sydney’s outer time inner space move from record store to record label in 2017 and they’re keeping it local with the first release. in 2016, thomas mcalister aka cop envy, turned in a stunning ep for uk label opal tapes. a percussive excursion through 3am mind melters, thom proved his ability to craft seemingly effortless, yet undeniably entrancing club tools. under new alias sean thomas, thom extends his reach into deeper, harmonic textures. heady melodic inflections float atop peak-time, rolling rhythmic beds in what feels like an ode to the late 90s, limited-capacity club excursions of western australias red ember records, patrice scotts sistrum recordings or the uks phono label early support from: plo man, ben fester, simon caldwell, adi toohey and a load of other selectors that are keeping it deep in twenty seventeen

having lurked in the tape scene for many moons, al-90 brings his dishevelled house sound to the dancefloor with this single for tape throb. despite the name of the label, this is in fact destined for vinyl, and leads with the fuzzy yet funky cheremushki groove, assisted in the process by monokle. there s a whiff of gerry read s dusty production values present on fluid, but al-90 seems locked into a more discernible beat. that changes on cataract with its degraded hardcore breaks drowning under a sea of unforgiving processing, while tape throb label boss the cyclist is an appropriate choice of remixer to finish the record with a crunchy yet focused version of cheremushki groove

it’s a match made in heaven, techno veteran dino sabatini meets up and coming talent luigi tozzi, who over the last couple of years has delivered stellar eps for the likes of hypnus records, dynamic reflection, mental modern, and sabatini’s own outis music. anyone familiar with the two will know they share an aptitude for adventurous and evolving techno. this is crystallised in this collaboration, which doesn’t take the easy path of creating straightforward club tracks. instead, the three tracks on this release explore the subtler sides of the two producers. that’s not to say this isn’t club music - it is - but they have a lot more to offer than pure functionality. the ep opens with manticora. this eight-minute experience takes the listener through winding claustrophobia as ringing feedback pulses across the stereo field and cavernous rhythms dance about, hard to quite grab. these rhythms build to a point to which they solidify and fall into place, a point at which the track gains a feeling of propulsion, alongside shifting and emotive reverberations and resonances. next up is celeno, a track that slowly unravels under a backing of shuffling hats and a rolling kick drum. twinkling synths swirl around before giving way to a rhythmic and compelling melody. celeno’s musical themes continue into the third and final track, aello, which eases you in with softer drums while a haunting drone builds up. over this, ghostly arpeggios develop alongside weightier drums that carry the track through until the end, leaving just enough time for the drone to ring out and provide a fitting end to the ep.

toolroom is delighted to welcome one of the most exciting new prospects on the uk underground house scene to our flagship label. max chapman burst onto the scene less than three years ago with a string of quality releases on highly respected imprints such as elrow, snatch, viva and lost. with a huge overall beatport #1 under his belt last year in body jack , 2017 is shaping up to be his biggest, most successful year to date - and this ep is seriously large. he locks horns with up and coming maestro george smeddles here for a 2 tracker that ticks all the boxes for a solid underground cut. the lead track, zulu , is a peak-time tech houser with ridiculous grooves, plenty of energy and that tribal vocal hook on the drop that everyone will be singing back to you upon it s release. the b-side charger slows things down a little and adds some sexy, bumpy grooves to proceedings making this a perfect, and flawlessly produced ep. support from riva starr, gorgon city, technasia, groove armada, denney, nathan barato, joe t vannelli, harry romero, doorly, solardo, latmun, uto karem, chus & ceballos, ruben mandolini, waifs & strays, kydus, s-man, tuff london, mat.joe, tcts, miguel bastida, filterheadz, david penn, adrian hour, goncalo, ben remember, secondcity, rich wakley, oscar l, paco osuna, ferreck dawn, martin ikin, vanilla ace, enzo siffredi

we are proud to announce that andreas tilliander is back on echocord after 15 years. this march sees echocord release the ofog ep comprising three original productions from swedens andreas tilliander. stockholm based andreas tilliander is a name thats been synonymous with the underground electronic music scene for a while now, from his contribution to the glitch genre in the early 1990s through to winning a swedish grammy and producing under various monikers creating a variety of sonic art. this includes his previous echocord released lowfour alias, the raster.noton seminal moikra cliphop album and his more recently explored tm404 project which has seen him release on skudge and kontra-musik. tillianders ofog ep kicks off with an upfront and club leaning track entitled storet, which is driven by deep kicks and crisp hats that both sit tightly at each end of the mix, leaving room for twisted chords and delayed synth swells to fill the gap. next up comes the fine dub-tinged and spacious aesthetic of oliveros, where ethereal textures glide freely alongside the live-sounding tape delayed drums, accompanied by a deep, weaving sub. closing the package is risset, in which a half time bass line chugs alongside vibrantly saturated percussion escorted by dubby chords and glitchy atmospherics.

