atlantas royal thunder crafts a timeless, evocative, and strikingly beautiful brand of southern rock. mlny parsonz soulful, smokey voice haunts dark, slow-burning hymns. simply put, the music royal thunder creates is deeply stirring and this recording opens the door to their vast well of talent. limited edition of 313 copies on opaque bone white vinyl.

hot new 12 inch from new yorks favorite punk-funk sisters! the legendary esg return with their first new release in nearly five years with this super-limited one-off pressing on soul jazz records. featuring their trademark stripped down punk/funk style that has spawned a whole generation of fans and bands thirty years on from their first release, >moody/ufo< ep on factory records (and the infamous 99 records in america), esg return to the fold with this awesome piece of minimal dance. this will be followed by a new album >keep on moving< in the summer.

the zenker brothers grew up in munich, but in 1996 they moved to the countryside and their first adress outside of the bavarian capital was berg 10. shortly after that they got their first dog inti, he smelled like hell, but he was the loveliest dog you can imagine. although it was an intense change and not that easy at the beginning to move from a big city to a village with 5 houses, it was a really important experience for the brothers. and there was so much to discover: the beautiful mountains, lakes and forests, the local football team, the heavy bavarian accent and simply the different mentality on the countryside. all things they would never want to miss, but it was just a question of time to go back to the city. we are proud to present the first record from dario & marco. enjoy!

last year has been a little more quiet about dem birds but since they landed in their new studio the output is back where it should be. the demand for lovebirds is higher than ever especially after his current deephouse bomb featuring stee downes beautiful vocals on >want you in my soul< (winding road). the honeybadger ep referrs to the most badass animal on this planet. it simply doesnt give a shit about anything. and this is something lovebirds can relate to very well. should we also talk about music? well, maybe … >chasing things< is a deephouse peaktime funkmonster. its full on lovebirds sound - deephouse u can seriously party to and loose your cool. no 808 bassdrums either!! >running backwards< is a slick midtempo rat with some pretty badass drums and a kenny >fuckin< powers bassline that actually deserves the name, bitch! not to mention the heavenly breakdown with some of the smoothest guitars in this universe! last part of this heavy threesome is called >gives a shit< and is a nice oldskool tune with a heavy >let no man put asunder< bassline on top of some moodyman-ish chord stabs … ah, and i think brother marvin made it also on this one!!

berghains marcel fengler presents the fifth installment in the clubs expanding mix series. marcel fengler has proved filling floors doesnt have to be about ticking boxes. the versatile mix is a perfect example of the type of dexterity, sensitivity and scope he possesses as a dj. these same attributes can be found in the work of the producers featured on this 12 sampler. a similarly dedicated dj and producer, peter van hoesens incredible axis mundi is a real modern opus. hoesens rich synth warblings and deep bass elements could raise hairs youd never even discovered before... talented duo reagenz aka move d and jonah sharp have had a productive year, and their exclusive track, the labyrinth, proves just that. leading us into a psychedelic dance of funk, dub and abstraction, this slow burning jam fits perfectly in the later stages of fenglers mix. the mysterious vril is behind the dirty, dusty releases appearing on the staub series from geigling. uv follows that convention in a pounding, searing filtered techno tool that explores many zones over its powerful 10 minute reign

we love space team up with vitalik recordings to unveil a very special collection of music for their 2011 annual compilation. following in the footprints of 20:20vision and viva, vitalik recordings have taken the concept a step further by compiling the album from entirely unreleased material. the music comes from a diverse mixture of musical souls featuring 12 exclusive tracks. part one of the of the compilations vinyl sampler contains tracks from legendary production king martin buttrich, dubstep champion appleblim and enigmatic talent the mole. spanning the genres, the resulting collection of music flows and ebbs from the early slow sultry grooves of the moles >even now still us< to the broken beats and colossal bass of closing appleblims >moonlight< constructing an old-school feel and drawing the listener into its deep and emotive soul

we love this record, it really puts the dub in dubstep. their first two releases have sold out and this has been doing well on promo which shows there is a real market out there for this style which really goes back to the early beginnings of how dubstep came about. on the a you are treated to a full vocal mix with lutan fyah in the booth and on the flip there is a dub mix which roles out nicely.

