press release black wood 02 javier carballo - morning vibe javier carballo is probably one of spain s most relevant music ambassadors.aceo & founder of under your seat, this canarian artist rides between minimal / deep house and low dub techno, resulting in a delightfully balanced and distinctive style. on this release, javier dives into an elegant and perfect minimalistic loop filled with strokes of house music. powerful dance floor oriented deep tracks. yaya is the hidden gem on the release with an awesome remix. this well known music monster gives us a masterpiece where minimalistic and energetic coexist to perfection.

taking its title from a minoan legend that deals with rage, greed and destruction, the latest release from abyss x expands and reconstructs conceptions of aural space and time. out on february 23 on danse noire, pleasures of the bull finds the multi-disciplinary artist and producer flirting with the sounds of hard jazz while mystifying the parameters of experimental music across several distinct movements, thus allowing the listener to break free from their sonic principles.

we got to know dan only, an exciting emerging artist from the toronto underground, when he collaborated with jesse futerman on our recent deep love 2017? compilation. his debut record, released on adam marshalls new kanada imprint, introduced his deep instinct for electronic music and unique, boundless approach to deep house. an avid collector of old school gear you can hear the analogue warmth throughout this intricately detailed yet heavy hitting four-tracker. its clear opens. a solid house jam, its thumping drums and resonating melodies follow a steady bass groove ready to heat up the dance floor. be major…believe leads in more gently before warbling key lines and synth details layer over gritty percussion pushing the mood closer and closer to bursting. this one conjures images of summer nights and distant coast lines. on the b, simmering vocals and tropical rhythms dance amongst straight forward house energies on dont you understand. rich with subtleties, its somehow smooth while seriously impactful. finally we have truffles. a very modern twist on disco vs house its an original italo infused gem with an edit feel, that maintains the vibe of an 80s era hedonistic night throughout. perfect as a peak time mood elevator or blissful, hands-in-the-air closing record. were convinced dan onlys future is bright and are overwhelmed by the quality and musicality of this, his first solo ep on dirt crew recordings.

philpot welcomes mr. fries to the artist roster! mr. fries gained some attention already over the last months with a fantastic release on wolf music and now we are proud to present him to you on philpot. three tracks with that trademark philpot-sound! we were flabbergasted when we received the tracks, how perfect they fit our understanding of groove and sexyness! soulphiction played these tracks over the last weeks to some great response and this is already one of his favourite releases on the label! thanks for purchasing a real copy!

meaning -universe- or -the cosmos- in greek, sympan is the second full ep from lazaros, cologne-based artist and long-time friend of the label.

in 2018 hive audio starts with a new vinyl series, which comes as a quarterly series of high quality 12inches releases which are about to cater a selection of tracks easily to be identified as the most outstanding work of one specific artist from the label. we are proud to start off our first release hav001 with manuel morenos single >timeless< on which the swiss artist is working solo as well as a remixer and producer alongside vocalist natasha waters. the four tracks on >timeless< have only been available on the digital circuit previously and have now been carefully picked as a focus on manuel morenos past musical work for vinyl djs and collectors alike. 180g / fullcover / shrinked

having last graced etruria beat with his excellent peruana ep, backed by remixes from twr72 and label boss luca agnelli and after a great ep on pfirters label mindtrip record, home grown talent diego amura returns to etruria with his phalaina ep, featuring two new originals backed by a brace of heavyweight remixes. the title track with its violent kick and rough bass receives not one, but two remixes from uk techno pioneer ben sims. two different interpretations in his spacey and jackin remixes that both deliver intense grooves, spacey synths and thumping beats. diegos euphausia with its strong 909 groove and hypnotic flavour is reworked by figure, clergy artist and sk_eleven boss setaoc mass, who delivers a stripped, but imposing offering that will ignite any dancefloor.

