phat deep dope shit ... from acid house to deep house

leigh darlow and matthew bandy have got plenty of experience in the world of deep house, both individually and as saison. building on a solid run of releases for papa records, the project makes its vinyl debut on guesthouse with some undeniably catchy jams for the peak of the night. -please don t go- is a cool slice of party fodder that hinges on a classic soul vocal hit, while -do you- gets a little more choppy in the mix with yet more recognisable licks that should get the masses sweating and swaying without needing to resort to a hectic tempo. -the moody blues- lets the keys do the talking, while yet another of the hefty grooves saison craft so well rolls out underneath.

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.

following the success in 2017 of the koharu kisaragi/ryuichi sakamoto collaboration neo-plant, uk label lag records continues its revival of vintage electronic esoterica with kissh&#333,, tennyo, the 1984 lp by joe hisaishi, premier film composer of japan. whilst known worldwide for his elegiac scores to studio ghibli classics like princess mononoke and spirited away, it s a different kind of soundtrack behind kissh&#333,, tennyo, intended as it was to be a musical accompaniment to an 80s manga of the same name. it s also a showcase of hisaishi s lesser known talents as an electronic musician, shortly before he became composer of choice for world-renowned directors such as hayao miyazaki and takeshi kitano. on kissh&#333,, tennyo we hear hisaishi unleash synth arpeggios with all the suspense of a giallo horror. his cold minimalist ambience evokes the likes of terry riley. tracks like &#34880,,,,,,,,,&#12398,,,,,,,,,&#25239,,,,,,,,,&#20105,,,,,,,,, ( blood feud ) meanwhile lighten the mood, running at car chase speed with the bounce of early ymo. all in all, befittingly beguiling music for the cartoon tale of a modern femme fatale who has the powers of an ancient deity (the eponymous kissh&#333,,,,,,,,, tennyo or &#21513,,,,,,,,,&#31077,,,,,,,,,&#22825,,,,,,,,,&#22899,,,,,,,,, , to use the album s japanese title). in the same spirit of the manga, lag records have combined the old with the new on kissh&#333,,,,,,,,, tennyo. licensed by tokuma japan communications, the original release from classic anime label animage comes with new artwork by luna monogatari, and a remastering courtesy of jerome schmitt at the airlab. a download card and poster will be included with the gatefold. lp which comes on standard black vinyl.

shrunken heads” is something we were just kicking around at the time the label was starting to take shape, we felt it to be a good narrative of our influences and visions of how we see acrylic taking shape in the future. kid drama has kindly put together a killer remix for us to celebrate the labels beginning. he has been a massive inspiration for us all musically over the years and we are very humbled to have him on board with the first output. thanks hugely damon for taking time out of your schedule to do that. “motion design” came together fairly quickly, it was made with intent to homage the sound of the old guard we admire to o er our own contribution to that sound. all vinyl are strictly limited edition, and limited to 300 pieces per run. there will never be a repressing of any series. once each release is gone, they are gone forever. mastered and cut by beau at teneightseven. artwork and design by dave knapton at multiplex

the shadows is the new album from leeds-based six-piece tomorrow we sail. building on their debut release for those who caught the sun in flight (gizeh, 2014) over the course of three years, this new work combines perfectly the soaring atmospherics, gorgeously intertwined vocal harmonies and dramatic shifts in tone and dynamics that have come to characterise tomorrow we sail’s sound. yet, there is a new sense of urgency here. very much an album of its time, the shadows draws upon the same sense of connection to both past and present that defined its precursor but features storytelling that’s even more defiant and deeply personal.

like its predecessor, the record features seven songs but from the chiming guitars of opening track side by side it is clear that the stately pace of for those who caught the sun in flight has made way for a far more dynamic and driving energy, perhaps best captured in the righteous anger of the ghost of john maynard keynes. tomorrow we sail still invoke a keen sense of measured grace in their songwriting - from the sweeping, elegiac title track, through to the sparse, restrained, yet haunting beauty of winifred and to sleep. urgent, yet assured, the shadows demands your attention.

solipsism heads into new territory with this deeply hypnotic four track ep of dubbed out downtempo techno and fuzzy electro. hypnagogo ep has had support from soma records (scotland) joe muggs (mixmag, the guardian), indie rock magazine (france), is this music magazine (scotland), regal radio (scotland), relaxed machinery (australia) & many others.comparisons have been drawn with artists as diverse beaumont hannant, boards of canada and deepchord.

