matt flanagan has been making music as defekt, ess and tinfoil for the past few years, so who better to put out the debut release on first cut? we decided early on that there was no point in repeating his admittedly fine back catalogue, so matt went off one evening and did a 30-minute live jam on his machines. there was no real plan, but between us, we picked the three best bits, which you now own. then we had to come up with a name. initially, we toyed with the idea of calling it ‘fekt’ but then decided that only a local audience would appreciate the joke and that it wouldn’t travel well. octal step then emerged as the clear favourite. we sealed the deal to release ‘toner head’ over a cup of takeaway coffee on a bench in the stephen’s green cente in dublin. and why is gunter walraff on the other side of this sheet? well, he seems like a cool guy. plus he’s german and has a moustache - what’s there not to like about that?

bawrut has had an amazing couple of years. since kicking our label off back in 2015 with the modern acid classic ciquita (12inches of which will now set you back silly money on discogs), the madrid-based producer has gone from strength to strength. last year saw him tear down sets at sonar and farr festivals, drop a feted new ep on hard fist records, and have his music soundtrack numerous adverts for fabric events. other djs have been quick to show their appreciation, and bawrut’s unique appeal can be seen in how far and wide across the spectrum his music has featured. optimo, avalon emerson, patrick topping, jackmaster, artwork, andrew weatherall and many more have all supported heavily. were proud to kickstart bawrut’s 2018 with 4x4, a brand new ep of typically leftfield bangers. these four tracks come on like a whirlwind journey through a bawrut dj set, with something for every time of the night. ghettoscar fuses african chants with burbling acid, building the kind of goodtime dancefloor warmth bawrut is famed for. more cowbell does exactly what you’d expect, giving djs a glorious, cowbell-powered disco bomb that fuses the spirit of incredible bongo band with classic nyc house. i hear voices is a crazy ride, with an expertly cut up vocal sample repurposed into a weird, descending riff that’s quite unlike anything else out there. throw in bawrut’s trademark kitbag of carnival whistles, rattling latin percussion and a creeping acid line that works itself up into a soul-salving joy and youve got a modern classic on your hands. finally, lead track three sounds is probably bawruts biggest moment to date, a peak time jacking techno monster built from the most minimal of elements - drums, claps, a one note bass squelch and a tom drum gone wild. bawrut takes this tom sound and treats it like a 303, pushing far off the rails, working it up and up, twisting it through pitch and frequency like a man possessed, raising its pressure til it tears off the roof. theres no one else making techno quite like it - and you can expect dancefloors to be going crazy to the mania of three sounds throughout 2018 so there you have it - four more missives from the wizard of madrid. play em loud.

its almost 20 years ago that hector left mexico to pursue his dream of dj-ing. on this journey, he has learnt that there is no room for complacency, and to stay sharp you need to test your skills. vlack is a new imprint created by hector for techno focused releases, that he also enjoys playing and producing, outside of those deeper more minimal grooves.

for a star to be born there is one thing that must happen, a nebula must collapse.
so collapse
crumble
this is not destruction
this is birth.

next cocoon floor bomb! cocoon recordings is back with a bang after the winter break, cranking up the pressure once again. what s more, we re seriously pleased that we ve managed to land johannes volk for the new season. johannes has been making us smile with his productions for more than 12 years and considering his 2006 debut appeared on jeff mills axis label, it s easy to guess which direction his cocoon release is going. there are no dreamy minimal sounds or deep house trips this time round, instead you ll find headstrong techno pumping out of the speakers. tears & walls drives forward relentlessly with its meaty kick and metallic open hi-hats setting the pace. energetic and demanding throughout, johannes volk certainly takes no prisoners! -a little story about time and space- follows in its footsteps although the mood here is notably more detroit, taking us back to productions on cult labels like red planet, metroplex or the axis records sound. volk layers the track with more prominent harmonies and hypnotic arpeggios, giving it a subtle yet highly effective trance touch. the warm analog strings in the middle section underline this emotional impact and make a little story about time and space a guaranteed sunrise song for the upcoming spring and summer season, heartwarming and dance floor friendly in equal measures!