tenax recording is proud to present the second installment of the anniversary ep series signed by two of the most representative artists of the underground scene both coming from italy: nightdrivers and bassa clan. the first duo (mass prod and rufus) under the nightdrivers moniker deliver two outstanding tracks in order to survive that will drive the floor crazy thanks to its hypnotic and percussive groove & strong and deep vocal. the second track scudiscio beat is a loopy groove with a whistling synth line that evolves from the beginning to the end. the second artists to feature are bassa clan (dino angioletti and fabrizio maurizi) they have released on their own imprint bassa clan, howl, rebirth amoungst others & will appear on tenax with time in a bottle and endless three. time in a bottle is a perfect mix between house and techno while endless three is a magical trip with an infinite change of rhythm based on a chopped up synth line from the beginning to the end. a record ready to be dropped at the peak of any set.dj support: nastia, honey dijon, marco faraone, joris voorn and nic fanciulli…

the rat pack – wer kennt sie nicht? diese rasselbande hollywoods, vor denen ab den 50ern weder whiskey noch weiber sicher war? frank sinatra, dean martin, sammy davis jr. waren die hauptakteure des rat packs. sie spielten in filmen zusammen – und sie sangen hits wie what kind of fool i am, i get a kick out of you, i’ve got you under my skin, memories are made of this, love and marriage und viele mehr. die größten hits des rat packs jetzt auf vinyl!

jericho one is kicking off 2017 with this new 12inch from artist ken finger, a collaboration between mickey pearce (swamp 81) and brackles.

high plains is the duo of scott morgan and mark bridges. morgan, based in the canadian pacific northwest, is predominantly known for his drifting, textured soundscapes released under the pseudonym loscil.

an incredible, funked-out live show and production team with their own modern take on boogie, philly soul, and ny disco. xlr8r the possé are a new face to many people. the five piece run by andrew elston and ross ferraro is comprised of veterans from all over australia’s music scene. after a year of knuckling down in the studio and a string of sold out shows they’ve boiled down their favourite influences into an in-credible, raw, funked out live show and production team. watch out for the posse’s debut ep, our thing, featuring contributions from andrew elston (phy-sique/toni toni lee/catcall), ross ferraro & jarrol renaud (the goods), michael di francesco (touch sensitive/van she) and nz jazz keys prodigy andrew bruce.

simbad is by no means a newcomer, and has built his rep-utation with over a decades worth of releases. besides his close affiliation with brownswood recordings / worldwide fm, he’s had production credits on releases by mala, daymé arocena and robert owens, and remixed the likes of black jazz consortium, quantic and roy ayers to name but a few. for this release, simbad once again proves his bold and versatile productions skills. continuing where his previous solo releases left off, he returns to his roots to further his journey exploring house music in all its richness and diversity under his new moniker smbd. with references of classic techno, house, and broken beat, the end result is fresh and inspiring. ‘message 045’ is just that, a comment on today’s world tinted with the sound of an uncertain, technological future and held together with innocent melodies, bubbling synths, rolling basslines and driving percussion. shimmering pads and punching drums carry both ‘ping pong love’ and ‘backstreet’, ready for the dance floor. title track ‘message 045’ takes a beatless, contemplative approach, dreamy, euphoric instrumenta-tion aided with dialogue that captures the essence of the release. newcomer world air offers his charmingly unconventional approach to ‘ping pong love’, a mesmerizing and inventive piece that takes the listener on a trip to a brave new sonic world. watch this space for world air’s debut release soon..

purely personal and unconventional concept well outlined, drafted exposes several ideas ranging from more gloomy dark introspective and reminiscent, to more solid and effective detroit, with intonation in experimental. four tracks that tell a story, four tracks which explain its own be the listener. 180grams red marbled vinyl only.