5 1 1 5 9 3 is the first full-length album release of vienna based artist electric indigo, who started djing in the late 1980s, worked at the legendary hard wax record store in the early 1990s, and effortlessly manages to entertain the dancing crowd at berghain as much as the contemporary music avant-garde at wien modern. 5 1 1 5 9 3 combines influences of both worlds into a consistent and coherent album. crystalline metallic objects collide, embedded into fractured endless spaces, sparse rhythmical syncopations shaping grids, holding sonic particles in place. rare vocal transformations inject a human touch. 5 1 1 5 9 3 offers a unique universe, full of color and light, partially flirting with current club music and at other times diving deep into sublime sonic areas.

the inimitable cc:disco! has partnered with hyped underground label soothsayer to curate the first in a collaborative series of compilations entitled first light. soothsayer presents first light: volume 1 compiled by cc:disco! is due for release in february 2018 digitally and on vinyl. australias reigning champion of tasteful electronic music, cc:disco! has procured exclusive tracks from emerging and undiscovered artists across genres such as boogie, balearic, funk, disco and house with each sound piquing her interest, culminating in a finished product that would undeniably slot into a cc:disco! set. her mission statement? less chin stroking, more dancing. it captures what cc:disco! is all about: the dancefloor. the very first taste of first light comes in the form of a salty and sweet track called really want that by jace xl. premiered via resident advisor, cc:disco! explains: i remember the first time i heard jace sing in a bar, at first i thought a dj was playing then i looked up see jace singing his guts out. he blew me away! jaces voice is amazing and to me, a huge part of whats going on in australian music, so its with open arms we welcome him to first light. staub comes back on wax for a third episode. following the no name policy from the parties which started 5 years ago in it is time again for unknown artist to shine. this new ep sees the shy producer appearing on 4 tracks of pristine techno. a1 is an atmospheric trip while a2 is more brutal, on the b side it is going weirder and darker. we think unknown artist tries to craft interesting techno cuts and that he loves variety. that it is the idea behind staub since its beginnings, it does not matter whether you are a newcomer or lady gaga, what matters is the quality of the music. this is what was again aimed with this third record.

reissue of the rare 70s folk-jazz record from toronto based artist beverly glenn-copeland previously released on the canadian grt imprint. comes in a heavy tip-on sleeve.

repress - for their first multi-artist compilation, music from memory take us on a trip to the heart of the amazon rainforest. outro tempo: electronic and contemporary music from brazil, 1978-1992 is a double lp that explores the outer reaches of brazilian music, where indigenous rhythms mix with synthesizers and where mpb mingles with drum computers. as brazil faced the last years of its military dictatorship and transition to democracy, a generation of forward-thinking musicians developed an alternative vision of brazilian music and culture. they embraced traditionally shunned electronic production methods and infused their music with elements of ambient, jazz-fusion, and minimalism. at the same time they referenced the musical forms and spirituality of indigenous tribes from the amazon. the music they produced was a complex and mesmerising tapestry that vividly evoked brazilian landscapes and simultaneously reached out to the world beyond its borders.

the new saint petersburg based label is focused on underground sounding of house and minimal. this is the first release of the label and the debut of a new artist matpri from saint petersburg. four original house tracks with a shuffling drum beats and solid basslines will add a dose of positive energy to your mix.

vidab x returns with a new artist, faltin, who chooses to remain anonymous, plus a stepping rework by gowentgone aka label owners oliver deutschmann and stephan hill. faltin s phobos is a stripped down analogue masterclass. rolling and snaking, its arpeggiated lead growls with a hot headed tension, climbing while never losing balance and poise. the gowentgone stepper translates the original into a heavyweight, early-morning trip - a certain hybrid of broken beats and techno attitude that melts between genres. waves of euphoria are carried by rumbling drums in this essential version.