deep heads are very proud to present escapism refuge s album hold , the deluxe vinyl edition. it contains the full 13 tracks originally released at the end of 2017 with an added 5 tracks previously unreleased. 2 of the tracks are exclusive to the vinyl purchase that will only be available on download card that is foud inside each vinyl. there are 2 remixes in total to the deluxe edition, the first coming from none other than r&s / apollo records very own synkro. he put s a beautiful twist on the track fly away featuring chari brix and takes the record to new dimensions. the other remix of mistakes comes from nottingham s finest, congi. it s a 140bpm roller that packs a serious punch. the subs are blazing and beats are full & beefy. bravo congi, bravo! 1 of the previously unreleased tracsk is dream fly by the man himself. a little more experimental than his usual stuff, but is pretty incredible all the same. then the last 2 are secret for now, you ll have to grab yourself a copy and find out from the download card ,)

we are going deep below the sea level for this release on pulse drift. down there, musical treasures of rare quality can be encountered and brought to you through this excellent 5-track ep! greek artist kon001 delivers an aquatic storm of underwater electro and techno in best detroit tradition. yet he puts his very own ingredients to the essence, mixing up submerged soul and marine funk, sci-fi concepts and greek mythology. catch a deep breath and follow on this musical dive!

limited edition 12 inch clear vinyl. includes signed 30x30cm inlay, postcard with download code and stickers.

limited edition 12 inch black vinyl. includes signed 30x30cm inlay, postcard with download code and stickers.

after the sublime triple 12inch re-issue of the sonar bases 4-10 album on deeptrax records, it s now time for the second installment in the sonar base transmissions series: the album dark matter . all 6 tracks were produced by frank de groodt around 2004/2005 and were only released in the inner circle, never released on vinyl. this mini lp still sounds as fresh as it was produced 13 years ago, experimental on the drums and synths. when listening to sonic discharge and velvet sky of sonar 6 , the link with drexciya is easily made. sonar base takes you further into outer space territory with the dark sounds of polygone suffering and the title track dark matter there is the clear idm feel of tracks like meet you at tower 3 on sonar 7 . dark matter is a hypothetical type of matter distinct from baryonic matter (ordinary matter such as protons and neutrons), neutrinos and dark energy. dark matter has never been directly observed, however, its existence would explain a number of otherwise puzzling astronomical observations the mini lp is limited to 400 black versions and 100 on limited edition purple marbled vinyl, pressed by deepgrooves and fully remastered by thee j johanz. you know the drill!!

meditative and off-kilter, dubkasm’s new 12” is, unsurprisingly, completely unlike any other tune out there, and pays tribute to a too-frequently overlooked part of reggae tradition: dub poetry. originating in a collaboration between dubkasm and their long-time friend, norway-dwelling heavyweight bass guitarist, bajan steppa, enter the gates is a discomix built on a tuff bassline, skittering drums and retro synths, and features reflective, courageous lyrics about the enduring power of black liberation movements and consciousness, from gloucester vocalist rider shafique. the b-side contains an upfront instrumental cut, followed, in true dubkasm style, by a collaboration with a musical titan. mad professor’s incredible dub flips the original into a propulsive soundsystem killer, retaining the tune’s heart and spirit, but driving and percussive where the original is deep and soulful. mastered on to 1/2” tape at stardelta studios, and pressed on 180g vinyl.

