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!”

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.

akelarre is the fourth studio album of synths versus me. its black (sadness) and white (happiness) design explain the concept and feelings behind it creation, majorly composed and written during the death by sickness of a very close friend of the duo to whom the album is dedicated, it swims between the positive and negative feelings felt by svm during this hard process suffered. is remarkable that in this occasion svm counted with the collaboration of the british band the underground youth for a new remixed version of -the rules of attraction- originally released by tuy back in 2009. this special edition arrives on 2×12&#8243,,, ep format and produced in a one-off truly limited edition of 200 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality black and white vinyl. all tracks have been specially mastered remastered for long cut vinyl by eric van wonterghem

marcel vogel and khalil anthony team up for 2 consecutive releases. brown curls has been three years in the making and has seen several very different incarnations. comes with a filthy remix by nebraska and the bumpy you are a star!

echovolt is thrilled to finally bring you the work of the first greek producer on their growing reissue catalog offering two ultra-rare recordings that lived on the shelf for exactly two decades. the then 16-year old starcount recorded those two stripped-down cuts straight to dat tape in his bedroom studio in athens during the late 90s between cutting classes and sailing in the aegean sea. despite his young age both calma and jeraldine showcase top notch production skills with solid arrangements featuring the typical vocal samples of the period underlined by hypnotic melodies, jazzy chords and a densely populated pallet of drum hits. it is most likely that the above mentioned tracks might be the earliest detroit influenced productions ever made in greece around that time! suitable for night cruising and any kind of rides with friends and family!

the shadows is the new album from leeds-based six-piece tomorrow we sail. building on their debut release for those who caught the sun in flight (gizeh, 2014) over the course of three years, this new work combines perfectly the soaring atmospherics, gorgeously intertwined vocal harmonies and dramatic shifts in tone and dynamics that have come to characterise tomorrow we sail’s sound. yet, there is a new sense of urgency here. very much an album of its time, the shadows draws upon the same sense of connection to both past and present that defined its precursor but features storytelling that’s even more defiant and deeply personal.

like its predecessor, the record features seven songs but from the chiming guitars of opening track side by side it is clear that the stately pace of for those who caught the sun in flight has made way for a far more dynamic and driving energy, perhaps best captured in the righteous anger of the ghost of john maynard keynes. tomorrow we sail still invoke a keen sense of measured grace in their songwriting - from the sweeping, elegiac title track, through to the sparse, restrained, yet haunting beauty of winifred and to sleep. urgent, yet assured, the shadows demands your attention.

following our first release with opal, which aimed at the dance and the bodies, we wanted with this second ep to reach to people’s mind. as a geneva-based techno label, it was fundamental to work with our local hero: opuswerk. he’s already been working outside of the country with artists like francois x and labels such as arts, semantica or dement3d. it was time we involved him in our project. through this ep, opuswerk clearly shows what he knows and does best. much like his dj sets, he connects dots and layers in unexpected ways, like a rhizome connecting different multiplicities. inspiration for the original tracks came from designing systems of independent yet connected sounds, where events are triggered, un-triggered and alter other events, each behaving on their own. as one of those elements, the artist acts as a guide, directing them from one place to the next acting as and with the machines. the -mot d’ordre- is about becoming one of the machines, blending techniques with vibes and catching them like ever escaping dreams. the result is two uniquely sounding spaces, either filled with raw energy like on extensum or with subtle and serene ever-evolving bleeps on spatium. those two extremes are fitting to how we want present the multiple dimensions of our artists works to the world. the same logic went into choosing the remixers, with whom opuswerk had a human connection with. inland and antigone need no introductions, having both established their sound on labels like countercharge or token. each brought their own re-interpretations of the original tracks bringing them closer to the dancefloors.

okains key ear for a groove finds a home on infuse in the form of his magic box ep. place des fetes is a keen example, subtle layered sounds sneaking in between the b-line driven ride means there s always something new to find. magic box moves into a more blissful arena with it s swelling pad perfect for those early morning sunrise sets whilst rich nxt remixes place de fetes, stripping the elements down in his own inimitable way. vinyl only!

