following the release of dba s tenth anniversary digital compilations in 2020, the label presents a vinyl edition sporting the four most in demand tracks. kerrie opens proceedings with a barnstormer in her trademark dark machine funk style. bristol s lurka follows with clean which has been receiving plays from ben ufo and other leading djs. on the flip mr. g slips down a gear for a deep house workout which is guaranteed to get floors moving, and the room below completes the package with futurist batucada bomb bassika .

brassfoot makes his dba debut following a number of appearances at the dba presents parties. since breaking through with his apron ep on funkinevens world-leading label in 2015, brassfoot has turned heads with releases on uttu, paul du lac s bio rhythm, and his own seminal nca recordings. on the indentured servitude ep brassfoot showcases his own unique stepping house and techno flavour across six tracks, with time to meditate and reflect between the party-starting peak timers also included. blinds down, crouched over my desk, i switch on my machines. whatever the final result is, i wouldn t even bother unless i was having fun first. sometimes theres just one tiny portion of magic after a long recording session, but its always about the enjoyment first. its dark inside and it influences the mood of the music. it s also dark outside and it s obvious where that leaves its mark. (brassfoot, 2018)

once more envisioned and engineered in his native city of detroit, the record finds mgun in more auspicious and domestic circumstances. now firmly a father and a homeowner, axiom allows gonzales to flex his party muscle, while further pushing the elastic boundaries of his notoriously unpredictable and brilliantly raw production style. across twelve tracks, listeners are offered an unpredictable trip into the restlessly experimental snatches of studio time gonzales was afforded away from his then day job at the legendary people s records store. it s there that gonzales absorbed endless releases and rediscoveries passing through the stock, trading the occasional tip with some of detroit s best known producers.

roxymore returns with the latest instalment in her thoughts of an introvert series. the first part, which hit stores in 2017, was born out of introspection and a yearning for solitude. tracks like prodrome, which refers to symptoms indicating the early onset of an illness, seemed to reflect a global weariness, a head-nodding, late night search for comfort and respite. on part 2 though, a new energy is evident in the tracks. this is not what you think shrugs and fizzes with resilience, it feels like a maniacal, primal release from frustration and anguish. run feet finds an even more optimistic, upbeat bounce, not far from the stomping house euphoria of her first outing for dba, organ smith, but with the newfound confidence of an artist who is pushing both technology and style to the outer limits. mythical technology meanwhile, is a dancefloor-ready paean to technos own futurist manifesto.

birminghams jayson wynters makes his second outing for dont be afraid in under a year with four earth-shaking rollers from his digbeth laboratory. across four tracks wynters neatly surveys the state of the underground house and techno union in the uk and beyond, taking in the stepping, broken rhythms of beta (version), the dancefloor annihilation of one hundred n forty, and the frantic, midwest rollage of into the void, before concluding on an optimistic note with the kansei method. also look out for wynters café artum project which launches in birmingham soon, bringing a much needed hub for vinyl to the city thanks to last year s successful fundraiser.

karen gwyer s indomitable rembo lp receives remixes from four producers at the cutting edge of house and techno, via app, ron morelli, e. myers and m/r. artwork by karen gwyer.

fresh from collaborating with anthony ‘shake’ shakir on their remix of funkadelic for the ‘reworked by detroiters’ lp, tyler dancer makes his full solo debut for don’t be afraid. the ‘resisting in the darkness’ ep sees the arrival of a major new talent from america’s midwest and the first outing for a unique new voice in techno.

hamburgs achim maerz arrives on dba . the title refers to the fast and rough recording of the material, with the aim of catching a mood before process and self-awareness take over. fans of maerz previous releases on the essential wake up! label amongst others will immediately recognise his trademark, ethereal house sound.

after debuting on mr. gs phoenix g imprint in 2016 with the unfamiliar territory ep, jayson wynters makes an appearance on dba for this, his second release, backed by a kowton remix. jayson wynters is a dj that is able to combine many genres in one set and make it work. wynters was first known as a garage mc in birmingham, before rising to prominence in the city s underground radio and club scene, where he showcased an impressive knowledge of rare groove and house music. as he got older his taste for music began to mature, his collection began to grow, and he soon began to dj. using music as an outlet for expression, whether in the form of djing or having fun on some drum machines and synths, is one of the most defining features to wynters. he continues to fuel his passion by keeping an eye on the future rather than the past and striving to remain different.