a californian psychedelic surf on a wave that breathes dream-pop. a desire to fly above the himalaya mountains and go down the andes in summer toboggan. with the promising release of their debut ep -the world is in your hands-, there is a wave not to be missed for any good self-respecting surfer.-

special triple pack for all you komplement lovers out there - contains 3 classic releases:
- kpl001: ludwig buez - circus ep (gino’s & snake remix)
- kpl002: ludwig buez - losing tears (oscar remix)
- kpl003: ludwig buez - day after / mesa verde

edwards graceful take on modern house and techno is a perfect fit for trelik, and the german producer sounds comfortable as he unfurls swooning threads of otherworldly music for the tripped out dancefloor. the ogermania mx of mikko is a hazy, string soaked affair pitched somewhere warm and dreamlike, but there s plenty of energy churning away in the lower register. lottery is a more twitchy affair for darker times, all moody bass bounce and looming drones around a shuffling set of percussion. groaning ghosts is the techiest of the bunch, and theres a whole lot of freaked out sound design swirling around in the mix as well. this is simply stunning, highly advanced dance music from a modern day maestro.

somewhere between dub and space lies the work of unknown wonders, like the one created by normal stage. a1 starts like part of a typhoon taking everything in it’s path. the pounding sub will crunch the dancefloor vibeing towards the core of the nervous system. the tunnel is open: b1 will open a star gate through precise push and pull movements. there is light at the end, but the trip is long. it’s a time travel where senses are altered. b2 takes us back to the ground where it all started. heavy basslines and lush pads are chanting in celestial ambiance. the drum of earth is the heart of the dance, a ritual for all things normal.

the berlin based gel abril kicks off his new closed circuits label in a full form presenting a strong record by talented polish artist oskar szafraniec, a crafted producer, known by his latest 12” on rawax with ricardo villalobos, eps on murge recordings, cyclo or collaborations with pier bucci. for the debut release on closed circuits, oskar has collaborated with the swedish very addictive duo and has delivered his best work to date, a music piece called “borderline”, filled with lush vocals and hypnotic pads that kicks the label with a proper bang.
on the a side - the label boss himself, gel abril, turning “borderline” into a burner, with his very own distinctive groove and effected vocals, surely to be one of the main tracks for 2018! on the flip side, already mentioned original mix of “borderline” and another collaboration by oskar, this time with legendary chilean master pier bucci, bringing minimalistic experimental goodness, perfect for those special after hour moments we all love. gel abril said: “listening to borderline for the first time it just blew my mind and gave me that goosebumps feeling you rarely get with most of music out there these days, i felt very inspired remixing such an magnificent vocal, it is one for the books!”

part 3 of the soul of the automaton series. this is soulful techno, electro with subtle ambient elements and idm echoes, touching the more experimental side of music here and there. bunnik has not completely severed his links with the past but he is unafraid of the future. this is again emotive, futuristic, concise, dissonant utopian glitch music that s equally as good for the club as it is for the soul. constructed on the west coast of holland in the harbour city of rotterdam.

metro skim returns to 6dimensions with actualising possibilities. there’s a degree of cohesion found in metro skims releases on 6dimensions, both socially and physically. each of the six metro skim records will feature a different segment of the same painting, revealing the whole picture when all six have been collected.

delicate wash, a new label for edits, is run by anonymous vinyl enthusiasts craving to deliver the gems for all the discerning djs and collectors out there. these gems are cut and polished following very high quality standards! this debut release is a synth-heavy selection, with a definite cosmic vibe throughout. in short: ultimate killer edits, four diverse and at the same time perfectly matching tracks that are sure to be ace cards in your arsenal.

by all rights, the name chevals might be a new one on a few folks out there. but, we encourage you not to confuse pedigree with quality of output because with chevals the two go hand in hand. his first two outings on homage & better listen records soared to the top of the sales charts and we re stoked to finally release our 10inch with him to help keep the momentum for what is sure to be a successful run for the french beat-smith.

a zonked-out, spectacularly fun, and dynamic ep from the australian producer whose previous efforts have appeared on lobster theremin s distant hawaii and seb wildbloods all my thoughts. lively, punchy drums throughout, splashes of tropicalia here and there, smatterings of dubby strangeness sprinkled across, and wash upon wash of pads everywhere. a jolly good time to be played in big and small rooms alike.

