after what seems like a thousand years of blood, sweat, tears, and a lot more blood, your zombified disc disciples at finders kreepers unveil one of their most essential collections yet. this musical mausoleum of malformed freak funk and dreadful discoth�que pop has been resurrected from the maligned cinematic subculture of bombays bloodthirsty horror film industry and witnesses the cognoscenti of the bollywood pop scene at their most creative, destructive and experimentally effective. tip!

gits album -imagination- could be described as an experimental design with roots in underground hip hop. gits musical style may be hard to pin point. his love of drums set the foundation for his sound: driving, percussion heavy productions anchored in traditional hip hop, with an experimental streak. his sound has many flavours and is not to be boxed in one label. one of the goals of this album is to fill the void that pop music has left. -imagination- will remind us that talent and emotion can still be found in music today and one not always needs a million dollar budget to make good music. if you like music that is raw, pure and speaks from the heart then you will love this project.

gem club is an exclusive society: two people, a piano, and a cello. vocalist christopher barnes sings in a quivering whisper, and these minimal accompaniments assure that their sound never becomes louder than a hush. but the massachusetts duo s debut ep, acid and everything, showed just how much emotional intensity you could pack into compositions so spare, and how much could be suggested with so little. everything on breakers, their first full-length, sounds frozen over: icy, quiet, austere. you know that eerie feeling when you find yourself alone in a huge public place that s usually crowded-- maybe a shopping mall or a playing field- but at that moment is totally empty? this record sounds like a sustained version of that feeling. -i heard the party- juxtaposes echoing piano chords and a general sense of unease (-no one could have told you / your body would fail you-) with the refrain -i heard the partys here- floating across the track like the sound of dried up laughter. the word -party- feels so out of place in a song so pensive and lonely that there s something jarring about the experience. the feeling crops up repeatedly on breakers: a sense of slow-motion detachment, a suggestion that there were signs of life here once, but you ve arrived a couple of hours- or maybe a couple of weeks- too late.

2011 release, the follow up to 2010s successful first volume of bangs & works. the carefully curated compilation showcases chicago footwork, one of the most forward-looking, innovative new styles of electronic music on the planet. footwork is beginning to spread outside of chicago, influencing productions around the world. bangs & works vol. 2 brings the focus back onto chicagos own producers, showing where the real innovation still lies. while its predecessor sticks mainly to the more hallucinatory and left-field elements, this one has a wider remit, ranging from mad techno-style tracks to those that sound like musique concrete gone footwork.

andreas reihse is well known since 1994 in his role as musician with kreidler. sometimes he releases club music, for example using his alias april or with detlef weinrich (kreidler, tolouse lowtrax) as binford on labels like italic, onitor or smoothrooms. he also composed soundtracks for artist movies and installations (rosemarie trockel, maximilian zentz zlomowitz, thea djordjadze, andreas gursky, frances scholz/mark von schlegell, among others). romantic comedy is music for dark clubs, for places without much light and oxygen Ð its driving, percussive dance music. a comedy in six acts: from l.a. to d�sseldorf and back. music and lyrics? - pop goes my heart! - of course its a romantic comedy, a bittersweet romance full of memories and a bit of sorrow. >der lange weg nach d�sseldorf< the title reminds of mittagspauses der lange weg nach derendorf, derendorf, the district of d�sseldorf where andreas reihse and stefan betke / pole in the late 80ies shared a rehearsal room. langeweg also was the adress of the studio of klaus dinger in zeeland. the titles of the other pieces refer to dubious characters that show that the trip on the west coast makes stops in manchester, milano, brussels and london without forgetting charlottenburg and williamsburg. places that hold up against oblivion and reinvent themselves. your club needs you. the cover was designed by artist thea djordjadze

jailbreak at the zoo! totebagz is the collaboration between two of melbournes most daring minds, jerky perky aka misha hallenbach (perks and mini, bamboo musik) and the most excellent surfer/dj biscuit (moonrocks). when theyre not cycling the unknown regions, foraging the bush for >special< funghi or surfing the 50-year storm, theyre oozing tweaked cardboard box techno. on this limited edition disc, the totebagz pile blankets of synth upon deep-fried circuitry upon drum machines that have a mind of their own. to say they take you for a ride would be an understatement. this is what it sounds like when gremlins shack up inside your mixer.

