another fierce and unique act from the depths of the glasgow underground appear on optimo music with their debut green door studios recorded four track ep. keyboard player jim mckinven was previously in altered images, worked for many years in martin rushent s genetic studios, was in one dove and previously appeared on optimo music as one half of organs of love. he is however but one component of this transgenerational band. they describe their music far better than we could - “seedy electronica, consisting of 2 basses, electronic drums, synths and dark vocals. inspired by the avant-garde that influenced the electronic music scene of the late 70’s and early 80’s.”

mikkel metal returns to copenhagen’s echocord this may with his new mini lp ‘just enough light’, comprising six originals from the danish artist. copenhagen based producer and dj mikkel metal has been a beacon of light in the danish electronic music scene and further afield for nearly two decades now, with the dub techno imprint from his hometown, echocord, being the predominant home for his output, whilst also releasing material on cologne’s kompakt, tartelet, semantica and avant roots, a telling sign of the quality embodied in his work. here though we see mikkel deliver a mini album concept in the shape of ‘just enough light’ and opener ‘awake’ perfectly sets the tone with emotive, dynamically unfolding atmospherics, tension building bass drones and spiraling dub chords subtly easing us into the project. ‘bregnan’ then stirs in some classing dub-techno tropes with billowing stab sequences, lumpy subs and off beat high hats carrying the hypnotic groove for six and a half minutes. ‘jech’ then strips things back to an almost beatless amalgamation of murky chords and modulating synth whirrs. opening the flip side of the release is ‘include’ which embraces a brighter feel via ethereal pad swells, jazztinged synth melodies and bumpy 909 rhythms before ‘konkin’ edges back into the eerie, brooding aesthetic with bubbling echoes, broken drums and menacing bass swells at its core. ‘restore’ then closes the package on a stripped-back vibe, laying focus on an ever- eveolving singular dub chord to ebb and flow around thunderous subs, kicks and bright hats.

the raw jacking sexiness of ghetto house has always played a big role in the killekill universe. so its high time to put out our first release which goes that direction. italian andrew soul is an artist we have been watching for a while already. when he sent the demo with the extremely raw and dirty tunes that you find on the a-side of this 12inch, the decision was easy: killer stuff which makes you bounce immediately we want to put this out! the b-side comes from dirtbox, who is also one half of snuff crew and therefore has been part of the killekill family for a while already. actually almost from the start. being the musical wizard he is, he can not only make house and acid music and anything else you could think of, but also class a ghetto house. maybe even more classic than andrew souls side but ranging from the percussive style of smmfd and work that to the raw energy of fukk it is definitely in no way less original. shake dat ass!

so you wanna be a star 24 carat disco gold from 1980 right here. mtume, led by legendary jazz percussionist and all-round musical visionary james mtume had a number of massive hits and can count quite a few classics within their repertoire ( juicy fruit anyone?). this flawlessly arranged, funk drenched jam speaks on the dangers of living life too fast and relying on those who can t be trusted. remember, this was the beginning of the 1980s, the disco era had began to fade amidst the drug hazed excesses of the previous decade, while the music continued forging it s path skyward with tremendous records like this one. so you wanna really has a message and that s not surprising considering it has one of the most underrated production teams behind it in the shape of mtume / lucas. a true gem of the post-disco era. essential and rare. this repress of the original epic promo from 1980 is backed with a brand new re-edit from one of nyc s disco kings mr.k aka danny krivit. with almost half a century spent behind the turntables in nyc and beyond he surely understands records like so you wanna be a star intrinsically, he was, after all, there when it all happened! this classic has been legally reissued by above board distribution in conjunction with the legal rights holders sony music entertainment. this high quality repress features original epic label disco 12inch artwork and has been remastered from sonys original sources by optimum mastering, bristol uk.

47015 is vsk s second solo ep on 47, after last year s debut 47011. it s the label s 7th solo release following headless horseman s 47014 earlier this year. the 12- vinyl and digital download drop on 20th april. multiverse wastes no time and states its intentions like a snarled warning of up-tempo complex drumming. the density and rush of first evidence continues the broken-beat dancefloor battery. eternal (chaotic) inflation visits the oceanic and half-time territories of dnb-paced jagged rhythm. and the final drive of occam s razor slows its drums to a stepping hallucination.

