rdk island return with their second record. this time, as the cover suggests, it gets darker and more enigmatic. wcc’s debut ”heroic purgatory delivers an industrial of techno, jungle and electronic with some broken but blissful ambiance on top. with this record, it’s up to you if you want to burn down the club or get the party started.

best works records is back with a new offering from spanish artist luis junior. the two new tracks -ipsum- & “2db2” come with remixes by the production duo andre lodemann & fabian dikof aswell as one from italian shooting stars stereocalypse.
luis junior’s track -ipsum- continues to play with a slight spa-nish flair reminiscent of his previous output with us. “2db2” offers some more floor-ruffness and technoid play.
as remixers we are really happy to have stereocalypse on board, some might know their amazing work for whomadewho. for the second remix label-head andre lodemann joins best works records artist fabian dikof for their second remix collab after the success of their compuphonic remix.

pun kuyen (moon night) is the second ep of the nguillatun records label. auca immerses us in this album with a first track, curico (black water), with a techno from the depths of the water, dark hypnotism and pulsating loop. puken (winter) is full of cold atmospheres and suspended drones that create tension. lanahue (lost soul) closes the album with a strong and intense original version, and a remix with low frequencies and beats that takes us almost to the mental disconnection, from the hand of svreca, to take our breath away.

to whom it may concern: following the release of the recently discovered musical recordings of the escaped extra-terrestrial lifeform known as darling, we have unearthed two more aural explorations that we believe the safe trip organisation must make available to the public. the first we are calling sim. it is the subjects most alien and otherworldly composition yet, combining mind-altering rhythmic elements with elastic electronic bass and chords from beyond the stars. the second, moon fleet, can only be decribed as next-level sci-fi daydreaming. since darling had no access to electronic hardware or musical instruments during his time in our holding facility, we have absolutely no idea how this music came into being.

reso the alias of london-based producer alex melia returned to the dance music world in late 2017 with the inaugural release of his new rx0 label, kodama, a four-track ep of spirited dance music. for the second release on the label, reso has chosen two productions that act as a counterpoint of sorts to the first ep. where rx001 was a broad mission statement, rx002 is a laser-focused burst of breaks, moods, and programming finesse.

we are more than pleased to present the new counterweight artist, our new family member directly from aarhus/denmark. we adopted antn and his synthesizer army right after listening to his kickass techno. his brutal kicks, cut up voice samples, relentless hi-hats and aggressive synths convince from the very first second and you will easily understand, why we ve chosen him. to round up this release we are glad to have this massive rave mix by under black helmet... a dancefloor destroyer.

the barcelona based record store and label run by dj bruce lee is very proud to release the first work from tr, a well known dj in the madrid underground scene. tr was responsible for one of the remixes from the first release on the label. that remix was techno, but his tastes embrace many different styles as we can see now. multi ep is the second release on rhythm control barcelona where tr, colaborates with causmin lizou on the keyboard for the b side tracks. the a side contains 2 90s infuenced breaks and electro tracks titled bassaur and eah (part 1.2 & 3). the b side contains 2 detroit influenced house tracks, fingers de pollo and gitroit highlights. a producer worth following without a doubt!

after the soft landing of banoffee pies records latest sub label venture otaku, the imprint continues following the theme of subtle compositions with the second edition, this time from swedish born vilhelm with mermaid porn. a five tracker starting with an aquatic feeling on the title track mermaid porn with bubbling effects rolling into the a2. entitled kirchner with more with positive and patient melodies. standing to attention in the spaceships cafeteria, the a side comes to a close with always in costume. the b side opens with saturday bossa - drums inspired by the brazilian music wave of bossa jazz with a slight twist. the b2. track, skopje blends off beat percussions with a cutting snare and a more electronic 4/4 direction. the general expression being, music for home. with love from banoffee pies. x

fresh for 2018 the ever pioneering octave one are bringing us some brand new music for the new year. using their much loved random noise generation alias the upcoming release entitled n2 the enfinate , contains a new single as well as a remake of rock my soul in the form of the reborn vocal remix . the first random noise generation release was falling in dub in 1991 and sounding just as fresh 27 years later,‘n2 the enfinate’ is due for release this march. for this single a retro energy has been explored in the title track the enfinate , running parallel to a more contemporary groove and rolling, marauding baseline. the second track on the package, rock my soul (reborn vocal remix) starts with a strong intent and a weighty bassline paving the way for precise and bright chord stabs. the single is taken from the new album endustry, a full body of work encompassing 7 full length cuts, set for release in spring. after touring and making music for decades the spirit and essential energy of the craft is what keeps them eternally inspired to keep creating and touring the globe. once it takes hold of you you cant stop even if you wanted to. say the brothers.