only once in a while you would enter the real magic of house music. how rare are those club nights, festivals, releases or tracks you get totally mesmerised, you feel like something changed. you want to take home that one party, the sound or a special moment to keep it forever. with moomins > the story about you< we discover exactly this kind of experience. it is an album of uniqueness and transcendence, like a meteorite touching the ground of your own private garden. sebastian genz aka moomin never intended to reinvent house music as his productions come from the heart and are related to the lovely peoples dancefloor. thats what gorgeous parties and releases of the white label around oskar offermann and the smallville imprint taught him: real house music is only possible within a soulful surrounding

loud follows-up rated r (november 2009) and its sequel rated r: remixed (may 2010). previously, the double-platinum good girl gone bad (may 2007) contained the grammy-winning global 1 hit -umbrella- (featuring jay-z), then -shut up and drive,- -hate that i love you- (featuring ne-yo), and -don t stop the music.- the cd+dvd package good girl gone bad: reloaded (january 2009) continued the hits with the 1 -take a bow,- the 1 -disturbia- and top 20 -rehab.- good girl gone bad was the third album release in less than two years by barbados native rihanna, who turned 22 on february 20th. it followed-up 2006 s riaa platinum a girl like me, which contained the back-to-back hits, -s.o.s.- and -unfaithful-: and her riaa gold debut from 2005, music of the sun, featuring the world-wide smash, -pon de replay-.

its probably safe to say that youve never heard anything like brothers of brazil before. for the past three years the brotherly duo of supla and joao have been combining elements of traditional brazilian music such as bossa nova and samba with rock and funk to create a unique sound thats won over countless fans in brazil, and now theyre ready to expand worldwide with the release of their self-titled album. the duo was started when the brothers landed their own national variety show in brazil called brothers on rede tv. supla and joao realized then that when they collaborated the results were beyond what they had ever imagined.

byetone s new record symeta opens with a combined track - a transit - since topas and telegramm could be seen as one single piece. both tracks convey the atmosphere of a live session rather than the character of a studio production. the tracks are quite long and deal with repetition, layers of sounds, density and energy, more than melodic and engineering finesse. the whole album follows this approach, as it was fashioned within the context of live performances during the last two years. neuschnee Ð the third track Ð has an obviously reduced tempo, creating a wide landscape of sound with an intimate aura, which works as a counter draft to the other tracks of the record. with opal, the tempo speeds up again, a polyrhythmic phrase whirls around a straight beat, filters are turned, all that evokes the impression of early-90s minimal techno. byetone is basically interested in remembering, in a way to preserve, in citing rock/pop styles, without getting stuck in the past, whereas non of the tracks really fit into a specific genre. seen from this perspective, helix opens the final, more rocky block of the album. here, the tracks are offensive and rude and sound like a band in a rehearsal room. this part peaks with black peace in a high speed heavy metal session. finally, golden elegy closes symeta and a band-like situation occurs. the track ends with a wired lament, presented by jan kummer in the tenor of chemnitz, hometown of both artists. in former gdr-times, they started their musical activity with the brilliant-dilettantish ag geige, together with frank bretschneider (komet). symeta , the title of the album, appears mysterious. this synthetic word arouses associations with symmetry, synthesis or (meta-)structures. it doesn t stand for a definite object, there isn t any solution, and that is the reason why the title has been chosen. byetone s music tries to create such associations without really fulfilling these expectations. in this sense, symeta consequently follows death of a typographer (r-n92), the well received predecessor.

luke slater as > planetary assault systems< with his next outstanding album ! this time on berlins ostgut ton !!!

the sound of the late great fitzcarraldos is like sand between your toes. bittersweet love songs paying homage to otis redding, brian eno, john cale and luther vandross. this is sophisticated melodic luxury music for a generation that has the history of music up their sleeve, but really just want to meditate.

2011 debut from the brooklyn-based band. rapprocher sees front person elizabeth harper pushing the songs into new directions. harper remains the force that binds the songs into a cohesive statement, her winking coo darting about in the deep drums and lofty arpeggios, and her passion backed mostly with electronics summons thoughts of yazs alison moyet. in concurrence with the title (-rapprocher- is french for -bring closer-), the candid, sincere lyrics meld with the atmosphere, enveloping the listener into class actresss world of 21st century romanticism.

great versatile album cd. tini rocks as we like it! decks tipp

2 cd compilation incl. tunes by daze maxims - tomorrow universe, exercise ones - prowl and more sensitive sleections like soul capsules - lady science, lawrences remix of dntels dreams and with an extra dose of dinky. as with past editions in the series by loco dice and steve bug, the lab 03 will also be available in a series of vinyl samplers.

unmixed cd album !!! over the past six years, parker has worked with labels like ovum, tsuba and crosstown rebels, but his debut lp will see release on nic fanciulis saved records. a gun for hire features 11 new productions from the english producer, including a collaboration with dan beaumont. parker spent a year in the studio working on the album just after his move across the channel to berlin, whilst also maintaining his relationship with rekids, namely through the labels residency at panorama bar. the result is a conflation of different strands of house music, with hints of london and berlin as well as chicago, detroit and new york.

