ena revisits his divided series with 2 unique releases compiling highlighted dissections of his live performances, further developed into individual tracks. horoex4 - divided: body sees enas return to the horo label for his first vinyl release since the divided 7inch in 2015 which garnered support from the likes of nicolas jaar and lee gamble. divided: body contains 4 physical, caustic creations that show clearly just how far yus style has developed in the past 3 years since his landmark ‘binaural lp for horo.

when tresor founder dimitri hegemann stumbled into a former bank vault in east berlin on march 13th 1991, he had little idea that the space he had unlocked would fast become one of berlin s most influential and enduring techno clubs. “we didn’t know what would happen 10 months later,” he says. “we signed a lease for a year. which eventually got renewed for another three months, and another three months…”
as tresor celebrates its 25th anniversary with this work of artists from the us, germany, china, france, austria, italy and the uk, it is worth dwelling on how the cultural conditions that birthed detroit techno – economic neglect and broken industry – were mirrored by the disused bunkers and impromptu parties of post-unification east berlin, where techno found new, vigorous expression.
the triple vinyl release includes a download code.

known for their take on the gentler side of house music, jazz pianists, electronic enthusiasts and label founders of the analogue attic imprint, albrecht labrooy have joined night tides family with their latest sojourn emissary ep. the release began with a concept from the artists, who asked for field recordings taken by night tides eluize from around her adopted home in berlin. sounds from parks, gardens, trains and stations that make up the local, everyday sonic landscape made their way across the atlantic to arrive in albrecht labrooys studio, where they were used as inspiration for the three outings on this record. the melbourne duo’s live approach to programming and arrangement can be heard as the tracks ebb and flow effortlessly. in tempelhof sub swells and a throbbing kick accompany delicate leads and lightly touched drums. the more uptempo hinterhof pulses and sways with lively percussion, crystalline bells, euphoric strings and softly spoken melodies that float in and out of view. u-bahn/s-bahn begins with glistening top lines and panoramic chords over a growling bass and a steady groove. as the journey rolls on from the underground into open-air window-gazing territory, the piece takes an ambient, beatless turn. contemplative synth lines and arpeggios play while the station announcements drift somewhere in the distance. photograph by christophe mauberqué.

dys functional electronic music is a compilation release from repitch recordings, celebrating the label’s first five years. its ambivalent title aims to represent the sonic behaviour of its content, often deviating from norms or distancing itself from common club functionalism. for this release, the 3 repitch masterminds ascion, d. carbone and shapednoise are joined by a selection of the artists who contributed shaping the repitch sound throughout the years, along with guests that inspired them in this adventure. during the past 5 years the main focus of the label was to set up a platform for experimentations across the dancefloor canon, establishing a standout musical identity. a spirit that resonates within each artist’s personal approach: from ascion’s dark breakbeats to the exaltics and and’s acid frontalism, shapednoise’s brooding noise, sote’s fractured rave, d. carbone and gaja’s intrusions into melody, pinch and the zenker brothers’ dub-infused atmospherics, skudge’s love of gloom and nuel’s idm-ish minimalism

braindance records, giving the morning calm a second chance. having only appeared for a few live sets mainly dedicating himself to production, go dam, is a silent actor for the change in seoul s music scene. with a diverse spectrum of influences and genuine love for alternative electronic music, we are given a unique identity portrayed through his sound. the “alternate dimensions e.p”, first output of the label, opens the doors to another dimension comprising of electro infused melodies. reminiscent of the mid-late 90’s uk intelligent techno-electro sounds it also combines heavy detroit influences with a peculiar sonority that will invoke you into the story within the alternative soundscape.

gigi masin, vakula and roman flügel line up on this first 10 year anniversary 12- for dekmantel… 9 more of similar quality in the pipe. tip! . five years after their first event, dekmantel records saw the light of day. over the course of 2017 the label will release ten eps from artists that are close to their hearts, artists that have shaped dekmantel into what it is today and producers who never fail to inspire them. each ep comes in an unique full-color printed inner-sleeve, housed in a glossy outer-sleeve with logo punch out. shinkwrapped, stickered and pressed on 180g vinyl. tip!

