dark entries is proud to release ‘commerce’, the third ep from san francisco-based trio inhalt, german for “content”. the group was founded in 2009, and for the purposes of this recording are matia simovich, philip winiger and steven campodonico. inhalt’s core operative strategy is of sonic fidelity and integrity rather than nostalgia. their first release was a split 12- on world unknown in 2011 followed by two eps on dark entries, a remix ep on emotional especial and a part time punks session on cleopatra. ‘commerce’ is a close examination of the self destructive tendency of the ego in relation to the allure of negativity and mass tragedy. the ep details the psychopathy of relentless thirst mandated by neo-liberalism and traverses through the adoption of social and economic technologies that strengthen domination vis a vis self enslavement to disempowerment. employing the best of both modern and vintage techniques, the four songs on the ep utilize dense production, big snares, and powerful german vocals from philip. inhalt are informed by the brooding soundtracks of john carpenter as much as the vastness and sheen of trevor horn, and set out to explore the borders between the vocal-driven pop song and the expansive dancefloor 12&#8243,,,, arrangement. the record was produced over four years at the bands own black sun loft recording studio and different fur studios. paul lavigne mastered the ep in london, england at kontrast mastering and george horn handled the vinyl eq curve at fantasy studios, berkeley. each ep is housed in a specially designed jacket by leo merz and includes a lyric sheet with english translations.

after an excellent 12inch on rosten label sstrom drops his first full length otider, which is by far the most diverse offering of the project encompassing elements of different genres and putting them in woolen and dense sonic textures. otider could be loosely translated as un-times or non-times. it positions the tracks out of specific context and rather represents them as some rediscovered artifacts relating to personal experiences of the artist. otider slightly distances sstrom from techno label as the compositions elegantly drift between lush transparency and thick grooves of outsider/lo-fi house as in kronofobi or svvaren or sensitive, yet subtly monolith and mellow techno on damm and i huvudet. in modernisten we can even trace echoes of coldwave/synth aesthetics with melancholic guitars sweeping over hypnotic rhythmic patterns, while closer sov nu introduces something which reminds a darker form of garage music with light synthpads constantly surfacing among raw mechanical beats. all the tracks were created over a relatively long period between 2010 and 2017 by employing the process where he let his hands work automatically without interference from his head. this freedom could be felt across the release, which juggles with different musical forms so lightly and organically, but at the same time maintains a coherent vision, which illustrates the vast scope and diversity of the artist.

the first track on annas debut ep for novamute , razor was born while playing with her roland mks-80, a synth from 1985 and one of annas favourites. you can hear the fat, juicy sound on the breakdown and ever evolving throughout. the track has already been getting a great reaction when played out in her sets. escapism plays with trippy arpeggios that lay down the atmosphere for the whole track, it feels really dense and trippy but still powerful, making use of heavier drum sounds for the groove. the last track on the ep dreamweaver, is a simple track that always works well on the dance floor. anna reworked this track many times before deciding to strip down the beat and focus on the final sequence, sometimes the simple ideas are the ones that work the best.

after releasing a successful archives vol.1 in 2017, italian dj and producer luca vollaro, aka electrorites, is back again with the fresh follow-up archives vol. 2 via his own label structure records. the ep is a hurricane of industrial stained energy, demonstrating a rather free and open musical inspiration and direction. the thick, dense grinding groove define the four tracks. it starts with archive 004 which features powerful repetitive sub-kicks and ends with extremely strong bangs just as if the track is exploding. distorted and mixed mechanised sounds style ctrls remix resulting a very dark adrenaline charged techno track. in archive 005, the sequences and bass loops are stunning and the last-minute banging drum shots will leave you wanting and dreaming for more. to finalize the ep, endlec remixes archive 005 where the listener fully absorbs all the harsh petite details

greenvision is the collaborative brainchild of two esp institute artists, juan ramos and luca trentini aka trent, both longtime fixtures of berlin’s infamous playground known as cocktail d’amore. separately, these two explore their own very personal avenues of expression, putting their time in the trenches and endlessly polishing their works (this makes juan’s third release with the label), but when their efforts overlap we’re gifted a view into their uncanny synergy. juan and trent channel an exorbitant amount of smoke-fueled creativity, building layers upon layers into music so dense that the bulk of their studio time might then be spent navigating and formalizing their output into tangible tracks. greenvison’s collective debut with the esp institute showcases three intense cerebral workouts, banana paradiso, rambutan and the color of maracuja, an array of experiments pulling from all the corners of the duo’s imagination—it is disorienting, cacophonous, introverted and psychedelic, but at the same time playful, melodic, euphoric and undoubtably arresting—guaranteed to induce hallucinations under proper circumstances. we welcome the induction of greenvision to the esp institute, and with us as your guide, we welcome you to accompany on our descent into their abyss. try not to get lost.

