12inch sleeve designed and hand screen printed by alex from cassegrain. arcing seas is back with arcs-03, a unique ep of selected tracks from the first two releases, remixed by the mover, peder mannerfelt and shifted. first up, rave and techno legend the mover presents his first new material since 2009. after using the slogan “see you in 2017&#8243,,,, for years before, this marks the start his return. he turns trappist into a hard hitting electro workout using original parts that explode and punish the senses. peder mannerfelt introduces the b-side with his take on skull gun. broken beats and exciting percus-sion sit atop deep kicks, disorientating quick fire samples and rapid snares, showing how versatile and on-point he is. finally, shifted is called into action with a signature deep-sonic soundscape. rumbling kicks and high frequency textures occupy the sound field, alongside reverberating samples from vultures, making it his own. label info: arcing seas is an anagram of cassegrain. it started out as a secret alias, releasing a couple eps on our circula sound. the secret was less well kept after the duo appeared at berghain under this name.

trusme gets the remix treatment from answer code request, ben sims & pangaea. this is the first of two eps featuring remixes of tracks from the trusme planet 4 album. answer code request takes our future into new territory with two outstanding mixes. remix 1 moves things to a much more sinister & foreboding place. tightening the feel & tension of the original with all the hallmarks of classic berlin techno. remix 2 winds up & coils the track into a searing workout of early 90s hardcore breakbeat. ben sims takes control of ring round heart, pushing the tempo & creating a whole new urgency in the track. this is proper no nonsense heads down business & tight as you like. the mix builds excellently well & manages to produce an epic amount of feel and emotion, dropping in & out of the groove with a sneaky breakbeat & vocal dubs. pangaea tackles one of the albums more esoteric tracks in the unexplained. he manages to work a wonderfully intriguing steppers beat which drops from nowhere after the highly beguiling metronomic extended opening. the tracks are getting plenty of play & plaudits from likes of ben ufo, dj deep, bicep & anthony parasole.

one of the very first artists to begin recording in jamaica, derrick morgan is beloved as a ska icon and a pioneer of the ‘skinhead reggae’ style. blessed with a rich, deep tenor, which with he belts out his clever and often humorous lyrics, morgan became known on the kingston music scene through vere johns’ regular talent contests, and enjoyed a lengthy run of hits during the 1960s for producers such as simeon smith, duke reid and clement ‘sir coxsone’ dodd (among others), cultivating a popular vinyl feud with prince buster after being brought into leslie kong’s camp by the young jimmy cliff. morgan moved to england during the late 1960s to capitalise on the skinhead reggae craze, but was back in jamaica from the early 1970s, and since bunny lee was his brother-in-law, the two have always maintained a close working relationship. people decision, voiced at king tubby’s studio for lee and released by third world in 1977, sees morgan in politicised roots reggae mode on songs like ‘let’s build a better jamaica,’ the symbolic racetrack drama ‘racing at ballistic park,’ and the title track, which all boosted the socialist policies of the ruling people’s national party, ‘natty dread forward out of babylon’ updates the ‘tougher than tough’ saga, and there’s a slew of rude tunes when you flip the disc, including ‘my dickie,’ ‘rough grinder’ and ‘ride manny fanny.’

the much lauded no.19 music serves up another excellent all canadian affair for its next ep:behind it is producer & label co-owner nitin, with remixes from live specialist the mole and labelboss jonny white aka art department who serves up his own hypnotic take on things.no.19 music has been going back to its roots recently, bringing to the fore a steady stream ofincredible underground music from torontos sons & daughters. 2016 closed out with thestandout single, full circle from art department in collaboration with ad/d, seeing supportacross the board for the return of jonny whites much loved moniker. however it is the longstanding partnership of white & nitin that is the true central pillar of the no.19 story, and its thelatter that offers up here what is almost certainly his most impressive work to date

c.vogt s and patrick jeremics minds work in loopy circles. endless grooves that take you off in to the wild blue. vilá is by far the strongest of the bunch. capturing that moment where the sun peaks over the horizon in some far off land. reminiscent of the days when trance wasn t a dirty word. vice takes you up in to a place where people s faces beam with positive emotion. trippy melodies roll the track ever forward while snapshot samples of the cops radio communications drift in and out of the tight groove. ekstasis is a head nodding, eyes closed journey towards your inner self. listen to the guru and do what he says. get weird people!