after the original comes the remix. or in this case three. i:cube, chinaski and aera help you refresh your memory and re-draw drawn from memory from benjamin fröhlichs second part of the rude movements series. its one single track, but every remixer has taken his very own approach and came up with a new interpretation. the iconic french producer and permanent vacation long time favourite, i:cube, transformed the original into a soul warming and heart melting late night bomb that lets the sun appear even in the darkest places. chinaski out of frankfurt, well known from his releases on live at robert johnson and uncanny valley, fuses italo disco with a john carpenter-style soundtrack aesthetic and an infectious bassline completed by a full on guitar solo in the break. aera, fresh from releasing his album on permanent vacation, is slowing down the tempo, rearranging the layers of the original and adding a bubbly and underwater atmosphere that let the dub stabs shine. three different versions that may represent different memories of one long night.

great return of the classic and pioneer band of the french funk scene! after a long absence, malka family reformed, burned some scenes and composed a new album without changing anything to its magic formula. recomposed with almost all original musicians, they come back today with a new album, le retour du kif. at the heart of a still popular and multicultural marais area in paris, young musicians gather to jam. this is where malka family is formed. their first self-produced album, malka on the beach, was released in 1991, and gigs were immediately chaining up all over france and europe, famous for their eccentric costumed performance and after-parties. in 1992, warner france signs them for a second album tous des oufs, a real p-funk space opera with guests such as sidney, dee nasty, marco prince (fff), or juan rozoff. they will then traveled france, switzerland, italy, holland, denmark, namibia, japan ... and in 1994, the band becomes independent again and records an ep for big cheese records, titled fricassee de funk. after a final tour for the third album, fotoukonkass (bmg) recorded with renaud létang the band finally broke up. at a time when daft punk is using funk artists to support their performance, when bruno mars & mark ronsons uptown funk continues to make the crowds dance, it s time for the original funkateers families to come back and teach a lesson to new generations. after the band reformed and started touring again since 2015, they quickly decided to record a new album and to leave on the roads again

nice price deal !!! unfelde records comes back with its second vinyl release by non other that its creator and manager, robert david. with four tracks that define his unique style. hop on the romanian express and be sure to get ur copy. peace and love, unfelde records.

nice price deal !!! detroit techno hero dj bone is ever prolific these days, with his differ-ent alias releasing an epic triple lp release on don t be afraid last year. a piece of beyond marks the second dj bone studio album, and it finds him in an exploratory mood. it begins is a unique exercise in synth wobbles and military drum programming, while the stalker heads into the deepest and farthest corners of the quintessential motor city techno sound. the chase takes on a cosmic, break-infected stance that calls to mind spiritual jazz as much as techno, while theres more classic styles to be enjoyed on dreamers 9 and the absolutely stomping sweat.

following the massive buzz a round the labels last release (voted the record of 2017 by some 400+ international djs and tastemakers on bill brewster s dj history podcast/poll (2017 furtive 50), hobbes music kicks off 2018 with a heavy slice of warehouse techno backed with deeper electro flavours, a second double-a-side 12inch outing by the anonymous dali. you may remember dali (nb all caps in the spelling) released a debut 12inch around this time last year. support came from ben ufo, laurent garnier, domenic cappello (sub club), john heckle, chris duckenfield, the revenge, tom findlay (groove armada), sean johnston and xdb (among others) and a repress happened swiftly, with laurent garnier and avalon emersonalso supporting most recently (on wwfm and at berghain, respectively). dali has a passion for analogue synths, abstract, hypnotic dance music and all things psychedelic. don t bother looking her up on the net, social media etc. dali is eschewing all that, to let the music do the talking for now

