ahrpe records co-founder amandra navigates a unique space between droning ambience and polyrhythmic funk on dame de bahia, his first release to emerge on italian imprint obscura. this is the french, warsaw-based producers second album and followsa string of acclaimed eps on ahrpe, semantica, tikita and silent season.

after two fine first releases on bordello a parigi and multi culti, mytron & ofofo make their lyo debut with a five tracker full of diverse influences. combining vintage gear with modern production tools, the mysterious duo based in london and paris wonderfully connects the dots between disco-funk, afro-zouk infused grooves or melancholic spacey electro creating a fresh eclectic fusion. both organic and synthetic, futuristic with traditional roots, -topography- draws a line on exotic territories between cultural blends and backgrounds.

urpa i musell, the new barcelona-based record label, feels very fortunate to announce its second release, the first ever vinyl reissue of mr. wollogallu, the collaboration album between carlos maria trindade andnuno canavarro originally released in portugal on união lisboa, produções audiovisuais lda. in 1991 the collaboration began when the manager antónio cunha, a mutual friend of both musicians, brought the two together for a performance. afterwards they decided to embark on mr. wollogallu. they had never worked together before, although their careers had parallels between them. both were part of the 80s portuguese pop-rock scene: carlos maria trindade had played with corpo diplomático and heróis do mar, while nuno canavarro played in street kids and delfins. moreover, individually, carlos maria had released the single princesa / em campo aberto (vimúsica, 1982), and nuno had done the lp plux quba (ama romanta, 1988), now recognized worldwide for its uniqueness.

number 018 is a collaboration between christopher rau & hakim murphy. during the many times that they have met, the topic of politics always came up and conversation. with all the problems in the world, the title of the 12” was formed: geopolitical problems yet to be solved. this four track ep symbolizes the differences of the world culture’s with its diverse track selection. liquid synths, bouncing percussion, and variety of feels really describe this project. the problems of the world will never be solved but this is their take on what the problems sound lik

the night is what makes a big city come to life. right after sundown, the hectic buzzing of downtown makes way for adventure playgrounds, bathed in neon light, revealing their countless chances and opportunities. its when youll find the subway spitting out its purpose seeking passengers by the minute. a coming and going of restless people passing through. all it takes is a few hours, before the sunrise makes it all disappear. mental bend captures the magic of that very moment in their dreamy soundtracks. if you close your eyes, you can see blurry pictures passing in slow motion, accompanied by their atmospheric songs. grainy black and white snapshots, fragments of memories lighting up somewhere in the farthest corner of the cortex. one step is the berlin-based indietronica duos visually vivid debut album, released on enfant fenou. mental bend are all about letting go. sissip (voc/synth/bass) and hendrik havekost (beats/production) know how to trust their instincts, crafting their hypnotic signature sound, somewhere in between electronica, ambient and dream pop. before founding the band in 2013, the two were already shaping their skills in all kinds of different formations and styles of music. as soon as they got together, they had a viral mini hit with their song take my hand, praised on various tastemaker blogs and generating over 100.000 likes on soundcloud in no time. the bands first long play record one step is all about important experiences and decisions, small as well as big steps, all a part of making progress, which in the end can even be life changing. it was a step, that recently got mental bend their record deal on mos ferrys sub label enfant fenou.

the fifth entry in the chronicles of slyngshot s yappin label is a four track ep, projecting his trademark hybrid style, popping on a low-bit train ride somewhere between the bronx and detroit. new era: slyng s in-house style, dirty percussion, with ailing watery rhodes. of xtc (action mix): a swift take-off, with fazed out keys over a romping kick, swashbuckling high-hat, and an insistent synth bass playing hide and seek, building the tension. of xtc (understatement mix): low end synth lines bop between singing drums, tribal chant and ethereal piano loop. stop playin part i: b-boy vocal sample with pitched up / back down again beats lending the tune a subtle drum and bass feel.

