mestizo beat is a los angeles-based band blending the styles of afro-beat, afro-cuban, funk, and r&b. their debut release for colemine is a fiery cover of mongo santamaria’s “featherbed lane” and is sure to set dance floors on fire!

from the redwood forests of big sur and the industrial warehouses of downtown los angeles comes pfeiffer, a label dedicated to quality and a diverse musical output. pfeiffer follows in the footsteps of labels such as svek and kompakt, known for releasing a wide range of techno and house with a common thread of unique and unpredictable energy. looking to bring this type of eclectic curation into the modern era, pfeiffer draws inspiration from the raw simplicity and effortless magnetism of its namesake location on the central coast of california.

in late 2017, thomas gandey and danny mclewin - known from the popular disco-influenced electronic music collective psychemagik - emerged from their studio in bordeaux, france, claiming to have produced an extended musical arrangement, both entitled, and containing the sounds of, the shakuhachi. furthermore, they insisted, for the purposes of this production, and a further album of related arrangements to be released subsequently in conjunction with the successful german record label kompakt, they should be referred to henceforth as ghost vision. shortly thereafter, the audio recordings described by gandey and mclewin came into the possession of noted los angeles degenerate, dj and nymphomaniac citation needed dirty dave, who was quick to relay the hallucinatory qualities of the duo’s productions to fellow dj and trusted hallucinogenic expert paramida, of esteemed german musical imprint love on the rocks. paramida, recognising the innate quality of the sounds presented to her, decided that such recordings warranted immediate release through her audio distribution channel, and not without remixes. quite without thinking of the origins of the instrument which had given the recording its particular sonic distinguishment, and of course, its title, she enlisted the help of two musicians named alex - one from tokyo, and one from kyoto. both alex from tokyo - teaming up with his colleagues isao kumano & kenichi takagi as tokyo black star, known for their prior releases on popular german label innervisions - and his counterpart, alex from kyoto, better known as al kassian, rising tamagotchi on paramidas love on the rocks imprint, and his own label, planet sundae - turned in striking reinterpretations of gandey and mclewin’s composition.

good things come in threes and that’s the case for shapes of rhythm: new year, new artist and a new release! announcing d. lynnwood’s connect ep. four tracks of dancefloor-friendly music blurring the lines between house, disco and the 80s boogie sound.
additional dj support from: danny krivit, glenn astro, mad mats, kon, glove love, dom servini, scrimshire, matthew schreyer (kcrw los angeles)

los angeles native based out of paris, onyvaa is one of europes newest techno imports. dj, producer and owner of her parisian based underground label passeport records. passeport is an outlet for her to release original productions with full creative musical freedom, gathering inspiration from around the globe. onyvaas sound consists of strong driving techno with dub influences along with an abundance of analog touches.

this is the 2nd various artists compilation from the esoteric black lodge collective out of los angeles, showcasing a variety of sounds one is likely to hear at their monthly gatherings. this comp contains a mixture of acidic jacking warehouse bangers from veteran producers tx connect and jasen loveland alongside a more acid chicago house inspired jakbeat track from black lodge co-founder kosmik and an ebm/electro dance cut from the belligerents.

ras g and moresounds explore the outer reaches of sound system culture for dub-stuy’s new collaborative series of eps. brooklyn-based label dub-stuy kicks off 2018 with the inaugural release of a new ep series dedicated to unearthing and celebrating the outer reaches of sound system culture. taking its cue from the classic dub releases where two producers would face off with their own versions, dub-stuy’s meets series brings together artists who have a clear dub influence but do not operate solely within the sphere of the dub and reggae world. the first such meeting is between los angeles beat supremo ras g (brainfeeder, stones throw) and paris junglistic dub scientist moresounds (cosmic bridge, astrophonica).

a staple of the los angeles house and techno scene, alexandre mouracade’s much developed cv speaks volumes as for the consistency and impact of the man’s contribution to the city of angels’ nightlife for the past two decades. founder of the seminal making shapes party as well as a knowledgeable techno and disco head, this versatile all-rounder eventually established as a full-fledged producer in the past years, releasing solo under his real name and the alias of sonns, and alongside fellow partner in crime travis kirschbaum as split secs on their own machine limited outlet.

