skinny pelembe corrals together a cast of talented friends for his new ep. it’s his most ambitious release to date, boasting a different group or artist featuring on each of its tracks, each of them an act he’s met through music or through linking with brownswood’s celebrated talent development programme future bubblers two years ago. across its four entries, he bridges hip-hop, psych-rock and jazz-influenced tangents, cutting out a diverse cross-section of the city’s music scene. it’s a document of the connections he’s made as an artist, and is the most collaborative project he’s worked on so far. the title of the ep comes from some advice which skinny noted to himself on an old notebook. each of its songs started as a rough idea which was then fleshed out and re-imagined with his collaborators.

only few artists have managed to develop their own distinct style to such perfection as abe, while remaining almost entirely unknown to the public ear. he dwells in minimal music, abstract structure and well-crafted melancholia. -peasants sought instead- itself is heavily influenced by modern classical music, modal jazz and world music and is at times demanding, while remaining slightly subdued. style-wise it can be seen as ambient, though abe doesn t feel completely at home in this genre, because of its emphasis on atmosphere rather than structure. recorded at abe s home in rotterdam, it is his strongest work to date and already highly appreciated by some of the most exquisit selectors around.

mythologen, aka alexander palmestal follows last year’s debut album mythologen with the 12” ep “church music”. this ep is a love declaration to londons club scenes and some of the titles are named after parts of districts in south east london. the tracks on this record are free and loose in its melodies and you hear that palmestal has worked on pure intuition in the song making process, inspired by the surrounding smells, sounds and people. as explosively impressing as the album was, is also “church music” and the airy, uplifting sound that has become part of mythologens trademark, is developed with a sacral touch. alexander palmestal have since the days of pistol disco in the early 2000’s been one step ahead of most acts in leftfield and house music and have created an own musical space to exist in - something most artist never achieve! “church music” consolidates mythologen’s position as both a guardian and an innovator of modern dance music

slices of life celebrates the 10th release with a two-part vinyl compilation: sol10.1 and sol10.2! for the 10th release label owner barbara preisinger is gathering seven unreleased tracks on two seperate 12inches, by previous slices of life artists as well by producers who have a relationship to the label through frindship, events and personal support. each track presents the personal unique style of its producer, but all have a feeling for warm sounding organic house grooves in common, what slices of life stands for since the beginnings in 2009. on the first 12inch, sol10.1 the mole, baaz and john tejada excite us with an extension of their previous slices of life repertoire with 3 further timeless pieces of house music: trippy and soulful (come on kid), deep and percussive (fitzy), minimal and playful (how i used to). dana ruh celebrates her debut at slices of life with out of ada20: an upbuilding sunrise track carried by a driving beat and thrilling string lines. november 9th 2018 the 2nd part, sol10.2 will follow with exclusive tracks by dj deep, cab drivers und oscar schubaq.

the year is 2018, and human concrete block has finally emerged from the ever-growing london underground scene. helmed by dj and lobster distribution operative nettles, hcb is an international syndicate dedicated to saving the future of dance music as we know it. for its first offering, hcb delivers a packet of absolutely blissed-out serotonin kissed sunrise rave material from california’s caffeine worldwide aka dylan chase. the “trinity ep” follows after caffeine’s sharp debut on french press lounge last year and hot on the heels of his “universal theme ep” for third try records, bringing more of his signature take on euphoric hardcore, cheeky idm and ambient downtempo meditations.

for its 9th release, discobar picks 4 tracks of previous releases and asks close producers and friends to remix them. we invite then dead rail, monkey nenufar, vlad caia and tokyo ghost to mingle with the discobar family and give us their own interpretation of our music.

cadans continues an incredibly strong run of releases with curved, his first drop for ben sims on-point hardgroove imprint. previous output for clone basement series as well as darko essers wolfskuil and balans as well as a collaboration with randomer for tasha s neighbourhood imprint have quickly established cadans (dutchman-in-london, jeroen snik) rep. on curved we re treated to yet more of the rising star s strident and sometimes disorientating rhythms. creep and dank open the ep with blistering purpose - all distorted 909 kicks and and hazy memories of strobes on seething dance floors. the title track kicks off the b-side with an aptly undulating and enjoyably unsettling slant to its main riff while the ep wraps up with chant a brilliantly effective drum-machine and vocal/horn sample workout.