granny13 opens with nicola ratti’s “odd doubt”. with the use of a modular system and tape loops, a broken rhythm is obtained by parallelism between single sound signals as lfo one or processed tapes.
on the second side, giovanni lami’s “johnny leech” is made with a small bunch of equipment, just a chaotic hand-made synth (cacophonator) and a memoryman, working mainly on static electricity and leakage current in the synth used without any kind of power supply.

this lp + bonus cd features the entire track listing, plus 5 bonus tracks from the italia new wave lp. this album represents the musical mutation that occurred after the post-punk hangover gave way to more frigid emotional shores, in-line with the synth-wave moment that was sweeping europe and the white cliffs of albion. this scene flourished in italy between 1981-1985, and the musicians that came out of it are still revered today (particularly in the us). robotic rhythms and intuitions that, besides sharing common ground with the electronic movements that had come before, also knew how to fill up the dancefloor! featuring four previously unreleased tracks by der blaue reiter, along with tracks by modo, actor s studio and la maison, as well as the still fresh sounding contributions by true pioneers of the genre neon and naif orchestra.

drec recordings is a record-label from magdeburg run by patrick dre, releasing music between techno, and electronica.

sterns edits returns after the sell-out success of its debut edition with another two catalogue reworks from ben gomori. this time he turns his attention to burkina faso s much-loved taxi-driver-turned-singer, amadou balaké. balaké ( porcupine in mandinka) is burkina faso s proudest musical export, and in 2013 he recorded his final album before passing away: in conclusion. the record saw him revisit some of his most popular tracks from his remarkable 50-year career, backed by an eight-piece burkinabé band who took the country s traditional sounds and brought them into a contemporary light. gomori retains the essence of the original recordings which were mostly captured in one take and marries them to vigorous afro-house stylings. bar konon mousso (musicien c est pas quelqu un) in which balaké tells of a bar lady being unimpressed by his profession, gets a gentle push towards the modern dancefloor, its wonderful sax lines resplendent. massa kamba is taken for a drive down the more traditional route, with commanding drums bolstering the original grooves and a marvelous triple harmony brass section at its core. balakes freewheeling style suits the hypnotic feel of the edits to a tee. sterns edits is an official collaboration between african music stalwarts sterns music and london s ben gomori.

into the mystic. crank up the amp and drop the needle on the record. exclusively on vinyl only, it s the cross-genre collaboration everybody s talking about - between the don of drum n bass and one of the godfather s of grime.

the music for this release was a process of literal catharsis, a purging of a build up of negative thoughts and emotions, but the music is also designed to be confrontational. the intent is to challenge mediocrity, to ask questions about the whole notion of techno as merely a form of debauched escapism. the music also asks questions about destructiveness and apathy. the aim is for something with meaning, as opposed to transience. our demons are your contentments- catharsis is the result of the meeting and collaboration between veteran techno producer -heretic- and dark ambient producer -emission-. the project is a quest to explore and purge negative thoughts via music. a modern ascetic experience in the pursuit of inner peace.

takeshi fukushima aka takecha, gwm is one of the most important artist in 90s japanese house music scene. this release compiles his unreleased recordings between 1993 and 1996. all the tracks are newly mastered from the original dat tapes. gwm is most known as the label where soichi terada had releases.

ltd 2018 repress - max graef is a prime example of the new generation of young pure hearted producers emerging from berlin at the moment. at age 19, his output is surprisingly mature and well rounded juggling everything from house, hip-hop & garage to indefinable hybrids of in-between.

a warehouse jive for number 5 on running backs misfit melodies series. introducing new artist and shrinking violet pistachio, ilox cuts house music out of a techno cloth and vice versa. one of three direct cuts between chord memories, distant voices and space echoes, complemented by a drone piece for the times before, after and in-between. classic soundscapes with a modern drive. nutritious as a nut.