cosmin trgs fizic is proud to present its first 2017 release, from an exciting new name. serb is born and raised in craiova, romania, where he spent his youth playing guitar in nihilistic, a local punk band. in 2014 he released his debut 12inch, on transient recs. his sophomore record is a prime example of his unique, cerebral take on dance music. qui vive is a somber, syncopated elegy of rugged elegance, with fizzy drums and percution filtering in and out over the fragile melody. feet locked is analog honey poured into your post-rave ear. after-glow synths follow an expertly modulated bass. finally, persistent prick echoes the esotheric explorations of actress, with added twisted funk. serb’s impressive talent and exuberance flow through his music, expect more from our new signing in the very near future.

after his debut ep hello 307 and critically acclaimed follow up lp dance with me we find microlith, aka rhys celeste, pushing his sound ever forward. celeste takes his sublime musical ability and electro funk influence to produce a compelling soundscape. a vast army of analogue synths can be heard on every track which will catch the ears of afx fans as he effortlessly manipulates them into beautiful, highly detailed compositions. this ep occupies a corner of electro seldom trod, and with it celeste galvanises his lofty position in the new wave of braindance. rip rhys, our deepest condolences go out to your family and friends

mihai popoviciu has carved out a reputation for being one of the most innovative producers of electronic music active in europe today. the man from romania has established himself both as a highly respected producer releasing on labels such as highgrade, international gigolo and dessous and as a killer dj performing all over the world. fiction is his 4th release on poker flat recordings, and delivers four distinct flavours to sink your teeth into. i should is a slinky groover, with a slippery, evolving bassline, tight, funky percussion and a sultry female vocal. working just as effectively early in a set as a peak time moment, its bound to get rinsed in the coming months. twisted is a little harder - a straighter beat signals a more heads down approach, and the bassline is sure to trigger some dancefloor scenes wherever it gets played. next up is title track fiction which perhaps makes a reference to mihai’s background, with fragments of eastern european melodies woven into the beautiful synth work, all tied together over a spacey yet driving rhythm track. last but by no means least is interconnected - a straight up deep bomb with echoes of classic chicago deep and acidic house in its warm and sensual vibe.

a regular contributor to figure spc, it was jeroen search who both started the series and also put an end to its story. with this creative chapter neatly closed, he is now bringing his ever-impressive work back to the main label. across the ep the dutch artist doesn’t stick to one style, instead he lets his infamous machines roam about freely. they take us for a smooth ride along swaying dub chords and gentle ripples until bellowing eches slowly rise above a hypnotic groove.?on the b-side search then pulls out all the stops and barges right in with fidgety claps and whirling bleeps, leaving the track itself gasping for air. this is the renowned ferocity of his live act - carved into wax! ensuing the sonic assault, a simple synth figure emerges stoically over an almost housy bounce as nostalgic rave strings bring the ep to an epic ending. firmly rooted in the past while always looking forward, jeroen search clearly is still on the top of his game. he simply keeps coming up with timeless techno - time and time again.

out of the south american continent colombian producer duo uron appears for the first time on black brook limited. two tracks of the original and three remix versions completes the ep. the tack titles hiperion and leda are multiple terms. one of saturn s moons is called hyperion and one of jupiter is called leda. we don t know for sure if there is an intended meaning to their sound involved. what we listened to is what you get now. pure energetic techno, signal sounds, heavy drums. the upcoming ep contains more than 30 minutes quality music. responsible for the two remixes is greek producer endlec. hyperion and leda are also two terms leading into the world of greek myths. is it the bridge to endlec while travelling through space your soundtrack should be the 9 minutes groover of leda - repressed mind & escape to mars remix is the perfect piece to float.

arriving at their 20th release in typically eclectic fashion, nado turn from a laidback luke to a tasmanian devil, summoning synth mystic bronze savage to bring his unique electronics to their unstoppable imprint. hailing from hobart’s piers rather than pavements, the australian producer trades in a sun-bleached house sound alive with ocean spray and salty air, perfect for playing at that magic hour when the sun dips into the sea.