on memento split 001, gas and acirne come up with two fresh releases who show their love for

in the wake of their great bunker and som releases, its time for the exaltics to unleash their unique brand of brooding and dark electronix tech-fi onto creme eclipse aka the living planet. it may sound scary at first but lucky for you it all ends in a crop circle rave!

a chance meeting of minds and talents, this surprising new ep comes from a seasoned producer who kicked off the spc series with his stunning 3 part series, alongside a promising new talent whose name is spreading fast in the techno world. jeroen search & markus suckut are the craftsmen in question and this is their first creative output ?working together. >jsms 1.0< introduces us into their world. tough, straight beats pump under a discordant bed of synth tones that build in crescendo that emerges and then carefully dies down. the occasional crack of a lone clap or teasing washes of tape delay add to the tension, as this paranoid moment takes control. a classically warm and minimalist affair, >jsms 4.3< plants a super deep synth theme in our heads before introducing quite a mysterious spoken word, locking us into the vibe without doubt. crisp hats cut through the mix as a perfect tool is born. dub techno excursion >jsms 2.0< is a rough and raw stab track done their way.

for our first campaign together we bring you their next vinyl release, featuring music from some of the labels regular contributors. microtune & takter were the duo behind concorde clubs very first release and today they combine their love of impulsive beats and deep bass with beautifully melancholic latin samples on >trista pena< and >bazaar<. on the flip gregor sultanow presents two superb cuts. matching deep throbbing bass and sax on >jazz cafe< and wobbling dubby goodness on >kiezfrühstück<. all four tracks brilliantly complement each other, making this a strong summer bound ep. perfect for the after-hours or open air parties.

everything is in solution. no more here, no more when - the sounds loosing their way while creating something new and mysterious. waterkristallen is a transparent and absolute haunting track from arjuna schiks which will be released on einmusika records at the end of july. its a deep and tech influenced number with dizzying atmospheric parts and a lot of power on the other sight - its a dancefloor-number detached from the seasons. arjuna schiks was inspired by new age, meditation and world music, a hippie-child from amsterdam - that is what you can also hear in his productions one more day and my cup of tea. they are so strong and free - good vibes for your soul and precious diamonds for the clubs. once again einmusik is preparing the stage for a young and great producer and it is not supposed to be a short-time collab.

chilean producer aldo cadiz (desolat/einmaleins) drops the next release on elevation limited with 3 superb club tracks. tengo c kicks things into top gear with an infectious percussive groove packed with subtle preacher man samples and undeniable raw energy. darran nugent and pavel lenchenko follow up their recent ep on sasse s mood music label and take tengo c into a slightly different, housier direction but keep aldos kinetic energy cooking to the max. all in all 2 versions to suit different tastes. check the flip side for two totally different party tunes with a real unmistakable chilean flavour. loko block and negrito ven demonstrate why aldo is one of the hottest new talents right now.

further to motor city drum ensembles dj kicks compilation, his exclusive single l.o.v.e. has been reworked by the young detroit prodigy kyle hall, the painter and music creator wolfgang voigt and an excellent remix by smallpeople. kyle has been highly influenced and captivated by the underground deep house sound of detroit. inspired by artists such as theo parrish, mike huckaby, rick wade, 3 chairs, kdj and omar s, who believe their music has a certain feeling of the advant garde and liberation from the so-called rules people place upon dance music. kyle took that principle of their music and applied it to music that he was trying to create. wolfgang voigt is known for his numerous, nearly inexhaustible list of one-off projects and aliases. of these, his best known is arguably >gas< a project that saw the marriage of ambient music and 4/4 techno. his remix of motor citys l.o.v.e shows his minimalistic approach to music he has been famed for worldwide. smallpeople are julius steinhoff & just von ahlefeld aka dionne. smallpeople are focused on a wider range of music and can be diverse- between deep house, detroit techno and some chicago flavours but always within the balance of atmospheric warmth and club suitability bringing yet another perfect addition to this remix package. watch out for more big tunes from smallpeople in the near future

the main stem debut with >contortion danse< their first single for lipservice. it oozes new-wave swag, with james flanagans vocals setting the scene. clash-esque guitar chops and cowbell pings are the order-of-the-day with a hefty bass line and drum workout that keep the groove bumping.
now the remixes, first up the rhythm odyssey warehouse dub takes the track down a dirty groove dubbing things up and adding some 808 rhythms and tribal bass coming on like a undiscovered nu groove release! the band drop their own remix keeping it smooth and hypnotic with echoes of the beloved. last but definitley not least birmmingams slo-mo house / beatdown king mark-e provides us with a epic mix of >yes sacrifice<, mark-e takes us on a spine tingling electronica journey.. oh yes!
look out for the main stems long player >electric church< coming soon.