limited pressing on coloured vinyl including remix by orphx.

an innate facet of the human condition is the very personal way we choose to process our own fatality. faced with dealing with the feelings of anxiety, death and fear after nearly drowning whilst diving in the south atlantic in his youth, ricardo donoso chose to channel them into his creative process. the result was scuba death, a project that was fully realised on donoso’s widely acclaimed 2014 further debut, nitrogen narcosis. after spending time devoted to establishing his kathexis label as well as delivering a trilogy of albums under his given name for the denovali label, donoso returns to further with a second scuba death offering, the worm at the core.

following his first ep for accidental jnr in the summer bambooman is now back with something entirely different. the downtempo experimental designs of the ‘feel ep’ give way to his latest offering ‘shudder’. available on 12” and digital the 4 tracks of shudder weave through a club music tapestry like a chainsaw through custard. the opening and title track is hard to describe, a mix of off kilter synth stabs and hammering snare that routes you to the floor - it’s one of those tracks to whip out of your bag to remind the crowd they have no idea what is coming next. track 2 ‘grasp’ with a blissful detroit groove under deep rich melting chords is a perfect blend of early funk house style and super crisp new production. side b opens with ‘m1’ a lazy floor track with washes of bells, static and detuned synth above a bed of solid kick and shuffling bass. finally ‘kyrian’ closes proceedings, another club friendly slice (despite being in a 7&#8260.8 time signature), the track could have led the ep in its own right but feels like the perfect bookend with its shifting almost garage like 2-step feel and glancing vocal hook.

orbis x is a sublabel of orbis records and will be mainly focusing on softer yet often usable as dj material for the broader mass interested in electronic music. this sublabel is an extension of orbis records softer, more melodical and experimental side. music will be ranging from house, dub, chicago over melodic acid and even breaks. not any track makes it to this sublabel if it ca’t stand on its own and stand the test of time!

darren brandon has been producing house music for more than 2 decades under various pseudonyms club ice, deep sided and dj quad amongst others. hes worked with very close friend, larry heard and released material on black market international, dance mania, alleviated records and many others. perpetual rhythms presents some of his selected works under his guise donnie tempo. trak register is a beautiful arrangement of lush arrangments made for deep thought and the dance floor alike.

white material crew s galcher lustwerk and alvin aronson return under the guise of studio ost with a 4-track ep of live jams on lustwerk music. while the pair s critically acclaimed 2016 debut scenes (2012-2015) leaned towards home listening, eventide / ascension shifts the focus back to the dancefloor with two chugging cinematic house tracks. eventide is an evolving nebula of fluttering pads and lush percussion, while ascension s hot-electric drums are complimented by sharp synth chords that unfurl into controlled chaos. a beatless version of eventide and a drums only version of ascension sweeten the deal.

egal 3 has returned to sov under the name of vid, an alter ego for his real musical expression. bringing 3 great tracks to your eardrums. nice!

berlin collective away ready the 4th release in their catalogue. with 001 on the label being a va, 002 being an ep from joe claussell & mr.ties as away soundsystem and 003 being a second va - they now present a split 2-tracker from label mainstay move d and his pairing with jonah sharp under their collaborative guise of reagenz. whilst keeping an anchor at berlin’s about blank, away have hosted parties at numerous other venues across the city as well as barcelona and throughout have maintained a welcoming and free spirited attitude. harnessing this attitude and channeling the collectives detroit influences, away have developed their imprint which has so far taken shape over a set of 3 analogue-heavy vas. next in line follows suit in melding tough drums with motor city pads. natural in their progression, both tracks spark ardour as they steadily develop adding another fine addition to a blooming catalogue.

mystica tribe is the musical alias of tokyo-based producer, taka noda. drawing on a wide range of influences from dub, soul, bass music, rhythm and blues mystica tribe has quickly been developing a very distinctive sound that exists in a weird, freaked out zone between dub and techno. noda is especially interested in deep, psychedelic music, and this is reflected in his productions, which are equally suited for late night listening sessions or bent, broken in dancefloors. his first track, meditation stick, was released in 2011 on dutch label sd records, backed by two remixes from label owners syncom data. this was followed by two more eps on sd records in 2013: stars are mine and flowers. artists like gilles peterson and 2562 have supported these well-received releases, and his track. his temple recently appeared on pangaea s fabric live 73 mix cd. in 2014, noda is launching his own label, mystica tribe records, through which he plans to continue developing his uniquely psychedelic take on dub and techno. his recent ep, lizard, was released on his label in 2014. jade eye ep was released on his label in 2016.