(2lp gatefold + mp3) simon mills rose to musical prominence as one half of electronic duo bent, alongside production partner neil nail tolliday. harmonic jigsaws vol. 1 is the first studio album released under his own name, having released solely as napoleon for the best part of a decade. the album follows on from several disco-tinged eps and a blissful remix of camelphat and elderbrooks hit cola, one of the biggest club tracks of 2017.

oddmann recordings is a new london based label run by half baked s greg brockmann and production partner odd soul under their oddmann alias. having already forged their own very unique minimal techno sound, here they bring a superb three tracker with tunes aimed squarely at the dance floor, both at peak time and also those creepy dark after-hours moments

a collaboration of seismic proportions, we present “the last renegade” from safire, dlr & drs, backed with two experimental dlr forays called “dreaming of a place”. sinister, brooding and shaped with intent, “the last renegade” sees safire & dlr combining to create a half time beast, with the piercing vocals of drs a perfect fit. developing the dreamland themes from his last album, dlr explores dub and techno influences and more downtempo vibes on two mixes of “dreaming of a place”. digressing from the more typical dispatch format, dlr, along with safire & drs, express their artistic freedom to display the depth in quality within the label today.
for the vinyl heads, there will be a limited run of heavyweight clear vinyl pressed, shrink-wrapped within a bespoke, full colour sleeve.

the past few years have seen berlins frag maddin release material on waze & odysseys w&o street tracks, rough recordings and egg londons what came first as well as offering up a remix on roog & dennis quins ep for madhouse where her returns to here for a full ep featuring remixes from fellow berlin based acts black loops and kevin over. taking the lead on the package is the zauberflo&#776,te with its skippy hi-hats, hooky organ licks, hypnotic rhodes melodies and vocal cuts all further fuelled by a snaking sub-bass groove to create a slice of authentic house for one of the leading labels of the genre. black loops turns in a remix of the zauberflo&#776,te next, stripping things back to a deeper, more refined feel with spiraling, filtered elements of the original wandering around swinging 909 drums to create a groove-drive counterpart to the original. focus opens the latter half of the package, the second original from frag maddin which employs chugging square wave bass tones and dynamically evolving drums alongside tension building strings and choppy stabs before keving over closes the package with his gritty take on focus, featuring crunchy drums, dusty chords and cleverly arranged string and key samples.

vigram, a new viennese label, debuts with a strong three track ep by dan lodig, also known under his lok 44 moniker and as one half of /dl/ms/. dan s ms-45 ep features two hazy and playful original cuts on the fringe of techno and electro. pinn 487 builds tension with doomy sci-fi synths, welcome repetitions are broken up by frantic hi-hat patterns creating a dialogue, while watery acidlines support the beat. can t stop breaks with the four to the floor paradigm and delivers raunchy electro rhythms with intersecting acid lines topped by ethereal sounds for the curious minds. comes with a massive spesimen remix on the flip!! essential stuff..

london band tomaga are back with their fourth release under the hands in the dark banner: memory in vivo exposure. the 12inch ep consists of four original tracks and yet another new musical evolution for the duo. whilst they still use complex layering and harmonic polyrhythms in developing their original approach, this time the sonic tales they have shared are much more cinematic and dreamlike. these visions are locked up into emotionally charged loops to convey the sensation of a dream in which half remembered things become new zones of feeling.

xor gate is the brainchild of heinrich mueller, one half of drexciya and dopplereffekt.
silver colour print sleeve.
in linguistic or electronic logic, the xor gate designates a device, digital or grammatical, which outputs a value only when two di ering inputs are fed into it. this can be summed up with the formula “one or the other but not neither, nor both.” a conic section is a shape created as a plane intersects a cone. this can result in di erent figures such as a circle, an ellipse, a parabola or a hyperbola. conic sections is here composed of eight themes, or shapes, over which waveform and synthesis entirely merge with human emotions. the line is blurred. these eight themes are intertwined, forming one long musical string. the line is forever blurred. conic sections was commissioned by artcenter south florida in miami, for the an image exhibit

