naveed akhtar is truly one of the unsung heroes of manchester s ever vibrant music scene. under his freak seven & sasso aliases, naveed has enjoyed support and acclaim from hordes of dancers and discerning dj s alike. his expertly crafted productions speak for themselves, and we re more than happy to present the debut release on his newly minted northern life records label. the a side houses day come through a ridiculously uplifting, but bitter-sweet hymn crafted from the bones of detroit techno and the soul of deepest nyc, via the rain-soaked streets of downtown manchester this wonderful ear worm is already attracting deserved plaudits and ecstatic reactions. on the flip largo is a crisply rendered, heads-down jam, shot through with the heavy production dynamic, but melodic light touch a hypnotic delight. finally raspberry toast featuring the handsome guitar work of begin is a beautiful homage to the sun-soaked mediterranean, which has inspired so much of the manchester music scene. an incredible debut, we re sure you ll agree!

a stunning version of steve reich’s masterpiece of musical minimalism “music for 18 musicians“ (1974-1976) performed live at tokyo opera house in 2008 by the modern ensemble and synergy vocals featuring the composer as guest performer.

axter and barnett, creators and founding members of four313, now have a second four313 release and this time out the dynamic duo unleashes a well-rounded, four track vinyl ep. side a has two songs produced by blake baxter with a1 being a detroit house styled tune titled “agape”, featuring blake s classic, soft-spoken word style. a2 is a party starter, big room, dance-floor filler appropriately titled “let s get it started”. side b has two tracks produced by thomas barnett with b1 aptly titled -mandela effect”, this is a detroit techno styled track with barnett s signature bassline sound. b2 is titled “magnetofunk” & has a vintage feel that uniquely transforms into a modern day, prime-time groove, a must have for djs. blake and thomas are setting their sights on touring as the dj unit -four313- in the fall of 2017 with the theme & tour name, “reconstruction”. their concept is one which supports new artists and incorporates them into future four313 releases, four313 s purpose is to come together as artists, to reconstruct their past, present, and future while building a new beginning.

hailing from outer space via reykjavik, volruptus maps out intergalactic forms of communication on ‘alien transmissions’, the latest release from bjarki and johnny chrome silver’s inimitable bbbbbb records. title track is a disorienting dose of acid powered electropunkfunk whilst ‘jargon’ uses complex polyrhythms to propel a grinding techno stomper. ‘gett vffreakye’ uses percussive breaks and mechanised vocal chops to depict aliens having a live jam in outer space, whilst closing track ‘tesseract’ is an angular drum workout featuring animated bass and dissonant pad calls. like each bbbbbb release before it, volruptus presents an intoxicating ep that pairs impeccable sound design with an unruly approach to genre, form and style.

dj pone was french dmc champion for 4 years (1999-2002) and is member of birdy nam nam, famous dj crew which released 4 albums and was also world dmc champion crew in 2000.the tracks falkens maze and m.f.e. sound a bit like slow justice songs with urban beats. dipodaine (feat. didai) can remind modeselektor and the 4th track errotic impulses featuring arnaud rebotini is a really efficient techno track with analog synth and rythmics.

early 90s warehouse find featuring classic ny garage, disco & boogie + a dj tool. this amazing ep starts off with aftershocks slave to the vibe followed by keep on movin remix by deodato. on the flip we have the sound of music by dayton and to end we have set it out by midway (accap) house edits

anna wall & corbis take on queen drummer roger taylors two sharp pencils special remarks : 12&#8243, mff house bag, 150g vinyl
(get bad). the result? one of the most unlikely and essential party records of 2017. queen and house music: not necessarily the most obvious of bedfellows, but music for freaks has never been a label to take the path most travelled. over the course of their de-cades long journey the label founded by luke solomon and justin harris has released uni-quely idiosyncratic dance music, establishing the label as a go-to imprint for those seeking imaginative, unpredictable records that still undeniably work on the dancefloor. their latest release might well be among the most out-there of them all. originally released back in 1984,two sharp pencils (get bad) is a record by queen drum-mer roger taylor, featuring him on vocals as well as drums, bass & guitar. now brought bang up to date via a fully official and endorsed remix courtesy of anna wall & corbi, this overlooked album track looks set to become one of the summers most essential records. born and bred in the uk, anna wall is a dj, producer and label owner who is a key player in london’s underground house music scene. her label the bricks champions up-and-coming producers, while anna herself has djd all over the world, most recently for mixmag at pacha for their ims launch party. corbi is an ibiza-based dj and producer, a&r for the highly respected fina records and co-founder of melon bomb, a party and dj collective that has in the space of just a couple of years become one of the white isles most talked-about exports. having met while working at house giant defected records some years ago, anna felt that corbi would be the perfect studio accomplice to work on the remix of two sharp pencils.