discobar re-launches in search of other galaxies with its second outing from toulouse-based duo zendid. they take us on three voyages through the electro-infused house grooves they made their name with, while still finding time to bring in mayaan nidaam for a remix. space has us seeing stars right from the start, with an alien menagerie conversing over a strict-form beat. the bassline on virgin virgin is big enough to give you butterflies, tempered by stellar synths and wordless vocal clips. berlin 6 takes the bass for a lighter walk and finally, mayaan nidam remixes space into a nebulous and reflective place, pads breaking through the thick atmosphere mid-track for a moment of zero gravity meditation.

soul jazz records’ latest excursion into the crescent city vaults delves deep into the roots and history of the voodoo world of new orleans funk. packed to the brim with serious break-heavy, heavyweight funk tunes from classic new orleans artists including eddie bo, betty harris, dave bartholomew, johnny adams and eldridge holmes (with the ever-present allen toussaint and the meters as always behind the scenes). there is also a host of rare cuts from a number of lesser-known second line new orleans artists, whose fame rarely reached past the walls of the city, including gus ‘the groove’ lewis, james k-nine, norma jean, bob french, chuck colbert, zilla mayes and joe haywood. comes as heavyweight 180 gram double vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve with download code included.

here is anothers second release, a 3 tracks ep from chicagos iconic house producer rick wade, who has reinvented himself in the recent years. this is quite obvious on this record which oscillates between old school and modernity, especially with the track be the one on b2, a futuristic deep house anthem. rick fans wont be disappointed ! dont sleep on this one. vinyl only !

fireplays (also spelled -fireplais- on second single) was the moniker chosen in 1981 by italian producer franco pagliaccia foran instant-band project composed by him and a few other musicians. -allein- b/w -hormone- was released in mid-1982, and as can be clearly heard, both tracks clearly show the mutation disco as a genre, started having at the very beginning of the 80s in europe: ablend of electro disco, along with new-wavish elements and some classic era-blueprint sonic elements: synth driven melodies, filtered vocodered choruses, pads, swirling cosmic sounds, cowbells, all topped by a powerful male voice that will give genuineconnoisseurs an exact zeitgeist, along with assured goosebumps.

this is essential tremor’s second and final album of all time. the band broke up after the recording of this record but still managed to play one final show before fully breaking up. the show was one of the most brutal things nashville, tn has ever witnessed and lead singer cole k was banished from nashville forever following the performance. essential tremor’s work never quite fit in with the rest of what was occurring in nashville around the time these tracks were recorded, but we re sure that this tape will fit right in with the rest of your collection.

second instalment by music mania reprise gives belgian 80s synth classic crocodile tears a new life. music mania is proud to present the next instalment in their reprise series. following the highly sought after classic elle et moi (mmr001), comes the blissful belgian synth pop anthem ‘crocodile tears’ (mmr002). the track was one of the first singles of kuruki, the minimal wave project spearheaded by ghent-based musician gerry d haeyer and alain bureau (sally joy). in an age of electronic sequenced experimentation, the band managed to find a distinctive sound that easily puts them between the likes of telex. the original ep such a liar was released in 1981 and clearly echoes the new wave of its time. the scenes described by vocalist sally joy as well as the melancholic keys of the main track crocodile tears breathe tristesse. nevertheless, it has a playful sound full of catchy synths. a dualism between such beauty and melancholy: this track was undeniably made in belgium in the eighties, but should also appeal to lovers of italo disco. be aware: for their second reprise music mania managed to include an exclusive instrumental version of this belgitude. even more synths for your listening pleasure.

ghent bassed saxophonist mattias de craene (mdc) has caused a stir in the past few years as frontman of jazz rock sensation nordmann. after their second place at humo s rock rally in 2014, nordmann became one of the most exciting bands in the new golden class of belgian jazz groups. 2018 sees mattias fronting his own project mdciii. flanked by two special drummers - simon segers (de beren gieren / black flower / absynthe minded) and lennert jacobs (the germans / hong kong dong), he takes you on a slightly intoxicating musical trip balancing between psychedelic rock, tribal rhythms and energetic free jazz. the band will release their debut album in october 2018. in the meantime they drop a self-titled ep as a teaser. with two tracks of both over 8 minutes, the listener can acquaint the unique musical melting pot of mdciii. for one of the tracks singer sylvie kreusch (warhaus) was recruited and she makes an almost hypnotic contribution.

