lion and the mean ecstasy of “you’ve got a woman”, the b-side to their sole release comprise a rare burst of psychedelic western soul from two names best known for dutch progressive rock and new wave. drummer peter de leeuwe, departing from the symphonic leanings of dutch prog-fixtures ekseption, penned it in 1975, layering syncopated explosions of hand-claps, vibraslap and slick drumwork with neutron-star density, with super-producer hans van hemert nearly bursting glenn robles vocals through the fore. the shoes subtle edit provides exactly that, gently teasing the organ- and requintohinted contours of the track to better suit the treasure within. chicago-based septet whitney have brought some attention to youve got a woman with a recent cover, and the faith with which they recreate much of the original instrumentation proves the extent of lions accomplishment.

for the first release from antam records, the italian producer marco maggi aka mag0 delivers 3 original bleepy techno tracks with a minimalistic and electric groove. ode to venice will for sure shake every dancefloor where it s been played. remix duty is from the talented french producer tc80 with an hypnotic and deep techno rework. these acid layers and the drums give the remix an almost old classic trance mood. all tastes are served through this ep.

nice price deal !!! future retro vol. 2 continues the excursion through the label background. an intimate electro record that goes straight to the darker corner of your collection.

limited 100 vinyl pressure on this one from an undisclosed european producer who has been responsible for more than a few choice cuts over his 25 years of releasing records. burning up lights the dance floor by squeezing every last drop of energy out of just a few key elements, a modulating pulsing cross-rhythm bass snakes around driving disco beats with choice vocal samples adding the final bit of ear candy. minimal, a bit twisted, but hooky as hell. on the flip we have becoming cyclonic, a far deeper excursion where 808 toms dance around a repeating fretless bass melody. an immersive and euphoric melding of drum machines, synths and 12bit jazz-fusion samples, all being put through the sonic mincer and coming out like the proverbial gourmet sausage. yum!

danyb (of best-selling busted edits fame) kicks off another affair of the art, with jupiter dance. spring-boarding from the jupiter dance radio show, which takes a regular tour through the lesser known avenues of synth pop, space disco & italo here we have three worked up renditions of awesome 80s obscurities, deutsch new wave, french synth experiments & new age pieces which conspire to deliver a very welcome selection, for aficionados and ass-shakers alike.

crossing borders of different genres & cultural spheres, yor kultura delivers a superb ep on the magic movement. once again the three rotterdam based producers and djs danny, raymon and kris impress with their very own cozmik blend of tribal music, house and downbeat. on the lotus ep, yor kultura reveals a more melodic side of their musical realm. gritty synth lines, strong percussion work and rolling basses invoke the spirits of places not yet discovered. mysterious vocal samples sing the blues on this journey through various psychedelic worlds. the sultan of hamam swing mehmet aslan, crafts a sublime version of willow on b2, giving a turkish twist by adding extra guitars and percussion. 33 & 45rpm playback is tested and highly recommended.

len faki is ready to share another batch of his personal secret weapons, this time giving away three floor-focused edits, starring a pair of russian producers philipp gorbachev and nocow. first up are two takes from gorbachevs recent lp, a throwback into the rave scenes heyday. featuring anthemic synths and even front-row vocals by polina. the catchy album opener gets rigged with a solid fundament and peak time-friendly bpm, while similarly sumptuous cut lazer waltzes through fakis tested and well-proven percussive layers. boasting massive low-end impact on the flip, the hardspace mix of nocows k$$$$ hits a special spot, mixing heavy bass, idm-grade level of detail and ghetto-ish vox into a unique and heady power-blend. as with all releases of lf rmx, the proceeds of this record will be forwarded to the berlin organization straßenkinder e.v. to be used in actions against child poverty.