the ichinen project was born from the strong music connection between roberto bosco and kiny - both producer, performers and founders of last drop records imprint - and from the need to share their personal music concept. finally, this year they returns on their label with the first official track under new ichinen monicker. the title-track, a morning without glory, is indeed a unique melting pot of the different music approaches and visions. the track is determination at its purest form: a relentless 4/4 beat impulse, constantly striving and spaced out by industrial and metallic sounds that convey its deep and atmospheric imaginary. truly abstract and experimental techno that goes beyond its ordinary stylistic logics. on the b-side one may find a morning without glory reviseted at this time in two evocative interpretation by the most renowed artist in the nowadays techno scene. the first one is by dasha rush with a summer light remix, with a more serene and organic version of the original track. the last one is by etapp kyle who prefers to highlights low frequencies

walter jones has been composing music since 1977 and released his first record in 2003. he has released on various labels such as dfa, westbound, supersoul, cisco/stevier, hakt, permanent vacation, under the shade. with -instant gratification,- his second outing on whiskey pickle, the louisiana based producer offers four, cosmically tinged dance tracks that sparkle effortless class and unique flair. presented for the label s sophomore vinyl release, we are treated with bouncy, house-bumpers (-razzmatazz- and -the grinder-), low tempo chuggers (-harmonic urgency-) and even ambient works (-making love-).

black repress !! vinyl only release
starting in 1990 recording for sheffield label ozone records under the name of panic with a release called voices of energy, which was then licensed to buzz in belgium, buzz 001, buzz then went on to release classics by carl craig and derrick may. he set up his own label in the same year solid groove records. the label had 30 vinyl releases over thirteen years and tracks were licensed by derrick may, terry francis, pete tong, adam x, and carl cox.as well as this he ran another four other label s, textures, dark, dot, and cheap knob gags.

name in lights have been organising parties, djing, producing music and running their own label feed for a long time. fact is - they are kind of royalty back in stockholm. after releasing records on under the shade, free association, let s play house, as well as getting remixed by dr dunks and axel boman it s now time to present two tracks on omena. believe it or not but the ties between omena and name in lights go way back. all inclusive is that type or track you would either start or end the night with while post mortem sounds like dj koze and isolee would have a baby together. on this release there are two remixes which completely flip the originals. underground hero samo dj is a force to be reckoned with. with recent releases on the trilogy tapes, public possession and an album on snaker together with maxxxbass he found time to work all inclusive into something completely new. watch out for the end. finally label boss tooli delivers a remix filled with as much rhodes and conga as your heart desires.

aelfric michael avery has been a self-reliant artist for a long time. the canadian producer has been exploring underground acid and rough, homemade techno since releasing his first material as avery monarch back in 1994. however it wasn’t until more than ten years later that his music would surface again on his own napalm enema label. napalm enema has also carried work by the likes of faltydl, paul blackford and mrs jynx. avery has released just as much music under his acid elf guise, most notably appearing alongside +10 acid crew (jodey kendrick) for the sought-after bruvs acid ep, and now the alias makes a welcome return to vinyl with four essential tracks from the archives. there’s a subdued, hypnotic and delirious quality to the productions on this ep for arma, ranging from the uneasy delay pulses of fetus to the metallic clamour of urban wasteland, but most importantly they’re all injected with a distinctive personality that stands apart from the 303-tweaking masses.

written & produced by roboknob. mixed by stefan goldmann. mastered by rashad becker. info: weve said it before: technos vanguard can be found in the east right now. sofias quirky techno underground is densifying. evolving around the diviat slon parties (residents: stefak & stefan goldmann), the beton nights, the indoors offspins of artmospheric festival and unannounced appearances of kink under his cyrillic guise, raw and rave-infused techno is increasingly defining the citys sound of the small hours. roboknob are part of this movement, and this is their debut ep. a live hardware duo, yasen and stanislav drop rugged, noisy machine jams around the bulgarian capital and have been regulars at artmospheric. the ep’s tracks have been distilled from their live repertoire and mixed by stefan goldmann into sharply defined form with added bite.dexydi is greek for acid - the corrosive liquid, not the music. accordingly, its heavy-handed single-note bass attack will cut through anything.spellbind is more bouncy with frantic upward movements, distorted percussive fallout and a seasick bass foundation. liulka handles two layers of time rubbing off of each other: quirky and pushing high in the sky, against the bass drum mechanics down low. a suitable acoustic symbol for sofias state of techno.