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.

the french duo klash point , who have already enjoyed djs support from the likes of minimal techno scene, hot on the heels of their module records debut with their -persistence e.p.-, is back with four tracks of roughened groove , this new -mono phase e.p.- is likely to attract even more attention. side a ,-mono phase- is just the true definition of a deep techno mood! and -stockholm- rocks around an hypnotic rolling groove that as it perpetually twists and turns. side b ,-kologne- push up you higher with its straight atmospheric synth ... and with textures and tones nodding to both berlin and detroit, once again there s a strong sense of timelessness and versatility to play -dolby-.

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

few authentic electro producers from the uk can wear the badge legend with the same level of justification as phil klein aka bass junkie. active since the late 80s, phil has been peddling his own take on electro almost constantly, either as a solo artist or as part of numerous collabs with the likes of dynamix ii, keith tenniswood (radioactiveman) and si brown (dexorcist). dj, remixer, live act, and the man behind the killer battle trax label, there is nothing this junkie hasn’t done.
with essential releases on labels such dmx krew’s breakin records, andrea parker’s touchin bass, and billy nasty’s elektrix, the bass junkie sound spans the old school beats and vibes of the electro genre’s origins, to the borderline industrial. from funky to ferocious, bass junkie’s discography is a must have for anyone claiming passion for the genre - influential, individual, and infectious with every beat.
his low frequency fugitive ep is a welcome return for his bass junkie project, after several years working primarily on collabs. the ep brings four new tracks that maintain the bass junkie sound that brought him such success and notoriety in the first place, with a healthy dose of evolution too.
this is one fugitive everyone should try and track down...

to celebrate the 10th anniversary of dekmantel’s goings on in the world of events, festivals, and great music, the team behind the label have been releasing a record a month featuring some of their favourite artists, as part of a ten-year anniversary series collection. featuring acts close to the label’s collective, debuts, and legacy talents the crew have always wanted to sign, the series has seen the likes of gigi masin, call super, fatima yamaha, and more. this penultimate ep, sees dekmantel debut releases by lena willikens, space dimension controller, and dutch lo-fi star betonkust and palmbomen, in addition to a special cut by bufima

“the freaky things we do” and “all the freaks out tonight” are contemporary boogie tracks at its finest. with tim tucker on vocals and brian ellis on production these cuts have been dancefloor tested at original mikes in santa ana, cali alongside the funk freaks crew. out on star creature.

late 90 s big techno producer did some raw detroit tracks. more than a decade later, we have brought the songs from their graves and sascha dive has made a remix. get your hands on this limited copy vinyl only release

top-sampler mit 21 soul/funk/disco-klassikern aus den 1970ern, die in der britischen rare groove- und modern soul-szene seit den 1980ern wieder für furore sorgten, darunter etliche cd-erstveröffentlichungen und vinyl-erstreissues. mit kostbaren raritäten von almeta lattimore, mary clark und tommy mcgee, 2-step-perlen von jocelyn brown und zulema, smoothen jazz-soul-floatern von margie joseph, aretha franklin und ihrer schwester carolyn, debbie taylors grandios orchestrierter ballade -i don t wanna leave you- sowie wundervollem harmony-soul von the ebonys, manhattans, natural high und the impressions.

