong message of hope for a better tomorrow. combining lush, live instrumentation and climactic, cinematic composition, closer’s emotive, almost springsteen-like vocals are performed by ricky reid himself. ‘groovin’ you’ covers a classic from harvey mason: a bass led, heavyweight instrumental jazz-dance workout featuring some impressive brass and woodwind solos bolstered by spine- tingling string swells and tight, rolling drums.

special repress / backstock

justin chapman (half of the kemeticjust duo) is back with -stay my way-, his first release on visions recordings.
inspired by a distant collaboration with alex attias, the soul original version features chapman s signature vocal harmonies floating over latin influenced house rhythm and melody to provide the motivation for feet and hips.
the just one remix pushes things into the realm of broken beats with a hard swing on the drums, and a deep and jazzy bass walk that gives edge to the keys and vox melodies. classic just one here!justin has produced records for neroli, rushhour, sonar kollektiv and some collaboration with recloose for planet e and deetron for music man.
this single for visions is a long overdue collaboration with an artist we wanted to work with since 2001 when visions was based in london, so you can imagine how excited we are to take justin on board and release this single.

the torben unit band from berlin returns more experimental than ever whilst still being rooted between jazz and rock. after the self-titled first lp on money $ex records, the second album -sawaasch garahsch- will be out in winter 2017. no label – self-released. the new album consists of many episodes telling a story that couldn t be purer nor rawer. jazz-rock is the genus when modal madness meets electronic soul and psychedelic spheres. the spectrum of instruments being used is huge: from bouzouki to pearl s syncussion, there is no limit of instrumentation whilst the core of e-piano, guitar, bass and drums mostly remains. torben unit s concerts as well as the records are a guaranteed jazz-rock party with never ending feeling.

karl neumann: keys & vocals georg seibt: drums ludwig labuzinski: synths & effects valentin handrick: keys & percussion gerry franke: guitar & bouzouki max graef: bass & rhythmguitar

repertoire head north for their first 12- of the year courtesy of rising manchester murker artilect. -something else- is a spacious rolling piece laden with a strong late night desert atmosphere complete with snare-shaking rattlesnakes. homemade weapons is the perfect remixer of choice as he digs his claws into the space and completely switches up the drums to a combo of rolling hangdrum and thunderclap splashes of breaks in all the right sweet spots. finally we get -lost- amongst some superb razor sharp steps, haunted paranoid textures and classic rave-referencing humanised hits. absolutely authentic.

2018 repress incoming!
in a pretty typical sabre fashion he has sent us a tune called >halo danger<, expectedly what we heard instantly was pure danger and another killer in the works … now here it is coming your way on the 4th of june 2012. insane production as ever, huge riff, huge snappy drums, huge low end. it is an instant dispatch fave for us! we say no more… on the flip we have sabres often studio production partner in crime halogenix bringing us something solo, completely creative, fresh and inspiring. his productions are quickly building a reputation and >laika< holds no exception!
dj support is very widespread on this release already coming from the likes of: dj marky, alex perez, ant tc1, jubei, spectrasoul, octane & dlr, klute, zero t, rockwell (ministry of sound radio), lenzman, icicle (as featured on rinse19 cd), ulterior motive, skeptical, hybris, kasra, nymfo & safire.

night talk is back with his first vinyl release on his aym label. three original tracks in a deep earthy house style combining organic world music elements with electronic synthesizers and drums. on top shiffer delivers a deep journey in his signature style with his rework of ritual i.

ant orange’s third 12&#8243, for karaoke kalk forms something resembling a trilogy for the label. “right there” is built on a familiar rhodes-n-bass aesthetic, combining the lo-fi jazz of 2017’s “arkupe” with the soulful vocal motifs of 2015’s “s/t”, while introducing more electronic ingredients and taking an increasingly exploratory approach to rhythm and composition. the opening title track clocks in at over 8 minutes, growing slowly from soft tickled keys to a full-bodied groove circled by airy synths and fragmented rnb vocals. “drunk in the trunk” then shifts down a gear, looping another vocal cut over a lazy, stripped-back wahwah vibe. side a closes with experimental jazz skit “let that sink in”, its jerky tempo and flashes of light reminiscent of a late-night subway ride. the b-side takes a more contemplative tone, with the meditative arpeggios and sparse drums of “comfort zone” leading into the dusky west coast stroll of “muscle beach”, before “rudis goes offline” picks up the tempo for a last shimmering dance. the closing track “a frozen lake” sounds just like it sounds – chilled by name and by nature.

the solar phenomena label welcomes achim maerz for its fifth ep. the hamburg producer is an associate of labels like don’t be afraid, where last year he released his mini-album of rough and ready house tracks that are improvised and innovative. the four cuts he serves up here are just as special and have an ethereal air to them.
in my house opens things up with serene synth work and lush detroit stylings. it’s a deep and widescreen track that encourages you to dream. fresh air is a little more upright, with rattling hits and pixelated, long tailed synths lingering above the rooted drums. as the title suggests, leaving this planet is a cosmic exploration, with ambient keys and meditative atmospheres joined by only the most subtle and suggestive sense of rhythm way down below. last of all is two times, a beautiful deep house track with deft synths drifting, bleeding and wandering off into a starry night sky. all in all, then, these are truly thoughtful house tracks.

mattia aka lapucci releases his first ep on understate:ment. five highly sought after cuts that symbolise modern electro: sleeky pads and machine based vocals accompanied with crisp drums. space grooves with an unmistakable mattia sound will give you a trip deep inside the heart of mannheim, frankfurt & berlin.