astray is the sublabel of away, berlin.having showcased his more experimental on-edge techno design with his first two astray releases, discrete circuits control zero ep marks his most straightforward installment yet. the title track gets down to business without detours by growing into a powerful drum avalanche that combines bone-dry kicks with a frenetic atmosphere - point-blank: peak-time techno for the dance floor. ed davenport completes the a-side with a remix from his dj and production alter ego inland, who adds more muscle to the lower frequencies in order to retell a darker tale unfolding a cutting groove. although both tracks on the flip pick up the pace and intensity, they venture out into less dense, more emotional directions. dimensional equivalent embodies a no-nonsense rollout that builds an icy groove with a kick drum that, only blended by alerting, dream-like synths, never lets up. conjugate works with similar vocabulary while repeating bleep sounds, that are buried underneath the pounding grid, shift the focus towards both the varied percussion and the narrative progression.

mick harris arrives on lies via his fret moniker. a man who needs no introduction via his exploits in napalm death and scorn among a slew of other projects, harris returns after his lp last year, bringing fret back to life once again. four tracks of absolutely crushing broken techno, dense blasting and unstoppable chaos that lays waste to all in sight. trancers and candy ravers step aside. an unmissable record from a true originator.

as the first record in feral’s “climbing himalaya”-series reached the summit, we now slowly start to descend along the slopes passed shimmering lakes and enchanted forests. part ii comprises four dense ambient deep techno cuts infused with tribal influences and the inimitable dubby sound of feral. part 1 & 2 has so far received early support from many prominent deep techno producers such as claudio prc, deepbass, etapp kyle, giorgio gigli, kwartz, ness & svreca to name a few.

irazu returns to stale after his acclaimed “shtamm” with regis in 2017. this time pessimist take charge on the remix duties, filling a dense and energetic long play vinyl where irazu shows his strongest work to date.

losoul returns to action with his first long player in almost ten years, and delivers a stunning collection of compositions for the hypercolour released island time. otherwise known as peter kremeier, the german producer has mesmerized us for many years with his organic and emotive house music, largely released on the influential playhouse label, but of late has seen him release singles for karat and tardis records, as well as his very own another picture label. fans of losoul wont be disappointed, as a diverse yet utterly familiar sound aesthetic pours out over the albums seven tracks in his own inimitable style. the jazzy broken beats of gold tooth shine with their micro-sample chops, whilst mean time is a dense and dubby slow stomp, teasing the drums with space echo and injecting sparse bass work where it matters. inventive, spongy house grooves are delivered on boppin lower and square down smoother whilst the album closer, lava in you is a master class in ambient sonics and shimmering keys over a lo-fi swinging groove. its been over 20 years since losouls signature single open door, and the german producer continues to pour out honest and rewarding music.

double vinyl edition of 300 copies w/ download code and etched d-side.
breaching is the debut album from leeds-based, 6-piece, post-metallers hundred year old man. hot on the heels of recent ep rei, breaching emitsthe same heaving intensity and unforgiving, wall of sound approach. dense and billowing riffs are intertwined with field recordings and spoken word passages to form an unyielding, sprawling piece of work that delivers the bands artistic vision perfectly. the more ambient, drone sections of the record compliment and allow the real songs to take flight. debut single black fire is reworked to give the track a new lease of life, whilst the other heavy hitters here, the forest, long wall, disconnect and ascension are a continuation of the excellent work found on the rei ep. breaching contains masses of atmosphere and is a ferocious and immersive listening experience. an epic, monolithic voyage full of texture, depth, aggression and emotion. this is an album that should be approached as a whole, with patience and attention. the rewards will deliver a unique, crushing and quite simply superb record.

after leaving his noise-soaked techno signature on details sound with the uncompromising informations 12inch, a hand is returning to the label with a healthy dose of enigmatically crafted sounds, made to stick in your head and body intensely. on breakline, a hunting dark bassline is backed by relentless drum patterns cut with machine gun precision. for a better end takes off into a swirling atmosphere propelled by anti-gravity beats. slow injection expands further into dense and obscure realms of electrified experiments. the wandering your lost dreams carries us to a breathtaking conclusion filled with abstract suspension. slow injection ep is a four-cuts selection of captivating tension and release from italian producer and sound artist giuseppe magistro. edition of 300 copies.

eomac is back in 2018 with a brand new album. after an intentionally quiet release schedule in 2017 to focus on developing a new label and presenting a monthly show on radar radio, he returns to the album format with the 11-track reconnect. it is his third studio album proper and the first on his burgeoning eotrax imprint. continuing where bedouin trax and temple of the jaguar left off, reconnect moves even further from the contemporary dancefloor and club environment and deep into uncharted territory. drawing influence from traditional irish music, haitian voodoo drumming, the raw old-school jungle of source direct and the abstract rhythms of autechre, eomac has crafted a dense, multi-layered and polyrhythmic exploration of percussion, texture and movement.