fourth floor was a major us player in supporting the london garage scene in the late nineties. responsible for very early releases from todd terry (known as masters at work at the time) the imprint also released seminal classics from fallout, the morning after and arnold jarvis, take some time out both of which made the cut for this double 12inch release. included on this 8-track package are some contemporary edits from luke solomon of rhythm faktor dream on (organ grinder mix) and love root funky emotions (another mix), plus outstanding records from royal orchestra, m.o.d.e., bamboo and the break boys. 4 to the floor presents fourth floor records is part of the 4 to the floor series. lovingly selected and compiled by luke solomon, the 4 to the floor series also delves into the movin records, sub-urban, faya combo, soulfuric and slip n slide catalogues, digging for those lightbulb moments of musical discovery. fulfilling his role as your friendly record shop assistant, lukes 4 to the floor series comes correct with brand new vinyl lp collections and digital albums from these now legendary house labels, plus official label merch to accompany all of the releases, for that full rack-raiding experience.

tobias. returns to ostgut ton with his third full length eyes in the center and expands the musical narrative laid out by his helium sessions ep (o-ton, 2016). the berghain resident keeps exploring the vast modular synth-driven techno, experimental and ambient territories on a journey in-between genres. tobias freund is long established as an influential artist and has – since the early 1990s – been working as a professional producer, sound engineer, label owner and strictly live musician. besides his early solo projects (such as pink elln, metazone or phobia) he’s also been collaborating with dandy jack (as sieg Über die sonne), ricardo villalobos (as odd machine), max loderbauer (as nsi.), valentina berthelon (as recent arts) and atom tm to only name a few. with his vast experience, diverse output and interests, tobias. doesn’t tire to actively push against existing boundaries and explore new areas of electronic music.

after being compared with mayer hawthorne on his first world acclaimed* classic soul album, treat me right, john milk is back with paris show some love a piece of modern and engaged r&b. synthesis between jay dilla and prince, john milk delivers a genuine and solid recording based on real to real tape machines and electronic sounds. previously working as artistic director of his own record label (karecords) and collaborating as a singer with mr president and blundetto (heavenly sweetness, favorite recording) john milk is now on a new vibe, merging all kind of recording processes, live recordings on reel to reel 8 tracks tascam, introduicing beatmaking and hip-hop culture with numerous machines, samplers and keys... a musical patchwork which has been open to all kinds of experi-mentations. songs where composed on top of instrumentals. the creative processs is about delivering the right energy once the music transmits the appropriate atmosphere. all songs are focus on having catchy hooks as much as conscious lyrics. paris show some love is a message album. creating music in the city of love during one of the most violent year for a long time... this contradiction has been the fuel to his creativity.the song «paris show some love» is specialy dedicated to the tragic night of november 13th 2015. john milk offers a person-nal reflexionon our capacity to find our way and moves beyond the lines and create.

bas roos is a dj and producer from rotterdam, the netherlands. he started dj ing at the age of 16 after spending some time on making his own music. a year later he released his first ep and from that moment on he started to develop a unique and fresh sound which has seen releases on phil weeks’ robsoul label as well as shir khan’s black jukebox disco house series on exploited. the 18th edition of black jukebox sees the young producer deliver 4 new tracks which work magic on the dancefloor. do yourself a favor and pick it up before this limited collector’s item sells out.

its been nearly a year since he featured on robsoul, under his v.i.c.a.r.i. alias, but sheffield house don tommy vicari jnr returns to the label with another beautifully creative ep. opener ‘breff’ is a coming together of polar opposites. whilst harps glide across the prodigious pulse of its acidic bassline, open hats shimmy and snares strike. somehow, all together, it works to perfection. the quaking bass, grinding stab and ‘get dahn’ vocal serve to create a stripped back tool across the opening bars of our a2. however when the beats drop its secret is revealed within its killer groove. as the lights come on tommy rolls out one final jam in glittery disco cut ‘in the night’. a last seductive slice from the northern powerhouse and one that leaves us hotly anticipating his robsoul return.