detroit native mgun aka manuel gonzales returns from a two year break from releasing to unveil his debut lp for don t be afraid. marking the uk-based labels first artist album (dbalp001), gentium follows a string of highly acclaimed releases on labels also including the trilogy tapes, wild oats, third ear, bakk, berceuse heroique and fit.

following the release of dba015.5 in 2014 (which included mgun’s anthemic risque cut) dba present another vinyl-only various artists excursion, once again mixing up new arrivals to the label like detroit’s radio brovold, new yorker max mcferren and paris’ ben cohen, with established label favourites like halvtrak of tampere, finland.

herva, of delsin, kontra, mos and all city fame, offers another set of forward-thinking dancefloor bombs. across four tracks this young italian demonstrates his unique interpretation of the past and the future again and again. herva is the artist name of herve atsè corti. he was born in 1991, and has been surrounded by music from the beginning thanks to his family. he made a reputation for himself early on at high school as a talented drummer, but, intrigued by electronic music he decided to start making his own beats with a laptop. a few years later bosconi records released his early productions, both as herva both and as life’s track (a side project with dukwa). he is also part of tru west, a collective he founded with mass prod, rufus and raffaele amenta.

lily first appeared on spargel trax, contributing to two of the four releases in the series. since then the artist has appeared on idle hands with the excellent trumpets at dawn and on no corner with the critically acclaimed modern malaise tape.

new ep by ikonika

incl claude young rmx

techno / acid bomb that blows your mind away!

don’t be afraid presents the long awaited debut album from rroxymore.

fresh 4 track ep from karen gwyer

sonic electro styled 3 track ep by tyler dancer

neville watson is back on dont be afraid with his 2nd longplayer.

following a standout appearance on dvs1’s mistress label with his “just pain” track, the man from minneapolis, doubt, returns to don’t be afraid for the first time since 2014’s “poor dog” ep. in the interim he has continued to record on disposable commodities under the doubt moniker, whilst also exploring experimental and ambient sound under the name time heals nothing.
for his most inclusive outing to date, doubt mines the outer limits of minimal house music whilst still maintaining the vibe of alienation and melancholy that characterises his work. the mood of “april” is euphoric and carefree but dig deeper and the fragile beauty also suggests an impending and ominous apocalypse. “what is happening” and “samusex” counterbalance the a-side’s brief suggestion of joy with a mood closer to doubt’s previous work. the title track meanwhile recalls the work of labels like ifach and trelik with a swinging, stripped down dub sound.

hamburg’s achim maerz arrives on dba with an expansive twelve track package. split across a 12” ep and a cassette, “experiments” is a collection of live, improvised house jams recorded in the summer of 2015 in the artist’s home studio. the title refers to the fast and rough recording of the material, with the aim of catching a mood before process and self-awareness take over. fans of maerz’ previous releases on the essential wake up! label amongst others will immediately recognise his trademark, ethereal house sound.

tr one return with 4 very different tracks recorded in one take at their studio in the irish southeast. a month has passed uses a dubbed out aesthetic merging influences from uk bass and detroit using shimmering melodic progression. the boutique of never ending dreams works towards a synth laden dreamlike peak. the printer duly merges playful chicago drums with an organic chord structure to create a head nodding funk. finishing the ep is road to the sea , a pensive sway of dubby sonics masked in a fog of reverb. tr one are an established name in the irish electronic music community and are known for their energetic and engaging performances as djs. they have received critical acclaim for the raw soulful productions from their studio in hometown carlow, ireland. they have gained respect for their ability to deftly move between the lines of genres with a strong sense of adventure and connection with detroit/chicago/dublin machine soul. from this they have released music on lunar disko, apartment and fine art recordings, with the strains of the us midwest never far from sonic influence. they have worked in a range of styles from old movie soundtrack disco with new jackson to punishing techno sharing wax space with the phantom planet outlaws.

