pleasure planet is the latest musical venture of kim ann foxman alongside andrew potter and brian hersey, and enables the trio to express and explore their unique and eclectic musical tastes. their first release will drop on the brand-new firehouse imprint, self:timer. “pleasure planet is an extraterrestrial doomsday cult. they do whatever they want and their music is their message to planet earth. self:timer is their messenger. the rest doesn’t matter.” — pleasure planet pleasure planet has been a little while in the making. having worked together for five years sharing studios and late night synth experiments, their relationship naturally progressed into the band they present today. pleasure planet embody the psychedelic, weird, and wonderful. self:timer was created as an outlet for their band and they welcome other artists to share their own visions of utopia.

full artwork cover edition. recorded and mixed at imw, march 1992. re-issued 2018 by yozmaz. re-mastered and cut by keith at curve pusher, london. many thanks to robin allinson, the music preservation society crew and all the members without whom this wouldnt have been possible.

part 3 of 5 to be released over the coming couple of months. originally released on the phono label in 1995/96 the ‘parts’ series from matthew herbert are a much loved collection of house tracks that sound just as original and bold today as they did when they were first released. this series of 12”s were part of an early wave of exploratory dance music that paved the way for the deep house that still works its magic on dance-floors in 2018 some 25 years later. the mix of herbert’s playfulness alongside expertly grooving production and unusual sounds makes this unique collection of work. the odd few tracks aside this is the first time that these releases have ever been repressed. all newly remastered for this reissue series, the releases include stone cold club classics such as ‘deeper’, ‘take me back’, ‘resident’, ‘people that make the music’ and ‘see you on monday’.

5 would be the key number for the brand new chateau flight release on versatile. its been 5 years since the last release and it took 5 days to record. nicolas (i:cube) was busy with his own material, i moved to amsterdam 3 years ago and as we like to make music in the same space. it took a bit of time but finally it s here, the dam house ep. i invited nicolas to visit me last winter, not to do music but just for a cool adam hang out. this turned into 5 intense days of fun production in my studio. it was amazing for both of us to witness how our connection remained intact after all those years and the ideas came really quick. the vibes of the tracks all turned out pretty different, it s a true chateau flight kaleidoscope with an epic 10mn techno track sargan, a more house vibe, crazy (dam house mix), a heavy dark funk drive of lo and the ambient crazy(ambient mix). this record would have not been the same without redlight records,to whom this records dedicated. james and abel left their shop open at night just for us and as children in a candy store we went through the racks looking for samples that formed the inspiration for this ep.

magic wand is a label you can count on to deliver the disco edits and original productions you never knew you needed, calling on a strong cast of remixers and editors with the knowledge they offer up truly fresh propositions for your party delectation. jc salinas has been previously clocked on is it balearic? and now steps up with a summery slice of island boogie from an undisclosed geographical location. salso picantes gotham- is a motorik beast of a track with plenty of 80s stylings and funk where it counts, while 1-800 coolguy gets into teaser and rewards the faithful listener with a huge sound and splashed with colour and hair spray. the rare cuts edit of think like a lover closes this excellent slab of wax out with a smooth, seductive roller for those more tender moments.

we introduce comfort zone, a young producer from montreal, who has been making music for around 7 years now. he is inspired by “music from late 90s/early 00s video game soundtracks and the occasional snippets of electronic music i heard as a kid”. we find that statement very much reflected in this release, as he masters the challenge of blending mysterious samples and different styles to form harmonious compositions. on one side of the 4-track ep we have 2 groovy house tracks, reminiscent of early 2000s house by the likes of lance desardi, ian pooley and atjazz, on the other side 2 classic jungle tracks which uphold our tradition of releasing timeless music.

a musical partnership forged at the beginning of the millennium, ajit steyns and kate mcgill have developed a well defined and unmistakable sound as the untouchables. tribal rhythms drenched in dub, with characteristic nods to the breaks and rave stabs era of late 90’s dnb, their music has been an integral component of the darker half-time sound that has become more prevalent within dnb over the past 5 years. tempering the menace of their atmospherics with distinctive low-slung bass lines has made their music essential to dj’s championing this sound.
grey marbled double vinyl release.

