having released on many labels such 50 weapons, mote evolver, droid, modularz and of course his own truncate imprint. deep, raw techno that the la based producer has become well known for releases his debut for blueprint.

junto club kicked off snap crackle & pop late last year, and now the label returns with the debut solo release from london-based outfit deeds. while rollo and kiri inglis may have previously popped up on an obscure compilation on anti-ghost moon ray, this record should see their coldwave sound shoring up with many more adventurous listeners. video dreams is a beautifully melancholic slice of electronica while unknown reaches for euphoric heights. remixes from bezier and the field round the record out as a wonderful exercise in emotive home listening electronics for sensitive souls.

february 2017, a new label is born. headquartered in germany, these eyes has a clear mission statement: underground electronic music accompanied by unique design and an uncompromising ethos. the first release comes from founder andré hommen. having ran new york s objektivity for many years, hommen has decided that now is the time to craft something new.

300 copies only
we’re glad to introduce you to this new french house label juice & jam with this first release produced by steven wobblejay (ex steppah huntah and half of creative swing alliance duo, with pablo valentino). steven released many records the past few years on labels like quintessentials or city fly rec. he delivers here a 4 raw house tracks ep and pays his tribute to 808 & 909. old school refreshed chicago style in a way. the beat, the bass…

wild jams on the classic linndrum, a driving bassline and a gated, almost out of control north african sounding leadsynth form the basic ingredients of this exceptional new record by thee j johanz. wild jams on the classic linndrum, a driving bassline and a gated, almost out of control north african sounding leadsynth form the basic ingredients of this exceptional new record by thee j johanz. the fire in the disco version adds more spices, like moody fm pads and an infectious disco vibe, ready to put many floors on fire. the record is garnished by the ‘market version’ of bafrique, which is more like a dub/ambient excursion with environmental samples taken on the vagator market in india. artwork by afrobot.

the trap – dom & roland the only -dat- master copy of this track was lost 20 years ago in 1997 somewhere between dom s studio and music house in holloway road. dom has been searching for this holy grail of -amen choppage- since, the only reference to it a crusty recording of a grooverider show from 1998. at various points there have been glimmers of hope of the wearabouts of the track in its entirety, with much excitement from avid followers who have given -the trap- a status akin to a cult classic film. many years, rifled sheds, boxes and lofts later, the breakthrough everyone is waiting for happens. it is christmas 2016 and a subversive character from australia sends in the full original quality version, recorded from dat tape, to dom & roland productions hq. after a full going over in dom’s lab and a wonderful new mastering job by beau at 1087 the amen legend known only as -the trap- is ready to be unleashed. swarm – dom & roland depending on who you ask the dubplate of this track from 1996 was called dark skies or the swarm. one of the first tracks to feature dom s reworked alternating clean and distorted -flow break- which later went on to become a layer in dom s famous -tramen- break. swarm features the switch from light to dark dom has become famous for. featuring one of the largest mentasm basses ever cut on a record alongside the -subway- thump bass that dom later used when producing the -ed rush hit record- of the same name. it has remained an exclusive gem in dom s vaults until now. originally only cut on plate by the a list of metalheadz blue note, this blueprint of bass is finally seeing a release this year. dj play: aphex twin, amon tobin, fabio, grooverider, peshay, loxi, andy c, break, fierce, doc scott, dbridge, goldie, ant tc1, gridlok, marcus intalex, sb81, ulterior motive, noisia

official sony reissue of charles earland s coming to you live another one of those rare infectious 12- releases which has grown in stature over the years. championed by big names such as gilles peterson, theo parrish and moodymann, it has become a firm favourite with dj s and clubbers alike, entertaining many discerning dance-floors. pressed on 180g vinyl shrink wrapped, using the original master tapes

combining all the traits of an international superhero or intrepid comic book adventurer, the true identity, whereabouts and history of the spectacular italian composer known as gerardo iacoucci has been a mystery to record collectors for many years..

i m really proud that the vatos locos family now extends across many of the key countries that make up our underground world. mahony represents the scene in romania flying the flag for forward thinking music so it s a real pleasure to welcome him to my label and crew hector for the fifth ep on vl recordings, hector presents romanian dj/ producer, mahony.