special hand numbered silkscreen print edition coming on upcycled gdr record sleeves giving them a second life and context. limited to 100 copies.

four exclusive tracks taken from efdemins brand new second mix-album called naïf. unreleased music by tobias freund, simone gatto & aubrey, sebastian mullaert and efdemin himself.

47015 is vsk s second solo ep on 47, after last year s debut 47011. it s the label s 7th solo release following headless horseman s 47014 earlier this year. the 12- vinyl and digital download drop on 20th april. multiverse wastes no time and states its intentions like a snarled warning of up-tempo complex drumming. the density and rush of first evidence continues the broken-beat dancefloor battery. eternal (chaotic) inflation visits the oceanic and half-time territories of dnb-paced jagged rhythm. and the final drive of occam s razor slows its drums to a stepping hallucination.

warm fiction proudly announces the label s second record from new york techno icon (now based in frankfurt) reade truth. love s secret domain is truth s first release of 2018, a varied techno/house affair that will be a welcome addition to any dj s bag. across four tracks, reade explores trippy vocals and beats that are sure to rock the club at peak time or the wee hours.

shot of t is back with the second release. sj tequilla s second record on his own imprint. he keeps on exploring the deep and mellow side of house music. this time with a sound aiming more towards techno, but still with the deep and melancolly feeling that we know from the japanese producer from previous releases. on the b side the tempo and vibe will be taken up a notch with two recreations of sj tequilla s tracks by dj fett burger and dj dog. dj fett burger recreates the sound into a deep norway-detroit techno track with some tripping jazz hands synthesiser features and and atmospheric touch. dj dog on the cut with a real crazy party acid track, with some underground synth impro from the burger dog!

while attempting and failing to apprehend the shadowy figure known as max abysmal during a frenzied chase through the underground amsterdam arts establishment het skatecafe, we recovered a boxed reel of quarter-inch tape. intelligent assets have confirmed that this contains musical recordings of the type used to pass on coded messages to the safe trip organisation. the first recording we have titled donna, dont stop. we include it with this message so you can perform your own anaylsis. note the use of a rising and falling electronic motif capable of inducing a trance-like state in those untrained in listening to electronic music this potent and emotive. sutekhs mirage, the second coded composition, is bolder and warmer in tone, making use of dazzlingly colourful melodic patterns and passages of percussion that reference polyrhythms. do not be fooled by the surface beauty of this recording: it is capable of inducing hallucinations and irregular heartbeats, and therefore could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.

pleasure zone proudly presents the second release by silat beksi! gravity ep 2 is another outstanding production by the young ukrainian producer. more to come - stay tuned!

june records presents a new compilation with live electronics, featuring music from svengalisghost, manie sans de&#769,lire, newcomer bruce roach, trenton chase, rr hearse + furnace miskin and zodiac free arts club who will release his second lp soon on hvnx.

for the second release on rotterhague records i am proud to have two new tracks from dj maaco, known for the unbeatable detroit in effect and also the illustrious cybonix releases. classic detroit stuff with that huge maaco stamp on it, i know i will be playing it a lot! there is also two overdose tracks on this one, one that drove a crowd in moscow mad and one that is about how stuff drives me mad. more funky robotics!

stockholm-based label maraton is back with its second release. the ep includes two originals by soundscape master parallax deep. on the b side youll find a hypnotizing rework by romanian producer stoi. vinyl only release

coming off transmission, death in vegas’s critically acclaimed 6th album which saw the band collaborating with sasha grey, are three unique remixes by silent servant and rudolf klorzeiger.

silent servant delivers two stunning mixes of you disco i freak. in his first remix he elevates the discordant melody in you disco i freak and adds a sense of menace with a new sequence, taking the track in a more sinister direction. with his second version, he takes the heat up a notch with a brutal workout synonymous with his signature abrasive sound.