kuf create emotion-laden dialogues across layers of time and dimensions of sound. voices recorded in private are chopped up and brought out center-stage to sing with beats hammered out right here and now. glowing synths push forward. basslines rise to grab the melodic role of a track while a vowel is truncated and locked into a grid, driving the rhythm. voices move within the frame of a sample, performed by hands pushing keys, guided by the ear, immersed in a trio sessions deep flowÉ a vortex of quirky hands, responsive ears and glowing circuits. since thomas a. edison first recorded the human voice in 1877, the recording arts have changed music forever. musicians have explored the endless possibilities of bouncing their input onto layers of tape, off the walls of an echo chamber or the circuitry of electronic helpers - technology that modulates, spatializes, shifts, divides or multiplies the work of human hands and mouths. an era of sampling offered a cubistic analysis of the recorded past and djs took dancers onto intricately fractured time travels. this is the historic foundation that kuf keep probing. just like the sampler and the dj before them, they found new ways to re-allocate where machine and man stand when making music together. most importantly, they turn the resulting friction into sparkling bursts of energy. Ôuniverse digs deeper into the android vocal chords. the album offers sweeping melodies, different beats and persistent bass. immerse in the intimacy of the voices, probably recorded in trains, backstage areas and at late night private parties during berlin lichtenberg warehouse rehearsals. by striking the keys, kuf squeeze out and serve up all the soul accumulated in those savory phonetic shreds.

cut super loud to wax, for those needing touchstone points of reference, we d liken elements to the work of everyone from jean-claude risset, jam city, lorenzo senni, optical and gesloten cirkel. yet, the deeper in you go, the more that contraposition reveals itself to be one of the most original and devastating 12inchs you are gonna come across this decade or next.

repressed on audiophile quality, 180 gram double vinyl. this second helping from the sessions that produced the preceding kid a will probably strike close listeners as a bit more structured, though it ll be difficult to determine whether thats simply because the peregrinations of the last album have prepared them for the trips to the outer limits taken here. those expecting a u2 like return to tuneful, anthemic guitar rock will have their hopes dashed upon a rock of colourful electronic experimentation and moody, studio enhanced madness.

its not always about super rares, we got to cover those lp tracks as well. how this never made it onto a 45 ill never know. michael henderson s brilliant let love enter has always been an underground classic and is about to get a fire lit under it once again, simply the finest brazilian influenced soul jazz fusion. michael s bass playing, vocals and production are all over modern american black music, having played for miles davis. norman connors, marvin gaye, stevie wonder to name just a few, his influence is huge right through the industry as well being a million selling artist himself. you can still here his bass sampled in many a hip-hop track to this day.

steeped in the influence of flannery o’connor and tom waits, the album wrong-eyed jesus revealed jim white as a spiritual anatomist of the american south. no such place ups the ante revealing a broader, more diverse collection of songs about rage and redemption, depravity and dreams, dead cars and broken hearts. with tracks produced by morcheeba, sade co-founder andrew hale, and q-burns abstract message, along with stellar remixes by japanese underground guru, sohichiro suzuki of world standard and yellow magic orchestra fame, jim finds himself reveling in the unlikely zeitgeist of the new album. “this is a crackpot love letter to all those lost souls out there like me who won’t settle for wrong, but have no clue how to get to right.”

smooth deep space techno four track ep with detroit inspired sounds. the ep kicks off with -last nite- - a beautiful and melodic techno track, revolving around a hypnotizing lead. -new beginnings- meanwhile is a deep and mysterious affair, magically combining soulful techno with more experimental leftfield sounds. the b-side starts with -track 13-, a finely crafted groover that grows into a melodic gem with an old-school detroit flavour to it. the ep ends with the deep yet euphoric -so far-, perfect for those early morning dj-sets. offering a perfect combination of deepness and driving energy, the ep is a versatile release guaranteed to get the dance floor moving. an impressive vinyl debut by lioness and a must have for all heads interested in deep, soulful and intelligent techno.