conceived on a dark winters night, ‘we can only’ tells a sombre story of lust and heartache. the heavy kick and bassline beckon, leading to hypnotic guitars and sultry strings. euphoria ensues, questions are left unanswered, until a sweet female responds.
harry s second production, ‘love flow’, came together in a summer of romance. blissful horns and a sensual vocal carry us into a breakdown fit for a bahamian honeymoon. this one is for bringing people together and sharing love.
an edit from the shadow city boys flips harry’s ‘love flow’ on its head. the ‘only lover’s edit’ is a hazy excursion reminiscent of times gone by. plodding along like a 6am slog home. this solemn end brings us full circle, a record that meanders mesmerisingly from one mood to the next… the first of many.

bunkr enslave dust-coated synthesizers, dilapidated drum machines and rusty fx boxes to craft 4/4 tunes for their impatient overlords. their vision is clear they will make techno, they will make house, they will make electronica, and you will listen and dance. its not yet clear if bunkr is the work of one frenzied human or many lazy individuals but we do know one thing - the ringleader is one james dean, who previously released as lost idol on labels such as pork recordings, nature, final frontier and cookshop. following a prolonged spell of writing music at slow tempos, dean initiated bunkr as a reactionary desire to speed things up. too much time had been spent just sitting around - it was time to stop sitting and start dancing. true to their vision, here we have cloud chaser, a bubbling jam backed with a huge remix from shan, who flips the mix with dramatic strings, sprinkles of magic dust and massive amen breaks. no less impressive is junos revenge, a track youd turn up on your headphones while taking a nice afternoon stroll on the moon, on a sunny morning after a long interplanetary rave. igor tipura delivers the rework, complete with a marching percussion workout and acid chemtrails that will send you right back to 1993.

this half-speed, deluxe edition released for rsd 2017 features unseen photography from the recording session in a 16 page full-size booklet. the audio source is the continental tapes, mastered at half-speed by the legendary miles showell at abbey road in london – the most stunning reproduction ever made, accentuating the details and nuances that appear throughout this masterpiece.
in our opinion this record is a true and complete masterpiece in every sense of the word, considered by many people to be one of the greatest ever made, regardless of genre. the original continental versions of the album now fetch around $2000.
the album transcends the genre of brazilian music, and infact all genres. highlighted in part by the number of artists that have sampled from it, mf doom, ludacris & common, little brother, jneiro jarel aka dr who dat?, dibiase and action bronson amongst others.

it’s difficult to describe the feeling when you know you’ve heard something that eclipses the mighty mr bird & greg blackman’s ramrock blue modern soul 12” classic ‘over again’ featuring the now legendary tom moulton remix. but many of you are going to experience that feeling and your feedback is going to reflect that moment when that single musical droplet of universal joyful harmony hits your hippocampus and you dissolve with happiness.

following lone aka matt cutlers stunning sixth album levitates hallucinogenic joyride through breakbeats, he returns to r&s with ambivert tools the first in a series of eps for the floor returning to hypnotic 4/4 excursions. inspired in no small part by the rich seam of house that he’s been excavating with his fine magicwire imprint, a refreshed cutler delivers an ep stacked with sure-fire bullets, crafted for his intoxicating dj sets. first up is crush mood - crunching drums, lush resampled chords and dulcet female vox combine into a heady, peak-time rush. chroma comes off like a lost 90s anthem, with its shimmering vibes, airy chords and bumpy rhythm track. b-side closer from a past life could well be the strongest track on the ep - hazy emulator ii chords, spiral arpeggios, gooey bass and woozy african percussion that finds lone digging deeper into some of his more esoteric house music influences. ambivert tools finds cutler a true master, at the top of his game - taking all hes learned over his many years of beat exploration and condensing it down into rugged house stacked full of nagging melody / harmony that elegantly pays tribute to bygone years whilst simultaneously feeling fresh and vital to 21st century dance floors.