raise the curtain once more on a very special orchestral performance. how could highgrade records better celebrate its 100th release than with twelve tracks from the highgrade disharmonic orchestra? the creative combo featuring both label bosses tom clark and todd bodine, alongside philip bader, daniel dreier and dale, began over a year ago with the intention of celebrating the tenth birthday of the berlin label. and the resulting gift: a musical experiment. the five artists have bundled their creativity together into a symphony unparalleled in the techno scene. every performance is like a jam session: all five laptops are interconnected, so each of the artists has the opportunity to react to the others and modify each track as desired. thus, new arrangements are created and constantly re-interpreted. drum machines and synthesizers are also in play, to further stretch the improvisational possibilities. no wonder then, that the 100th release follows in this creative vein. the highgrade disharmonic orchestra, with multilayer, kiddnaps us away into vastly different musical worlds: from deep influences and custom recorded vocals to an array of technoid sounds and effects. then back to groovy, swinging beats reminiscent of a balmy summer evening on the beach. therefore the record is something of a rollercoaster ride, where we never know what might be waiting behind the next curve. typically highgrade

boom bip was one of the canniest underground beat producers around before he hooked up with gruff rhys of super furry animals to create the fascinating neon neon project, which took as its focus automaker john delorean and what his car (and charisma) meant to the 80s. bbs return to the solo realm finally came on 2011s zig zaj, which has more in common with neon neon than with his early solo joints. (features for cate le bon and franz ferdinands alex kapranos, among others, certainly fit in.) as always, its impeccably produced - hollon has only gained in proficiency and maturity as a producer. but compared to seed to sun or blue eyed in the red room, whose fascination with sound was positively contagious, zig zaj sounds like an overly safe record, the type that most producers would avoid if they wanted to keep innovating. heavily influenced by rock and 80s new wave, similar to neon neons stainless style, its impressions are largely textural, and as talented a producer as boom bip has become, zig zaj sounds more like a rehash than the entirely new recipe that music fans are undoubtedly looking for.

sander van doorns new artist album 2011. if theres one thing we can say about the evolution of the worldwide dance scene this year, is that its genres are being mashed up like never before. on his new artist album eleve11, sander van doorn once again does what he does best, mixing up styles, genres and artist-cooperations. along side his smash hits koko and love is darkness, eleve11 is packed with artist-cooperations such as believe with singer/songwriter tom helsen, eagles with adrian lux and sanders latest purle haze installment timezone. an emotional dancefloor-killer that brings shivers down your spine each time you hear us singer fredericks voice. more uplifting is sanders collab with fellow-dutchman laidback luke. whos wearing the cap is an idea born when their resemblance on a photo was so anstonishing that the songtitle was placed underneath it, making fans wonder if they might be brothers. those who have heard nadia ali on iios classic rapture have probably wondered when her voice was due for a svd treatment. well, that time has finally come and the result is called: rolling the dice together with sidney samson all in all, eleve11, with its neatly corresponding 11 tracks all recorded in 2011, shows the world exactly what sander van doorn has evolved into.. a worldwide dancemusic phenomena.

in keb darges own words: i ve done many a compilation in my day, mostly based around the tunes i played at my long running deep funk nights in madame jo jos. that night is no longer on the go, possibly due to a growing lack of interest on my part, (sorry). in the last few years the lost & found: nights at the club have been my real passion, and indeed little ediths and andy smiths passion too. what a marvelous era this is for good music. we may still have pure stuff like dub step: pulling in large numbers of sheep, but an equal number of youngsters are being attracted to retro, or at least retro sounding music. people tell me it is because the youth are fed up with computerized music, or men with drug problems angrily shouting at them over a dull repetitive beat, but i know lots of teenagers who have bypassed this muck all together. must be the internet that is helping kill off the demand for empty music. you no longer need to go to a retro club night, or indeed search out rare records to be exposed to good music, the internet is full of the stuff. my fifteen year old daughter is a marc bolan fan who while researching the poor fellows influences discovered chuck berry, sun records, etc, etc. i dont really know or understand why so many are at last getting into the good stuff, but they are, and it is wonderful for the likes of me.

tripper, the fifth fruit bats full-length, was recorded at wacs studio in los angeles with thom monahan. for the first week of recording, fruit bats leader eric d. johnson brought in a full band to capture some of the live excitement of 2009s the ruminant band. however, having recently worked alone on soundtracks for an extended period, johnson knew that he wanted tripper to be more of a solitary pursuit than his previous album. the resulting album, a bittersweet meditation on hitting the road, leaving the familiar behind and reinventing yourself, is a reinvention itself.