next up on our album manoeuvres we head back up to sheffield. hiem are back with their 3rd album, the galactic cornucopia that is hotspace. it is a fine follow up to the 2013 escape from division street released here on nang. hiem consist of dynamic duo of nick eastwood & bozzwell (he was the live vocalist for -the all seeing i- who scored a worldwide hit with the beat goes on in 1998). we have always thought of hiem as one part grown-up dance pop, one part fine 80 s tinged songs and one part slightly weird and quirky. the third album doesn t disappoint managing to cram all those descriptions (and more) across ten fine songs.

hay luv the new album by twit one contains cool bap. for those who want to put a name tag on the versatile sound of the cologne based dj and producer, are free to use it. hay luv is the follow-up to the sit-in from 2015. in the meantime twit one has released a keats record on hhv, put out timing & effekte together with retrogott as echomann & 4track boy and uploaded 154 episodes radio love love. and he also played a gig in your town, if you happen to live in hildesheim, london or tokyo. hay luv contains 15 tracks and will be available on lp, mc and digital. special guests are c.a. ramirez on the beat and retrogott on the cut. vocal features come from spoken word artist pblouison and mcs/singers turt & charlie tappin (aka summer sons) from bristol.

no matter where the winds may blow, what storms may come or what pirates will do, the transatlantyk ship is still sailing. navigated for the last three years by zambon out of berlin, ultimately avoiding the shallow waters of the generic and constantly patrolling the seas in search of exciting sounds. after all that sailing the label just had to replenish its ranks with some fresh faces - those still capable of voyaging into the unknown. joining the crew is a young gun tamten, who by day serves as a vinyl pusher in warsaw s finest side one record store. what he does by night is not the matter of this short text, but we are sure he does a lot of it. hence his love for all things distant - from subaquatic pads and floating riffs, to new-age-y siren voices, otherworldly effects and percussion drenched in reverb. there is a lot of similarly distant, sun-bleached material on this five tracker, full of a druggy and hippy balearic feel. beautiful ambient jam przebudzenie is the stand out track, but znaki czasu is equally as good with its simple, yet memorable melody, reminding of dawns and sunsets on some god forsaken beach. sultry deepness of nieznajoma is followed by enchanting digital exotica of wyrocznia and wavey trip-hop cut po burzy . overall its one of the strongest eps that transatlantyk managed to co-opt into its growing catalogue. definitely one for the dreamers.

east end dubs has been bumping around the london club scene and beyond for many years now so it was only natural that the prolific producers next ep should appear on infuse. mind traps ep has all the hallmarks of a classic eed release bumping tech grinders for those groovier dance floors. as featured on enzo siragusa s essential mix. vinyl only!

dolly is proud to welcome parisian wunderkind coni to the label. operating on the brink of meditative house and (detroit) techno, nicolas oliers particularly hypnotic offering will certainly stand out in any set. the title track caligula is a slowly developing, climactic techno burner with icey, imperial strings hovering over it. a2 electroflash is a more warm, lush, deep-into-sunday-afternoon bubbler with a distinct french feel, topping breezy chords with a sharp hook to give it edge. with fellow parisian bambounou joining coni on the flip side, medusa goes deeper into percussive territory with a pulsating bongo riddim embraced by haunting organ pads perfect for those all-lights-off moments. a beast with many heads!

time for something a little different from public release.
eye o is the convergence of a few bay area stalwarts—kevin woodruff, formerly of tussle, and jason schwartz - and “deux o & debut” is their first studio-recorded public offering. the five-track, fifty-minute- long lp is a weaving journey through a pastiche of styles that’re all nephews, cousins, brothers, sisters of one another. kraut-rooted motorik drums reconfigure into more complicated math-y patterns, razor-sharp dance-punk guitars stretch out and dissolve into dubby post-rock atmospherics, synth loops you’d more commonly find in house tracks get grafted onto fuzzy psychedelic breakdowns, hard rock licks lock into chunky industrial grooves.
less for dancefloor destruction and more for trippy weekenders, the instrumental record manages to both be a focused, cerebral, conceptual hunk of fat to chew on and a spaced-out, intuitive ride through the cosmos. for use during those off-kilter small hours of the night just as much as it is vision quests and introspective weekends. it’s rare that an outpouring of so much can feel so simple and sublime.