it’s hard to imagine being at the cutting edge of electronic dance music for over three decades, and never resorting to cliché or tired gimmicks in order to create unique and forward thinking music, but matthew herbert is still channelling original and thought provoking ideas into his projects all these years later. via his accidental record label, he has always excelled at left of centre productions, and through a variety of genre aliases (including doctor rockit, wishmountain and the matthew herbert big band), his imagination has always run wild, resulting in an infectious catalogue of music over the years. “brand new love-, featuring the vocals of rising star, zilla, finds herbert creating a dense and dramatic bass heavy cut. a steppers beat, utilizing herbert’s trademark sampling techniques, it’s a killer cut with sweeping cinematic qualities that sounds head and shoulders ahead of the rest. special request, the jungle heavy arm of paul woolford’s many recording talents, is enlisted to put his breakbeat spin on the original, and turns in an absolutely lethal version, choppy breaks, spinbacks and booming subs come with intent, whilst a sumptuous string arrangement accompanies zilla’s vocal for a truly uplifting spirit. “the peacock-, with its loose beats and opaque stabs, rolls along with its industrial undertones and ravey motif, discordant at times but a truly hypnotizing but in the finest of side b1 traditions. bringing up the rear, “cheekbone” is frenetic and charging micro tribal rave (a new genre classification right there), a glorious medley of percussion, earworm synths and guillotined vocal samples, showing just why matthew herbert is as vital an artist now as he has ever been.

fuse bosses enzo siragusa and seb zito have been invited by the highly respected rawax to bring a taste of their beloved london rave culture roots to the labels first release of 2017. since their launch in 2011, rawax’s catalogue has beamed with nothing less than the finest, and enzo and seb are a welcomed addition to their already colourful and diverse roster. barac, boo williams, fred p, paul johnson, ricardo villalobos, ron trent and unbroken dub are just a small portion of an incredible list of artists that have released via the labels original monarch and many offshoots thus far. with ‘woonie trax’ enzo and seb perfectly resurrect the sounds of early uk rave culture into the present by digging out the early gems of their record boxes as inspiration. “barring the kicks, i think almost everything came from sampling old garage, hardcore and jungle records from the 90 s. for those in the know, the clues are in the names of the tracks”. – enzo siragusa whilst ‘shades of riddim, ‘lil ley’, and ‘blue notes’ all lend themselves to the early uk sound, each track has its own individual quirk making the ep a diverse representation of the days enzo and seb fell in love with rave.

afrika bambaataa, rapper, producer, dj from the south bronx, new york. afrika bambaataa is one of the originators of breakbeat djing and is respectfully known as the godfather of zulu nation and amen ra of hip hop culture. in 2007 has been nominated for induction into the rock hall of fame and in 2008 he has been honored by the bronx museum of arts. afrika bambaataa’s long career is pointed by many hits and masterpieces such as reckless, unity, just get up and dance and pupunanny. countless collaborations with artists such as ub40, james brown, boy george, leftfield just to name few of them. afrika bambaataa has recorded with many labels from tommy boy to capitol records and profile but it is with the italian label dfc (expanded music) that he has releases most of his recordings. bring it up is the new release on dfc label produced by dj/producer paul carpenter. this release includes three versions in big room/edm style along with a mega-mix and a full acapella collection of all previous recordings released by bambaataa on dfc label. two lyrics videos come to support the release.

for the labels ninth release, deep a & biris black crow records revisits one that helped establish the labels direction back in the imprints first year. bcr003, insular realms by fellow israeli producer hakimonu, was praised by many including resident advisor, who said the ep proved his off-kilter take on techno and house is as vibrant and inviting as ever. now in 2017, deepa & biri have invited mind against, luigi tozzi and echologist (aka dub techno veteran brendon moeller) to all rework the original version of insular realms for 2017. first up are life & death’s mind against, with one of the fognini brothers most direct techno productions yet, with a mid-track moment of calm before the intensity resumes. luigi tozzi, the rome-based producer who has had previous outings on dynamic reflection and dino sabatinis outis music, contributes the second remix. taking the lead from the originals more ethereal moments, his version is dreamy & almost wistful as it propels along its shaking rhythm. the b-side offers two takes from brendon moeller in his echologist guise, with a dub mix that twists the original into an acid-inflected track that slowly ratchets up the tension over its seven minutes, while the reshape breaks things down into a churning rhythm peppered with flashes f off kilter sonic details.