strange valleys, the 2018 full-length from starving daughters, is a progression as well as a shift in sound from the la band s already-stellar previous releases. make no doubt about it that the sound of progressive rock and psychedelia still play a big role here but there s certainly a greater influence from library music on the new lp. the starving daughters vinyl impressions blog, led by chris tillotson of the band, shared the music of chris s collection of which many were library lp s. these records seemed to have seeped into the mind, body, and souls of the whole band on this strange valleys lp. everything from the instrumentation, the attention to melody, to the track-length shows the large appreciation they have for library music. that being said, this moog-heavy, psychedelic-prog-funk, california-themed record is certainly unique and adventurous. winding through the exotic roads of strange valleys is certainly a trip well worth taking over and over again.

kidaf ist ein new yorker hip-hop-künstler und mitglied des loaf-kollektivs. er versteht sich als mehr als nur ein typischer rapper, kidaf sieht sich auch als musiker, dessen instrument seiner stimme ist, obwohl er kein sänger ist. er sagt: -die stimme ist das ursprüngliche instrument und der beste weg für mich, zu kommunizieren-. kidaf begann bereits in jungen jahren mit dem schreiben von reimen und liedern, der stark von den größen der -goldenen Ära- des hip-hop beeinflusst ist. er räumt aber ein, dass er -auf ein bisschen von allem- hört. nachdem er 2013 sein erstes projekt / mixtape -adolessons- veröffentlicht hatte, spielte er auf berühmten bühnen wie dem apollo theater in new york city und dem el rey theatre in los angeles und hat auch einen stetigen output von veröffentlichungen, solo und als teil des kollektivs -loaf muzik-, aufrechterhalten, wobei seine fangemeinde mit seinem katalog wächst. sein debüt-album -in the air- ist ein meisterwerk, wenn es um texte, deepness und flow geht, wie brancheninsider sagen, die die musik schon vorher gesehen haben.- grabba- die erste single, hat in der mtv-zentrale aufmerksamkeit erregt, dieser track ist jetzt für die frühjahrs-trl-kampagne verfügbar. das album enthält auch loaf muzik kollege mitglied -shine sinatra- und brooklyn rapper chelsea reject sowie mit blu einen der besten underground hip hop mcs der stunde. das ganze album wurde von shuko produziert (talib kweli, b-real, evidence, cl .smooth, the clipse) und erscheint auf seinem for the love of it- label.

neues soloalbum von johnny jewel, kopf der chromatics und glass candy, sowie betreiber des new yorker kultindies italians do it better. nach intensiven kollaborationen mit filmemachern wie david lynch (-win peaks new season), nicolas winding refn (drive) und ryan gosling (lost river), veröffentlicht jewel nun mit digital rain ein album voller sinnlich-warmer, analoger electronica. aufgenommen in joshua tree, abgemischt in los angeles und geschnitten vom legendären mastering-engineer bernie grundman in hollywood.

mt. si ist ein gemeinschaftsprojekt von drei freunden sarah chernoff von superhumanoids, jesse kivel von kisses und michael david von classixx. die drei aus los angeles begannen ihre zusammenarbeit während der aufnahmesessions für classixxs debüt hanging gardens. michael bat sarah und jesse, vocals für das album beizutragen, und es wurde schnell klar im studio, dass sie eine chemie als kollaborative gruppe hatten. das trio kehrt diesen winter mit ihrem jüngsten release zurück. der titeltrack zeichnet einen klaren bogen vom vorgänger limits mit seiner glückselige melodie, während die b-seite den sinnlichen tiefen groove annie liefert. elektronischer pop von seiner besten seite! das vinyl erscheint inklusive downloadcode.

from the redwood forests of big sur and the industrial warehouses of downtown los angeles comes pfeiffer, a label dedicated to quality and a diverse musical output. pfeiffer follows in the footsteps of labels such as svek and kompakt, known for releasing a wide range of techno and house with a common thread of unique and unpredictable energy. looking to bring this type of eclectic curation into the modern era, pfeiffer draws inspiration from the raw simplicity and effortless magnetism of its namesake location on the central coast of california. february 9th marks the release of pfeiffers first musical offering. a-side big tent sets the tone with raw, minimal percussion and acid tinged melodies. b-side twist brings a healthy dose of chicago and detroit influence to a track that feels colder than house, but warmer than techno. the first of many releases to come, pfe001 marks the tip of the iceberg for pfeiffer, a label which will continue to reveal itself over time.

jonra & e:machinery are an electronic music performance and recording duo comprised of long time los angeles based designforms research label boss jonra babiracki and electronic music artist eric cowden aka e:machinery.