having recently relocated to the remote redwood forests of northern california in order to set up a satellite mixing studio for his old stomping ground, glasgows green door studio, sordid sound system returns to invisible inc with 4 cuts of psychedelic dungeon disco. the ep opens with his most blissed out track to date die ewige nacht, an eight and a half minute inverted sun ritual based around shimmering cascades of dubbed up electronic percussion and an overdriven tintinnabulated fm arp. hi-nrg meets 80s b-boy electro on crescent city with a careering off-road excursion into tripped out mutant carnival cavalcade territory. dia de muertos offbeat eerie percussion and driving low frequencies are met with spectral buzzing melodic refrains from the furthermost reaches of a decaying oaxacan cemetery. the acid drenched ambient lullaby you & me brings proceedings to a fittingly fucked up close. sordid sound syste’s last release on invisible inc, 2017s fear eats the soul, received plays and praise from the likes of manfredas, trevor jackson, sascha funke, optimos jd twitch and thomas von party.

reaching its 15th release, amphia sees the return of cezar lazar’s double ep, intuitively called “archetypes”. known for his innovative approach both behind the decks and productions, cezar’s creative alter-ego enacts a variable puzzle with hard-edged sonic pieces laid out over five tracks, each with their own distinct acoustic palette. side a holds “equtime”. this side-long track envelops a stripped-down melody with perforated rhythmical pads, fleshed out with disconnected threads of vocals. side b is dedicated entirely to “badgervox”. displaying a weighty bass section alongside the shuffled percussion work, its intricate melody is integrated smoothly creating a unique soundscape. “thicken court” holds the first half of side c. sharp in its composition, it holds an assorted percussion ensemble and a collection of fizzy waveforms. they complement a thunder-like bass protagonist that holds the center stage. we continue with “boe dark”, where textures and sharp tones grow in layers upon layers creating tension. the apex is reached when modular timbres are hindered by sparse piano patterns, completing this electro-acoustic scenery. on the flipside, “wedmar” holds the key to our puzzle with its accurate four-to-the-floor feat. with a series of programmed overlapping organ vibes, the sound feels both piercing and intense, creating a sort of sensory impairment. “archetypes” displays cezar lazar s gentle subtleties and fluency in different dialects of idm.
(text by: bianca iulia)

the much anticipated debut album from 22 year old bristol-based electronic singer songwriter henry green, which follows his two critically acclaimed eps. inspired by the likes of rhye, nils frahm and john hopkins, half of the album was recorded in berlin with nico rebscher (aurora, alice merton) and the rest co-produced by henry and his friend jack shuter in bristol.

louie vega joins forces with the martinez brothers and revered salsa singer hector lavoe this february for shut the door. the martinez brothers have rapidly become two of the most in demand djs and producer across the globe and here we see them make a welcome return to their cuttin headz imprint for one of their most accomplished projects to date. collaborating with the infamous house aficionado and one half of masters at work, louie vega whilst the vocal additions come courtesy of puerto ricos hector lavoe, one of the most revered salsa singers in the history of the genre. the tmblv main mix of shut the door opens, offering a refined house feel fuelled by smooth chord swells and organic percussion as hector lavoe’s vocal contributions ebb and flow through the rolling groove. a tmblv main instrumental follows, stripping away the vocal contributions to the heady groove alone. the martinez brothers up-tempo energy fuelled production then shines through on the tmblv beats mix offering their dynamic and intricate drum arrangement style whilst the processing the latin vocals from hector lavoe showcases louie vegas finessed additions to the composition. lastly a tmblv beats instrumental closes, again tipping the focus solely over to the swinging drums and snaking subs

crackazat returns to local talk with a second single from his album rainbow fantasia. this time two of the stand out tracks sundial and holding you close get the remix treatment by groove assassin and waajeed ! first up is nick moss aka groove assassin, his take on sundial is a rousing rhythm of soulful house that comes bumping in. he kept the essence of the original track but also added some lovely keys, it sure hits that sweet spot and you re hooked for the full seven and a half minutes. on the flip former slum village and platinum pied piper beat maker and producer-extraordinaire waajeed turns holding you close into something imaginative with its layered percussion, jammed keys and vocal arrangement. its every bit as clever as you d expect from a producer that always approaches music with a fresh perspective. to complete the package is also the original of holding you close.