catch recordings return with their 13th release, this time from dj najaora. hes an emerging talent from the ever growing techno region in georgia who s mature, fully formed sound is showcased here across three innovative left-field techno & electro tracks. the excellent night dreamers takes the a1 spot. its an analogue electro cut throughout. with forceful broken drums accompanied by electric lead lines that provide a powerful energy for the dance floor. space call is a more cerebral and less dance floor affair that has you day dreaming amongst the meandering pads and classic detroit electro vibes. a soft acid line runs throughout, while the whole cuts creates nostalgia of old warp records last of all simulaq which takes the b-side has wide and vast rubber kicks alongside booming bass. making this side a merge of bass and electro. trippy stabs and dark energy pervades the whole thing, making it track for the late hours. while 13 is an unlucky number for some, this certainly doesn t seem to be the case for catch recordings.

fabian kempes productions under the name of korridor have consistently presented a foreboding and striking assembly. previous appearances on northern electronics have taken in stuttering percussive works as well as tense minimalist designs. his debut album end of cycle applies a breadth of expression to a wide palette of mesmerizing and intense fit-outs that corrode and fortify in equal measure. end of cycle is born of a deeply personal set of experiences to have marked kempes life. shortcomings and tribulations that have prompted spirals back to starting places and beginnings have informed the mood and missive that his debut album seeks to portray. taking in themes that stretch from despondency to paranoid elation, kempe has developed an architecture that lets austerity scream. stark and synthetic ambient plains lead us out of conditions for communal experience, yet its these passages that enable the sharp and brooding dancefloor works to deliver the barbed disturbances that they transport.

er ist einer der großen funk spezialisten auf seiner hammond b3: ricky peterson. spätestens seit seiner zusammenarbeit mit david sanborn ist ricky einem großen publikum bekannt. in den 90er jahren war der organist bestandteil der musikalischen prince crew sowohl als produzent als auch hammond spieler. das vorliegende neue album “drop shot” zeigt ricky peterson, der gerade bei fleetwood mac als neuer keyboarder eingestiegen ist und die weltour spielen wird, zusammen mit dem saxofonisten und arrangeur bob mintzer und der wdr big band in blendender spiellaune. funky music at its best!

too $hort’s legendary 1992 effort “shorty the pimp” is back in effect on vinyl thanks to the hip hop preservationist at get on down. though many don’t consider this to be one of too $hort’s strongest releases, the project did move well over 80.000 in its first week of release landing at number 6 on the billboard top 200. taking the title from the incredibly rare 1973 blaxploitation film, too $hort does what he does best on shorty the pimp: funk beats, oastful braggadocio, a few conscious rhymes and layers of straight up pimp talk. the lyrical content can certainly be considered comical and entertaining. “shorty the pimp” is also a stand out project for producer ant banks who did many of the beats for the project, his first works with too $hort with many more to follow over the next decade. oddly enough, one of the best comments on “shorty the pimp” comes from a random guy on the internet who commented on his experience listening to the release, “i ran my car into a tree after listening to ‘it don’t stop’ definitely made for cars with the booming systems!”

tropical disco records are back with their fifth release of the year, bringing you four killer edits from the tropical disco volt. moodena introduces volume 5 in fine style, mustering another spellbinding composition with gils groove. sounding as swagged out as ever, its evident form & flair comes naturally to the artist. td comrades moodena & sartorial present their first collaboration on turn it up, neatly entwining their distinct styles, rolling basslines, cascading guitars and sultry sax. the result is a piece of pure energy, its hard not to do exactly what the track tells you. the disco wizard, sartorial continues his ever growing solo output with 6 million, a righteous slab of soulful dance music that can make a dancefloor bang, as well as weep. feel the heat rolls effortlessly with a lush vocal that melts the loins and lays out a sonic smorgasboard of what epitomises tropical disco records - soul!