airhead has put out some great music this year. kicking off with the radiophonic ice of kazzt for mumdance s different circles and just recently the low slung cristobal on ps records his production chops get bolder by the minute. it s no surprise seeing as he spent much of the previous year producing key tracks for the incredible -1-800 dinosaur presents trim- album alongside bullion and boothroyd as well as regularly touring and writing with long-time musical partner james blake. back with another 12- on hemlock, his first since 2014 s rolling october / macondo this time the sound is dustier, warmer, but packing twice the punch all the while retaining his signature understated wild-man groove. both tracks are capable on dancefloor whilst richly layered, packed with detail and arranged for maximum connectivity with contemporary beat styles such as house, techno and breaks. what happened to ricky martin? shaded is the twisted latin stepper you didn t know you needed, so much, right now. polished drums dug into a tweaky sci-fi soundbed make way for the curveball drop not every dj will be able to style out but those brave few that do will reap the reward. captain, we have an incoming transmission. by now, antipolo will be on the long-range scanners of a several fleets in this sector and is finally ready for replication and deployment. beaming out to the far reaches of the dancefloor we have bass, breakbeats and synth hooks but not as we know it together forming an advanced composite bond of extreme strength and malleability.

mint condition - a brand new record label focussed on excavating the outer fringes of classic house and techno. unreleased mixes, classics and overlooked gems mined from the last 20+ of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. from chicago, detroit and new york to london and beyond, mint condition have got their expert digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been on your wants list for years! dig in...
the relief sevensixty ep has been legitimately released with the full involvement of jaime read for 2017 and remastered by london’s curve pusher from the original sources especially for mint condition. 100% legit, licensed and released. dug, remastered, repackaged and brought to you by the caring folks at your new favourite reissue label - mint condition!

shintaro.d is new on the scene, but this promising japanese producer follows up on his debut on his own label init with this assured 12inch for jus groove it, taking the stripped down deep house template and injecting it with an off-kilter approach to sound design that subtly makes for one of the most effective dj tools heard in recent memory. that track in question is kohisikarubeki, and its remix by rhythm & soul takes those intricately carved shards of sound design and smooths them into a more conventional house music shape. the b-side finds shintaro.d turning out more of that subversive, future-minded deep house business, with waganamidakana being a clear highlight.

adventures in paradise launches with the esteemed line-up of dedication, featuring felix dickinson, tsuyoshi kosuga of cro-magnon and other like-minded groovers. previously found on dfa and claremont 56, this occasional project steps up with the heavy disco funk groove of -show me love-, which lays down a rich spread of instrumentation with danielle moore of crazy p fame on vocal duties. for those who just want the heads down business, there s an instrumental on the flip that lets the dazzling production shine through. for those craving and advanced slice of modern disco, look no further.

lowfreq77 is taking no prisoners as he steps up to deliver the second release on summa cum laude. the italian producer has only emerged in the past few years, despite having dedicated a great deal of his life to producing music.
it was clearly worth the wait - 1804 is the kind of fist thumping techno that leaves no body motionless as it rips its way through the dance in a hail of relentless claps and nagging synth hooks.
rails meanwhile amps up the robert hood style twitchy loops, making this a techno record for those who like their beats pure and unrelenting.

london s sugarhouse crew have already made some waves with their first two releases, and now the gang are back with round three of their soul-drenched deep house adventures. this time it s maurice jnr and seb miguel teaming up for three crucial jams, each with something different to say. -deebo s quest- is rich with aqueous pad tones and a slick set of drums that shuffle just the way you want it, while -science of life- takes a distinctly detroit-influenced approach that wouldn t sound out of place on mahogani music. that leaves it to -lovin u- to round the ep out with a warm, upbeat roller for those who like their house loaded with passion.