a musical partnership forged at the beginning of the millennium, ajit steyns and kate mcgill have developed a well defined and unmistakable sound as the untouchables. tribal rhythms drenched in dub, with characteristic nods to the breaks and rave stabs era of late 90’s dnb, their music has been an integral component of the darker half-time sound that has become more prevalent within dnb over the past 5 years. tempering the menace of their atmospherics with distinctive low-slung bass lines has made their music essential to dj’s championing this sound.
black double vinyl release.

brendon moeller offers up his set in motion ep on echocord sub-label echo echo this september, comprising three originals from the dub techno veteran. south africa, new york based producer and dj brendon moeller aka beat pharmacy/echologist has long been respected as one of the pioneering figures in ethereal, dubbed-out techno with regular appearances at global hot spots like fabric, berghain and cielo as well as releases on labels like third ear, kimochi, neovinyl and echocord. here though we see moeller joining the roster of the latter’s sublabel echo echo, marking its fourth release. title-track set in motion leads with brendons signature murky synth textures at its core whilst lumpy low-end tones, shuffled hats and spiraling dub echoes fluidly undulate amongst one another throughout. eastern beach follows, and as the name would suggest, nods towards brighter sounds with airy pads, soft bell chime synths and pulsating subs driving the composition alongside swinging, heavily reverberated percussion. economy then closes the package, stripping things back to gritty dub stabs, dusty 4/4 drums and billowing noise sweeps.

art alfie joined the toy tonics crew ! you know him from studio barnhus. he released his album last on axel bomans label last year and a couple of hot tracks with longtime partner mr. tophat before that. his first ep for toy tonics features 3 of the sweetest bangers he did till now. what a wonderful vibe! and the remix … killer. by stockholms amazing newcomers mount liberation unlimited (who just released an ep on permanent vacation). art alfie is busy these days: besides his involvement with toy tonics he started a own label (velvet pony). even if you might know him mainly from the kick-ass dancefloor stuff he has been doing with karlovak and the studio barnhus gang - there is some more complex background here: alfie used to play in hardcore and psychedelic bands and has a real golden hand when it comes to work with musicians. in fact currently he is also producing some stuff for swedish supergroup/hotshot band ‚off the meds‘! yes, stay tuned! art alfie is coming on strong ?? in 2019!

since 2011, smoke machine have been running a successful and well established podcast series. now, after 8 years, they have ventured into the offline realm and will release their first ep. the record features tracks by blind observatory, dorisburg and agnois. these artists have regularly played smoke machine parties and their larger event organik festival and are in line with the smoke machine sound.

external assessment vs. self-conception by robag wruhme: people always think, im that serene and quiet guy, but actually i’m quite a noisemaker. could be that the majority of the material he put out in recent years, most notably the thora vukk album, led to the overall apprehension of robag being the virtuoso of everything subtle, enigmatic and tenderly melodic. well, thats far from being a misconception, but still just one side of the coin. the other side is embossed with his most current productions, consolidated to a double ep, captioned with the enchanting name wuzzelbud ff. wait a second wuzzelbud devoted fans will instantly prick up their ears. we’ve heard that before. back in 2004 robag wruhme released his first longplayer named wuzzelbud kk. as theres no such scenario robag might be running out of stream-of-consciousness turned nonsense titles for his music, this must be a vocabulary intersection linking the early days of his career with its status quo. and it is. wruhme presents wuzzelbud ff as the stylistic follow-up to his debut album, showcasing a sound he commits has been neglected for too long. wruhme cuts to the chase: i wanted to put out some straightforward music for the dancefloor, something for the primetime. well, for the primetime of my sets, at least.

from the on_ series where unconventional, hard edged, experimental and archival club cuts get s re-presented, remixed and highlighted. laton outs russian newcomer ectro usic with a slamming, gritty & heavy duty electro/techno full side. flip carries dj sotofett s broken but strobicly steady club mix of – austrian inventor & synth specialist – a.burger s -device c- which in original suit has been released by craft records (1996) and laton (1999). a proper zone out.