key selling points the chorus: that moment where everyone connects and participates in unity. a moment anyone whos shared a dancefloor can recognise whether its a festival arena, subterranean dark room or an illegal rave in a field, warehouse or any abandoned canvas between… like the ones colognes julian stetter has come from. inspired by subversive communities, all pulling together for a greater cause, his background in underground parties can be felt in everything hes done so far: his work with the ancient future now label, his vast imaginative techno constructions and now his work with jennifer cardinis long-standing community correspondant with the widescreen odyssey that is ‘chorus six slices of evocative narrative-rich electronic soul inspired by his on-going international experiences on the road, loaded with poignant introspection, thunderous rumbles and playful theatrics, the ep is bookended by two versions of ‘chorus, a vision of scorching hope and lift that can seize a full floors attention in seconds and full live up to the tracks title, message and meaning. by far julians most significant solo ep to date, this is a moment for us all to connect and participate. join in if you know the chorus

drumcode returns with its 6th installment of the internationally celebrated a-sides series. renowned for fostering a shared space between industry tastemakers and rising talent alike, the careful curation that goes into each volume is a fine example of why beyer s brand continues to go from strength to strength. techno titan adam beyer has grown drumcode into a force to be reckoned with, the label has become synonymous with forward-thinking, functional techno and even after 20 years, drumcode continues to find new boundaries to push, and ways to solidify its legacy as the world s number one techno label. 2017 is no exception, with beyer s imprint hosting it s first stage at tomorrowland, not to mention the expansion of the critically acclaimed junction 2 where the drumcode stage is the centrepiece and adam plays the key role of festival director. the drumcode phenomenon continues to grow each week, chiefly fuelled by drumcode radio, adam s radio show thats broadcast in 57 countries via 86 stations and to a global audience of 16 million techno fans per week. the a-sides series acts as a perfect vignette of drumcode s cutting-edge sound, functional yet inspired techno, all tracks tried and tested by beyer himself. vol. 6 continues this tradition with a collection of 16 multi-faceted cuts from a mixture of both emerging artists and experienced label friends. the heart-throbbing bass in amelie lens electrifying piece in silence sets the tone for the dark and dance-floor-ready energy that vol.6 carries the whole way through. other standouts include mars bill s rough n ready mohave. pulsating and precise, mohave has highlighted many of beyer s sets recently as has wehbba s monster track fake , which fans have been anticipating the release of all year. label-favourites dense & pika also feature on a-sides vol. 6 with their hard-hitting just a beat and a huge track from beyer himself who has joined forces with enrico sangiuliano to bring us their undeniably infectious preset heaven. with many more notable selections from the likes of julian jewell, timmo, tiger stripes and pig&dan, a-sides vol. 6 is another impressive addition to the label s prolific release roster and a testament to why drumcode remains at the forefront of the electronic world.

after living in africa, south america, then london, ohes first made a name in paris by playing analog lives with the dynamiterie crew, first as they resident artist and then as the new artistic director of their new label. it is while playing live in the french city of pau that he met behzad & amarou. they shared the same views on the perception of music, thus created a particular affinity. after this event, they chose to collaborate under the boa moniker (behzad ¹ ohes- amarou), and invited him to release his new ep on bear records. in this first ep, ohes moves between a slightly dystopic robotic house, sharp discoid grooves and melancholic exoticism. this new adventure present a rich diversity in these four personal tracks, influenced by his numerous travels.

blocaus series is back and explores this time the deep side of things guided by the fearless awb lighting the way. the parisian based producer awb is well know to be the owner of taapion records with shlomo and pvnv and also released music on soma records and raw imprint. awb’s sound oscillates between deep / atmospheric techno, with film scoring influence which are reflected in this ep. he delivers 4 fantastic cuts including an outstanding remix by peter van hoesen all on the edge of an amazing melancholic and deep techno style.