limited re-release from fleeced featuring the supreme talents of letroset.
silver grey vinyl and unique hand-stencilled sleeve

original funk production exclusive 12” release on jordan valley records. featuring “fear not” and “spaces” plus instrumentals. this is a limited release.

so low is an occasional night in glasgow run by iona fortune, jd twitch, katie shambles and becky marshall. so low is strictly for creatures of the night and plays music that could perhaps be described by the words dark waves / cold waves / minimal synthesis / maximal industrial / lo-nrg / forgotten flemish goth bands, teutonic apocalyptic beats +++ it is now also a label, administered by optimo music. after debuting with happy meals “full ashram devotional ceremony” album, here is the first 12” release, “now & then”, a various artists 4-track ep featuring two tracks from now and two from then.
the 12” comes housed in a bespoke hand printed fold out poster sleeve inserted into a plastic sleeve with screen printed text on the plastic, designed and created by katie shambles. due to the extremely labour intensive nature of the sleeve design this will be a strictly limited edition of 300 copies.

the signs within is drunken kong s debut album on tronic, featuring collaboration with label boss christian smith. with this work japanese duo prove they are here to stay with some top notch techno. whilst keeping the groove alive, they deliver some punching bass lines, rolling subs and deep synths.

29 songs from the movie “baby driver” on 180g double vinyl in gatefold sleeves. which includes the bonus song “chase me” by danger mouse featuring run the jewels & big boi.

zeb wayne returns with a majestic and scintillating song titled ‘wulfman’, featuring a trio of top tier remixers including alva noto, calibre and radio slave. following the release of ‘float’ on rekids last year, ‘wulfman’ is a beautiful song that demonstrates how musically versed wayne is as a producer, blending a serene vocal by ziwi, with intricate sounds to create a truly beautiful song from start to finish. alva noto, who composed the film score for the revenant alongside ryuichi sakamoto, as well as being the co-founder of esteemed minimal imprint raster noton, is the first of three heavyweight remixers. the renowned german producer employs his signature elements of grit, static and glitch resulting in an inimitable melancholic cut. well respected for traversing numerous electronic music sub-genres, as evident in his recent album on craig richards’ the nothing special, calibre ups the energy in his remix using sultry synths, syncopated percussion and mesmerising effects. concluding the colossal package, rekids founder radio slave creates a club-ready reinterpretation of his own, complete with fine-tuned kicks, looped vocals and a heady bassline.

the debut album from j hus, featuring the singles “did you see” and “friendly” released on vinyl via black butter records.

the mysterious 13 productions crew from london have been making beats for a minute and this is their debut release on wax, featuring long-time dwg/fresh pressings collaborator emskee on mic duties.
limited to 300 copies on black 7 inch vinyl.

good for saturday nights as well as sunday mornings, maxi jazz, rollo and sister bliss are the holy trinity at the centre of the u.k. electronic dance collective faithless. catapulted into fame by their 1996 banger >insomnia<, the group went on to play almost every stage, club and festival known to man. twice. >outrospective< was their third and most successful album, where maxi jazzs trendy vicar approach and sister bliss & rollos innate sense of what makes music work reach their climax. it is more upbeat in tempo and emotion and has an intuitive production that emphasizes their e-flavoured spirituality to a tee. featuring dido and their biggest selling hit >we come one<.

dutch jungle loons fff and coco bryce team up once again for another amen excursion on myor massiv. space is the place on this 12inch, with both jams featuring a short documentary s worth of chatter about giant planets, failed stars and opposing quadrants. whereas fff takes a rather intricate and, dare i say it, intelligent approach on the a-side, coco bryce s more massiv goes straight for the throat, with amen chops and a double tempo pulse bassline being dropped mere seconds after take off.