after the reception of “battle anybody” from luminaries like dj premier (#19 on his best of 2013 picks), dj evil dee, dj eclipse and more, dawhud and ace-one started working on a proper follow up to their emceeing anthem. one track turned into an ep which then quickly turned into a full length project. the project... d&g (david & goliath) - “the scepter & the sword” the concept for the group simply came from dawhud’s name (david in arabic) and ace-one, who was in the midst of fnishing up his “rapmonster” series. those two elements and the sheer chest pounding vibe of their prior track led to the creation of “david & goliath”. epic, biblical, and loaded with imagery that paints what the duo are trying to convey in just a name. produced entirely by dawhud, the duo trade verses over his landscapes to join forces and reign together. from the opening battle cry of “something’s coming” to the closing of their p-p-p-p-p-premier approved track, “the scepter & the sword” is a rap odyssey. assisting the duo on this legendary journey are emcees like masta ace, rock (from heltah skeltah), sadat x, kokane and pacewon alongside longtime friends/emcees joe harvey, jo and otomatik. with a title like “david & goliath”… legends should be involved. something’s coming…

for the first half of the twentieth century, ellis island stood as the gateway to america. for some twelve million people, it was their first encounter with the land they hoped to call home.
directed by acclaimed artist jr, ellis tells the story of one such migrant. starring robert de niro, the film winds its way through the crumbling hallways of the abandoned ellis island hospital complex, now home to jr’s unframed art installation. it’s a place that reverberates with the hopes and fears of those who passed through it, the echoes especially resonant today.
entwined with the narrative is a score composed by woodkid, performed and co-written by nils frahm. the delicate piano motifs of winter morning i culminate in a crescendo of strings, while the harmonium swells on the b-side are the foundation for de niro’s narration: an encomium for those who shaped modern america. there’s perhaps never been a more fitting time for this story, with all the proceeds going to the sea watch initiative, a non-profit charity dedicated to the protection and rescue of civilian refugees.
pressing on 180g vinyl, includes 12x12” foto booklet and download code.

nothing would be possible without ryhtm. from a heartbeat to a tough bass line, every part of music is linked to the strength of rhythm.gregory louis, aka esss, understood this a long time ago. as part of the cutting edge of the french house music scene at the end of the 1990s, he experienced electronic music before the digital music revolution, and kept a fascination for the authentic analog sound, its warmth and its texture.inspired by this era of time and his love for indie music, esss was born. esss is a tribute to those years and revisits the fundamentals of indie funk through electro songs and sounds, cross bredding them with influential and special touches from electronic legends -john carpenter- and -giorgio moroder-. stay tuned, esss is coming

lowfreq77 is taking no prisoners as he steps up to deliver the second release on summa cum laude. the italian producer has only emerged in the past few years, despite having dedicated a great deal of his life to producing music. it was clearly worth the wait 1804 is the kind of fist thumping techno that leaves no body motionless as it rips its way through the dance in a hail of relentless claps and nagging synth hooks. rails meanwhile amps up the robert hood style twitchy loops, making this a techno record for those who like their beats pure and unrelenting.

a fistful of wax is an extension for some very special projects of our beloved deep house skylax records sub – label wax classic. a fistful of wax is back with its fourth volume! this offshoot originally began as an avenue for showing off some of the overflowing great talent we have floating about the wax classic sub-label, but with the growing reception of our previous three releases, it has developed itself into its own uniquely successful imprint. in a time when a lot of the hot records of the moment are made by highly distinguished producers with years of success under their belts, it is easy to forget how much good house music can come out of the underground by relatively fresh names. with afx4, we are only scratching the surface once again, yet we have 5 special tracks from a group of producers who, if not already, will stay on your radar for the foreseeable future.the a side features tracks from erman & abtomat (of série limitée records fame) and kid mark (head honcho of killax recordings). we start off deep with the aptly named how deep can you go , easily the most soothing of the bunch. fantasy 95 takes it up a notch for those who wish to, with classic 90s chords and accompanying bass and horns. over on the flip side, we hear won t get to heaven by californian newcomer, an expresso. being a self confessed new jersey style house addict, this hits in all the right places for those familiar with the sounds of nj legend george lockett jr, aka jerzzey boy. shin continues things with phara , a percussive stormer with one of the hardest hitting leads you will hear for a good while. this one is a sure fire hit! last, but by no means least is rosenhaft s voyager . fans of early uk garage, perk up your ears because this could have easily been a tune you would have heard on your favourite pirate radio station back in 97. if you are still on the fence about the record at this point, you are in the wrong place. this record has it all for lovers of the 90s house sound! whether you are of the deeper persuasion or the more garagey persuasion, the us or the uk side of things, there is something here for almost everyone on a fistful of wax 4.