strongly limited to 500 copies
one of stephan and marc s biggest tunes ever, kerberos comes along with brand new remixes. diynamic s solomun teams up for the first time with johannes brecht and their debut convinces with driving beats, fresh sounds and a composition of synth lines which won t leave your brain anymore. on the flip side you can find two versions by andré hommen, who has been responsible for countless club weapons on labels like objektivity, poker flat and these eyes plus dublin s poster boy matador who recently delivered a master piece with his legendary remix of oxia s „domino“.

when looking for music to be released on magazine, our guideline has always been energy. the key question remains the same: does the artist have something important to say? does it have a sense of urgency? alex played us these tracks while visiting the magazine studio in cologne earlier this year and we were consumed by unadulterated rage. this is anything but a conceptual release, alex has not released this kind of music before. a side of alex manifests itself through these techno tracks, that most might not have known before. brutal yet beautiful, furious yet fragile. a berlin native who shaped his sense for techno by striving through his hometown and its infamous raves, alex is now one of the prominent protagonists of that scene – not only when regularly playing at berghain. the ep harnesses this experience perfectly, fully preserving the energy of the creation process by recording directly to tape. most productions may have suffered from this primitive method of locking sound into position, but not these tracks from a techno master.

as connected arrives at its 3rd year of existence the team decided to make a selection of tunes through this time as a recap and as an opportunity to also turn some of the tunes into remixes.&#8232, the remixes , including olaf stuut , tim engelhardt , stefano ritteri , reboot and moscoman will be released on vinyl alongside a brand new track from label heads stereo mc’s and the first appearance on vinyl of classic connected release ‘lust’ by tigerskin k.e.e.n.e and elli (david mayer remix). the label has been building steam over the last few years with increasing vigour and the remix release follows the label ethic with a diverse and underground feel to it plus some strong club action. included in the past releases is david mayer, re.you, nandu, florian busse,aaaron, floyd lavine, pongo amongst others...

ghost in the machine return to perc trax to follow up their break out one louder ep that came out on the label last summer. since then they ve been focusing on their own genosha basic label, touring to great acclaim around europe and remixing perc & truss’ “leather & lace”, turning an already large track into a peak-time festival munching bomb. across the four tracks on their king dead they widen their sound, floating synth arpeggios over their trademark rock solid kicks and adding a deeper level of ambience that lurks with intent underneath their driving percussive sound.

variable is the first compilation on pi electronics, which also kicks off the new catalogue peva. this various artists release includes the works of several artists involved in the label till now, along with some very familiar faces to pi that have been supporting the parties in the past years. the aim was to bring the main label roster - artists with original music on pi, such as jk flesh, ontal and damcase - under the same roof as artists that have been with the pi electronics project since its early days: the label s party residents, 3.14, nemmett and das along with other fellow athenians, unhuman, bmsk and the project “i am legion, for we are many”. the outcome will be available in cd, vinyl and digital format, while the vinyl sampler will feature jk flesh, ontal, nemmett and bmsk.
regardless of the different variables, equation drops back to the same constant result.
divide and rule. sticks over carrots. repent or collapse.

when it comes to gritty sample-based house the guy white label series has really been going from strength to strength. for the third in their unrelenting streak dj counselling steps up to offer up a therapy session like no other. sit back, relax and put your mind at ease and you ll soon be taken on a reflective journey for the soul. on one side you have curt s jam an introspective and emotive piano laden, lo-fi house track complete with choice vocal snippets set to sooth those pains. flip it and theres a more bumping groove to the therapy session, qualified by a pensive dialogue that makes way for an oscillating synth jam backed with a killer tom pattern.