the story of skint & demoralised is too long and complex to go into here, but suffice to say it was quite a surprise to see a new release from skint & demoralised, let alone the bonus inclusion of the long shelved debut. made up of poet matt abbott and producer mini dog, skint & demoraliseds songs revolve around teenage pursuits like getting high, getting the girl and getting pissed as well tackling social issues like unemployment and alcoholism.

wieder einmal taucht die englische plattenschmiede soul jazz records tief ab in die archive von studio one records, dem wohl beruehmtesten reggae-label. -studio one dub 2- vereint einige der schoensten dub-versionen von songs wie marcia griffiths -feel like jumping-, sound dimensions -real rock- und -declaration of rights- von den abyssinians. in den spaeten 1960er-jahren begann studio-one-labelbetreiber sir clement coxsone dodd die b-seiten seiner singles mit einer instrumentalversion fuer djs zu versehen, damit diese ueber die original-rhythms toasten konnten. versehen mit echo, hall und verstaerktem bass wurden diese dubs bald genauso beliebt wie ihre originale. bald darauf begann dodd mit seinem soundmixer sylvan morris eigene dub-alben mit innovativen dubs und mischtechniken zu veroeffentlichen. auf -studio one dub 2- finden sich jetzt stuecke dieser alben sowie einige klassische versionen der urspruenglichen singles.

was i the wave? is the ophomore offering from montreal musician and producer miracle fortress (graham van pelt). miracle fortress gained international recognition in 2007 for his debut album five roses, a unique collection of psychedelic shoegazey-pop that garnered high praise from numerous outlets. it was also short listed for canadas polaris prize that year, alongside arcade fires neon bible and feists the reminder. while it bears little stylistic resemblance to his debut, was i the wave? is in some ways a similar offering, insofar as it takes us on a trip deep into van pelts unique musical mind. theres not much of an argument for calling this record indie-rock-its essentially an electronic offering--but existing fans wont find it too difficult to hear van pelts signature hooks swimming among the big synths, and deep beats. like five roses, it was created in isolation from top-to-bottom, with van pelt serving as composer, arranger, performer, producer, and engineer. taken as a product of his occasionally hermitic temperament, many of tracks here express themes of alienation, anonymity, or the desire for the assurances of intimacy.

on his 2011 album field songs, iowa troubadour william elliott whitmore documents a vanishing american landscape with all the heartfelt soul and quiet fury one could hope for. -heartland firebrand blows fuse, fights for truth- heralded spin magazine when describing whitmore, who utilizes a powerful singing voice beyond his years and a stark dramatic sound rooted in bluegrass, blues and folk protest music. these songs vividly evoke a life of struggle, humble resilience and family bond inspired by life on his familys farm along the mississippi river. whitmore has made a name for himself both within the punk movement, where his populism and sincerity resonate with alienated urban kids, and the roots community, where writers like andy downing in the chicago tribune have placed him within the -new pastoralism- of bon iver and the fleet foxes.

it might sound like an empty phrase, but when oliver koletzki founded stil vor talent in 2005, he certainly didnt anticipate where his label would be today. now - six years and over sixty releases later - stil vor talent can look back at many magnificent moments in the labels history. originally started to give other musicians the chance to showcase their music, stil vor talent has preserved this very down-to-earth attitude until today and has helped foster the careers of producers such as channel x, niko schwind, juli holz or david august to name just a few. while there have never been any musical or stylistic limitations, an open philosophy dominated by quality and individualism prevails at olivers label, from delicately designed record sleeves to their own fashion line and to music that varies from house to pop to jacking dancefloor cuts. now it is time to congratulate everyone involved and the fans of stil vor talent with a special birthday present: a six-year anniversary compilation that celebrates past, present and future of the label on two cds