the bug goes head to head with burial for two bass-bin heaters that is flame 1, cementing the first release on his freshly formed label pressure. following on from the bug’s recent sidewinding 12 inches for ninja tune and a colossal album recorded with earth, fog / shrine is possibly kevin martin’s most soundsystem decimating collaboration yet, joining forces with the most elusive figure within the uk underground and hyperdub mainstay, burial. ‘fog’ rolls along at half-speed steppers tempo, submerged deep within the roots n future aesthetic of the bug’s signature beats, yet perfectly balanced by burial’s hollowed out and haunted night vision. ‘shrine’ delves deeper inwards with the beats slowed to a crawl, the bassline hanging heavy in an atmosphere thick with smoke. the vinyl comes in thick grey card discobag with download code included.

the red hook grain terminal is a post-industrial unit overlooking brooklyn that serves as a pillar of the recent work of sound-artist, jordan edge. inorganic is a collection of organic sounds that have been degraded by inorganic spaces and working methods. the listener is situated in a three-dimensional world where the deterioration of sound is equal to the creation of the content itself. a world of dampened acoustics, half destroyed spaces, dead room tones and manipulated environmental surroundings.

after the first vinyl release (analog dub sessions) dub communication is back on 7”. this time frenk is using his korg ms20 to lay down an analog militant dub bass foundation. creating subs, stabs and catchy melody lines. a live played melodica, dipped in spring verbs, adding a human touch to the mix. futhermore we got atmospheric chords and heavy drums rhythms, as we know, frenk likes to produce. for the b side, there’s a heavy remix from belgium dub producer digid. his signature bass growl takes over, filtering and phasing through the audio spectrum. he adds more weight to the drums and new melodies on top. from the half time to the steppers rhythm as frenk took it the other way around.

deeptrax proudly present the first various artists sampler on deeptrax records called deep series 1. after receiving demos from artists all over the world we found beautiful tracks that would fit perfectly together on a great sampler for home listening or proper dj massacre.
mcm starting off with a minimalist analogue techno groover. that flows into a great atmospheric acid track from lowe ake user. next to that, the mysterious 1989...
the b side of this ep is more focussed on minimalistic house music. one half of tsempoo named tserg already did his wonderful debut ep on deeptrax. together with a friend he releases music under his second alias named tsempoo. rich p, who will do multiple releases on deeptrax ending the ep with a simplistic though wonderful handcrafted techno. an ep full of heavy drum rhythms, moody synth lines and ambient soundscapes throughout.
limited to 250 copies pressed at deepgrooves!

the second of march’s trio of killer polytechnic youth 45s is a mighty extended piece of slow building berlin school-esque electronica extended over 2 sides of a 33rpm disk, recorded by adam leonard, initially from a batch of 18 tracks recorded at varying times over the last six years.
“entkommen” is his first release for the label here, and both artist and label rather liked the idea of one extended track across two sides of a 45, whereby the listener must flip the disc at a half way point to continue the piece. it struck us as increasingly unusual and works a treat here...
adam has amassed a number of acclaimed releases in varying styles, and across a number of esteemed labels over the years. last year’s full band release “invaderband” being shortlisted for a northern ireland music prize 2017 and was 6music recommended. not to mention previous releases in collaboration with the owl service and p.g six.
his electronic home recordings are all well worth investigating and polytechnic youth proudly releases the first fruits of those sessions right here. a numbered, limited edition vinyl only 7” hand numbered to 250 copies.

support: Âme, aurora halal, carl craig, drumcell, electric indigo, ilario alicante, richie hawtin, slam, subjected...
after 2 long years, michal wolski is back with his second release for international day off. from what we can hear, we re definitely sure that at least half of this time he wasn t leaving his studio. the music just sounds big, 4 fat tracks, including remix from gathaspar, is a heavy based techno stream, making every cardiovascular system pumping more blood. thanks to the fact that michal apart from production was responsible for mastering, we guarantee that this ep will generate the appropriate sound pressure from every speaker so be careful with the volume knob!

