releasing an album into the world is a special moment for any artist but when you re an artist who grew up in remote northern ghana with no schooling, spending a life herding cows and goats, building your own instruments and teaching yourself to sing, then there s a particular sense of occasion and celebration in finding recognition and an audience for that music. this is the case for guy one, an utterly unique artist who is writing and performing frafra music, a style that originates from a small area in the north of ghana. whilst guy one is already loved and adored locally by now - building up a fervent following in local villages in which no funeral or wedding would take place without his soaring voice and deeply rhythmic playing, before then transforming into an award-winning, tv appearing artist in ghana - his music is now to find a much wider audience through max weissenfeldt s philophon label (jimi tenor, hailu mergia, alemayehu eshete) on this berlin meets bolgatanga release.

after the widespread acclaim for shoulders back and july v, leif fires up his 10 inch tio series with another pair of dazzling, future minded cuts for the more inquisitive dancefloor. increasingly he s been moving away from house and techno conventions towards intriguing broken beat variations, and that s apparent in abundance on this new release. bluebird rides on a set of tough but dynamic drum ripples, but the stand-out element is the gorgeous twinkling arpeggio that pirouettes over the top of the beat. number 13 meanwhile takes a moodier, dubbier approach without losing that deft programming, harmonic warmth and crafty rhythmic interplay that has become leifs calling card in recent times.

** vinyl only ** for the 20th installment on ptx we invited our long time friends and studio neighbors martyné, jacob and bodin to bring some woscht aufs brot. we called, they delivered. get ready for this uncompromising double a-sider from offenbachs anti-bach department

vinyl only. four spacious and moodful explorations mark dixia sirong s return to inner balance, the daughter label of chez damier s legendary balance imprint. vinyl only. four spacious and moodful explorations mark dixia sirong s return to inner balance, the daughter label of chez damier s legendary balance imprint. further mining the atmospherics of their debut ep, both yohji and qatarsea combine organic rhythms and dubby pads to conjure a truly meditative state. sharper edges and effects on the third original, suspicions , lend it a more purposeful air, its expansive bass worthy of the grandest of stages. finally, dj honesty (responsible for the respected honeydrop releases on cabinet) delivers an ebullient, elastic take on yohji , drawing out the vocal samples of the original and directing the groove more squarely at the dancefloor.

“kissing to be clever” is the debut album by culture club. originally released in 1982, it immediately put the band on the musical map. turning the flamboyant boy george into a star, the soulful pop outing incorporated elements of pop, rock, new wave, dance and caribbean rhythms and sprouted several international hit songs.
“do you really want to hurt me” hit the #1 spot in several countries and turned out to be a song that resonates to this day with its universal feel of heart ache. all in all, this set is a highlight of 80s pop music, that set the stage for one of the decade’s most loved and oft-remembered bands.
pressing on 180 gram audiophile vinyl.

the next chapter in shaw cuts comes from russian duo poima, who celebrate their debut record twin blades of doom – a fierce revenge mission and hunt after the infamous ghost gang. the pursuit opens with triglau , its linear machine groove levelling a fraction of the ghost gang. heads roll on a crimson floor. teaming up with mysterious masked warrior inland, triglau morphs into a hypnotic trip. pushing drum rhythms and swirling pads combine with nasty noise elements, propelling the hunt. the remaining enemy members are already hatching their next evil move. on the way to lu he village where the ghost gang plans its next assault, analogue break-beat punches and swinging percussions weave a menacing tapestry of sound, crushing the bones of rogue creatures in its path. serbian slayer regen arrives in force for the final showdown at qi dou town where the ghost gang plans a huge heist. armed with atmospheric pads and a soaring drum crescendo, his interpretation of bones ends the ghost gang tyranny in one fatal sweep. and the saga goes on...

man power his raw electronic sound, organic flourishes and diverse selection make him a perfect match for dgtl, both on stage as well as on the imprint. next to releasing a steady flow of records on established labels like esp institute, optimo trax, correspondant and hivern discs, man power is running his own shop as well: me me me. this gives him an outlet to release music by both friends and himself. for his release on dgtl records he created a three-track ep called apologue ep, that showcases just two of different sides of his multi-faceted musical scope. the a-side features two firm, acid influenced tracks. the first of these two, the duelist, is an emotive house record, with a soundscape of piano melodies, synths and syncopated percussion laid on top of an acid bassline. el mago del tiempo features heavy hitting kicks combined with a sharp synth pattern. it has a long build up that keeps evolving throughout the entire composition. halfway through, the track breaks in to a raw and fierce rhythm accompanied by yearning, drawn-out synth pads. on the flipside, put your hands on the car (and get ready to die) brings back memories of a long gone past with nods to balearic pop, ebm, and the soundtrack work of stewart copeland, james horner, and jan hammer. this multi layered production has a warm and analogue sounding feel to it that rounds off a 3 dimensional release.