white material crew s galcher lustwerk and alvin aronson return under the guise of studio ost with a 4-track ep of live jams on lustwerk music. while the pair s critically acclaimed 2016 debut scenes (2012-2015) leaned towards home listening, eventide / ascension shifts the focus back to the dancefloor with two chugging cinematic house tracks. eventide is an evolving nebula of fluttering pads and lush percussion, while ascension s hot-electric drums are complimented by sharp synth chords that unfurl into controlled chaos. a beatless version of eventide and a drums only version of ascension sweeten the deal.

fokuz recordings proudly presents the better world lp by powerhouse duo macca & loz contreras. with their classic liquid funk inspired sound the leeds/portsmouth based duo have built a steady reputation as djs and producers pursuing the more soulful end of the drum & bass spectrum. no bombastic kicks and snares here. they tend to stay true to their uplifting ethos through reworking iconic soul samples into danceable feel good grooves underlined by natural-sounding breaks that roll with ease. the better world lp showcases the duo’s best work to date. in addition to a string of new cuts also 4 previous released tracks are included in the package. these works are some of their most highly regarded tracks which obviously couldn’t be left out. the new tracks include a vocal featuring by hannah eve + remixes by lenzman, fd and s.p.y. in addition to their work as a duo this extended album also includes solo efforts by both macca and loz contreras.

spencer parker returns on his own imprint this march with a four-track track release as part two of the three part different shapes and sizes series. following on from the raw and stripped back house jam aesthetic as seen in part one, parker kicks off this techno release with size information a track with driving kicks, subtle atmospherics, and infectious panning percussion. next up is shape deviation, which hones in on a twisted 303 arpeggio and is saturated in white noise and backed up with entrancing drums, before shape fascination goes into full drum machine workout mode with off kilter 808 claps fuelled by a hypnotic synth bass line. size devotion rounds off the release with its raw and distorted kicks and simplistic yet effective mesmeric male vocal samples.

d edges cultured off shoot olga is back with a new ep, radiolarian, from german-bulgarian stefan goldmann. again it is a perfectly well sculpted ep with deep and sleek lines that get right into your head. the man behind it is the co-owner of the excellent macro label and for more than fifteen years has released intricate house and techno sounds. he is a deep thinker and master of hi-fidelity sound design and intricate grooves, so is perfect for this label. radiolarian is first and is seven sublime minutes of tunnelling techno rippled with neon melodies and firefly like pads that burrow into your brain. it is a high tempo and high impact track but a subtle one that works its magic slowly. building to a number of peaks, it then pulls back and the whole thing starts again. on the flip, streams is freaky and unhinged, with weird synth sounds making for a trippy atmospheres as minimal beats roll below. perfectly detailed so as to work on both head as well as heel, it rounds out another fine ep.

over 3 years ago, casey tucker was thrust into the limelight after 15 years in the shadows. never truly getting the recognition for is detroit influenced and post rave sound in the 90s, for those that knoe reissued some of casey s classic material and unearthed some gems on dat in 2013. fast forward to the current day and a recent treasure trove was uncovered and some fresh dats untouched since the late 90s were discovered! ben promptly bought a dat player on ebay and shipped it to casey s home for the un-dusting to commence. fttk has worked with casey to present another round of authentic material spread across a further three eps. the track carpet dancer has been in demand since the fine balance recordings gained deserved attention. originally featuring as the a side on the very first fine balance ep, it evokes all of the emotions that caseys music can muster. juxtaposition is a slower groovy effort with meandering chords, trademark fizzy percussion and topped off with a lush string finale. whatever comes to mind rounds off the ep with a rolling percussive bassline, delicate arps and smooth sweeping pads.

jasss is an outstanding sound artist and dj (playing resident at the mannequin records night in berlin). raw and pure, she returns with an instant-classic second single for death of the machines. es complicado is a percussive a-side driven track, a passionate industrial/futuristic wink to the past, while ‘no chanche’ on the b side is opening a new path for her productions. the mind sick samples from the 1966 bergmans masterpiece persona leave the track - as the movie itself does - in a climax wrapped by a variety of interpretations, moving from tribal new beat rhythms and ending into an acid nightmare. tip!