so sound recordings latest acquisition to its roster is a trio from hannover, germany and they are called les loups. ladies and gentlemens if you thought that >french house<was a cool style of music back from the late 90s and early 2000s, think again, because felix littkemann (18), antonio dominguez (19) & philipp landmann (20), are ready to start a disco revolution. being influenced by jazz, indie rock, french house, hip hop the three got together and started to produce french house based on disco samples from the late 70s and early 80s, creating their own trademark sound which is so fresh!

lipservice are proud to welcome a new addition to our label roster. >out of city< are a tuscan based trio and are no strangers to the scene. having already worked with labels like eskimo and dc recordings they make a melting pot of sounds with their fingers and thumbs!
in dino storai, simone fedi and nicola lopetuso we find a band that seem to effortlessly combine synth music with disco, rock and punk and their >galactica< lp for lipservice is a real joy to listen to from start to finish.

in 2010, as the first genetic bros tunes started to surface, there was an inevitable scramble for his signature. with a record of nurturing talent such as shockone, dc breaks, metrik, camo & krooked and nero, it was an easy decision to join the roster at futurebound’s visionary label viper recordings who signed genetic bros to an exclusive worldwide deal.
with his first track for viper featuring on 2010s >summer slammers< compilation whetting the appetite, genetic bros now releases his debut single for the label, and the sheer quality of his production means russia dont have to wait any longer for their first worldwide star of drum and bass. that artist has arrived. that artist is genetic bros.

isn t it astounding how musikkrause manages to change direction? on one hand you can find albums from feindrehstar and ian simmonds, as well as a number of diverse features. maximum is the catchword. who can bring bona fide, raw, full-service techno for a deep seated mind fuck? berk offset of whom the technoiden world out there is no stranger, has the answer at the ready with a 2x funky, dada techno for culture-drunks and solar plexus-beatniks. the flowing lyricist rainer maria silke is known as the techno-activist part of two duo s. together with the japanese tanaka hideyuki he celebrates an abundant frizzle-fest ornately, bound with alex kork under the handle error as cannibal cooking club to a freaky loud industrial-techno with an experimental edge. added to that he is a manager of the label 9volt-musik which blithely ignores the trends but instead serves a challenging techno sound. the raveline supported, 22nd release from their catalog stromberk recently bagged a record of the month! for musikkrause berk offset mimes the dead doris with a filthy straight-lined techno avant garde for a life in the dance floor heavens. he is the charming psychiatrist with the melting grin and the right medicine in his frock, who muses from time to time over the effectiveness of shock therapy.

collaborating in art, music and science since 1999, recently founding the label magazine and the collective cologne tape, this is nevertheless the first time barnt, crato and jens- uwe beyer appear together as one formation, simply called magazine. if you combine their recent releases - barnts stunning debut ep >what is a number, that a man may know it?<, cratos acclaimed and mysterious >30.6.1881<, j-u beyers incredible sound work on his highly respected last album (with jaki liebezeits drums off chaos) and add the cologne tape recordings you can get an idea of the formations cosmos — but you are not quite there ...

the second instalment for melbourne deepcast records sees andy hart teaming up with francis inferno orchestra to provide a heavy hitting club jam in >d2me<. on the flip we see them each doing their own thing to round off the ep. three track ep from melbournes andy hart and francis inferno orchestra. two solo jams and one heavy hitting club number. melbourne deepcast has been flying the flag for the underground house movement in melbourne and the wider dance community since its birth in 2009. with a podcast thats quickly become one of the go-to places on the interweb for your fix of carefully selected deep house, techno and disco, theres but a few ears they havent reached. casting the net even deeper, a label is born, providing a platform for the ever-growing number of talent rich producers the city has provided a home for.