berlin based electronic mainstay marquis hawkes has announced details of his second lp the marquis of hawkes. the album will be the producers second lp for us, following his critically acclaimed debut social housing for the label, which was released in 2016. entitled the marquis of hawkes, the new album adheres to a specific sound palette whilst still displaying eclecticism across its eight tracks. opening with the beat-less droning ambience of beton theme, the album takes in a variety of themes from across the house music spectrum, from the deep and dubby meditation of instrument of thought to the body jerking rhythms and retro bass stabs of tough love, the introspective mood of the matrix, to the soulful new jersey styled house grooves with a contemporary twist of sunset building through the optimistic joyousness of ‘hope in our hearts before closing with lidells heartfelt and passionate emotional overload on we should be free. first emerging in 2012, after being sought out by glasgow label dixon avenue basement jams, and having previously been heavily involved with the free festival sound-system culture, the london born artists iconic sound has taken shape with the influence of music from cities like chicago, detroit and new york alongside the uks underground house scene. with both depth and clarity of vision, marquis hawkes second album for houndstooth expertly hones a shining hybrid of classic slamming house and grittily soulful optimism, making for a career-defining piece of work.

the pulse projects is the moniker of albert van abbes electro-focused venture. his forthcoming release on patron records leans heavily on the gritty and murky sound that we know from the versed producer/dj, who has been around for quite some time now. soon to be is a forceful four-track ep that includes a lot of weighty patterns, compelling soundscapes and some wobbly acid-flecked grooves. but most of all, the ep demonstrates how effective, yet meaningful distorted kicks and breakbeats can be.

serotonin records returns with a compilation of futuristic electronic funk. its what we live for: volume 2 is the second in a series of compilations sharing our vision of sounds of tomorrow. bpmf has been making electronic music since 84.

i am really proud to present this 3-tracker by victor ruiz on noir music. i think he is one of the best and most flawless techno producers right now and together we have carefully picked three tracks which perfectly showcases his production skills. i often write how i’ve worked with the artists on my labels to make their tracks reach their best potential. with victor i feel everything has been served to me on a silver platter as his productions are already perfectly crafted. although victor changed details right up until last minute, some of thesetracks also dates back 2 years, so he has had plenty of time to make everything sit and sound right. after a nine month break from releasing originals i feel truely honored that victor has chosen noir music as the label for this venture. both victor and i feel these three tracks compliment each other and at the same time showcase his skills to make great, diverse music. check the entire release. the music will speak for itself.

it is a pleasure to work with david granha and to present his 2nd release on noir music. not only is he a super talented producer but he is also open to taking his tracks a step further and in the process evolve as an artist and producer. i have been playing these 3 tracks a lot in my sets around the globe and almost each week discussed change of details with david. it makes me proud to have this “savala” release on noir music cause you can hear from the title track “savala” is an extension of his previous release on the label and with “balea” and “mortal sins” he moves his sound-design to new ventures and a more minimal, raw approach to the final outcome. exactly what i wanted from david. exactly what i hoped for and well…… even better. these 3 tracks just sounds amazing and they have been crafted perfectly step by step over a long period of time. a lot of passion, energy and love have been put into this release. on top of that the titles of the tracks also have sentimental value to david, so there is also a deeper meaning with this release. give them a spin and experience how powerful these tunes are.

davey woodward has been a prolific songwriter with his bands the brilliant corners and the experimental pop band. an indie pop legend to some, obscure outsider to most. he approaches his fourth decade making alternative music with the same enthusiasm and single mindedness as he did in the first. having recently finished recording with karen, davey had an idea that he wanted to record an album of songs quickly with people he had never worked with before. davey knew the songs had to sound effortless, in many ways go back to a time when artists like bowie would go into the studio without finished songs or someone like dylan would work the song out while the tape was rolling. he did not want the songs to sound laboured. the winter orphans were born.

there may be many northern soul compilations on the market, but there are few as glorious as this. few other collections have such unfettered access to such outstanding catalogues that of tamla motown and chess. these 25 floor fillers are guaranteed to ignite any party and have been tried and tested in clubs the length and breadth of the country from the 60s onwards. compiled lovingly together on vinyl, these tunes - with artists such as the elgins, frank wilson, gloria jones and frankie valli and the four seasons - are timeless examples of this most precious music. the double vinyl release includes a download code.

sometimes i just got to reissue a stone cold party joint because its not on 45 and i need it in your box, everyone wins. hopefully this teddy pendergrass does not need any introduction, i have been spinning the fat philly mix at parties for my whole life, on the flip we got the o.g lp version as well for those who know. thanks to warner for pulling the tapes.