the new ep by rroxymore signals another audacious step forward for one of the most daring artists in the electronic music diaspora. thoughts of an introvert part 1 is born out of introspection, out of the necessity to disconnect from the frenzy of crowds and to create a soundtrack to an inner landscape which exists beyond the reach of government and dogma. in the words of the artist, -it is a sonic diary of sorts, cataloguing the events of a world which has not yet been invented, in the form of three mesmerizing dance tracks free of nostalgia and the expectations of style.- the spatial afro futurist funk of prodrome finds rroxymore balancing darkness and optimism as only she can. the title track, thoughts of an introvert is instantly familiar and carries a soothing utopian spirit, so needed today. mycetozoa, the closing track is bouncing, drum driven and mad, a celebration of rroxymore s complex musical mind, offset by irresistibly banging toms and rolling rimshot patterns. it is a track which is at once melancholic, happy, vulnerable, and full of hope. everything seems possible on the dancefloor this music was written for

following the release of the homemade waves ep in 2015, the room below returns to don t be afraid with his second ep for the label. the title healing scaphoids reflects on the period of time he spent constructing the tracks, during which he suffered two separate broken wrists whilst cycling around london. one right, one left. both time, the scaphoid bone! unfortunately, only one of the wrists healed properly and the ep retains a slightly broken feel, steering away from four-to-the-floor territory, and with london as a clear sonic influence. 2017 has been a productive year for henry keen aka the room below. as soundspecies, alongside brother olly, he released a collaborative album with afro-cuban percussion group ache meyi, performing live at the barbican in may to follow the previous year s appearance at the manana cuba festival in santiago de cuba.. henry also has a solo ep forthcoming on rising new york label maddjazz, due for release in mid september.

fxhe affiliate jason fine makes his full dba debut with the moonscapes ep after remixing typesun for the dba dubs series

karen gwyer returns to cement her reputation as one of the most individual and daring voices in dance music with rembo , her first full lp for don t be afraid, following a debut on the label in late 2016 with the prophase anaphase metaphase telophase ep. reflecting the sheer energy of gwyer s improvised, undulating and unpredictable live shows, rembo captures gwyer in her element as a techno producer not afraid to smudge both the physical and emotional edges of what we may have come to expect in the club. live performance is where gwyer s ideas come into gradual but vivid fruition, with tracks often evolving over -five or six shows- before reaching the studio. here, gwyer endeavours to capture the same transcendent energy that has seen her enrapture audiences at international events such as mutek and unsound, and in support of contemporaries such as laurel halo, kassem mosse and factory floor. throughout rembo , dozens of shows and endless stolen studio hours have informed 38 minutes of uncompromising body music. rembo is a record that calls firmly to the night, an album to transport both artist and listener to dark, sweaty rooms, to shared escapism and unexpected moments of electronic transcendence. from the first note forward, on record and in the club, karen gwyer is an artist in total control, no matter where she ends up taking us

semtek returns to do t be afraid label for the first time in five years with four tracks strictly for the djs.

dj bone is differ-ent. but then again, he always has been. a pioneer dj and producer hailing from detroit, whose technical skills are perhaps only equalled by the upper echelons of the city s most advanced techno trailblazers, he s nonetheless forged a path only of his own. eschewing commercial expectations, scene pressures and anything other than his own exquisite taste, bone has earned a vital, dedicated audience while remaining comfortably and individually underground.

rroxymore’s music is an intriguing, one-off blend of contrasting textures - organic and synthetic, icy and warm - a fresh step in dance music. real name hermione frank, the french musician and producer has a long history making music in various ways, with various people, before settling in berlin and concentrating on the solo project that refines it all.
as rroxymore, she released her epic 10-minute debut “wheel of fortune” in the summer of 2012 - half of split a 12” with planningtorock on the latter’s own human level label. human level also provided the outlet for rroxymore’s first ep, precarious/precious, the following year. the four tracks combined nervous grooves, bewitching cosmic synths, twisted snippets of acoustic instruments and other intriguing sounds. live, rroxymore creates rhythms and sounds with energetic rawness merging with a stirring psychedelia, taking you into a new world.