5 years since midnight shift’s first release in 2012, the label assembles a collective of artists, most of them are in advance of their full eps releasing later. representing the sounds of the label is this manual of secret moves, up in the sleeves. the mystic motley crew also comprises the alternate sides of familiar faces — amato (the hacker), terry lamborgini (marco bernardi), innyster (seixlack), hodge in a new formation with gramrcy, and an electro moniker from an undisclosed artist: thermocline. from abstract acrobatics to the abrasive and the ultimate gob smack to the floor — the midnight manual.

la based independent experimental techno label halocyan, returns with an outstanding ep from toby leeming aka the third man (ai records, sunday best, tabernacle records, chaval records) koffi is a hypnotic driving techno track. red boxing a low swung deep bass techno / house groove. closing the ep repeater is a deep melodic detroit techno jam. a strong ep from the young london based artist which proves he has a bright future ahead of him. 180g cyan blue 12inch vinyl with laser-etched tracklist in double sleeves and a deluxe pvc wallet with flap. the outer sleeve is embossed with die cut over-sized centres, 2 spot uv stickers and a cyan metallic foil stamp.

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. the third release on so low is a 5-track ep from ian hicks, formerly one half of soft metals. ian also appeared on our “now & then” compilation ep. here he commands his own release and sets the synths to stun with 5 tracks of analogue waves ranging from the xtc bliss out of “character collapse” and “depths of psyche” to the shockwave klang of “chemical environments” and “specter”, perhaps leaving the very best to last with the ultimate hypno, sex slug groove of “continuous”. subliminal vocals. wrecked drum boxes. synths spiralling. full colour picture sleeve designed by so low collective member and acclaimed glasgow artist katie shannon.

marionette is very proud and happy to announce kilchhofer s debut album the book room. benjamin kilchhofer is not new to the world of recorded music, yet he doesn’t seem to fit into a particular scene or group. as an outsider he is, however, fully immersed and melded into his own universe. he mentally escapes to a parallel world and weaves an alternate reality which would otherwise not exist in his daily life. kilchhofer avoids the spotlight and therefore isn’t really visible in today’s culture of ever changing content and social media. this is where marionette steps in to attempt to shed as much light as possible on this unique and incredibly talented artist. the book room is kilchhofer s musical diary, it s his library of emotions. it s a fairytale, an imaginary place shaped by exotic cultures, an escape from modern society, a collage of real and imagined experiences. you can hear influences abstracted from a wide number of musical approaches: the story-telling nature of folklore music, naive and conflicting rhythms of tribal drums, melodies and pads reminiscent of classical minimalism and microtonal experimental music, the freeform approach of early electronic music and krautrock, and buried deep within the tracks some hints of hedonistic dance and club music.

louisiana soul singer bobby king first recorded as a solo artist in 1973 for the reprise label where he also sang for ry cooder. in 1981 he switched to the main warner brorthers imprint and recorded what has become for soul fans a most highly regarded self-titled album. “if you don’t want my love” became a single, an original pressing for this ‘modern’ dancefloor record recently onsale for £300. it is coupled with an exceptuional track from the album “lovers by night” not previously available on 7” vinyl.

the real mayor of brixton aka acclaimed and respected rapper/producer ty returns with his 5th longplayer ‘a work of heart’. produced predominantly and written by ty, this hip-hop classic is a proper artist album that elevates the genre in an ambitiously artistic manner akin to kendrick lamar and kanye west.

dense + pika remix seminal nervous records house tune rain by kerri chandler dense & pika are a british electronic production/artist/dj duo compromising of producer/djs alex jones (hypercolour label boss) and chris spero better known to many by his glimpse alias. the duo first came into fruition in mid 2011 with a number of white label releases. it wasnt long until they were noticed by scuba and have since had multiple releases under their belt on adam beyers drumcode, scubas acclaimed hotflush imprint and have branched out onto the elusive hypercolour. dense & pika have also been showing off their remixing talents by reworking the likes of adam beyer & ida engberg, digitalism, disclosure, kda, leftfield, maya jane coles, x-press 2 and also paul woolfords erotic discourse, which won the dj mag category for best remix in 2014.

