!! vinyl only !! four originals from the italian artist. turins rills has been steadily gaining a strong following over the decade with his tracks being played the likes of ar:pi:ars raresh, daniel bell, dyed soundorom and cassy, and finding a home on imprints such as 8bit, in haus wax and esperanza. here we see rills join the roster of visionquests vinyl only offshoot label, special editions, following material from jorge savoretti, konrad black and quilla. zorlak opens the package and sets the tone of raw and dubby via murky atmospherics, swirling chord sequences and a swinging rhythmic drive, yoda follows and retains a similarly swung drum groove whilst introducing spaced out, unfolding pads across the composition. stranger freaks kicks off the b-side of the release, stripping things back to bumpy drums, heady resonant synth swells and hypnotic tension buildings drones before paper beatz rounds out the package with smooth deep pads, modulating synth stabs and shuffling hats.

after nearly a 17 month layoff the corner returns with 2 killer releases cor-16 brings you new artists to the label, dar embarks out of chicago which is dan jugel one half of juzer and ken zawacki one half of circling vultures bring a taste of chicago techno with relentless jacking beats firing off at a fast pace with a lot of movement ever changing and modulating tones these tracks are built to move asses. pressed onto 180 grams vinyl and a limited run.

claude debussy (+1918) was one of the most popular and forward thinking composer associated with impressionist music. his innovative and at this time new way to compose music with non traditional scales and chromaticism inspired countless artists from the likes of steve reich, philip glass, miles davis and herbie hancock. remarkable attributes of his music were i.e. the usage of parallel chords, bitonality and many compositions of whole-tone and pentatonic scales and all this surely reminds us on contemporary electronic music where you hardly find limits or boundaries when it comes to traditional, harmonic sounding scale tone music. after studying countless composers of the last centuries marc romboy decided to accept the challenge to edit, remix and reconstruct several works of his favorite french composer, ranging from „la mer“ to -prélude à l après-midi d un faune“. romboy: „one sentence of debussy impressed me a lot when he said that he simply intents to write new sounding music. this is and has been exactly my goal, to create kind of unheard sounds“. on the album romboy performs together with the dortmund philharmonic orchestra, the renowned conductor ingo-martin stadtmüller, the well respected düsseldorf based concert master miki kekenj and sound programmer ali khalaj. the recordings was directed december 12th 2016. it s the first live recording ever released on an album where electronic sounds and classical components were merged in such manner.

romanian talent suolo presents may be for lokomotiv’s first official release.
cosmic frequencies induce an intergalactic trip as may be transports us into space, while complete paranoia aims for those special fast-paced moments on the dancefloor after-hours.
romanian duo sit (cristi cons & vlad caia) add colour to the stripped down beauty of may be with their interplanetary interpretation, featuring suolo’s signature dreamy soundscapes and bouncy rhythms. the remix is driven by a deep-toned bassline while more otherworldly elements web together an out of body experience that we know you will enjoy.
the release has received early support from raresh, barac, dubtil, arapu and cezar to name a few, mesmerising dancefloors and generating a wave of hype in romania and around the world.

miami deep and tech house label sports is hitting its third release with the sultry tones of greek producer salt, who offers up two original tracks of lean and mean tracks to get pumping to. quantum xl features punchy bass, dubby fx and seductive chords that burrow right into the heart of the night, while imago loop takes a sharp turn into dreamy broken beat crafted with light, airy drums and woozy pads for the most blissful of listening experiences. on the remix front, sylphe offer up a re-dub of quantum xl that fattens the bass up further and works more percussive angles into the mix, while martinez deftly swaps imago loop-s breaks out for a slinky micro house beat.

st173 is the first various artists effort on kastil’s stale imprint. the 3rd installment of 2017 showcases the most active artists from the stale stable (kastil & irazu).
kastil opens up the record with the noteworthy tones of “carucci” while madrid based irazu offers a wild adventure that’s constructed around his usual paranoidsynth work and frantic fx with “introversion”.
basel native ben kaczor is offering a piece of acidic techno on “sick acido” and desroi explores the dystopian side of electronic music with his “disprocess”.