physical therapy for exotic dance with this first volume of shamanic workout material made between 2014 and 2017. these are deliriously entrancing and exquisitely produced tracks, expertly engineered to keep the floor moving

reeepressss - new sub label from natural sciences...
kickin off our new off-shot dolphin traxx , d. futers takes the rains with a pounding two tracker of aqueous goo, molecular body deposits and corrosive laser stains, pressed up loud + harddd. cyber-hounds might recognise the first track i care - a pitched up vocal garage house jam bootlegged on your bros samsung razorblade and running piano keys hoisted in the back of the multi-changer. on the flip, never givin up is for the jungle heads, bringing back the oscillating machine gun funk of the warehouse, crashing between broken beat euphorics and shimmering pads.

cape town duo christian tiger school provide the 3rd part of the lissoms series. both graduates of the red bull music academy and part of the sónar line-up this summer - they’ve previously posted an lp for the mighty tommy boy & remixes for subpop, and had their work remixed by luminaries like mndsgn.
“if you want to” embodies their sound and the fervent cape town beats scene aptly - esoteric uk influences sit amongst ambient soundscapes and a cracked breakbeat, pinned on a looped bassline - growing in intensity but using the most subtle of touches.
gacha bakradze’s version posits the track somewhere between slow-burning disco and krautrock, framing the character of the original with loose jams on his array of studio gear.
finally, edmondson’s version is a minimal, 2-steppy take honed by the berlin sounds which have pricked his ears for the last couple of years.

limited edition of 1000 copies. 5x12 inch vinyl box set containing the first 4 albums by trisomie 21 in a gold foil stamped black lined heavy board box with a die cut enamel pin and sticker.
dark entries will reissue the first four full-lengths from seminal french coldwave group, trisomie 21. originally released by stechak/pias between 1983-1987, these releases will see their first vinyl appearance in over 30 years in a deluxe edition limited boxed set. remastered by george horn at fantasy studios.

the latest compilation by cultures of soul gathers together little known boogie, electrofunk and j-pop released in japan between 1981 and 1988. strong compilatin!

• special deal
• 2xgatefold lp from les graciés
• silkscreened artwork by al white & house of traps
les graciés is a collaboration in the truest sense between paris-based sound artist gaël segalen and deepblak co-founder afrikan sciences. segalen’s experiments in electroacoustic sound met the wider world this year via a debut lp for erratum, an arresting work that showcases her ability to merge hypnotic murk ala angus maclise with the hard concréte of parmegiani & reibel. segalen’s ihearu imprint / organisation is a platform for her various doings, including psychogeographical audio works and multi-media collaborations, as well as servicing as a reference point for other contemporary female artists working across various mediums. eric douglas porter aka african sciences has been deconstructing and re-building forms of contemporary black music since the mid-2000’s, through releases on deepblak (the label he co-runs with aybee) and pan. his musical universe is one of warping cadences and celestial melody, referencing the bold work of percussionists like milford graves & art jenkins, the dissonant chords of motor city techno and stripped back essence of early chicago house matched with broken hard bop sentiments: all tied together with an aesthetic that sits somewhere between sun ra’s omniverse, jean giraud mœbius and dogon cosmology. together as le graciés, segalen and porter make a wholly unclassifiable strain of music that, while containing recognisable elements of each individual s work, also creates a third entity in the process, which can be heard to stunning effect on their forthcoming debut lp ‘low doses’ for firecracker recordings.

10th official release, we welcome unseen, a newcomer already involved in a lot of great projects. straight from detroit, a two-tracks killah ep between house and techno. on 12 inches, 500 copies only.

on the a-side label head relative delivers to you -i can t get it-, tight 4/4 stomping raw drums mixed with hypnotic pads and old school vocoder, next track is a -ghetto- 2-step juicy remix by blatta. a3 is a classic deep lo-fi punch house by the napoli based s-dm. b-side welcomes back tengrams and its analogue toys, -another day- is a balanced 808 running pattern song that leaves your mind dreaming. b2 is the newcomer will hofbauer with its moody melodies, easy rhythms and heavy choruses. last track is thunderdub from amazing analog adventures, pure italian gem between used machines and vocal cuts on 110 bpm. first 100 copies comes with original instax polaroid!