job sifre is one of the guys bringing new blood into the amsterdam scene. this is the follow-up to his recently released debut on the new artifical space label, where he continues his path of solid ebm fueled electronix. the record ends with the gorgeous at least we try, showing of his more tripping, rhythmic side. beautiful complementary artwork by stefan unkovic.

for this release metrist delves into a set of carefully constructed and deeply rhythmic but ear-grabbingly idiosyncratic, mixed fidelity dancefloor-geared oddities. the first three tracks are united, in a fashion, by the artist’s skill at programming a series of drum tracks that set a definite tone for the productions. within a quite partisan field of often microscopic generic variety, largely pinned down to the tempo and timbre of electronic drums, here metrist has pursued a tricky-to-define path. the bounce of new jack swing is twisted amongst stripped back polyrhythms, equal parts groove and glitch seasoned by some futuristic acid filters that create a constantly shifting aura of space and textural nuance around the individual drum hits. quite often arrhythmic interjections punctuate these ‘grooves’, be it the sawing bursts of noise and snarled, incoherent vocals on ‘an soaep’, the non-language and playful, bubbling bass surrounding the half time feel of ‘on golden seize’ that builds to something approximating an industrial take on uk funky or the brash sub-wobbles that intrude ‘pantomimer tongue’s juddering knife-scraping-on-a-balloon stutters. ‘caaacel the horze’ closes the record in a less weighty style, with crunchy arpeggios running on a synth that sounds like it’s picking up interference from a radio channel, as snatches of moaned vocals allude to a deeply ambiguous yet chilling narrative behind the music. thudding kicks intrude on the skittish melody but in a non-rhythmic way reminiscent of someone trying desperately to snatch your attention by banging on the adjacent wall. gauzy melodic textures in the background provide a calming counterpoint to the uneasy qualities of the composition

after the widespread acclaim for -shoulders back- and -july v-, leif fires up his 10- tio series with another pair of dazzling, future-minded cuts for the more inquisitive dancefloor. increasingly he s been moving away from house and techno conventions towards intriguing broken beat variations, and that s apparent in abundance on this new release. -bluebird- rides on a set of tough but dynamic drum ripples, but the stand-out element is the gorgeous twinkling arpeggio that pirouettes over the top of the beat. -number 13- meanwhile takes a moodier, dubbier approach without losing that deft programming, harmonic warmth and crafty rhythmic interplay that has become leif s calling card in recent times.

with the fifth ep, solid rotation returns to the various artist output and releases depot ii. a pureremix workout with four killer tracks.on the a-side you can find a remix of lekandes as we walked through fields by benedikt frey, which will take you on a mind bending, percussive techno-trip. if you dont turn the disc, another remix is ready for the play-button. panthera krause leaves the knobsbehindwith a playful, dreamy version of vokodes wiek. on the b-side,jonas friedlich is waiting for you. he was not able to keep the handsoff two tracks. glowe and wiek by vokode were turned into a rhythmically changing,chaos mash-up,which will letyou stepforever. the final trackcomes from westlake & hayter. asmashing electro reinterpretation of lekandes as we walked through fields.

tony scott drops his 2nd single for soma under the edit select moniker and continues to experiment with his deep and pervasive soundscapes. as we work toward his debut lp on the label, scott turns in 3 perfectly crafted and hypnotic techno affairs, drenched in smooth, calculated rhythms and mind bending atmospheres.

fausto messina is a veteran dj and producer from treviso, a small town on the plain between the gulf of venice and the alps. fausto has been releasing music for more than 10 years and pica pica is his debut e.p. on cadenza. in the track named pica pica a recurrent evocative voluminous chord is convoyed by a classy powerful kick drum and an organic symphony of fluffy percussions and metallic bonks, with a triumphant layer of dense whistles and shimmering cymbals. the extremely intense vibrant rhythms of idiophono contrast with the gentle reverberating harmonies of an ensemble of struck idiophones, angelically flowing in the background of the track. the smooth magnetic flux of planets ballet concludes the e.p. with high style. this jacky stride over a stack of steamy synthesisers and bubbly bleeps is a golden tune for a quivering late-night dance-floor.