not an animal records was formed in 2015 out of the ashes of the london-based party bad passion, and has thus far welcomed the likes of man power, ess o ess and eric duncan to release on the label. now they turn to james hadfield, a relatively new producer previously spotted on to rack & ruin and me me me. on this four-tracker he deals in brooding synthwave tones mixed with classic jack track rhythms. literate is just the kind of taut, sinister club creeper we can t get enough of, while buried answers takes a skippier but no less moody approach. on the remix front, jamie blanco takes the prize, turning buried answers- into a bombastic slice of driving synth pop.

fresh from the success of their ‘past / present / future’ release, we march on, with berlin-based italian christopher ledger the man responsible for their label’s 41st release. the ‘percezione and retrospettiva’ ep sees ledger in flying form, as he props up with two dexterous, thoughtfully executed records that speak volume of his ability to craft atmospheric sounds. opening up the release is the sounds of ‘retrospettiva 2’, a future leaning techno jam that again wonderfully fits the brouqade aesthetic. clearly indebted to sci-fi spheres, this one is very much cut from a detroit cloth, with a steely finesse that lurks from the get go. a track that brings the listener on an endless journey, it comes some deep harmonic vibes. all things told, this is an ep of various contrasting sounds, ledger’s debut for brouqade is a stunning example of what can happen when producers think outside the box. the b side consists of ‘percezione attiva’. harmonic, blissful tones abound throughout, made all the more meaningful by a slew of gentle, melancholic piano chords that really pull on the heartstrings. a light and hazy experimental piece, the track forces parallels with other masters of suspense. culminating with a more traditional 4/4 vibe, this unusual turn only enhances the producer’s standing as a man willing to take risks.

elephant moon proudly welcomes one of our good friends from barcelona, sonodab.
sonold is the starting point for this four-track ep. there’s a distinct air of mystery looming over this minimal workout. the globulous bassline bounces along supporting by clapping beats with an eerie tone that prevails throughout.
this is followed by more alluring atmospherics on ‘aporia’, a track that has an elastic b-line and every once in a while an enchanting melody drifts in, switching up the vibe turning things a little more dreamlike.
turn the record and prepare to embark on a ‘random night’. this is sonodab turning up the energy levels and taking you on a trip into another dimension to close out the ep ‘elecmann’, plays out like an ode to the good old electro days, slightly reminicent of juan atkins’ early work as model500. like the rest of the tracks on this release, sonodab adds soft pads in places to change the mood and keep things moving.

rekids founder radio slave readies a colossal double a-side titled ‘overdue’ this june. “‘the revenge’ is my homage to clubs like “rage- and my days growing up in london-, says matt edwards. “the reverse’ came from some late night studio sessions in february and i’ve had a lot of fun playing this out. all i can say is it’s very me - stripped back and made for the dance floor”. urban field recordings and a spoken word sample set the tone in ‘revenge’ before an onslaught of breaks erupt into a frenzy, the overall aesthetic borrows upon numerous uk rave hallmarks whilst sounding fresh and impeccably geared for modern dj use. meanwhile, ‘reverse’ is a quintessential radio slave record with its polished production, repetitive minimalism and atmospheric aura – rounding off a two-tracker expertly produced with the dancefloor in mind.

uncertainty. no set route. destination unknown. younger than me know it s the journey that counts, and they premiere with quite the musical journeyman. the dulcet tones of none other than the don, fred ventura, accompany the title piece, a grooving melody ticks over against clean beats. san proper kick up some dust, adding some grit and soul to the original. the flip takes on a darker aspect. the giallo flavoured -not for all- looms and lurks before the dream woven depths of -don demorder-.

following two monumental releases on crosstown rebels, serge devant is back onboard the label to deliver one of his best to date. the immensely sensual thinking of you sees him team up once again with damiano and camille safiya with invigorating remixes from heavy-weights reboot and art department.

serge devant has been turning heads since the seminal fearing love feat. camille safiya dropped in 2015 on emerald city, picking up the best music video award at the 2016 hollywood independent reel film festival. serge reveals it was so nice to have the same company back in the studio to work on more magic! thinking of you breathes the air of summer with its blissfully smooth chords and deep hypnotic tones it s another winner from serge.

welcomed back onto crosstown rebels, no.19 boss jonny white aka art department delivers a raw, techno cut in his modular perspective remix. jonny has seen almost unparalleled success in the world of dance music and continues to be at the forefront of the industry with a huge focus on his record labels and his in-demand label showcases that take the name of his vinyl only label, social experiment.