indianapolis band led by organist bobby watley (ex-lonnie smith group) and driven by his funky jack mcduff-influenced playing. discovered in march 1971, funk inc had sent bob porter a demo tape which languished in a pile of other until the producer finally got around to working his way through the whole batch. the band s tape grabbed him as soon as he heard the first notes and the rest, as they say, is history. a quintet, funk inc s constituent members were leader bobby watley on organ, eugene barr on tenor saxophone, steve weakley on guitar, jimmy munford on drums and cecil hunt on congas. watley, the leader, worked originally as a drummer, with both winston walls and lonnie smith. he switched to organ in 1969 and was heavily influenced by jack mcduff. barr played his first professional gig with little milton and then went on to lead his own band prior to joining funk inc. munford worked with artists of the calibre of etta james, jerry butler and james brown. hunt had been with the coasters as well as playing with local california bands. weakley was one of the (then) new breed of guitarists whose debt owed as much to jimi hendrix as kenny burrell.

piff records continues to unravel its catalogue by calling on an artist slightly closer to home. cardiff-based harrison bdp adds to his already prolific discography with an ep that spans from mellow dub techno vibrations, all the way up to wide-open, rave-driven acid riffs.
harrison’s a-side revels in a deep pool of soft bubbling synth chords, moulded to the backdrop of tight rolling drum work and occasionally teasing the wider, heavier energies to be found on the flip.
the b side ripples with ricocheting, delay-laden soundscapes, rock-solid drums lines, and nostalgic lead synth lines that make you glad that you’ve caught on to this talented producer early on in his promising career.

limited edition of 200 numbered copies, vinyl only release.
rare brazilian song from legendary azymuth inspired gigi during his journey in sao paulo in 2013 circa getting deeper with live shaker and drums. marsupials kicked out an eagle with more groove from their fold to spread her wings and fly, inspired by the original song like an eagle of dennis parker.

back in the area. banoffee pies original imprint continues with bp007. the more serious and leftfield off shoot under the labels wing this time inviting the introduction of two new label members on this 4 track va. toma kami opens the a1 with the title rivershells, a slowly erupting swirl of percussion and progressive drums. a real head turner. the a2 comes from pablo marco with his second addition to banoffee after his breakbeat power track on their black label series imprint earlier in the year. murmuring vocals and a swirling feeling with all about - sure fire dance floor reset button included. the b1. comes from liem & eddie ness, whos split ep with acs on the earlier released bp005 analog acid record was enough to invite a return appearance this time with leftfield fujiyama, and welcoming of k-lone previously known for his involvement on the powerful bristol label, wisdom teeth with a down tempo track with warm spherical sounds.

syncopated percussion and murky atmospherics form the basis of mutual romance before dicicco introduces an ominous melody to generate the duskiest track on the package. virgo love affair then meanders forward with tight kicks and a hypnotising chord sequence before making way for the deep and scintillating filling pieces. concluding the release, how we live combines organic drums with sweeping effects whilst distorted keys operate throughout.

just like his secrets ep of last year, this latest instalment in detbois catalogue, entitled ‘ice cold, merges elements of drum and bass, jungle, bass music, techno and more in exquisite fashion, quite simply like nobody else has done before. the 3 track ep consists of pure breakbeat pleasure, with ‘blood drops leading the charge, a classy piece that elegantly rolls and seamlessly interchanges through various phases. its without doubt some of detbois most distinguished work yet, and were delighted that its opening the metalheadz account for 2018.

remora, an alias of maroje t, one of the main forces in new york electro, returns to kraftjerkz with raw, distorted drums, deep filters, and a profound mood adapted to the dancefloor.

new release from the french shop and label groovedge records. after a first k7 on the imprint and a recent collaboration with light on earth owner sentiments, franck gerard delivers ambios, a patchwork of 6 smooth tracks ep. its kind of braindance and ambiant with delicate drums or sometimes not. synthetisers in the high way, its powerfull and it should your new soundtrack of everyday life.

following up to three albums on kompakt since 2011, the latest being signs under test (kom321/komcd119) in 2015, los angeles based house and techno producer john tejada returns to the cologne-based imprint with his thirteenth full-length, dead start program - an eleven-track journey spanning a prismatic array of styles and patterns, from john s signature soulful techno tunes to the further mazy, hypnotic motifs of his trancey electro hybrids. be it solo or through a host of multifaceted collaborations, tejada keeps himself busy on all fronts in and off the club environment, be it by contributing the 44th number in fabric s seminal mix series, playing drums for detroit legend daniel bell (as dbx), testing the limits of acid with tin man or joining forces with the hilarious self-proclaimed disinformationist reggie watts as wajatta. since his beginnings and the drop of his debut 12inch, waxing , released through his own label palette recordings over twenty years ago, john has been carving out a lane of his own combining and assembling elements from all ends of his wide-spanning spectrum of reference in a way that allows a more direct transition from the realm of the mind to the circuits of the machine, as confirmed by the deliberately limited studio setup used in the making of the present album. navigating across the lines, from the arrhythmic machine spook of the album s opener autoseek via the straight out thumping and jacking pulse of hypochondriac and heavy-lidded breakbeat of sleep spindle onto the kosmische-infused vibrations of telemetry, vibrant slo-mo inertia of loss and wistful club-ready winds of duty cycle and heal, john threads his way through genres and tempos with optimal chameleonic effect. cloaked in a beautiful sleeve art courtesy of johns long time friend juan mendez aka silent servant another key contributor to the los angeles scene worldwide