baby ford s minimal minded label is back in action with some psyched-out goodness from alex celler. the long-serving greek producer has many strings to his bow, but this release finds him tapping into his foundational sound as a steady ticking groove carries a richly produced bed of chimes and tones for the deepest moments in the dance. where -feudade- is a lilting, soothing trip, -vis a vis- heads into a more mysterious headspace peppered with nagging rhythmic trysts, crafty licks and fulsome bass to get the synapses popping. it s exactly how stripped down house music should be done, inventive to the last and yet utterly danceable.

the late 1960s / early 70s brought about a change in sound for many gospel groups. producers and label heads at abc peacock recognized that the traditional sound of gospel needed to be updated to appeal to the younger market. the groups started to incorporate elements of soul and funk with arrangements influenced by the r&b records of the time. this compilation presents 13 striking examples of this seismic shift in black music by some of the greatest groups in gospel music’s rich heritage.

repress. both hip-hop and boot camp click purists alike have long recognized and appreciated sean’s commanding delivery, powerful voice and clever verses (exemplified by monkey barz playful leadsingle onion head). with ayatollah, agallah, 9th wonder, nottz, & khrysis contributing beats as well as guest appearances from the boot camp click’s core members (black moon’s buckshot & 5ft, smif n wesson’s tek & steele, o.g.c.’s louieville sluggah and starang wondah, rustee juxx and sean’s heltah skeltah cohort rock makes two cameo’s) the bcc collective was fully in-tact and operational for sean price’s 2005 solo-debut. monkey barz was named independent album of the year by allhiphop.com and was the first release from duck down records 2005 “triple threat campaign”, followed by buckshot & 9th wonder’s chemistry, and smif-n-wessun’s smif ‘n’ wessun: reloaded, with many believing it was the most acclaimed of the three.

tenor singer johnny clarke had many false starts in his youthful days. hanging around studio one as a schoolboy with jacob miller, clarke was supposed to record material written for him by bob andy, but somehow never made the grade. his 1973 debut recording for lesser-known producer glen stair was not released, and early work for clancy eccles failed to hit, though ‘everyday wondering’ for rupie edwards made an underground impact in britain and new york. subsequent singles for keith hudson and glen brown also did not get very far, but the breakthrough finally came when bunny lee asked him to sing ‘none shall escape the judgement,’ which was written by the singer earl zero, it became a massive hit that launched the ‘flying cymbal’ craze (based on an open-and-closed high-hat cymbal pattern, adapted from the soul train theme), and clarke became one of lee’s most reliable hit-makers, partly because lee stoked a rivalry between him and cornell campbell, whom lee had previously asked to voice ‘none shall escape.’ clarke’s satisfaction lp was recorded at harry j for lee, voiced at king tubby’s studio, and issued by third world in 1979. it is a set largely comprised of cover tunes, such as the strong opening update of the paragons’ ‘riding for a fall,’ the title track adapting their rock steady hit ‘my satisfaction’ in a post-rockers style. better still is the hard-hitting ‘reality’ tune, ‘play fool, get wise,’ which uses a proverb to relate a means of avoiding trouble on the dog-eat-dog mean streets of kingston.

limited edition 45 for record store day, 2017. cover by jean andre.
mayer hawthorne and jake one are tuxedo. “thank you” is a bonus track to their second album, tuxedo ii, which fnds them at the forefront of a new wave of gangster boogie - one that owes as much to g-funk as p-funk. this is the territory of pre- and post hydraulic low riders: a mélange of cali boom-bap, analog synth bass and elegant disco that resonates truth and authenticity in an era where so many are faking the funk.