after a temporary break away from music to work on other projects foreign concept is back with the skit city ep, the first in a series of new releases.
inspired by his long time friend jack ramsay s new graphic novel of the same name, the title track, featuring mancunian mc fox, creates the perfect sonic backdrop to the intricate aesthetic of the skit city book from which the artwork is taken. watch out for the video coming soon.
a very welcome return to the scene complete with a beautiful collaboration with halogenix and a killer remix by lsb.

the divergent label is set to build on the success of its first release with a standout second single this spring, this time from exciting new artist end to end, co-produced by label boss bimas. the single also features a remix from the head honcho as well as stephan krus and is another fine package that is set to further cement the reputation of this up and coming imprint. paolo aliberti is an italian artist who has worked with labels like melodica and stealth since starting out in the 80s. his big and bouncy techno sound has a focus on melody, groove and harmony, and he recently linked with the ceo of media records to start this new alias end to end

eagles & butterflies works like on the assembly line and at the end the best of the best comes out. art imitating life vol. 2 has arrived with 4 new experiments, a full colour bohemian montage of sound. futuristic tribalistic house music we like a lot, again delivered on limited edition coloured vinyl.

siince the release of his debut album, substantial, in 2004, volker bertelmann – aka hauschka – has, slowly but surely, earned a remarkable reputation as a purveyor of imaginative, distinctive, prepared piano music. this isn’t, to be fair, a heavily populated field, but it’s one he’s made his own, and while some might have dismissed his work early on as a novelty, bertelmann has proven himself to be uncommonly inventive, coaxing ever more unprecedented, euphonic sounds and rhythms out of his instrument. even so, on what if – which finds him adding player pianos (also known as pianolas) to his armoury – bertelmann expands his range even further, defying expectations and delivering what is without doubt his most ingenious album yet.
the vinyl release includes a download code.

limited vinyl in custom hand-stamped sleeve. finally we get to the release stage of this epic production run. (term not taken lightly) belting tripped out goodness with initial pelter dogness, intimately immersive and stunningly constrained into a sub plunging landscape kalender days gets built on a solid jacking proper chunky as anything heads down roller of a foundation

the digital afterlife is a live workout recorded in amsterdam, early 2016. the b side features a couple of prime gherkins straight out the hieroglyphic pickle jar...tip! . a1. the digital afterlife was performed live during a 2hr hieroglyphic being ambient show at amsterdam s occii in january, 2016. the moment was beautiful, the recording was strong. b1. a tribute to the beautiful northen french town of arrass b2. you aren t up on akashic energies ?

having honed his sound on a string of feted self-released cassettes released on his own harsh riddims label - which has also put out everything from bizarro hip hop to gleaming synth pop - and dropped a hyped 12” released on the cgi imprint, the healthcare ep finds fit of body delivering his most accomplished work to date. five woozy original tracks jammed out on second hand drum machines, bass guitar, cheap mics and creaking synths, this is techno as it was first imagined, raw machine soul made for strange times and unknown futures.

the first release from new vinyl only label cherub records. the ‘figure of state’ ep features four tracks: two original cuts from london upstart william earl in analogue work out mode. doppelate’s remix of the ‘figure of state’ on the a-side is an down-tempo, atmospheric trip whilst pépe’s remix of ‘stokey waltz’ takes us into blissfully uplifting, arpeggiated territory.

lessismore record label, founded in 2003 by the dutch dj and producer alexis tyrel together with mbc, has been home for mostly his own releases under all his monikers and various artist compilations. “return to planet alpha” continues in this tradition, being a second long-player of alexis tyrel after his debut “newtradition” from 2011.
“return to planet alpha” is a collection of elegant techno tracks which instead of following the now so popular dark and destructive path focuses on daily moods and airy atmosphere, which is closer to open air and lounge than to sweaty pits of contemporary rave. but that doesn’t mean that the twelve tracks are just indistinctive background music. for one thing, tyrel is a master of slick and tight beat foundations of kick drums and bass, often smoothed out with cool synth pads, onto which he layers all kinds of rhythmical chains, subtle melodic ideas and sounds ranging from vintage synths and industrial bits to organic textures and even field recordings.