privately pressed to lp in 1978 under the name j. jasmine and made especially for the ann arbor film festival, with artistic collaboration from the festival’s founder and once group artist, george manupelli, my new music is the debut album by jacqueline humbert and david rosenboom. featuring a cast of mills college personalities like david behrman and sam ashley on backup vocal duties, this song cycle is at every turn boundary-pushing and gender-busting, yet still hilarious, sweet, and genuine, all delivered in a post-genre, art-song, cabaret musical style that happens to boast some serious avant-garde chops, courtesy of rosenboom. if it weren’t so spot on, you’d swear it was a guilty pleasure. as j. jasmine writes, my new music is a collection of personal stories and private desires, exposed, articulated, performed and dedicated to the hope that one person’s fantasies can contribute to another person’s freedom. get lost in j. jasmine’s world for a little long while, and be free.

decks full cover edition!!! the ź is the underground vinyl only record label based by stan preston. the label starts its first release darija featuring an amazing artist mr. sakamaka. the sound of this label relates to avant-garde attitude, enormous deepness and after-hours relevancy.

limited edition of 300 copies on 180 gram vinyl with download code included.
creta is a new trio of artists coming from very different backgrounds: roberto zanisi is a finger picking guitar player and a virtuoso on strings of all kinds, including “exotic” instruments like the turkish cümbüs, the greek bouzouki or the albanian cifteli. since 2003 he has been active in many contexts: he worked with giovanni venosta producing sound tracks for silvio soldini’s movies, took part as soloist musician in steward copeland s tour “la notte della taranta (night of tarantula)”, played with the american musician amy denio and performed with sainkho namtchylak. luciano lamanna’s main characteristics are experimentation, analog synths, vinyl and a big love for techno. in 2015, the resident dj at ex dogana, roma and member of the italian artist collective lswhr launched the modular synthesizer project balance (with davide ricci), and in 2017 he released the album “divus” with zu member luca t. mai, to name a few of lamanna’s many releases on labels like earache, boring machines, scuderia et.al. and, last but not least, there is massimo pupillo, highly acclaimed bass maniac with zu, laniakea and in countless other constellations (a.o. peter and caspar brÖtzmann, fm einheit, chris corsano). as creta, they create outlandish sonic pieces that blend sci-fi ambient atmospheres with dark bass pulses and bucolic-mediterranean string instruments – an unique and yet coherent mix of elements that adds consequently to the oeuvres of the three artists!

inside out is a brand new series that invites djs and producers to blur the boundaries between traditional artist albums and mix compilations. coming from aus music label head and dj-kicks curator will saul, the concept encourages artists to showcase their own music and or the music of those in their own individual circles. the mix will be release digitally and on cd, while a selection of the tracks will also be available on double gatefold vinyl. each instalment will feature 100% new and unreleased music. it is a chance for artists to take sole creative charge, a&r as they see fit and then commission brand new music specifically for the cause. depending on who is at the helm, inside out will take different forms: producers may wish to represent their own sound with only music they have made themselves or with close collaborators, while djs and label heads may wish to reflect the sounds and scenes that surround them. the results will be a window into an artists world that works as a coherent mix, but also as a treasure trove of fresh new music that steps outside the usual lines of a dance album. the idea stems from will sauls own approach in the club, which often finds him seeking out brand new and unheard music to play for the first time. that feeling of taking people into the unknown is one that reminds him of the energy and excitement of his early days as a dancer.

the third chapter in the vinyl installments on gaze ill s danish cue line records is written by belgian artist zygos, georgio roumans. an unforgettable piece formed by 3 distinct original tracks plus an outstanding remix by italy s most wanted, dprtndrp (d-operation drop).
the vibe is intense from start to end, and the ep hits perfection due to georgio s naturally alive style, and the clever remix from the ever boundary pushing dprtndrp. signature sound, deluxe on 180 grams heavyweight vinyl!