fresh modern indie dance influenced electro pop / electro

wretch 32, real name jermaine scott, is one of the uks most loved mcs - from the underground up. from his early years in londons flourishing grime scene back in the early 00s, the tottenham-raised lyricist has always stood out from the crowd. his conscious and reflective bars, along with an extremely relaxed flow, made him a firm favourite on the uk hip hop circuit. much like tinie tempah, wretch 32 has proved that british mcs can reach the mainstream without selling their soul to pop. the first fruits of this crossover success were tasted in january 2011, when his single traktor broke into the domestic top five following an appearance on the bbc sound ofÉ list. and his second official single, unorthodox, fared even better, peaking at number two in april. so its clear that much has changed since his debut lp of 2008, wretchrospective - but has public recognition come at the expense of what marked wretch 32 out as such a talent in the first place? not at all - on the opening title-track, the rapper lets the listener know that its the same old wretch at work. over a drum-heavy hip hop beat he sets up the rest of the album well, advising everyone to fasten their seatbelts as he prepares to take them on a ride that they wont forget in a hurry. never be me finds wretch delving into his past, opening up about making certain decisions in life that got him to where he is today. featuring rnb newcomer angel on the hook, the track has an inspirational feel to it - all over another impressive, but this time more grime-influenced, beat. a true standout is anniversary, with alex mills on singing duties - its a love song, minus any cheese. then the album lurches into the electro-infused sanes the new mad - a glimpse into wretchs party lifestyle, with ladies and alcohol at the forefront of his attentions. and closer dont go just might be one of the tracks of the year.

fragments is the sound of a band discovering its true identity: peeling back layers of bouncy math-pop beats and angular guitar hooks, leaving at its core a body of work that swirls with deep intensity and primal emotion. musically, fragments scrapes and slides like tectonic plates between the glistening melodies of foals and the raw drive of the joy formidable, whilst frontman matt holliday emits powerful and heartfelt declarations that leave you feeling like youre sat in a self-help group with the nationals matt berninger taking register.

dj diamond is 24 year old karlis griffin from the west side of chicago. he has been producing music since the age of 13 and djing since 20, heading the -flight muzik- clique of footwork producers. you might recall his two tracks from our -bangs & works vol.1- footwork compilation of last year. in addition hes also released several mix cds in chicago, but this, his first international album showcases his unique style of footwork music. dj diamond is a unique producer with his own distinct style and an unusual ear for unexpected sonic and rhythmic combinations within the footwork template. often he thoroughly edits samples into tiny trance-inducing, techno-like stabs. combining this with a penchant for neon synths and loose, broken drums (that are often more effect-laden and freeform than those of of his peers) and you have a sound which has an intriguing, deeper, dreamlike feel. the breadth and quality of his production is clear when you listen to this album. take opener -rep yo clique-s woozy drawling synths and tribal tom patterns next to -speakerz n tonguez- with it-s snapping snares, minimal, repetitive voice samples and martial, detailed drum work. then a track like -torture rack- which is like grime in outer space: a minimal bassline and some samples from a computer game, while a bass kick stumbles at half time, swarms of percussive detail giving it drama. its a brilliant exercise in wonky tension. the extraordinary -decoded- comes across like a kind of amalgam of trance and prog rock bombast at 160bpm while -wreckageÕs- high pitch saw noise is like a strange metallic bird-call, over light cymbals, gabba-like kicks and metallic claps. -digimons- harmonic microedits could even be an snd track transported to chicago. finally the albums closer -i choose you- rolls out over a heavily edited and processed soul sample, its drums rolling off at odd angles to almost seasick effect.

nick karamalakis from greece is the man behind the project -infinity-,also well known from the duo progenitor. over the years nick had some releases at namful labels like iono music, blue tunes, mikrokosmos,y.s.e., spintwist, aphonix e.t.c and on all tracks he received overwhelming reactions. infinitys productions incorporate a strong rhythmic and musical feel whilst remaining deep and stompy - a combination which gets any progressive floor moving! his debut album -control group- features nine previously unreleased progressive trance tracks with thumping kicks, groovy rythms and deeply pushing baselines,produced with a crispy fat morning sound that takes the listener on a journey of great emotions. be ready for another iono top release, coming from greece, one of the international hot spots of progressive trance, presented by an highly ambititious artist.

a really well done compilation Ð the first of what looks to be a great label from dakar! this well researched, fully annotated collection brings together rare work by idrissa diop Ð a great range of early 70s material done before his relocation to france, lots of it with a great blend of senegalese and cuban elements! the rhythms are wonderful Ð really spinning out in these hypnotic ways, and often encouraging a bit of descarga-like jamming from the musicians, especially on the longer tracks Ð and the full notes in the set really helps put the music in context. titles include -caridad-, -kaele-, -massani cisse-, -fonkale garape-, -gueth-, -yaye boye-, -cintorita-, and -dioubo-.