into the light brings out a splendid assemblage of 17 tracks of mostly previously unheard material by athens based composer akis daoutis (akis) most of them recorded in his hometown and in usa where he was studying in the mid-eighties.

bondage-music head honchos pornbugs prep the labels next release for early april comprising three original tracks and a remix from mihai popoviciu. since 2006, german duo pornbugs have been pushing their minimal yet ambitious dance floor orientated house music through clubs across the globe, with their label bondage-music acting as a catalyst for forward thinking music. bondage-music also works as an outlet for other talented producers including romania’s mihai popoviciu and inmotion music signee markus homm to further develop their sound. fresh from a string of early 2017 digital releases from frink and sous sol, april sees bondage-music’s first vinyl offering of the year, kick started with the subtle and melodic cut “when you are gone“, which takes a deep groove and laces it with a plethora of soft synths and atmospherics. mihai popoviciu then reworks “when you are gone“ into a different entity, rewiring a headier groove into the track with raw-defined hats, building further tension with tight synth stabs and ethereal pads. vinyl only track “innocent“ then takes tribal tinged percussion to new depths, fuelling it with booming kicks and flourishing chords, further intensified by swirling vocals. a pure dub aesthetic then shines through “maritza“, as saturated drums and a rumbling low end provide the skeleton for swelling synths to meander alongside spiritual vocals, closing out the package.

an mini lp of works by denis mpunga and paul k. combining elements of traditional african music with experimental electronics, the belgian/congolese duo released only a handful of tracks, scattered across a few rare lp and cassette compilations that were put out in the mid eighties by obscure european labels . this release also includes a few previously unreleased songs that were found on the original master tapes. 180gram pressing. big tip!

mark rae is the man behind one of the key uk music movements of the last 25 years. as a founder of the shop fat city records and the label grand central, mark worked with some of the worlds biggest artists going on to earn several platinumm discs with his work as one half of the highly respected production duo rae & christian. this project is a worlds first autobiography and album, the release is packaged as a gatefold 10 inch which opens out to the book held within. the 40 000 word book covers the author mark rae s journey through the music industry. it follows the creation and dissolution of fat city and grand central records, rae & christian and yesking. the underground club scenes of manchester, gang wars, success, failure, working with bobby womack, jay z and the pharcyde. the project has been supported by whosampled, dj magazine, vice and the tate modern. the artwork is exceptional featuring an historical montage throughout the inner gatefold sleeve. the music features guest vocals from tony d who was a big influence in the original grand central records sound, soul king pete simpson, multi instrumentalist shawn lee and kate rogers.

after the success of the double lp kepler 438 on be as one, the well known shlomi aber imprint , orbe is back with even more energy and strength with his new lp -interplant”. the emerging artist from madrid whose tracks are regularly supported by the likes of marcel dettmann, nina kraviz, maceo plex and john talabot, presents his new 3x12’’ long player featuring fifteen tracks. orbe’s early years in music were shaped by broken rhythms which is worked into the ‘internplant’ lp as he fuses futuristic and cosmic sounds as a nexus.a new step forward for his career and a sonic palette which he wants to focus on right now. hybrid sequences taking inspiration from andromeda/buchla lem3 spider synthesizers and sampling of old school breaks have helped to create compositions like “what happens with strangers”, “revival” “deejay drama” and “virtual environment” where orbe mixes classic and futuristic sounds to create something current and referencing his origins. other singles like “multi filament light” “closer people dreams” and “the old ideology” were written as visionary works without percussive elements. they include atemporal melodies which try to involve to the more exigent listener. “data nights” “thematic exploration” and “higher dimensions influences” show the artist’s darker and more techno focused inspirations. here we can find metallic industrial sounds fused with minimalist precision to create brooding tension. “unreal”, “interplant” and “subground dehumidification” lay focus purely on the dance floor, characterised as a dynamic peak time tool accompanied perfectly with harmonic and glitched out pads.