part of the current crop of artists spearheading the uk acid revival, posthuman s output has evolved over the years, encompassing many genres & styles from their early electronica releases, to their later acid & slow-mo techno. their debut release in 2000 was a series of hand made cds simply called -posthuman- (though better known by the colour of the card inserts grey, black, blue and brown). the duo then went on to host a number of parties in an abandoned underground train station in london between 2001 and 2004, and founded their own label seed records (2) with which they released 3 albums and several other releases of their own and other artists material. they also were the first act on manchester based imprint skam s smak sublabel. doherty left seed records to help relaunch uk techno imprint b12 records in 2006, and started a new label balkan vinyl in 2010. in 2007, doherty founded london-based acid house retrospective clubnight i love acid- where posthuman are monthly resident djs. in 2014 the clubnight launched a vinyl-only label of the same name. he also performs as agt rave cru and as one half of altern 8 live shows since 2015.

very limited repress! stomping grounds is back with some new recruited talent, that will definitely make you give this record a few spins. first track is from jay bliss, a deep and moody techno track. second track is from s.a.m., a guy who has been making waves in the past few years on some of the most respected undergound record labels. flip the record and you will find a trippy track from vlad radu, half of the vrac project, who is also been featured on rhadoos fabric mix.

***
the ground you walked on
twenty years ago.
a dash of daylight.
dawn words and the vacuum
of silent panic.
***

so low is an occasional night in glasgow run by iona fortune, jd twitch, katie shambles and becky marshall. so low is strictly for creatures of the night and plays music that could perhaps be described by the words dark waves / cold waves / minimal synthesis / maximal industrial / lo-nrg / forgotten flemish goth bands, teutonic apocalyptic beats +++ it is now also a label, administered by optimo music. the third release on so low is a 5-track ep from ian hicks, formerly one half of soft metals. ian also appeared on our “now & then” compilation ep. here he commands his own release and sets the synths to stun with 5 tracks of analogue waves ranging from the xtc bliss out of “character collapse” and “depths of psyche” to the shockwave klang of “chemical environments” and “specter”, perhaps leaving the very best to last with the ultimate hypno, sex slug groove of “continuous”. subliminal vocals. wrecked drum boxes. synths spiralling. full colour picture sleeve designed by so low collective member and acclaimed glasgow artist katie shannon.

the fourth studio album by minneapolis-based rapper dessa.

following mor elian s cymatic ring ep, fam02 is coming up by rhyw, a 4 track ep following his most recent release on avian, rhyw, (also one half of cassegrain) presents a different side of himself while reinforcing his approach to techno. this ep is directed at the dance floor while still maintaining his signature sound design and raw sound combining broken beats and subtle melodies. written, produced and mixed by alex tsiridis

few traces surveys a near decade of mark renner’s scarcely released and unreleased material from 1982 to 1990, embracing and evoking the timelessness of his artistic statement: a wordless translation of the individual’s musical experience, met with the poetic expression of being here. the double vinyl release comes with download code and booklet with extensive liner notes from brandon soderberg and unseen ephemera.

following on from his debut ep on drumcode earlier this year, ilario alicante returns. for the past few years ilario alicante has enjoyed something of an unintentional ibiza kinship with adam beyer. when the swede played his special annual sets on the amnesia terrace for cocoon, for three years out of four, the italian has been right there playing alongside him, ensuring his talents were on the radar of the drumcode chief. ilario made his first appearance on the label in 2016 with the stirring temporary featuring on a-sides vol.4, before securing his first full-length release with the awakened ep that dropped earlier this year. figures & echoes deepens his contribution to the label with half a dozen powerful cuts. figure of ra opens the ep, combining a rousing vocal loop, pulsating beats and effective melodic interlude to fantastic effect. the acid runner follows and is true to its name, characterised by echoing vocal effects that lead to a piercing 303-line that hits with peak-time power. virgos echoes features a persistent synth line that combining effectively with lush layers of melody to create an atmospheric impact. third eye delivers an exhilarating dose of rave thanks to the hypnotizing riff that runs throughout.