vinyl only ... memento is proud to announce a brand new maxi-single of the extraordinary lithuanian producer mario basanov, better known as ten walls. with this moniker, marijus adomaitis has been releasing a bunch of deep house gems, and has remixed artists such as robert owens and hercules & love affair -swan- begins with a smoky dramatic introduction, that in a rapid glance become a obscure minimalistic dancefloor killer with a grueling bass line and unremitting hi-hats. finally taking off with a gust of monochromatic sequences and a whirl of dampings. in -lake-, after a dense windy evocative prelude, metallic percussion leave the footprint to the headway of a stomping kick drum and a mesmerizing bass line. sedately flowing synthetic notes, filtered bleeps and rapid beads lead the track to a grandiose finale in which whiffle and wafts become an ubiquitous polyphonic pad.

we are not where we live, but the valley we built enjoyment through suffering. beauty in chaos. african ghost valley apply these principles to create their heavy doomsday electronics pulled in from the black bunker a d.i.y space under a multi-story car-park. separated from any scene on the surface, the record was put together by european / canadian duo childle grangier and gabriel ghebrezghi a partnership formed in the heat of heavily improvised recording sessions, where the pair would thrash out their versions of power electronics, industrial waste drops and rhythmic dub rumble to the cities homeless. keeping these raw fnal cuts away from any studio trickery, the microphone would be left on to archive feld recordings and wayward audio drops, capturing the hum and lifeblood of the bunker and the wheezing lungs of the dense concrete that surrounded them. titling this work colony, the album is a open-ended and multi-edged tool for agv to explore, allowing the listener to interpret the work as they see ft, bringing to mind images of corroded space settlements and the darkest recess of human history. you decide.

don’t sleep on this, as a record crammed to a brim with such insanely tight and varied material doesn’t hit the shops often. printed on a customary 180g elusive wax and limited to a measly 300 copies it won’t stay on the shelves for long and might just cause a riot! andrey burtaev is somewhat of a gleaming, speeding meteor that is about to hit our planet big and elusive records are proud to welcome him back for his second effort for the label. right from the start of the “move on dub” we are teleported to the heart of the deepest rainforest. the humid hallucinatory mist of the opening bars subversively flows into hooks laced with explosive jitters and locked-in, dubbed up tech-house beats. the jive comes in and reasserts the reggae roots so central to andrey’s music. the track is so dense with fresh ideas – it leaves you with that rare feeling of ‘not enough’.

we here at french press lounge are very pleased to share our latest release by florida-born, california based producer and professor neoprene with a debut 12” titled “possibility spaces”.
propelled by pure state aesthetics, spatial theoretics and a fondness of ferns, neoprene (amongst several other musical monikers and permutations) has been crafting and perfecting outer-world electronics since 2011 through their highly slept-upon digital and cassette label ashtar communications. “possibility spaces” is their debut 12”, a collection of cherry picked tracks created in chicago during their barista residency of 2015 - heavy points of dark matter gliding across a delicate, semi-permeable surface of unidentified experience. where others simply trawl the tropes of a rave culture gone by, neoprene bends into the best assets of house, hardcore and breaks and pulls up through a dense fog of floral new age ambience, creating a one-of-a-kind approach to expository techno.

babe roots are a relatively young duo from turin, italy, making a unique brand of atmospheric, techno-infused dubwise. on our radar since their splendid debut 7 inch on rohs! records in early 2016, we are very pleased to invite them into the zamzam fold with two mesmerizing and contrasting tunes. * be still* is a deeply meditative yet driving dub techno trek in classic fashion, featuring rastaman kojo neatness intoning on righteous living, working the land, guarding the tongue, and avoiding babylonian schemes and traps laid by the wicked. maternal bass and shimmering reverbs envelop a heartbeat rhythm of kick, shaker and distant snares for a timeless vibe that shows mastery of the idiom while updating it for contemporary sound systems. * rawness* is an extraordinarily deep 140 journey that opens with rich pads and swirling atmospherics, creating a psychoactive ambience that builds into a steady kick. the full riddim hits and plunges us even deeper with restrained, syncopated drums and percussion. churning bass powers us through the dense, hallucinatory fog as tendrils of electricity probe and zap, and serrated snares cut through the tape haze and studio clouds in the last third. carving out a gorgeous edge between deep dubstep and dub techno, * rawness* hits all the marks and will find a home in a huge range of sets.

signing on the second release of the label blue night jungle, the duo dudmode disturbs its machines and inspirations around a wild and mystical acid techno - sometimes minimalistic, sometimes extravagant. two faces of a same coin which the lyon guys are trying to explore by inviting, for the whole b face, two french artists they feel very close with : jibis, head-speaker of a new techno beat both dense and aerial , vardae, owner of the label allegorythme records and great defender of a more mental and obscure vibe. « une nuit dans l’herbe » (« one night in the grass ») ep marks the strong come back of lyonnese rave culture’s children, already sanctified by a long and sensual experience on the stage.