following up to three albums on kompakt since 2011, the latest being signs under test (kom321/komcd119) in 2015, los angeles based house and techno producer john tejada returns to the cologne-based imprint with his thirteenth full-length, dead start program - an eleven-track journey spanning a prismatic array of styles and patterns, from john s signature soulful techno tunes to the further mazy, hypnotic motifs of his trancey electro hybrids. be it solo or through a host of multifaceted collaborations, tejada keeps himself busy on all fronts in and off the club environment, be it by contributing the 44th number in fabric s seminal mix series, playing drums for detroit legend daniel bell (as dbx), testing the limits of acid with tin man or joining forces with the hilarious self-proclaimed disinformationist reggie watts as wajatta. since his beginnings and the drop of his debut 12inch, waxing , released through his own label palette recordings over twenty years ago, john has been carving out a lane of his own combining and assembling elements from all ends of his wide-spanning spectrum of reference in a way that allows a more direct transition from the realm of the mind to the circuits of the machine, as confirmed by the deliberately limited studio setup used in the making of the present album. navigating across the lines, from the arrhythmic machine spook of the album s opener autoseek via the straight out thumping and jacking pulse of hypochondriac and heavy-lidded breakbeat of sleep spindle onto the kosmische-infused vibrations of telemetry, vibrant slo-mo inertia of loss and wistful club-ready winds of duty cycle and heal, john threads his way through genres and tempos with optimal chameleonic effect. cloaked in a beautiful sleeve art courtesy of johns long time friend juan mendez aka silent servant another key contributor to the los angeles scene worldwide

multi-platinum artist awolnation announced the release of their third studio album, here come the runts, on february 2, 2018. bruno spent 2016 crafting the album in his home studio nestled in the coastal mountain range separating the pacific ocean and the suburbs of los angeles where he grew up. the secluded location is reflected throughout the album. “the record definitely has a feel to it that seems parallel to the vibe of this mountain and the land,” bruno notes. “it’s like a non-gmo record. there’s no fake shit on there, none of the vocals are tuned. it’s all real playing.”

the enigmatic tennessee-raised, turin-based yves tumor presents a poignant new album, recorded between miami, leipzig, los angeles and berlin over the past three years.
evolved from a diverse and prolific creative history under an expansive plethora of covert aliases via various forward-thinking labels, ‘yves tumor’ emerges as his most personal and matured incarnation to date.
with involvement across various artistic outlets expanding to fashion such as a visceral live performance for la’s hood by air earlier this year, the global artist has built a distinctly bold personal aesthetic both musically and visually as a performer.

goodnight vienna is the fourth studio album by ringo starr. it was recorded in the summer of 1974 in los angeles, and released later that year. goodnight vienna followed the commercially successful predecessor ringo, and starr used many of the same players, including billy preston, klaus voormann, robbie robertson, harry nilsson, and producer richard perry. the title is a liverpool slang phrase meaning -it s all over-.

following a double dose of newfound los angeles talent, apron records founder, steven julien (aka funkineven) returns home with the debut release from london-based enigma, molinaro. apron 35 is classic apron records material five slabs of soul-drenched techno anchored by groove and grit from a new name with plenty of experience. molinaro who has honed his production and djing craft for over a decade is one of the capital s best technicians behind the decks. a skill most recently recognised by nts radio, who rewarded him with a regular monthly slot on the airwaves. the first of which shot straight into the nts picks for the week. opener gio cements the tone from the off, drifting in with warm, enveloping pads, quickly joined by beefy drums and percussion in a five-minute sprawl out. jtl is arguably the standout a boogie-influenced roller aimed at prime time dancefloor. ty and -molow showcase the deeper, moodier face of molinaros sound palette before the beatless sofar rounds things out, paying homage to ryuichi sakamotos synth brilliance.

hier kommt die jährliche -soul togetherness compilation mit den besten modern-soul tracks des jahres. 15 erstklassige soul-jams, die teilweise erstmals auf tonträger erhältlich werden. mit highlights von omar zusammen mit dem los charlys orchestra, tawatha agee (gastsängerin von mtume) zusammen mit aeroplane, kenny thomas mit thames river soul (produziert von und featuring incognito), wez und the groove association, beide ex-mitglieder der brit-funk-band second image, sowie leela james (bekannt aus der us-reality-show r&b divas: los angeles, amp fiddler, faith evans, trina broussard und lifford.