carl gari is a group of three from munich: jonas yamer, till funke and jonas friedlich. they released their well received and idiosyncratic debut (npr mentioned it as one of the 50 best albums in 2016) on the trilogy tapes, for which they collaborated with egyptian singer and spoken word artist abdullah miniawy. for the second release on permanent vacation they perfected their unique blend of psychedelic ingredients, dubbed out drums, drony sounds and a general hazyness. the mystic chants of abdullah, who is also featured on two tracks, weave themselves into the bands lively sound texture. apart from that carl gari showcase the diversity of their analogue driven and melodic approach to electronic music through four beautifully detailed tracks.

hike: cristal clear lakes, impressive mountains, soothing forests and berlin techno music. the tazekka national park in morocco features forests of cork oak and holm oak, caves, canyons, rural landscapes, cascades and a mountain jbel tazekka which is some 1.980 meters high. its a joy to hike through, yet it flies under the radar of most visitors to morocco. sometimes, if youre really lucky, you can find a beautiful aragonite near a spring in one of the beautiful caves, that belong to the national park.

the night is what makes a big city come to life. right after sundown, the hectic buzzing of downtown makes way for adventure playgrounds, bathed in neon light, revealing their countless chances and opportunities. its when youll find the subway spitting out its purpose seeking passengers by the minute. a coming and going of restless people passing through. all it takes is a few hours, before the sunrise makes it all disappear. mental bend captures the magic of that very moment in their dreamy soundtracks. if you close your eyes, you can see blurry pictures passing in slow motion, accompanied by their atmospheric songs. grainy black and white snapshots, fragments of memories lighting up somewhere in the farthest corner of the cortex. one step is the berlin-based indietronica duos visually vivid debut album, released on enfant fenou. mental bend are all about letting go. sissip (voc/synth/bass) and hendrik havekost (beats/production) know how to trust their instincts, crafting their hypnotic signature sound, somewhere in between electronica, ambient and dream pop. before founding the band in 2013, the two were already shaping their skills in all kinds of different formations and styles of music. as soon as they got together, they had a viral mini hit with their song take my hand, praised on various tastemaker blogs and generating over 100.000 likes on soundcloud in no time. the bands first long play record one step is all about important experiences and decisions, small as well as big steps, all a part of making progress, which in the end can even be life changing. it was a step, that recently got mental bend their record deal on mos ferrys sub label enfant fenou.

for house heads of a certain persuasion, dj duke is a name that resonates for all the right reasons. the u.s. veteran has been responsible for some of the 90’s most seminal moments, chiefly through tracks such as 12 minutes to do it (under his pleasure dome alias), party time and the prosumer-endorsed deep house classic, heard. he returns here courtesy of emerging imprint solo werks, who host his latest ep, green pastures. a momentous house-led workout, it compounds duke’s reputation as a producer of considerable panache while also acting as an auspicious start to life for the dublin based label. the title track is a grainy, old-school cut that bears all the hallmarks of a dusty analogue-jam and harks back to the days of vintage chicago with the sort of zest you’d expect from a man of duke’s credentials. the other original, skyscapes, is packed to the brim with industrial motifs and is characterised by the sort of effortlessly catchy baseline with which duke has made his name. mysterious and ethereal, it takes the listener on an uncompromising and throughly captivating house journey from the off. on the flip side, we have two stunning remixes, the first of which arrives from new jersey don, ruben candelario aka nicuri. a long-time favourite of nyc-based producers a la joey anderson, nicuri turns green pastures into a dreamy, acid-led space, adding layers of suspense and a glittering vocal intto the mix as he goes. last but not least are dublin-based producers slowburn, who serve up a stunning version of skyscapes. a carefully construed voyage into the deep, it caps off a fine ep with some aplomb.

for its latest release, weirdest dream has landed on dopeness galore for a supernova of atmospheric sounds called white worms. weirdest dream is the moniker and playground of stockholm-based galactic explorers daniel fagerström & luciano leiva. with a history of releases on rvng and permanent vacation the duo plays around in a constellation of all analog and early digital synthesizers such as the tr-909, waldorf microwave, yamaha dx7, roland juno-60 and akai mpcs. an ambient cloud of sonic surrealism, white worms is a curious exploration of the celestial sphere through echoes of patrick cowley, sensations fix and tangerine dream.