charlie watts meets the danish radio big band is the kind of album that many jazz fans had probably given up hope of hearing. in the glory days of big band jazz and arrangers like oliver nelson coming up with brilliant music, albums like this were, if not commonplace, at least more readily available. the truth is there is nothing commonplace about this album, it is a sheer delight.
anyone who knows charlie, knows how much he loves jazz. a few years ago when he and i were looking at a photo of the stones playing in the 1960s he pointed at a particular cymbal and said, “i’ve still got that cymbal, but i don’t use it on stones’ gigs, it’s too good for them. i just use it on my jazz gigs.” there’s no doubt, that’s the cymbal you hear on the first part of the ‘elvin suite’.
charlie watts is one of the great ambassadors for jazz and every jazz lover will relish this record, and the fact that charlie is involved may bring jazz to the attention of some that are not sure if they like jazz. listen to this and you know you do.

180 gram vinyl pressing with download code included.
for his third ecm release as a leader, chris potter presents a new acoustic quartet that naturally blends melodic rhapsody with rhythmic muscle. the group includes superlative musicians well known to followers of ecm’s many recordings from new york over the past decade: keyboardist david virelles, bassist joe martin and drummer marcus gilmore, who each shine in addition to the leader on multiple horns. the dreamer is the dream features potter on tenor saxophone – the instrument that has made him one of the most admired players of his generation – in the striking opener “heart in hand” and such album highlights as “yasodhara,” as well as on soprano sax (“memory and desire”) and bass clarinet (the title track). potter is an artist who “employs his considerable technique in service of music rather than spectacle,” says the new yorker, and his composing develops in texture and atmosphere with every album. along with his previous ecm releases, imaginary cities and the sirens, he has appeared on some of the label’s most acclaimed discs, including paul motian’s classic lost in a dream and dave holland’s grammy award-winning what goes around.

definitive tech house talent nick curly is back with the first of many exciting new releases for 2017. entitled amnezia, it comes on 8bit, his most long running label, and packs a real punch. by now, curly has a refined signature sound that keeps people dancing all over the world. his productions continue to come on esteemed labels like truesoul, drumcode and hot since 82’s knee deep in sound, and he remains an in-demand remixer as well as busy dj who plays everywhere from ministry of sound to timewarp mannheim to warung beach club. also keeping busy with his own events series trust, this german tastemaker has never been busier. the standout title track is a robust affair with tightly coiled drums, slick and funk inducing hits and lots of building tension and masterful release. it is the sort of locked-on groove that keeps floors pumping for days. the excellent ‘second lick’ is less physical and direct and instead goers deeper. it is riddled with emotive synth lines and has train track drums and perc that you simply cannot ignore. with rich and rubbery sub bass propping up the whole thing, this one is sure to make a mark. this is another landmark release from nick curly that is sure to be the sound of the spring and summer to come.

la peña shots- is the brand new 10- sub label of well known la peña records. founded by einzelkind in 2008 the label has been a regular in record cases all around the globe. with it s quirky style and fun focused attitude it gained many followers within the last 8 years. einzelkind now runs the label with charlotte t. to take it even further and inject some well deserved feminine power. viva la peña ! -shot- - a small drink - a photograph taken of a particular subject - the firing or discharge of a weapon, such as a gun. - an opportunity - a detonation of an explosive charge. for the first release we invited bolumar & moises for two (insert cool word here) cuts. cheers !

limited edition of 250 copies, 1 grey & 1 black vinyl plus 12 page art book in a copper foil box.
toydrum are a duo who sneak into the consciousness. not for them the full frontal assault but, instead, a drip-feed of classy work that many may know without knowing. their hugely acclaimed work with the late singer-songwriter gavin clark lit up shane meadows’ ‘this is england ‘90’, their rework of john lennon’s ‘how do you sleep’ led noel gallagher to have them remix his high flying birds hit ‘in the heat of the moment’ (which, in turn, soundtracked last year’s epic ad for the latest ‘assassin’s creed’ game), and their soundtracks for films such as the recent tye sheridan-starring thriller ‘detour’ and alice lowe’s 2016 venice film festival opener, ‘prevenge’, have broadened their appeal further. toydrum’s signing to skint records is now announced and celebrated by ‘my eye on you (to reinvision)’, a collective interpretation of their work thus far, running the gamut from nick cave’s balladry to trentemøller’s drum & bass-tinted electronica.