techno, disco, italo, electronics, house, library, cosmic and ambient frequencies - these are the bedrocks of the midnight drive ethos and sound. a label shining a light on overlooked or unheralded creations and respectfully reissuing them for the contemporary audience. a label that respects and understands the connection between these disparate and sometimes forgotten forms of musical expression and celebrates them. midnight drive are extremely proud to present this most beautiful and unique of records - makers don t challenge me - a truly idiosyncratic early 70 s electronic oddity that has long been a coveted and highly prized piece of music by obscure music lovers for many years

raised on the best of popular and underground dance music of the 70s and 80s, partner has created an outlet to pay homage to the finest hooks and loops from around the world, seamlessly repurposing them for the dancefloor. first up, a-side track patu launches headfirst into an off-kilter bollywood infused dancefloor curveball punchy drums, melodic vocals and vintage instrumentation, save your weirdest shapes for this one. on the flip, my people gives an injection of latin heat triumphant, horns and an unrelenting rhythms section throw this into full carnival spirit. just in time for the summer. since relocating to london from brighton, things have been taking shape for partner music. last year saw a debut festival slot at dimensions festival, plus a handful of great support from the likes ofmount kimbie, dan shake and san proper. with some exciting releases lined up throughout 2018, its looking like a promising year for the budding producer. with this release high praise continue to build their status as a label to keep an eye on, with their party series and clothing line steadily growing in popularity.

harlems legendary disco label queen constance has long been a cult favourite among fans of underground dance music for decades. one of many labels operating under the equally legendary p&p family of imprints land of hits was operated by one peter brown, a truly colossal figure in nycs music scene, its catalogue still fascinates music lovers to this day. covering a wide range of styles including gospel, early rap and disco the label s output continually finds it way into the playlists of respected dj s and selectors across the globe. mistafide s colossal old-school rap behemoth equidity funk has long been a record that makes the serious collectors salivate and is now here in full 12inch form repress, too legit to quit. not much is known about the crew behind mistafide , their government names are listed online but this is the only record they put out using this name. suffice to say, this has no impact on the fury and style with which the mc s deliver their raps, backed with the studio nous of impresario peter brown. across 12 minutes equdity funk is a slamming disco-rap monster, interpolating elements of the evergreen b-boy jam theme from swat it sounds like everyone just got into the studio and went for it. in the style of the times this is the real hip-hop flavour, a live band, some mc s and some death defying bars being dropped, proper old school. a truly rare recording, equidity funk has been one of those records fans of the disco-rap era have been fiending for for decades - often commanding prices over the $1000 mark you can now grab this slice of essential nyc street funk.

das werk, über die vergangenen zwei jahre in chromeos studio in los angeles aufgenommen, ist das bisher gemeinschaftlichste der band. es schlägt brücken zwischen den generationen und sub-genres, wie nur die funklordz sie schlagen konnten, so leihen dem album the-dream, stefflon don, french montana, amber mark und weitere ihre stimme, dazu kommen musikalische beiträge von neo-soul-legende raphael saadiq, 2000er-r&b-mastermind rodney jerkins, d angelos kreativpartner pino palladino, dem new yorker onyx collective, mitgliedern von mtume und toto und niemand geringeren als dram auf dem album opener »must’ve been«.

i like to move it, go on move and can you feel it had already established erick morillo and the mad stuntman as one of the biggest new acts in 1994 - and then came raise your hands . originally starting life as asuca by r.a.w. (another morillo alias on the legendary strictly rhythm label), the addition of the mad stuntman s unmistakable vocals helped give them their 4th top 15 hit of the year. the update comes courtesy of uk producer shadow child, no stranger to chart success himself. -i couldn t wait to get my hands on this one,- added shadow child, who also debuts his acidub edit as part of the record s release. -that infectious riff has been going round in my head since i originally heard it and it is such a honour to get to make 2 versions!-