2lp gatefold, incl dl card , there are some records that manage to sound both of a time and utterly timeless and bon voyage organisation s jungle? quelle jungle? (a nod to supertramp s crisis? what crisis?) is one of those albums. its silken-smooth production, irresistible grooves, funk-tinged guitars, lush soundscapes and general glowing presence could easily lead one to believe that have dug up a lost disco gem from the 1970s. however, behind the disco-pop gleam lies eerie dystopian sci-fi ruminations of a futuristic bent and tones that can often feel as french as they do asian or african. this sort of cross-continental exploration is an expansion on bvo s previous two eps, the man behind the organisation, adrien durand, says. -i tried to continue the musical expedition between dystopian science-fiction haunted africa - plus haitian vaudou on -soleil dieu- - and futuristic asia. addressing, in a double entendre manner, some of the political issues that i am sensitive to.- in fact the jungle in question in the album s title is a metaphorical one and one that creates a vast series of environments for durand to explore such subjects as world trade, utopian ideals and themes of idols, as well as of time and communication. however, one will need to speak french to decipher such explorations, as well as shake off the natural impulse to move with every glorious beat on its 13 tracks, of which are moved along by maud nadal and agathe bonitzer s golden vocals.

wonderful 70s work from tom ze! the record’s a bit more straightforward than some of his other records from the decade, and has a number of tracks with a samba sound at the base – but there’s more than enough fantastic material to keep the record fresh, and tom’s writing is as great as ever. there’s a vocal group that sings with ze on many of the tracks on the record – but they also seem to sometimes act as a greek chorus, in response to breakaway vocal passages that are dominated by ze. includes the excellent baroque funky number “dor e dor”, plus the tracks “sonho colorido de um pintor”, “a baba”, “o sandalo”, “a briga do edificio italia com o hilton hotel”, and “happy end”. pressing on 180 gram vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

japanese guitarist kazumi watanabe has been a treasure of leftfield music in the far east since the 70s, and jazzy conscious are doing a great service in highlighting the delicate talents of this gifted artist for a new generation. there s a new age lilt to the looped up melodic chime patterns that course through -garuda- as they flirt with watanabe s effervescent playing. kuniyuki then hops on the b side to deliver a contemporary remix of the track that shapes out a brooding, immersive atmosphere populated by earthly drums and looming reverb.

hard work is the first release on industria, robi insinna s brand new project label.

back in 2001 robi insinna founded the seminal relish label in direct response to a then- dominant sound in club music. its catalogue is as vast as it is varied and foreshadowing the music he d go on to make himself under headman/manhead. fast forward to 2018 and after more than a decade he s on the move again launching new project label, industria with not quite an album, not quite an ep, hard work. robi felt there was no reason to split projects the way he did with his aliases and as such the debut will be released under robi s own name.
industria will be focused more on vinyl releases, but not solely vinyl. the project will encompass all area s of robi s work and ties together elements of his art and visual design projects.
limited to 150 numbered copies.

exos label x/oz continues to grow as a distinct voice in the world of minimal techno, this time around inviting russian producer nikita zabelin to explore his sound with a sizable ep of finely crafted techno and thought-provoking ambience. -confusion- is a consummate slice of hypnotic techno crackling with heavily processed energy, while -pluton- drifts into rich beatless territory. there s more experimental fare afoot with the fractured tumbles of -curtains-, but -trans siberian express- is on hand to lock things back into a sturdy rhythmic framework. exos also takes the time to remix -brooklyn train- into a noirish dub techno workout.

second transmission from distant worlds comes courtesy of derek carr (for those that knoe, where we met, why so series). his music has been turning heads since the turn of the millenium but only in the last few years has he been getting the recognition he deserves. his productions have a timeless, celestial quality and reward multiple listens, there is always a hint of subtle beauty about his work and this is no exception. scisor and wraith are built for the club whilst fading fast and sunrise in system will work equally well in a club or for home listening. more than a nod to detroit in these productions but all unmistakeably carr productions.