over the last fifty years few musicians or performers have created as monumental and uncompromising a body of work as that of keiji haino. through a vast number of recordings and performances haino has staked out a ground all his own creating a language of unparalleled intensity that defies any simple classification. for all this, his 1981 debut album watashi dake? has remained enigmatic. originally released in a small edition by the legendary pinakotheca label, the album was heard by only a select few in japan and far fewer overseas. original vinyl copies became impossibly rare and highly sought after the world over. watashi dake? presents a haunting vision stark vocals, whispered and screamed, punctuate dark silences. intricate and sharp guitar figures interweave, repeat and stretch, trance-like, emerging from dark recesses. written and composed on the spot haino’s vision is one of deep spiritual depths that distantly evokes 1920s blues and medieval music yet is unlike anything ever committed to record before or since. coupled with starkly minimal packaging featuring the now iconic cover photographs by legendary photog rapher gin satoh, the album is a startling and fully realized artistic statement.

since its release last year, the grammy nominated album louie vega starring…xxviii has reached unfathomable heights, after 8 single vinyl releases and two full triple set album releases, we still have one more up our sleeve. today, here we are in the third and final installment of the louie vega starring…xxviii vinyl album release series, this time taking it to another level with unreleased and lost mixes. when making an album there are usually way more than the number of songs allocated for the project. in this case there were over 50 songs and tracks created for the louie vega starring…xxviii album. vega has selected 14 unreleased and lost tracks from the recordings and put together dj friendly versions with these super talented artists involved: funkadelic, nick monaco & soul clap, kenny bobien, cindy mizelle, maphorisa, berita, wanda baloyi & kabomo (south african top talent), roberto roena (of the fania all stars), brutha basil, jesse jackson (blues rock artist), sara devine, luis salinas (argentinean guitarist), duane harden (song/hitmaker), & 3 winans brothers featuring the clark sisters. the packaging is lovely with an open gatefold huge picture of a mural painted by none other than richard wilson uk artist. mastering by the great walter coelho, for sonic perfection & pressing manufactured by optimal in germany.

ahead of a full-length album coming on glitterbox recordings, the king of disco re-edits dr packer presents four of his versions of soulful dancefloor favourites old and new, giving a flavour of what’s to come from the lp. different strokes kicks off with a re-rub of the mk-produced latrece i want to thank you, itself a house cover of alicia myers soul classic from 1981. dr packer pulls back on the tempo, making way for keyboards that echo the vocal melody and enhanced percussion. next, he remixes still in love by shuya okino, a contemporary nu-disco classic with gorgeous string instrumentation and a tight guitar riff. in true dr packer style, his version has plenty of extra funk, fleshing out the bassline to suit a dynamic disco set. a remix of atfcs bad habit is next, again given the effortlessly laidback, groove-laden dr packer treatment. finally its soul rebels ill be good, a vocal house classic from the mid-noughties, reinterpreted masterfully for todays glitterbox dancefloor

an original copy of the brasileira lp by brazilian singer maria rita stumpf has been on top of collectors and music lovers wishlist for the past couple of years, since cântico brasileiro no 3 (kamaiura)- broke out and cast a spell worldwide – from japan to brazil, from norway to south africa, everybody was flabbergasted after they first heard the song, and each and every time they heard it again. for the lucky ones that could listen to her whole album – and get to know other gems such as lamento africano/rictus and a cidade it is clear that it is an ouvre that more people should have access to, not only an elite of listeners and connaisseurs. the good news are that the lp will be available again in its entirety in a new, glossy, loud and clear pressing released through selva discos, a new label run by augusto olivani and millos kaiser (the dj/production duo known as selvagem) in partnership with jd twitch s optimo music. it s a legit reissue overviewed by maria rita stumpf herself, the music being remastered from the remaining dat tape of the original release and artwork faithfully updated by brazilian design studio colletivo, featuring liner notes by the singer/songwriter.