you may remember the closing of space, ibiza with carl cox when he played a bootleg of total confusion. barry obzee hobbs (rising high a&r) spent a lot of time trying to locate the remixer and finally did a few months ago. we have now signed the remix which will be released on vinyl in may and on digital in july. the story goes like this: carl cox has been playing the version at most of his shows including tomorrow land, kappa future fest and timewarp ( see video clip below) but this is where the story becomes more interesting. the remixer, rod malmok from rotterdam aka benny rodriguez, who is a very established dj producer playing for loco dice in ibiza etc and releasing on ben klock s imprint klockwork, chris liebings imprint clr, adam beyers imprint drumcode and many more was inspired to remix the track through a conversation with dubfire, rod gave him a rough copy the following day. he played it to carl cox at space, ibiza and cox begged him for a copy - see video below if you ve been around the scene for a while you will know that rising high records was one of the first labels to shape techno, hardcore and breakbeat in the uk and was huge!

canadian only rare boogie release from 1982 which has been waiting to be 45’ed & smoothly edited by vienna’s master of it bto spider, perfect for modern soul dancefloors & also electronic music/house deejays looking for something else to play!

deluxe 2x12” full artwork gatefold, shrink-wrapped double vinyl package with printed inner sleeves and download card.
the recording sessions for rastrumentals took place over seven years, between são paulo and brixton, but the roots of the project stretch back to the arrival of digistep’s father in 1970s bristol. aged 18 he had almost nothing to his name, apart from his treasured vinyl collection. these records are still in the family, and have been invaluable in shaping dubkasm’s unique sound. rastrumentals combines samba instruments such as the cavaquinho, pandeiro and cuica with the work of some of the uk’s greatest reggae musicians.

london s release/sustain imprint returns this may with the a says hello ep from detroit s alton miller, chaos in the cbd step in on remix duties. detroit s alton miller has been in the game for the past three decades coming up alongside luminaries derrick may, chez damier and the late frankie knuckles and releasing material on the likes of peacefrog, moodymann s mahogany music, theo parrish sound signature and clone amongst others. suffice to say, miller stands as an extremely important figure in the history of authentic, soul-drenched house music. title-track a says hello opens the package and as expected we re treated to an elegant slice of house infused with a flawless musicality as multi-layered synth chords, pads and swells intertwine alongside dusty drum samples. cool but so... follows, embracing an acid-jazz feel with broken, organic rhythms, sweeping pads and warm chord progressions throughout. mule musiq artists chaos in the cbd step up to rework cool but so... next, adding their own spin to things via warbling rhodes licks, bright chord sequences, a wandering bass line and an insistent organic drum groove. below the underdog then rounds out the package perfectly with gritty bass hits, tension building synth swells and a rugged, bumpy drum groove.

nick the record & dan tyler are back with the long awaited, much anticipated 4th release on their record mission imprint. if you have heard nick the record play out during the past year you ve probably heard work & you ve definitely heard give me more - which has been the tune nick has been asked about the most over the last years busy dj schedule. they had some technical difficulties which led to delays in getting this out... or did they just enjoy the exclusivity over the last year??? you decide! give me more is a squidgy funky disco winner for the discerning dancefloor and already a bit of an anthem. work is a feel good vocal disco tune in celebration of the weekend party time when the week s work is over. play is a high speed space disco meets jazz jam that sounds like there was a collision between harry thumann & jason lindh somewhere in space, or maybe underwater. enjoy! .

albrecht la brooy s analogue attic imprint welcomes citizen maze onto its roster with the four-track serenity in the woods ep. australian duo albrecht la brooy have been steadily carving out a name for themselves over the past few years with their jazz-inflected take on deep house via the likes of apollo/r&s, night tide and of course their own analogue attic imprint which has become a home for their own output as well as fellow australian artists like sleep d, rings around saturn and more. here though we see the label offer up the inaugural ep from melbourne s adam mccoy aka citizen maze. leading on the package is the ten-minute natural playgroun , embracing the labels signature field recording background aesthetic whilst stirring in organic drum grooves, fluttering pads and jazzy sax licks throughout. glade hollow follows with bumpy, off-kilter drums and ethereal chords at its core whilst horn lines and twinkling synth melodies wander across its eight-minute duration. moonlight sanctuary opens the flip-side, edging into darker territories with murky dubbed out synth flourishes, robust drums and tension building strings before title-track serenity in the woods rounds out the package, laying focus on a snaking sub bass groove, metallic percussive shuffles and expansive atmospherics.