bout time we release another long-player, right? right. seven tracks of straight disco-flecked, hip-hop-laced, mpc-orchestrated pulsating house. house that s speeding down the highway at ninety in the middle of the night, house that s a packed dance floorundulatingin a heavy cloud of fog, house that s fast-forwarded time-lapse video tours through new york, tokyo, paris, london. throw gaspar noé s enter the void in the dvd player, double the playback speed, mute the audio, play vinum over it on repeat, and then some of the above will make sense, come into focus. or maybe it won t, but we know you ll have a hell of a time doing it.

reptile dysfunction launches think sideways edits: a four track vinyl ep with club cuts from soul clap, charlie rope, noah schy & rick trainer and doorly himself. doorly and reptile dysfunction proudly present the first of their new vinyl think sideways edits series, in which the label boss will be calling in favours from a-list stars and bright young guns to release some heavy duty, clubfocussed edits and sample heavy cuts. since launching in late 2016, reptile dysfunction has been resolute in championing previously undiscovered talent alongside releases from firmly established artists. now with the launch of a new vinyl edits series, and the first official reptile dysfunction parties just around the corner, the label looks set to have a landmark year. with miami wmc just around the corner and the summer season following sharply on its heels, think sideways edits vol.1 presents four disco-sampling, feel good club edits ripe for pool parties and basements alike. -this one features one from me that one been holding tight for a while. i m now putting it out due to popular demand after people track iding the hell out of it for the last few months. soul clap have – unsurprisingly – turned in a stunner, then we have new talent from noah & rick trainer and a follow up to his wonderful ep from charlie rope. -all of these tracks have been severely road tested in the clubs and i really believe it s our strongest release so far.- doorly

as the wind whistles through your hair, everything passes you by in a blur. faster and faster you go, faster and more terrifyingly into the abyss you fall. you scream with a mixture of panic and joyful abandon half wanting this to never end but knowing that it will anytime now: a smile creeps across your face. and as it ends, you breathe a sigh of relief, wistfully remembering with powerful emotive accuracy before hurriedly joining the back of the queue for another go - after all, it s just a ride. life is very much like the blitzbahn . it goes up and down, round and round and for much of the ride, we never know what s going to happen. here on his fifth studio album, oliver schories explores all the fun of the fair across 13 expansive cuts that showcase his incredible knack for straddling that house/techno mid-point with consummate ease. some artists take years to craft their albums, agonising over every detail before, frustratingly, deleting the whole project and starting again. oliver, however, is as prolific as he is confident of his ability to construct the kind of dance floor bombs that have helped him to build a significant head of steam in the underground.

debut ep on the label, coming from romanian favourites mahony and george gavanescu aka floog (permiesku) - the feedback is decidedly unanimous on this one, as both tracks have been getting heavy club play on the promo rounds. edimob ep starts the new year right for our friends at the other side.

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

2018 repress incoming!
dispatch recordings is proud to count the manchester legend among its ranks from now on. you cant have missed one of the numerous top notch sounds he’s been providing throughout his long career. he is now gathering a forward thinking and historically self conscious music that we could easily define as pretty unique in its genre. the soul:r boss offers us this time a really valuable glimpse of what d&b should be nowadays: inventive, energetic and technically perfect. when all these elements meet the great sense of groove of the big soul master, you have a result you can genuinely be happy with. so are we.
dj support from: ant tc1, rob da bank, calibre, artificial intelligence, doc scott, fabio, marky, dbridge, rockwell, octane & dlr, need for mirrors, dabs, lenzman, survival, youngsta, skeptical, to name a few.

2018 repress - arkityp was launched as a party series in ibiza. residing at the islands best small club, ibiza underground, we invited the likes of sammy dee, dewalta, vera, jan krueger and valentino kanzyani. they were joined by our residents and founders archie hamilton & rossko. during 2016 the duo have been working together in the studio and are ready to release their first material together. we are excited to reveal the next stage of the project - our record label.