correspondant’s comprehensive fifth compilation is due to drop imminently. once again jennifer cardini’s label have recruited a seriously on-point rollcall of friends and family to contribute to its distinctive cosmic, deep, groove-laden veneer as everyone from man power to marvin & guy deliver their rule-free finest. following the first ep sampler with tracks from khidja, jonathan kusuma, marvin & guy and kempes here are four more startling future-shocks from the forthcoming collection. featuring stellar star-gliding synthetic soul from some of the label’s oldest friends such as red axes and javi redondo, kindred spirits such as fort romeau and new friends like colli alban, it’s the perfect set-up for the total knock-down that is the album. guaranteed to be soundtrack our summers, dancefloors and souls for a long time to come…

2017 repress ... at the start of 2012 sabre, stray and halogenix teamed up to drop one of the most blissful pieces of drum & bass that year, *oblique*. since then the dreamteam have continued their late night studio sessions and are now ready to announce their new collaborative project, ivy lab. kicking off criticals 2013 season is the first fruit of their labour, *afterthought*, again featuring the esteemed vocal talents of frank carter iii to create the most inspired start to the year we could wish for.

here it is! some brand-new wax for your listening pleasure! the days are becoming longer, summer is just around the corner, and our latest release appears to perfectly embody the spirit of something new, something fresh, and something exciting. indeed, we’ve combined all this into a single 12” featuring the likes of satl & electrosoul system, and invadhertz. the release is all about good mood and chilled vibes, and virtually anything you can tag with the liquid label (if you really need to). but categories aside, our new twelve incher comes with a superb collab between satl & electrosoul system on one side, and with a solid track by the upcoming collective of invadhertz on the flipside. the former, entitled “satless”, is a warm, vocal-infused gentle roller that seems to be best enjoyed in the sunny days to come, while the latter, named “lily”, offers a nice combination of a bit rougher percussion section and booming bassline enriched with even more of vocal inserts. all in all, the whole single is a tasty treat for all those into the lighter side of drum & bass.

following the ‘frequency vs atkins – mind merge lp’ (march 2017), featuring the collaboration between orlando voorn and juan atkins, italian label out-er (out electronic recordings) welcomes long standing detroit producer terrence dixon for a 21 track triple vinyl pack ‘12.000 miles of twilight’, out in july 2017. this is dixon’s fifth album and follows his last ‘badge of honor’ released back in 2013. the legend has been putting out material since the mid -nineties. recognized worldwide for his visionary, futuristic sound, dixon unites ages of inspiration traversing diverse musical styles including electro, jazz and minimal sci-fi techno. this overall hypnotic approach can also be seen in his parallel project population one, which appeared on out-er respectively in early 2016 with two-tracker solo ‘temporary insanity ep’, as well as in late 2016 with ‘temporary insanity remixes’ which saw the label offering reinterpretations from cosmin trg, pangaea, voiski and label co-founder simone gatto. ‘12.000 miles of twilight’ remains an experimental techno asset offering a non-linear, emotionally absorbing journey into the singular experimental edge of the detroit artist, pulling the listener in all kind of directions from the opening track to the closing finale.

medical records continues it s fascination with all things mark van hoen this time presenting the sole album release by autocreation entitled mettle . autocreation was formed in 1992 when mark van hoen was roomates in west london with the other members kevin hector and tara patterson. kevin and tara as dj s at the university of london, tara had recorded with the hafler trio prior to this the 3 lived in an apartment block that was full of acid house devotees, djs, and house producers. the 3 friends spent a lot of time in cutting-edge london clubs which inspired and influenced their music. a remix they worked on - seefeel s -plainsong- became the blueprint the autocreation sound, as well as feeding back into seefeel s sound on their own subsequent material. autocreation were heavily influcenced by contemporary dub techno such as basic channel, mika vanio as well as more pure techno such as kirk degiorgio and jeff mills. they recorded the album in late 1993, sandwiched between the recording of van hoen s locust album weathered well and his collaboration with seefeel s darren seymour aurobindo:involution . the album notably features heavy use of modular synthesizers (aries 300, digisound 80 and others), quite unique for a techno record of the time. the album was released on the orb s label inter-modo on cd only - directly following the orb s collaboration with robert fripp (ffwd). artwork was designed by the designers republic - responsible for the vast majority of warp records catalog and various releases by the orb. the album is a dark, brooding ambient techno masterpiece. similar in vein to locust s weathered well but more techno/idm genre compliant that made it at times dance floor compatible. for this special edition (first time on vinyl), the album is expanded to a double lp featuring bonus tracks. the jacket is a gatefold featuring a montage of photos in the gatefold. specially remastered by mark van hoen. presented on limited edition high quality double 160-gram classic black vinyl. for fans of early locust, dark ambient techno, and early 90s dance floor friendly idm.