powder is an up-and-coming producer from tokyo who had put out only a couple of releases on born free and esp institute when resident advisor featured her on the monthly series breaking through this past august. inspired by her first visit to cocktail d amore in 2015, she was so enthralled by the atmosphere, she started working on an ep for the label capturing her experiences from the party. the way powder interprets sound is extremely personal and unique. the opener hip has a driving sensual groove with hints of acid, seasoned with a good amount of loons and a mysterious foggy melody while heart sounds like an italo disco aural translation of a shojo manga script for a fun in the sun tinged story. on the flip side a slowmo industrial-meets-rainforest groove characterizes hole followed by hair in which she blends many layers of rhythm patterns together.

denis morin presents working k an experimental skip across the turrets of techno. driving beats form base to a high humidity discussion between heavy ambience, exploratory field recordings and the weirded out whirring of man and machines. working k is meandering, evolving and ever changing. new chapters fold on top of new chapters, fuse into each other and make new pages within themselves.

haunter records’ 2017 kicks off with two new displays of aural expansion by longtime members of the milan-based crew. twin singles from weightausend and petit singe that also mark the label’s first ventures into 7” format. through heavy use of darkened breakbeats and angular dynamics, each of the two producers sets out to have their unique sonic approach ring on throughout the sprawl.
matthias girardi aka weightausend keeps on compiling his private neuroses in a process that seems to achieve catharsis through gloomy analysis and maniacal surgical dissection. hammering down on his dubwise tendencies and his love for the dark side of jungle, he gives out his most club-oriented work to date, channeling two new bassy rollercoasters, including a new version of “green death”.

“metamorfosi lp” is bichord’s first full length offering for the planet rhythm imprint after their “quadrivium ep” (2016) was met with critically acclaim by techno aficionados and lovers of adventurous soundscapes alike.
the new lp is a split two with the a-side showcasing the more techno oriented works and the b-side showing the duo’s set of ambiences and lush tone. this lenghty effort is the duo’s first full artist album out of many to come.

spunoff opens the first door of a new french vinyl label, stratos rec, with his portal ep. this label bring us into an artistic travel between techno to ambient, experimental music and art. it aims at being a little different, inviting at each release a guest who is totally free to do an edit of the originals tracks as he want, and a part of the artwork of the vinyl. we want to confront different styles and brains and let’s see what happens.
for the str001, the young parisian, spunoff, give us three powerful, dark & energetic techno tracks. the guest is above all a visual artist. but also a dj & producer. brother of the famous richie hawtin, matthew takes parts of different originals tracks and constitute a eight minutes ambient & experimental edit. definitly an interesting work add to this ep who take you out of yourself. the label design have been done by a french artist & photographer, david souenellen. matthew hawtin draws up the b-side visual.

days of being wild continues their collaboration with berlin based french producer franz matthews, releasing his first solo ep, the spacey, cosmic ostkreuz. half of the duo languages, whose 1st ep the label released at the end of last year, franz matthews explores a very different sound on his first solo effort, all space disco, retro synths and funky guitars out. title track ostkreuz has been road tested by the days of being wild crew on dance floors all around europe all of last year and has created euphoria and anticipation in equal measure. this is a cosmic hit from outer space, all constructed around well known ingredients that thanks to franz matthews musical and melodic talent rise here to epic heights. the b-side guns of rixdorf is another devastating peak time tune. while remaining in the same vein as ostkreuz, it feels more high energy with its irresistible funky guitars calling and responding over a driving bass. days of being wild always try to pair producers with remixers that will shed a new light on their work. its no exception with ostkreuz, who gets the reinvention treatment from no other than moscoman and rodion aka the claydermans. the cosmic vibe is still here hovering on top in the opening chords of the remix, but soon enough a sub, housier bass makes its way in the mix and wont let you go until the end. carried by shuffling claps and a bouncier beat, the groove here is totally re-invented, taking ostkreuz from peak time to the darker edges of after land.