house bound sampler 1 with inland knights, giom and robert boogert !! drop music, one of the uks most respected and longest running >underground< house imprints present a nine-track album of brand new and exclusive music from a blend of the scenes new, most exiting and respected names. >house bound< sees industry stalwarts inland knights, phil weeks and asad rizvi appear alongside rising stars freaky behaviour, robert boogert and the sound diggers while the ever reliable giom, kinky movement and larry fives gel it all together. the emphasis been all original new exclusive one off tracks with no remixes or third track ep padding. they ve all been road tested by the inland knights and meet the quality seal of approval. as always with drop music releases, the focus is on making the dancefloor move to their trademark funky and bumping >midlands< brand of house music. drop music is now in its 12th year having released almost 75 vinyl eps from artists including label bosses inland knights, the littlemen, james curd, crazy p, joshua heath, sonny fodera, jake childs, manuel sahagun and many more.

for the second time loco records deliver a fine selection of producers and remixers for their four-track-vinyl series. do you play disco at techno parties? give it a try!

for its latest transmission, t-bet records continues its trend of pairing up different acts for cross polinations of electronic sounds, showing the true diversity that can be unearthed within a seemingly simple 4/4 beat. this time around, florence-based trio the clover teams up with newcomer miris. the clover comprises electronic musicians antonio pecori and stefano meucci and live bass player andrea giachetti, offering a loose but polished, three- dimensional techfunk sound. the trip with us ep is their first effort for t-bet after several releases for marcel knopfs clap your hands label as well as tenax recordings, which is how they first encountered stefano miris, from his past work as the head audio engineer at club tenax.

supported by: richie hawtin, timo maas, gel abril, joris voorn, stacey pullen, butch, kabale und liebe ...
cocoonclub-resident skai and label scenery darling m.in acclaimed for his work on labels like loco dices desolat and off join the circus records family with the release of their mediterranean flavoured ultima tromba ep. the release sets off a new era reviving the label itself in cooperation with darmstadt based club magenta, skais home for his monthly event re:fresh. with a stunning original gaining early support from the likes of alex flatner and mark reeve the ep is backed with three remixes. whilst dragosh serves us with a reduced version of the original in his hailed desolat style, remercs approach finalises with a tech-house bomb in the way his recent productions on labels such as trapez or off jar the dancefloors. label-head mikel closes the package with an accentuated make-over of the original version representing the house heads on this ep.

this double a sided release finds us in a mellow mood as we couple joshua moses >pretty girl< with sharon bengamins >mr guy<.
>mr guy< is a lovely slice of lovers rock and somewhat overlooked when released in 1980 but it has become a firm favourite with us here at bristol archive. >pretty girl< finds roots singer joshua moses showing his softer side, it was something of a hit on the original release and makes a natural pairing with sharons tune.
both tracks were originally released as singles on bristol label shoc-wave records some thirty years ago and were given their first digital release with their well deserved inclusion on >the bristol reggae explosion 1978 ¹ 1983<. >mr guy< also made it onto the limited vinyl version of the album, but running time constraints meant there was no room for >pretty girl< something we a very pleased to rectify with this vinyl release.

s.a.s return with an absolute killer ep for foot & mouth. four rib rattling, bone shaking, teeth chartering, brain-mashing monster edits. the a side features their colossal take on >house nation< and the superb re-edit of >satisfied<. then theres the flip, featuring >wanting you< and >you gotta think<!! already being smashed from people as diverse as radio slave, seth troxler and jamie jones, this release is the biggest yet

after receiving such a warm reception from those around the world who appreciate timeless electronic sounds, it was only fitting that patrice scotts >analog dreams< would eventually rise again, refreshed, in the form of a remix project. knowing the mixes had to be special while maintaining the authenticity of the original, patrice tapped two of the worlds finest electronic craftsmen for the honor, both hailing from germany - xdb and johannes volk. these talented artists bring forth just enough vibe from the original mix and offer their own unique interpretations, which are sure to delight those with a tasteful ear.

the guy on the couch is the new project of andy rk and the infamous duo of the analogue cops. >golden lady< is a techno flavored house e.p. that will blast every dancefloor. it has been written, mixed and produced at the restoration headquarters with the use of any computer. the tracks has been premastered by the analogue cops in their raw and compromiseless way.
the short a side is so mighty that it has the power to stop time. the beats are tight and the influence of the artists of the second detroit wave is vivid.>the last word< is an evocative deep house track enriched by numerous samples of old crispy records. smooth and addicting, its a late night tune.>drei hunde< has a funky hypnotic groove that set off a wild pitch hook. just six minutes of danger.