catz n dogz continue to roll out their pets sub label step recordings and follow up a slew of soulheavy dance records from baltra, reno wurzbacher and the analog roland orchestra with a solo ep from fellow polish producer universo. with previous appearances on transatlantyk, the auspicious newcomer slots neatly into the step catalogue in presenting his ‘underworld’ ep: a package of softly glowing lo-fi that fans of baltras recent sophia ep on step will relish. underworld then unfolds at a steady, hypnotic pace as moody, interlocking chords and paired up with a gentle spoken vocal that work together to create a poignant, eyes-down mood. icy strings and a trippy spoken are introduced before kora buta follows up with some warm, swooning sample work. sleeper is next up as distant, meandering thumb pianos and rainy textures colour the tracks fuzzy drums while a glassy, legowelt-esque pad glides overhead.frequenza kicks things off a soft, sizzling pad sent ducking under a rock-hard kick drum.

otis junior & dr. dundiff release the follow up album to their critically acclaimed “dubplates from jakarta #5” release. the vinyl lp includes a download code.

the fourth participant in the gost instrument series is ivan erofeev hailing from siberia’s omsk. ivan was producing and releasing music as aleph for the last five years and this is the first ever record issued under his birth name. the author’s distinctive, monotonus yet liquid sound emerges in these two tracks - deep “h island” and polyrhythmic “sahiba”. framed with field recordings made by the man himself, this two-tracker is a hypnotic and atmospheric journey into ivan’s very own creative universe.

joining our label for the 4th release are dan andrei and kozo, under their collaboration named ak41, a fructuous project that offers three highly complex tracks.
on the a side you can find “icebreaker” solely, an eccentric sound with a steady bassline, percussive kicks, tripping shakers and a thoughtful, mysterious melody that touches all the frequencies of your body. turning to the b side we find “swingenious”, a groovier interpretation produced by a combination of spacey feelings and sophisticated instruments that will move every bone on the dancefloor. closing the ep is “in memoriam”, a melancholic version that is not short of an aggressive bassline, ambiguous vocals and deep introspects, all aligned to disconnect you from the reality of routine.

caravan’s coarsica ep is a gorgeous six-tracker of wandering drum machines and shiny synths, washed with the burnt umbers and viridescent hues of the australian outback. computer-funk with a green thumb. as the track-listing suggests, coarsica is a tribute to subtle and compelling beauty of australia’s native flora, as if costa georgiadis and dâm-funk got away from the big smoke for a weekend and spent the whole time by the river cooking this bad boy up. like the rugged and stoic banksia, or the regal flindersia, each track on the coarsica ep provides a dappled shade under which the weary dancer can rest in these hot summer months.
support from: tako (music from memory/redlight records), touch sensitive, ben fester

the fourth installation of acronym’s own dimensional exploration series comes after more than 2 years of silence. underwater exploration for all the senses.

this is the first release by jesse kanda under the name doon kanda.

in the beginning of 2017, nightmare factory records will put out their first vinyl release. for this special occasion, the label s owner electrorites put together a unique va record called interweavings vol.1 comprised of smashing techno tunes which will shatter the dance floor into pieces. arween s hurry indeed doesn t take its time and rushes forward like blood through one s tempels when trying to make it in time - or when raving fast and hard, which is exactly what the track encourages you to do. the synth doesn t have time to unfold in a melody and stays on one spot, driven by a harsh beat which doesn t go under 137 bpm. the sour sweat doesn t drop any slower when state of mind by electrorites hits the speakers. incisive synth erupts through the dense wall of iron and steel which crushes and shatters under the surge of the drum kick. the hungarian techno warlock gabeen returns to nightmare factory with disappearance , a guaranteed dancefloor banger for those who prefer to feel the beat deeply in their viscera. the enigmatic duo vertical spectrum rounds up the release with andromeda collision course . this tune is weirdly soothing thanks to the sweeping, high-pitch rustling sounds and swirling trickles, but is still turbid by the sediment of neurotic, angry beat

in 2016, domestica introduced the debut promo cassette (and second ep) by màquina total, the moniker under which barcelona-born virgili jubero has been working since 2011. heres estatua, the first lp by maquina total, this time in vinyl format in a limited run of 350 copies, complete with insert and download code.