growing bin burst into 2018 with a bang, crash and symbol splash, uniting a premier pair of per-cussion obsessives for a supernatural mission into the heart of the rhythm. dressed in the pitch black of du&#776,,sseldorf stands wolf mu&#776,,ller, master of the tropical drums and seven time salon des amateur breakdance champion. repping cologne and berlin is niklas wandt, germany’s funkiest drummer and a mixed musical artist as adept in experimental jazz as demen- ted euro dance. standing toe to toe in a no holds barred, no drum unstruck groove contest, these two titans will make you swing your pants like a crash bandicoot victory dance... so stretch out and step in to ‚instrumentalmusik von der mitte der world

f*clr music are proud to present irish producer/dj, glenn davis and his debut release. a deep soulful affair aimed firmly at the dance floor fusing his love of all things chicago, detroit & nyc. the title track body & soul has its roots firmly in the strictly rhythm/nu groove groove a lush, organ driven banger that is guaranteed to incite hands in the air mayhem. ashley beedle & the north street crew put a different spin on body & soul giving it a spaced out, balearic feel while i ain t got nothing has got attitude and then some. the held string, melancholy chords and beautifully ethereal vocals take you to that tiny, dimly lit backstreet club in your mind you ve all been there the one you never want to leave. the gasping interjections on i feel it are underpinned by ominous synths while emotional intelligence takes you in an even darker detroit direction.

sometimes there’s a huge talent out there and you desperately want the whole universe to discover it. that’s pretty much the story of parisian label chuwanaga with young french artist koji ono, composer and producer of these four precisely crafted gems, recording everything by himself. brilliantly mixed by greita from disques flegon, his first ep incognito is the product of a lot of influences, from metro area vibes to the original britfunk sound. with an inner sense of elegance in the arrangements - something we may link to his japanese heritage? - the whole ep brings musicality back on the dancefloor. we believe this could be the beginning of a great story for this talented musician, koji ono emerging from the incognito shadow to the whole light of the world. don’t miss out!

the energy that johnny cash and the tennessee three captured on the legendary “johnny cash at folsom prison” movlp274 record can probably never be duplicated. that being said, “hello, i’m johnny cash” comes very close.
this forgotten album is arguably one of the five best albums in the cash discography. it is fueled by superb original cash songs and well executed covers. it contains “see ruby fall” (co-written with roy orbison) and one of his best 70s hits, “blistered”. the lean, minimalist instrumentation of the tennessee three ensures the album with great rhythm, leaving johnny cash’s voice as affective as ever. the album itself reached no. 1 on the country charts and no. 6 on the pop charts.
pressing on 180 gram audiophile vinyl.

the dark jazz masterpiece by piero piccioni written for the film directed by paolo heusch in 1962, played by franco citti and taken from the novel under the same title written by pier paolo pasolini. produced and made by cam on a rare and sophisticated lp, the music of piero piccioni for this film embraces the jazz big band’s frantic pulsations, directed by the master - who sits on the piano - with symphonism and the best popular italian melodic tradition brass, dart, bows and rhythm. available for the first time since it’s original release, this limited edition vinyl reissue is limited to 500 hand-numbered copies on red coloured & black splattered 180 gram vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

highly sought after rarities wanted by the followers of the king of acid: armando! back in the early 90s armando played these raw cuts from tape on his tales from the trackside dj mix causing a frenzy on discogs! a very gherkin jackin style. first time on one sided 12 inch vinyl! dont sleep!

presented on vinyl for the first time, heres the awesome score of one of the most ambitious spaghetti westerns ever, the forgotten pistolero a.k.a. il pistolero dell’ave maria from 1969 by the duo comprised of roberto pregadio and franco micalizzi. with a title like this, you can probably already feel the music - a dark toned take on the spaghetti western sound of the time - served up with the kind of brooding, haunting themes that provide a perfect backdrop for a man on a mission! relatively spare and moody, it offers a unique blend of jazzy rhythms, western themes, electric guitar and whistling. instrumentation is nicely compressed at points - driving passages lines that lurk around the bottom of subtle orchestrations - creating subtle-stepping drama without pushing things too far over the top. the soundtracks is released in a hand numbered 500 copies limited edition 180 gram white vinyl in gatefold sleeve including the original cinema poster of the movie.