>how deep is your love< is the first single from the raptures forthcoming album in the grace of your love, their first full length release on the dfa label. the record was recorded in brooklyn and paris, france, and produced by phillippe zdar, who has also worked with chromeo, phoenix, air, daft punk and cut copy. zdar is also one half of the duo cassius.

***vinyl only*** some of you might know nycs marcos cabral from his work as half the duo runaway. together with jacques renault, runaway has stacked up a slew of releases and remixes over the past few years. the labels theyve worked for include, dfa, rekids, wurst music co, chinatown, im a cliche, crue-l, mule, endless flight, need want, fina, solar disco, aus, under the shade, plant music, turntable lab, spectral, playout, permanent vacation, nervous, ohm, tartelet, and their very own label on the prowl. their resume is very telling of their musical abilities. this year, marcos has decided to push the envelope even further and create something a bit more personally reflective…his new label hamilton dance records. just as the label artwork foreshadows, the presentation becomes blurred. edits, originals, creative sampling, its all lumped together with a certain vision. special dance-floor tools being the most obvious

mystery meat is back! following a hiatus since last summer’s double-sided whammy release courtesy of nyc disco dons jacques renault and lee douglas, >pump< b/w >got to find a disco<, the top secret edits label returns with the bicep boys in tow. and what a return it is! bicep have been making serious noise over the past several months following their auspicious debut on the throne of blood label in late 2010. in the months since, theyve gone on to remix domino recordings blood orange, tal m. klein (a known associate of fellow mystery meaters nick chacona & anthony mansfield), and la upstarts cosmic kids, and their follow-up ep2 is currently doing the damage on discerning dancefloors the world over

keep up! records unveils brand new signing bestboygrip complete with his debut ep fonck. those with their ears to the ground will be aware that the germany-based bestboy is well-known within the drum n bass world under a different moniker. but this is the bestboy cutting loose for a minute and kicking out some modern disco jams with one foot in the past and the other in the future. this is the sound of an 80s boogie, synthesizer, library music and b-movie obsessive. fonck is the slow-paced opener with heavy-hitting synth drums but reflective keyboard narrative. one of keep up! recordsfavourite producers architeq provides a dubby, spacey remix sounding like something luke vibert might have included on his nuggets library compilations. on the flipside the pace quickens with the flexible bassline but tight groove of copyright. the ep closes with the house-tinged cross my mind, which builds on the strong melody-lead theme of the other tracks even further with the aid of catchy synth lead and vocal hooks. the fonck ep sits comfortably next to artists such as faze action, lcd soundsystem and ilija rudman. just the way keep up! likes its modern disco. bestboygrip is aiming to expand his sound even further, this time onto the stage with a full live band. keep an eye out for roland and his crack team of musicians visiting your town.

good for saturday nights as well as sunday mornings, maxi jazz, rollo and sister bliss are the holy trinity at the centre of the u.k. electronic dance collective faithless. catapulted into fame by their 1996 banger >insomnia<, the group went on to play almost every stage, club and festival known to man. twice. >outrospective< was their third and most successful album, where maxi jazzs trendy vicar approach and sister bliss & rollos innate sense of what makes music work reach their climax. it is more upbeat in tempo and emotion and has an intuitive production that emphasizes their e-flavoured spirituality to a tee. featuring dido and their biggest selling hit >we come one<.

here is the next instalment in kat records, sub-label kat45. this time sees rossoulano from the blackbeard camp, who were infamous in the early noughties with their soulful re-workings of stateside nu soul & hip hop originals into a more organic sound and championed by the like of giles peterson.
first up here we have rossoulano’s extended version of the supremes – stormy. originally produced by henry cosby in 1968, the man behind motown classics stevie wonders ‘my cherie amour’& smokey robinson & the miracles tears of a clown, stormy is one of the hidden gems from diana ross’s supremes. released on vinyl for the first time here and sounding all the mightier for it…
on the flip we have an the mysterious friends in lo places… an rnb/neo soul melter that harks back to blackbeards edit hey day and acts as a nice reminder as to why the name still rings true to many a soul aficionado.