frankfurt s reboot brings his flavour to the release with intricate percussion and deep underlying pads. growing up in sven vath s omen club, the talented musician now spearheads the new sound of frankfurt and has released on a wealth of labels like circus, moon harbour, cadenza and get physical.

following the meeting between masomenos, vadim svoboda and m hamed el menjira, abdessamad boussahfa and sanhaji, cosmo records is once more exploring the crossover between western electronic music producers and traditional african instrumentalists. this time around the casablanca-based label is welcoming a new artist to the fold. cesar merveille has been active in the european house and techno scene for many years, releasing on labels such as cadenza and visionquest while always pursuing his own unique creative agenda inside and outside the conjines of club music. cesar s recent adventures have found him launching roche madame, a label for his most personal and expressive work. in the spirit of this exciting new phase in his career, this release for cosmo jinds him working with the captivating tones of senegalese vocalist malik diop across a range of tracks that capture the crosscultural spirit of cosmo. -kosmos- is a thoroughly delicate production, using intricate threads of percussion that fall in intriguing, fractured patterns behind the layers of malik s voice. the melodic content follows this hypnotic format, drifting in and out of earshot in a playful key that speaks to west african traditions even as it transmits through contemporary synthesis.

brian kage returns on michigander with the, best kept secret ep. kage once again provides three deeply emotional dance tracks filled with his signature warmth that immediately draw connections between personal memories and michigan’s natural splendor. best kept secret starts the record off with tones of hypnotic bells that cascade down from within minor chords that hypnotize the listener until they are met with swelling strings to tie the infectious grooves to intelligent vintage percussion. lush vocals continue building into an atmosphere of nostalgia and eventually gives way to that moment of intimacy that can only be felt outdoors while exploring with a person they love. lost on old free-soil road features a detuned analog synth-line that winds up and down over a bed of spooky night-time forest field-recordings which are encompassed by a jackin’ 909 beat . suddenly, juno stabs straight from the 80’s pierce through sending the syncopated grooves back the direction they came from taking dancers along for the joyful ride. cruise control on us-31 rounds out the record with an infectious blend of pitched wooden toms, warm mid-range bass, deep 303 lines, and a smoky pad straight from a vintage rhodes. all these elements help keep the composition positive & relaxing, while expertly conjuring the feeling of sun on your face. this tune is the perfect tool for any dj interested in luring day-partiers to a space where they can’t resist bobbing their heads and enjoying their summer outside. related items

owen jay and melchior sultana are frequently found working in tandem on their particular brand of contemporary deep house, and this is the second time they ve been snapped up by contrast wax following the aftermath ep back in 2014. the mood is smooth and sultry on the title track for this new 12inch, with a sensual sax lead taking centre stage over the kind of gentle bump that would sit comfortably on guidance recordings. bubbles floating in the sky, as the title would suggest, is an equally mellow mover, while b-side lounger saturn heads into even calmer waters with its hushed pad tones and technoid synth pulses.

the latest ep on tresor records comes from reduction luminary terrence dixon. detroit’s most puzzling genius debuted on the label in 2000 with his first ever full length work – from the far future. it took over a decade for its sequel to follow – from the far future pt.2 released in 2012 to great public acclaim. this year, terrence dixon prepared a matchless four track ep, going ever further in his very own tenor of collided electronics and mesmerizing tones. words can simply not describe.

mondo is proud present the premiere vinyl release of the soundtrack to the haunting, original playstation title “silent hill”. don’t let the tone of the plucky mandolin driven opening track fool you, this is one of the most haunting soundtracks we’ve ever released. full of hair-raising, pulse-pounding, industrial cues - this soundtrack is the stuff of nightmares - which is important, since “silent hill” (and its subsequent sequels) has it’s feet planted firmly in the legacy of survival horror gaming.
black double vinyl in gatefold sleeve.

