chreal01 is the debut project by scottish producer chaotic reality exploring a meditative side to techno. written over the course of several months spent living in new york as a resistance to the frenetic pace of a busy environment, chreal01 contains four tracks that repeat, oscillate and soundtrack a more centred existence. inspired by shinichi atobe, avalon emerson, newworldaquarium / ross154 & the 7th plain. each track in this self-released record is named after its sequence and operates on a slower tempo, focussing on melody and sound design, with aim to investigate the space between dub techno and early trance. track one opens with gentle dancing chords developing over 7 minutes, with subtle nods to echospace and black dogs otaku over a punchy kick and warm sub. reverb-licked stabs pass softly in and out the mix and ride over a homogenous chord range, highlighting points in the melody and meandering back into the ether. two has an introspective focus, rarely reaching more than two kicks per four bars. an arpeggiated lead centres the composition, slowly developing over a thick bassline. distant snaps and pops season the track and highlight the empty breathing space intentionally left in the production. on the b-side, three is characterised by heavily saturated kicks softly thumping under a bubbling melody, broken by echo-delayed stabs varying in form, filter depth and feedback timing. on the closing song four, chaoticreality develops and sculpts a stack of delayed chords creating a progressively elevating soundscape. the lead melody chords layer and discord changing thickness, shape and form throughout with pseudo kicks acting as a complimentary melody. here, cr plays with space to creating a hypnotic spacial production akin to digital justice or the orb, with the intention to take the listener to a transcendental state. chreal01 is housed in a popset sleeve & hand stickered

drew mcdowall and hiro kones collaborative record the ghost of georges bataille induces a state of suspense via sonic seance. conjuring the sentiment of death as productive force, the artists join their analog paradigms to open a door elsewhere, or perhaps, inside sublimating personal struggles into ritualistic offerings. churning, cinematic, and pulsating with an organic sentience the ghost of georges bataille invites an undeniable presence into the consciousness and lulls both collectors and the newly inducted alike into catharsis with the hairs on their arms standing up. not for the casual listener.

spinning plates is back for another long overdue release, and this time it comes in the form of a split ep featuring returning artist andy rantzen and laccy with two tracks each. the vinyl only release comes with very special screen-printed silkscreen artwork and is pressed on meaty 180g vinyl for an extra warm and deep sound. andy rantzen is a sydney based artist who appeared on this label s superb second release. the 98% track from it was used by sonja moonear in her cocoon mix cd shared with carl craig, and andy is also well-known as part of the duo itch-e and scratch-e along with paul mac. he assumes that alias here for a remix of the dial. laccy aka pascal sturmer is a young but talented artist who regularly finds himself behind the decks at cult clubs like berlin s club de visionaire and the spaced parties in london. a friend of label a&r bruno schmidt, he just released on francesco del garda s label timeless, is a real underground head with a bottomless well of knowledge when it comes to cult sounds and scenes and is signed to the top crisalida agency.

it is undeniable that bjarki and his bbbbbb imprint are at the forefront of iceland’s dance music scene, playing a vital role in asserting the country as a hub for genre bending electronic music. although the label has proved to be a solid platform for bjarkis own experimental material, bbbbbb continues to host some of icelands best talents (notably last year’s lauded release from volruptus who followed up with another killer outing on &#1090,,&#1088,,&#1080,,&#1087,,). for bbbbbb’s 10th release bjarki continues to substantiate his a&r abilities, introducing the world to lord pusswhip. having enjoyed a meteoric rise as a key player in icelands hip-hop scene, the young producers sound has continued to evolve since befriending bjarki and the bbbbbb crew, and the hand of glory ep now sees him at arguably his most adventurous and experimental yet. murky atmospherics introduce xmas jam creep before a cacophony of percussion ups the energy, setting the tone for a dynamic release. crazy shit mane follows with its crunchy drums, scintillating synths and sultry bass until hop out the car blends hip-hop vocals with mesmerising chord sequences reminiscent of richard d.james early work. an undulating bassline then works alongside a chorus of angelic voices in ‘the hand of glory, making way for the syncopated and dreamlike shroomm0(u)rning. moving into ambient territories, green house living layers pads and samples together to generate an otherworldly aesthetic until choppa hard combines ominous drones with a steady beat to conclude the release.

akumandra is the mexican imprint of sainte vie. the label promotes the exceptional artists riding the sub current of multicultural electronic music and, after 3 years of sharing its music for free, it s about to release on vinyl for the first time. sainte vie s music is a prime summary of what it means to hear in a post-genre universe. as trends are quickly rendered obsolete, the accumulation of culture debris is becoming more significant in relation to the producer the ability to create a nostalgic blur through a composition of artifacts and interpretations. paying homage to this, estacion inmortal (sainte vie s first ep) produces the afterglow associated with an auditory epiphany. the combination of mellow interludes, earthy chord progressions and acoustic-synthetic equilibrium have the capacity to conquer both communal space and solitude.

on the a side bftt and lack follow on from their debut release on the fifth cong burn tape. bftt crafts a peak time sub heavy techno weapon which beautifully collapses in on itself before its final ascent. lack layers polyrhthmic splashes of shackleton-esque percussion over dubbed out bass growls. flip it over and you ve got chekov following up his ace debut on shanti celeste s peach discs with electro 808 patterns and swells of low end weight. howes lowers the tempo with a low key bubbler that further explores the textures laid out on cong burn s first 12inch.

taking its title from a minoan legend that deals with rage, greed and destruction, the latest release from abyss x expands and reconstructs conceptions of aural space and time. out on february 23 on danse noire, pleasures of the bull finds the multi-disciplinary artist and producer flirting with the sounds of hard jazz while mystifying the parameters of experimental music across several distinct movements, thus allowing the listener to break free from their sonic principles.

two eps from robert natus, released under his lapwing moniker, all bundled up for one special price!