crazy 12 track library music style album on this ace italian label. all based around bumping live rhythms triggering an obscure japanese drum synth module recorded in 2018. it was november 2017 when i received a call from an old friend, hi fabrizio, i found a rare japanese drum machine, you should come and see it before i put this on ebay. i went to check it out and immediately realized it had more potential than just drum sounds generation, it was able to produce quirky and creepy sounds if triggered by any sound source. so i bought it and brought in the studio, where me and alex were laying down new beats and ideas. it took just three days of jams to get the skeleton of this record done: i programmed the module to receive alex s drum hits and the device started creating synth lines, almost as it was speaking its own language.i ve found a soul in this machine, and i wanted to bring it to life in these tracks, a mix of arranged compositions and improvised jams. no root keys, no grids, no clicks, everything came out in an instinctive and natural way as far as we know it s the first time this synthesizer/drum machine is been used in this improper and new way.

since so many european labels have been reissuing lost and obscure 1980s japanese ambient albums of late, it was probably inevitable that at least one label would put together a compilation paying tribute to the sound. it turns out that jazzy couscous has won the race with kumo no moko, a superb double album that does a terrific job in putting japan s 80s ambient scene in context. as you d expect, the majority of the tracks feature either dreamy electronic sounds or a mixture of acoustic and electronic instrumentation, with nods to jazz coming thick and fast. there are naturally a couple of fairly well-known names on show, but for the most part the compilers have done a terrific job in highlight lesser-known tracks from unsung heroes.

when i first stumbled across mix tapes out of hamburgs seminal front club (with klaus stockhausen and boris dlugosch at the helm) during the glorious and carefree early days of the popularized internet, there were certain tracks on them that struck a chord. in fact there was one specifically, i couldnt stop listening to. the mixture of an infectious bass line, a super sharp snare, music and harmony vocal snippets, happy claps and synths lines that evoked pictures of a convertible going down a coastline, and - to top it all off - a tribal chant, was irresistible. after some intensive track-id-hunting pre-shazam, i found out that the heaven-sent hymn was music by an act called syncbeat. originally released in 1984 during the craze that was called uk electro via street sounds resp. streetwave and later licensed to german omnivore zyx records. a joint venture between the electro-funk mastermind,dj pioneer and edit maestro greg wilson as well as manchester musicians martin jackson & andy connell, it is exactly that type of dance track that eludes any classification - as you can see from my description above. or to cite greg wilson himself from one of his essays on the subject of uk electro: the track that received the best response was music by syncbeat, which was full of good vibes and could have easily been re-vamped down the line as a house track.

francis harris exceptional run of releases for his own labels scissors & thread and kingdoms now extends to this perfectly formed ep for hafendisko, which sees him rework some of hfn musics finest moments of the last two years. harris, the brooklynite whose feel for subtlety and space seems to infuse all his work, takes on three of the hamburg labels cannon - kicked off with kasper bjorkes cloud 9, featuring urdur. here harris deconstructs the original and reforms it into a some quite removed from its origins - shuffling drum machines bring about a kraftwerkesque feel, before beautiful tones and atmospheres reveal themselves. the track seems to develop along two paths simultaneously, somehow creating a truly affecting piece of leftfield electronica. null + voids huge dave gahan-featuring-track where i wait has been heavily remixed over the past months, but also gets the harris treatment. completely flipped form the original, this is a haunting remix with tough and funky underbelly, utilizing gahans vocals only sparingly. danish alt-pop trio ticktock have their single hatefuck refixed also, and harris zones in on the glitchy vibe and adds layers of claustrophobic depth to the production.

