token is 5 years old. i never planned to do anything special for this occasion. however, when i received these 2 new tracks from phase, all just fell into place. this release pretty much sums up what token stands for since day one. both tracks are fierce pieces of relentless yet deep techno, in-your-face yet very subtle rhythms, all credited to phases detailed drum programming, keen sense of atmospherics & sound processing.
what else.. except for the fact we flipped the graphic design a bit, we can tell you 2012 is going to be a busy year for token. there is a lot of exciting music floating around we definitely want to share with you soon, not just the usual suspects but also some new signings.
keep your ears peeled.

volta is one of the most sought after producers in russia. one of the newest members to the balance music groups family and he brings versatility like no other producer out there. his productions go in every direction from cosmic disco to deep techno. he is also known as isaev and his other alias common people under the bal-ance alliance anchor. this young producer has set the course for the next generation of future producers. not only is he a producer but his live sets are second to none, and we are glad to have him in the family. the first song is empire times which is a throwback to the early nineties classic new york signature four on the floor sound with fuel injected synths and a great dance floor peak time get down groove. the second song is curious dreams this song has so many different elements, it is by far one of my favorites of the ep, it has an 80&#8223,,,s sound that crosses many different genres of music from disco to classic electro with a splash of house. the third song is called purple train another fantastic take on his production skills with this massive deep techno heater that will get the crowd moving with its deep chords and its lush drum programming makes it dance floor friendly for sure..then last but not least we have song four called ruby nights this song brings a minimal broken beat sound that has the elements of house with a twist. we at fi-nale are happy to have volta cab as a member and we want to share his gifts with you. we would like to thank you for your loving support. stay true to the roots. love you

as a debut 12inch release for both dj marfox and principe, >eu sei quem sou< (i know who i am) is the best title we could hope for our collective present & future intentions. it is what marfox has always made clear to us through his work - a unique vision of technological, artistic and civic advancement. everything is about having your code, knowing where you come from, about the way in which he s chosen to progress through his music.

as said in the info for dérive vol. 2 in 2010, haste makes waste. that in mind it does not surprise it took even more than a year for dérive to come up with vol. 3, but finally its there.a 1 björnski & a different jimi_9 to 5derive co-owner björnski opens up with his first release >9 to 5<, a collaboration with his partner-in-crime a different jimi. sharing a passion for deep house and jazz music, they produced this hypnotic eight minute track built around a jazzy piano loop that melts together with the bass line, surprising the listener with jimis saxophone solo. b1 achim maerz_haters gonna hate >haters gonna hate< comes from derives resident producer achim maerz who just released his first mini album >this is the end< on fine art recordings this summer. obviously it was just the beginning, as he comes up with a warm, deep and dubby yet still pushing track that lets you wanting the night to last forever. b2 tilman tausendfreund_with you the last track on this record is delivered by hamburgs latest talent, tilman tausendfreund. after releasing great solo tracks and coops with christopher rau (e.g. on contentismissing or hypercolour), on >with you< he chills it down to a funky 95 bpm, soulful sweet little something that works great both in your club and bedroom.

for a while it was the perfect label… no,were not (yet) talking about gomma from munich,also an excellent address. this is about the legendary company casablanca records&filmworks from hollywood who during the second half of the 70s literally skyrocketed and played an essential part in shaping modern disco music. besides scoring some mega successes with their famous leading acts donna summer, kiss und village people, casablanca revolutionized the development of electronic dance music like no other label.

samurai vinyl only horo series volume 2. limited multi coloured vinyl 10 inch.
after the success of the last 2 asc singles for samurai red seal and the flood of quality music that was arriving in our inboxes from the man, it was inevitable it was time for another shot of this uk born, california residents vision. the horo vinyl series appealed to asc instantly being a man from a strong techno background and an avid vinyl collector himself. >no secrets< is one of those tunes that touches you deeply without you realising, echoing in your subconscious and drawing you back for repeat listens. >zenith< picks up where >bleep test< left off, stuttering timeless breaks patched together with diving bass and percussive polishes to produce a unique sound that takes the past and hurls it into the future.