review ornate music continues in its mission to reach out to the freshest talent in the house and techno scene by shining a light on emergent german talent faune, following last years stellar releases by ka one & st-sene and homepark. thus far, jakob panthels production as faune has been spotted on the soundscape versions label, while under his own name he has produced two albums released digitally on crystalline days. most recently, he delivered the four-track isvatten ep to tuesday slump, which operates out of his native munich. as well as his rising release schedule, he has been appearing frequently on the circuit in munich and berlin, performing alongside the likes of a made up sound, stefan jòs and skudge. on this ep panthel delivers three tracks of deep, hardware-powered techno with a keen dancefloor instinct, fitting right in to the ethos of ornate and marking another step forward for faune.

andreas bergmann is back on moral fiber! this time with 2 original tracks and 2 produced under his alias not him.

dzar, a new experimental techno project from marseille, aiming to explore advanced interactions and capabilities between modern analog hardware and digital tools. after a decay releasing house music under the alias of damien zala, dzar is dedicated to a more minimalist approach of electronic music. inspired by graphic design, architecture, and numeric arts.

the guys at pole jam vinyl have spent most of the last year involved in an undying quest to seek out new, exciting music. they would neither be stopped by the russian tundras nor the deserts of australia in their search. funnily enough, it was actually down-under they discovered sydney based duo falqo with their brilliantly chilled and melodic number across the sea . then, it really was across the sea they went, all the way to the ukraine, picking up sasha anastasov s laidback, groovy smasher sea for two . next up was a much shorter trip to moscow to collect gayana, a band very much on the rise whose since the night has been perfectly reinterpreted by pole jam s very own st. petersburg based all-stars klar&pf. pioneerball is the solo project of tesla boy s lead guitarist who makes his second appearance on pole jam vinyl. this time pioneerball contributes the stunning opening track deltaplane , a track influenced by obscure russian cinematic soundtracks. it s combined perfectly with a compelling disco groove, jazzy melodies and organic strings that will make your heart melt.

1994 - chicago producer rick lenoir has already released a slew of legendary records under many well known aliases and his house jam label has been in business since 87. the sanctuary project is the nom de plume utilised by rick for this particular killer disco infected 4 track ep from that period. the keen eared among you will no doubt recognise some of the sample sources used throughout these tracks, lenoir flips jazzy loops, chopped up vocals and lays it all out over some kicking drum programming, this is that style of sample based house that has the hardened dance heads and hip-hoppers unified, gritty, raw and brimming over with soul! the cuts featured on this ep will sit nicely with most contemporary sounds and shows how on the money rick was in the mid 90 s! the record has long been out of print and has been forever popular with the diggers out there, commanding a healthy price when available in the second hand stores and online. this reissue has been realised with the full involvement of rick lenoir / house jam records, chicago 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 - running it’!

centre source records continue to fly the flag for local artists with their fourth ep - this time from berlin-based jad & the.
love tool presents a dreamy opening to the ep, with its effervescent piano riff and lush layers of filters and reverberations, which swell and deflate throughout. bouyant yet gentle, convertible on the m1 is a sunny, textured groove with digital flutes and claps, softly ascending through to a blissful breakdown. on the flip side, underachieving koala juxtaposes eerie vocal samples with melancholy piano chords, making for a poignant cut on the record. untzz twelve inch mainstay arthur miles takes the track in a more club-worthy direction on the remix, giving it a healthy dose of drive and glistening keys, all while staying true to the emotive mood of the original.

helmed by back to basics resident james barnsley, it s safe to say vessel records know exactly what they re doing with their initial five releases including names such as daze maxim, burnski, dj honesty, laura jones and diego krause. the label s excellent discography continues in their sixth release with dan curtin under his purveyors of fine funk moniker - highly regarded for early releases on peacefrog, nepenta, and more recently bass culture. politics of dancing, known separately as s.m.a.l.l & paco, are the parisian duo behind their fastrising eponymous label, whereas british talent rhymos has quickly garnered a reputation for his compelling productions on the likes of overall music, whistleblower records and murmur. joined by barnsley himself, this four-track release demonstrates each artist in fine form. purveyors of fine funk s depth of bass is a raw sounding cut with ethereal atmospherics and moody chord sequences. james barnsley is next with his deep and trippy number titled she not fast before politics of dancing merge intricate percussion with rumbling bass in their mesmerising queens road. tying things together, rhymos gets rhythmic with jazz hand featuring acid licks and echoing effects.