nice price deal !!! new years deal - what more can be said about 2016 for red rack em apart from massive? in march, he released the instant classic wonky bassline disco banger which has been one of the biggest selling house tracks of the year, picking up praise and plays across the board from moodymann, the black madonna and mcde right through to disclosure and mark ronson.
tomato pope is a slamming party banger. somewhere between house, techno, african music and broken beat, the drums are driving, the bassline is huge and the vocal samples get mangled throughout the track. it s another guaranteed floor wrecker from red rack em and gives a tantalising taste of the lp weight to follow.

with a crude quartet of evolving arrangements urgent’s producer deego fresh stays true to his namesake. shifting baselines roll between a medley of percussive reverb and delay, creating a fluid symphony of dance floor grooves geared for any time of day or night.
from warm and easy to peak time pressure urgent 004 delivers in all aspects. this ep takes no prisoners, so prepare to be moved.

breaking the boundaries between the new and the old, the first release of half naked dog comes from resa & katu and it’s set to deliver some fresh, old school flavored beats with a smooth touch from vlad dinu on the b side.

like a message in a bottle, carried round by the ocean streams for decades, henrik rylander’s album “fran en obestamd plats i rummet” has floated around in the space of swedish underground music. hoga nord pulls the cork and unfolds the message that is a piece of music that was ahead of its time, sounding now 20 years after its first release in the late nineties. this album is a well-kept secret even for the most initiated music lovers in sweden! the music, influenced by flying saucer attack and other reverb/distortion drenched acts from the early nineties, harmonia and some of kraftwerks earlier works and minimalism, still sounds fresh!
rylander, a member of legendary acts such as union carbide productions and the skull defekts, has been pushing the envelope for electronic music, varying between ambient and noise. rylander’s solo works could be described as sophisticated music and “fran en obestamd plats i rummet” combines the sophisticated sides with his band oriented works that holds another kind of tension.
this record is the first release on the sub label hoga nord arkiv on which releases from the past, that hasn’t got as much attention they deserve gets re-released in an appropriate context.

81 minute compendium of jay glass dubs distinctive, greyscale echo chamber investigations
•features material from the i, ii & iii tapes, plus exclusive bonus cut, perfumed dub
•recorded in athens, berlin and paris between 2015-2017. compiled/sequenced by alessio natalizia
•1st time on vinyl for all the material included
•cut by cgb @ d&m, berlin

drumcode returns with its 6th installment of the internationally celebrated a-sides series. renowned for fostering a shared space between industry tastemakers and rising talent alike, the careful curation that goes into each volume is a fine example of why beyer s brand continues to go from strength to strength. techno titan adam beyer has grown drumcode into a force to be reckoned with, the label has become synonymous with forward-thinking, functional techno and even after 20 years, drumcode continues to find new boundaries to push, and ways to solidify its legacy as the worlds number one techno label. 2017 is no exception, with beyers imprint hosting it s first stage at tomorrowland, not to mention the expansion of the critically acclaimed junction 2 where the drumcode stage is the centrepiece and adam plays the key role of festival director. the drumcode phenomenon continues to grow each week, chiefly fuelled by drumcode radio, adam s radio show that s broadcast in 57 countries via 86 stations and to a global audience of 16 million techno fans per week. the a-sides series acts as a perfect vignette of drumcode s cutting-edge sound, functional yet inspired techno, all tracks tried and tested by beyer himself. vol. 6 continues this tradition with a collection of 16 multi-faceted cuts from a mixture of both emerging artists and experienced label friends. the heart-throbbing bass in amelie lens electrifying piece in silence sets the tone for the dark and dance-floor-ready energy that vol.6 carries the whole way through. other standouts include mars bill s rough n ready mohave. pulsating and precise, mohave has highlighted many of beyer s sets recently as has wehbba s monster track fake, which fans have been anticipating the release of all year. label-favourites dense & pika also feature on a-sides vol. 6 with their hard-hitting just a beat and a huge track from beyer himself who has joined forces with enrico sangiuliano to bring us their undeniably infectious preset heaven . with many more notable selections from the likes of julian jewell, timmo, tiger stripes and pig&dan, a-sides vol. 6 is another impressive addition to the label s prolific release roster and a testament to why drumcode remains at the forefront of the electronic world.