travis stewart is a producer whos always been admired by the electronic cognosenti, both as a solo producer in his project machinedrum and also as one half of sepalcure on hotflush recordings. after a break from producing he started to resurface in a major way last year with the -many faces e.p.- on glasgows luckyme label. however, for -room(s)-, his latest album on planet mu, he s well ahead of the curve, approaching the album in a way he s never worked before.the tracks on room(s) were started on the spur of the moment, often whilst traveling and finished in the studio, with the notion in mind that great moments of inspiration are fleeting so its best to grab on to that moment when it happens and squeeze it for all its worth. travis says of this process, -i feel like the energy of a song is lost the longer you spend working on it. this experiment in becoming less attached to my work essentially lead to a lot of songs that are connected sonically and aesthetically.-

yuri mendez jr. has an amazing gift for composing good songs. he arranges them and records them brilliantly, and then groups them together on an album in an unpredictable yet cohesive way (his last album had 22 tracks. this one only has 8). uri m�ndez jr. is a true artisan in the best sense of the word. this is pajaro sunrises third album, and although the essentials havenÕt changed (good songs, great songs), the rest has certainly evolved. yuris voice sounds more and more emphatic, and with an extensive register full of nuances, he sings a story in every song. in doing this, he covers a stunning vocal range that dazzles from the first listen. yuri has been playing together with the same fantastic band for some time now. with them, he has rehearsed the tracks (many of which they were already playing in concerts), and then gone into the studio where almost everything was recorded with everyone playing live. the benefits of having a group that has already travelled together, as well as shared stages and life experiences are evident. and, if this disc breathes anything, its travel, highways, and familiar stories stolen from faraway places that also feel nearby. its a grandiose yet intimate album that thrills and grows with each listen.

der aus sizilien stammende und auf jamaika residierende alborosie aka alberto d ascola, pr�sentiert sein zweites album f�r greensleeves! nach der >escape from babylon< wird jetzt n�gel mit k�pfen gemacht und die revolution gleich doppelt angegangen - nicht ohne augenzwinkern, aber auch mit dem n�tigen ernst thematisiert alborosie was unsere welt derzeit in atem h�lt. die cd kommt mit 16 tracks und hat �ber 50 minuten spielzeit, eine ganz spezielle reise durch die urbanen dschungel & gedankenwelt unserer zeit an der keiner vorbei kommt - brilliant!

daddy kevs label is proud to announce the release of ctrl alt delete, the debut album from free the robots. a staggering work of mind-warping electronics, fuzzed-out psych and devastating hip-hop beats, the impending release of ctrl alt delete will catapult free the robots to the forefront of the world renowned l.a. beat scene. initially started as a side project by chris alfaro in 2003, free the robots has quickly garnered a worldwide audience. combining dusty swap-meet samples, futuristic synthesizers and live instrumentation, free the robots has created a unique harmony of past sounds and future ruminations. much like his l.a. contemporaries flying lotus and nosaj thing, free the robots knows no genre boundaries. ctrl alt delete, which also features ikey owens of the mars volta, has been a long time coming. originally signed to alpha pup over two years ago, free the robots has put his heart and soul into this album. meticulously constructed, the album is a culmination of countless late nights at low end theory club, combined with a spirit of fearless experimentation. the result rattles with grit and swagger - a firm proclamation of free the robots sonic arrival.

the darkside of hardcore is back, even more heavy, even more experimental! this time the curse is casted by meccano twins and the subtitle confirm it: the wrath of god! dont expect cheap melodies or mainstream tracks, the sound is fat, extreme, harder than ever. many unreleased tracks from top producers like tommyknocker, tieum, meccano twins, promo, armageddon project, nosferatu, angel of darkness and many others. darkside: hardcore to his exteme level!

you can forgive a band who set out to create something even just a little bit different and get it horrendously wrong, but its tough to have sympathy for a band who shy away from the challenge altogether. such was the case with autokratz on their first album, animal, which, apart from a passable opening track, consisted of a series of bland electronic pastiches Ð dance music that conversely made the listener want to sit and wait it out. that didnt stop the hype building around the duo, though, thanks in no small part to the fact that the album was released through in-vogue french label kitsun� music. the confusing positivity surrounding the lp suggesting, perhaps, that style overcomes substance once a record company has received the hipster seal of approval.this time around, however, kitsune has stepped aside, with autokratz releasing the follow-up on their own label, bad life. but has the sense of responsibility that surely comes with this step made them re-evaluate their direction? has it inspired them to inject a much-needed shot of creativity into their work? not a hope. if anything, autokratz descend even further into mediocrity on self help for beginners. once again, their best tunes are loaded towards the front of the album, starting with the lead single, -opposite of love. its far from outstanding, helped in no small part by the terribly contrived lyrics, but does possess a catchy synth melody Ð enough to earn it a place on club playlists, at least. its a similar story with -becoming the wraith, which has peter hook on hand to deliver an overtly new order-esque bassline. beyond that, however, the quality dips dramatically. tracks like -the seventh seal and -r.i.s.e. are typical of the selection on offer, underwhelmingly vapid, derivative tunes which show up a disappointing, but not totally unexpected, scarcity of guile on the part of their creators.where autokratz do excel is as producers Ð a quality evident not only in their own work, but also in their remixes for other artists. unfortunately, this only serves to exacerbate their deficiencies on the other side of the control room desk. ultimately it may mean that, having failed to address the shortcomings of their debut, autokratz will be fated to be filed under -also rans in the annals of music history. thats assuming, of course, that someone out there will actually remember them at all.