keyfacts: zwei schwarze heavyweight lps in wide-spine sleeve inklusive mp3-donwloadkarte
dj, produzent und labelchef george fitzgerald veröffentlicht sein mit spannung erwartetes neues album „all that must be“! -all that must be- wartet mit hochkarätigen kollaborationen mit lil silva, bonobo und tracey thorne auf. es beleuchtet 18 lebensverändernde monate in denen fitzgerald den vielbeschworenen hedonismus der deutschen hauptstadt hinter sich gelassen hat, um ein leben als frisch gebackener familienvater und produzent in london aufzunehmen. mit einem faszinierenden musikalischen erzählbogen vereint er die unterschiedlichsten emotionalen zustände und injiziert seiner musik eine tragische pop-note. drama trifft frohsinn. nachdenklichkeit tanzt mit ausgelassenheit. ein ausbalancierter longplayer, der im clubnebel genauso funktioniert, wie bei einer nächtlichen autofahrt durch verlassene bezirke einer x-beliebigen großstadt dieser welt.

keyfacts zwei gelbe heavyweight lps in wide-spine sleeve mit exklusivem artwork und mp3-donwloadkarte
ltd edition! dj, produzent und labelchef george fitzgerald veröffentlicht sein mit spannung erwartetes neues album „all that must be“! -all that must be- wartet mit hochkarätigen kollaborationen mit lil silva, bonobo und tracey thorne auf. es beleuchtet 18 lebensverändernde monate in denen fitzgerald den vielbeschworenen hedonismus der deutschen hauptstadt hinter sich gelassen hat, um ein leben als frisch gebackener familienvater und produzent in london aufzunehmen. mit einem faszinierenden musikalischen erzählbogen vereint er die unterschiedlichsten emotionalen zustände und injiziert seiner musik eine tragische pop-note. drama trifft frohsinn. nachdenklichkeit tanzt mit ausgelassenheit. ein ausbalancierter longplayer, der im clubnebel genauso funktioniert, wie bei einer nächtlichen autofahrt durch verlassene bezirke einer x-beliebigen großstadt dieser welt.

the second release from copenhagen’s euromantic offers half-light techno for the discontent youth.

norwegian duo smerz had a prolific 2017, which saw the copenhagen-based henriette and catharina play the likes of club 2 club, moma ps1, sell out half life parties of their own, as well as release five new tracks along with five self-directed videos. clearly not ones to wait around, smerz go in to the new year with their have fun ep on the horizon for release via xl recordings in march 2018. with their unique electronic sound blending deconstructed club music, minimalist r&b and experimental pop and techno, smerz are also prolific djs who s djing style takes a similar route. mixing live vocals over their own music and interlaced with choice cuts aimed squarely at the dancefloor, this duo dj hard in a live setting and are thrilling to watch as well as listen. smerz currently host their own monthly nts radio residency, mixing cutting-edge dance music and darker tones, in what is turning in to their trademark style.

ep3: mov clsr is the third and final piece in a trilogy of releases, exploring the libraries of spaceks recent hard drives. encompassing house, footwork, techno, garage and broken beat the legendary vocalist and producer has amassed a wealth of tracks created mostly on iphone and ipad. south london to the core yet globally inspired, his off kilter swing and free flowing approach to music has always set him apart from the pack. from his work with j.dilla (eve/dollar) to his collaboration with mark pritchard as one half of africa hitech, steve spaceks creative output has always been a million miles ahead.

bar 25 music proudly presents this 12inch-ep from benno blomes forthcoming album >night shots<, including three remixes. remixed by dachshund from geneva and tigerskin from berlin, >white flag< is a deep tune, full of 909 drum sounds with a reduced melodic synth-line that sidles seductive through its performance. >we come in peace<, is pitched way down in dachshunds fantastic mix. in tigerskins version, it disappeared, instead layering the hook line into a warm, dubby groove monster. >spherical aberration< goes deep, yet remains pretty club-compatible in its original version. it has found a superb remix by jiggler from berlin. he is also known as one half of channel x, and is pushing the theme into its boundaries and is capable to set any floor on fire. this 4-track-vinyl ep is a preview in reference to bennos full length album >night shots<, to be released in february 2018, also on bar 25 music. stay tuned...