for the 4th, neo violence have kept things closer to home, concentrating on fresh european talent for the fourth instalment in the nvs series.
on the a side, two londoners deejay astral & jeals, both well known for previous output on labels such as lobster theremin and shall not fade, combine with moscow’s rising dx2ov. the b side is occupied by a good frenchman from bordeaux, jus jam, who made his first public steps on 124 recordings and his own khasia hills.
this sampler is all about good house vibes. essential wax for any bag, taking you from the warm up to the late night through, deep cuts, peak time bangers and crowd pleasers. this sampler got you sorted!

cignol fires up the blasters and sets a course for hidden galaxies - a 303 fuelled electro trip into the outer reaches of the unknown universe. delving through throbbing gristly bass lines, pounding, intricate click clack drum programming and aquatic, electric cool.

reless return to follow up on there first official release which was entitled cycle, out on world talk records that included a bold yet hazy remix from avant techno engineer shlomo.this time their foot firmly in the the mud, is a solid 4 tracks ep entitled, circuitry merging classic techno components which they say focuses on creating analogically modified melodic organisms. the eponymous title track circuitry brings the listener into a field of near moving stabs synths, pulsing through out the persistent motor rhythm. the follow up seed germinates a melodious and deep sequence to sense growth of emotions into the listeners body. reless stand by their motto of always repeating the essential, which can be heard strikingly through out limitation bringing us toward an end of an endlessly metallic grain storage silo. to conclude, the hotly tipped swedish producer kuf (head of arsenik records) pulls apart the harshly stark limitation exploring a rework focusing on the frustrations and jittering nervous pathways of the listener speaking directly to the frontal lobe his job to reside purely at the edge of our mental limitations.

16 of the biggest soul hits from the iconic motown label. including the likes of marvin gaye, the supremes, stevie wonder, michael jackson and many more.

rbchmbrs returns to 1432r with another mind bending dance ep. passports barges in with a mean kick drum and a manic attitude, slammin and trippin its way through sweaty samples. sliced mangos follows behind with more madness, a swaggering polyrhythm beneath a sicko loop. the b-side sees rbchmbrs slide back into freaky break mode. a cleaned up, bugged out update to the drum n bass featured on his first record. club tested and approved!

12 previously unreleased studio recordings - over 60 minutes of unheard jimi hendrix! exclusively remastered, 180 gram audiophile vinyl pressing.

2017 has seen many a debutant on toolroom and this could be the most exciting one yet as we welcome format:b to the toolroom family! the german tech house duo have been ruling dance floors for over 10 years now and most recently had their biggest success story when dance giants ministry of sound snapped up their chunky release that went on to hit the overall top 40 in the uk charts. this ep see s 2 slabs of pure tech house hedonism with the scoop leading the way. quirky, catchy synth hooks, powerful drums, a driving bass line and bundles of energy ensure that this track causes absolute carnage on the dance floor every time it s dropped! the flip continues where this leaves off with a raucous tech house groove and some great little vocal hooks and again, as we have come to expect with every format:b production, the energy levels are through the roof.

the music for this release was a process of literal catharsis, a purging of a build up of negative thoughts and emotions, but the music is also designed to be confrontational. the intent is to challenge mediocrity, to ask questions about the whole notion of techno as merely a form of debauched escapism. the music also asks questions about destructiveness and apathy. the aim is for something with meaning, as opposed to transience. our demons are your contentments- catharsis is the result of the meeting and collaboration between veteran techno producer -heretic- and dark ambient producer -emission-. the project is a quest to explore and purge negative thoughts via music. a modern ascetic experience in the pursuit of inner peace.