mirror trax proudly presents its first release: the esox lucius ep by esox lucius! born in the late 90’s, esox lucius seems to have soaked up his environment quickly. old school flavour transmitted to the depths where esox lucius roams seems to be the recipe for elementary and spaced-out techno. nimbus on the a side is a classic techno track reminiscent of the x-mix days! its soothing melody and driving bass will propel you towards the clouds, cruise-missile style. on the b side, the first track indica is a high-speed techno train. driven by its resonant lead and shifting snares, b1 will definitely leave you as high and disoriented as the name implies. common thread on the b side seems to be a hague-ish influence, as the closing track is a heavy grinding techno track with a hint of electro. b2 will definitely sink your ship so make sure the hoff is around! 300 copies available.

after two impressive remix eps taken from ellen allien s seventh studio album, nost , bpitch control unveil round three with another heavyweight lineup of contributors stepping up to the plate to deliver their own interpretations of the queen bee s original works. this time around we re honoured to have alan oldham, eomac, amotik and xdb volunteering their services to bring a whole new dimension to the music from nost . each of the four artists has earned a sterling reputation, with a style all of their ow

vinyl 2 / c/d sides of taciturn manner lp
taciturn manner is reggy van oers’s first full length on his own telemorph imprint.
pertained in a period of strained self reflection, several field recordings have become the core upon which the album has been created. a persistant continuous movement throughout the elements of the tracks causes a certain constrasting tension and gradually transforms into lush cinematic textures.
an intricate and mesmerizing journey, full of rich and surprising details, resulting in a rather emotional expression of his constraint style and coherent distinct sound.

pmr va002 is the 6th vinyl printed by péché mignon records. as it’s predecessor, the first various artists, the four tracks incorporating the ep are produced by pmr producers and guests. easy morph and wlderz have renewed their involvement on this second edition of péché mignon’s various artist series and have been joined by two new guests : the young producer soul edifice, member of «acid avengers» and founder of the musical group «vernacular orchestra» and a guest star, madben, major member of astropolis and co founder of the duet «trunkline».

heads may not know it, but olmos (real name oliver graham) has been one of the busiest influencers on australia’s underground music culture this side of the 90s. through family-run operation paradise loft records, he has quietly imported thousands of dead stock disco, boogie and early house records into crates across the country affording tastemakers a slice of digging culture only a trip to nyc would previously have allowed.

the make mistakes ethos is one of diversity and evolution, and that is showcased in full on our newest vinyl release need your luvin. house, acid, techno, roy england, jarvi, fredy grogan. one track, three styles, all dance floor bounders. roy englands original mix is a jackin house jam with a timeless vibe. a classic house sound propelled forward by the titular vocal sample, england manages to deliver a track that would work equally in the lounge, as well as late night in the big room. on the b side jarvi s acid workout strips the original down even further, and fills it back up, with a wandering, hypnotic acid line to stitch it all together. an old school party sound, both familiar and fresh. fredy grogan deconstructs the original into its component parts, building it back up into his dark, and driving dub techno remix. drawing it out over nearly 8 minutes, this ll have the heads bouncing off the walls. house, acid, techno, pillars of dance music, mixed together, given the ol razzle dazzle, and served up hot and ready for mind, body, and soul. grab need your luvin, stick it in the crate, and never worry, because you ll always have the luvin you need. beware the irrational, however seductive. shun the transcendent and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself. distrust compassion, prefer dignity for yourself and others. dont be afraid to be thought arrogant or selfish. picture all experts as if they were mammals. never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. seek out argument and disputation for their own sake the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. suspect your own motives, and all excuses. do not live for others any more than you would expect others to live for you.