flashin mix between techno , acid and house / disco

next up on sneaker social club is a fresh 12inch from robin clarke a.k.a dream cycle. after a chance meeting at gottwood in 2016 a bond was established between clarke and label owner jamie russell over a shared love of 2 bad mice and moving shadow and now, channeling elements of that influence, clarke presents his dream cycle part.1 ep. unfolding over 4 steppy tracks and an ambient closer, clarke melds sharp snares, summery motifs, dense atmospheres and thick subs whilst keeping things suffused with a distinctly uk quality that marries his work perfectly with the sneaker catalogue. dj support: ryan elliott, dj die, the black madonna, octo octa, bwana, altered natives, noodles (groove chronicles), liem (lehult), deejay astral, la4a, 2 bad mice, fred p, matt karmil, flori, marco zenker, j.rocc (lol at comment!), ajukaja, gnork, william djoko, till von sein, fold, asok, gene farris, dj bwin, seven davis jr, trp, dj octopus, dj normal 4, gerd, dean man s chest, poté, doc scott, violet, james welsh (kamera), konx-om-pax, etch, raresh, hrdvsion, michael serafini (gramaphone), soundbwoy killah, dj guy, mak & pasteman, shenoda, urulu, mark archer & james zabiela, zinc, lehult, jackie house, mosca, noodles (groove chronicles) & dj die

a creative partnership between tom laroye and yam who?, qwestlife is a trans-continental boogie trip between the two producers’ respective homelands of paris and london. fulfilling the glitterbox philosophy by crafting great songs the old school way with analogue and weird electronic gadgetry, qwestlife’s ‘give me a minute’ appeared first on glitterbox’s disco revenge compilation and now graces vinyl for disco connoisseurs everywhere. featuring the vocals of a frequent yam who? collaborator, soul diva jacqui george, ‘give me a minute’ is an instant party anthem. disco-fuelled synths and strings plus live sax, trumpet, guitars and bass give a glorious saturated dancefloor vibe rolled into one by sticky hooks and a timeless catchy chorus. accompanied by the dubbed out version, plus an accapella and bonus beats, this sweet vinyl release provides all the good stuff that qwestlife have to offer.

located somewhere between australias interior and the white beached coasts of the mediterranean, the two tracks presented here reality change and cool waters are a hybrid kind-of chaos between futurism and rave nostalgia. inspired by the climatic shifts imposed by a modern trans-hemispherical lifestyle and characterized by more energetic tempos and repetition, p.m.t.c. focuses the attention on the smaller differences, while retaining some of the playful melodies and euphoric sound palette that emits that comfortable warmth, which has become a trademark on both fantastic man and superconscious records