filigrane mixture betwenn techno, dub, acid and spaced out elements. odd even head honcho andre kronert performs a mesmerizing balancing act between two worlds. on the one side, there is the raw energy and explosive power of his ecstatic, repetitive rhythms. on the other side his style is characterized by subtle build-ups, filigree sound textures and the warmth of analogue synthesis. outstanding coverprint. shrinked and dj friendly 140g pressing. cut by cgb at dubplates and mastering. artwork by markus suckut and cover picture by salar kheradpejouh. manufactured by matter of fact.

following a red letter release in the form of joe armon-jones & maxwell owin s idiom, yam recordings return with the second installment of their you and music compilation series, this time compiled by yam fam hollick & z lovecraft. kicking things off on the a side is native cruise, a new artist hollick has been working extensively with on no bad days, bringing that signature ‘floaty yet punchy’ sound. it’s a kwaito-esque club jam with pan flutes and percussive loops bringing that energy to the start of the record. will listers sunset over st. petets spire is up next with a hypnotising yet intricate production from the hugely promising talent. will is a dude very much affiliated with yam and, of course, our pals over at balamii radio so it only seemed natural to have him on the record. that melody is a proper ear-worm too! the b side, curated by z lovecraft, is a slightly tougher affair with three tracks representing his taste in soulful sounds and expands on his a&r work for rhythm section international. first up is rouge me&#769,,chaniques prisma ltd a 7-minute psychedelic drum odyssey showcasing the multi instrumentalists many talents and influences, with guitar overdubs and flute ambience taking the dance floor far and beyond. on b2, upcoming break beat talent, lt, takes the helm with gale force. hailing from the peak district, lt makes work of deep vocal pads, 606 touches and a killer bass line. finishing off the compilation is wholemeal musics boy wonder, dear earth, who conjures a charming hip-hop ditty with his delicate assemblage style.

the second release on infidel bodies has as its protagonist -le moderniste- for his debut on the italian label, he produced an album industrial / rhythmic noise, a tribute to some legends of noise music such as: marco corbelli (atrax morgue), maurizio bianchi, tairy ceron (today i m dead), rozz williams. this album is an evocation to sacrality and mysterious fascination of death. the artist radicalizes his sound in this release, getting the result: -a strong work, dark, dirty, it smells death and filth- (le moderniste) this special edition provides a particular package composed of two bags stapled with inside: transparent cassette c60 pro-dubbed, artworks (by paul van trigt), hand-sewn insert, black nitrile gloves.

acid paulis album bld dropped earlier this year and was a superb reminder of martin gretschmanns unique place within the electronic music. breathing musicality and adventurousness into everything that he does, the album covered a number of moods and emotions, from dystopian carnivalesque vibes to moments of high intensity, through to deep melancholia and synth laden ambience. following on from the a remix package, b brings another huge selection of producers into the fray to reinterpret the originals. first up, hamburg hero stimming works over ‘amadou - flipping the original, into a techy bomb. a thick kick underpins a shuffling, off kilter rhythm and beautifully treated melodics. stimmings feel for gently pushing the dancefloor into new places shines through. ‘rené is reworked by roman flügel, the ongaku/klang/playhouse boss whose influence on the european electronic music scene has been immense. always willing to experiment, ‘rené is the perfect canvas - arpeggiated blips and beeps echo primitive electronic explorations by the likes of francis bebey, and a huge subby kick drum take this track into space. alex boman sets to work on ‘jeanne, locking into his signature groovy, tribal approach to working the dancefloor. the swedish producer adds dubby elements, an irresistible percussion track and disruptive, random sounds to the thick, heady mix. dutch wunderkind satori tackles ‘jorge - twisting the original into a psychedelic groover that finds room for backwards vocals, marimba-like melodies, fat basslines and shuffling breakbeats.