following up to last years successful debut of playa -del lounge-, pedro del mar returns this summer with vol. 2 of his already prestigious chillout mixcomp series.

the ever on point citrus recordings is stepping up for its 5th artist lp. after having released the debut albums of mindscape & jade wich all went on for critical acclaim its time for citrus to get ready for its 3rd artist album. this time its time for the debut album of fourward! hailing straight from lower austria the four men collective fourward started out producing music in early 2007. the boys knew each other for quite a while and shared the love and passion for drumandbass music. for them it was always a main issue not to stick to any particular tiny subgenre only, but to develop a sound of their own. all members have different musical backgrounds which fit together perfectly and provide a great studio vibe. days went by and the boys finished a couple of tunes properly and it wasnt long until austrian drumandbass producer duo body&soul showed interest in their works. also international artists like bbcs very own crissy criss began to support their music giving them airplay on his radio show. as a result of their effort fourward has released quality tunes on labels like subsonik sound, planet funk and fokuz. the year 2010 they experienced the so called breakthrough with releases on nasca recordings and fokuz followed by an epic 12inch for the legendary label virus recordings! the guys definitely didnt stop there and being on the road now broadened their horizon even further. resulting in a series of tunes perfectly fitting together in this cd. diversity and musicallity are keywords for this album. listen from low blow to you and me, quality drum n bass!!

amiable new york city-based alt-rockers spin doctors hit it big in 1993 with the jam band hits -two princes- and -little miss cant be wrong,- both of which fueled many countless collegiate afternoons spent hacky sacking and devil stick juggling amidst a sea of red plastic cups. released in 2011, the best of spin doctors, which doesnt differ too much from 2000s just go ahead now: a retrospective or 2009s playlist: the very best of spin doctors, features 18 tracks culled from the groups three albums for epic. front-loaded with the groups two biggest, aforementioned hits, the collection loses steam as it progresses (though there are some tight, 70s-inspired nuggets to be found like -mary jane- and -cleopatras cat-), due in no small part to the groups penchant for always staying in its comfort zone.

dave.i.d likes to think for himself. always has done. its the reason why his debut album didnt go quite according to his initial plan. he was going to make, to use his own words, >something pretty simple and straightforward<. but then he noticed lots of his friends were discovering new beliefs. some even tried to convert him. >im very open-minded to different beliefs, but i question and see things slightly differently,< he says. without necessarily wanting to, he found himself reflecting on existential questions. >the album is a record of the time that it was made, and thats what was going on in my life at the time. i didnt necessarily want to make the debut album like that. i felt i had to make it<. the cerebral inspiration catapulted him into musics outer rim. he beamed back a dark, dense sometimes confrontational sound, but ultimately compelling sound. but, in the end, it turned out to be a happy accident because the resulting record, called >response< appropriately enough, is mind-bendingly inventive, brilliantly off-kilter and constantly surprising. crucially, the tough sonics are paired with killer melodies: this is deep, heavy music you can hum. the records he was listening to while making >response< help make sense of his singular sound

dub police are proud to announce the release of their first artist album courtesy of birmingham-based producer emalkay, who is set to release his hotly anticipated debut lp eclipse this spring. first making a name for himself with early releases on his own morphic sounds imprint, emalkay has continued to push the boundaries of underground bass music ever since, delivering a slew of huge releases on the way. having been an integral part of the dub police stable ever since his >explicit / heroics< 12 inch for the label in 2009, emalkay has gone from strength to strength with a series of heavyweight tracks that includes the phenomenal >when i look at you< and recent smash >crusader<. comprised of 11 tracks, >eclipse< is a bold and powerful album encapsulating perfectly everything that makes emalkay such a prodigious talent, effortlessly showcasing the depth and diversity of his sound while always remaining true to his inimitable style. as addictive as it is hard-hitting, the album doesnt just provide a collection of dancefloor tracks, but a confident and coherent artistic statement.