the past few years have seen berlins frag maddin release material on waze & odysseys w&o street tracks, rough recordings and egg londons what came first as well as offering up a remix on roog & dennis quins ep for madhouse where her returns to here for a full ep featuring remixes from fellow berlin based acts black loops and kevin over. taking the lead on the package is the zauberflo&#776,te with its skippy hi-hats, hooky organ licks, hypnotic rhodes melodies and vocal cuts all further fuelled by a snaking sub-bass groove to create a slice of authentic house for one of the leading labels of the genre. black loops turns in a remix of the zauberflo&#776,te next, stripping things back to a deeper, more refined feel with spiraling, filtered elements of the original wandering around swinging 909 drums to create a groove-drive counterpart to the original. focus opens the latter half of the package, the second original from frag maddin which employs chugging square wave bass tones and dynamically evolving drums alongside tension building strings and choppy stabs before keving over closes the package with his gritty take on focus, featuring crunchy drums, dusty chords and cleverly arranged string and key samples.

the label say: ben loves terre loves robin is the second ep off premature. featuring works by terre thaemlitz (aka dj sprinkles), scanner, and a first from london based producer ben galyas. the ep builds upon a private archival project involving thaemlitz and scanner, terre loves robin brings deep solo recitals to intercepted telephone conversations (think leveson, just more intimate). galyas cloud version is heavy ambience, glitched piano and harpsichord. limited to 500 copies.

black acre favourites return with a new ep featuring a special remix from the one and only daniele baldelli! the original pioneer of the cosmic scene delivers a tripping dance floor remix alongside the a live 12 min version on this special limited twelve inch. taken from the second clap! clap! album, ode to the pleiades is delivered here in a way you’ve never heard before. think khidja or that amazing insanlar record on honest jon’s from a while back. rolling, tribal percussion, turkish saz, thumping modern kick drums and loads of whistle blowing. simply screams party time to us.

this fourth vinyl is divided in 2 parts, the first one collects the recording that begun, a viracocha, used to thank the nazca people. his cargo cultois a record, a journey, a chapter narrated through 2 original songs that are completed by 2 remixes, the first one by the magic viracocha el búho, and the second by viracochas klik & frik

discotheque fantastique is a musical collaboration that produces an eclectic spectrum of genres, somewhere between psychedelic rock, rare groove, funk and cosmic disco.

the first release is an ep with three driving tracks. the first track by discotheque fantastique -carnaval- has a percussive beat, hypnotic bassline, solid funk breaks with layers of tension. the second track by herr 2003 s -bourdonnement de l amour- is an amazing rework of a classic 70 s psychedelic rock tune with a groovy bass line, punchy female vocals and a shimmering arpeggiator synth. on the b side, club bizarre delivers an incredible extended version of a classic french cut from the 80 s.

the second installment from the lap top less dance trilogy. capablanca s diy psychedelic industrial disco exorcism de style gets revisioned here by ypy transmuting top less into a lisergic overdose, alessandro adriani, whose mean mechanic stomper version takes flores feias collab by the hand (chained) to a skinhead dark room, and lipelis magic wand converts lap dance into a russian bathhouse sex-o-ddisey weirdo monster hit.

kalbata has turned his hand to many styles over the years, not least the excellent soundsystem explorations of congo beat the drum, but on this second release for his label brush & broom, he s decided to fling himself into the fiery pit of acid while paying tribute to 90s motocross bikes. honda is dripping with 303, punctuated by a twitchy set of drums, while yamaha takes a diversion into moodier territory, letting hazy chords set the tone for an energised but defiantly heads down acid workout. suzuki is a bit spicier, capturing the essence of up-for-it early trax records but edging it into more hypnotic, looped up territory. toyota finishes the ep off with an atonal bleep out with an electro undercarriage

by day he guides lasers into position using precision equipment, at night he crafts raw house music. welcome to the unusual world of reflection port assembly. we got to know one another through a few brief, slurred encounters in the smoking area during the fabled forza italo night or at the aptly named gary’s gang. pretty soon it was clear that he had impeccable taste, like that record that featured coil and ice t. one sunny friday afternoon in june, he tore himself away from guiding the lasers and we met up in the city centre. the light breeze did nothing to dissuade the office workers from gathering outside the pub for sneaky post-work pints. surrounded a sea of grey and blue business attire, we agreed to make ‘retribution’ the second release on first cut. featuring three cuts, it spans house, electro, boogie and even some detroit techno influences. but ’retribution’ is more than the sum of these parts. unlike his precision-based day job it’s rough and imperfect, flawed but warm, messy and charming - like a snapshot of every day life in dublin.