...comes with an inlay
umeko ando (1932-2004) was a folk singer from japan. she was a representative of the ainu culture on the hokkaido island in the north of japan. “ihunke” is her first album which was recorded with the ainu musician and dub producer oki kano in 2000. it was released on cd in japan only and is finally available on vinyl (2lp + linernotes, dl included). “ihunke” is following last year’s single “iuta upopo” pingipung 58, incl. m.rux remix which had been received with overwhelming enthusiasm and was quickly sold out. the 16 ainu songs on “ihunke” are delicate, natural gems. they are built on oki kano’s tonkori patterns (a 5-string harp), over which umeko ando develops her repetitive, mantric vocals, often in a call-response manner. oki kano is one of very few professional tonkori players who performs worldwide with his oki dub ainu band. the songs possess a mystical energy – when crows call accurately with ando’s brittle voice in the first song, it seems like natural powers join in with her music. her voice sounds like animals of the sky and the forest. oki kano: “it was a lot of fun to record with umeko ando. many ainu hesitate to break from tradition - if umeko hadn’t been so flexible to work with the younger generation and recording technology, this album would never have happened. our sessions were intense, and we were proud and happy about making such beautiful music.” upcoming in autumn: remixes of “ihunke” by tolouse lowtrax, m.rux, dj ground, el buho mark peters, gama, andi otto, and dreems. historical background: only recently (in 2008) have the ainu officially been acknowledged as indigenous people who are culturally independent from japan. this record is an example of how their music has been passed on through generations in the underground ainu communities while it was oppressed by the japanese hegemony. it deserves a huge audience. follow kompakt

fans of electro’s big hitter djs such as helena hauff, dave clarke, umek, maceo plex, and umwelt won’t have escaped the sonic assaults of dutch artist rxmode and his fellow transhumanism collective members, w1b0, slaves of sinus, tfhats.
rxmode’s last ep cerberus was very much the ep he’d been building up to since his debut on bass agenda recordings back in 2015, dark, sinister, heavy, and distinctive.
one of the tracks from that ep, degraded, gets the remix treatment from the other transhumanism members on this, the third vinyl release the collective have put out.

realistic monk is the new performance project from carl stone in collaboration with artist and composer miki yui. carl stone is one of the pioneers of live computer music and has been composing electro-acoustic music almost exclusively since 1972.

(2lp, 180gr vinyl) the vinyl lp has been discontinued and second-hand copies of the original pressing are changing hands on ebay and discogs for upwards of £100! this vinyl only simple things re-issue will mirror the original release, cut over 4 sides and using the original artwork but now pressed on heavyweight 180g vinyl. simple things is a timelessly classic album and the essential soundtrack to any laidback summer chilling.

master of the moon much like the title, master of the moon has been created very much in a spacey, dreamlike disco influenced vein. perfect for any cosmic dancefloor trip. egarrr! egarrr! provides full on cosmic / disco infused full workout. a cheeky rework on a track of yesteryear, egarrr! is set to alight dancefloors across the country. glitter in the dark with the main hook taken from an iconic speech, glitter in the dark very much sticks with the common galactic theme of the ep. heavily driven by a moog synth-line, this track is set to take dancefloors to another dimension.

yes, one hundred! wow! morris audio s 100th release is a milestone for one of the most productive labels from switzerland. morris audio started 18 years ago, the sublabel morris audio citysport 15 years ago. with a total of more than 150 releases, the labels have been making their marks by presenting different types of electronic music, from techno to minimal to deep house with everything in between. combining established producers and youngsters, morris audio has an impressive artist roaster. remember the likes of dub taylor, jackmate, hakan lidbo, burnski, till von sein, kris wadsworth, iron curtis, oli furness, dash dude, tom ellis&leif or brame just to name a few? it has been -club and home entertainment- for years and we celebrate this 100th release with two parts of well-crafted tech/house tunes. part 1 is the more techy one and features morris fella iron curtis, new signing anna wall & corbi, and swiss boys replika and elvis cassetta. collectors item!

(clear 10 inch vinyl) the second release to be pressed into totems slabs of 10-inch vinyl is from techno impresario luke slaters l.b. dub corp moniker. slater has been operating as a pioneer, with a full deck of aliases, throughout the genres many corners since the days when techno was a newborn phenomenon. the stripped back sounds of l.b. dub corps last releases on the imprint have resounded naturally within the psychotropic space carved out by stroboscopic artefacts.