it s not clear who is behind the instinct label, but with this first release the mysterious producer displays an impressive grasp of dark garage and minimal house. the shuffling funk of -the way- is an instant hit, marrying the razor sharp beats with melancholic synths and a killer bass wobble. -pressure- deals in more abstract tones, but there s no let up in the nagging insistence of those crisp hi hats. -cocktail- meanwhile takes a more uptempo approach with its bongo-embellished beat and subtle melodic fragments woven through the mix, and then -instinct- knocks the ball out of the park with an utterly deadly 2-step workout for those who love ghost records and all that ace, moody pre-dubstep busines

dissonant is back with a very significant new signing, cardace & perazzini and their most complete artistic statement to the date displayed in two parts. noir jungle part i, sets the tone to this exciting project where the talented italian duo explores different dimensions, taking house and techno as basis to build up with amazing diversity a truly unique style on top of it

the first release of -syncretism- is a strong declaration of techno made by cressida. the ep includes 4 tracks, 3 written and produced by cressida and 1 additional mix is made by uvb. all the tracks have got a solid raw sound, an excursion between the hardest industrial, the classic uk acid sounds and new wave. the first track, toxic masculinity, is a punching tune characterized by raw drums, rough synth and break sequencies. second track, the uvb testosterone mix, represents the masculinity killer track, with a screaming human being in a dark environment. third track, snakecharmer, is the anthem killer track characterized by acid and big room sounds. neurotic x represents the other side of the label where the artist experiments his tone bringing you in a post industrial and wave scenario.

die limitierte single-box »spirit of 69« auf trojan records enthält acht originalgetreue reproduktionen von gesuchten boss reggae-7-inch-klassikern der späten 60er und frühen 70er jahre in einer box. alle singles wurden remastered, das artwork wurde den original trojan-cover artworks nachempfunden. mit dabei namhafte acts und spezialitäten wie john holt, lloyd robinson, the pioneers, lloyd charmers, vincent gordon, tyrone evans, the hippy boys u. a.

the latest transmission from the world of gunnar haslam, kalaatsakia wildly sprawls across the intersections of techno and more abstract sounds to take us on a wideranging journey from the subterranean to the coastal, from blown-out dub tones through fractured rhythms. an incredible work that is not easy to pigeonhole, kalaatsakia is a full length album that navigates and sketches landscapes where new languages are created from old, dead ones to emerge as the lingua franca of interconnected immersive zones.

there are hundreds of bootlegs out there to sate the ravenous soulero set, and so often they incorporate songs in the vast numero catalog. rather than beat them, numero joins them with our answer to the iconic east side story series. eschewing our classic look and standard-bearing copious notes for sardonic artwork and impeccable selections, numbero is proud to present a ‘bootleg’ you can be proud of (because it’s all licensed). this time we’ve set our sights on the most unique of soul cultures: the irreplicable melting pot of san antonio. included here are all songs never before issued other than in minuscule pressings on 45, never distributed outside of bexar county limits.

it is making my blood boil. man, my jaw is hanging down listening to this stuff. read the email from butthole surfers man and producer, paul leary, when he heard the demo for what would become the debut philipp gorbachev & the naked man album. philipp gorbachev, the russian musician and dj, has been throwing killer parties and making some of the most innovative and exciting electronic music to come out of moscow in years. in 2014 he released his debut album silver album but when invited to perform a live boiler room he had something else in mind: a band scenario. the resulting concoction was not something locked into a 4/4 beat but rather a much more organic, groove-based sound with funk-strutting bass lines and live drums that rolled and flurried around the beats that jumped around leading the charge of the songs along with gorbachev’s damo suzuki-like vocals. taking that experiment into the studio, i dont give a snare is a wild ride that jumps genres, switches paces and alters tones frequently. the opening goodman exploding in intense rhythms and heavy, spiralling riffs that at times recall sabbath but the ever-shifting drums and gargling electronics give a wonky freshness that feels impossible to place into genre. whilst gorbachev cites a range of influences from beck to blind willie johnson as being core to him, the primary motivation is the live nature of the project itself. the main influence is the constant live experience we have as music players and performers. i want to get the most out of every party, every jam, and every dancefloor.

the third cut on kalahari oyster cult comes from erell ranson, a producer who combines the subtleties and depths of uk electronics with the groove of the us. hand in hand ep is a transatlantic marriage of machine music. warm sounds abound, lush pads and textured tones accompanied by pulsing toms and clean claps. melodies are flexible, bending and giving as moods change and harmonies unfold in effortless shifts. let ranson take you, hand in hand, to hear the beauty of the machine.