after one year of high energy industrial and punk-leaning music, kess kill presents something slightly more contemplative: the vinyl debut of the swedish act grand mal x. the solna based duo started in 2010 and was first known from the cassette scene, which was also where we stumbled across their work. drawing from a long and wide palette of influences — from osho dynamic meditation and eu highways, to artists like suicide, coil and rune lindblad — their music breathes an ethereal yet catchy air, a difficult line to tread. the fact that one of the members is active at the legendary experimental ems studios in stockholm might be the reason for the unusual amount of depth and maturity, steering the music sternly away from the plainly accessible. opener ‘late night call’ is a brooding and growling number perfect for setting the mood in any room or occasion needing an infusion of sweaty sexual energy. ‘speed of light’, the record’s most up-tempo song, leans towards both synth pop and electro-punk. on the flip ‘the trip’ does the exact opposite of the opener, winding things down both emotionally and energy wise, replacing sex appeal with lithium-lined angst, not unlike alan wilder at his deepest. ending the ep is ‘rabbit’, an unadulterated trip down a similarly named hole for those who feel like falling. summed up it’s the most abstract but surprisingly catchy kess kill release to date, an essential beacon in grasping the label’s concept.

collages are a marvelous thing, every now and then, almost a magical thing. the process of layering materials that were not meant to ft together, such as fabrics with photos, is one of constant choice and assessment. maybe these could ft with those? how can i make this sit well with that? as with physical objects, the process of creating sound collages will have you up late considering… contemplating… calculating… it can leave the strongest of minds numb. but then, all of a sudden, a magic moment occurs. these weirdly ft with those, this somehow blends perfectly with that, and creation just… happens. it will never cease to amaze me how some silky chords recorded on a sunny ohio day, seem destined to be paired with a stumbling polish drumbreak. that is the mind boggling, time traveling magic of beats. pieces of sound, from different times and places, sometimes appear to be made for each other with these words in mind from lyricist ivan ave, we present to you ol burger beats sophomore lp mind games. the frst lp on the newly founded label mutual intentions, and one of the most thematic releases weve done to this day. ol’ burger is known in the beatmaking circles for his jazzy sound and great drums. with his latest unreleased instrumentals ep well received, its now time to let the rappers jump on his beats. the feature-list includes underground heavy hitters like chester watson, jeremiah jae, quelle chris, ivan ave, fly anakin & koncept jack$on and kami from savemoney.

after a handful of 12-s for labels like hessle, liberation technologies and his own imprint b.s hell, bandshell returns with a knock out blow for ftd!
mutant drum structures, cascading synths and industrial bell ringing forms the backdrop to bandshell’s latest work. those paying close attention to his output over the years will remember his work on labels like hessle audio, liberation technologies and his own recently setup b.s. hell.

mei zhiyong had been instrumental in arranging dp’s tour of china. when mei zhiyong and dave phillips first met in beijing in july 2014, mei spoke not a word of english and dp not a word of chinese. and they we were to embark on an 18 city tour together. verbal communication between mei and dp was obviously difficult to say the least. it would often result in comical misunderstandings, total puzzlement or bewilderment, but it would also be a source of constant amusement with wonderful moments of instinctive trust. but then there is sound, the ultimate language… to return the favor, dp arranged a tour for mei and himself in october 2015 through 20 european cities. which is where the source material was recorded. dp then selected, dissected and transformed those recordings to work out something different, not just a collaboration, not just an amalgam of two styles, but something new for both. the compositions on this lp are the result.

inspired by the original, the pair turn moneymax into cashminus to deliver two tracks born in a place where belgian new beat, ebm and early rave sounds meet. the result is club monster no satisfaction, which comes in two incarnations: the original vocal version plus an even meaner acid dub for those anxious strobo moments.