sascha borchardt (a.k.a monoloc) will start a label, unterland, with a new ep.
the label will serve as a vehicle through which the german producer takes a step away from the club environment by presenting new sonic interpretations, including experimental, minimalist, and atmospheric. material will come from monoloc himself and friends, and the focus will be on “dramatic” sounds with drone and noise influences. think movie soundtracks and film music, albeit with both feet planted in the electronic genre. each release will aim to “tell a story” through 8 to 10 productions.
unterland will launch in end of march 2018 with a collaborative ep by monoloc and beauty of inconsequenz, a unsearchable and unidentified project with no previous recording history. the eight tracks are all based heavily on field recordings, the sound is dark and deeply atmospheric with dubstep influences. while distanced somewhat from the 4/4 format, the tracks are cerebral and hypnotic.
from there on, there will be 3-4 releases per year, each of which will be accompanied by high quality artwork as curated by borchardt, who will work closely with selected photographers and artists to provide imagery that aesthetically compliments the music.

felix nisblé is putting out the 3rd release under his blint moniker. continuously searching for those short moments of self-empowerment, which keep popping up and slipping right back through his hands, again and again. b003 tries to capture some of this emotion with two tracks, oscillating heavily between euphoria and delusion.
“ghostworks” on the a-side feels like blindly walking through a forest in the middle of a storm, with lots of ghosts whispering through the trees. on the b-side there is “footworks”, which sounds like an out-of-snyc robot drummer is getting chased away by the police. both tracks connect through their simple yet beautifully silly basslines, which are paving the way for some heavily pounding drumtracks.
blint003 comes with a numbered screenprint by the artist rookie the weird.

on this 12- album engraved on 140gr. black wax, the two benelux rave veterans, x&trick and drvg cvltvre are heading back towards hangarsploitation yet without forgetting modern navigation techniques. black metal and punk multiple faced artist vincent koreman s (alias ra-x) vessel totes two low tempo tracks that are dropping doomish, grainy, noisey and caustic drums constellated with distorded and reverberated subterranean squeeking tb s howls. slightly faster and sprouting out of a rather recent analog ship, the two pieces from bug klinik s overlord are yielding cold, severe and daring drum programmation while some of the purest hooverish neo rave secretions are poured over and tightened through sick tb s laments.*as the mastering was done at wax moth audio studios* be sure this wave torpedo is ready to stick high voltage in your technics needle!

for the first time iron curtis enters the ring over the full ep length for uncanny valley. there hasn t been much of a discussion whether or not this is something for uncanny valley when iron curtis approached the four label heads with this new pile of dance floor material. these tunes are too good. iron curtis must have been particularly inspired by the muse while producing these four outstanding house tracks. you ll feel a comprehensive knowledge about dance music s history when listening. no doubt, the franconian who is now based in berlin has spent a good time of analysing house music s techniques. -sweet romancer- is the best example for his studio eloquence. modulated synths, a classic bass line and a whole batch of drum ideas are combined into a wonderful track. the interplay between subtlety and vitality characterizes -nixdorf danse-. plus, you won t forget those strings. on -triroom- he proves that he has a knack for melodies as well. finally, -take me home- should provide a lot of emotional moments on the dance floor with its dramatic piano and crescendo-like synth line.

this wonderful, balearic tinged disco rarity is getting the official reissue treatment finally! nicolette larsons lotta love has long been a sought after jam, with the promo only 12inch version changing hands for big dough! mixed by the legendary florida born and nyc dwelling mixer and dj extraordinaire jim burgess, this one straddles that gorgeous line of being a bit rock (neil young wrote the track) and totally disco in all the right ways. a truly sweet slice of music here backed with a nice cover of sam cooke s classic standard you send me . often bootlegged, there s been some shoddy facsimiles kicking around over the years this high quality, official, 100% legit reissue has been lovingly remastered by above board distribution in conjunction with warner brothers from the master tapes. what more can you ask for? this 2018 repress is a reproduction of the 1978 wb promo only 12inch complete with warner brothers artwork. essential business.