agorias second outing on sapiens presents some of his most uncompromising work to date. boomerang manifests live percussion and analog pulse waves, rising through shepard tone drama and succinct, minimalist form. three additional solo performances accompany the title track - a clin doeil to the minimalist french synth pioneers of yesteryear. an exercise in humanity.

duat (pronounced do-aht) was the realm of the dead in ancient egyptian mythology. the deity osiris was believed to be the lord of the underworld since he personified rebirth and life after death, being the first mummy as depicted in the osiris myth.the underworld was also the residence of various other gods along with osiris. the duat was the region through which the sun god re traveled from west to east each night, and it was where he battled apep, who embodied the primordial chaos which the sun had to defeat in order to rise each morning and bring order back to the earth. it was also the place where peoples souls went after death for judgement, though that was not the full extent of the afterlife. burial chambers formed touching-points between the mundane world and the duat, and the akh, the effectiveness of the dead, could use tombs to travel back and forth from the duat. duat (or duatrecords) is a label by amin fallaha and r100.

finally here we are with the fourth release on last drop records, signed by the london-based stavrogin. collectors takes a more subdued approach from his debut on australian label 3bs, focusing on ampdriven ambient textures and digital experimentation. sixty acres is a juddering mass of static textures and penetrative low end, forcing itself to a crumbled close. title track collectors is something like the afterglow. weary and destitute, the track stumbles through heatwave soaked atmospheres, fragmented voices stuttering like a malfunctioning android. are these actual miles? is perhaps the most direct, with its tremors of noise punctuated by a rhythmic pulse. this is a feature italian duo ichinen have capitalised on in their closing remix, reducing the track to a warbling, dead-eyed drum workout.

drumcode returns with its 6th installment of the internationally celebrated a-sides series. renowned for fostering a shared space between industry tastemakers and rising talent alike, the careful curation that goes into each volume is a fine example of why beyer s brand continues to go from strength to strength. techno titan adam beyer has grown drumcode into a force to be reckoned with, the label has become synonymous with forward-thinking, functional techno and even after 20 years, drumcode continues to find new boundaries to push, and ways to solidify its legacy as the world s number one techno label. 2017 is no exception, with beyer s imprint hosting it s first stage at tomorrowland, not to mention the expansion of the critically acclaimed junction 2 where the drumcode stage is the centrepiece and adam plays the key role of festival director. the drumcode phenomenon continues to grow each week, chiefly fuelled by drumcode radio, adam s radio show thats broadcast in 57 countries via 86 stations and to a global audience of 16 million techno fans per week. the a-sides series acts as a perfect vignette of drumcode s cutting-edge sound, functional yet inspired techno, all tracks tried and tested by beyer himself. vol. 6 continues this tradition with a collection of 16 multi-faceted cuts from a mixture of both emerging artists and experienced label friends. the heart-throbbing bass in amelie lens electrifying piece in silence sets the tone for the dark and dance-floor-ready energy that vol.6 carries the whole way through. other standouts include mars bill s rough n ready mohave. pulsating and precise, mohave has highlighted many of beyer s sets recently as has wehbba s monster track fake , which fans have been anticipating the release of all year. label-favourites dense & pika also feature on a-sides vol. 6 with their hard-hitting just a beat and a huge track from beyer himself who has joined forces with enrico sangiuliano to bring us their undeniably infectious preset heaven. with many more notable selections from the likes of julian jewell, timmo, tiger stripes and pig&dan, a-sides vol. 6 is another impressive addition to the label s prolific release roster and a testament to why drumcode remains at the forefront of the electronic world.