santiago leyba makes his vinyl debut on the label following the rooms tape released earlier this year. recorded simultaneously, life, money, work shows the new york-based artist by way of albuquerque, new mexico, portraying the different characters one might have in a broken mind. sketching a strong criticism of america by means of disorienting vocals and slow-paced d.i.y. electronics, santiago finds him performing alter-egos of sorts — ranging from forlorn ballad singing, to more guttural and strained barking seeking to describe a conflict in maintaining a unified persona. paid labor, sex, and consumer goods. how america tells you to grow up when there is nothing left but complacency and oppression through economic and social means. it all goes down to the shortcomings of humanity, the tangled webs we weave, the impossibility of justice and fairness, and the pressure those things put upon ourselves.

alex burkat is back on third ear following his arresting debut, the 285 kent ep (3eep-2014_05). his signature sound is on full display here, again. the new ep is harder and faster than the 285 kent ep, more up , for a different time of night. 3am eternal music. many artists strive to sound like someone else. some strive for individuality and some of those succeed. alex burkat is one of those who has succeeded. his music is epic, wide-screen and lush, deep and with plenty of weight.

panorama bar resident nick ho&#776,,,,ppner gets to work on his second solo album on ostgut ton, connecting the territories of house music with the ease of alt-pop. work as in labor. an axiom that fuels the capitalist system just as the techno/house scene economy says that one needs to keep oneself busy to make a living. as a musician, things are complicated of course. it’s a long way from the romantic idea of creating music simply for the sake of art to becoming a full time musician. those who have accomplished this feat often find themselves in a professional loop of writing the music, producing it, promoting it (with an info text like this), releasing it and then hopefully selling it. after leaving his full time job as ostgut ton’s label manager in 2012, nick ho&#776,,,,,,,,,,,,,,ppner went fully freelance, focusing on his musically diverse, deep and dynamic djing in and outside berghain’s panorama bar, but more importantly spending more time in the studio. the result was his critically acclaimed debut album folk (ostgut ton, 2015), various 12“ releases and remixes, and now his sophomore lp, work, which, more than ever, lays out his refined production skills and his talent to work the machines until they reveal their inner ghosts: nine new songs that now dodge the dance floor, then fully embrace it.

next up on xvi records, we welcome back south london based producer munro for his second release. having recently participated in the brownswood future bubblers project, he brings his signature heavily percussive flavour to these two perfectly crafted tracks. first track miss your love is a shuffling, soulful, groove laden voyage - its sliding synths and wandering bass line provide a solid backdrop foe its iconic vocal ideal for those late night dance floor moments. on the flip,‘environments ten embarks on a deeper, more atmospheric journey. its scattered, layered drums patterns join together in a thick wall of rhythm, setting the scene for uplifting joyous melodies to slowly elevate above, reverberating around the outer realms of expansive production.

it all started with a book, as these things often do: an english anthology of metaphysical poetry from the 17th century, to be exact. which may not sound like the sexiest option on the shelves, but hear us out. the gentleman plowing through those weathered pages happened to be micha&#322,,,,, jacaszek, the polish composer who’s spun dramatic shades of darkness and light into gold for more than a decade now. an absolute master of melancholy, from the trickle-down electronics of treny to the vapor-trailed verses of its looming spiritual cousin kwiaty.
the vinyl release includes a downloadcode.

son of a beatnik - an absolutely monster record getting some well deserved reissue love! produced in chicago by the well loved and late dj chunk-a-bud aka adam malian (rip) all the way back in the mists of 1994 on rick lenoir s coveted house jam label this 12inch undoubtedly takes it s cue from the cities vast, rich and deep heritage of dj s and predecessors. this record proudly contains the spirit of the music box, the warehouse and all the other like-minded spaces that fuel it s disco thrusting beats, anyone with a passing interest will know the elements that make up son of a beatnik , they are classics in chicago and beyond! this is one of those records that just doesn t stop, it s still getting caned today by those lucky enough to own a copy. a true blue cult classic, real deal house music from the windy city. a truly rare 12inch that doesn t show up very often son of a beatnik is an essential release from a particularly fertile period in house music, chopped up, sampled, looped and programmed with love! a surefire winner, this record will cause infinite damage on any dance-floor. truly essential stuff here, this reissue has been realised with the full involvement of rick lenoir and is 100% legit! don t snooze, this one deserves a spot in any self respecting house heads record bag or dj set, classic material made available again for 2017!