the word genius is not a term we like to use loosely when speaking about our artists but giorgio sancristoforo aka tobor experiment fits the bill. a gifted musician, soft synth designer, found sound pioneer and he still finds time to make forward thinking disco pop for bearfunk as tobor experiment >disco experience<

sine music released the second album by merge of equals entitled submerge. the album will be available on cd and at all well known download stores. as the title suggests: listeners of submerge dive deep down into the sound-world of flavio maspoli. this versatile, multifaceted artist and producer from zuerich caused a sensation in the european music scene with his debut creation intoxication and now, with his new album, puts the listener, already with the first track, into a kind of rapture of the deep. the world is one could well be the credo of this new album submerge. with titles like tvija lijubov, biya, opium or atesh mystic and exotic tones taken from a wide variety of cultures fuse with modern beats and futuristic electronic sounds to enter a new symbiosis. the captivating vocals in varying languages of the guest vocalists gina estrada, sitta foehr, jelena schweizer, katt tait and kotomi bisang-mori guarantee a very special multi-cultural deep-sea dive while discretely enhancing the established chillout and lounge paths. even the classic bar chillout lover will be rewarded with tracks such as kleine wolke or heart & mind. the artist describes this new slot he has created as >magic chill�< offering a balance separate from prevalent trends.

closely related to underground resistance, scan 7 is a mysterious detroit underground collective gathering seven artists. the group is most famous for its ninja like appearances, often dressed in black with black masks and hats, the use code names to protect there true identification, they believe its not who you see, but what you hear that is the most crucial element in techno! associated with such labels as underground resistance, soma & f communications, scan 7 via their own imprint have brought together a double cd of detroit influenced techno.

with this, his debut full-length album entitled when the clouds ran away the man behind the music si tew has seamlessly tied together the many elements of musicality he loves, and from this has delivered a polished masterpiece of modern day electronic soul. featuring a talented crew of collaborators, the album swings from glitchy swung break beats via heart felt soul to organic cinematic compositions, and although this may seem like an impossible task si tew has produced this genre hopping expedition perfectly. the wonderful vocals on this album are performed by a handful of the uks best including leamington spas siren shanade, who opens the album with the divine >silhouette< gliding effortlessly along and introducing the oncoming album traffic

leicht und luftig, filmisch und doch intim kommt das vierte arctic monkeys-album >suck it and see< daher. aufgenommen hat es die band in den sound city studios in los angeles mit ihrem langj�hrigen produzenten und mitstreiter james ford. das album verbreitet ein sommerliches pop-feeling und den typischen feelgood-sound kalifornischer wintersonne und vitamin d au§erhalb der saison, was daran liegen mag, dass der gr�§te teil der st�cke im januar an der westk�ste der usa aufgenommen wurde. passend zu seiner pop-ausrichtung ist >suck it and see< sorgf�ltiger arrangiert als sein vorg�nger >humbug< und steckt voller songs, die die irrungen und wirrungen von sex und liebe mit elementarer bildersprache, scharfsinnigen texten und gro§artigen pop-kultur-metaphern ausloten. das album steckt voller bez�ge zu �lteren rock n roll-klassikern (you look like youve been for breakfast at the heartbreak hotel), diversen softdrinks (dandelion & burdock, postmix-limonade) und freizeitbesch�ftigungen des 21. jahrhunderts (laserquest

mark stewart first made his presence felt as the front man for the pop group in the late 1970s. they were pioneers of the post punk dance sound and had success with singles such as >she is beyond good and evil<, and >we are all prostitutes<. when the band split in 1980, mark joined the emerging on u sound crew as a part time member of the new age steppers. he then went on to form his own band with keith leblanc and doug wimbish, the rhythm section of the sugar hill gang, and guitarist skip mcdonald. with adrian sherwood and his production magic at the controls, the maffia unleashed an awesome mix of styles that sounded like bootsy collins jamming over a bootleg jah shaka tape in an urban warzone. this incredible mix of funk, dub and electronic overload pre empted techno and drum & bass by years. mark stewart, often copied, never bettered. the film retraces the singers steps and paths from the early days of the pop group right up to the present. schifer, who followed mark around for a full 3 years, has crafted a detailed, often intimate portrait of the artist, supplemented by interviews with a. o. mark stewart himself, adrian sherwood (on.u sound), daniel miller (mute records), nick cave, mick harvey, doug wimbish, skip mcdonald, keith leblanc, douglas hart (the jesus & mary chain), fritz catlin (23 skidoo), mike watt (minutemen, the stooges), gareth sager (the pop group, rip rig and panic), dan catsis (the pop group), john waddington (the pop group) janine rainforth (maximum joy), massive attack, keith levine (p.i.l.) and many others, plus never seen live recordings and music clips