réminiscences is a selection of 8 standards of the band revisited in a more punchy and electro style compared to the original versions but preserving what made the specificity of the opera multi steel sound. indeed, on boosted rhythms and fully re-recorded vocals, those new versions use sounds and “historical” instruments cherished by the band since its beginnings: tr 808, tr 606, tb 303, elex, casio vl-1, recorders, medieval choirs and various samples. the texts have been preserved in their entirety. the tracks are taken from albums such as cathedral (un froid seul, du son des cloches...) a contresens (les sens, las), les douleurs de l’ennui, la légende dorée (fureur en asie) and even from the very first vinyl ep of the band (massabielle). the artworks of the disc and sleeve, as well as the video clip coming together, have been realized by alan cassiano, who based his graphic work on visual atmospheres inherited from the very first vinyl ep of the band, using images taken from the encyclopedia (xviiith century) and perspectives by jan vredeman de vries (xvith century). finally, reminiscences is not a simple compilation of tracks, but rather a kind of travel through the different ages of opéra multi steel’s music rearranging/revisiting classic songs and images through nowadays eyes and ears.
limited edition of 250 numbered copies on picture vinyl.

sue zukis inaugural recorded document the we are all very anxious tape is in our opinion one of the most innovative audio expeditions that has resonated with us. boldly defying and deconstructing conventional genre tropes we arent being bias by saying that either. this is a genuinely sincere perspective. the key to sue zukis music is her vocals where she misanthropically preaches the records themes of psychological alienation and despair, trapped within an augmented virtual reality. whilst trapped and unable to properly function inside this distorted simulation there are the bewildering sounds of a thousand voices and every conversation unhealthily looping inside yourre mind, through the echo chamber. manifesting into a bleak neurotic obsession and feelings of inadequacy, a desperate plea, blinded and fatigued by the unnerving glare of the computer screen, processing too much information and not knowing if the human interactions youre experiencing are genuine or artificial.

after 3 eps on don williams a.r.t.less imprint munichs trap10 start their own label and the debut is a versatile dancefloor ep through and through. while unmistakably influenced by classic 1990ies era techno, the detroit schooled tunes resemble the duos flexibility - be ready for interesting yet effective dj cuts to add to your record collection. a1 flight 781? - straight rhythm action with dark chords and a mesmerising bassy melody. b1 shakem - rumbling electro drums and broken beats complemented by a grimy vocal.

one of the funkiest albums ever from gilberto gil – a set that beautifully mixes rootsy elements with tighter funk arrangements – in a style that’s not unlike some of the 70s samba soul experiments from jorge ben! the record borrows heavily from american funk and soul of the time, and takes gil’s tight songwriting and infuses it with an even catchier edge than ever before – really creating a fantastic groove that seems to illuminate gilberto’s lyrics even more than before – with a sense of personality and joy that really comes through, even beyond the barriers of language! the whole thing s wonderful – tight, but never overproduced – and very individual, despite an influence from american soul music. titles include -rafavela-, -aqui e agora-, -ile aye-, -baba alapala-, -era nova-, -samba do aviao-, and -balafon-.

a landmark album from late 60s brazil! this is the first – and the wildest – album by this legendary group that was one of the founding forces of the tropicalia movement – a brilliant musical statement that easily ranks with some of the most groundbreaking late 60s american work by the velvet underground, captain beefheart, or the stooges! the music is a wonderful blend of 60s rock and early mpb – hard-driving with plenty of guitars, but also produced with beautifully baroque touches that echo through simultaneous albums by caetano veloso and gal costa – both of whose 1969 albums are strongly resonant with this one. in fact, caetano contributed a number of tracks to the album, including -panis et circenses-, -bat macumba-, -trem fantastma-, and his great -baby-, which is done fantastically here. great stuff all ’round!