with a skillet of brooding, deep & melodic releases in his wake for the lobster main label, moomin’s closer imprint and an exceptionally beautiful self-released tape, royer returns to the lobster family with a clutch of super deep, dusty, planes-of-light-through-the-curtain house music that channel a nostalgic optimism into it’s brooding & humming elemental core.
from the fading melancholy memories of clqsse22 (simple version) and it’s more bubbling & swaggering sunday lit reffaaax counterpart, to the sunlight rays cutting and refracting from the facets of d’orr22. each track finds it’s own slot on the spectrum of deep, warm house music.
closer healyrslfw_lee nods to the more beat-oriented royer works, heavy sampling a playful short piano loop and cutting in spoken word segments.

new school electro wunderkind privacy makes his debut on klakson with a dark four tracker that checks all the right boxes. the ep kicks off with four io, a haunting, spacey dubbed out acid roller with lush pads throughout. u can tell and ncsc are both specimens of the finest ebm tradition, re-interpreting the sound for 2017, while shove on the b2 effortlessly transports us into deep, uptempo aquatic electro territory.

maurizio martinucci (aka tez) is being warmly welcomed back into the frigio fold. following his work with most significant beat, a partnership with saverio evangelista of esplendor geometrico, this italian artist, and member of clock dva since 2010, is flying solo on new wings: pragma.

blood money club traxx first offering comes from tempe-based affiliate jock club and comprises of four hennessy-fuelled drum machine workouts fit for the post-recession era. on the a-side jock club delivers two haunting club tools capable of invigorating any life expectancy reducing lock-in. the b-side starts off with an emotional slow jam, before veering into a ruthless collision of hi-fi shape and pain.

electronic emergencies first release in 2017 is histoire dune ame by peine perdue, the acclaimed synthpop/minimal wave duo from paris and berlin. the ep, which is divided into four tableaux, tells a story that was inspired by 80s cult movie therese, directed by alain cavalier, about the mystical suffering of a nun who becomes a saint. expect nebulous acid wave chansons with mysterious french lyrics.

rare and expensive, hard to find 90 s ukg tracks brought to you by plastik people, its a must have for any vinyl collector

if you’re setting out on an epic voyage to the electronic disco universe, it pays to recruit an experienced pilot. when it comes to intergalactic musical fusion, few are quite as experienced as cosmic disco pioneer and noted dancefloor explorer daniele baldelli. produced alongside friend and regular studio partner dario piana, zero gravity cannily updates baldelli’s early ‘80s cosmic disco blueprint for the 21st century. we think that the ep contains some of his strongest music to date, with each of the three cuts offering subtle nods to the italian maestro’s original cosmic club ethos. a-side “infinity machine” expertly combines many of baldelli’s greatest musical inspirations into one mind-bending late night workout. underpinned by a druggy, arpeggio style bassline, the track rises and falls through waves of funk-rock guitars, crunchy clavinet lines and intertwined synthesizer solos. throw in jammed-out electric pianos, and you have a near perfect fusion of cosmic disco and blazed funk-rock. the producer’s long-held love of african rhythms surfaces on “if you drive”, where bold acid bass, ricocheting percussion hits and weightless chords combine beautifully with starry melody lines and vintage analogue synthesizer motifs. it’s afro-cosmic for the nu-disco generation. a fine ep is completed by “air lock”, in which baldelli and piana pepper a rubbery, electrofunk-influenced groove with cascading synthesizer melodies, swirling pads and a swathe of fuzzy, eyes-closed guitar solos. it’s bold and assertive, but also as otherworldly and stratospheric as you’d expect from a pioneer at the peak of his powers.

