rounding off the vinyl series that accompanies themas label-defining strength in numbers compilation, part 4 downsizes from 12 inch to 7 inch to present two distinctive jams that show some of the farthest reaches of the new york imprints sound. laurine frost may be best known as part of the nonconformist house and techno scene of europe through releases on perspectiv, sharingtones and nervmusic, but on this special creation for thema he makes the perfect tribute to the city that gave rise to the label, with a little help from the racy diatribe of amiri baraka on “your house”. by way of a truly special finale for the series, minneapolis maverick dj slip graces the label with an all-too rare appearance, taking an altogether more primal approach on “x7” that channels his years spent conjuring up next level techno for missile, music man and more into a taut and punchy electro excursion infected with tricked out effects and seductive sci-fi noir atmospherics. it’s the perfect example of the freaky fringes thema has comfortably reached to over the course of the last forty releases.

new ep from berlin-based producer, artist, dj and head honcho of catenaccio records, benjamin fehr. this 1 inch highlights his commitment to >groove noir< - fehr s self-defined dark and psychedelic take on electronic music. the lead track, my lover lures the listener in with dark, minimal grooves, perfectly exemplifying fehr s hypnotic sound. the b-side puts the groove in groove noir, thumping out of the gate with a dark kick that builds and builds, punctuated by a single haunting piano key. on the scene since 1993, fehr started out with residencies at well-respected clubs such as robert johnson and the legendary kiosk. he s had a multitude of releases on well known labels, like foundsound, brouqade, lowmidhigh lmtd, tic tac toe, nervmusic, adjunct and many more. 2011 has kept fehr busy with the release of his ep, stay at home and read a book on his own label and upcoming remixes on eminor, nervmusic, suena hermosa, 3117 records, and leet.

welcoming two fresh comrades into the ever growing cadenza army, the imprint announce viudez & rudolf with the running for hawks ep. argentinean rudolf has been steep in electronic music for over a decade.playing around the globe, his infectious dj sets have been danced to and his gritty house tech releases heard on archipel, nervmusic, serialism and mean. a charmingly demure artist, alejandro lopez ross has earned his reputation on artistic merit though his monikers of rudolf, perro magnetico and jane sullivan.

after a short production break, the russian techno duo easy changes (denis cast & kilrill silas) are back with a 12 inch on the berlin/london based label, mean records, run by cesare marchese (cesare vs disorder) & federico benedetti (onirik). the lion is also a good drummer fits in nicely with the labels love of minimal techno productions that feature original sounds, moody melodies and deep aural landscapes. easy changes gained recognition in 2007 with two back to back hit releases on foundsound records. in 2009, they were the first ep from nervmusic, a moscow based label that focuses on unconventional techno started by cast, silas and friends. seated comfortably between the avant-garde and the dancefloor, the release has something for everyone. the title track, the lion is also a good drummer is an epic, crawling minimal techno production filled with stripped down percussion and abstract found sounds perfect for after-hours. on the flipside is the uptempo, quirky and tribal burlesque, replete with spliced vocal samples, snares, cymbals, bleeps and claps. for the burlesque remix, french producer doubtingthomas shows off his lifelong obsession with percussion and its rhythmic allure with the addition of a trippy drum solo midway through the track.