to progress towards a civilization which does not unconsciously perpetuate or aggravate inequality and poverty, we need to accept our many differences. for those who prefer uniformity or others who would rather avoid proximity, the celebration of diversity might sound ridiculous. a certain measure of discomfort is required to reach compassion. but peace through diversity is no prophet’s fantasy. it is no harder to imagine than the magical fact that we are alive right now. the eternal act of dancing is one of the most active form of contemplation. facing our own selves in the mirror of movement, we realize that we indeed are reflections of one another at all times. what will our own actions and thoughts feed around us? with over 30 years of combined dancefloor experience, possible futures have been witnesses to the wildest fauna and flora the great nocturnal jungle has to offer. sourcing their inspiration from the many shades of color that co-exist between black and white, it is through the open and eclectic selections of inspired and devoted luminaries that possible futures have found their manyfold sound: frankie knuckles, larry heard, francois k, carl craig, moritz von oswald, dj harvey, theo parrish, chez damier, ron trent, dj deep or moodymann, amongst so many others, have dedicated their lives to the flourishing of diversity on the dancefloor. while the minds of possible futures float in the air with their bodies rotating behind the turntables, their feet are steadily rooted in reality, enabling their musical knowledge to unfold beyond the night. through their own record label, possible futures share their therapeutic musical blends. the first two cuts come from the grooves of argentine old hand leonel, a family friend of long date. “antares” and “bunda” drag their dusty trails across different genres, to be enjoyed at 45 rotations per minute. curative properties guaranteed.

kamoda’s latest offering, ‘the distorted haunted ballroom ep’ offers three fresh tracks from the colourful artist - body & soul, ( ( (bye) ) ) and dopey forests - a tripped out, twisted journey.
a man of many talents, jun has produced art under his illreme moniker, as member of hip hop trio, baleine 3000, and as cartoon illustrator (usca.) his forays into music have lead to work with revered global labels, think mister saturday night, black acre, mall grab’s steel city dance discs and more.
opener and lead track, body & soul is a raucous jam. killer, frenzied percussion, short riffs and vibrant erratic trumpets fuse industrial elements with far-flung balearia, teasing between warehouse rave and rainforest ravine.
second track ( ( (bye) ) ) is a hazy, hypnotic cut, body & soul’s wild elements rolling into a tug of war between arcadian bleeps and lawless euphoria.
dopey forests offers up a less frantic but still slamming dance floor ready slice of dreamlike vocals paired with driving percussion. a mesmerising, final jaunt to round out ‘the distorted haunted ballroom ep’ with an ethereal, spooky stomp.

tom wrankmore previously recorded under eliphino and now launches new project automne. automne has a two diametrically opposed themes within it, natural balance and transition and machine like, automated. music will explore the interplay between these two areas.

gilgamesh was an ancient hero who stood in the middle during the conflict between the good and the bad side. the epic of gilgamesh is an epic poem from ancient mesopotamia. dating from the third dynasty of ur (circa 2100 bc), it is often regarded as the first great work of literature. the record is split up into 2 moods. there is -fire- on the a-side and -water- on the b-side.

bridging instrumental tact with mysticism, afriqua debuts his anticipated aleph ep. finding a welcome home alongside r&s’s most innovative rhythmists and experimentalists. the berlin based producer has previously released a steady drip of high quality, unique music over the last few years that has brought him to the attention of r&s and led to this masterful, eclectic ep. aleph marks the first release in an extended collaborative journey between the artist and label

what attracts us to chilean-born artist ricardo tobar is the notion of intersection, and although fusion is nothing new, as a concept it will always pull our heartstrings. applying influence is amateur, we see this over and over again as we endure trend-driven appropriation of cultures the world over, but the epiphany when an artist finds true synergy between heritage and influence is a pivotal moment that the inspired will seek, even though it may take the length of one’s career to behold. as pretentious as that may sound, it is precisely the hybrid born from that place of intersection that excites us at the esp institute, the a plus b that equals 3. we hear this in ricardos music the latin american instinct in his drums and percussion, sometimes tightly aligned with body movements and other times hauntingly mis-aligned and chaotic, intersects with his rock influence of ethereal (micro) melodies that slowly layer and layer until were climbing a glorious (macro) wall of sound but most importantly we hear where these different parts of his life come together to further create one unique voice. on both sides of his esp institute debut liturgia, tobar couples one pulsing dance-driven track with another atmospheric and immersive track, requiring we educate ourselves in the polarity of this language he’s building, one that will expand to tell a broader story later this year with his debut album. we welcome ricardo tobar, another forward-thinking artist, to the esp institute, and are proud to support any direction his compass points from here, as we believe hell never follow but will always lead.