perez is one of the new faces in the french scene and has been so since 2013 when he released a first ep (perez, dirty/kompakt) and played concerts which caught the attention of the press. perez claims to have a taste for singular electronic pop and the music he produces certainly is. his records collection has albums by christophe and bashung standing next to pulp and suicide ones, among productions by the dfa and kompakt labels. for his second album cavernes (to be released in february 2018 on his own record label etoile distante), perez has collaborated with berlin producer and friend strip steve (boys noize, clone royal oak, waxtefacts). on this one he delivers a particular sound combining a story-telling singing sometimes verging on the fantastic with electronic club music. but perez does not only write songs. after being artist-in-residency at the palais de tokyo (paris), he made a sound installation in 2014 for the villa noailles in hyeres, france. he also composed for the scenographies of contemporary artists dominique gonzalez foerster, saâdane afif or ange leccia. in 2016 he was awarded by the drac and was given the opportunity to compose basing his inspiration on pieces of the collection of the regional fund of contemporary art.
the vinyl release includes a download code.

björk has released two remixes of the track ‘blissing me’, from the current album ‘utopia’, one which strips back the existing layers of song to purely her voice and a harp arrangement by herself, and another by the enigmatic artist serpentwithfeet who has gifted his heavenly gospel tones to the track.

another split vinyl between two new artist on the third methodical release. on the a side, from the well known labels semantica or prologue, we have the pleasure to have mod21. on the b side another excellent italian artist, with releases on labels like soma or invite’s choice, drafted.

let me introduce you butter fly, the second vinyl of the label take hit records signed by the talented french artist brtz aka breitlitz. this ep, including the collaboration of behzad & amarou, two residents of the famous club concrete in paris, and also a remix of the growing polish michal jablonski, is a journey through a powerful dark and mental techno built on energetics modern beats and breaks really efficient for the dancefloor or big stage. you can find a digital or vinyl copie from february 2018 on every records shop or store online.

nyc native eric maltz has been a professional producer and pianist for more than 20 years. after landing on the techno scene in 2017 with the double vinyl “ns-17” ep on levon vincent’s novel sound, eric maltz releases his first single on his own label flower myth. opening on the title track , a bruising slice of machine techno, the live touch of the new-york producer stands out throughout “pathway”. on “ah-shu-de-ohu”, paranoid chimes swirl out of focus while chopped up vocals command attention. free floating chords glide through a meditative soundscape on closer “line through”. flower myth will release 4 more singles from eric maltz throughout 2018, one of them a collaboration with cristina valentina, the powerful voice from “we have power” (ns17). having recently signed with uzuri booking and artist management, eric will soon be bringing his singular live techno to his home-base city of berlin and other major cities across europe and the world.

the fourth release of bassiani was dedicated to various artists. starting from cassegrains track departure seven, we encounter a completely new and unfamiliar artist ersatz olfolks with his track straight road. hector oaks strikes with old school atmosphere by move on circles, walk on lines, while thomas hessler competes the circle with melancholic vibe by his track memories.

music from memory’s sister label second circle returns with their first release of 2018, this time with a 4 tracker ep from french producer and antinote via melody as truth affiliate d.k. aka dang khoa chau. titled mystery dub, this new record features two percussive house cuts on the a side with two more evocative compositions on the flip. recorded in his studio in the 11th district of paris, the release showcases a wide yet characteristic palette of sounds and textures the parisian artist has been sharpening over the years: atmospheric/hypnotic strings, warm pads, dreamy landscapes and spacial rhythms.