ltd nice price summer deal , berlin & schwerin based nu-breeds-de-jour goldwill cook up a rather special release as dessous teeters ever closer to its 100th release! >discooker< comprises of 3 original tracks on the vinyl. sauntering off into the night, >nachtzug< delivers a tripped out, jazzy jam that skips between off killer house and laid back disco editstations… a freaky warbling synth tone becomes the main destination as skipping beats and warm, coal-fired beats pump throughout. title track >discooker< is a true testiment to goldwills skills in audio-culinary. splicing micro samples, elastic beats and beautiful synth work, this groovy late night journey track deserves 3 michelin stars. >sketches< is a more tripped out jam featuring fantastic vocal manipulations, deeper-thandeep synth hypnosis and some clever timing which reminds of some acid drenched french filter-funk action! needless to say its a killer for the late, late hours.

blackcash & theo get back at it with the latest in this series of funk soul party edits. pleasure bouncy lady is an amazing funk break track, produced by jazz legend wayne henderson of the crusaders. the intro break has been extended, and is one of the all time classic hip hop funk breaks. elements of this track were sampled on brand new funk by dj jazzy jeff & the fresh prince, word to the mother (land) by big daddy kane, and church by de la soul. whatnauts why cant people be colors too is a soul / r&b jam with another heavy break, as sampled by q-tip, pete rock, diamond d, dilla, and oh my god by a tribe called quest featuring busta rhymes.

yoruba records is pleased to welcome oliver dollar and crazy p to the yoruba family with their first release on the label, loose beat. this sample-heavy jam is as groovy as they come, practically forcing you to dance! starting off with a warm, room-filling kick and lush, funky bassline, this track wastes no time getting down to business. the atmospheric keys draw you closer as the more subtle, layered percussive elements have you bobbing your head before you know it. while the sporadic vocals capture your attention and lock you in, the classic bluesy rhodes elevates this to peak time status, putting the dancefloor into a frenzy. already making waves, you’ll recognize this future yoruba classic all summer and beyond. for the first time featuring a beautiful, golden yoruba records logo etched into a full side of the vinyl, we hope you enjoy this release as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to you!

limited 2017 repress !! with the much anticipated debut album of afefe iku, yoruba records presented the first official banger of 2008 with mirror dance. with its ridiculous driving beat, and one of the most memorable melody lines we ve heard on the dance floor, mirror dance is another one of those dance floor monstrosities that afefe iku seems to naturally pull out of his magic hat. on the b side, osunlade takes it deep with his yoruba soul mix featuring spoken word king oveous maximus. with deeper rhythms and a stripped groove, this one takes you back to the basement house parties allowing you to go into trance and zone out to the words of ove. brace yourselves, yet again

ten track compilation featuring new material by the lehult crew and their friends titled nie wieder streit . the four sides showcase some familiar lehult sounds as well as some unexpected surprises.

telepopmusik, iconic electronic music group and author of « breathe (featuring angela mccluskey)» from their first album « genetic world » released in 2001 inspired roche musique, trailblazing french label coming from the electronic parisian scene which managed to rise from the ashes a classic and timeless electronic tune. roche musique crew tried to readapt the classic track proposed by telepopmusik in order to offer a contemporary vision through the prism of their respective universes.

german producer hosh kicks off his new label fryhide with a free to download continuous mix that is made up of all his own tracks. called stories from sa talaia, the album is out on may 25th, but tracks from it will also be released as four individual eps on the label. now comes the first one featuring four fine efforts that showcase his broad house style and find the ibiza based, diynamic associated producer in the form of his life.