andreas tilliander released his first album as mokira at the very turn of the millennium on almighty raster noton. 11 years later, the latest mokira album time axis manipulation was issued on ulf erikssons kontra-musik and now it s time to pick up where we left off with chill out . there s an air of happy retrospect and light solemnity surrounding the new album - enhanced by the fact that it marks kontra-musik s 50th release. with chill out , mokira attempts to bring back the dreamlike state from those magical late nights of his youth spent in front of mtv s chill out zone, to go back to his ambient roots using contemporary techniques and perspectives. the result? well, imagine lee scratch perry and klf enjoying an episode of stranger things on a crappy vintage tv after being hard at work burying old tape recordings in perry s tropical garden. imagine them sitting together totally at peace in a big, cosy sofa while a heavy haze is building up in the room, pleasantly affecting the eerie images on the screen. we always knew kontra-musik s 50th release had to be something quite out of the ordinary. as expected, mokira didn t disappoint us one bit. the vinyl lp is accompanied with a download code for a mixed version of the album, containing almost double the amount of tracks. the mixed version makes it easy for the chill out listener to just sit back and let go of reality for a while, just like mokira did 25 years ago in front of his old tv.

uk hip hop’s original and best live band are back with brand new album ‘bring out the sound’, released in march 2018 on bbe music. founded in the early 90s by ollie teeba and jake wherry, the herbaliser have earned every single accolade they’ve received during almost 25 years of touring and recording. best known for delivering a series of groundbreaking albums on ninja tune and providing one of the all-time highlights of the ‘fabric live’ mix series, the herbaliser’s most recent lp ‘there were seven’ was issued on their own ‘department h’ imprint back in 2012. having worked with hip hop royalty such as jazzy jeff and pete rock over the years, not to mention releasing j dilla’s first and last solo albums, bbe are delighted to share in the herbaliser’s musical journey.

giorgio gordano and giorgio dolce originally produced kkk back in 1983, and the track was taken into the hearts of the blossoming balearic scene hovering around dj alfredo at amnesia. its as gentle and sweet natured as italo disco can be, and of course it makes perfect sense that best records would dig it out of the archives and give it the shiny new reissue it deserves. the club mix of kkk is a feast of simple, charming programmed melodies and crisp drum machine rhythms with the innocence of the early 80s in its heart. the dub mix and bonus beats on the flip are handy for the technical djs out there, but the club mix is where it s at for the lovers.

late eighties, early nineties. a back-alley studio in antwerp where new beat and detroit techno lingered. trance was still in the house. electronic body and mind music, fuelled by common sense and primitive artificial intelligence. there was a buzz about wonka. elektrons revolving around atom. humanity firmly on the mappa mundi. labels and sub labels, one-off projects and alter egos, unsung heroes and soon-to-be stars. laurent garnier pushing ludovic navarre to pass on his tapes. all-night light from koenie’s basement. sven van hees entangled in liaisons dangereuses. jan van den bergh before lounge. jan vanneste spreading the news. jan berquin and nicolas rosquin going quadratic. usa import was ready to export its own music. antwerp bio techno. homegrown and uncut. these tracks are evergreens from that place and tim

one of the most mysterious and outsider soca 45s out there by h.m. these eyes timothy. the a-side let me love sounds like doo wop recorded with oluko imo s gear. and the b-side soca hustle sounds like the residents jamming a marvin whoremonger song with augustus pablo. the original 45 is so obscure that even his siblings didnt know that he made music. and rumour has it that, frustrated by its lack of success, michael threw most of the copies of the 45 in the valley beside his family s house in the hills just outside port of spain. one-time pressing of 500 copies