nice price deal !!! since sepalcures debut ep, love pressure dropped last summer, the new york based act otherwise known as travis stewart (machinedrum) and praveen sharma (braille) have made a lasting impression on the electronic sphere over the last year with unforgettable live performances across the usa and europe, as well as a stunning follow-up ep, fleur. their unique chemistry as a duo is undeniable and has resulted in a soulful, emotive, and energetic style that is entirely their own. on this remix ep, five of the usa’s most exciting dance music producers of late have offered their unique takes on the original tracks, all bringing their own signature elements into the fore: xi (orca, toronto), faltydl (planet mu, new york), jimmy edgar (!k7, detroit), daedelus (ninja tune, los angeles), and recent hotflush signing lando kal (lazer sword, berlin via san francisco).

hanna is the soundtrack album to the 2011 british-german thriller film of the same name, directed by joe wright. the film stars saoirse ronan as the title character, a girl raised in the wilderness of northern finland by her father, an ex-cia operative (eric bana), who trains her as an assassin. cate blanchett is a senior cia agent who tries to track down and eliminate the girl and her father.
the original score was composed by the british pioneers of big beat the chemical brothers, who had 6 number 1 albums and 13 top 20 singles in the uk. nme ranked the album at number 54 in their list of the -61 of the greatest film soundtracks-.
the soundtrack of hanna was nominated for multiple awards and eventually won an alliance of women film journalists award in the category -best film music or score- and a los angeles film critics association award for -best music-.
limited first pressing of 1500 numbered copies on transparent red 180 gram vinyl.

nice price deal !!! the second installment on this los angeles based label brings the mighty 12th planet with 2 killer tracks set to smash dubstep dances world wide, with his original style that is distinctive to his sound, crispy drums and stinging hi hats

best of album des electro-pop-trios pollyn aus los angeles, das, inspiriert von portishead, gorillaz und talking heads, im laufe der zeit von matthew herbert, dj harvey und moodyman geremixt wurde, aber auch selber bands wie gorillaz, liquid liquid, buffalo daughter und death from above remixte. coloriertes triple-vinyl (lp1 rosa, lp2 weiss, lp3 blau) inklusive der brandneuen single -findaway feat. alexis taylor (hot chip).

if one looks at the output of los angeles based artist mat/matix, he’d find that this quite illusive figure from the la scene of contemporary electronic funk has quite some good tracks in his compact repertoire. this package (which contains a version from fellow west coast artist moon b) is dripping with heart wrenching synth soars and compact drum works that are built with the fierceness that is so significant for both the label and the artist.

nomadico’s gentefication ep is inspired by the gente-fication movement in east los angeles. a movement striving to uplift and maintain the local street culture without selling out to real estate developers and so-called gentrifiers. the a side tracks “gentefied” and “semillas” are deeper, uplifting tracks with a hi-tech edge. the soundtrack for young barrio coders, digital artists and community organizers. on the flip “graff walk” and “the heights” are grittier techno-funk workouts for bumping loud while rolling down broadway or cesar chavez avenue in l.a. yaxteq will continue to honor high tech urban innovation that goes against all expectations. si se puede!!

after releasing his debut album paradise earlier this year to much critical acclaim, b. bravo has swung back around for yet another trip to this island of cosmic delights, tapping into some of our favorite producers & extended fam for a special 12inch to accompany the digital of paradise remixed. the a-side kicks off with fool s gold producer sammy bananas turning the squelchy funk of freak it into a filtered french & italo inspired funky house monster, perfect for peak time on the dancefloor, while los angeles xl middleton deliver s a low slung g-funk & boogie inspired take on the album single i m for real. on the flip, uk producer smbd (better known as simbad) turns lay it on the line a classic 80s synth beast thats been tried & tested around european festivals all summer, while grandfeather (aka anton borin) comes through with a spacey & deep downtempo funk reversioning of cant keep my hands off you. los angeles-based adam mori aka b. bravo adds a touch of love to every soulful groove he gets his hands on. his signature sound, connecting outer space g-funk, r&b, and dance music has made him a name in the electronic music scene as well a key player in the worldwide modern funk movement, being hailed by the likes of xlr8r, fact magazine, gilles peterson and many more.