over the years moton has become synonymous with releasing great quality edits from a range of amazing producers. their 43rd release is no different offering up two glorious edits ready made for the dancefloor. cuffari (make the world larger than me) on the a side is four and a half minutes of luscious, soulful, string laden goodness, entrancing you with those dreamy vocals. trust us, she s right when she says the melody echoes in my mind this one will be stuck in your head for days! flip it over and marcel vogel, under his em vee alias channels the happy-go-lucky nyc discotheque days through dancing (jumbo). with an all too infectious guitar and bass riff, coupled with cosmic synth pops and perfectly layered vocal chants its sure fire, peak time disco gold.

after their first appearance on curle via naïf, the mix compiled by efdemin earlier this year, aubrey & simone gatto now deliver their debut ep for the label.this might be aubrey & simone gattos debut ep on curle, but they already appeared earlier this year on naïf , the mix compiled by efdemin with nothing but exclusive tracks. they liked our approach, we liked their tracks, sometimes its simple like that. its techno, in various disguises

the latest lost & found release comes from guy mantzur, the winner of the israeli walla night life award for the no.1 dj producer 2018. as he never lost his obsession to produce underground music, he found the way to share a brand new masterpiece with his global audience through guy js record label. this two track ep is a perfect blend of sophistication and futurism and its just about to open your doors of perception. take the dive if you dare!

duke ellington once said that there are 2 kinds of music: the good one and the bad one. with the compilation series shaolin soul we are always certain to be on the right side of the line since its 1st episode released in 1998 and which compiled two dozens of tracks sampled by rza and the wu-tang clan. following a second episode in 2001 and a third one in 2014, the famous curator uncle o is back to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the shaolin soul series with a fourth episode compiling 22 tracks among the rarest and finest treats of soul music, because everybodys talking about the good ol days!

the fourth instalment of moxies compilation series is back, presenting this exclusive 4 track vinyl sampler thoughtfully curated line-up of artists. featuring friends of on loop, up-and-coming producers and prominent names alike. stepping up to open this 12 sampler is the maghreban, adding his trademark touch to an off-kilter remix of steve spaceks ‘gimmi da love. lisbons violet is up next, laying down her energetic signature breakbeat sound on ‘antifa beats. flipping over, the b-side begins with nathan micays infectious builder ‘basic plumbing, paving the way for louise chens ‘reach (raw mix) a solid house number. on loop has continued on a straight upward trajectory since it began, with 2017s volume 3 securing a nomination in dj mags end of year awards for best compilation, and the imprint earning a place in mixmags 20 best record labels of 2017. as the label steps things up, so does moxies nts radio show, now moving to a weekly slot and cementing its place as a staple dance show for the station with regular parties at manchesters soup kitchen, edinburghs sneaky petes and londons pickle factory. with an international tour to be announced this year, things are just getting started for the dj & radio host.

heavy afro boogie 12- by cameroonian-born singer dick dickson. 2nd release of beaumonde.. keep an eye on this label! . he was clearly aiming for the us funk sound in fashion at the time when he recorded in the pocket in 1986.the session took place in togo and had band members come from congo, cameroon and the french west indies making the music of in the pocket an outstanding rendezvous between electrified-boogie and african influenced groove. with the help of régine féline’s sensual voice, melodic synth pads and distinctive slap bass, in the pocket grabs you instantly. totally overlooked upon its release, beaumonde felt that dick dickson’s unique offering deserved a second chance.

kodaema presents its second ep black cloud, featuring five tracks to be released in spring, after the success of the debut ep end of 2016, highly acclaimed by gilles peterson and bradley zero. a mature and elaborate work, in which the bands influences take shape. from wonder featuring kiala nzatovunga, to the impressing water no get enemy, covering fela kuti, along with black clouds enveloping harmonics, kodaema delivers a unique & personal sound. the record was mixed in los angeles by benjamin tierney (kamasi washington, shaq husayn) and mastering has been done by engineer kelly hibbert (j dilla, madlib, flying lotus)