central to the israeli club scene, deepa & biri have long been defying expectations even within a community they helped construct. serving as resident djs, activists and bookers for tel avivs legendary barzilay club, the pair helped build a transcendent club scene. hugely influential artists such as robert hood, derrick may, rødhad, ben klock and moritz von oswald passed through the club, enjoying legendary crowds and what they could surely sense was a genuine air of anarchy, rebellion and unadulterated rave pleasure. as the duo held down dozens of parties with dozens of djs, there was no ‘eureka moment for their emerging sound, just a steady stream of brilliant, inspiring electronic music, much of which left an indelible imprint on the pair. now based in berlin, for deepa & biri, things are much the same, even if the landscape and the city is different. always rooted in the fertile ground between machines and emotion, on their second full-length lp, ‘dominance, the duo demonstrate their unique grasp of the sensitive, unfolding relationship between man and machine. steadfast in their insistence never to remain in one lane in terms of their sound, ‘dominance flawlessly segues between forcefulness and weightlessness. from beginning to end, this is not a record afraid to show its teeth with an uncompromising, instantly recognisable techno palette that kicks the foundations of any sound system with menace, anger and determination, particularly on tracks such as the dense ‘voltage and pulsing throughout the more industrial flourishes of ‘ecole de nancy and ‘seeking solace.

after the first vinyl release (analog dub sessions) dub communication is back on 7”. this time frenk is using his korg ms20 to lay down an analog militant dub bass foundation. creating subs, stabs and catchy melody lines. a live played melodica, dipped in spring verbs, adding a human touch to the mix. futhermore we got atmospheric chords and heavy drums rhythms, as we know, frenk likes to produce. for the b side, there’s a heavy remix from belgium dub producer digid. his signature bass growl takes over, filtering and phasing through the audio spectrum. he adds more weight to the drums and new melodies on top. from the half time to the steppers rhythm as frenk took it the other way around.

laconic phrases are all about less words and more sense. we use the same principles in our stripped down grooves which are released on fresh imprint - laconica. its all about minimalistic dance-floor tools which were tested in different clubs around the world, from kyiv s closer to concrete in paris.
for a debut ep, label founder alex pervukhin presents 3 different grooves. on the a-side you can find hommie groove, which is an excellent example of a broken-beat house music with good-old airy juno pads. on b side there are two 4/4 tools: bb, which could be heard in varhat’s mix for concrete which was so hyped last year. aa is a peak-time killer with analogue chords and jackin bassline. strong minimalistic grooves - exactly what laconica is all about.

when we started the bunker new york label in 2014 there was a short list of artists whose music we knew that we wanted to get out into the world. lori napoleon, aka antenes, was high up on that list, although at the time the brooklyn-based chicago native had yet to release her recorded music at all. five years on, after acclaimed records on l.i.e.s. and silent season, residencies at issue project room and bell labs plus a busy global touring schedule as both a dj and live performer, we are proud and excited to present loris ante meridiem ep under her antemeridian production moniker. she tells us that the antemeridian project is a special outlet for her more melodic synthesizer compositions and the name antemeridian refers to morning light and the meridian lines of the planet, the view you would have from above if you were already in the sky/space/seeing the atmosphere also from a great distance.

b-stock - plastic cover is broken - music = mint .... 3 years on, and after their first critically acclaimed album on versatile, five steps (aka jonathan fitoussi and clemens hourrière), who have been likened to the godfathers of the synthesizer genre (think suzanne cianni, françois bayle or morton subotnik and you re almost there!) are back with espaces timbrés a brand new episode in their exploration of the legendary modular synthesizer - the buchla, specially crafted for versatile records. after 2 years of tireless work, ever pushing and furthering their musical research, fitoussi and hourrière reveal to us new territories, textures, sounds and feelings to explore with the help of the equally legendary i:cube on mixing duties to add even more sonic reflections and mixing desk wizardry. this one s a hyper-jump into the future made possible through a machine from the past, giving birth to those most captivating of electronic mantras... dive in, the water s warm!

yellow sunshine by the band of the same name is an essential proto-disco jam from back in 1973. a big one with the underground disco heads and b-boy dj s in the bronx alike this record is a sure-shot! often early hip-hop djs would buy 2 copies of this 45 or the lp and cut it up long enough for the crowd to get loose and into the groove. a party-rocker of the highest order. produced in philadelphia, originally released on kenny gamble s gamble label and featuring some heavyweight players including dexter wansel, roland chambers and more, yellow sunshine is the perfect blend of funk, rock & disco old school style. backed with don t tell me later girl a la the original 73 gamble records promo this one s an essential for anyone who digs that funk! there s always been poor imitations, but this 2017 repress is from the master tapes (yes, we can prove it) and is fully, 100% legit in every way. yellow sunshine now available again, released in conjunction with gamble / pir. back on the streets. same as it ever was! buy on sight!