• special deal
• 2xgatefold lp from les graciés
• silkscreened artwork by al white & house of traps
les graciés is a collaboration in the truest sense between paris-based sound artist gaël segalen and deepblak co-founder afrikan sciences. segalen’s experiments in electroacoustic sound met the wider world this year via a debut lp for erratum, an arresting work that showcases her ability to merge hypnotic murk ala angus maclise with the hard concréte of parmegiani & reibel. segalen’s ihearu imprint / organisation is a platform for her various doings, including psychogeographical audio works and multi-media collaborations, as well as servicing as a reference point for other contemporary female artists working across various mediums. eric douglas porter aka african sciences has been deconstructing and re-building forms of contemporary black music since the mid-2000’s, through releases on deepblak (the label he co-runs with aybee) and pan. his musical universe is one of warping cadences and celestial melody, referencing the bold work of percussionists like milford graves & art jenkins, the dissonant chords of motor city techno and stripped back essence of early chicago house matched with broken hard bop sentiments: all tied together with an aesthetic that sits somewhere between sun ra’s omniverse, jean giraud mœbius and dogon cosmology. together as le graciés, segalen and porter make a wholly unclassifiable strain of music that, while containing recognisable elements of each individual s work, also creates a third entity in the process, which can be heard to stunning effect on their forthcoming debut lp ‘low doses’ for firecracker recordings.

roxy music’s album from 1979 back on vinyl. half speed mastered at abbey road studios, heavyweight vinyl, download code.

p.o.s steps even further into genre-blurring territory with chill, dummy, his first official release with doomtree records since the release of his debut album ipecac neat. the album reflects on the past three years since a near-fatal kidney transplant sidelined him from making music and deals with the the difficulties of trying to maintain peace of mind and navigate through a confusing world, which is becoming increasingly more alienating. p.o.s’ production fingerprints are all over this one as he maneuvers through a wide range of sprawling beats contributed by himself, usual suspects lazerbeak and ryan olson, and newcomers cory grindberg and makr. several friends touch down along the way to offer up biting commentary and varying points of view (allan kingdom, astronautalis, kathleen hanna, justin vernon, open mike eagle, busdriver, and lady midnight, to name a few), but the album never suffers from an oversaturation of scattered voices, instead using everyone’s individual ethos and strengths to build a unifying call to arms. the result is p.o.s’ most bold, honest, and daring work to date, so chill, dummy.
blue marbled double vinyl in gatefold sleeve with fold-out poster.

alkan explores the fringes of club melancholy on remixes first for old friends hot chip, whose boy from school builds and builds to dancefloor catharsis, while mockasins forever dolphin love maintains the whimsical qualities of the original, even when shot through with an irresistible bassline.

four perfectly matched tracks from the labels family of producers, based in russia (guydee, black lenin, mutenoise) and uk (darran p), which create a whole story together. you can use tracks from the bright side as twilight feelers for your warmup sessions, or turn on to the dark side to go deeper with your dancefloor. this release is all about the time which is flowing through the night with your mind and your dreams. you are going to love it. a1. guydee chronic hey label creator guydee opens with his unpredictable sample work and a deep concentrated groove, which feels like a massage in your head. a2. black lenin summer storm a hip-hop swingin 4/4 house beat from the russian dj & bass-player anton lymarev is a sample based cut showing off his solid mpc skills, using the fly from the legendary maynard ferguson. b1. darran p regrets the one and only darran pownall (city fly, uk) presents his gentle touch & crystal clear bass with beautiful sound mixing. high quality vibes for all kinds of dancefloors. b2. mutenoise mystical path alex bannikov aka mutenoise brings us the natural dancefloor killer for his debut on the minor notes. this track makes bodies swing every time its played.

nice price deal !!! new years deal - what more can be said about 2016 for red rack em apart from massive? in march, he released the instant classic wonky bassline disco banger which has been one of the biggest selling house tracks of the year, picking up praise and plays across the board from moodymann, the black madonna and mcde right through to disclosure and mark ronson.
tomato pope is a slamming party banger. somewhere between house, techno, african music and broken beat, the drums are driving, the bassline is huge and the vocal samples get mangled throughout the track. it s another guaranteed floor wrecker from red rack em and gives a tantalising taste of the lp weight to follow.

two of alkans most bombastic reworks over one disc. his scene-defining cut of justices breakthrough club hit waters of nazareth adds a subtle chicago drum edit to the originals notorious snarl, while the australian bands why wont you make up your mind? psych-rock is blasted through with euphoric electro energy.