vinyl only release !
roduced by roman flügel and jörn elling wuttke / published by copyright control mastered by dubplates and mastering, recut by stefan betke at scape mastering berlin alter ego recordings is very pleased, to rerelease this acid jesus classic, which is sounding just as fresh as it sounded, when it was released on klang elektronik back in 1997. the record was out of print since over 15 years and the tracks were not availlable on any digital platform. based on a very light, but striking ground construction, roman flügel and jörn elling wuttke leading their listeners over delicate fm-synthesis-sounds, minimal clonky bass patterns and snappy percussions to a long intermission breakdown, which reminds us of a starting boeing 747. where “interstate” plays like an inspired peakhour-jam should, “turkey skank” and “hibernation drive-, on the b-side, take on cooler tones for a headier machine-funk ride. the record was played out by dj’s like andrew weatherall, matthew herbert, luke slater, baby ford, dj hell, ellen allien, sven väth, ricardo villalobos, michael mayer etc.

dead rail is a soundshaping railroad soaked in fog and cough.
dead rail is the breath that transforms light into smoke, smoke into brain waves and brain waves into some anamorphic sound blend.
dead rail is a walk through an eyeburning beat and runs on mandibular tracks.
dead rail is the dark corner of a party where the tones are stagnant in a motionless dynamic.
dead rail is the suspended activity of synapses while earing is driving the other senses.
dead rail is the dying frequency in your ear.
dead rail is noise from within.

trippy atmospheric tune, song of trees, perfectly remixed by sid le rock aka pan/tone (kompakt, my favorite robot, ladomat 2000), london house music veteran luke vb and anatoly ylotana himself. ylotana music by anatoly ylotana (ylotana project) and sergey sergeev (mix club, solyanka, troyka multispace). based in moscow, russia and initially set-up to support all of the sex of insects band releases as well as those of its collaborators.

limit and asymmetric are in fact both the work of st. petersburg-based producer evgeniy sergeev, who has been building up a library of contemporary d&b productions digitally and now makes the leap to vinyl with some of the strongest of his productions to date. stormy is aptly titled as it rips with ferocity through mangled breaks, rave stabs and hoovers aplenty and quarantine is a quintessential darkside jam with more of that tricksy drum programming. the b-side offers a little more respite with the sunkissed tones of transzendental and the soulful yet ruff mood of jazz is making a smart counterpoint to the heavier a side.

next up on aus music is the return of label boss will saul working alongside long term label favourite komon. together the duo line up harmonise - a smouldering single that comes backed up with an almighty pair of remixes from osgut ton mainstay nick höppner and analogue aficionados juju & jordash. the title track kicks things off with glowing, interweaved synths and a pattering tom line. vocal snippets and trippy delays suffuse a purposeful bass tone before the 101 dub version rolls out with punchy drums and a sharp, darting acid line. berghain regular nick höppner then does what he does best with his remix in building a rich, hypnotic groove that steadily develops with intricacy and depth. dekmantel and golf channel regulars juju & jordash then drive a warped, rumbling synth line through spacey atmospherics rounding off another fine addition to the catalogue.

mysterious berlin based label mask preps its debut release titled ‘lemmy’ with four untitled cuts this april. a new series born out of an established german imprint, mask’s enigmatic debut release was produced using a selection of analogue gear including a moog slim phatty, e-mu sp-1200 and nord rack 2x. the a side begins with a track built around a tightly programmed drum loop which subtly builds, laced with mix-slicing hats and sub-low kicks whilst stretched out chords dissipate around a crunchy synth lead. the second production is twisted and dusty, using flanging and reverberated effects to lead towards a distorted breakdown, driven from the depths by gusts of full bodied snares and a growling sub line. on the flip, dulcet tones of a female vocalist join lush melodic chords to cleanse the palette, whilst working within the confines of a subdued yet crisp drum machine groove. the final track then strips things back even further, employing minimalist percussive hits and a warm bass lead, leaving space for its soothing female vocals to do the talking

one of the core members of the apollonia family is the mastermind behind the label’s latest release. shonky steps up with his first solo ep since ‘plombiére’ which dropped in july 2016. full of funky flavours and that distinct ‘shonky style’, the new ep consists of four brand new tracks produced exclusively for apollonia. each track emanates its own unique vibe, while reppin’ shonk’s irresistible groove. on side a we have ‘tyrolien’, a jaunty number with bright tones and a tight, rolling groove. shonky injects it with a series of unusual fx and what sounds like an wizened old creature, speaking about ‘the foulest stench in the air’. it’s a superb combination and sets the ep off to a great start.next up is ‘beat street’ which has a heavier set of beats, which stomp down as a marauding b-line gets to work. tiny fizzes and cheeps in the background add depth, sounding like robotic birds at play in the wild. the track is minimal in its make up, but deep and engrossing, classic shonky material.flip the vinyl over and we have ‘torro rosso’, a bold, stomping workout with fresh percussion and a jovial analogue riff. as the bubbly low end percolates way down below, the beats pump the track along and an extra layer of analogue funk enters the fray midway through. the final track is titled ‘serpent a&#768,,, sonnette’ and swithes the vibe. it’s loose, meandering and twisted, with a hypnotic bassline and super sharp percussion. this one is going to get the dance floor locked into a groove, as it progresses a sweet, chirpy melody brightens the mood. feel the glow!once again shonky demonstrates his ability to produce groovy dance floor cuts that have their own unique fingerprint, danceable, unusual and utterly captivating. grab the new ep now!