2018 repress in original artwork! the debut album of these two young lads with baseball hats not only honours and delves into a sound that already peaked some fifteen years ago, it also hones and elevates it, without ever falling into the reynoldsmania trap (please see retromania for further reference) or being old gold retold. and this is all oh-so-clear from the very start: the fine flutes of >when its there< go straight to your heart and they do so without any self-mockery or hipster smiles as much as the gasping 303-sounds, chirping birds and healing dx-like bass sounds a few tracks later do. >salty days< - an allusion not to grim times, but to a certain members adoration for the crystalline mineral - is blessed with a coherence that isnt samey, with tradition that isnt leaden and a feeling that is pure.

gnawa is a uniquely moroccan sound with roots in islam and links to a healing ritual called lila (arabic for night). from this heritage comes innov gnawa, the only new york-based gnawa group made from moroccan natives, led by the mâalem (master) hassan ben jaafer. in 2016, pique-nique recordings presented their debut ep together and, since then, the band have also featured on bambro koyo ganda from bonobo s latest album. aicha is their much anticipated follow-up. alongside the joyous call and response between the maalem and the group that s common in gnawa, there are also hints of electronic programming interspersed between the traditional live instrumentation no doubt an influence of nicolas jaar collaborator dave harrington who produced the ep.

die letzten jahre im musikalischen leben des david kitt waren bestimmt vom touren und aufnehmen als teil der tindersticks, dem erkunden von techno, disco und house unter seinem alias new jackson, dem remixen von künstlern wie the xx oder shit robot und dem produzieren von dj-sets, radiosendungen und anderen künstlern. sein neues solowerk seit langer zeit (yous ist der plural aus dem irischen für you) ist das ergebnis ruhiger reflexion ohne druck, wie kitt erklärt: there was no pressure whatsoever with this record. no label or manager, or anyone breathing down my neck. i was happy to wait as long as it took to have the right 10 songs. yous erklingt ganz im sinne eines j.j. cale, ronnie lane und der love is overtaking me aera eines arthur russell und wurde größtenteils von kitt selbst auf einem dachboden in seinem zuhause in dublin aufgenommen

after an excellent first release featuring freerotation lynchpin steevio, russ gabriels rivers of groove label returns with a pair of excursions into lush, bubbling techno from gabriel on his own. as a first generation uk techno stalwart, its little wonder that he can turn out productions as accomplished as these, but there s no sense that he s treading water. ambulate bears the hallmarks of modular production, all twinkling, morphing synth tones chiming around a delicate beat, while dover calling favours a snappier electro palette, but both stand out from the crowd for the sheer quality in the production, the warmth in the composition and the needlepoint focus given to every shred of detail in this crucial cuts.

butterfred is back with two sick jams! night jam,clocking around the 100bpm tempo,is a detroit affine creamy late night post ukg piece of butter,while rugged jam,also around the 100bpm pulse,dwells in an industrial raw mid 90s breakbeat riddim cypher for the hoods out there!

strange valleys, the 2018 full-length from starving daughters, is a progression as well as a shift in sound from the la band s already-stellar previous releases. make no doubt about it that the sound of progressive rock and psychedelia still play a big role here but there s certainly a greater influence from library music on the new lp. the starving daughters vinyl impressions blog, led by chris tillotson of the band, shared the music of chris s collection of which many were library lp s. these records seemed to have seeped into the mind, body, and souls of the whole band on this strange valleys lp. everything from the instrumentation, the attention to melody, to the track-length shows the large appreciation they have for library music. that being said, this moog-heavy, psychedelic-prog-funk, california-themed record is certainly unique and adventurous. winding through the exotic roads of strange valleys is certainly a trip well worth taking over and over again.