the second vinyl only release from this impeccable label presents textures of true deep house with vapour rise and the mysterious beings beyond comprehension, a spoken word dedication to the light from a leading authority in the sound healing field, a call for us to find the higher purpose, particularly relevant in these changing times and finally chant of antara (meaning within in sanskrit) a blissful ambient piece created by layers of throat singing and ethereal effects. vapour rises is beautiful, melancholy, meditative, deep house following on from the classics like fingers inc who created the genre so many moons ago. the celestial vocoder vocal version notes our searching for meaning, looking into little light boxes (our phones, computer screens and tvs)

another motive launches its record label with an ep from finnish producer roope karhunen aka mirage man. mirage man has crafted a unique sound exploring a hypnotic and seductive aesthetic within house and techno. the a-side opens up with ‘hiss & hers’ , a soothing-narcotic take on techno with overtones of dub and ambience. followed by a hard-hitting ‘harmoni’, layering crisp drum machines and ethereal synths within a magnetic groove that evolves from raw to rich. the b-side embarks with ‘healing’, composed of shuffling rhythms and subtle streams of warm synth pads that grow into an esoteric climax fitting several styles within one. closing the ep is ‘harmoni’ remix by bnjmn taking the essence of the original and folding it into a kaleidoscope of fractured rhythms and surreal sounds that collide to finish the ep off with a bang

theres a certain ancient mystery to the melodies and feeling of purple hills. gentle, secret, ethereal moods that float invisibly in the spaces its played in. echoes of a familiar dream reverberate behind closed eyes that always remain slightly out of your grasp. chriss vogt’s trip takes you away to that place. a place though that only he knew existed.. until now. yokoo continues to create his own unique vibe. he expressed his love for the track when all day i dream visited morocco. with its groovier approach, it slowly creeps into the consciousness. a crisp drum groove and just a hint at the original’s dominant melodies create a understated new version slightly left of centre. chriss teams up with patrick jeremic for pour eternel. its always summer somewhere and it s dreamy essence charms the listener here. classy house music to take us through winter in the northern hemisphere.

grebenstein is a producer, dj and visual artist living in kassel, germany. after playing in several bands as a drummer and guitarist he made his solo-debut with a 4-track ep on the regis helmed label downwards records in november 2014. the gloss 4 track ep for horo comes after his downwards records follow up strong, proud, stupid, & superior with seefried was released in october 2016. title track gloss centres on percussive crescendos and pensive guitar layers, while self and its version stretch this effect out into a grinding, slow motion introspection. loss closes the ep with serrated drum machine blasts punctuating feedback contortions. the tension throughout the ep is palpable, with the shaping of the tension providing the substance of his signature style. non club tracks for open minded clubs.

kiki gyan’s star didn’t burn long, but it burned bright. drafted into the afro funk super group, osibisa, at 15, he was millionaire by 18 and regarded as one of the best keyboardists in the world by 21. ‘life was good, man,’ he told journalist kweku sakyi-addo. ‘too good!’. in 1983 he dived head first into the new york party scene. he took a lot of drugs, spent a lot of time in clubs and got together a team of crack local musicians to record feelin’ alright, his third and final solo album. all the kiki gyan trademark elements are present and correct. the album is unique a blend of highlife music with electronic funk and disco. ‘rosemary’ follows the formula most closely and was a hit across nigeria and ghana. but on ‘give it to me’, ‘love to love you’ and the title track, you’ll hear a slicker, boogie-influenced sound that has made feelin’ alright one of his most sought-after albums. kiki gyan would never hit such heights again. his addictions eventually took hold and he died aged 47, destitute and alone. feelin’ alright remains one of the brightest stars in his extraordinary constellation.
(peter moore)

name in lights have been organising parties, djing, producing music and running their own label feed for a long time. fact is - they are kind of royalty back in stockholm. after releasing records on under the shade, free association, let s play house, as well as getting remixed by dr dunks and axel boman it s now time to present two tracks on omena. believe it or not but the ties between omena and name in lights go way back. all inclusive is that type or track you would either start or end the night with while post mortem sounds like dj koze and isolee would have a baby together. on this release there are two remixes which completely flip the originals. underground hero samo dj is a force to be reckoned with. with recent releases on the trilogy tapes, public possession and an album on snaker together with maxxxbass he found time to work all inclusive into something completely new. watch out for the end. finally label boss tooli delivers a remix filled with as much rhodes and conga as your heart desires.