what can you expect? take the best fusion-band ever (chick coreas return to forever), some james brown funk, synth-fun like tangerine dream and even a bit of hardrock, and youre getting close. this is zappa, the flemish zappa: cool,funny, sad, difficult,no record for those who love the traditional verse-chorus-verse, and so probably as uncommercial as it can get

how do you follow up a stone-cold afro funk classic like village boogie? simple. gather together some of the hottest players in nigeria, take them down to the phonodisk studios in ijebu igbo and let them loose on a bunch dancefloor fillers you spent the last four years ‘road testing’ in kaduna. and don’t forget to get lady franka and mariam pledge in on backing vocals. those girls know how to fire up a party. it helps, of course, if you’re steve ‘dudu’ black. steve had a god-given knack for writing combustible dance tunes and the contacts in the industry to get the likes of willy nfor, willy roy and felix lebarty to make them explode. from the opening track, ‘osasuima’, the heat never stops. on ‘no stopping me now’ and ‘ololufe/ stay the night’, it’s almost too hot to handle. polished in a studio in london while musical youth recorded pass the dutchie in the next room, happy birthday to u is the gift that keeps on giving – an irresistible blend of highlife, afro beat and afro funk that is guaranteed to start a party on any dance floor.
(peter moore)

apparel music return with the introduction of a brand new sub label - apparel tronic. the intention for this new division of sound is to shift focus towards uk-rooted beats, nu-jazz, downtempo and jungle - a collection of styles the label like to term bliss-beat. this treasured and futile basis of influence gives rise to giuseppe dalessandro a.k.a kisk and ludovico schilling schillings new project which they inaugurate with the hella lp from schilling himself: a collection ukindebted dance tracks that meld influences from jungle, breaks and hip hop. originally born in milan - schilling relies on a process he likes to describe as contamination of sound which entails the layering of field recordings and the sounds of his home environment with those of synths, real instruments and samples. this approach brands a clear stamp on his productions and enables him to create a truly singular strand of dance music and its this that glues together the 9 disparate tracks of hella. moving from the cascading breaks of the lps introduction anarcoide to the woozy and textural black lighter - the album begins to build a spectral mood as it progresses. tracks such as flesh is weak and madting draw influence from the golden-era of bristols trip-hop while tracks such as snooker club and viejos delve into more caliginous, idm territory. the result is a rich and varied collection that demonstrates apparel musics unwavering ability to continue to keep listeners guessing.

producer dain releases his debut 7” single featuring incredible vocal collaborations with la’s modern funk queen moniquea, and frequent tall black guy collaborators malice & mario sweet. drawing inspiration from great producers like j dilla, dj quik, and kev brown, dain brings a unique swing and style to the table with his signature drums, bass lines, and keys. instantly recognizable with a sound all its own, dain’s frst release with liquid beat is perfect for those who love expertly produced, beat driven r&b and hip-hop. included with the 7” is a free download of dain’s entire “treat yourself” ep that features additional collaborations with black spade, rozzi daime (of sa-ra fame), and up and coming portland songstress blossom.

we ve all been there, spending endless hours searching, listening, skipping thru tracks and trying to find at least one good one. no more. we ve made it easy for you... tune is all about that one track, the track that will bring the heat. no remixes, radio edits or excess dubs. it s all very simple, one track, one really awesome tune. that s all. the plot thickens, who is theo walbeck?? but maybe it s not that important, after all the music is the key figure and speaks for itself. this is theo s follow up to freek tool which was one of disclosures most played tracks in 2016 and goes down a similar path. in our humble opinion this is an even stronger track and something that is just waiting to get some heavy isolator action. someone 2night got that dark and vintage warehouse feel mixed up with some soulful cut up vocals and lush strings that is just perfect to drop at peak hour. those rumbling drums will cause some serious damage...believe dat!

here is the debut release from the first lady of the balearic sound nancy noise. her influence on the ibizan sound cannot be understated and, for those who know, nancys place in eivissas musical heritage is carved into es vedra. if you re not aware, it s to be expected nancy isnt one for creating a fuss about what she does or where she fits in. for nancy, its always been about the music. about the vibe. about being moved and taken to a place and time through sound.