los angeles droid behavior celebrates its 15th anniversary with a two-part release from its principal artists. over the last 15 years, droid behavior constructed, developed and institutionalized the west coast techno scene with their lauded event series interface. the label droid recordings fol- lowed with the launch of its first release -negative 01-, a compilation of l.a. producers showcasing new perspectives from north american techno. the forthcoming compilation negative 02 explores the label s vision from the voices that have laid its foundation, from the dark and strange, to the slightly experimental, to streamlined dance floor tools. part 1 of the compilation delivers 4 tracks from l.a. techno stalwarts, leading with label head drumcell. with releases on clr, dystopian, detroit underground and his own experimental label bl__k noise, drumcell s channels his diverse sound into a pitch-black banger in -dividing- a thick chugging track with an undercurrent of hypnotic stabs, pads and vocals.. the second track features one of the techno s most celebrated artists - truncate. also known as audio injection, david flores turns in the ultimate dj tool with -down,- a mastery of sequence subtlety layered on this introspective production. droid cofounders and vrv label heads rai&#769,,,z contribute the most entrancing arrangement for negative 02 - -ephemeral beings- which warns of social decay and encourages positive change via this and dark and beautiful composition. longtime droid resident viktor carrillo offers his debut release for the label with -coma walk- an ingenious application of the goa sound in conjunction with clever fm synthesis which makes for highly effective mix addition. a second release will follow to celebrate this anniversary, featuring more from the droid family including luis flores, hyperactive, subversive and aaron litchke.

cult japanese reggae/ cosmic dub lp. featuring an all star line up including: sly & robbie, augustus pablo, minako yoshida + core members of soul syndicate and the wailers. direct reissue of this 1980 original. next stop in rh store s japan series!

more disco house gold: shir khan presents 4 new fine cuts on black jukebox 19 featuring james jackson & siege, tiptoes and illyus & barrientos. already getting support from bicep & eats everything. do yourself a favor and pick it up before this limited collector s item sells out.

west coast duo with production from star creature alum throwback zack. double sided dancefloor heat featuring good combo of talkbox and live vocals from the new to the scene vocalist keen senzes. funk freaks approved, peak hour smoothness as zack continues his heat streak.

first ever reissue of “rito esclavo”, pedro laza’s eighth album as leader of los pelayeros, originally released on discos fuentes to great success in 1961. . this early fuentes classic lp is distinguished by high quality engineering that holds up brilliantly more than half a century later, with bright and deceptively intricate interlocking brass featuring a distinctive reed section, rolling tropical percussion and a wide variety of caribbean rhythms from both colombia (cumbia, porro, paseaíto, fandango) and cuba (cha-cha-chá, mambo).

romanian talent suolo presents may be for lokomotiv’s first official release.
cosmic frequencies induce an intergalactic trip as may be transports us into space, while complete paranoia aims for those special fast-paced moments on the dancefloor after-hours.
romanian duo sit (cristi cons & vlad caia) add colour to the stripped down beauty of may be with their interplanetary interpretation, featuring suolo’s signature dreamy soundscapes and bouncy rhythms. the remix is driven by a deep-toned bassline while more otherworldly elements web together an out of body experience that we know you will enjoy.
the release has received early support from raresh, barac, dubtil, arapu and cezar to name a few, mesmerising dancefloors and generating a wave of hype in romania and around the world.

the third instalment in the shall not fade white label series featuring lk, dj boring, adryiano & deejay astral.

vinyl only , we started ‘the classic series’ featuring tracks that we love, bought, played out and which we have the feeling more people should know about them. for this sixth release, it is a great honor for us to welcome such a living legend, a pioneer from the detroit sound: mr.de’. this project includes four brilliant rare cuts and timeless moments of ghetto tech sounds from electrofunk’s catalogue.

deep medi musik artist compa launches his cpa records label with the anthemic dubstep-grime-trap crossover track -no hype- featuring highly respected grime pioneer footsie of newham generals, paralleled by the equally fierce and brooding track -in check-.

globex corp are back with a bang! featuring four untitled killer cuts from tim reaper & dwarde, with guest productions from worldwide epidemic and dev/null. the second volume in the series picks up where the first volume left off, with tunes covering a gammut of jungle and hardcore styles, from deep amen rollers, to dark 1993 style tearups! kill it with fire!

das prog-goth/trip-goth/rock-kollektiv the eden house mit seiner ersten single vom dritten album featuring monica richards von faith & the muse. the eden house wurden 2009 von stephen carey mit tony pettitt von fields of the nephilim gegründet.