iron curtis has felt like a polytone artist for quite a while now. he recently delivered a breathtaking remix for matthias vogt, and shared a split ep with the man himself, terrence dixon. hes also played several label nights, but indeed unwind is his first very own ep on polytone. the opening track riders is our floor filler here. a subsonic bass experience of the more intensive kind. its a pure groover, with a surprisingly long lasting breakdown that never lacks on intensity. cream on the a2 is a stellar ambient joint, with rhythmic elements and cosmic pads. on the flip we have the title track, unwind, with an unconventional basic groove, bleepy touches and trademark 707 drum machine sounds. pure and stunning deepness. the final track is a remix from force/emerge and leads unwind into techno territory. polytone stands for diversity, and again demonstrates the labels vision of versatility here.

were super excited to present the latest artist to join the dirt crew stable, french producer sekou babe. he ticked all the right boxes for us with this beautiful debut ep foresight prevents blindness which explores his fresh and vibey outlook on house with sideways glances to smokey jazz, breaks and garage. the a-side lines up three varied tunes. perspectives of the youth and soukoun step in quickly with lively breakbeat rhythms. the first boasting warm soul vocals and steady bass groove, the second a melancholic yet uplifting back and forth between vintage piano and warbling rhodes. treize zero zero trois is a deep and dreamy house jam. cinematic elements infused with punchy percussion and 80s sonic touches add up to good times all round. on the b, our good friend nachtbraker does what he does best, flipping treize zero zero trois bringing the deep, dubby amsterdam vibrations. his version is lush, textural and slightly fruity, with surging synths, tropical percussion and a stomping kick. sekou babe rounds things off with the extravagant crown collection, showing us yet another colour in his musical spectrum. its trip hop meets detroit where warped strings introduce shuffling drums before the track begins to build layering subtle arpeggios, smooth pads, crash hits and a buoyant melody. sekou babe would like to add that all tracks were written and produced by b.b. at 7e republique studio and says thanks to peter, ghizlene, mohammed and florian, you beautiful souls.

a permanent fixture in the world of rhythm and soul, james hunter follows up five critically acclaimed albums with his latest recording, whatever it takes, for new york city’s renowned label, daptone records. at the height of his famed recording career, hunter and daptone co-founder and producer bosco mann recorded an elegantly crafted collection of 10 originals that are evermore poignant and compelling than the singers previous works. the james hunter six and mann recorded whatever it takes straight to tape at daptone’s penrose studios in riverside, california.

villa Åbo in the alternative solo project of swedish musician and producer jan svensson, who has been making electronic music for the better part of 30 years as the artist behind such aliases as frak, studio ss and alvars orkestra. svensson also runs legendary swedish dance and experimental music label börft, the product of a mutual appreciation for severed heads and terse tapes. as villa Åbo he released two records in 1997 on börft and remained inactive for 17 years until the dutch label bio rhythm coaxed him into revisiting the project and released a double 12&#8243,, in 2014. jan has since followed with a steady stream of 12” singles for kontra-musik, noise in my head and radio lundberg.
“magnetic moves” is villa Åbo’s debut album, originally released in an limited edition of 65 hand-numbered cassettes by funeral fog in 2016.
clocking in at over 46 minutes, this first-ever vinyl edition spreads the 8 ragged techno tracks across four sides for maximum loudness. some songs are aggressively potent, with cyclical synth riffs and razor-sharp acid lines riding a heavy, funk-fuelled techno groove. others tracks are more fluid, vintage underground resistance or derrick may with killer drum machine workouts that come in handy as dj tools. all songs have been remastered by george horn at fantasy studios in berkeley. the record is housed in a custom made jacket designed by eloise leigh, featuring a photograph of jan’s mother’s house, the meaning behind “villa Åbo”. each copy includes a double-sided postcard with notes.

after the first two results, the third chapter of the saga guarantees the usual elegance rich in mystery. the deep sounds continue to blend into rhythmic micro-house for a release that will be danced and enjoyed aagain in the best clubs of globe.