they say that good things come in threes… it must be true and favorite recordings also proudly presents the third edition of its acclaimed french disco boogie sounds compilation series. like on prior volumes, the complete tracklist is selected by label head honcho, charles maurice (aka pascal rioux), who’s unearthed 13 more forgotten and hidden tracks, all produced whether in france, in french, or by french artists between 1977 and 1987. with most of these titles now very hard to find in their original edition and unknown by many, this compilation should be a must have for any disco-boogie-funk music lover and collector. fully remastered from originals at the carvery cut (uk), french disco boogie sounds vol.3 (1977-1987, selected by charles maurice) is presented by favorite recordings in a gatefold vinyl double lp

the empire line present six cyclonic episodes for confined spaces on their debut album, rave. comprised of posh isolation s christian stadgaard (damien dubrovnik, vanity productions), jonas ronnberg (varg), and with isak hansen (iron sight) on tantrums, the trio s marauding live shows have been translated into a slippery set of pummelling techno works, watermarked with florid noise. rave is a celebration of contemporary rave culture, focused on the everlasting and transcendent as the night slips out past the day. with living-for-the-weekend hedonism irretrievably converted into a manicured, violent cliche, building new worlds and forging new modes of intimacy takes an exceptional sincerity. naming some of the crews closest to the empire line in the album s titles, their spaces are examples of just how rave culture persists as a transgressive stronghold in people s lives. ranging from k-hole anthems to jacking, close-range sessions, rave still bears the traces of the group s experimental background, ensuring the tension is kept up through the catharsis.

m-twelve is a new collaboration between tortured and electrix label owner, billy nasty and nick dunton of surface records, 65d mavericks fame and more recently, poverty is violence label. taking their name, m-twelve, from the iconic fred perry t-shirt, the pair decided to combine forces based on a love of techno and electro, their strong friendship and many late night conversations in the back rooms of various nightclubs. they started recording together last year and the ‘apocalypse in paradise ep’ is the first signs of their monthly meetings at what’s been dubbed, “dunton abbey studios”. the ep features their two original cuts of beautifully crafted emotional electro, the warm and glittering ‘all the things’ and ‘time spent’ with it’s deep narrative and tough machine groove. in addition, remixes of ‘time spent’ come from sync 24 (scand / cultivated electronics) who delivers an energetically fuelled reworking and electro veterans, transparent sound with a stripped and stomping acidic version. billy and nick have also just started work on remixes for tracks by london modular alliance and mr velcro fastener, so expect to hear more of their m-twelve work over the coming months.

mix righteous fuzz guitar, bad-ass keyboards and ecstatic african rhythms and what have you got? celebration by aktion - a slab of of heavy afro-funk-pysch-rock from the hardest working band in 70s nigeria.

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)

an essential 2 x 12- overview of some of the legendary frankie knuckles trax classics.
what else needs to be said? one of the godfathers of our scene, a true classic himself, frankie behind the wheels or behind the boards was simply top shelf all the way down the line. a real original whose influence and touch can still be felt today. his releases on trax at the time were the hottest things ever and they still resonate on the dancefloor today with equal measure. featured here are some of the best tracks fusing frankie s love of disco, euro-pop, italo and more produced in his initial mid to late 80 s golden period. cuts like baby wants to ride , bad boy and more, featuring the unmistakable vocal talents of the equally legendary jamie principle. it s all here. the perfect starting point for those who have recently discovered the man and his body of work, or equally as stimulating for those who wish to have some classics in their collection. each track is a classic, each one stands up today and effortlessly rocks the club. remastered in conjunction with trax, repressed from the finest audio sources available. often imitated, never replicated!

the moniker of acclaimed production/dj duo bonar bradberry and tom thorpe – have been making moves and making music together for almost a decade now. but the time has firmly come for them to release their long-awaited debut album ‘late night party line’, which features guest vocals by mattie safer from the rapture on future single ‘everything changes’, danielle moore from crazy p and hotly tipped newcomer lilly juniper.

side a. of love mystery-this is from the same ep that brought us nuthin wrong. since its original release in 1995 on dance mania records these tracks have proven that house music wasn t and isn t and shall never die. side b. kan u feel it- originally released in 1997 on nepenta records uk. a b side jack track with a heavy bassline and that raw chicago ghetto house authenticity that comes with the territory. ready for todays jackers and djs