hier kommt die jährliche “soul togetherness” compilation mit den besten modern-soul-tracks des jahres. 15 erstklassige soul-jams, die teilweise erstmals auf tonträger erhältlich werden. mit highlights von omar zusammen mit dem los charlys orchestra, tawatha agee (gastsängerin von mtume) zusammen mit aeroplane, kenny thomas mit thames river soul (produziert von und featuring incognito), wez und the groove association, beide ex-mitglieder der brit-funk-band second image, sowie leela james (bekannt aus der us-reality-show “r&b divas: los angeles”), amp fiddler, faith evans, trina broussard und lifford.

die 12” version des jazz-funk-disco-klassikers “to prove my love” (1978) des sängers, songschreibers und gitarristen ned doheny aus los angeles erscheint hier erstmals auf 7” vinyl, produziert von steve cropper von der stax records-hausband booker t & the mgs.

on his third outing with la vinyl imprint into the woods, producer / selector jimmy maheras fuses the sounds of detroit and los angeles together for a release that continues in the spirit of warehouse inspired techno, house, and electro that germinates from his monthly into the woods party series hosted with mor elian.
the title track, “the odyssey of flight 33,” bubbles up with dubbed chords and stabs that float and wobble over a clap and tom ride fit for 3am. “nightsong” follows the formula in spirit but percolates with punchy drums and stabs. finishing out the release is a full bodied basic soul unit remix of “odyssey” that beefs up and pitches down the chords and drives a heavy rhythm into a wall of sound tinged with hypnotic dystopia.

superb album by east los angeles band the village callers, recorded live in 1968 and released on eddie daviss rampart records. seasoned and popular band at all the top venues, the village callers brought many different sounds into the mix: jazz, soul, r&b and lots of latin percussion. their only lp consisted mainly of groove-filled covers such as i heard it through the grapevine, i dont need no doctor, joao donatos the frog and a medley of aretha franklin hits. hector, one of the standout cuts on the lp and its only original song, has been sampled by beastie boys, cypress hill or de la soul among other hip-hop artists.

excise records 2nd vinyl release is a celebration of both northern and southern californian techno. oaklands milkplant has been making heady dancefloor bombs for 2 decades, and los angeles icon developer jumps in with a beautiful retro-hypnotic remix of far star. milkplants dust cloud is a 10 minute epic build with dreamy synth work shattered complex metallic percussion and anchored by a shockingly weighty bassline. the original far star is a wild romp with psyched out synth arps and relentless spit-fire hi hats.

first time band anthology - includes 9 unreleased tracks! this fall, the independent literary press all night menu will publish sam sweets hadley lee lightcap, a nonfiction novel that traces the backstories of the three members in acetone, a band that played in los angeles for nine years. though few heard them, their recordings are time capsules of who they were, how they lived, and where they came from. light in the attic has partnered with all night menu to present acetone 1992-2001, the first anthology of the trios music. the book and the album will be released at the same time.

if psychic health s self-titled debut album took the lessons the la duo learned in the teeming clubs of berlin and melbourne, their latest lp, exclusion, look inward, a document of the duo tunneling down the studio wormhole. as such, exclusion is a remarkably dynamic effort, adeptly jumping between evocative ambience (-jamaica 88,- -ryso-) and equally expansive dance floor fair. examples of the latter, such as the album s obvious centerpiece and titular track, exclusion, document gabriel mounsey and devon steffens’s harnessing modular beast technology for peak techno utility, finding a clear thoroughfare between the soaring strings of derrick may s classic transmat releases and ostgut ton s current ebm-inflected precision. as you d expect from mounsey s background in film composition, exclusion whirls with imagery. it s a los angeles album, but focuses on raw beauty of the city at night—the lights in the distance, and the desolate downtown streets where kickdrums often waft from disused warehouses. while their debut album opened notable doors for the group, landing distribution from hard wax and featuring in the netflix series sense8, exclusion is an altogether masterful turn for psychic health, their complete studio immersion easing the listener into deeply hypnotic states.

los angeles-born, berlin-based talent huerta unleashes four remarkably rich cuts for three fingerz musique s latest 12inch. this follows an outstanding run of releases on dirt crew, amadeus and let s play house.

producer, dj and visual artist, dreams, has become a standout voice in the los angeles electronic landscape. the following he’s amassed locally is due, in part, to his own imprint, private selection, who’s focus so far has been split between releasing music and throwing events. an ethos that runs through both the his music and parties is indebted in part to house and techno, but also industrial, resulting in a mutated take on dance life forms that is becoming increasingly recognizable in his own records and dj sets. dreams’ first 12’, ‘twisted karma’, came out in 2015 via private selection. most recently, he released a record which saw light through greek imprint nous disques, and now, apron records.