limited edition of 1000 copies for rsd 2017.
soul brother records are delighted to release for record store day 2017 one of the most elusive soul lp’s of all time, a truly holy grail album. susan phillips ‘soft sexy soul’ was recorded for sylvia robinson’s all platinum label 1971, pressed in small quantities. few copies have ever surfaced, it is so rare that many collectors doubt if it was ever released, it is not listed on discogs and it has never been recorded as selling on ebay. if an original copy were found today, it would surely sell for a substantial amount of money. the album has that classic early 70’s new jersey orchestrated soul sound. the album contains the in demand 2-step single ‘he knows my key (is always in the mailbox)’, the northern soul floater ‘answer to my prayer’, detroit sounding ‘please don’t keep me lonely’ the multi paced ‘where do i go from here’ and many great ballads like ‘he’s gone’ and ‘this i’ll guarantee’. demand from soul collectors is expected to be high and this album is likely to sell out quickly in the same way that last years ‘this is eleanore mills’ (also from all platinum) and all the previous soul brother records rsd releases have.

dedicated to conlon nancarrow design thomas brinkmann / david hilbert how many can get a personal sound out of a fucking piano?! lee konitz.

adding on to his extensive discography, reboot has curated a fresh journey through his world with the alive lp on get physical music. a diverse selection worthy of the international dancefloor, the lp contains the culmination of the artist’s long career and the many experiences, stories and inspirations that come with that.the lp includes a free download code for the full digital album + remixes from ricardo villalobos, kölsch, anna & nakadia.

selected advent deal. 2017 repress!!! one of the two the other people place releases (the warp full length and this 12). drexciyan involvement in this classic release is obvious. one of the deepest and intense tracks with such a warm positive vibe. flipside contains a track by mystic tribe. (not very mystical of course for those who know the history of detroit techno. unique track from a unique project... and there are not many projects with tribe in its name. their release on retroactive is one detroit techno collector items). one of those records that get you through the day. classic!!! re-issue on the clone aqualung series with new artwork.

phaenomena ep is the second release of our kommuna tapes imprint. the first side starts with a track produced by tom ellis over a decade ago that has been one of our secret weapons for many years. barbir and nicola kazimir from les points take us on a faster paced, electroish trip. on the flip side, we are introducing an upcoming zürich talent – adva – with two cuts between ambient, dub and minimal. track by track, we build a kommuna of artists who share our insatiable appetite for music discovery, guided by a certain vision of the dancefloor: deep stripped-down grooves, sometimes challenging, always with character.

jos & eli might seem unknown to many electronic music lovers but they have been releasing great music since 2013. they have been sending me music for a long time and i think we have spend about a year developing this first release on noir music, making sure it represented their debut on the label perfectly.
when you hear the adrenaline hunt release you will notice that the 2 guys from tel-aviv have developed into a great production team over the years and these 3 tracks included here are not only cleverly crafted for the deeper dancefloors but can also be enjoyed on home stereo’s.

acclaimed russian producer, dj and live musician kito jempere is back with a stunning second album, this time on italian label hell yeah. entitled sea monster and due for release in early 2017, the nine track album is a fantastic fusion of live instrumentation and electronic production. kito jempere is a musical polymath. the russian artist, producer, multi-instrumentalist and band leader has been involved in many projects over the last ten years plus. these range from rock to acid jazz to electronic bands and often call upon a rotating cast of other members who are all equally talented. from playing in small bars to headlining big shows for thousands of people in saint petersburg, he has put out a number of albums and singles on labels like freerange, room with a view and hell yeah and djs around europe. jempere plays live as the kito jempere band, and here he calls upon his bandmates for their many skills to lend the album a richly musical feel.

amsterdams cult producer and dj steven van hulle aka awanto 3 likes his samples vibrant, his drums wobbly and his synths sweaty as a detroit summer breeze. the mpc wizard returns to dekmantel delivering his second, full-length album. gargamel is arguably his most compelling piece of work. spread over the course of nine tracks, van hulle shows hes capable of serving up many different styles and genres in his ever-expanding arsenal.