vinyl only! somewhere between detroit and far away galaxies. exploration brings you three timeless pieces of electronic music. the title track is a hypnotic stomper for the peak time, designed for these magic moments on the dancefloor. the b-side contains two deeper cuts, full of raw grooves, synth riffs and sound research!

coloured vinyl edition -- vinyl only! somewhere between detroit and far away galaxies. exploration brings you three timeless pieces of electronic music. the title track is a hypnotic stomper for the peak time, designed for these magic moments on the dancefloor. the b-side contains two deeper cuts, full of raw grooves, synth riffs and sound research!

this ep was formed with a concept in mind that involves a natural phenomenon occurring in various/different fields of science and nature - anti-parallelism. as the word suggests, anti-parallelism describes the natural relationship between two occurrences, objects or even non-material things, that are virtually identical and yet oriented in different directions. during the time the music was made i was researching natural phenomenons like this one. naturally, this became part of the nucleus, fabric and inspiration for this work. in genetics, for example, if the antiparallelity is corrupted during the process of dna replication it is called a mutation. this mutation can be anything from totally inconsequential to critical for the survival of the whole living organism. a double helix of dna contains two helixes, that are naturally anti-parallel to one another. in physics this could be two of the same objects moving through space and time in opposite directions - just like the instruments or parts of a beat in electronic music production. so metaphorically speaking,anti-parallelism holds a natural balance to keep it safe and stable. although this might sound all very conceptual and theoretical this music is obviously just what it is - it is not intended to teach math, physics or biology in any way. the above mentioned aspect has simply found its way through my head and might have led to a piece of music that somehow, at least for me, is connected to these thoughts. it might evoke something very different for you.

from celle into the wide world: these days guido schneider is one of the major globetrotters among djs and producers worldwide, but he began his career 15 years ago in provincial germany. however, instead of baking bread rolls, schneider founded his own label neue welten right from the beginning. it was a move that naturally brought him to the capital of electronic music in berlin. what followed was a series of exciting and successful collaborations with other renowned artists, and after dissolving his label, schneider began travelling as a sought after dj, jetting all around the globe. it is little wonder that such a reputable dj and producer also belongs to the diverse highgrade family. he has now produced another ep for the berlin label which brings us the typical guido schneider qualities right before our eyes, or even better: before our ears! the two tracks navigate precicely from the first bar, the minimal sound universe that relies on elaborate percussion, without ever being over produced, and flow into fantastically harmonic vocals that lend the thumping beats an elegant softeness. simply stated, typically schneider.

the first mobilee release for 2012 is by an artist who through hard work, passion, and an unwavering dedication to his craft, has garnered wide international recognition from the music industry over the past ten years. sean millers debut release with the mobilee camp, was his successful cmon thats it on leena earlier in 2011, and now he brings us canibal royal to be released on mobilee records as he simultaneously joins the mobilee booking roster! his previous productions have found their way on some of the leading labels in dance music today steve lawlers harlem and viva music, audioflys supernature, nic fanciullis saved records and 2000andones area remote. for canibal royal, sean has worked with live musicians and instruments to create a genuinely vibrant south american carnival flavour. on the flip, soleil creates a calmer mood but still with a strong summer vibe. enjoy.

backflash - as the title of kellerkinds new ep on stil vor talent rightly suggests - is a full-blown blast from the past that utilises 80s aesthetics in order to craft a wonderfully contemporary ep much in vain of the en vogue sound of 2011: slow, forceful goovers with basslines so big, they might just crush you. nothing less was to be expected of the charismatic swiss producer marco biagini who has already proven his wide-ranging understanding of house music with tracks like länzer is a dänzer or groovebox.