fresh off the back of his debut ep 2nd nature , which received support from seth troxler, laurent garnier, ame, maya jane coles, archie hamilton, mano le tough & damian lazarus, dokta returns to 20/20 vision alongside the dance music and audio obsessive leonidas who s been topping the juno vinyl charts recently with his releases kay suzuki and hobbes . the uncompromising 15-minute composition merges dokta s unique electronic arrangement style with a transcending live saxophone melody and an original vocal recording of nycs paradise garage and loft regular david vickers, with a spoken word tribute to dave mancuso and his legendry loft residency, recorded before the great mans passing last year. structured with a driving kick, off set drums and rhythmic keys baby powder proves once again dokta refuses to work within formalities, offering up a release that is both truly unique and impossible to ignore. baby powder sees dokta continue to push the boundaries of electronic production, effortlessly compounding live elements that explore exciting new musical territories

uk techno veteran kirk degiorgio takes on the future/past guise once more for an exquisite 4 tracker on the belgian de:tuned label. kirk struck gold during a recent dig through some of his old dat tapes and unearthed 2 previously unreleased gems: a finished version of his widely acclaimed 90s classic “hyperspace” described by kirk as the real hyperspace and “cosmos”, a rough uptempo percussive workout, proper crunch future/past sound.
the dat tapes also revealed a couple of tracks that were only ever released on cd: “try 2004 funk mix 2” (from the historic 1993 “applied rhythmic technology” compilation) and “locator” (from the sublime “objets d’art 92-95” compilation). the cds have become rare and wanted items, and so kirk and de:tuned decided to finally press these tracks on wax.
all tracks were mastered straight off the original dat tapes by matt colton to guarantee that extra crisp sound quality. this release will be available on 180 gr vinyl.

innervisions starts off the year with warm sounding rhythms, deep melodic bass and marcus way of coming up with dub elements. on the flip, fink adds his personal vocal touch on title track broad horizons.

milan s brioski returns to slow motion for his first sole record following his appearance on the italian dance wave compilation. onertolati is four tracks of tweaked-out disco madness, off-kilter rhythms and electronic brain flutters. it s kind of like being stuck inside a particularly sexy ecg machine. one of the heads and the dancers.

red ember records proudly presents the debut 4-track ep from goiz. a distinctly warm & deeply personal sound direct from the floridian underground. “big ol’ goiz” speaks truth with sublime chords, bulbous bass and inquisitive synth conversations, weaving through back-room deep house, electro and organic bustling rhythms.

finale sessions launch a new series entitled unreleased, and their kicking things off with label boss michael zucker sparring with jonno & tommo (more commonly found lurking around labels like ornate). as you would expect from finale, its a deep house masterclass, with jonno & tommo leading the proceedings with the deft piano licks and hard grooving sub bass of dirty nylons before zucker steps in with the pattering rhythms and swooning pads of just believe. on the flip zucker embraces a gentle strain of electro for narrow is the gate before jonno & tommo round the record off with the immersive tones of shark city.

this one is a new interplanetary quest leading through floating spacey rhythms, melded textures and triggering mechanisms blended with technological soul.

>music is the silence between the notes.< the french composer claude debussy once said. the german trio wareika, consisting of florian schirmacher, henrik raabe and jakob seidensticker, love the silence between their notes, even if their music is often fully loaded with many detailed sounds, rhythms, melodies and intercultural sound links.

ochs release rate has been sturdy since he first emerged in 2010, but he s hitting his stride like never before as he follows up last years love unconditional for london s trelik with a new double 12inch ep for his own autoreply label. all the hallmarks of his sound are in place, from intricate and delicate melodic threads to immersive house and techno rhythms, all draped in the kind of atmospheric finery that cant fail to transport you to otherworldly places. by keeping a cool head about what to use and when, och has once again demonstrated his talent for reduced but verdant dance music that speaks volumes without having to shout.

the conceptual sibling to lorenzo sennis blinding quantum jelly side for editions mego in 2012, superimpositions finds the milan-based multi-disciplinary artist and owner of the brilliant presto!? records accelerating and evolving his idea of -pointillistic trance- - an ascetic, extreme approach to the aesthetics of 90s-style trance/hard-trance - in a broader range of song structures, hyper-lucid moiré patterns, and tantric dancefloor arrangements. again, he -plays- a computer-controlled jp8000 roland digital-analog modelled s-source synthesiser to juice the most potent, searing saw wave arpeggios and spiralling melodies, finding the biting point between real-time, hands-on, emotive human input, and the sleek tension of synthesis.
from the serotonin-flooding rush of opener happic to the beautiful come down of pointillistic , the album plays out a sisyphean struggle for deferred gratification, challenging limbic systems and our sense of equilibrioception thru the spine-tingling aerobic coefficients of elegant, and never tiring and the scything, strobing rhythmelody of the title track, to peak with the palpitating surge of forever headline at its white hot core. it s all more effective than a triple-barelled mitsi in the jacksy, and hasn t been off our turntable all summer...