needless to say this one s been in the pipeline for a while and we re super happy to announce it s imminent arrival. comprised of the duo of emmanuel corre and silvere letelier, nummer have surprised and impressed many with their fresh take on the last 20+ years of dance music. inspired by the deepest strains of detroit, chicago, new york and their native france the pair have tapped into something that few artists manage these days - an original style. this sprawling 2x12inch touches on many of these cornerstones but never apes anyone s sound or vibe, forging their own path into the cosmos and beyond. machine music with a beating heart is central to the second sight atmosphere and nummer s character as producers. this is the deepness.

the new testament of funk is back to preach the new funk! it’s been a while but now is the time to get the groove again. after the success of the last ntof-samplers many believers were waiting for new stuff. there you go! henry storch and chrispop took their time to compile a sampler for all you funkers, groovers and hip cats. ntof vol. 6 delivers previously unreleased tracks such as „in control“ by sons of time or „where do we go from here“ by the mighty mocambos feat. lee fields and exclusive remixes of andy cooper’s „chasing the funk“ and „get up & get it“ by reiner witzel & datfunk. so just like the former ntof the new testament of funk vol. 6 contains the hottest tunes you can get. amen!

the only time you wear a tuxedo is when its time to party. so says legendary west coast player snoop dogg on the opening track of tuxedo ii. the blessing of the doggfather is of special importance to mayer hawthorne and jake one, whose second album as a duo finds them at the forefront of a new wave of gangster boogie one that owes as much to g-funk as p-funk. this is the territory of pre- and post-hydraulic low riders: a mélange of cali boom-bap, analog synth bass and elegant disco that resonates truth and authenticity in an era where so many are faking the funk

after sending out these tracks last summer and getting great reactions from djs and dancers alike, hell yeah is pleased to finally officially release virtuoso musician verdo s little blue ep, complete with a remix from lauer. fully remastered for vinyl, the likes of lexx, chris coco, soft rocks, leo mas and many more have all be playing these tunes with great results.

loft records returns after a fruitful year to kick-start 2017 with three infectious cuts from rising irish talent hammer. the belfast-born producer is well known for his lauded releases on feel my bicep (in collaboration with the label founders) as well as optimo music but production isn t his only facet. hammer has shared dj booths with the likes of hunee, sasha, midland, craig richards and nd_baumecker, whether at his residency at sub club or at his many gigs throughout europe. with loft recordings reflecting on a prosperous 2016, including a class two track release from isaac tichauer, followed by a chart topping remix package featuring hackman, dorsia, lancelot and bicep, hammer s innovative contribution to the imprint looks to follow suit. soaring pads and intricate drums form the overall aesthetic of canna but as the track progresses serene melodies and subtle snare rolls come together to form a harmonious eruption of synths. manaka then shifts to syncopated percussion and spectral nuances before man ray delivers distorted atmospherics and twisted chord sequences to conclude the package.

voilaaa is one of the many projects led and produced by bruno patchworks hovart. . this time exploring the wide spectrum of the african and tropical disco scene, he received a massive international support for voilaaa s first album, on te l avait dit, released late 2015 on favorite recordings. following the success of on te l avait dit, and pursuing the same direction combining the festive, yet sometime futile nature of disco, and the instinctive, deep, sometimes rough nature of african music, voilaaa s now presenting its 2nd effort, des promesses.

office vol. 10 ! versatility has got to be iron curtis second name. there are only few other producers on the electronic scene who are able to display such a variety of musical facets as this talented man from berlin. with his maple ep he underlines his reputation of an artist with many faces as his new release is quite a box of surprises: rarley have we heard iron curtis in such a dubby mood.
beginning with the straight and bass centered title track maple iron curtis moves on to the almost beatless and moody collision and the chord driven dub house of entago entery and finishes the ep with the delicate, ambient encore reset me on b2. with its impressive display of variety this record is a celebration of reduced, understated dub techno performed with a distinct musical flair and a clear artistic vision which perfectly fits label owner baaz direction of his office imprint so far. what s surprising is how effortless and natural iron curtis appearance on his long-time friend s record label feels. in such good shape his maple ep is a definitve tip for the lovers of sophisticated and detailed dub techno full of suspense.