the grand, sweeping sonic explorations of “pretoria”, from john matthias and jay auborn’s 2017 album “race to zero”, are given new life on this four-track remix ep.
moon gangs (better known as william young, keyboardist in bristol-based electronic outfit beak>) takes the reins first, delivering a thunderous take on the original’s faster-paced second half. typically of the artist, the track builds and builds in intensity, climaxing with an apocalypse of emotional, layered synths.
bristol’s cuts strips back the elements for a much darker reworking. a single, repeating piano note echoes into wide, open space alongside the original’s antique violins before clattering percussion and synths enter the mix for the most foreboding turn of the release.
closing the ep, former mogwai member john cummings also bases his reinterpretation around the original’s piano. but where cuts leans on moody darkness, cummings take is more upbeat, courtesy of a driving four to the floor kick and fidgety, high-pitched piano.

fuzzed out and psychedelic covers of rare and classic tracks performed by san francisco’s monophonics. monophonics are back with a six-song ep that fuses the complimentary and explosive soul, rock and funk influences, proving themselves to be the rightful inheritors of the bay area’s impressive psychedelic soul sound. mirrors is comprised entirely of cover tunes, except that i doubt you’ve ever heard of half the deeply funky and soulful originals that inspired these soulful, tastefully produced, and timeless monophonics treatments. “we wanted to do a couple songs that were more familiar to people and then shine some light on groups we’re big into,” lead singer, keyboardist and co-producer kelly finnigan explains. it takes a lot of guts to cover your favorite songs, your van jams, that song you play as a shot of inspiration to break-up a marathon studio session. “not only are these great songs, but these are artists that we listen to and are influenced by.”

r.kitt is not a man of half measures. his approach to making tracks is all about an obsession with the philosophy of a dancefloor and how to communicate that in a musical moment. the result is tingle, a fully realised four track ep, showcasing unique slices of soulful house, progressive yet warmly familiar.

the identity of belgian mystery man beton is a complete mystery to us. what we do know is that twin turbo owner/assistant webmaster tiga has called this record the best release of the past five years. even when you consider that tiga believes he experiences time differently from the rest of us, that still means the soundtrack of your life for the past half-decade has been straight-up garbage in comparison. since most djs wont even listen to a record if they dont like the track descriptions, we realize a lot is riding on the next paragraph. acid-electro bomb directions is a collaboration with wevie stonder, who call themselves an absurdist electronic music collective, which youd have to agree sounds like a lot of fun. meanwhile, keep breathin completely redefines the term pump-bumpin pumper, and features vocals from dance mania ghetto house legend dj deeon. twin turbo keeps puttin hot mp3s in your pocket, offering maximum value for your hard-won digital nickels. as far as we know, youve earned it.

up next from the rhythm büro label is an ep from cyspe, who might be better known as robin koek or for being one half of the almighty dutch techno duo artefakt. rb003 marks a special occasion for the label in releasing a full ep from a single artist. “after this world” seems to proceed forward fittingly on the same path once paved by cyspe’s debut record “amnesia”, released on koek’s own label, insula, in 2014.

as the wind whistles through your hair, everything passes you by in a blur. faster and faster you go, faster and more terrifyingly into the abyss you fall. you scream with a mixture of panic and joyful abandon half wanting this to never end but knowing that it will anytime now: a smile creeps across your face. and as it ends, you breathe a sigh of relief, wistfully remembering with powerful emotive accuracy before hurriedly joining the back of the queue for another go - after all, it s just a ride. life is very much like the blitzbahn . it goes up and down, round and round and for much of the ride, we never know what s going to happen. here on his fifth studio album, oliver schories explores all the fun of the fair across 13 expansive cuts that showcase his incredible knack for straddling that house/techno mid-point with consummate ease. some artists take years to craft their albums, agonising over every detail before, frustratingly, deleting the whole project and starting again. oliver, however, is as prolific as he is confident of his ability to construct the kind of dance floor bombs that have helped him to build a significant head of steam in the underground.

experimental spanish composer and multi-instrumentalist pepo gala&#769,,,n makes his vinyl debut with an exquisite record of carefully orchestrated ambient pieces.