super limited taster 12- from detroit based vocalist extraordinaire nikki o ! recent collaborative efforts have brought nikki back into the limelight, following her stunning mini lp on moodymann s mahogani music back in 2005 very little information available on this one, we know only that it s a one-off ahead of a wider released project - but safe to say it s a superb 12-, featuring two versions of new track gotta believe a thumpin house rub sits on the a side, floating the distinctive badu style delivery over a perfectly pitched groove on the flip, we re treated to an inspired rework of an underground boogie gem which suits the vocal like it was meant to be ! first come first served on this one folks - destined for big things !

cosmic club 17s in the house, and for this one skylax have delved deep into the mystic universe of the ultra prolific photonz with a four track ep quite simply out of this dimension ! photonz is the artist name of marco rodrigues, a london-based dj and producer who s been championing the new sound of portuguese house and techno worldwide since the early 2000s. he has done tracks for various labels such as crème organization, unknown to the unknown, hot haus, the -cult- dissident and many more. his first cut -memories of burma- that gave the title to the ep is an infinite groove that builds and builds with arabic synths, a perfect crossover between balearic & old school jackin house. -baronrevxp- & -agape- moves into the same territories with some sharp clap, hi hats and some big retro vintage sounds. while -stealth predator- catches him at his most experimental, upping the tempo and unleashing an ambitious techno juke roller, think about drexcya, 1990s techno, plink plonk and you re not even close ! photonz music sounds extremely big for the big rooms, and still very large indeed for the smaller ones.his music is praised by the chemical brothers, jackmaster, optimo, ivan smagghe, daniel avery, james holden, ewan pearson, auntie flo, tim sweeney, just to name a few. ”memories of burma” ep is not just a cosmic experience, but a voyage into the realms of a producer in a world of his own. must have. essential item. skylax records 4 ever

lady blacktronika : she needs no introduction to the usual skylax heads, after last year’s killer ‘it’s a blacktronika world’ ep, the queen of beatdown returns to the skylax fold with a packed eleven track lp for us. it has got her signature slo-mo grooves, as well as a couple of housier cuts on the back-end of the record. naturally, a lot of these tracks are perfect for the club on their own, whether it’s an early set or a late one, but the lp really stands up on a full run through for home listening too. on the topside of the record, there’s the chugging vibe of “who doctor”, with its whirling synth and sizzling hats perfect for that low light, early mood. then you have the likes of “how i miss my x”, and titular track “a lonely space program”, that both raise the tempo into housier territory. all bases covered, really. this record is a slice of beatdown history, one you’d be a fool to sleep on!

tuamie returns to street corner music with holy ghost spirituals, the third release in scm’s gospel flip series. following jake one and ras_g’s collections, tuamie chops and flips his sanctified selections into raw beats. a no brainer for a tuamie fans, this will not be around long.

* the past is never dead. its not even past. often the reverie rolled on deep into the night, an unflagging, unredundant product of the raconteurial mind.* a few years ago the last 12inch on kristofferson kristofferson. 2017, continuation of the story. rising sun indulges in reminiscences with full of breakbeats, deep house and ambient. special edition of 100 here. 180 grams vinyl, handmade stamps and special cut by dubplates and mastering, berlin.

bosconi extra virgin is proud to launch the first vinyl release by japanese duo spangleman formed by tsukasa kato and ataru nishizaki. their brown ep is a 5 tracker of ultra minimalistic and sophisticated house jams!! first cut is -jimmy-, a broken swingy jazzy track with a deep aquatic rhodes and a slap bass, chasing each other all along the track, reminding some of the trimsound or tom ellis early works. second track of a side goes more straight into an hypnotic deep house track.. which still maintains it s jazzy approach with an original arrangement from beginning to end. the welcoming sound of -ubi-quitous- opens the b side, a broken dubby tune reminding early 90 s atmospheres a la nightmares on wax.. follows up the ultra dry deep after hour track -illusion- sounding like a real jazz jam with drums and contrabass where a quirky voice appearing from time to time, brings you back to reality! the ep ends with the freaky minimal chicagoish jam -chi this ma- , a puzzle of chopped voice and acid samples stuck together so well like only akufen could do.. hard to define a sound for this release, could be minimal, detroit jazzy house.. or more simply just gentleman s house music!