dyad carry the flame for the dancefloor-centric sound of warehouses and big rooms worldwide. in their first outing for dba they offer two options for the discerning techno selector, one uplifting and rip-roaring, the other dark and brooding. dyad is a collaborative music project and label by ben gibson and fundamental interaction, launched in 2014. their first trilogy of eps showcased a muscular and melodic sound, with tracks like from another place, enclosed and zou receiving strong support from a host of highly regarded djs.

karen gwyer joins dba for an exercise in futurist dancefloor electronics after a recent outing on alien jams alongside beatrice dillon and last year s barnstorming nous release. the us-born londoner brings the sound of her stomping, analogue live performances closer to the psychedelic, thickly melodic tone of her studio compositions across three tracks, with prophase metaphase anaphase telophase an obvious choice for djs.

damon bell arrives on dba with a debut three-track ep that delves deep into the musical influences that shape his sound. best known for his output on fellow oaklander aybees deepblak recordings - where he holds the title chief connoisseur- bell has won ardent admirers both with his string of eps and with last year s debut lp blues for the libyan , in addition to releases on r&s sub-label meda fury. the trio of tracks that make up the ankh boogie ep find bell returning to the dynamic african rhythms of his most floor-friendly work, with live instrumentation layered over an electronic pulse. having had his start as a teenager obsessing over afro-cuban jazz and jazz fusion, his long-standing devotion to learning and adapting the music s polyrhythmic sensibilities in his own music, coupled with the voyages of sound deepblak is known for, result in a unique collage of sounds that at various moments can recall the likes of joe claussell, dj qu and ron trent. where the title track plays with sun-kissed melodies and percussive elements, the b1, aural afrek, goes into darker techno territory, while b2 cut time for change is an organ-led house workout.

dba present another vinyl-only various artists excursion, once again mixing new arrivals to the label like london’s karen gwyer, raven cru and italys dukwa, with established label favourite lily.

traces of malmokon contributes four loud, forceful party nails to dba’s rave ready special editions series. hearing is believing.

in an endless ocean of electronic music, dj bone has always managed to stand out. 100% of the music he creates is the result of translating his experiences of growing up in detroit (both good and bad), into songs, songs that stand the test of time, excite the spirit and evoke emotion when played or heard. and now, bone has decided to unleash/unveil an alter ego…differ-ent. a sworn enemy of stagnation, differ-ent pushes past the boundaries of acceptance and into the realm of anticipation with differ-ent sounds, structures, visuals and moods. dj bone is detroit… dj bone is techno… dj bone is differ-ent.

neville watson makes his dba debut proper after appearing on special editions in 2013 with four rave-ready belters. coming fresh from releases for asok’s scenery label and craig richards’ the nothing special, watson continues to explore the house sound of the uk, replete with bleeps, acid yells and basslines.

ben cohen is a french dj based in paris. he started to play music at the end of the 90’s and produces undefined house/techno with esoteric references invoking the hazy contours of the ever mystical inner zones. he has released two eps on the french label badance and recently voyage to rahoz on bliq. his first appearance on dba was on the various artists excursion dab019.5.

bedfords finest d-malice returns to wax after years spent refining his sound via his superb dm recordings digital imprint. indian time will appeal to fans of the uk funky sound who have missed the distinctive groove and vibe of that scene. on the flip basic soul unit takes things up a notch both in terms of bpm and energy, delivering a techno sureplayer which is bound to find its way into mainroom sets this summer.

mr. beatnick returns to dba after a two year hiatus following his synthetes trilogy series, with a new direction and a 4 track ep which represents his most floor-focussed work to date. opening cut stutter is an immaculately crafted deep techno bomb which features the trademark sound familiar to fans of the london producers work, whilst title track formed in the stance and flip-side obsidian morning explore an eyes-down, moody, broken sound which will no doubt ring a bell for devotees of the seminal co-op nights

london-based artist the room below follows 2014’s dba debut (as part of the 015.5 v/a release) with a mixture of classic and experimental house sounds. born in bristol, raised in dorset and residing in the capital, henry keen aka the room below has been djing and collecting vinyl for over 20 years. as soundspecies alongside his brother he was championed by gilles peterson’s worldwide show and london institution cdr. the alias ‘the room below” was coined to coincide with henry’s analogue re-working of close friend paul white’s ‘rapping with’ lp. since then he has maintained this alias for his house and techno composition. they pay homage to the legendary chicago and detroit artists that inspired him back in the 80’s and 90’s.