nice price deal !!! xglare (all caps), is jessee egan, a brooklyn-based producer, sound designer and multimedia artist. she has released music under multiple aliases since 2011, most notably on ay japan. her latest incarnation, xglare, balances warped sound design, unearthly atmospheres and experimental rhythms that reject genre boundaries. representing brooklyn in full force on the debut record, “morph ep,” xglare yields incredibly heavy atmospheres. this is a mature record showing patience, design and a thoughtfulness sorely lacking in much of the electronic music scene. beats and dance elements take center stage alongside impossibly powerful, almost elemental transitions. track 1, lymph sets the tone with an updated halcyon rave sound. imagine standing in a field in the countryside at an illegal rave at 6 in the morning as the sun is rising, wind blowing in the air. track 2 fossa feat ariadne, an opera trained singer, immediately submits you to whisper shouting, a highlight of the album. in between more dance floor-oriented tracks, spore and plexus, sit two sound design gems, title track morph with its pounding rhythmic charges and vast reverberated rooms, and ganglia, which reminds of early do you know-era squarepusher. a well-rounded ep showing off the many talents of xglare also comes housed in beautiful artwork designed by egan herself.

repress! unreleased until today in vinyl, lolita is one of the most memorable and melodramatic score of its author. morricone s original soundtrack accentuates the sensuality and the romanticism based on the main bewitching and obsessive theme.

inner river delivers a self-titled debut 2lp which is a 10-track journey of beautiful ambient, downtempo rhythms and otherworldly atmospheres. this mysterious dreamworld sounds complex, emotive, mystic and elegant. its a personal story that remains interesting until the very end.

kim rapatti a.k.a mono junk presents the second volume of finnish electro all-star on his dum records imprint – active since 1992. the new release is the latest chapter of mono junk collaborating with friends, recently with mesak and freestyle man. the a-side of finnish electro all-star (dum-040) features collaborations with top finnish electro duo morphology, who recently released an outstanding album on firescope label. electro por favor is a pulsating driving electro track with a killer bassline and vocals by rapatti – electro at its best. raw, apocalyptic, solitary remix by mono junk follows the original. the b-side features collaborations between mono junk and a very special guest: goner a.k.a. martin maischen, who is known from many hot releases as the other half of german electro act sandbenders. they were at most active around the millennium and made releases for force inc. music works and science city. the two included tracks are deep electroid techno excursions made last year in berlin – very cool stuff.

children of tomorrow will celebrate soon its 10 years anniversary. the label was created by emmanuel ternois back in the day and being joined by arnaud le texier in 2011. since then they focused on techno producing amazing artists, to name few: terrence dixon, zadig, tensal, antigone, oscar mulero, jonas kopp, samuli kemppi etc... children of tomorrow is now presenting the first album from arnaud le texier. after almost 30 years dj-ing around the world and almost 20 years producing. signing many releases over the years and always busy delivering dance floor releases, it s been a long wait to finally get an album from arnaudon his first album we can feel that he wanted to tell a story and to express something deeper with his production experience. there is a different variety of techno that stretches from ambient / broken beat / hypnotic / raw techno along with subtles grooves, wondrous atmospheres & sonic textures. on a side the album opens with dusk, an ambient atmospheric mid-tempo track with sonic sounds that is a perfect intro.pattern 2 starts with drones and blip sounds and a broken beat groove follows with a pad that sounds like a voice coming from the space. the track ends with some modular click sounds that make the whole track clever. followed by the album title granular therapy, a deep techno track with modular bass line and melancholic pad. a perfect track to play in after or to warm up a party.the b side is more dedicated to the dance floor with black nympheas that is a proper dark modern techno with a grinding bass line and magic drones. a simple beat makes the track evolve in a nice way. blade pass frequency is 4/4 effective techno with a 909 kick, a syncope acid bass line and a pad that sends you to another dimension. it is a powerful track but with a sense of deepness and sensibility that arnaud can achieve sometimes. this side closes with binary sun dawn which is an ambient track with melody that has a jazz feeling mixed with dark atmospheres, sonic drones and water drops. the c side opens with mono driver, a minimal track with a little synth that stays until the end repetitively until it makes you travel and lose your mind. deep and dance floor at the same time.

following a string of well-received eps on cin cin, exit strategy and get physical, belfast’s lor readies his debut, self-titled album ‘lunar orbit rendezvous’. this will mark the first release on his newly minted label lorec. a technique used in apollo lunar missions, lunar orbit rendezvous charts a journey to the moon and back. a bold album, both in concept and sound, its the work of an artist coming into his own.the title track and first single lunar orbit rendezvous prepares the album for lift off. its a track that carries the technical tension of crucial operations, with gnarly acid pulses and happily erratic synths sparring over a steadfast electro beat while vocal samples collapse into themselves. lunar orbit rendezvous comes accompanied by a video from studio creme whose design and video work has been championed by the likes of james holden, warp and simian mobile disco. using a hyper detailed black and white render of a nasa grade rocket, the video brings the optical journey of lunar orbit rendezvous to life

better sound is happy to announce its second release by saverio celestri.