acid house creator dj pierre digs through the vaults & releases a 12 track, 12 artist double lp showcasing acid s true pioneers from across the globe. 2x lp black vinyl with dj pierre acid history sleeve notes, shrink wrapped.

elsewhere mcmxiii is a compilation full of electronic textures with a unique character to it, analog, lo-fi, slow dancing vibes. compiled by dj sofa for débruit s ici label, the record is a 12-track journey through future retro oddities, that navigate in disco, coldwave, kraut territories, with a taste for experimentation, while being great to dance to. it showcases a scene well represented at clubs like -salon des amateurs- or close to labels like antidote, music from memory, macadam mambo and dark entries.

das debütalbum der gruppe von januar 1967 enthält den welthit light my fire und den song the end, der unter anderem durch den film apocalypse now wieder bekannt wurde und dessen originalaufnahme teilweise auf plattenaufnahmen wegen seines textes zensiert wurde. dabei handelt es sich um die griechische sagengestalt Ödipus, ein königssohn, der unwissentlich seinen vater tötet, seine mutter heiratet und mit ihr schläft. die textzeilen: „father i want to kill you, mother i want to fuck you“ erschienen der Öffentlichkeit als zu vulgär, wenngleich schon seit jahrtausenden selbige szene in den theatern aufgeführt wurde. weiterhin enthält das album das brecht/weill-lied alabama song.

• sixth and final part in a series of first-time vinyl editions of early rse material
• originally released on tape in 2012 in a run of 16 copies
• remastered by paul corley, cut at d&m, berlin
• 500 copies
• riyl coil, demdike stare, prurient, brian eno / jon hassell’s fourth world...

late 80s south african dance floor winners only! selected by dj okapi and antal, the compilation holds tracks by jivaro, the hard workers, ayobayo band, s.y.b. & many more. this is the sharp electronic music that fuelled the local pantsula dances during the 80s and 90s . a must have for fans of bubblegum and kwaito music. top tip! the 12 tracks selected for pantsula! come from a very unique, very different time and place. they represent the birth of electronic dance music in south africa, through the songs of one particular independent label from the time: music team. the sound represents the culmination of the bubblegum era, when south africa’s disco artists outgrew their american influences and forged an increasingly electronic and ‘local’ pop sound.

shlomo takes a step away from his own taapion records to return to delsin for his second full ep for the label. the parisian producer serves up two of his modern techno jams, a lush ambient piece plus a slamming rework by tommy four seven. up first is in absentia: tome 2, a follow up track to his last ep on the label. it is another cold techno cut with turbulent drums down low and icy, slithering hi hats up top all backed by synths that light up the track from behind with a heavenly glow. tbilisian cure is a more abrasive affair with blistered synth lines and scurrying electronics running through the fast and brutal drums. lali then flips the script and offers an ambient excursion with watery synths forming celestial puddles in the sky. it s a zoned out soundtrack that s the perfect comedown. finishing off the ep, 47 label boss tommy four seven flips this one into a weightless techno groove that rocks back and forth on the drums as sweeping chords leave you feeling suspended in mid air. plenty of ground is covered in this one, and all with equally compelling results.