joe brings us house/acid/techno riffs with live recorded vocals and gear. joe is a warehouse sound-man veteran of almost 20 years in and around los angeles. after curating, playing and servicing many techno/house/disco/acid events, joe would like to share some notes & texture with everyone. thank you for listening

adult contemporary welcomes u.k. s mark gilbert as hugh mane via his adopted home base, oslo. three impressive, punchy and amazingly produced songs adorn this release. like us, you will become a real sucka for the title track, -real sucker for your love-. this buoyant live performance was built around a sequenced bass line and really drives the kids crazy. we guarantee that over time all the three songs will rotate as the favorite at one point or another. side note: they sound amazing at home, at the beach and in the club. early supporters include kcrw 89.9fm los angeles, dj harvey, bill brewster, lovefingers, nick the record.

(180 gr) the fifth in international feels minialbum series. from their base in los angeles, intrepid musical voyagers pharaohs have imagined a place far from the city for their first stand alone release on international feel.

ukrainian label >crocus< presents a vinyl release of one of the most high-profile hits of the year. its author, ivan dorn, is the most outstanding artist of the local scene. with the release of his single >collaba<, dorn successfully launched his international career. >collaba< is the pilot single for the >otd< album recorded in los angeles. crocus release includes two previously unreleased remixes from experienced ukrainian sound producers: the founder of the vinyl label >artreform< - joss and his colleague kirill kirik, the owner of the crocus label. both remixes are dance versions of collaba, in tech-house and house style.

parallels is the fourth full album released under jason chung’s distinctive moniker, nosaj thing. masterfully dimensional, parallels represents the acclaimed los angeles-based electronic producer/composer/performer’s most diverse, vital work yet. as such, chung sees parallels represents a kind of redemptive rebirth. the album’s compellingly elusive, uncategorizable sonics developed out of what he terms a personal & musical “identity crisis.” according to chung, working with a group of collaborators on parallels that combined both longtime friends and new creative partners added “new energy which pushed me not to limit myself. everything felt fresh and alive.” chung is known specifically for his innovative, unexpected musical pairings: kid cudi hit up on nosaj thing via his myspace page in 2006, resulting in chung producing cudi’s autobiographical classic “the man on the moon.” kendrick lamar flowed over nosaj’s ethereal boom bap to create the youtube gem “cloud 10”, chance the rapper, meanwhile, freaked a nosaj beat for his 2013 breakout masterpiece “paranoia” and appeared on nosaj thing’s previous lp, 2015’s fated. chung and blonde redhead vocalist kazu makino are also longtime creative partners on each other’s work, her voice appears on parallels as an otherworldly spirit animating the icily ‘80s-synthetic “how we do.”

minneapolis exchange is excited to bring the next exchange, a long awaited release for us. as promised, the exchange is the goal so for this exchange we bring you music from our crew in the us. side a is exclusively brought to you by two amazing minneapolis artists that are literally head first in the minneapolis house music and techno scene. these guys are out there on the front lines every weekend and many week nights, they don t sleep! welcome two tracks from jeff swiff and christian james. next up is side b, this is the exchange part ya ll! from chicago we have dan ryan and from los angeles we have ricky tinez. these two bring in a seriously raw and darker vibe to the release, let the tracks speak for themselves and enjoy!

hippopotamus wurde von den sparks selbst produziert und in los angeles aufgenommen. das bruderpaar ron mael (keyboards) und russell mael (gesang) ist seit 1971 musikalisch aktiv. ihre ausgefeilten, oft tragisch-komischen texte, der sympathisch-schräger blick auf die popkultur, ihr zuweilen theatralisches auftreten und russell maels falsett-gesang sind ihr markenzeichen. zu ihren großen hits gehören -this town ain t big enough for both of us- und the number one song in heaven, letzterer entstand ende der 70er jahre in zusammenarbeit mit giorgio moroder. -when do i get to sing my way- von dem album -gratuitous sax & senseless violins- war 1994 der meistgespielte song im deutschen radio. mit ihren jüngsten werken -lil beethoven- (2002), -hello young lovers- (2006) und -exotic creatures of the deep- (2008) verfeinerten sie ihre musikalische rezeptur noch einmal und kombinierten cleveren pop mit orchestralen arrangements. diese entwicklung schreibt hippopotamus fort, baut aber auf mehr pop-appeal und großartige melodien.