* hydro returns to commercial suicide with some of his best work after a long stint in the world of professional wrestling. following his departure from wwf, hydro teamed up with fellow heavyweight war for a season of the popular television show gladiators before finally closing the book on their muscle bound dreams and turning their collective hand to deep and techy drum & bass. * collectively hydro and his best mate war have released on labels as diverse as warm communications, critical, symmetry, cia, dispatch, horizons as well as commercial suicide of course. * watch out for the forthcoming hydro album on utopia in 2018. * cained on plate by the best.

integral 043 sees the much anticipated return of dawn wall’s cousin, the mysterious mohican sun. following the huge “dead sea” & “fixation” eps which have made a significant impact among the scene’s tastemakers, we are pleased to introduce the brand new “cold earth ep”. consisting of 5 superfresh slabs of futuristic soul, this showcase truly highlights next-level production skills and the outfit’s unique andversatile sound. kicking off the new ep with a bang is the cinematic and soulful‘don’t wait’. the majestical, eerie vibes of the intro instantly mesmerise. rumblingand warm bass grooves, slick beats, delcious melodies andheart-wrenching vocals push the #ekhosound to newheights.

pale blue, the duo of elizabeth wight and mike simonetti, released their debut album too much critical acclaim back in 2015. they come together once again with their latest ep you stopped dying due to drop on crosstown rebels in february. the you stopped dying ep takes influence from shoegaze groups like slowdive and my bloody valentine and moves it to the dance floor. the result is a strange hybrid that some have called technogaze. this would never work if liz wasnt such a strong vocalist. her amazing vocal range makes it easy. mike simonetti pale blue is a hypnotic affair, the driving bass sitting perfectly under wight’s powerful yet ethereal vocals. daughter of babylon takes the record into heavier techno territory with its thudding bass and wights breathy vocals delicately layered over the top. on the flip side love is an unapologetically industrial number with screeching synths that echo around wights vocals. simonetti and wight have each earned their musical stripes in their own rights. simonetti founded the hugely popular italians do it better as well as his own successful record label, 2mr. he’s released a slew of records on highly regarded imprints such as me me me, correspondant and public release, and enjoys a fruitful career as a touring dj, which shows no sign of abating. wight has previously lent her exhilarating vocals to the west coast band, silver hands of which she was once one half

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.

manni dee might be best known for his upfront techno tackle on perc trax and the like, but he s also been quietly building up a separate identity as nuances, and it s a world away from his dancefloor output. following on from some choice album appearances on bastakiya tapes, it s up to tabernacle to give the project its first outing on wax. while tabernacle can have some range in their sound, this finds the label plunging wholeheartedly into ambient climes. heavily processed textures and delicate chimes all feed into a truly evocative atmosphere loaded with significance. ignore the familiar name behind the music - this is an album deserving attention all on its own.

deeply concerned with the here and now versus sister label was/is electro archaeology, is/was delivers the goods once again with this various artists 12- zeroed in on the pittsburgh scene. you can feel the steel city tension reverberating in naeem s edgy beatdown -forward facing-, while hits only takes things in a slightly cleaner, modernist direction that aligns with some of the uk soundsystem interpretations of electro that have emerged in recent years. shawn rudiman takes control for the b side with two jams that tip their cap to the veteran producer s long and accomplished career, but they sound as fresh as anything else on the record too. -derelict- is a gnarly, bloated banger of a track, and -asimolar- takes the route towards cybotron, kraftwerk and the truly foundational version of electro in all its lysergic glory.

to kick-start 2018, happy skull serve up a rare ep from italy s d arcangelo brothers. the sibling duo have been active since the early 1990s, when they played a pivotal role in shaping the sound of roman techno alongside contemporaries lory d, leo anibaldi and their automatic sound unlimited production partner, max durante. in the two decades that have passed since, fabrizio and marco have consistently delivered off-kilter, futurist electronic masterpieces for the likes of nature, analogical force and, most famously, rephlex. the four tracks contained on this happy skull outing are not re-discovered archive cuts, but rather fresh slabs of mind-altering musical intoxication. the alternating bliss and acid-fired psychedelia of -saba tree-and the creeping late night paranoia of -pull seven- set the tone. the effervescent fun continues on the flip, where saucer-eyed chords and idm electronics combine on the rush-inducing -13th cider-. to finish things off fabrizio and marco treat us to -korty-, a mesmerizing, deep space slow jam full of backwards electronics and rumbling flashes of sub-bass.