the latest release on francis harris scissor & thread is another exercise in subtlety and restraint, brought to us by the emerging talents of nadia khan. with little known about the artist, this release lets the sublime music do the talking. title track ‘in gleam is a beautifully evocative drift into ambient textures - rising pads and occasion bass tones combine to set an exquisite scene. ‘local visit is a collaboration with label boss francis harris, and features some of the trademark submerged rhythm and textures the label has become known for, unfolding its deep structures over the course of the track. ‘restless sees label regular alex albrecht aka melquíades (whose previous ep on s&t was received warmly) provide the last bells remix - again muted tones and rhythmic complexity glide under ethereal piano fragments and slowly evolving pad washes. ‘sorting through finds its groove early, a deadened kick unfolds into an urgent percussion creating a thick atmosphere of melancholia. ‘sunburnt rounds out the physical release - ending how it started - with dreamy, smudged tones, and warm pads.

180 gram double vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve. first time on 2 lp vinyl. features >it aint over til its over< and >always on the run<.

label stalwart jubei returns to the label alongside long term friend tyrone for ‘the arcane ep. taking its name from the club night where they first met, ‘the arcane ep is partly a follow up to 2015s ‘out of sight with the duo now delivering a full 4 track collaborative release which has garnered support from goldie to chase & status and shy fx to break, with loads more in between. jubei & tyrones concept for an ep was triggered by the creation of ‘stabs, which since its inception has undoubtedly become one of the most asked about metalheadz tracks of recent times and was an obvious choice to headline an ep full of energy and accomplishment.

master of snare disaster limewax strikes back hard again on this huge 4 track ep on prspct. delivering all things great this disturbed but brilliant producer has to offer. drum & bass for the freaks and outcasts that crave for more then just a rolling beat. 2 solo tracks + 2 collabs with the likes of l 33, switch technique, dieselboy and thrasher. did we mention this release is huge? hell yeah we did! well it s a good thing as its double huge anyway! all hail limewax and houjekkmuil!

4x12inch set, special 15th anniversary edition, with special deluxe 4 gatefold, shrink wrapped incl download card celebrating its 15th anniversary as well as the monolithic catalogue 100, figure releases a gem-packed compilation featuring 15 artists who are shaping the current sound of the label.

cassegrain announce collaborative ep. the berlin based duo of alex tsiridis & hüseyin evirgen will release new work recorded alongside dj nobu, tensal & lady starlight via their own arcing seas imprint in september. leaning towards the more heady, high octane end of the genre - the three track ep showcases the duos natural affinity for collaboration, maintaining evirgen & tsiridis characteristic finish and atten-tion to detail, whilst providing ample space for the guests to properly colour the work. ct01, alongside tensal, marries caustic drones with a potent lead sequence to produce a perfect peak time roller, whilst cn01, with dj nobu, riffs on a more melodic, stepping approach - maintaining that same rousing energy, but with a more psychedelic bent. cls01, the duos collaboration with la-dy starlight comes in at almost 11 minutes, an ambient techno journey that warps and shifts organi-cally across its extended run time - complete with beat-less intro and multiple segues that work to bind the piece and its different sections into one, cohesive narrative. effective and impeccably produced - but with a keen ear for new & exciting sonics within the genre - this first collaborative outing proves an enviable addition to the duos already impressive discogra-phy.