bestworks records proudly presents the debut of two young aspiring producers from berlin: felix fisher and fabian dikof. several years ago both of them learned their first skills in a youth project which was developed and run by non other than label owner and producer andre lodemann in a small town erkner on the outskirts of berlin, germany. this release is a beautiful connection between andre lodemanns former job as a street/social-worker and his work today as a producer and dj on the international circuit. the track by felix fisher is a more detroit orientated tech-house track with a darker approach and fabian dikofs is more dubby-house influenced. christian prommer and phoniques remixes give the release a great twist in other musical directions.

white rabbits giovanni damico is a house producer from italy. his style is hard to define as all tracks have their own original concept. it is the love for music that you can instantly hear in giovannis perception of house music. house music is dancemusic and the feel in the drums and use of samples make sure of that.

there is no doubt in anyones mind that 2011 has been an incredible year for mr. julio bashmore. a string of stellar eps on an array of prolific labels have led to this beautifully filmic piece of house music that closes an equally compelling year for futureboogie recordings. >riff wrath< is a perfect embodiment of bashmores fluid modern soul and understated drive with a dusty haze of of cosmic strumming.

remixes of the track skill shot, which is included on the >20 - two decades of hardfloor< album and originally released on the album >all targets down< from 1998. versalife is a restless producer from terschelling, holland, who strives only to combine digital and analogue together into atmospheric, well designed pieces of music.with such an honest mission, its no wonder the man known as boris bunnik aka conforce has had continued success recently, with a number of singles, eps and albums coming on respected imprints like clone, delsin, meanwhile and rush hour.pip williams from the uk began djing in his ear teens, making electronic mix- tapes for friends in the safe confines of his bedroom. after gentle persuasion from his fanbase, live gigs followed including residencies across london and gigs in europe.a foray into music production was a logical progression.having run its natural course after a string of successful releases, pips drive to showcase his music was still rampant.

played and supported by len faki,adam x,lucy,perc,shifted,norman nodge,and,truncate (audio injection),samuel l session,jeroen search,dino sabatini,electric indigo,obtane,cedrik,dadub,bcr boys,ascion and more.there are artists who have the ability to make metal and industrial whatever they touch. the ability to live through their music, post-nuclear atmosphere that suggest a distant near future. shapednoise was chosen for this! he is the artist of second vinyl (vinyl only) of the label personally managed by freddy k. already his first productions on his repitch (with d. carbone and ascion) and other labels, have demonstrated the value. the young artist here shows two devastating tracks.

please welcome: its the arps! oslos magic music maker todd terje has already gained a wunderkind like reputation for his gentle yet potent productions (we wont mention the e-word here) on labels like full pupp, permanent vacation or running back on top of being one of the best remixers money can buy (shit robot, bryan ferry, dølle jølle et cetera et cetera). what is there left for him to do? establish a label of his own! >its the arps< is the starting signal for olsen. and what a splendid one it is. created from scratch and solely on the mythical synthesizer arp 2600 (check www.letsnerd.com for help), it features four tracks (reads instant classics) that couldn’t be a better follow-up to his 2011 super hit ep >ragysh<.

first part of the dekmantel anniversary series featuring two house tracks from juju & jordash and morphosis! to celebrate dekmantels five year anniversary, the amsterdam based label will release a compilation which features tracks from friends and artists who have performed at the successful dekmantel s parties. in a series of five eps the label presents the genres that they have become know for throughout the netherlands and beyond: quality house and techno in the tradition off all the good that came out of detroit and chicago when it comes to electronic music. both dutch and international producers are featured on this comprehensive compilation. the last part will be released in the last week of march as dekmantel then will celebrate their anniversary with a big party in amsterdam.

with the 2001 release of the fruit bats debut album, echolocation, eric d. johnson embarked on a career in music that has, to date, included ten years with the fruit bats, sideman duties for bands including califone, vetiver and the shins, and more recently, soundtrack work for films like ceremony and the soon-to-be-released paul rudd comedy our idiot brother. tripper, the new and fifth fruit bats full-length, was recorded at wacs studio in los angeles with thom monahan, best known as producer for the last four vetiver albums, devendra banharts cripple crow, and the pernice brothers.
includes code for free download of the full album.