lovedancing is proud to present yawumna , the new ep by tel aviv based veteran discoteers rabo & snob. ronen sabo & eyal rob have been djing together since the mid nineties and have been releasing their music via notable labels such as whiskey disco, lovedancing and disco halal. ronen, using the alias obas nenor has also released music on moodyman s mahogoni music, heist, and strictly rhythm.

having first linked up with london-based coyote records in early 2015, grade 10’s forever returns to the label proper for his first full ep project, hymn which explores the myriad sounds, layers and textures that have come to define his music.
the delicate, slow-burning cinema of widescreen opener gweilo, the shadowy eeriness of hymn and the crunchy, industrial club heat of swamped each point to different reference points, but all feel interlinked by forever’s grip on atmosphere and tone.
coyote label mate, chemist - also one third of planet mu trio, silk road assassins - also turns in a booming edit of hymn, complete with re-booted, icy melodies that fire off like shards of glass, and rude, 808 patterns that nod to his work with sra.

london-based producer and dj tarquin has returned to gobstopper. “grease (chord mix)” is a high tempo example of the genre’s more experimental side, using fragmented percussive samples set to a background of pitch-bent chord stabs and twisted melodic elements.
providing as much impact in the track’s negative space as in its instrumentation, tarquin s minimalist approach to production on “grease (chord mix)” establishes its boldness and makes it one of the most recognisable examples of deconstructed club music of the year so far.
as a counter-point to the abstract starkness of “grease (chord mix)”, the release s flip side “foxtown” utilises ominous synths and distorted bass tones to tackle the more upfront sound of first generation grime production.

loco dices desolat label welcomes uk artist waff for its next ep, a meaty four tracker by the name of hanzz sup. in recent times, waff has really established himself as one of the beacons of main room house and techno around the world. from standout sets at key ibiza clubs to gigs at fabric, london via big underground hits on labels like drumcode, cocoon and hot creations, he is a real man of the moment. the title track opens the ep in fine style with hulking great big kicks reverberating down low as wonky tones and scattered percussion add more heat. barreling along and taking no prisoners, it is a hugely physical drum track with spoken word mutterings piling on the pressure. making just as big an impression but in less direct ways, the shuffling and bubbling karimba is a skittish, busy affair with tribal drums and vocal chants all layered up into something that is sure to become anthemic in ibiza this summer. on the flip side hypnotised works on getting into your brain with tight, scurrying drum and percussive patterns that never let up. its a dense, busy arrangement that makes for a high octane ride. last of all inception takes on more of a house feel, with well swung, low slung drums bringing the groove as hammering hits and frosty synth lines keep busy up top. this is house and techno that makes a big impact from one of the most on point producers out there right now.

snow-white vinyl. solace is the brand new roller from alaska. a sequence of sad violin loops set the tone over fast breaks and strings. sub-bass and keys glide with soulful house vocals adding the final touch for the first solo alaska 12inch in three years. alaska revisits the ambient number earthloop on the flipside adding sharp downtempo drums to the original break-less recording from 2010’s the mesozoic era lp.