paper recordings ben davis takes off his flash atkins cape and mask to launch a new project exploring things left of centre and balearic. in these disposable times, stubb will celebrate community and diy with a limited run of 300 vinyl screen-printed kraft card sleeves of commissioned illustrations by artist rachel johns plus hand-drawn labels by hebden bridge s the egg factory. we are launching is a journey in to psychedelic balearia with one of the most exciting artists of recent years, jane weaver her mercury music prize long-listed album modern kosmology was described by the guardian as -a lean and thrillingly addictive slice of unearthly pop-. the stubb collaboration is a sublime head trip to the deep reaches of space and electronica with hallucinatory guitars, burbling synths and arpeggiators that are beautifully set off by jane s ethereal vocals. mike lindsay is founder and producer of folktronica pioneers tunng and his distinctive tones sing the praises of doing nothing on boring days, which is psychedelic leftfield pop at its finest. the track is locked down by a nagging fifth bass with vocal pops, hand claps, muted afro guitar, washed synths and arps that build before the choruses hit in a wave of analogue keyboards and fuzz guitar. after that, a gloriously stretched outro takes you straight to the mediterranean. there s also an edited instrumental that brings out the sunshine...

vinyl only - chiwax welcomes chimale to the family - one-shot project by a known artist!

beware, discomatin is back. in 2018, the parisian crew of diggers and dj’s originally known for their edits goes official with fully licensed and remastered reissues. for this new adventure, they chose an incredible in-demand french boogie ep from diva, an eighties funk band from bordeaux. diva only released one ep with la nuit, a sentimental, almost poetic boogie banger with great synth, guitar and vocal parts. the track could honestly have been a radio hit in the eighties with some real promotion. today, it’s still time to make it right and it is already an anthem in the french underground disco scene. originally on the b side of the 1985 original release on cactus, la nuit is here available with its two different versions (12inch and 7inch mix) and comes also with prise au piege, a more synth-pop influenced funk track which gave its name to the original release. the band was formed by gabrielle andriampanana, alex louisor and olivier renoir. before diva, these last two already played together in the local new-wave band bolton which was one of the first of the area to use synthetisers. even if they had a small recognition at the time, the original release stood quite underground. thanks to discomatin, its now available to the real connoisseurs and still with the fantastic illustrations of french artist camille de cussac on the back cover.

2018 repress .. vivid & colorful techno explorations from gothenburg sound artist david sabel in his birds ov paradise guise. two trippy rays of sunshine through the morning mist with an aniara remix on the flip!

the ideological inspirer of slowdance – michael dop is making his debut on the label under a new name finetune. each composition comprises breathing groove and atmospheric melodies. the whole release conveys and emphasizes the mood and versatility of the musician, while the cover represents him as an artist.

a mysterious new label launches with a double lp that ranges from ambient, house, 2-step, breaks and techno. this idea originated from collaborations that the artist had with musicians from different spectrums of the universe but by keeping an open mind and a positive attitude they were able to create music and a deeper respect and understanding for the others art form, opening themselves up to infinite possibilities outside the normal realm of the comfort zone. the relative positivity project will consist of solo projects as well as collaborations with people that have had a positive impact on the life of the artist.

when daniel kyo was producing galaxy in his studio he stood up and felt it. following several months of what he calls a -musical reset-, he knew he d hit something special. after releasing music for a decade, core might be the boldest step in his career. a new identity in which all his influences finally come together into an absolutely fresh perspective. melodies are still the main driving force of the five cuts in galaxy , but the approach is more raw and heartfelt, injecting the kind of vivacity that determines if a track it s simply a product of it s time or if it becomes timeless. borrowing elements from the cosmic side of techno, the darkest corners of trance and the glacial atmospheres of synthwave, all of the tracks in this ep ooze the kind of immediacy and transcendence you can only find in the best 90 s dance music. driven by is interest in astronomy, daniel says he tried to achieve an -outer space feeling-, we can only add that embracing the void was never so gratifying. the 12- comes housed in a sleeve designed by barcelona-based artist alicia carrera.