shlomi aber is back on his be as one label with panix ep, this time joined by swedish techno master skudge. keeping the no nonsense techno attitude of his latest nonplus release, panix keeps bearing shlomis relentless, dark and raw signature sound. skudge strips down panix into 2 separate remixes, taking the original into a deeper and back to basics mood, with his known trademark grooves.

this record definitely takes a bit more of a layered approach - natan h offers us yet another unique, immersive, and charismatic release for acid camp records. acid camp records is rolling through again, this time with an artist known for his atmospheric and cosmic-oriented tracks, natan h. conveying inspiration for this record, just a little nod to extrasensory experiences and perception, is undoubtedly fitting for acrs second release. the opening track, atmosphere, breaks away from 4/4 timing with o-kilter drums that traverse into a heavier beat, pushing the track forward just to bring it right back at the end. followed up with a remix from techno serialist, conforce. through his use of a low pass filter, polyrhythms, and fervor conforce delivers a track nothing short of the prototype for driving techno. remote view pt. i turns out an ambient break and taking the listener to a space of the ethereal and planetary. the ep closes with remote view pt. ii, which incorperates layers of hi-hats, delayed strings, and synths that alternate throughout the arrangement in syncopation.

written & produced by roboknob. mixed by stefan goldmann. mastered by rashad becker. info: weve said it before: technos vanguard can be found in the east right now. sofias quirky techno underground is densifying. evolving around the diviat slon parties (residents: stefak & stefan goldmann), the beton nights, the indoors offspins of artmospheric festival and unannounced appearances of kink under his cyrillic guise, raw and rave-infused techno is increasingly defining the citys sound of the small hours. roboknob are part of this movement, and this is their debut ep. a live hardware duo, yasen and stanislav drop rugged, noisy machine jams around the bulgarian capital and have been regulars at artmospheric. the ep’s tracks have been distilled from their live repertoire and mixed by stefan goldmann into sharply defined form with added bite.dexydi is greek for acid - the corrosive liquid, not the music. accordingly, its heavy-handed single-note bass attack will cut through anything.spellbind is more bouncy with frantic upward movements, distorted percussive fallout and a seasick bass foundation. liulka handles two layers of time rubbing off of each other: quirky and pushing high in the sky, against the bass drum mechanics down low. a suitable acoustic symbol for sofias state of techno.

catz n dogz continue to roll out their pets sub label step recordings and follow up a slew of soulheavy dance records from baltra, reno wurzbacher and the analog roland orchestra with a solo ep from fellow polish producer universo. with previous appearances on transatlantyk, the auspicious newcomer slots neatly into the step catalogue in presenting his ‘underworld’ ep: a package of softly glowing lo-fi that fans of baltras recent sophia ep on step will relish. underworld then unfolds at a steady, hypnotic pace as moody, interlocking chords and paired up with a gentle spoken vocal that work together to create a poignant, eyes-down mood. icy strings and a trippy spoken are introduced before kora buta follows up with some warm, swooning sample work. sleeper is next up as distant, meandering thumb pianos and rainy textures colour the tracks fuzzy drums while a glassy, legowelt-esque pad glides overhead.frequenza kicks things off a soft, sizzling pad sent ducking under a rock-hard kick drum.