crossroads in cowtown explores a period in country music history when genres were being bent and boundaries smashed. focusing on western music, either produced in or influenced by californian studios and artists of the fifties, this compilation delves into the classic hillbilly sounds of the period and revels in the oddities created when disparate styles collide in the search for commercial success.
compiled by brighton-based dj shamblin sexton, crossroads in cowtown collects together a swinging selection of western pop tunes that brings on the hillbilly fever!

second installment for par wax. this time the series continues with label manager george paar delivering two original tracks destined for the underground techno arena. molecula 5312 is a track in itself the source for this record. the number sequence used in the title of this track represent s the combination a cyclist uses to obtain a hard cadence. thus this track delivers a cadence that is continuous and solid just like two pistons delivering force evenly. damien schneider s remix is a track that has an intricate groove that will make an instant bond with the listener and destroy any intelligent dance floor to pieces. espectroscopia the second original track in this record flirts with the astros, the unknown space that is above us. lastly m_patcher s edit is a unique piece of music directed to the experimental minimal and somewhat the unexpected. truly a track that flirts with strokes of sonic waves. the rest is for you to listen and judge with your own ears. preview. including remix by damien scheneider + edit by m_patcher.

nice price deal !!! ahoy ostseeeule dennis reich. the days are getting shorter. he was now the summer of 2011. what remains is the hope of a golden autumn. the dennis has brought him to us, the golden autumn in all its facets. it has caught the fever, the baltic sea fever. since he gets the freedom for creativity and outs of everyday life. now, yes now that the days are getting shorter again, we have had the time to finally rest the soul. the titles tell of the longing for the sea. time on the waves billow, now the sea is very gentle. we are again at one with nature and music.dennis has taken up all his feelings and emotions in these two titles, and takes us on a journey, a journey to the sea. he is not alone. on his journey he meets sven tasnadi, what else one finds on poker flat and cocoon and the emotional feelings picks up and tells ist own story. but what is that, yes there are more shadows seen. the kollektiv ost and even have what to tell...

lukes angers big set opening tune gets a release ! limited 10 inch format... after receiving huge feedback as an opener for lukes recent livesets, warble tone finally makes it onto wax! promos of warble tone have since been picked up and rinsed by across the board djs such as kanji kinetic, kid606, warlock, billy nasty, jerome hill, michael forshaw to name but a few. quaint samples of a english gentleman telling you how to set up your hi-fi equipment, juxtapose over a driving bassline, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the wobble bass so prolific in todays dance music. flip for the b-side and flooglebinder for some serious dirty bass-driven techno, anger-style! this one is for the big soundsystems, tried and tested!

ales boek alias alex long delivers yet another fine ep filled with four hot peak time techno-house tunes for the cold winter days to come! he sure loves his chords and stabbs and has turned his style into his distinctive sound, that can easily cross the bridge between techno and house! but once again let the music speak for itself!

welcome back to the underground is a limited pressing dj swiss knife essential for every field with : the ultimate >disco night< edit, filtered by hundred processors from ssls to digital t-racks and focusing on the house music roots parts of the song, pure feeling.a totally unknown house track remix. cleaned and converted with the latest technology, this is an extended straight 124 bpm real 4x4 tool here, completely exclusive, never been released before. high demand on this.on the b side a dj tool cut of >stebenis theme< that is circulating in detroit and paris since quite a while and inspired a well known existing white label. ranging from sound sculpture morphed to proto afro dub house, 125 bpm, resync edit at 1/32 bar, harmonized fx & drumkit to the original beat. on b2 a very special slow house/nu disco version of >adventures in paradise< melted to samp les including the same theme with a backside 80s funk clap especial : a diggers heaven. the vinyl cover is hand stamped with the a logo designed by a famous street art painter.