dbas series of special edition dj tools reaches the fifth instalment courtesy of jack murphy, a dj and musician currently residing in san francisco. in 2013 he released his first two records on frozen border sublabel reference. he enjoys paintings, philosophy, and techno.

doubt makes his dba debut with four stepping left-of-centre techno jams, fresh from turning heads with a pair of trippy, forward-thinking releases for dvs1s mistress imprint. a veteran of the midwest electronic underground, doubt is the new alias of a minneapolis artist who has earned a reputation among aficionados of electronic music as one of the most inspired, engaging, and entertaining artists of his time. a true musicians musician, he routinely reaches for unconventional elements and seamlessly blends disparate styles to create completely unique sonic experiences, which hit all of the right buttons.

ceol is the moniker adopted by glasgow’s dom cappello and lee duncan. dom’s productions as hutton drive have appeared on cult labels like soma and the frustrated funk sub-label, frantic flowers, whilst as half of harri & domenic he continues to hold down the residency at glasgows legendary sub club. fellow glaswegian lee duncan records as leeon and debuted in 2012 on the cult seventh sign label. lee will also return under his solo alias later this year.

the first of a number of various artists eps from the dba camp.

after first appearing on dont be afraid in 2010 as a remixer, the mighty mr. g is back with a solo ep for the dancefloor-aimed dba special editions series.

shortly after the dust under bridges ep was released, henri sent us nine tracks which he had previously recorded to tape, not thinking that they were worthy of release. on the contrary, these are nine tracks of beautiful, brooding, leftfield house and techno, and we decided immediately that they ought to be available to the public, and that they formed a perfect appendage to halvtraks debut 12 inch release, dust under bridges, written, as they were, during the same period.

mgun returns to dba for a tough and arresting third release, which yet again showcases the range of this young producers undisputed talents.

following his breakthrough release on cult bristol label happy skulls, which carried a tearing funkineven remix, adjowa marks his second release of the year with a slamming addition to the dba dubs series. beautiful swimmers own max d (known to his friends, but perhaps not his family, as maximillion dunbar), contributes the compulsory us remix on the flip, drawing on the grime, jungle and breakbeat hardcore tropes to create a truly otherworldly banger.

neville watson ends 2013, the year in which he released his debut album for creme organization, with a club-focussed 12 inch and the second in the dba special editions series. since remixing dba003, and thereby providing one of the most requested tracks in the labels history, it has only been a matter of time before the legendary uk producer joined the dba camp for a full 12 inch release. in keeping with the remit of the special editions sub-label, all three tracks are aimed squarely at the dancefloor, but relative to previous neville watson releases they tread a significantly more techno line, from the fused circuitry of crossing the is to the deeper strains of hot & heavy, and the twisted bassline assault of wired.

nice price deal !!! finlands halvtrak joins dont be afraids burgeoning family for his debut ep. across four tracks, scandinavias latest musical export explores the house sound of chicago via tampere, offering four outstanding dancefloor options with a unique and very personal twist, whilst touching on some familiar uk-centric tropes.

kelpe makes his first outing on don’t be afraid as part of their coveted dba dubs series. monte verità sees the london based beat veteran at his housiest (sic) yet. the track sports a low slung four to the floor and a deadly analogue funk bassline. kevin reynolds improvises on the original with a more upbeat outsider house groove and an acid line guaranteed to bring the dancefloor to its knees. since coming to the attention of dc recordings in early 2003 kelpe has released three albums, the latest of which *the golden eagle* dropped this year to critical acclaim. detroits kevin reynolds has consistently turned heads with his unique take on the modern house sound. as well as releases on his own nsyde recordings he has appeared on cult us imprints like todchai and love what you feel.