apparel music return with the introduction of a brand new sub label - apparel tronic. the intention for this new division of sound is to shift focus towards uk-rooted beats, nu-jazz, downtempo and jungle - a collection of styles the label like to term bliss-beat. this treasured and futile basis of influence gives rise to giuseppe dalessandro a.k.a kisk and ludovico schilling schillings new project which they inaugurate with the hella lp from schilling himself: a collection ukindebted dance tracks that meld influences from jungle, breaks and hip hop. originally born in milan - schilling relies on a process he likes to describe as contamination of sound which entails the layering of field recordings and the sounds of his home environment with those of synths, real instruments and samples. this approach brands a clear stamp on his productions and enables him to create a truly singular strand of dance music and its this that glues together the 9 disparate tracks of hella. moving from the cascading breaks of the lps introduction anarcoide to the woozy and textural black lighter - the album begins to build a spectral mood as it progresses. tracks such as flesh is weak and madting draw influence from the golden-era of bristols trip-hop while tracks such as snooker club and viejos delve into more caliginous, idm territory. the result is a rich and varied collection that demonstrates apparel musics unwavering ability to continue to keep listeners guessing.

after leibniz focused on distorted grime and jungle influenced techno on his last records, he is now diving into deeper fields with his first ep for hundert. over the time leibniz has obsessively collected youtube videos that serve him as an audio sample library. be it a review of a lawnmower or people singing to their pets, every track features bits and pieces of sound taken from these videos. by editing and cutting the original material the sounds get implemented into a new musical context.pushing digital algorithms of music software to its limits and over the edge.house and references to contemporary hip hop beats form the skeleton for four hazy out-of-the-ordinary cuts.

new year, new start and a long overdue introduction of some female sensibilities into the slow motion stable. system olympia hails from calabria and was formerly part of london based royalty. you know the drill by now, tear jerking synths, chest crushing bass and that indefinable slow-motion disco swagger that we have made all our own. dance floor, after party, headphones, locked groove tools – we got it covered.

hannulelauri have lain silent for more than half a decade, the finnish duo seeming to have disappeared into musical memory. but thankfully this is not the case. resurrected, the pair return with a quartet of space inspired disco from their vaults. starting off with the warming plinks of -earth-, the duo then dazzle with the laser show of -crossing-. the flip keeps the goodness flowing. -blinds- strips back basslines to let bright bars and strings shine before the playful whimsy of -dream- closes. tracks from a decade ago and still sounding as fresh as ever.

moscoman continues his treisar journey with the stunning snake & pygmy ep.
on the a side lies the gorgeous trance inducing snake in a hat, an uplifting intergalactic voyage gliding through layers of synths, twinkling piano notes and melancholic melodies that skilfully progresses into pure bliss.
on the flip, the pace slows down with pirate of the lost ark. this dark mesmeric number features moscoman’s signature gritty bass style, rolling snare drums and swirling synths all mantled in mind bending effects.
the bpm rises again on the closing track forget the rest, an irresistible amalgam of dreamy keys and rumbling drums, punctuated by a catchy electronic funk.
snake & pygmy is the second of twelve releases for moscoman’s treisar label.

this collection of demos and live recordings from amsterdam/dutch post-punk bands capture the early 80s sound and offer a unique insight into the spontaneous, diy music style of the time. wide representation of styles on here - from driving guitar punk to weird minimal synth, deluxe 180 grams vinyl edition w/ two page insert with info & pics of the bands.big tip for the nl punk collectors and beyond!

the fourth participant in the gost instrument series is ivan erofeev hailing from siberia’s omsk. ivan was producing and releasing music as aleph for the last five years and this is the first ever record issued under his birth name. the author’s distinctive, monotonus yet liquid sound emerges in these two tracks - deep “h island” and polyrhythmic “sahiba”. framed with field recordings made by the man himself, this two-tracker is a hypnotic and atmospheric journey into ivan’s very own creative universe.

early pioneers of the german new wave music scene, din a testbild were formed in 1978 by mark eins and gudrun gut (former member of einstürzende neubauten, mania d. and malaria!). din a testbild played a significant role in defining the avant-garde music of berlin. legendary is their partecipation at the festival genialer dilletanten- in 1981. programm 4 is their fourth album. mixed and auto-produced by mark eins near the wall in west/berlin in 1983, the album was rejected at the time by innovative communication, considered too much synth/punk/techno, while the new label managers were looking more into new age stuff. in fact schulze eventually sold the label in 1983, which started to release a plethora of acts loosely grouped around the nam genre.