beranek’s debut album, “sound of danger”, was released on mind expanding records in november 1981. nowhere near as accessible as the previous single, the album fared poorly commercially. withdrawing from the single’s fun, kitsch pop, the album is cool and static, driven by thin rhythm boxes, cold synths, and glacial guitars. taking heavy cues from david bowie, all of the songs are sung in a nasally english accent, a rare occurrence in norway at the time. the lyrics are melancholic, but tinged with paranoia. there are also upbeat tracks that evoke a prog or glam sensibility a la king crimson, alan parsons, or roxy music. all songs have been remastered for vinyl by george horn at fantasy studios in berkeley. housed in the original jacket featuring red, black, and white lines that evoke a visualized richter scale designed by monica moltzau. each copy includes a 2-sided 8x11” insert with lyrics and an autographed press photo of beranek.

cold water, bad weather and a car packed with machines. best conditions to make a record. after two weeks, the reflections are three tracks, in three different ways but with many connections. the ep starts with “glowe” and technoid breakbeats, which are being controlled by heavy chords. “wiek” stays with the pattern of breaks but gets more emotional through various pads, which appear and suddenly disappear. on the b-side “spycker” finds his path, with the help of several percussive elements.

for many years, o, aka olivier marguerit has been considered as the best sideman of the french indie pop. permanent member of syd matters, he is the one with a complete background that always has been used to hightlighting and boosting the others. until one day he decided to to care for his ownself. after 2 albums confidentially released, known as o (ohm part 1 & 2), his first lp will come out 12th january. of course, it is about a brilliant and erudite form of pop. the album will be supported from december with many live dates, including the transmusicales of rennes, and the printemps de bourges afterwards.

one of the uks most exciting and versatile young talents, route 94, is the next to make his mark on crosstown rebels with mind, body & soul featuring a body rhythm soul version from nyc’s joaquin joe claussell. cohort and leftroom boss matt tolfrey is also onboard, collaborating on second track habitual. the title track sets the tone of the release by heading straight into the late night hours with varied drum workouts and inspiriting keys that compliment the meaningful vocal. while habitual, produced alongside fellow londoner matt tolfrey who has been a mainstay dj, producer and label owner in the underground house and techno scene for over a decade, is electric and sensual with an enticing bassline. damian lazarus has enlisted influential nyc head and ibadan label co-founder, joaquin joe claussell to deliver a stunning body rhythm soul version, remixed in reference to his infamous body & soul sunday parties. here he delivers delectable keys and soothing brass tones as the serve of the day. route 94 aka rowan jones shot to fame, hitting no.1 in the uk charts with my love featuring jess glynne. keeping things largely underground, he followed with releases and remixes on leftroom, defected and hot creations. overwhelming success ensued as he performed at the likes of fabric, sub club, space, ushuaia, dc10 and many more. with an abundance of new material about to drop and a packed calendar of gigs already booked in for the coming year, this is only the start for the talented artist.

the legendary west end records kick off 2017 with the a brand new re-edits series inviting like-minded producers with an underground thirst and a deep understanding of house & disco culture to collaborate on a very special project. first up, wolf music man medlar, applying his dancefloor know-how to west end’s rich archive of classic disco and boogie. hand picking four personal favourites, medlar reworks them perfectly for current club sets. picking out dub sections and skilfully reworking & extending them proving exactly why medlar has been such a draw to labels like delusions of grandeur and for discos only. “i put these edits together for myself and a few friends to play in our dj sets. west end was one of the key stepping stones to what would later become house music and for many is the definitive sound of early 80s new york. i d argue that it s aged better than any other label of that era and if you re relatively new to the label or know it inside out, the catalogue can likely still provide something new.” these four sublime new edits from medlar showcase his passion for digging deep, knowledge of house history and skills as a producer.