pale blue, the duo of elizabeth wight and mike simonetti, released their debut album too much critical acclaim back in 2015. they come together once again with their latest ep you stopped dying due to drop on crosstown rebels in february. the you stopped dying ep takes influence from shoegaze groups like slowdive and my bloody valentine and moves it to the dance floor. the result is a strange hybrid that some have called technogaze. this would never work if liz wasnt such a strong vocalist. her amazing vocal range makes it easy. mike simonetti pale blue is a hypnotic affair, the driving bass sitting perfectly under wight’s powerful yet ethereal vocals. daughter of babylon takes the record into heavier techno territory with its thudding bass and wights breathy vocals delicately layered over the top. on the flip side love is an unapologetically industrial number with screeching synths that echo around wights vocals. simonetti and wight have each earned their musical stripes in their own rights. simonetti founded the hugely popular italians do it better as well as his own successful record label, 2mr. he’s released a slew of records on highly regarded imprints such as me me me, correspondant and public release, and enjoys a fruitful career as a touring dj, which shows no sign of abating. wight has previously lent her exhilarating vocals to the west coast band, silver hands of which she was once one half

an enticing taste of the upcoming debut album ‘eventual reality’ by the james l’estraunge orchestra. brainchild of scottish producer ricky reid, pianist on both 6th borough project albums and one half of the soul renegades alongside craig smith, the james l’estraunge orchestra is “the band that never was”, lovingly pieced together from a series of late-night studio sessions with some incredibly talented jazz and classical players. best described as jazz arranged with dance music sensibilities, the james l’estraunge orchestra sound is warm and organic, atmospheric and at times somewhat bleak, a perfect reflection of the remote log cabin in which it was created. immediately iconic both musically and lyrically, ‘closer’ is a powerful commentary on today’s self-regarding, materialistic world with a strong message of hope for a better tomorrow. combining lush, live instrumentation and climactic, cinematic composition, closer’s emotive, almost springsteen-like vocals are performed by ricky reid himself. ‘groovin’ you’ covers a classic from harvey mason: a bass led, heavyweight instrumental jazz-dance workout featuring some impressive brass and woodwind solos bolstered by spine- tingling string swells and tight, rolling drums.

part 2 of darren allen’s discobar debut takes us on four more precision mindtrips, exploring further the technological influences found in part 1. on ‘atonement’, clattering percussive and plunging bass come laced with a stinsonesque synth line, creating a flightier vibe. the distorted hum of hardware-gone-haywire introduces ‘scanners’, a convulsed tribute to the cronenburg classic that rounds out this ep in typically trippy style.‘tv sickness’ is a post-perlon prowler, the softened shuffle of its first half returning with renewed vigour after a woozy mid-track breakdown, then reprised in a beatless coda.

excise is thrilled to host san francisco underground xture max gardner on the label’s 3rd vinyl release. max runs the legendary californian party crew direct to earth and he’s equally a hypnotic dj selector and highly skilled synthesist. as you’ll see on this release max’s tracks are not only excellent dj tools but also deeply interesting for close-listening: truly unique electronic music dif culty to pigeonhole into a genre. “mona loops” is an immersive experience on club speakers as an eerie high-pitched synth line twists in unexpected ways over powerful waves of bass. next max remixes label co-owner muon’s track “kmc” redefining its raw elements into a blitzing four and half minute romp held together by a jagged low-mid frequency lead line. “broken pinkies” is hard to de ne. all we can say is it embodies the feeling of the san francisco all night underground world more than any single song in recent memory. it begs for repeat listening. yan cook joins the excise family for a banging remix of “broken pinkies”almost shocking in its spin off the original. we’re huge fans of yan over here and this track embodies what we love most about his productions - groovy but with serious bite.

ilija rudman presents andre espeut tears to sound featuring ron trent mix over the last decade and a half, ilija rudman has been responsible for many high quality releases, delivering distinctly warm, sun-kissed, analogue-rich material on labels including bearfunk, instruments of rapture, compost , 20/20 vision, electric minds, is it balearic recordings, rong music , classic music company and of course, his own red music imprint.