iuly.b returns to visionquest this march with the surreal experience ep accompanied by a remix from bass cultures djulz. romanias iuly.b is rapidly becoming a household name in the realms of stripped-back, immersive house music of late, a regular feature on hectors vatos locos imprint and at the labels events, as well as releasing material on bouq, claque musique and of course visionquest where he returns to here following his observatory ep in november of 2016. this time round iuly.b launches the surreal experience with a murky, dub-tinged composition entitled sci fry, laid out over eight minutes with snaking synth whirrs, sweeping dub echoes and tumbling sub bass tones before bass culture head-honcho djulz reworks the original into a more robust, groove-drive interpretation via swinging rhythms, stuttering sample chops and a thunderous low end drive. moonberry opens the flip side on a more reduced tip with bumpy organic percussion, rounded sub swells and an amalgamation of sonar blip melodies to create a dynamic and hypnotic workout, time traveller then closes the release via expansive atmospherics, subtly evolving acidic synth licks and loose shuffling drums

welcome to season five of the jazz jousters sessions. after four years of non stop album releases we thought we d take a few months time out to think and work out what we would do next this season. we decided to attempt another locations series since we are yet to take on some of the locations many of you have suggested via our updates pages and emails. so here we go...
mjm would like to present locations: usa, the vinyl and cassette edition as we continue to explore the sounds, influences and styles of jazz music in different regions of the world.
in this session we hear the result of each jouster as they each chose one or more jazz musicians from the united states and began to work with that sound and come up with an instrumental in their own style, just like in season four. however there was a twist, this time they were challenged to focus on jazz between the years of 1960 to 1969. see what you think of the outcome...

“fleischberg” is the 2nd vinyl iteration of berlin’s body focused fleisch collective, following hot on the heels of last year’s highly acclaimed release by schwefelgelb. this 12” starts with a relentless six and a half minute assault by australian native and berlin based halv drøm, a fitting vinyl debut for the talented producer. dsx follows up with a finely tuned ebm track tactfully layered with obscure vocal samples and paired with piercing, frenetic drum programming.
the b side starts with a slightly different approach, recalling a more classic techno and electro tone without losing sight of the release’s progressive focus, privacy’s catchy “work” recalls late 80s chicago masterpieces without becoming overly nostalgic. sekunde rounds out the compilation fully with a plodding and minimal piece that would be best appreciated while being blasted driving 300 km/h down a moonlit back road somewhere in the black forest.

taking charge of the first release is lucy, who has evolved his distinct sound signature by reconciling the deeply personal with the esoteric, and by harmonizing the spheres of technology and biology. whether he is acting in the role of producer, dj, performer, or stroboscopic artefacts curator, lucys clear passion for creative evolution and mutation is something that continues to attract new listeners, and keeps giving his current supporters new reasons to continue tuning in. ep opener the hermit is eight minutes of spacious and cerebral techno. rolling drums are buried deep as little flecks of sound design peel off the groove. occasional bell hits bring a sombre and languid feel despite the drive of the drums, and it is the sort of perfectly absorbing track that will suck you down a 5am rabbit hole. on the flip, ‘the high priestess’ is a similarly mental work out that is empty and eerie, with distant drones and yawning pads outlining a vast underground space. the drums here are again rubbery and rolling, but a little more prominent, and the whole thing manages to be both soothing and unsettling. after this fine ep starts the label in style, a remix ep from blawan will follow.

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.

it’s time for local talk to go local again with another swedish producer, eric ericsson. with numerous releases out in labels like planet e, fragile and freerange he’s one of those producers with one foot in the techno scene and another in the more soulful house scene. basically, he s not a one trick pony! for his release on local talk we would say he lands somewhere between classic chi-town house and thumping nyc house groove but without sounding too retro or washed out. its simply real house music! we begin with love it, a real bumpy house track with analogue basslines and swinging fender grooves that will work both stateside and in the european house clubs. the second track the chi is as the title suggest a homage to chicago with a slight old school boo williams fee. - dope! but thats not all, to give the release a broader twist we got man of the moment oskar offerman (berlin) to remix love it for us. oskar goes more deep with his trademark sound and gives us a dark mix that will sound amazing in your favourite berlin club of choice.