for over 18 years, spectral sound, the dance music imprint of ghostly international, has thrived at the forefront of techno and house. it has been a source of support for numerous djs and producers during that time, from matthew dear and benoit & sergio to avalon emerson and hieroglyphic being. now, spectral brings the past alongside the present with its latest release, a compilation that offers a vibrant cross-section of the current moment in underground dance music. despite the wide-ranging selections on spectral 139, a throughline of classic style and infectious energy emerges from the up-and-coming and established artists alike. rising talents such as minimal violence, russell e.l. butler, and earth trax x newborn jr. bring unique perspectives to their hardware-centric productions. veteran producers bring their own edge as well: d marc cantu blows the roof off with the outsized funk of regularly people, and nigil caenaans januarys end, a low-key detroit classic from the late 90s, closes spectral 139 with a whirlwind of manic rhythms and sedate synths. gunnar haslam opens the tracklist with his acidic mindbender, versione antica. and ghostly regulars like tadd mullinix, who drops a lush jtc remix of his new x-altera alias, and matrixxman, who collaborates with riccardo limiti on the cavernous inferno, tie everything back to the label s roots. the double 12 compilation, as well as each individual single, features original work by los angeles-based artist nina hartmann. her designs have appeared on releases from labels such as ascetic house and big love, and the pieces for spectral 139 continue to develop her cryptic aesthetic. the marriage of hartmanns striking, high-contrast symbols with such bold dance music speaks to a collection that aims to stand out.

new yorker electronic producer dj spider is back on itay’s out-er with a muggy, abstract techno release “human erosion field ep”, similarly to its debut “v ep”, released in september 2017 and produced in featuring with his longtime friend phil moffa.
italian label out-er presents its twenty-sixth release continuing to explore the diverse musical path between house, techno and experimental electronic - which appears in most cases on out-er’s sub-label pregnant void. “human erosion field ep” otherworldly showcases both a radiant take on electronic as well as gloomy and wild-eyed pieces, an aesthetic approach for which dj spider has been most known in the scene. overlooking to the style of the tracks, the release does contain a sinister mood and a dense, solid sense of groove overall, a typical recurring feature of the producer’s previous outputs.

we are glad to introduce this release by it. ivan iusco, the artist behind the it moniker, has been running minus habens records since 1992. its disturbance sublabel has been responsible for releasing forward thinking techno and experimental releases from a range of well known artist such as marco repetto, aphex twin, speedy j and atom heart among others. here we present three tracks that have previously been released on his era vulgaris cd album. the ep ranges from techno to more abstract broken beats on the flip side, displaying the versatility of it as a producer and encompassing the sound of the first years of disturbance.

grease celebrates its 40th anniversary! the original soundtrack from the motion picture - mastered and cut half-speed from the original tapes for a superior sound. comes on two 180g vinyl lps, housed in a gatefold sleeve

after frankfurt, partout is launching its second series focusing on berliner artists. as a first host, evan baggs delivers this propper 4 tracker, balancing between electro and acid

to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the agency, rotate has a hefty 2xlp compilation coming, featuring its in-house artists as a follow-up to “rotations i” from 2016. in the meantime, the imprint prepared a 10- split-ep teaser, appropriately named “mini rotations i”, featuring cleymoore and loopdeville.

part 4 of 5 to be released over the coming couple of months. originally released on the phono label in 1995/96 the parts series from matthew herbert are a much loved collection of house tracks that sound just as original and bold today as they did when they were first released. this series of 12-s were part of an early wave of exploratory dance music that paved the way for the deep house that still works its magic on dance-floors in 2018 some 25 years later. the mix of herbert s playfulness alongside expertly grooving production and unusual sounds makes this unique collection of work. the odd few tracks aside this is the first time that these releases have ever been repressed. all newly remastered for this reissue series, the releases include stone cold club classics such as deeper , take me back , resident , people that make the music and see you on monday .

(incl. jp enfant remix) legendary dj/producer and long-time friend of the mary go wild family joel mull returns to our label with 3 mesmerizing tracks. the title track sounding like the growling of a beast. roundabout is a world of its own and syncopate pulling you into the unexplored depths of the dark and deep unknown.