seven years ago, unbalance created his own label as a base for his musical ideas, a platform to play around with the conception of what -techno- is and would be alongside his own creative progression. come to present day and the label is now at its ninth release, reaching a point where the line of accumulated experiences must be drawn in the sand — and the experiences of previous projects and releases lead to venerable conclusion. enter ten, an album of internalized strife that was created during a period of big changes in the artist s life. between enduring personal experiences, his creative output veering between his straightforward club eccentricities and subdural sensibilities, unbalance cultivates a symbiotic link between sounds played and sounds portrayed — whilst paying tribute to the essence of groove, vibration and the hypnotic unknown that exists to balance the scales. this album will be the final point in the label s journey into the depths of multifaceted techno music.

cute heels is the project of victor lenis, a contemporary electronic artist living in berlin, germany. he grew up in bogotá, columbia during the 1990s, surrounded by the radial punk scene. over the years, victor’s passion and fascination for synthesizers and drum machines to produce and compose resulted in his debut album “spiritual” for dark entries in 2014 as well as the “third skin” ep in 2016. inspired by equal parts liaisons dangereuses, drexciya and black devil disco club, cute heels connects the dots between detroit techno, early chicago house and belgium electronic body music. “state of mind” is a 4-track ep featuring the vocal talents of berlin artist aga wilk aka romance disaster on the the title track.

the grand, sweeping sonic explorations of “pretoria”, from john matthias and jay auborn’s 2017 album “race to zero”, are given new life on this four-track remix ep.
moon gangs (better known as william young, keyboardist in bristol-based electronic outfit beak>) takes the reins first, delivering a thunderous take on the original’s faster-paced second half. typically of the artist, the track builds and builds in intensity, climaxing with an apocalypse of emotional, layered synths.
bristol’s cuts strips back the elements for a much darker reworking. a single, repeating piano note echoes into wide, open space alongside the original’s antique violins before clattering percussion and synths enter the mix for the most foreboding turn of the release.
closing the ep, former mogwai member john cummings also bases his reinterpretation around the original’s piano. but where cuts leans on moody darkness, cummings take is more upbeat, courtesy of a driving four to the floor kick and fidgety, high-pitched piano.

this is an exploded drawing, unlocked from time: nhk yx koyxen walks at any speed and on any surface he desires to trance-scend. his “parallel tempo ep” takes a mindful plunge into layers of rigorously murmuring gestures. as speed and size are streched and bent, the planes engage in parallel movement. artist and producer nhk yx koyxen has been unveiling his unique vocabulary through a continuous stream of sound for many years. performing on electronic music’s timeless dna, he offers those who step in a resonating space, in which loose objects are bound to embrace each other.

the first full artist ep of 2018 is one by a new artist for heist, but a familiar name for any modern day house aficionado: adryiano. after taking 2016 off, he came back guns blazing in 2017, releasing 5 solo eps in 1 year on labels like shall not fade and baka gaijin. his me and you and her ep for heist showcases his contemporary view on classic house and acid, and is an experiment into how much distortion a track can actually handle when youve got a killer sample hook. me and you and her is about as classic as a house track can be and moves in similar fashion as his post-2013 hit ‘on my side. its got a sweet and repetitive vocal loop, some semi-grainy but definitely groovy percussion and a deceptively simple piano hook. add some filtering and youve got a lovely warm house song that can go on forever. the a2 move it, move it moves straight into old-school chicago territory, with a raw af acid bassline. chicago bred jamie 3:26, now residing in its dutch counterpart rotterdam, gives the track a nice old school twist. hes going full 707 on the percussion and has casually added an amazing synth hook to give the remix a true vibe of its own. the ep closes off with fashion country girl: adryianos dystopian view of a world where dolly parton gets mangled through an overdrive, then gets distorted, crushed, mangled, deleted, re-added in 8 bit and then crushed some more. the result is an uptempo roller with more than enough grit, and just enough tongue-in-cheek to make everyone smile a little bit more. yours sincerely, maarten & lars.