after the first release result 001 from alex flatner / hermanez with remxes by christian burkhardt and leon the second release result002 is produced by olene kadar including a big markus fix remix oldeholtwolte – olene – kadar - these three exotic terms describe an extraordinary musician. olene kadar, who is also known as henk van zwol from oldeholtwolde, is an intriguing personality with a remarkable sense for music and hairstyle. in 2007 the young dutchman supplied the nightlife with a series of rocking live-sets in places like the sugar factory and studio 80 in amsterdam. he surprised many a friend and competitor and he has accomplished the fact of you reading his biography. thanks. anotable remark is that this outstanding man has shaped a huge passion for music and creativity. because of his a-typical way of performing he is seen as the most promising liveact of this moment. after an unequalled performance at studio 80 daniel mumbling sanchez already called him the dutch alphex twin coaxingly however, because this is not how henk sees himself. the next critic of his performance at the mos ferry party at the distillery in leipzig, had a more catchy description: chaotic, unconventional , freaky , flachen und minimale beats, verzerrungen, zahlreiche breaks, sublimierter wahnsinn!

underyourskin ? the labels name is program at the same time. soulful club music is the target for the two founders alex (better known as einsiedler or minimal lounge) and saskia. 001 kicks of with yapacc (brise, it sounds, apparel music) and wittmann. remixes are coming from minimal lounge and the growing duo kotelett & zadak (upon you, rompecabeza, tonkind).

incl sph016, sph020 & sph028 hot price for much music ! incl tracks and remixes by heatrik, remerc, a.d.m., siwell and wally lopez

agora audio launches with massive support from luciano, seth troxler, nic fanciulli, leon, wally lopez, daniel sanchez, samuel dan, andrew grant, sasha, feygin, kabuto&koji, nuno dos santos, sasch bbc&caspar, p.toile, yokoo, d.diggler, darius syrossian, maher daniel and many more. agora audio is a brand new label from berlin dj/producer erich bogatzky. bogatzky has been a central part of the electronic music scene for a number of years, djing since the nineties and in more recent years running the minimood imprint and recording for labels such as plastic city, dieb audio, hertzlich etc. his new venture agora audio is set to be a beacon for quality electronic music featuring music from some of the best producers around.to kick start the label bogatzky has turned to electronic production duo lula circus, a pair of anonymous italian producers who have been making waves since 2008 with a string of singles for labels including ostwind, acker and resopal schallware. for their latest single lula circus offer up the excellent >irreversible< featuring two brand new tracks and a remix from doomwork. the single kicks off with the title track, a stripped yet organic sounding slice of tech fuelled house that uses retro synth sounds and warm bass to create a deep and entrancing atmosphere. synthesized strings join the mix in the final third and lift the tracks intensity whilst adding a haunting quality, quality stuff.

after several releases and remixes on workbench, plastic city, my little dog, plattenbau-music, parquet, deich and many more, oscar barila teamed up with maiki and delivers a groovy house monster for kostbar musik. on top simone tavazzi, well known from his releases on material series, trapez, syndikaat,? do a great and groovy as well remix for debbie white!

a good thing takes its time, thats what rico henschel aka sweetncandy must have thought. after a little off-time for the producer located in bielefeld (ger) and an ample re-orientation phase, he is back now in the electronic music game with fresh sound – a sound that really hits your ears and brain, which makes us even happier to present sweetncandys debut single >feel something, say something< on our deep circus label. besides >feel something, say something<, the record contains two more tracks: >dew drop motel< & >you and you<, both bringing you lots of deepness, groove and funk just like the title-track. enjoy

soundway set sail for colombia once again, delving deeper into the south american countrys rich musical past. 55 tracks spread over two triple vinyl releases. the original sound of cumbia is soundway’s definitive guide to the origins of colombian cumbia and porro and the result of five years pain staking re-search by will quantic holland. 1500 copies limited worldwide.tip!triplepack 1 tells the story of some the earliest colombian cumbia recorded, a genre that captured a nation, spreading from its birthplace on the caribbean coast in land to central colombia and the capital bogata