dont be afraid present the latest ep from americas disco nihilist, and the first in their special editions series. disco nihilists releases for gerd jansons running back imprint and for local grassroots us labels like construction paper are mainstays in the record boxes of house djs worldwide, and his live sets have rocked the panorama bar, robert johnson, the cult take 5 café in bristol and dont be afraids own london shindigs. this release from disco nihilist sets the tone for a series of classic dancefloor cuts from the most sought after producers on the underground house circuit.

following 12 inches on the trilogy tapes and kyle halls wild oats imprint, the original dark soldier mgun returns to dont be afraid for a second outing with this six tracker. from start to finish you get the now familiar trademark mgun sound all over this ep, from the spit and sawdust electro of funnel vision to the deadly 313 dystopia of bean chirp.

the savannah ep concludes mr. beatnick s synthetes trilogy, a series which has signalled the london producer s migration from hip-hop into well-schooled deep house. the first two installments, at their best, married adeptly selected samples with stylish synth work in a manner reminiscent of moodymann or andrés, but not excessively beholden to detroit house.

following the success of last years first two editions, dont be afraid return for record store day 2013 with a third and fourth 12 inch combination of spargel trax releases, celebrating the dual themes of great seasonal music and great seasonal spargel. the contribution of tracks from certain bona fide legends, who appear under the now familiar spargel-related pseudonyms as well as some incredibly talented new comers, meant that it was impossible to pass up the chance of working on a third and fourth volume. both releases are limited to 280 hand numbered copies, and come on orange coloured and marbled vinyl with a recipe insert.

azimuth ep showcases this producers fresh take on electronic music across a range of tempos. dmarc cantu remixes the eps most dancefloor-friendly track, azimuth, lending it a deeper and more brooding edge. alis is the new project from italo-bulgarian londoner, sabina plamenova (formerly subeena). this new pseudonym reflects a more personal and vocal-lead endeavour, in her own words, not just a music about music approach but also an outlet for her own personality. a big name for 2013 and beyond.

mgun is the pseudonym of rising detroit star manuel gonzales. since collaborating with kyle hall as nsnt prjct in 2010, gonzales has developed a uniquely lo-fi sound all of his own, a sound first showcased on his debut solo release which appeared in 2012 on the wild oats imprint. his first release for don’t be afraid will hit stores in october 2012 and is bound to spin heads, demonstrating as it does his particular avant garde take on modern techno, not least the game changing ‘gas chamber’ cut which, at 138 bpm, sounds as at home in bow e3 london as it does in his native detroit.

dont be afraid present spargel trax, a two part series of vinyl-only, coloured, hand-stamped 12 inches designed to celebrate the dual themes of great seasonal music and great seasonal spargel. contributing tracks across the two 12 inches are some of our favourite artists currently making house music. from established artists like disco nihilist, andy blake, sound species and james duncan to up and coming artists like david joseph from cologne, hodge from bristol, untitled-w from st. petersburg, for whom this is the first outing on wax, and scott fraser from glasgow. no clues though as to which is which, you will have to just listen to the tracks and hear for yourself! proof that 2012 is a great time for music, a great time for wax and a great time for spargel.

dont be afraid present spargel trax, a two part series of vinyl-only, coloured, hand-stamped 12 inches designed to celebrate the dual themes of great seasonal music and great seasonal spargel. contributing tracks across the two 12 inchess are some of our favourite artists currently making house music. from established artists like disco nihilist, andy blake, sound species and james duncan to up and coming artists like david joseph from cologne, hodge from bristol, untitled-w from st. petersburg, for whom this is the first outing on wax, and scott fraser from glasgow. no clues though as to which is which, you?ll have to just listen to the tracks and hear for yourself! proof that 2012 is a great time for music, a great time for wax and a great time for spargel. spargel is very popular in the netherlands, spain, france, belgium, germany, and switzerland, and almost exclusively white. else, it is specified by the local language term for green asparagus. compared to the latter, the locally cultivated so-called white gold or edible ivory, also referred to as the royal vegetable, is less bitter and much more tender. freshness is highly regarded, and it must be peeled before cooking or raw consumption.