it’s been almost three years since ressort imprint label head ekserd released his first and last solo ep to date. now - in late 2017 – the young, drum-loving artist finally comes back with a new set of tracks and even a whole new label. drive 99 will have its full focus on the tempo, the drive and the looks of the late 90s and early 00s, just the way ekserd loves to play things on the clubs soundsystems.

lobster theremin dig back down unda to bring another fresh salty aussie experience to the table with well seasoned young talent shedbug aka geordie elliot-kerr at the helm for this one. as co-head of salt mines he’s been responsible for some of the most exciting new underground electronic bizz coming out of aus - including hymns, rudolph c, escape artist and 92 spacedrum orchestra. as shedbug he makes entrancing house, acid-tinted techno, cosmic electro and heavily stepped uk-influenced jams, with 12” ep’s already landing via of paradise, deeptrax, flux and a cassette album for thrhndrdsvntnn. on destination love, shedbug harnesses the emotive, pad-heavy sound showcased on previous outings whilst mixing in blend of interstellar synths, jagged breaks and crusted-yet-cutting drum work - all mixed down with some serious studio finishing.

bxl002 is the second release of the artist-run brussels based label bxl. this second release by simon halsberghe features the dark discoïd black tape mass on the a-side. while the title refers to the tape delay echo s used in the production, it s the groove pushed forward by the pulsing bass line and the clap that give it that distinct dark disco vibe. on the b-side machine wailing sounds like an incessant siren. the rest of the elements in the track all push and pull around this hypnotic siren, giving it context and power. the last track, grey over white takes the hypnosis deeper with a deep fizzy bass line, resonant drone and crisp hihats. at the end of the track additional percussive elements puncture the drone to give way to a polyrhythmic work out.

the next collaborative release between freeride millenium and pauls musique is a terrific two-tracker from manchester artist joseph louis harland manning under his new alias los angeles with the 7? vinyl release artwork designed by daniel rajcsanyi as part of his ‘baby exhibition in austria. joseph louis harland manning was the drummer of the band wu lyf and is involved in projects like los porcos, the mancunian boyband menage a trois and dream lovers. under his other aliases he released on aficionado, cracki, ocean records and is it balearic? sub label u?ber as well as having made music videos for molly nilsson. here he is fine form across a pair of delicate and moving synth tracks. opener ‘lamour is a gentle cut that starts with celestial chords and wide-open expanses of synth before a buried deep groove slowly comes to the fore. breathy vocals also add to the loved-up, dreamy feel and the whole thing carries you away in a majestic reverie that shifts from ambience to new age house. the track features the artists own field recordings from the streets of berlin, twisting up sounds from the sidewalk into percussive notes that give an organic feel. the perfectly soothing second offering is ‘i wanna go to heaven is a gorgeous synth piece that suspends you in a crystal clear blue sky on a warm summers day. chords are smeared and stretched whilst angelic, wordless vocals drift by. it is the sound of a blissful passage to the afterlife and will leave you feeling cleansed.

with a brimming catalogue of music that operates in the more adventurous quarters of the techno music genre, a sagittariun preps his first release of 2018, with a remix disc of one the holy grail of tracks from one of the most endearing electronic acts of the 1990s. the sabres of paradise, aka andrew weatherall, gary burns and jagz kooner, released a clutch of acclaimed albums, singles and remixes between the years 1992 and 1995, when the trio disbanded. three albums for warp, remixes of the future sound of london, leftfield & lydon, bjork, new order and the dust brothers (aka chemical brothers), and not forgetting the now legendary smokebelch ii single, which must have soundtracked hundreds of thousands of sunsets and chillout after hours over the years, have left a huge treasure trove of a catalogue as part of their legacy. one production though has gone down in sabres folklore, since its release was limited to inclusion on one multi artist compilation cd album only, and it is this track, lick wid nit wit, that a sagittariun has unearthed, licensed and re-moulded, 25 years after it was produced, for release on his elastic dreams label.