‘neverending story’ opens with ‘a dimension reflected’ and its introductory mixture of keys and beats. the beat is built upon piece by piece, while slippery synths fill in the upper registers. the second track, ‘planet texture’, opens with a blossoming pad which is soon joined by a steady kick and some bouncing synths. before long an adventurous bassline joins in and puts the track into full groove mode. there’s a twinkling synth floating above it all, sometimes present, sometimes not, making you wonder if you’re really hearing it at all. next up is the first track on the b-side, ‘old problems’. filled with little samples and microsounds, the track uses its beat to push through heady and sometimes disorientating array of colours that swirl across the track. a wide synth enters affairs a third of the way in and helps push the track out onto the dancefloor. ‘neverending story’ comes next, featuring a skittering beat and atmospherics that seem to come from far away. a low bassline pops in and out of the track here and there, while pondersome some keys complete the mood. the ep closes with ‘algorithm’, another scrambled, unpredictable track. the track opens with a rainbow of keys and synths, darting between your ears in their affected manner. an almost glitchy ambient track, it brings to a calm close a fantastic release.

inits music has the rare quality of transforming bleakness into a soothing experience. in the duos new ep, wildcard, this mechanism is more intense than ever. and that might be because of the particular circumstances that surrounded its inception. two years ago, nadia dalo and benedikt frey decided to move from darmstadt to berlin. adjusting to a rough area of a big city when coming from a quiet town necessarily brings a change of perspective. for nadia and benedikt, that meant experiencing the city life as outsiders while trying to figure out what they wanted from it.wildcard is the sonic result of this process, and proof that changes always bring growth. recorded in their new home studio during winter, the six tracks on the ep are as haunting as their previous lp for hivern, but with a rawer approach and enhanced power. take cover and solver, an approximation to the kind of moody psych-techno they display in their live-shows and two of the most dance floor oriented tracks init have recorded to date. but its the title track which best expresses the mindset of this work. with its skeletal rattle and undulating synths, wildcard feels as desolate as a berlin street in a winter night, but possesses the kind of focus that turns uncertainty into hope. in a similar way, cuts such as copycat or half baked perfectly capture the sort of estrangement -daunting yet hopeful- that comes when moving into a new place, with its slow tempos mirroring the cautious pace of a foreigner and the intoxicated atmospheres calmly distilling the essence of a new environment. nadia and benedikt describe this new habitat as small kids on big bikes, eating dry instant noodles, playing with whats to find on the streets, static aircraft traffic closely over our heads and constant running engines. listening to the music that arose from it, its obvious that, once again, they&# 39,ve been able to overturn apparently hostile elements into a place were youd want to stay forever

italian producer piero pirupa’s musical cv is nothing short of impressive. so it’s no surprise that his next production has found a home on damian lazarus’ crosstown rebels, enlisting the vocal talents of new york’s mr.v. influenced by the sounds of 80s and 90s chicago, pirupa worked tirelessly on this ep to reach a version he was happy with. after seeing the reaction from dancefloors around the world, he decided to send it to carl cox and damian lazarus. we must be (the piano track) breathes new life into today’s dance music with a message from a bygone era. it harks back to the golden age of house music with its lush piano topline and positive message sung by mr.v. happiness simply emanates from this production. with lyrics such as “we must be all in this together, we must live to respect one another” and “this is the plan to make us unified” it takes clubbing back to a time when everyone came together on the dancefloor regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

ahus debut album from 2017, nord dream, was something of an overlooked gem from that year, but its musical palette of dubwise techno and ambient sounds caught the ears and enthusiasm of many. danny clancy was one such admirer, and in turn brings ahus sophisticated sounds to his dichotomy records label for the ‘atlas ep.

moscow head-honcho archie hamilton teams up with cousin benson herbert for another collaborative ep on the imprint, bosteled via a club ready reshape from s.a.m. having already garnered support from some of the biggest names in minimal house, including raresh and barac, for previous productions, the ‘swerve’ ep is benson’s second, family-affair release on moscow. a promising up and coming talent, benson’s already played some of europe’s most prestigious dancefloors including sub club, fabric and paris’ rex club. as moscow enters its tenth year of releasing the most forward thinking and respected names in house and techno, label boss archie hamilton continues to release across europe’s most highly revered labels, whilst playing the world’s most exciting clubs and festivals including robert johnson, miami music week’s get lost chicago’s spy bar, croatia’s sonus and estonia’s moonland to name a few. ‘swerve’ sets a powerful pace with a rumbling bassline, offset against gorgeously melodic and minimal textures, it’s a roller that will undoubtedly be thriving across dancefloors this summer. informer, is a complex myriad of winding and hypnotic micro-melodies, which serves as a unique and effervescent follow up to the ep’s first track. denmark’s hotly-tipped dj/producer s.a.m is on remix duties for ‘informer’, delivering a jacking slice of dub infused four-four that deftly utilises the haunting riff of the original.