drumcode returns with its 6th installment of the internationally celebrated a-sides series. renowned for fostering a shared space between industry tastemakers and rising talent alike, the careful curation that goes into each volume is a fine example of why beyer s brand continues to go from strength to strength. techno titan adam beyer has grown drumcode into a force to be reckoned with, the label has become synonymous with forward-thinking, functional techno and even after 20 years, drumcode continues to find new boundaries to push, and ways to solidify its legacy as the worlds number one techno label. 2017 is no exception, with beyers imprint hosting it s first stage at tomorrowland, not to mention the expansion of the critically acclaimed junction 2 where the drumcode stage is the centrepiece and adam plays the key role of festival director. the drumcode phenomenon continues to grow each week, chiefly fuelled by drumcode radio, adam s radio show that s broadcast in 57 countries via 86 stations and to a global audience of 16 million techno fans per week. the a-sides series acts as a perfect vignette of drumcode s cutting-edge sound, functional yet inspired techno, all tracks tried and tested by beyer himself. vol. 6 continues this tradition with a collection of 16 multi-faceted cuts from a mixture of both emerging artists and experienced label friends. the heart-throbbing bass in amelie lens electrifying piece in silence sets the tone for the dark and dance-floor-ready energy that vol.6 carries the whole way through. other standouts include mars bill s rough n ready mohave. pulsating and precise, mohave has highlighted many of beyer s sets recently as has wehbba s monster track fake, which fans have been anticipating the release of all year. label-favourites dense & pika also feature on a-sides vol. 6 with their hard-hitting just a beat and a huge track from beyer himself who has joined forces with enrico sangiuliano to bring us their undeniably infectious preset heaven . with many more notable selections from the likes of julian jewell, timmo, tiger stripes and pig&dan, a-sides vol. 6 is another impressive addition to the label s prolific release roster and a testament to why drumcode remains at the forefront of the electronic world.

scientists. white lab coats. the whirr of computers. sc-164 was a sonic experiment. greg schappert, an electronic musician known as donor, was the willing subject. its purpose? to melt man and computer in audio form, machine music created by an artificial being. but soon it became too powerful, self aware. the creators tried to pull the plug. they were too late. now this assailant floats from machine to machine, communicating its message through serrated snares and bruising bass. sc-164 was cast aside by its makers. now the project has one objective, to corrupt circuitboards and speakers with an infectious strain of corrosive electro.

j slusher speaks through partial magic. these four cyborgian utterances contained herein shall pursue you along the corridors of your mindframe. their technoid alloys shall whisper the acid machine language to the ghost in your core. mixes well with infernal, dystopian noise of the j train.

fresh drum & bass / jungle bizz

following swayzak’s gestures of a sycophant, the third release on beatnik boulevard sees the return of appleblim after he launched the label in style with the conch shell motives ep. this time the berlin-based producer is working alongside long-time collaborator and fellow bristol bassweight alumni komon – the duo have turned out eps for aus music and apple pips in the past, but this 12” represents the first new material from them since 2014. the heads-down, meditative lilt of appleblim & komon’s bristol past looms in the shadows on this ep, but it’s shot through with a steely, modernist dance floor bite and high-end sound design. know yourself pivots around crafty, 2-step kinked drums but there’s plenty of space afforded to atmospheric synth surges that plunge the track into a mood-altering headspace just to the left of the conventional dance floor

setting out to make some happy music, sophie lloyd produced calling out in a dreary january as an antidote to the pervading doom and gloom of the news, summoning the power of the most joy-filled sound of all, gospel. this no-holds-barred anthem radiates all the live atmosphere of gospel worship in mid flow, with full instrumentation, keyboard breaks and understated kick drum pulling it all together. bringing in the uplifting voices of soul trio dames brown to re-record some old gospel samples was the icing on the cake, adding the last element of authenticity. a new member of the classic family, sophie lloyds impeccable knowledge of disco, soul and house shines through in this sparkling record, available on 7inch for the very first time.

the man behind church records and half the force propelling coastal haze, seb wildblood, jumps over to let s play house for a laid back, suave four tracker that ll smooth out that transition we re all going through as summer fades and the embers of autumn begin to burn brighter. necessary happiness, the first track, a improvisatory, noodly deep house ambler, sets the pace and tone. from there, the british producer ups the tempo a bit and explores the darker contours of red light-lit basement caves and after- hours haunts with the ep s title track. the flip is briefer: necessary happiness (mad sax mix) is an embellished and brighter reprise of the a1, and“pass the pen is a loose instrumental that has the bones of a break beat interlude built atop a jazzy hip-hop beat. is that a dewy sea mist on the horizon at dawn or a heavy cloud of smoke machine fog veiling a strobe in the middle of the night?