early 2018 brings the second release of one of the labels co-founders. the record is considered to be a sample of a future longplayer. between slow house and future jazz, the two tracks contain a blend of stimulating rhythm and meditative vibes, conjoining dancefloor and living room atmospheres.

mm discos are back with a new chapter of their series -saturns-. after the successful -saturn 01- signed by the italian duo marvin & guy, helsinki s based producer stiletti-ana , well known after great works at -sex tags ufo-,-i m a cliche&#769,,,- or -haista- , is the man who signs the second release of the series. focusing his sound into an insdustrial post-apocaliptic landscape. following the dark sounds of the series - mm saturns - , here you will get into a -lynchian trip-, an experimental-jam that for sure will make the delights of the obscure-asimetric sounds lovers. -modern obscure music s- capo pedro vian takes over the control on the b-side leaving his own personal style, that means epic, dark and danceable in equal parts.

2x12 inch vinyl with download voucher in slipcase with 5mm spine, black innersleeves and sticker.
everything begins with changes, whether you re moving geographically or emotionally. aera’s album „the sound path” tells the story of this sentiment.
born in the high north of germany and now a berlin resident, ralf schmidt aka aera first appeared on the electronic music map when he established his own aleph music label back in 2010. with only a handful of releases, aera was able to lay out his very own musically topography on the cutting edges between house, psychedelia and breakbeats. this colourful mix culminated on his debut album „offseason traveller” in 2013, resonating the past forty years of electronic music, which brought him the attention of a wider audience as well as fellow djs and producers. so it was a logical consequence that his talent also attracted other labels and lead to widely praised releases on innervisions, maeve or john talabot’s hivern discs. with these, aera’s sound bloomed further into bubbly acid and trancey territorries and his fine reputation as a singular producer, travelling dj and remixer flourished. with „the sound path” aera continues his musical travels and permanent vacation is gladly hitchhiking on that ride. his second album is the most coherent and definitely most personal work to date. here, he has perfected his sound even further - adding nuances from the meadows of new age, kraut cliffs and high-flying kites of ambient. complete with the cinematic and nature-esque qualities of ralf’s music, it will draw you in deeply through a great variety of landscapes before your inner eye. however, you’ll never lose track, because this path is beautifully illuminated.

nerangs second time round and this time they have picked up some new family. subjoi, interplanetary criminal, slim hustla and jesse bru. flames that cant be tamed.

the second studio album by new zealand singer lorde.

it sounds ridiculous to state that this is efdemins best release so far on curle, when you realise thats the artist that brought us classics like acid bells and america... but the whole ep truly is amazing from start to finish. all tracks feature efdemins brand new second mix-album called naïf.

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!!

gizelle smith’s second full length lp “ruthless day” is the sound of a dynamic artist expanding her horizons from the classic aesthetic of her debut to explore a new brand of progressive modern funk. it’s an exciting record that still retains all of the energy and intrigue of her earlier works but builds out her musical palette to incorporate more psychedelic and jazzy progressions, bold arrangements and adventurous instrumentation. expansive and exhilarating, the record ranges from delicate honey dripped soul through psychedelic funk freakouts, complete with strutting beats and emotive lyrics. gizelle’s energy and personality are undeniable and both shine through in every track on the record.

the streets’ second album, “a grand don’t come for free”, was instantly hailed as another masterpiece to equal his initial clarion call, “original pirate material. whereas “original pirate material was a record that garnered acclaim from the electronic/dance fraternity and the forward-thinking wings of the rock/mainstream press, “a grand don’t come for free” swept the board in prompting critical praise.