having subtly seduced us all with their debut single, ants, london based duo elephant return with their second seven inch offering on memphis industries. french-by-way-of-pontefract chanteuse amelia rivas met christian pinchbeck back in may 2010, since when they have been quietly creating some hauntingly fragile songs with a sense of mystery and history that belies their teenage years. so side a, >allured< strips away layers, to produce a pure expression of the confusion of love (and lust). amelias disjointed lyricism speaks of anatomy and of carousels, hinting at both the poetics and mechanics of unrequited desire. and on the aa side >actors<, elephant explore the tension of attention, both the craving to be noticed and the desire to melt away into the crowd.

golden earring have been together since 1961 and the current line-up includes two founding members george kooymans (vocals and guitar) and rinus gerritsen (bass, keyboard) along with barry hay (vocals, guitar, flute and saxophone) a member since 1968 and cesar zuiderwijk (drums) a member since 1970.
they have had over 40 hits and 30 albums, many achieving either gold or platinum status in their home country, the netherlands. they are best known for their 1973 hit single >radar love< and their 1982 single >twilight zone<.
the album >contraband< was originally released in 1976. its the first album that features the former cuby and the blizzards blues guitarist eelco gelling which makes it a very guitar orientated album.

berlin imprint items & things reintroduced itself earlier this year with madatos epic ep speak of the she devil. now the labels trio of techno connoisseurs - marc houle, magda and troy pierce - entrust their imprint to italian up-and-comer danny benedettini. danny caught the production bug at an early age, and his taste for the old school can be heard in the throwback feel of tell me quietly. its a retro-tinged trip through modern dance floor sounds, with slickly executed beats and tight arrangements

with over ten years production experience, the proverbial bar of expectations has been set high for smash tv aka holger zilske and kai preussner and their forthcoming release steroids to heaven. first up on this celebrated ep is steroids to heaven, a glitchy tech house number with an astonishingly catchy bassline, reticulated with a mass of synthesized effects and an intriguing vocal sample. pitched drums and a grooving, energetic bassline conspire with one another in made for eachother driving the track forward alongside a sliced vocal sample which, after a beautifully housy breakdown, is given its full debut. judging from this fine release, smash tv is still in top form, ready and able to set the bar of expectations even higher for 2011.

>over< is the undisputed highlight song of gusgus brand new album >arabian horse<. right in time for high summer season we proudly present a remix package that takes no prisoners. after taking dancefloors worldwide by storm with their remix of whomadewhos >every minute alone<, italys hottest export tale of us & tennis return with another mighty roller. that bassline definitely puts the deep back into deephouse and makes you wonder how sexy this summer will be. mood musics sasse is no stranger to our label. alongside robert johnson guru ata he has remixed one of our catalogues most cherished classics: jürgen paapes >soweit wie noch nie<. so it was about time to invite him again. his vocal and dub mixes perfectly catch this summers omnipresent oldschool house vibe. president bongo delivers an absolutely massive dark acidic take complete with heavenly strings and things. and last but not least gusgus very own bigir veiran takes control for another uplifting neohouse mix that is slightly reminiscent of a certain robin s - but very different of course. voila - choose your weapon and go party!

canadas cobblestone jazz have established themselves as one of the most unique and inspiring bands of the past decade. thanks to their exploration of house through the eyes of a jazz improv group, their music is derived from the organic energy of the groups jam sessions and their now legendary live performances. comprised of members tyger dhula, mathew jonson, danuel tate along with newest addition the mole, cobblestone jazz are as accomplished individually as musicians and performers as they are a band - united by long term friendship, respect and passion for writing music in the moment. their decade long history of releases on iswhatitis, !k7 and wagon repair have earned the praise and long time support from the likes of gilles peterson, carl craig, luciano and sven väth. >memories (from where we are)< celebrates the first of a series of 12 inch releases that will come out on wagon repair over the course of 2011/12. the outcome of a berlin jam session last fall, the band incorporated a fender rhodes, vocoder, and sh-101 to make up the core voicing of the tracks while a cs-20 provides the drive at the end of both. in typical cobblestone jazz fashion, the track was mixed live with no prior sequencing arrangement. the session was then cut by the mole into two sublime edits - the results could be their strongest release since >dump truck<.