hippopotamus wurde von den sparks selbst produziert und in los angeles aufgenommen. das bruderpaar ron mael (keyboards) und russell mael (gesang) ist seit 1971 musikalisch aktiv. ihre ausgefeilten, oft tragisch-komischen texte, der sympathisch-schräger blick auf die popkultur, ihr zuweilen theatralisches auftreten und russell maels falsett-gesang sind ihr markenzeichen. zu ihren großen hits gehören -this town ain t big enough for both of us- und -the number one song in heaven-, letzterer entstand ende der 70er jahre in zusammenarbeit mit giorgio moroder. -when do i get to sing my way- von dem album -gratuitous sax & senseless violins- war 1994 der meistgespielte song im deutschen radio. mit ihren jüngsten werken lil beethoven (2002), hello young lovers (2006) und exotic creatures of the deep (2008) verfeinerten sie ihre musikalische rezeptur noch einmal und kombinierten cleveren pop mit orchestralen arrangements. diese entwicklung schreibt hippopotamus fort, baut aber auf mehr pop-appeal und großartige melodien.

aus großen melodien und strapazierfähigen elektronischen teppichen gestrickt, ist -love what survives- gewissermaßen die essenz ihres bisherigen schaffens, indem verschiedene gesangsgäste und musikerpersönlichkeiten (james blake, micachu, king krule) hinzukommen, um gemeinsam zu experimentieren, formen neu zu denken, dinge auszuradieren, mit pop-Überlieferungen zu spielen, alles zusammen wachsen zu lassen. die neuen tracks enstanden größtenteils auf zwei vintage-synthesizern (korg ms-20, korg delta), die beide, so die band, diese -punkige, schloddrige qualität hätten, die an robert wyatt erinnert-, die mit ihrem industrial-einschlag und dem unverkennbar direkten sound mount kimbie zu ihrem neuesten sound-update bewegen sollten. der pulsierende motorik-beat der single -blue train lines- zum beispiel schickt king krule direkt auf die Überholspur, von wo aus er seine zerklüfteten vokalsalven abgeben kann. die offene, ausladende aura der platte ist ferner der tatsache geschuldet, dass sie zwischen london und los angeles entstanden ist, zwei standorten, zwischen denen das duo pendelte, um gemeinsame sessions zu veranstalten und ideen zu verfeinern.

get 2 know nicky benedek: a producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and dj. his compositions bridge the nebulous territories of house, boogie, hip-hop, jazz-fusion and experimental new age. born and bred in los angeles, benedek began pulling inspiration from the city’s structural and visual dichotomies at a young age. he picked up a guitar at 9 years-old, taking note of any and all sonic surroundings, from prevalent west coast g-funk to the synthesized sound effects in video games to a herbie hancock record pulled from his dad’s collection. amongst a complex set of influences, funk took a hold on his heart by high school. bene’s world is benedek’s second leaving records release, following last year’s coolin’ ep as well as a full-length debut on the influential peoples potential unlimited label. his catalogue also includes collaborations with dam-funk, delroy edwards and tom noble. recorded between his koreatown studio and the west la home he grew up in, bene’s world captures the characteristically-la mingling of urban action and canyon seclusion.

los angeles based natan h and malta based artist owen jay return as gauss with their first ep of 2017. entitled resonator it offers more deep music with an electronic soul and is their fifth ep for their cultured label gauss ltd. the title track opens things up with a crunchy and impactful mix of weighty dub drums and spangled techno chords. it s a heavy track that builds in momentum and is sure to mangle minds with its skewed stabs and wiry electronics. shifted is a more fierce techno track with urgency in the kicks and a sense of anger in the coarse little snare explosions. more gurgling synths add weight and this one is a real stomper as a result. cutting ever more loose, odyssey is a mix of idm sound design, soulful synth smears and percolating electro tinged drums that are slick and futuristic. least squares completes this techno picture with spitting hits and claps, underwater chords and acidic sonar pulses that soothe the mind. this is an expansive ep that marks an exciting evolution in gauss s sound.

a list of related configurations: live for each moon, pacific horizons, split secs, bluntman deejay, mood hut artists from los angeles and vancouver 3 tracks - -tripping and gritty- - -earth scorchers- for -hot rooms-: -the party- and two -mould- remix extensions by bluntman deejay -full color- insert by james sinclair mastered by anders peterson