yeelen is a brand new project forged in the heart of a forgotten past. joe drive, of lux rec fame, and maurizio martinucci aka tez aka pragma have joined forces to sculpt, in their own words, -sonic constructions that transcend the canons of electronic music.- a bold statement, but then again this is a pretty bold ep. -techno tribalism and ritualistic soundscapes- are the bedrock from which this partnership cultivate their sound. figures and forms of a bygone time are conjured through intoxicating drum patterns, lost lands of dense jungle and windswept hills summoned through loops and samples to ensnare and entrance. polytheism explored through the prism of a polyphonic synth, mysticism born from machine drums, -ethnosonology of the future.-

central to the israeli club scene, deepa & biri have long been defying expectations even within a community they helped construct. serving as resident djs, activists and bookers for tel avivs legendary barzilay club, the pair helped build a transcendent club scene. hugely influential artists such as robert hood, derrick may, rødhad, ben klock and moritz von oswald passed through the club, enjoying legendary crowds and what they could surely sense was a genuine air of anarchy, rebellion and unadulterated rave pleasure. as the duo held down dozens of parties with dozens of djs, there was no ‘eureka moment for their emerging sound, just a steady stream of brilliant, inspiring electronic music, much of which left an indelible imprint on the pair. now based in berlin, for deepa & biri, things are much the same, even if the landscape and the city is different. always rooted in the fertile ground between machines and emotion, on their second full-length lp, ‘dominance, the duo demonstrate their unique grasp of the sensitive, unfolding relationship between man and machine. steadfast in their insistence never to remain in one lane in terms of their sound, ‘dominance flawlessly segues between forcefulness and weightlessness. from beginning to end, this is not a record afraid to show its teeth with an uncompromising, instantly recognisable techno palette that kicks the foundations of any sound system with menace, anger and determination, particularly on tracks such as the dense ‘voltage and pulsing throughout the more industrial flourishes of ‘ecole de nancy and ‘seeking solace.

black bones return, and its no surprise they re 3 for 3, as another back-breaking digging session has unearthed some sacred remains, ready for modern dancefloor re-animation ! kicking off with a peak-time, synth heavy, symphonic disco damager, before moving into dense undergrowth for a spot of hip-bone shaking first world anthropology on the flip an immaculately dubbed colon examination ends with a carnivalesque payoff, while they wrap things up with a rib-tickling dubwise depth charge ! limited, hand-stamped vinyl 12 inch

on their latest release, the magic movement presents a concept ep by luca musto, in which he reflects on the story of his provenance. dipped in blues and marinated in jazz, this release is a diverse journey in all the ways: once upon a grind kicks off with a reflection of his father s immigration from italy to germany. the strong groove of this moody gem reveals luca s roots in hip hop, making heads nod without any trouble. next up is parabel , a hypnotic slow-house jam, with rich textures and alluring vocals which tells of new adventures on the road. let me down opens the b side with dense soundscapes, sprinkled with dreamy synths and strings, while iorie closes the curtain with a dubby and stripped down remix of the track on b2. -be water he said, this state is tremendous.-

slow glass is not only the debut release by le frère it is also a very personal diary of the last two years of his life. all four tracks are based on recordings, samples and ideas he collected while travelling the world. with the concept of slow glass in mind le frere tried to catch moments of his life without stripping them of their dynamic and evanescence. the ep starts with lots of positive energy and light but already reveals glimpses of the shadows that slowly emerge throughout the following tracks. nice is a lightly humming version of an (almost) innocent summer morning. it s a collage of field-recordings, synth-pads and manipulated guitar sounds. candid is a light and open dialog between a simple guitar theme and a playful synth-arpeggio. v1b1n creates the dense atmosphere of a rainy caribbean afternoon dominated by field recordings and everyday noises. nttt8-sets a counter point to the previous three tracks as the energy of le frere s travels cumulates in nttt8, making it a more dance-floor oriented piece carried by a dark and heavy bass-line and almost rave-sirens.

a song dedicated to his wife and their marriage. the song contains so much captured emotions. from shimmering synths and old school orchestra hits to a solid walking bass line that solidifies the love for the dance floor. on the dub mix, santiago stripped the track down for a big sound system leaving a heavy bass line and strings throughout the track. esteban adame presents guaguanco. i wrote this track while playing with g2g and mike banks was always pushing us to electrify your roots. though my family is not cuban, cuban music has been a huge part of my musical development as a musician. the track uses traditional cuban rumba rhythms (guaguanco) to trigger synths and percussion samples alike to create a dense polyrhythmic cushion for the track to sit on.

for its third release, sensoramic turns to new york minimalist and renowned modular artist, kamran sadeghi. fresh from releasing on key techno imprints meander, brouqade, fasten musique and cocoon, he finishes a strong year with an exceptional three tracker. lead track undone suspends time for a twelve minute lesson in modular hypnotism, twisting its way through various chapters and subtle, naggingly hooky melodic passages with the interlude of a deftly placed riser. sentient takes an alien vocodor style sound through a tense peak time work out while not here runs a dense droning pad through a gamut of minimally applied drums and modular noises.