zwei herausragende künstler der russischen underground-szene, julia govor & tmz (letzterer vor allem bekannt als tripmastaz), führen mit * the probability* second state tief in die sphäre minimalen technos. ohne frage: drei geheimwaffen zwischen purer hypnose und brachialer durchschlagskraft!
the time has come again to welcome two new faces to the second state gang. introducing two of russia’s biggest exports and house elite, julia govor and tripmastaz. between julia govor’s recent meteoric rise and tmz s (the fresh alias for the more techno leaning output of tripmastaz) long discography of avant-garde clubland hits, the pairing of the two are a match made in heaven. over the course of three tracks the pair craft an expertly woven tapestry of hefty sonics resulting in their debut collaboration, ‘the probability’ ep. from the start, the aptly titled ‘1-’ kicks off with an enormous breakbeat kick and distant reverb heavy percussion forging a shimmering atmosphere as energetic hi-hats and swirling tones crescendo into a deep yet celestial fervor. ‘plus two’ sees the pair spawn their heaviest tune of the bunch as rolling low end and trippy, churning synths give way to a barrage of energetic claps and racing ride cymbals sure to make any dancefloor explode. wrapping up the ep is ‘equals tree’ where ethereal tones and flickers of delicate acoustics defy a monotonous yet robust groove culminating in a beautiful display of opposing forces. we couldn’t be happier with the outcome of this stunning ep and we know you will revel in it for a long time to come

farron continues the course of shaw cuts with his legend of the bat ep, following in the footsteps of chu liu hsiang: the journey to bat island. the voyage begins with c.i.t.g, its relentless break-beat fundament combined with coarse synth lunacy to wipe out the first dark shapes moonlit slaughter. joining forces with rivals, chu liu hsiang is no longer alone as he advances on bat island. semi-final thoughts accompanies the newly-formed crew to the mysterious ground a melody of warm synth and light churned by industrious oldschool drums. but who to trust? the fleeting harmony ends when several combatants unveil their guise and true motives. loyalties revealed, massacre ensues. ‘unlimited mind‘ pulsates, its bassline and sharp percussions decapitating those who dare to deceive. derby epitomizes the tension of the final showdown with low rolling tones, echoing chords and heavy percussion weaving the air like the rival in pursuit. with teamed forces and clever combat the traitor is annihilated from head to toe bloodbath and game over

“muen” is based on the concepts of “muen”, “kugai” and “raku” all referring to tactical “freedoms” or “liberties” within the structures of medieval japan. a reflection on concepts that have been lost since the seventeenth century, according to historian yoshihiko amino. while “muen” echoes of the seminal early 90s merzbow, playing on the relationship between metal noise and instrumental oscillations, it differs in interaction between the two. where the pure noise used to dominate, the instrumentation has taken over, making the whole soundscape oscillate and vibrate. each side is one long piece unfolding, an ocean of tones and frequencies, a catharsis of sound, dynamics and power. “muen” is a vitally sonic experience from a true master and innovator of electronic music for followers both new and old. “muen” is limited to 375 copies

when armand van helden pronounced todd invented the game. the rest of us are just playing it he articulated a feeling that had existed in the house music community ever since todd terry became the toast of the dancefloor with a brash, brand new sound that combined the rhythms of house with the attitude of hip hop. those early productions, struck through with raw energy, low-fi production and heavily manipulated samples set the tone to come for new york house and in the process, propelled todd to one of the first internationally known dj/producers

planet rhythm usual yan cook teams up with fellow ukranian artist mays for a tough collaboration record named “old friend ep”. on the opening-track “fixed” the tone is being set for this being an utter dancefloor effort with the extended use of fx and modulation. “old friend” resumes in this fashion bringing a glitchy atmosphere of some kind together with matches chords and outlandish drum work. the b-side opens up with the futuristic tones of “coder” which is based around tough synth arpeggiators and ferocious kick drums. “tesla” continues down the road of futuristic techno with it’s strong and extended fx works and intrusive synthesizer sounds.

the mixtapers are an italian band focused on a dynamic, live funk and hip hop sound. following an appearance on sonar kollektiv last year with the we so good 12inch, they ve been chosen to inaugurate bakerboy s agnis music label with this effervescent ep. the title track on sun metaphors uses blissful rhodes keys as the focal point for a sunkissed slice of vocal deep house, while smokey reflection takes a more punchy approach to the drums while maintaining the woozy mood. trinity kicks off the b-side with some squelchy electro funk stylings, and then sara lima lends her vocal tones to downtempo cruiser stay (away from me)

amoon andrews is one of those cult producers from the mid 90s that could have easily remained under the radar were it not for passionate, tuned in labels like knoe tracking down their wares and finding out what didnt get released the first time around. the sir lord comixx material packs all the hallmarks of great 90s deep house, and so it goes on this next round of dat-sourced goodness.new world is a swirling gem that would sound right at home on guidance, while danceteria gets a twitchy spring in its step that should set the party alight.dance on the ceiling is equally feisty in its make-up, working some choice midi sax tones into the melee before physical oceans sets off into adventurous electro territory

julien sabre and konstress blind box label is branching out with a new sublabel entitled blind box basic, which seeks to explore a more minimalistic approach to the dance floor. in order to get things rolling, they re turning to chris carrier and his monsieur georget alias for three tracks of on-point, rolling house grooves. carrier s experience in handling heads down tracks is evident throughout, from the insistent surge of geogette to the hazy tones of balade sur le chemien de fer, while mais ou se cache donc le zebu heads straight to freaked out minimal territory.