the long awaited sequel to the groundbreaking >live for never< lp from new zealand electronic wonderkid consequence is completed and scheduled for a dec 19th release on exit records. the release of >live for never< reminded the electronic world of the intricacies and emotional heights of drum & bass, and carried the genre into new realms of sonic possibility. >test dream< is not for those who expect the next logical evolution of >live for never<. it is also not for the unadventurous, nor for those who seek easily digestible music. creatively free, consequence revels in pure electronic experimentation, and the result is an album that follows no rules, and explores fractal dimensions that defy conventional genres.

the epic journey in the world of techno continues for mkt and his founder markantonio, publishing a new strong tune remixed by two italian artists, luigi madonna and ndkj. first one musically born in the neapolitan school and forge his own sound through markantonios labels getting a great result. andrea quirico a.k.a.ndkj is an established producer which boats a number of successes released by labels like holzplatten, polar noise and his label heatflow.

michael kohlbecker is a music producer and dj of the first hour.in 1989 he released his first big hits to sony music/dance pool. 1994 he have his international breakthrough with the project eternal basement on sven va&#776,ths legendary label harthouse. it was followed by numerous productions and remixes on national and international labels such as lasziv atomic records magnat qube records and five d spirit zone & millennium records. then the film and advertising industry get attention of him and he makes numerous productions for them. and now,almost 20 years later he is back with his project eternal basement and its always on the label harthouse,but now its based in mannheim.with momentanian he gives us a amazing 3 tracker with techno at its finest. momentanien on the a-side is a progressive flowing techno tune with a cool filtered hookline.

played and supported by lucy,speedy j, perc , samuli kemppi, colin dale, inigo kennedy, jeroen search, markus suckut, dadub, freddy k, dasha rush, electric indigo, cari lekebusch, arnaud le texier, audio injection, drumcell and more. kript 001 is the beginning of a journey that brings together the sounds and the processing of electronic and experimental music with many influences of techno music as the concept of the label indicates. the tracks follow a numbering 01 / 02 / 03 / 04. there are no pre-defined templates and references. the freedom to use analog sounds like a live session. a quality and experimentation that are many years of study for this dark ken karter.

modularz label head developer launches a special project currently limited to only vinyl on limited pressings. the developer archive sheds more light on re-invention of american techno in its purest form. warm bass music to move.

saobi records is back with a new ep, containing three excellent tracks on another classic deep house release, mixing together different forms and styles of music, trying to not have a precise musical genre but experimenting always new sounds!

the >spectrum riff< ep comes from moscow based beat maker and full time firefighter alexander goryachev, otherwise known as 813. five original tracks bursting with juicy synth lines, retro drum machines and waves of thick sub bass, culminating in a sound that is one part boogie, one part hip hop, one part electro and three parts forward thinking bass music. slugabed (ninja tune) appears on remix duty with a drum heavy workout full of shuffling percussion, deep basslines and strong melodies. 813 has been operating in the much talked about russian beat scene for a couple of years, appearing on error broadcasts >fly russia< compilation and kicking off the rad collective label with the >back in space jungle< ep. he has another ep on rad dropping this year along with other projects and collaborations in the pipeline. as a live act he has supported moby, doom and hudson mohawke. the spectrum riff ep has been a long time in the making, its been worth the wait.