always a reliable destination for cult talents operating on exciting frontiers of techno, meandyou this time shine a light on j.s. zeiter, who adopts the analog 1 alias for some dense, meticulously crafted trips into the strange psychedelic underbelly of dub techno. sm4l features pastoral chord swells straining behind a babbling brook of high frequency sound design, while mistral takes a classical approach to ambient composition, all yearning arpeggios and lingering keys. interlude is a brief twirl around blown out drums and textural impulses, and then skiv loop (rework) sets a more positive tone for the end of the ep, pushing classic dub techno sounds into a hazy, summery space away from the usual icy tundra the genre normally inhabits.

our resident fugal returns to secondnature with his parallels ep: four versatile tracks of powerful rhythms and diverse moods. the korean-american artist from seattle picks up from the austere, dense, textural themes of his debut ep -oil panes- and expands them into colorful, adventurous territory. early support from: peter van hoesen, eric cloutier, aurora halal, acronym, luke slater, inland, dj rolando, shifted, artefakt, developer, and many more.

the four-tracker features dense techno with individual moods. “revelation” is a downbeat lurching machine-giant with repeat climaxes. “concussion” is broken and feverish, with sculpted layers of pressure. the momentum of “locust” drives on the edge of an untravelled path and cannot rest. the final track “gravity” is subtle and snarling, with a slowly ascending melody, scraping against future and past.

the fifth release in this tribute series to the techno legend christian morgenstern is here. side a kicks off with a trippy version of morgenstern’s “spiegelkerker”, by konsequent label chief maral salmassi - a carefully set psychedelic trap, building up gently just to drag you through its tunnelling groove, inside the eye of the hurricane. twr72’s remix of “ex machina” on b1, merges the interlocking samples of the original in a vortex, spiral around the pounding kick, rolling right into the heart of the milky way.the final track, a remastered version of morgenstern’s “girls got rhythm” sets the pace, with a dense groove and pounding beats, accenting a colourful cluster of house elements, with streams of sparkling metallic percussion.

vozduh (air) marks the first in a series of eps by nocow for figure, showcasing his emerging signature-style of electronica-tinged techno. drawing inspiration from the sheer endless winters of st. petersburg, his series builds on classic idm tropes, imbuing them with a noticably russian and deeply personal sensitivity. as each part of the trilogy is represented by an element, the tracks on vozduh are vaporous by nature: from the crackling ambiance of opener bouis to the weightless vocals on stoic forgiven, as well as a surprisingly introspec-tive take on ghetto-house or the wafting melodies closing out the records b-side - all forms seem to be in con-stant shift, casting a dense yet permeable body of sound. with two more releases on the way, which will be exploring the themes of voda (water) and zemlya (earth) within this artists singular spectrum, the outlook (which also includes a full- volume edition) on this approaching season is anything but gloomy.

fausto messina is a veteran dj and producer from treviso, a small town on the plain between the gulf of venice and the alps. fausto has been releasing music for more than 10 years and pica pica is his debut e.p. on cadenza. in the track named pica pica a recurrent evocative voluminous chord is convoyed by a classy powerful kick drum and an organic symphony of fluffy percussions and metallic bonks, with a triumphant layer of dense whistles and shimmering cymbals. the extremely intense vibrant rhythms of idiophono contrast with the gentle reverberating harmonies of an ensemble of struck idiophones, angelically flowing in the background of the track. the smooth magnetic flux of planets ballet concludes the e.p. with high style. this jacky stride over a stack of steamy synthesisers and bubbly bleeps is a golden tune for a quivering late-night dance-floor.

after the acclaim of time travelers im made of stars lp last year, followed by two successful eps on his chronicles diary imprint, michele pinna brings his time traveler moniker back with remix report ii + chapter ix ep featuring powerful remixes by three key names in european and us techno. the ep opens with the veteran visionary dave clarke who delivers a complex industrial version of interstellar made of deeply distorted tones and punk influences. detroit techno militia take over with their reinterpretation of b-29 where a groovy and energetic atmosphere is set from the start, adding a vigorous touch to the track. brian sanhajis raw techno roots are showcased in alpha, with pulsing and dense beats yet precise cuts, turning the track into serious dancefloor material. time traveler is closing up the ep with hammering beats and distorted riffs and three menacing tracks in line with his dystopian sci-fi vision.

it’s time to step into the bristol shadows with sector 7 once again as label co-runner boofy invites young echo to the fray for two instrumental grime / dub hybrids. -roll the dice- pelvises with its dense subs and shimmering atmospheric textures while shattering trap snare roll and a mystic melody and skippy drum arrangement flicker in and out of the foreground. -cane sword- is a little more on the pure grime tip with some superb drum momentum, breathless atmospheres and cool samples that skid to a halt when you least expect them. roll again...