e-missions co-founder p.leone returns to radio slaves rekids this september with the my lita project backed with remixes from mark broom. originally hailing from new york, p.leone now resides in berlin where he helms his e-missions imprint with releases from himself and co-founder caiazzo, exciting new artists like rush plus and tred, not to mention remixes from young male, spencer parker and lawrence lee. leone has also dropped a variety of releases on rekids and work them records, when not making regular appearances at clubs like tresor. he now returns to radio slaves respected imprint with ‘the my lita project, following up his highly lauded el dorado ep that garnered support from ben sims, jackmaster and spencer parker. my lita kicks things off with classic synths, piercing strings and choppy vocals slices whilst robust drums march forward. meanwhile, tight in the pocket is more dark and menacing in comparison with its syncopated percussion, echoing claps and ethereal atmospherics. on the flip, mark broom drops two different remixes of my lita the first is a robust cut complete with disco elements like funky guitar licks and soulful voice, with the originals stabs shining throughout, whilst the second remix takes a different route with its crunchy snares, moaning murmurs and fuzzy effects.

silicone soul welcome the return of old friend justin robertson as he brings his much loved deadstock 33s project back to darkroom dubs. last spotted on the label only a matter of weeks ago with infinite interchange on the darkroom dubs presents summer love collection, here he builds on the momentum with two more singular missions deep into the timeless analogue abyss. whats more, they come covered with a print of one of justins very own hand-drawn pieces. dr. spectro on the frontier marks the start of this new deadstock trip. celebrating the lesser spotted dc super villain who could control people’s emotions with a brazen line or two of sinewy acid what starts off dark and gnarly gradually unfolds into a much more emotional narrative. watch out for the harmonic riff that rekindles feels of raving fields and a salvo of chords towards the climax that genuinely will control your emotions. the music is madness (to those who cannot hear it), meanwhile, is more than just a poetic title. already a summer anthem at a love from outer space, it s a roomy, cosmic affair that’s laced with layers of trippy textures and chugs at a cool 120. its one of justin’s classic signature smouldering sessions, what ostensibly seems forlorn and introspective is actually coded with deep hope and positivity. youd be mad not to hear it. youd be mad not to stay tuned too. for the first time in darkroom dubs history, this release and all this years vinyl dispatches will be released digitally as part of an end of year compilation, tales from underground vol. 1 and will also feature an exclusive silicone soul remix of rigopolar & cannibal inks thousand years before. and to round the year off? the long-awaited new single from silicone soul themselves.

elegant universe a full-length album by matthew hayes and joel trigg is a must listen for fans of the celestial jazz sound of ecm. their soft, seductive duets are incredibly inviting, in a way that seems to encompass and enliven the space around you. unsurprisingly, itd be sure to add warmth to cold winter commutes, and dull the edge of even the fiercest hangovers. the wintry downtime is a tour de force of the duos sense of restraint and the importance placed on individual sounds that swell together and drift apart with organic ease. on light through edinburgh leaves, the sounds themselves seem so three-dimensional, ringing out like ripples on a lake. its hard not to be captivated by such beautifully formed music.

le matin, always rare and uncategorised, following the reissue of his early synthwavepop tunes on poussiere depoque and a track on the good lena wilikens dekmantel selectors 005 comp, this new ep on lost dogs ent. let you hear some of his last works. expect an ultra-cold-minimal-electro riddim, a less-mental-nearly-good-for-the-dancefloor tune with depitched haunted r&b vocals, an analog and bassy arpeggio ride on the flip side, oh my god! this is the peak-time-for-weirdo-nearly-techno tune, a blast, only for craziest djs that like broken-frustrated-uncomfortable dandefloors and to finish this well balanced 5 trackers: the are you depressed that much? its the 10th time youre listening to this ost of a dying world, this wont get any better but at least this is good music! tune. le matin is a good kept secret that prefer to take care of his kids than to travel the world of nightclubbing with drunk teens (ok thats how it is in france, that looks better in some other countries), but sometime you can hear his music on decks of some wise people and djs like call super, lena wilikens, house of traps, charles drakeford, jon k, bergsonist, body motion