the sun goddess ep has been a close guarded secret around don?t be afraid operations central for a little while now. mr. beatnick?s second outing for the label proudly carries the torch of last year?s breakthrough ep synthetes, one of fact magazine?s top 50 records of 2011.

photonz have taken no prisoners in 2011. following their dancefloor destroying third release on one eyed jacks alongside tiago they up the heat yet again with a first outing on dont be afraid. spectre is surely destined to please fans of oni ayhun, joy orbison, and other forward thinking house music producers alike with its jaded xylophone hooks and cold as ice groove. wall is a slice of trademark photonz portuguese acid, an infinite groove that builds and builds. dokos is a more downbeat, tracky number which will slot nicely into the sets of djs who favour the old school house sound of chicago and detroit. prometheus catches the pair at their most experimental, upping the tempo and unleashing an ambitious techno juke roller which is as much machinedrum as it is the sound of 1990s techno circa pacific records and plink plonk.

pizza is the 6th release on dont be afraid, coming hot on the heels of mr. beatnicks synthetes ep and semteks west acyd shelter. the first track on the 12 inch, pizza, combines disco, techno and acid house elements on a broken funky base. goons is a mean little track with caper-like 303s and a bumping trumpet bassline, backed by sweet drum machine beats. dj 3000 takes the fundamentals of the original and replaces them with some of his own locally sourced detroit ingredients, including a euphoric rhodes and some rich pads, to create a peak time banger for fans of dirty bird and the like.

mr beatnick has played an active part in the burgeoning uk beats scene which has produced talents like bullion and paul white. his best known track >i know all the bitches< featuring the vocal talents of ahu, became one of the anthems of this movement, thanks to numerous spins on the likes of bbc radio 1 and rinse fm. in his music you can hear the influence of whole generations of music from mantronix to the 90s bay area scene and beyond, and the new ep >synthetes< takes this approach up a gear, exploring a path between the crackling breaks and samples of old, and the dancefloor music of now. with early support from braiden (rinse fm), slackkk (numbers), bullion (young turks), mosca (nightslugs / fat city) and gilles peterson (bbc radio 1), the >synthetes ep< looks set to find a unique place in the record boxes of bass addicts and beat diggers alike this summer.

the fourth release on dont be afraid >west acyd shelter< takes one of the most important jazz funk records of the 1970s as its starting point. semtek rebuilds the legendary hook from scratch over a disorienting range of acid, broken and techno accoutrements leaving a tweaked out bassline stepper. photonz bring their unique lisbon via essex style to the proceedings with an >i cant believe its not garage< take on semteks beat, proving yet again that they are a force to be reckoned with in 2011. the b-side >east acyd shelter< is a sparse analogue workout that would be at home as much in legendary and much missed kings cross hangout the key, as it would in a james bond soundtrack of the timothy dalton era.

for his third release on dont be afraid semtek brings a rolling acid house vibe with remixes from neville watson, justin harris and isa gt. check!the original builds from trademark uk bleeps and analogue drums into a wigged out discoid groove. neville watson takes you far up into the aether with a hypnotic hymn to the night, justin harris produces a dark and driving techno dub, and isa gt refashions an early semtek track key into a bara house banger equally at home in croydon as in her native columbia.

for his third release on dont be afraid semtek brings a rolling acid house vibe with remixes from neville watson, justin harris and isa gt.
the original builds from trademark uk bleeps and analogue drums into a wigged out discoid groove. neville watson takes you far up into the aether with a hypnotic hymn to the night, justin harris produces a dark and driving techno dub, and isa gt refashions an early semtek track >key< into a bara house banger equally at home in croydon as in her native columbia.

dont be afraid is a dual format vinyl / digital label championing underground uk house and techno music. the first 4 releases will be eps from semtek, with remixes from a range of talented, original and respected producers. on dba001 semtek combines elements of his many musical influences, with the skills he has carefully honed over time. the ep kicks off with the deep housey feel of bells, before moving on to the tracky breakbeat undertones of key, while the old skool vibe of village completes the package. exclusive to the vinyl is the warped acid dancefloor cut tower, inspired by the sound of early belgian techno and the dance music of legendary frankfurt clubs like dorian grey.