behind the sstrom moniker hides one half of shxcxchcxsh and a long-time activist of sweden s experimental techno scene. having fallen in love with simple melodies and catchy arpeggios when being a member of bitpop/synth band slagsmalsklubben, he transferred these sensibilities further into his other projects. sstrom s excellent 2016 debut for semantica records was an excellent exercise in lush aquatic techno with breezy and lush atmospheres. the new ep -vitriol- is informed by the personal experience of the producer, which adds additional warmth and emotional weight to the record. the release brings back memories of earth pigments his father used when painting things in their house, the colours created were usually dark toned with some pastel lightness. this juxtaposition is felt throughout the record, which balances between cinematic futurist moods, steel-wool smoothness and subtle physicality due to its textured nature. the title track kicks-off with detroitish synth loops wrapped in dense lo-fi soundscapes, while -sienna- increases the tension by introducing more expansive melodic appeal intertwined with intensity of feather-like 4/4 rhythmics. -umbra- brings some shadowy sonic undertones immersed into a sea of crackle with melodies constantly resurfacing. the closing -ockra- bursts with more groovy patterns, yet retaining the same elegant warmth, which seems to be the signature element of this ep. while listening to all these tracks you feel like touching some alien surfaces with utmost sensitiveness with surreal landscapes stretching out in your imagination. this is carefully crafted introvert music, yet having some elegant dancefloor appeal.

uun returns to his imprint ego death with an ep that showcases his progression in both sound design and atmosphere. the a side kicks things off with on the concept of irony, a broken beat assault which serves as a mission statement with its scattered snares and vocal samples. the tangled web continues this mood but with a more intense structure, heavy on hypnotic synths that weave in and out of the tracks percussive framework. where as the a side is the logical extension of the first three ego death releases, the b side serves to showcase a deeper atmosphere while maintaining uuns preference for dense arrangements. the other features a haunting ethereal pad that floats above a broken kick pattern and a bed of clicks, pops, and field recordings. the closing track, absurd existence, forges all the elements of the artist s sound into perhaps his most melodic work to date. it is therefore senseless to think of complaining since nothing foreign has decided what we feel, what we live, or what we are. jean-paul sartre

drumcode returns with its 6th installment of the internationally celebrated a-sides series. renowned for fostering a shared space between industry tastemakers and rising talent alike, the careful curation that goes into each volume is a fine example of why beyer s brand continues to go from strength to strength. techno titan adam beyer has grown drumcode into a force to be reckoned with, the label has become synonymous with forward-thinking, functional techno and even after 20 years, drumcode continues to find new boundaries to push, and ways to solidify its legacy as the world s number one techno label. 2017 is no exception, with beyer s imprint hosting it s first stage at tomorrowland, not to mention the expansion of the critically acclaimed junction 2 where the drumcode stage is the centrepiece and adam plays the key role of festival director. the drumcode phenomenon continues to grow each week, chiefly fuelled by drumcode radio, adam s radio show thats broadcast in 57 countries via 86 stations and to a global audience of 16 million techno fans per week. the a-sides series acts as a perfect vignette of drumcode s cutting-edge sound, functional yet inspired techno, all tracks tried and tested by beyer himself. vol. 6 continues this tradition with a collection of 16 multi-faceted cuts from a mixture of both emerging artists and experienced label friends. the heart-throbbing bass in amelie lens electrifying piece in silence sets the tone for the dark and dance-floor-ready energy that vol.6 carries the whole way through. other standouts include mars bill s rough n ready mohave. pulsating and precise, mohave has highlighted many of beyer s sets recently as has wehbba s monster track fake , which fans have been anticipating the release of all year. label-favourites dense & pika also feature on a-sides vol. 6 with their hard-hitting just a beat and a huge track from beyer himself who has joined forces with enrico sangiuliano to bring us their undeniably infectious preset heaven. with many more notable selections from the likes of julian jewell, timmo, tiger stripes and pig&dan, a-sides vol. 6 is another impressive addition to the label s prolific release roster and a testament to why drumcode remains at the forefront of the electronic world.