delivered here is phillip charles >controlled input< ep. a collection of phillips music as orignal as it is danceable. while the tracks contain unifying elements, they each stand very clearly apart in their own sound. as we move towards 2011 reference points of mathew jonson, carl craig and redshape spring to mind, but make no mistake... this release is in a sonic space all its own. a true gem for lovers of forward thinking techno and house.

ok … the sad truth is we have been searching for this dat close to 6 years since rabbit in the moons david christophere and san diego native sotero finished the project. both mixes were done around winter 95 / 96. despite excitement around the label at the time, eventually the tracks fell to the wayside under the age-old excuse of >figuring out what to do with them<. meanwhile, knowing a good thing when he heard it, three made a dat copy and cut some actetates to play out. they made their way around a good portion of the earth via himself, some friends and one west coast dj who boldly vowed to just put it out on his own --- off the slate --- if we didnt get our act together. fortunately he didnt, but neither did we because both david and three misplaced the dat copies and sotero never had one!

london based label ism serves up a massive ep with three tracks from russian disco producer volta cab, all of which offer some seriously downtempo grooves. >play on< and >magic in your eyes< nail the classic sub 110bpm disco sound with its lush live instrumentation. however its the shining 80s feel of >hes a bad mutha< that is the most impressive, melding a sleazy vocal with a heart-rending combination of synths and horns. label bosses yam who? offer two remixes, with their version of >play on< a cosmic uptempo version of the original, with an ascending synth bass that elevates the original vocal to new heights. their remix of >hes a bad mutha< adds a similar amount of extra dancefloor kick, removing the originals yearning melody for something a little more forceful.

supported by tornado wallace (delusions of grandeur), pete herbert (reverso 68/dance disorder)... when jay shepheard launched retrofit in early 2010, deep house with a splash of disco was on the menu. six releases later and the quality of music hasnt faltered once. jays own work has always been the main focus on all five releases but for retrofit 6, rudys midnight machine, (who is in fact robin lee of faze action) takes to the stage alongside an appearance from shepheard (as ee_ef_ex) on remixing duties. >ecstatic love glow< kicks off the ep, diving head first into the disco and synth heavy realm that we expect from retrofit (and, for that matter, from mr lee), whose house outputs with faze action as far back as 97 speak for themselves. the intro of tip tapping hats and congas leads into a penetrating bass guitar, a riff that goes on to be cleverly mirrored by keyboards and later, by what sounds like a scratchy lakland guitar. wooden hats, sirens and a plethora of cosmic elements boogie their way around until the tracks dominant synth parades in and takes over the arrangement, striking a dramatic and smug pose at the close of each stab. the second track of >east side good living< sticks with its predecessors groove, cosmic sirens, electronic whistles and metallic drum taps yet again highlighting rudys modern disco sound

mother focus is their 1975 studio album which marks a departure from the progressive rock style that dominated the band s prior work, to a poppier, often disco influenced direction. it is focus last studio album that features the notorious jan akkerman on guitar.

sintope drops another hot release from their catalogue down to the 12 junkies. a groovy primetime tune with a catchy guitar-hook completed with a great remix by david labeij (remote area, intacto,sunset handjob).

perfect for fans of ricardo villalobos / perlon !!! just when we thought that thomas melchior and peter frank adshead had hung up their soul capsule boots and settled on sporadic solo work, they come belting back with two releases in a matter of months on peter fords trelik label. >deep dawn<, up first, is typically soul capsule. dark, twisted techno thats made for dark spaces and dark minds. sporting low, reverbed basslines that throb along to breathy and indecipherable vocals, >deep dawn< and <new day dawn< project the same eyes closed, foot stomping attack on their listeners as each other

outboxx hail from bristol and like much of the great citys output their music has plenty of laidback style and vibe. jacob hodge builds the sharp beats, adds bass depth and controls the technology, matt lambert adds the authentic keys - rhodes and synth licks with beautifully judged hints of jazz, soul and vintage funk.