in the final chapter of the theory of flo story, we ve enlisted the services of the mighty dj sotofett to remix the closing track for mihaly , and what a job he s done! dark, weird and percussive -just how we like it. we also include brand new versions featuring occasional live drummer, laurie pitt and a reprise with poppy ackroyd. credits remixed & reproduced by dj sotofett at wania 1. guitar solo by jeks. synthesizers, percussion & programming by dj sotofett percussion & violin by laurie pitt and poppy ackroyd

shiro is the samurai music offshoot created specifically for emerging artists first solo release on vinyl.
torn is a new face to the samurai camp and our first signing from russia. a st petersburg native, torn has been developing over recent years into one of the most interesting producers in the half step community with his tracks featuring heavily in the sets of many of the scenes most prominent dj’s including homemade weapons, loxy, clarity & presha.
the grethen ep is a gateway to the torn sound. ‘stagnation’ is the most traditional drum and bass of the ep with it’s bouncing, grunting lurch. ’grethen’ goes down low and deep, while ‘self reflection’ is the tune bound to populate many dj sets with it’s tribal percussion. ‘insomnia’ ups the intensity with frantic, restless energy to close the ep. more torn music to come on samurai later in 2017.

limited edition compilation, featuring 6 tracks by the endtables.

dark entries present -a tape-, a double lpof early work by helena hauff, a dj and record producer based in hamburg, germany. at university she studied fine art, physics, and systematic music science. she previously was a resident at hamburg s golden pudel club, where she hosted a night called birds and other instruments. as a selector she weaves energetically between electro, new wave, and ebm. her music, often recorded live in one take, has a raw intensity to it. she debuted with an ep on werkdiscs back in 2013 followed by records for lux_rec and bunker sublabel panzerkreuz as well as two collaborative eps for pan, produced under the name black sites with fellow pudel resident f#x. ‘a tape’ is a compilation of helena’s earliest recordings from 2011 and 2014, originally released on limited cassette by handmade birds in 2015. clocking in at over 50 minutes, this collection spans hauff’s musical universe, from jacking acid-techno to krautish zone-outs and scuzzy feedback interludes. it’s tempting to consider it helena’s debut album, but she views these tracks as mostly forgotten sketches left on the cutting room floor. it a gripping collection of deep, sinister analog synth sequences, industrial dissonance, and heavy percussion. her equipment set up was a roland alpha juno 2, juno 60, tb-303, tr-707 and tr-808. both of the discs end with hauff stepping outside of the intentionally stiff, robotic rhythms, instead showing her skill at crafting less conventional electronic sounds. all songs have been mastered by james plotkin with vinyl eq and lacquer cut by george horn at fantasy studios in berkeley. the record is housed in a custom made jacket designed by eloise leigh, featuring a checkered graphic and black lines, highlighted by yellow and green for maximum visual tension. each copy includes a double-sided postcard with notes.

lyon-based beatsmith ethyène has patented a certain style of mid-tempo house music applying a french touch aesthetic to disco, r&b and hip-hop sample references. through releases on longtime underground favorite kolour ltd and upstart labels like kyoku, as well as contributions to his own moonrise hill material, the frenchman has quickly built a sought after discography. his collaboration with better listen comes at an interesting time, as he seems to really be refining his sound, maturing sonically and honing the synthesis of the aforementioned influences to something nicely unique. the playin with fire ep is a deliciously bittersweet four track affair. the a1 slot sees e joining forces with his homie, the much acclaimed folamour, for the superlative why my love. meanwhile, loneliness of the shadow dancer- continues the r&b cream vibes, combining a classic head-nodding hip-hop flip with a soul chorus. the b-side gets a bit moodier, with the title track climatically building on hypnotically deep riffs and vocals and i sold yayo to buy kicks serving as the bob james-esque closer. the package is a cohesive reflection of a pensive and slightly anguished mindstate, with boom bap cultural influences and his familiar philadelphia streets functioning as the canvas. dont be surprised if this record serves as a point of stylistic elevation for the young producer, with plenty more of this new ammunition in the chamber. and you know the saying: if you play with fire, you might turn into a scorching hot phoenix.