drumcode returns with its 6th installment of the internationally celebrated a-sides series. renowned for fostering a shared space between industry tastemakers and rising talent alike, the careful curation that goes into each volume is a fine example of why beyer s brand continues to go from strength to strength. techno titan adam beyer has grown drumcode into a force to be reckoned with, the label has become synonymous with forward-thinking, functional techno and even after 20 years, drumcode continues to find new boundaries to push, and ways to solidify its legacy as the worlds number one techno label. 2017 is no exception, with beyers imprint hosting it s first stage at tomorrowland, not to mention the expansion of the critically acclaimed junction 2 where the drumcode stage is the centrepiece and adam plays the key role of festival director. the drumcode phenomenon continues to grow each week, chiefly fuelled by drumcode radio, adam s radio show that s broadcast in 57 countries via 86 stations and to a global audience of 16 million techno fans per week. the a-sides series acts as a perfect vignette of drumcode s cutting-edge sound, functional yet inspired techno, all tracks tried and tested by beyer himself. vol. 6 continues this tradition with a collection of 16 multi-faceted cuts from a mixture of both emerging artists and experienced label friends. the heart-throbbing bass in amelie lens electrifying piece in silence sets the tone for the dark and dance-floor-ready energy that vol.6 carries the whole way through. other standouts include mars bill s rough n ready mohave. pulsating and precise, mohave has highlighted many of beyer s sets recently as has wehbba s monster track fake, which fans have been anticipating the release of all year. label-favourites dense & pika also feature on a-sides vol. 6 with their hard-hitting just a beat and a huge track from beyer himself who has joined forces with enrico sangiuliano to bring us their undeniably infectious preset heaven . with many more notable selections from the likes of julian jewell, timmo, tiger stripes and pig&dan, a-sides vol. 6 is another impressive addition to the label s prolific release roster and a testament to why drumcode remains at the forefront of the electronic world.

next up on sneaker social club is a fresh 12inch from robin clarke a.k.a dream cycle. after a chance meeting at gottwood in 2016 a bond was established between clarke and label owner jamie russell over a shared love of 2 bad mice and moving shadow and now, channeling elements of that influence, clarke presents his dream cycle part.1 ep. unfolding over 4 steppy tracks and an ambient closer, clarke melds sharp snares, summery motifs, dense atmospheres and thick subs whilst keeping things suffused with a distinctly uk quality that marries his work perfectly with the sneaker catalogue. dj support: ryan elliott, dj die, the black madonna, octo octa, bwana, altered natives, noodles (groove chronicles), liem (lehult), deejay astral, la4a, 2 bad mice, fred p, matt karmil, flori, marco zenker, j.rocc (lol at comment!), ajukaja, gnork, william djoko, till von sein, fold, asok, gene farris, dj bwin, seven davis jr, trp, dj octopus, dj normal 4, gerd, dean man s chest, poté, doc scott, violet, james welsh (kamera), konx-om-pax, etch, raresh, hrdvsion, michael serafini (gramaphone), soundbwoy killah, dj guy, mak & pasteman, shenoda, urulu, mark archer & james zabiela, zinc, lehult, jackie house, mosca, noodles (groove chronicles) & dj die

russian producer nocow debuts on rekids with five murky tracks this december. based in st. petersburg, nocow is undoubtedly one of russian electronic musics most remarkable protagonists having released on clone, figure, fauxpas musik, gost zvuk and styrax. recognised for maintaining consistency whilst traversing various sub-genres, nocow is as comfortable producing intricate idm and robust techno as he is calm ambient and melancholic electronica. in soul connection a spoken word vocal mutters over metallic percussion and ominous stabs whilst a dense pad washes over everything. an undulating synth and ethereal effects make up disappear before moving onto syncopated drums and shadowy atmospherics in samaya dolgaya noch. next up, stop is comprised of mesmerising melodies, sturdy kicks and a looped vox until nocow concludes the package with a short 2-step cut titled aesthetic mind.

hard on the heels of his debut release, the -aloof ep-, anthone delivers a dense and dubbed out two-tracker to the weevil neighbourhood: -double dub- and -clear view-.

having already earned his balearic stripes some time ago, as one of the resident djs at we love. at space in ibiza, ian blevins has since relocated to berlin, and has been immersing himself in the esoteric vibes of the city. on the strength of his latest ep on futureboogie, this is clearly a good thing, as the round trip ep is laden with the deep magical vibes that have also shaped his recent releases on labels like banoffe pies, not an animal records, blind jacks journey and esp institute. on round trip, an abundance of driving, arpeggiated synthesizers weave around sparse yet sturdy drumbeats, as thick pads rise and fall in dramatic fashion. panthera krause (permanent vacation/riotvan/lobster theremin) is on board for the remix of round trip, re-shaping the original into a merry, space organ led, tribal dance, with a splash of garage house vibes that soon become immersed in its own synth heaven, its a cracking remix from the leipzig based producer. on rolands rat, blevins keeps things tight with soaring strings, organ stabs a strolling bassline for a quality jam, whilst can you count my dream? is a dense, and cinematic slab of transcendental dance, an almost claustrophobic atmosphere only intensifies the drama and delivers the heat that seals this superb ep from blevins.

drumcode returns with its 6th installment of the internationally celebrated a-sides series. renowned for fostering a shared space between industry tastemakers and rising talent alike, the careful curation that goes into each volume is a fine example of why beyer s brand continues to go from strength to strength. techno titan adam beyer has grown drumcode into a force to be reckoned with, the label has become synonymous with forward-thinking, functional techno and even after 20 years, drumcode continues to find new boundaries to push, and ways to solidify its legacy as the world s number one techno label.