kunst marks the first collaboration between these two heroes. john cunnane, p.k.a. dgohn & jodey kendrick, a.k.a j.k., black narcissus, lord of the d. both gentlemen have appeared on rephlex and weme records. it s strikingly original, great listening but hard to describe accurately with attention-grabbing pidgeonholes: -from ambient, moody soundscapes to rinsing, hi-tech workouts.. and beyond.-

for organ and brass is comprised of two works by the stockholm-based composer ellen arkbro. both works focus on tuning, intonation and harmonic modulation. in previous projects, arkbro composed for early music ensembles, wrote a series of durational pieces utilising synthetic tones and processed guitars, and, most recently, presented a work lasting 26 days at the stockholm concert hall. for organ and brass looks back to arkbro’s studies in just intonation with la monte young, marian zazeela, and their disciple jung hee choi in new york, as well as with kindred spirit marc sabat in berlin.

* nan kolé, producer, dj and head of influential label on-the-rise, gqom oh!, returns to black acre for his debut proper with ‘bayefal’, after first collaborating with nervous horizon’s wallwork on his ‘facts / fyah’ 12” at the back end of 2016. * originally from rome, although now a resident of london, nan kolé has been a major player in the expansion of durban’s gqom sound after discovering it in early 2015. through his label, gqom oh!, he honed in on a network of south african producers operating out of durban, unlocking the keys to a world of music largely untapped by audiences outside of southern and western africa. * ‘bayefal’, he explains, was made while still living in rome and was inspired by a group he formed called pepesoup, which consisted of an italo-liberian singer, karima 2g, and senegalese percussionist and singer, moustapha mbengue. “for me, he (mbengue) was a mentor and taught me a lot spiritually but also mentally”, kolé explains, “and without his hard work i wouldn’t be here for sure. this track is dedicated to him, as he s a muslim bayefal.” a joyous, steadfast drum workout made in the carnival spirit, ‘bayefal’ also serves as an ode to his love for both west african rhythms and more specifically, the gqom sound. * on the flip, ‘malumz’ — backed up with two dark, brooding remixes by durban’s citizen boy and crew, formation boyz — is another track rooted in personal experience. “malumz is a tribute to my gqom oh! family”, kolé explains. “they call me malumz, which in zulu means ‘uncle’. the first time citizen boy called me ‘malumz’, it was overwhelming — i felt a change in my relationship with all the guys, because they started to treat me more as a family member, which meant a lot.” * the original mix, a stark, pulsing drum-track dotted with playful whistles and bleepy sampling again celebrates kolé’s fascination with the gqom sound, while first citizen boy and then formation boyz flip ‘malumz’ with harsher, grittier tones and crunching, industrial textures.

madcap and jaybee team up to create the musical masterpiece called “settle down”. the song starts out rather jazzy, with it’s smooth rhodes keys and heavy cymbal riding drum lines. when the song hits the breakdown, the whole tone of the tune changes. the punchy sub bassline is unleashed and becomes one of the driving forces of the track. echoing reggae style vocals are beautifully weaved into the background of the track, transforming the vibe into a reggae/dub style d&b classic. the amen drums also help to create an intoxicating energy that make this one a sure thing for dance floor mayhem. instant classic!
“hear comes” takes over where “settle down” left off. the song begins with big amen drums, backed with a reggae style skanking guitar chop. during the breakdown, a thoughtful roots reggae vocal sample is introduced that helps lift the track into a true dubwise gem. when the drop hits, the baseline kicks in and begins to wobble and throb behind all the deep atmospherics. the track has a beautiful breakdown, which takes the listener to a more melodic place. after a moment of serenity, the song breaks back into the chaotic old school flavor, which madcap does so well. this one’s a beauty!!