every tune of the 12- is deeply inspired by the origins of the mid 90s melodic jungle & d n b movement, namely by the greats of that era: peshay, source direct, ltj bukem and photek. ray & karl have worked together on a number of projects over the last year, the most recent one being a split 12- on the other planet of lyon. while ray has been connected to the lo-fi house scene and acts like baltra, dj boring and dj seinfeld, karl has been more low-key, producing music that s relaxed and organic, mainly inspired by naature and the musical movement around frits wentink and max graef. for this release they worked closely together, decided to stray off their usual paths and combined their different styles to form a well-rounded record.

the was/is crew have proven themselves to be dab hands at burrowing away at the hidden folds of the 90s electro scene and finding some truly unsung heroes worth of a reissue. following on from excellent work supporting the likes of archetype, the us label can now be found shining a spotlight on the work of can oral under the 4e moniker. originally appearing on labels such as force inc and mille plateaux, 4e s sound was quintessentially mid-90s, but only surfaced over a short period of time between 1994 and 1998. this record originally came out on sockett in 1996, and it s been sought after as avid diggers pull out every thread of dope, adventurous electro they can find. discogs pirates laugh no more, because now this essential record is back in the hands of the real music fans!

this time y-bayani has support from the great voice of baby naa. baby naa was just hanging out at the studio in accra/ghana when the recordings of rehwe mie enyim took place. the crew was waiting desperately for a singer to back up y-bayani. after an hour of waiting the producer, knowing that she sings at church every sunday, asked baby naa to do the missing part. then something occurred that nobody was expecting and finally everybody was happy that the original singer hadn t made it. rehwe mie enyim is a unique example of how roots-reggae can sound today. maybe it will be the very last recorded real roots-reggae song in human history? on mi sumolo the band of enlightment, reason and love gives us a light and cheerful instrumental every dj must have for his late night wedding set or any other high-class party.

here we go...first split ep on rawax & chiwax!
on the chiwax side we have the chicago master, mr. boo williams and the amazing simoncino presents the rawax side. very special combination!

for the first release of 2018 we welcome harry wolfman to the outplay family! having followed his work for the last couple of years we re very happy to have him deliver this varied 4-tracker, which very well might be some of his best work to date. the a side starts off with hitch . a warm and dusty groover driven by rhodes, a rubbery bassline and a thudding kick. a lovely string piece in the middle of the track slowly builds up to the break for it to return to the head nodding groove soon after. the added percussion gives it a nice lively feel as well. pigs in blankets sets the pace a little slower, but the funk goes on. the track incorporates 80s style samples with some excellent synth and chord work. perfect for a warm up session. starting on the b side harry takes it up a notch with nemoto , which will be a definite stomper for the dance floor. it takes you on a 9 minute journey of rolling bumpy basslines, screaming distortion leads and hypnotising synth work. finally, to ease things off, sts-136 (final call) comes in at a slow 88 bpm pace as a perfect closure to the ep. dreamy pads, piano licks and a calming marimba melody combined with a beat which feels like a warm blanket will make you wander off for a moment

shep pettibone - a name that commands the greatest of respect from djs, diggers, dancers and music lovers across the galaxy. a name that has been emblazoned across so many club classics that the accompanying discography is simply dizzying. the underground disco of groups like aurra, first choice and candido and early 80s experimental dubbed out club cuts of cult outfits like nv, alisha and carol williams and even the heady pop chart successes of bands like level 42, the pet shop boys, jermaine jackson and many more, have all benefitted from pettibones prowess behind the mixing boards. a true musical legend and the man who literally crafted the sounds and styles of almost 2 decades of club music back to back, shep pettibones pedigree can never be called in to question.