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.

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.

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.

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.

karizma and marcel vogel team up to worship the lord savior deapool himself. three gospel inspired housetracks, that bring spirituality back to where it belongs, the dancefloor.

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.

house hit makers mother recordings are back with another tight two track package. this one comes from the label boss nhan solo, a real house talent with plenty of great singles and eps in his back catalogue, most often on his own great label.

slacker aka sam black’s works have been simmering away online for a while now, creating a fair bit of buzz centred around his knack for choppy breaks, crunchy acid and rough production edges. amen to the lonely finally sees the young bristol producer step out of the simulation and present four raw heaters from the hd.

new label funky fungi preps its debut release for this march, featuring two original tracks from label boss georg stuby and his production trio the gravy underground. hailing from zurich switzerland, georg stuby is a longstanding house and techno dj, producer and teacher. his new creation, funky fungi is a vinyl based record label working as an outlet for georg and his friends to release their music. aside from the solo release, this ep also features the gravy underground, a collaborative project with georg’s friends christopher lawrenz & jonas, who already remixed one of georg’s tracks on his last formresonance ep. the opening track ‘metro bass’ has a dusty analog feel and delves into the depths with shuffling percussion and reverberated effects which spiral out of control, all saturated in white noise giving off the spatial aesthetic associated with an echo chamber. next up, the gravy underground production trio create a mystical journey in ‘keep it gravy’, as minimal kicks chug alongside off kilter hats and twisted vocal snippets that are delicately layered with field recordings.

already heavy hitters on the house music scene since their first releases back in 2012, waze & odyssey continue to carve out club burners with such ease, and their first release of 2017 finds a suitably fitting home on edible. the duo of firas waez and serge santiago have seemingly not put one step wrong in their ascendency within the house music circuit. be it releases for labels like wolf music, elrow or their own w&o street tracks, or remixes for the likes of disclosure, totally enormous extinct dinosaur and metronomy, w&o have found that knack of delivering sure fire winners time after time. already a staple in label boss eats everything’s dj sets, ‘down with tha’ has all the hallmarks of a bona fide club classic, if the hyperactive drums and looping vocal refrain doesn’t draw you in enough, then the downright funky bass lick that prominently packs a punch really provides the killer hook. the, quite frankly, face melting breakdown surely seals the deal, and we are anticipating this cut to ring out loud across dancefloors over the coming weeks and months. competently propping up the release, ‘seizure’ goes on a spacey, bongo odyssey (geddit?), serving up a rolling, dubby drum workout that culminates in a rather impressive snare roll breakdown that’ll have you frothing at the mouth. snatches of female vox and whistles are dotted around the galloping jungle drums, whilst the elevating key chimes provide the perfect musical lift. another slice of completely freshhouse music from w&o!

remastered for 2016! another classic by highpriest larry heard. three tracks that prove again the mans genius and unparalleled talent in squeezing true emotions and funk out of his machines and lift you into a state of euphoria. the a-side holds a long, midtempo 80s electrofunk groove with beautiful richly textures synth melodies. flip over for a slightly rawer fingers style workout with highly emotive strings and a perfect end of the night tune with a gorgeous piano solo showing heard s strong roots in jazz. music from a different stratosphere - a record to treasure!

toribio is cesar toribio, a dominican american living in brooklyn by way of tampa, florida. hes an alumni of berklees school of music, and recorded my dear in his college dorm room in 2011. its difficult for me to find the words to express how proud i am to be releasing out his first recorded works. especially in a physical form. the music is honest, vulnerable, and exposes parts of his personality that even those who are fortunate to know him, have never seen before. esa montana se movera contains 4 tracks – 3 original songs on side a, and a 10+ minute remix from joaquin joe claussell, a long admired hero of cesars, on the flip