hell’s first single in well over a year, ‘i want u’ throbs and thrusts with in-the-moment physical tension. unhurried and extensive in its 11+ minute arrangement, it’s every bit as deep and as long as you’d want such a session to be with its rush-riddled breakdown that dips deep under the skin with lavish emotional chord changes and peaked atmospherics. a celebration of gay culture, an homage to purist analog-driven proto techno, a statement for what’s shaping up to be yet another exceptional album from the hugely influential international deejay gigolos founder, ‘i want u’ comes complete with two startling remixes: the legend that is the hacker accentuates the grit and crunchy ebm charm of the original with an all-out exercise in sonic horsepower while hell’s selector kindred spirit and all-round robot-rustling icon martin matiske provides a whirlwind trip back to another foundation era for electronic music with b-boy-busting electro boogie spectacular. trust us, you’re going to want all three. and thankfully you’ll get all three right here. let us know what you think!

inspired by a french 19th century etching, nicolas chaix (a.k.a i:cube under his moniker icola) made these 4 diabolical percussion driven tracks during the hot summer of 2016. ultra heavy and trippy music for the body and the mind.

as we roll into a brand new year bass culture keeps the pressure high with a funk-filled new three-track ep from one of germany’s finest, sebo k. the berliner has been entrenched in his city’s vibrant scene since the nineties, when he was playing breakbeat and jungle. in fact, there’s a nod towards his early days on the ‘brock wild’ ep, along with some sultry funk. head of his own label, scenario, and curator of parties under the same name, sebo k has also produced music for a long list of some of the world’s most influential underground labels and now he steps up to bass culture with this sleek collection. the title track is a steady roller with hefty bass rumbling deep below sturdy beats. the groove is funky and low slung, swirling pads mesmerise you as soulful female vocals raise your vibration. the track is punctuated by an iconic sample of uk reggae star top cat, which was used in several early jungle tracks in the mid-nineties and now again on sebo’s killer track.flip the record over for side b, which kicks off with ‘aftershock’, another sweet groove with jazzy hues, more punchy percussion and a warm, simmering undercurrent. as the track evolves, techy notes are added to its potent mix and we get a wonderful mix of traditional sounds and more futuristic effects. last but not least is ‘foliage patterns’, a sensual cut straight out of the us school of deep house. this is one that will be spun by all the deep house masters no doubt, with all the elements you need to inject some bounce into the dance floor yet still touch its soul. as we said, sebo k is one of germany’s finest, a versatile producer and dj who demonstrates exactly why he remains one of the nation’s most consistent and respected artists. make sure you add the ‘brock wild’ ep to your collection, it’s a must!

esteemed composer piero umiliani released scores of music in his lifetime from the famous to the obscure, but his forays into jazz continue to be a delight for diggers the world over. here galaxy present storia e prehistoria, recorded under his alias rovi and originally released in 1972. its a stirring collection of music that touches on soundtrack themes throughout, capturing the sound of the era impeccably while sporting umilianis inimitable touch in the same breath. the album is full of sumptuous orchestrations of brass, keys, harp and more besides, each piece loaded with romance and cool as could only come from italy.

die berliner melodic-electro erfolgsgruppe solar fake legt mit another manic episode ihren vierten longplayer vor, der auch als deluxe-doppel-cd (inkl. bonus mini-album) und als limitierte fan-box erhältlich ist.

it is a big temptation - whilst striving to place oneself on the map - to favour and repeat established structures and norms in order to gain fortune, fame and power. to cripple a work of art under pressure of commercial success and to trade the uniqueness of a creative spark for an egoistic idea means using a calculating mind to overrule art and emotions. but this pulse of an artist is not his mind but his heart with which he exposes his energy and vibration through frequencies. for this reason there is only one way which retains the creation in its innocent spontaneous form in order to stay true to its inspirational core. the path of resistance! (johannes heil)