now is the time is a collection of works from nite vision, the result of two production sessions between a pair of electronic musicians heavily influenced by the pure analogue sounds and primordial brilliance and simplicity of the early house music pioneers. craig stainton and nigel rogers have teamed up to produce their first release together, exploring the deeper side of a shared love for early chicago house music. this package is not a parody or imitation, it is as authentic and genuine as the sounds recorded by pioneers such as virgo, vincent floyd and mr fingers. nite vision’s emotive sound carries on the lessons taught by these early masters, while remaining fresh and well defined. the double 12inch is a selection of 9 deep raw house tracks that bind together to provide a true listening experience as well as having the jack to rock the dance floor and ethereal melodies to engross the mind

right before christmas, its the perfect time to pause for a moment and to draw a balance of the past year. cocoon recordings eleventh year of operation was characterised by pacesetting compilations: the >k< composition designed an intensive vision of modern electronic dance music,and also >eleven years< was a techno retrospective and an outlook at the same time.and if this wasn’t enough already,cocoon now puts a very special christmas gift under our tree,the >dots and pearls< double vinyl compilation.

from the unlikely bass music hotspot of austin, texas, the mighty vvv returns to fortified audio with his strongest material yet in the form of his – and the labels – debut album. if you slept on the projects ep we released in 2010, nows the time to get acquainted with the dynamic progressive garage thats garnered praise from the likes of martyn and oneman. while still giving nods to the classic sounds of ghost, early tempa and vintage dem-2 productions, across the sea updates these formats with deep and futuristic synth work, subtle but weighty basslines and precision rhythms that mark vvv out as one of the most formidable producers working in the crowded field of bass music. this time around its not only the future sounds of london that are present, but also the ghosts of classic chicago house, richard d james-esque electronica and an ethereal contemporary soul sound. across the sea showcases the strongest work to date from a guy we consider to be one of the best in the game

nice price deal !!! killer release from this new detroit artist and label that blurs the line between detroit house and the current sound coming from the uk. fans of shake and forward thinking uk dance music will lap this up. anthony shake- how many moons -- broken car widows , claude young- how many moons and broken car windows, marcellus pittman - some next shit out of detroit! how many moons, laurent garnier -realy like this ep a lot. will present it on my radio show very soon. dj 3000- franki - its nice to see some new young talent that taking chances on a whole new sound. deep & funky

dean merediths the rhythm odyssey returns for his next single for lipservice this time he gets together with label mates ben and vocalist james from the main stem to produce a tasty slice of classic, haunting house music with devils tease.

for the second installment of on the prowl x&#8213,,another offshoot of the parent imprint&#8213,,label honcos marcos cabral and jacques renault have dug up an exciting newcomer to the world of house music: epithet.

young marco is a gentleman from amsterdam. this is his first offering for the esp institute. it makes us smile and we are sure you will smile too. with his head in the clouds, marco blends soaring melodies that harmonize beautifully over loop-de-loops of bass lines and bleeps. his warm analogue aesthetic invites us to his daydream, a place of innocence where we can do no wrong, dancing eyes-closed as the sun rises somewhere outside. this is pure feel good dance music, no gimmicks, no pretense, just right.

is it balearic continue a very fine run of form, with another essential 12 from newcomer aihki, featuring a great rework from canadas hottest disco export eddie c! aihki is a helsinki based duo consisting of magnus blomkvist & tuomas soppela. tuomas and magnus met one dark day at the local zoo engaging in some reindeer spotting. both magnus and tuomas had an enormous love for reindeers and folk music so they decided to form aihki. after extensive crate digging and an endless amount of guitar lessons their first ep was ready. inspired by the bright summer nights and the equally dark winters in the nordic region the sound differs a bit from the traditional balearica. besides aihki, tuomas has the estupido machine and magnus run the nerd network club nights in helsinki. another fine package from iib!

it might seem odd for a band without a full-length to enjoy this sort of praise. but escort is definitely not your typical band. escort is big. literally. the seventeen-member disco orchestra, founded by producers eugene cho and dan balis, and fronted by lead singer adeline michele, features an incredible cast of musicians who have played with everyone from indie-rock titans arcade fire to avant-classical luminaries alarm will sound. scissor sisters frontman jake shears recently described escort as the >best disco you have ever heard<. he just might be right.