jaunt records 10 year celebrations are spanning a series of 12inches that feature a broad spectrum of artists searching for the ultimate deep techno fix. the four contenders that occupy this sea release all have their own agenda, but they sit together perfectly. hiver weaves illustrious pads in between nimble electro drums and bubbling acid bass, while artefakt creates eerie, fractured acid meanderings to send a shiver down your spine. hinode does some deft break choppage to create a dreamy trip for the up all night crew, and then region rolls the record out on an emotive tip while keeping the rhythm section pumped up for the floor.

cold recordings is very proud to include berlin based producer phon.o as part of it’s growing roster by means of this immaculate ep. across the 3 tracks, phon.o demonstrates his ability to combine uk- bass influences with techno sensibilities, ultimately crafting cutting edge music for the dancefloor.
‘clu5t3r’ opens the ep with a swinging 132bpm rhythm that sits somewhere in between classic uk-funky and a cracking shed/heads high techno anthem. the repeating riff that circles and cycles, sweeps through the frequency spectrum, energising and purposeful. versatile and effective, this is a track to come back to time and time again.
flip the plate and there’s another couple of gems. ‘v3r5u5’ continues on from where ‘clu5t3r’ left off, progressing the mood into a more ethereal space, building layers of pads and texture as the track developes, rising and ramping up, before pulling back and dropping into a rolling rhythm. closing up the ep is ‘h4ndcuff3d’, which takes the mood into a more dramatic backdrop. chilling pads swell up from the ground like mist in a graveyard, while the broken rhythm sets pace, creating a moody ambiance for those moments when you want to take a dancefloor into mystical, other-worldly territories. dramatic and energising!

brilliant 70s material by antonio carlos jobim – one of his key sets from the middle part of the decade that had the composer really deepening his approach to both singing and songwriting – moving past some of the more instrumental modes that he was using at the start of the decade! there’s a richness to the songs that goes way past simple bossa styles – and the lyrical brilliance shows that jobim hardly ever needed a poet or co-writer to help him hit the heights – as he really wins us over with his words as much as his music. claus ogerman produced, and gives things the right balance between fullness and space in the charts – which allows both a great focus on antonio’s vocal style – expressive, but very down to earth – and a few nice solos on fender rhodes too! titles include -saudade do brasil-, -correnteza-, -boto-, -ligia-, -valse-, -arquitetura de morar-, and -o homem-.

eight years after moon in libra (sccd/lp 407), the new s-tone inc.s onda consolidates the partnership between stefano tirone and his longtime friend and collaborator tomaz di cunto aka toco, who co-wrote 8 of the 10 album tracks. a strongly heartfelt black rio-inspired effort, ranging from groovy brazilian soul-funk to mellow soulful chill moments, featuring historical (laura fedele, manuela ravaglioli) and new (barro, qinho, the 4maré quartet) contributes on vocals, for a very personal and original result.

the next signing of forbidden colours are modular nerds kino internacional and borja pin&#771,,eiro from reykjavik606 who always challenge the fine line between music-making and story-telling. for a1 everything happens for a reason the duo join forces with the maestro odei astibia on the drums, where they jam on the infamous mecca studios for a really beautiful mind trip. on the flip side lake nakaumi leads listeners to some lonely scenario where the modular and pads travel together on the same wagon. forbidden colours called basque techno leader kastil for a remix who recorded a 7 minutes straight and trippy techno. my love wears forbidden colours my life believes my love wears forbidden colours my life believes in you once again

southern italian sociologist, dj and electronic music producer simone gatto is about to release his second album, heaven inside your frequencies, in december 2017. recorded and produced between his motherland and other significant spaces and cities the ionian coast and natural parks of lecce, his second home berlin, the whitney museum in new york city and other significant places heaven inside your frequencies represents a complete excursus of his personal and professional paths combining gatto’s theoretical background with personal and artistic maturity, achieved in the last decade.