prelude ep is the inceptive release of oxmose, which marks the first entry in an ongoing catalogue, and the beginning of a journey with various artists. at its heart, the prelude ep is a dialogue between two composers a conversation that traces the line between abstract, electronic experimentalism and glitering interpretive jazz. parisian producer shcaa takes control of side a with core a near 20 minutes exploration into sound, which skirts the fringes of avant-garde minimalism and experimental rhythms. the songs acute cadence lays a dense and atmospheric foundation for the ep. side b sees romanian artist traian chereches offer-up an absorbing counterpoint to shcaas opener on cage. the energy of chereches rebuttal fuses organic and interpretive sounds into a deft jazz reinterpretation, revealing a wide and surprising cinematic ambience. mastered by rashad becker from dubplates & mastering berlin prelude will be released on limited edition 12inch, 180g heavyweight vinyl with an outer sleeve featuring handmade artwork created by graphic designer alice voinea.the organic materials used in her work, emphasizing the interchange of the record adding a further layer of continuity one that stretches between the artist, the music and the listener.

so, after a little break we’re back with a new release. this time we’re joined by the multi-talented production powerhouse that is swarm intelligence (aka simon hayes). landing heavy with four bruising techno cuts that each find their own unique way of taking your head off, ear017 is a bumpy journey through darker club flavours. ‘flatlands’ opens things up, reminiscent of the type of marching, granite-heavy brum techno of old – this is minimal in construction but maximum in its impact. move forward to ‘ground up’ where demonic, dissonant keys take the lead above a rattling midrange that sounds like a corrugated roof ready to fly off. opting for cleaner, elastic drum patterns on ‘tingla’, hayes swaps tense for dense, with a loud take on steppy techno, that’ll please fans of some of blawan’s earlier work. ‘skitz’ starts out an a more dub tip with a wailing, paranoia inducing hook and snaking rhythms, eventually joined by more hard-hitting broken kicks, leading us comfortably into oblivion.

reeko debuts on avian. in recent years, the spanish producer’s name has become synonymous with exquisitely produced, hyper-functional techno variants. releases via pole group and planet rhythm as well as the artist’s own mental disorder outlet have seen juan rico develop a distinctive sound that places elements of noise & ambient within a contemporary techno framework – harnessing a dense, abrasive energy without compromising groove. layers of ethereal pads, filtered noise and feedback fx are compounded into a tight, mono space, pushing back on powerful, propulsive low end – making for a decidedly heady listening experience.

is it balearic? started the uber sublabel up a few years ago, but 2017 has undoubtedly been the strongest year so far for the imprint. following excellent stints from serene, wawawiwas and bonnie & klein, max manetti makes a debut appearance with a self-titled ep loaded with just the kind of slick, instrument-led island grooves we ve come to expect from the uber stamp. from the dense tropical trip of -jungle prayer- to the laconic guitar licks of -dub macumba-, the cyclical mysticism of -changuinola- on to -garrison- with its considered piano chops and stiff breaks, this is an ep of proficient musicianship and eclectic funk for all manner of situations.

as proprietors of the will & ink label, yaleesa hall & malin genie have been maintaining a busy and consistent release schedule of top notch techno sounds, largely releasing their own, well received, productions. the duo appeared on hypercolours 10 years compilation in 2016 with the excellent buchan trap, and weve been blessed to secure a full single release with the on-point pair. the mechanical funk of artin swings with plenty of assured groove, the shuffling hats, dense kicks and dubby stabs that ping pong across this fierce production mark this out as a real killer cut. dario & marco zenker, aka the zenker brothers, take time out from their busy ilian tape operations to remix artin into a brutal yet funky techno goliath. congas perpetually roll forward, with frenetic 909 hats and raw and ready stabs in what may well be one of the zenkers finest remixes to date. the essence of funk continues in hall & malins music, with cahen, a great slab of compelling techno that never slips too far into darkness, instead keeping an ever evolving groove and some abstract drone like synthesis to keep the mood buoyant. wrapping up the release is brown, a track that finishes as urgently as it starts, perhaps with a cap doffed to the purpose maker sounds of a certain jeff mills, but broadening the palette to allow some trippy sound architecture and an effective breakdown mid way through. modern day techno supplied by a duo that will most certainly flourish over the coming months, yaleesa hall & malin deliver the goods aplomb on this hypercolour single.

“never change a winnig team”. that s what radio citizen s niko schabel must have thought when he decided to release his fourth album once again on sonar kollektiv. after the success of “the night & the city” (sk310lp / cd) from 2015 and the productive collaboration ever since this seems like a wise resolution. schabel s idea to retrieve to a mountain cabin in salvenberg, tirol with his band and tons of equipment turned out to be an even more crucial factor to the cause. here they could create and record new songs and bring them together neatly for the new album. the 13 tracks assembled here on “silent guide” are – each on its own and in its entirety anyway – best proof how wonderfully this approach has worked out.
double vinyl in gatefold sleeve with download code included.