behind the sstrom moniker hides one half of shxcxchcxsh and a long-time activist of sweden s experimental techno scene. having fallen in love with simple melodies and catchy arpeggios when being a member of bitpop/synth band slagsmalsklubben, he transferred these sensibilities further into his other projects. sstrom s excellent 2016 debut for semantica records was an excellent exercise in lush aquatic techno with breezy and lush atmospheres. the new ep -vitriol- is informed by the personal experience of the producer, which adds additional warmth and emotional weight to the record. the release brings back memories of earth pigments his father used when painting things in their house, the colours created were usually dark toned with some pastel lightness. this juxtaposition is felt throughout the record, which balances between cinematic futurist moods, steel-wool smoothness and subtle physicality due to its textured nature. the title track kicks-off with detroitish synth loops wrapped in dense lo-fi soundscapes, while -sienna- increases the tension by introducing more expansive melodic appeal intertwined with intensity of feather-like 4/4 rhythmics. -umbra- brings some shadowy sonic undertones immersed into a sea of crackle with melodies constantly resurfacing. the closing -ockra- bursts with more groovy patterns, yet retaining the same elegant warmth, which seems to be the signature element of this ep. while listening to all these tracks you feel like touching some alien surfaces with utmost sensitiveness with surreal landscapes stretching out in your imagination. this is carefully crafted introvert music, yet having some elegant dancefloor appeal.

having debuted with a fine ep by job sifre, artificial dance has returned to the source for release number two. the 12inch pays tribute to one of the most influential figures of original diy electronic music scene of holland, hanjo erkamp. during the first half of the 1980s, erkamp had a hand in some of the most experimental and forward-thinking releases on the now legendary cassette label, trumpett. famously, he was a member of two of the label’s key bands industrial outfit doxa sinistra and new wave combo ende shneafliet but during the period he also recorded a swathe of solo tracks as c.stein, most of which only saw the light of day decades later. la bombe plastique, a thrillingly spacey and futurist cut rich in proto-techno rhythms, intergalactic electronic motifs and drowsy choral vocals. for this timely reissue, the superb original version comes accompanied by a fresh re-edit created primarily for dj use.

fruit merchant launches, straight outta northside mancunia and fresh with the city’s diy spirit - a brand new musical venture from hidden spheres.
for the inaugural release, regular to lobster theremin, rhythm section and distant hawaii, hidden spheres introduces the sonic flora of his enchanted new world by way of “wonders of the rainforest”. an ep that both details the multifaceted skills of one of mcr s most treasured recent upstarts whilst paying tribute to an environment that, although a million miles away from our concrete jungle, seems more relevant than ever due to the impending threat of climate change and our critical-level resource drain.

daniel avery returns to phantasy for a 4-track limited edition 12inch vinyl ep, slow fade, featuring the title track and first single from his much-anticipated sophomore lp, upcoming in april via phantasy. a prelude to the lps sonic exploration of the twilight world of a personal, transient life spent between clubs, hotel rooms, airports and home, slow fade captures the expanded foundations of averys sonic palette. arresting club moments linger under the surface, but the focus is on the smudged ambience that underpin averys grasp on rave euphoria. as a re-entry into a broader musical universe, slow fade is immediately compelling, combining neo-acid, feedback loops and pure atmosphere at a patient but restrained pace. meanwhile, after dark alters this aesthetic to its raw, pensive elements, stripping avery’s distinctive drums completely, revealing a meditative, ambient fog. radius announces itself with industrial intent, before unfolding seamlessly into a wistful electronic hymn, the perfect soundtrack to brooding london skies, and eventually evolving into slow-motion motorik. closing the ep, fever dream finds avery at club tempo, but in a somewhat agitated state, on this occasion focusing on a paranoid rhythm that emerges clean from eerie, even paranoid territory. close your eyes, press repeat.

pater noster presents their fifth release, aposynthesis by overloper, a side project of ekman.
the a-side brims with tension both contemplative and active. ‘hope you’re close’ is a deep burner, with heavy, pounding bass and an entrancing hook ascending to space. this then escalates into the urgency of ‘aposynthesis (need more sisa)’, in which a driving, rolling rhythm is juxtaposed with an old school, dutch-style rave synth.
the b-side encircles around acid. on one hand, it is coyly playful with ‘carpe noctem’ turning cavernous in innsyter’s dark interpolation of the other.

skyrager presents the first in a series of dance floor edits designed for optimum peak set destruction! beat girl/wonderful is already generating heat on worldwide dance-floors in the skilled hands of crack selectors including hunee, lovefingers, mark e and more.beat girl is our a-side, a heavy, throbbing ebm monster. like something discovered on a long lost belgian white label with it s sharp french femme-fatale monologue and nagging acid bass-line. trust us, this one sounds ultra-heavy on the system! things get a little sexual about halfway through and then those guitars kick in, yes, guitars, scuzzed out, fuzzed out chords run rampant over this beast and you re gonna love it. this is that sleaze, put your phone away, pick up the amyl and jack. wonderful is just that, a ridiculously rare south african (!) cover of italo overlords klein & mbo s cut of the same name. there shouldn t be much more to say here, but you should know that it s a stellar combo of hypnotic drum machine rhythms, mind melting synth bass-lines and super dreamy spoken word vocals. its almost as if she s speaking directly to you as you lose yourself in the smoke and lazers, let go, you know you want to.

if youre familiar with public release’s sibling, face, a series of parties, you’ll already know that jee day, né dennis mcnany, has been in the bay area label’s orbit for some time as half of the dfa act museum of love, he joined the inner circle years ago. here, with amot herga laxy, he makes his bold debut on public release itself. the single begins with “crocodile tears,” an abstract, impressionistic tapestry of african rhythms, meditative synth washes, vangelis-esque horns and pads. it recedes and jee day plunges deeper into the jungle with communication masterbation, a propulsive number built around a psychedelic, droney bass that’s wrapped with gritty, distorted effects and layers of topline keyboard licks stacked high. a raw club track cut from transcendentalist cloth thatll lift you off the dance floor. the b-side is a dub of communication masterbation, with an emphasis being placed on pulling out, unraveling, extending the rhythmic elements and emphasizing the electronic veil the piece is shrouded in. a trancey, menacing sprawl that could be an extended sonic youth live jam if they swapped their stringed instruments for roland and korg gear and dusted the whole thing in an unknown psychoactive slime.

julien sandre and mennie return under their jarau guise this january with the saturn system ep, set for release via visionquests special edition sub-label. julien sandre and mennie return under their jarau guise this january with the saturn system ep, set for release via visionquest’s special edition sub-label. france’s julian sandre and italy’s mennie have both individually carved out quite the career over the past decade with the former racking up releases on blindbox, franck roger’s home invasion and e wax amongst others, and the latter holding a residency at tenax club in italy and collaborating togheter on releases for poker flat and housewax of late, 2017 also saw their collaborative debut as jarau which came courtesy of the revered pleasure zone imprint. now returning for their second ep under this new guise the pair join the roster of visionquest special edition with saturn system and taking the lead is le voyage a snaking journey through billowing synth swells, jangling percussive chimes and organic drums before dubhe strips the vibe back to modulating resonant synths, shuffled stripped-back rhythms and lumpy sub bass tones. adrienne opens the flip side with the focus on a swinging drum groove as airy atmospherics ebb and flow throughout. hypnotize then rounds out the package and as the name would suggest relies on subtle nuances to draw you deeper and deeper into the intricately programmed percussion and smoothly blooming synth flourishes.

kuf create emotion-laden dialogues across layers of time and dimensions of sound. voices recorded in private are chopped up and brought out center-stage to sing with beats hammered out right here and now. glowing synths push forward. basslines rise to grab the melodic role of a track while a vowel is truncated and locked into a grid, driving the rhythm. voices move within the frame of a sample, performed by hands pushing keys, guided by the ear, immersed in a trio sessions deep flow… a vortex of quirky hands, responsive ears and glowing circuits. since thomas a. edison first recorded the human voice in 1877, the recording arts have changed music forever. musicians have explored the endless possibilities of bouncing their input onto layers of tape, off the walls of an echo chamber or the circuitry of electronic helpers - technology that modulates, spatializes, shifts, divides or multiplies the work of human hands and mouths. an era of sampling offered a cubistic analysis of the recorded past and djs took dancers onto intricately fractured time travels. this is the historic foundation that kuf keep probing.