2018 is going to see the bond between khidja & malka tuti strengthen, with the romanian duo bringing forward their eclectic, cross-genre approach to electronic music in the shape of 2 full releases as well as several remixes tba. -plot- & -am i really here- are two dance-floor bangers, not hiding behind fashions and hype, the duo is pushing forward on both tracks, each with its own idea and story to tell. this one continues malka tuti’s 12” dance series perfectly, with both tracks being pressed on 45rpm and getting each its own side.

it’s been a while since the deadly russian twins gancher & ruin released on prspct but they are back on board. and this monster ep is filled with everything we love about these guys. its heavy, raving and 110% awesome. all hail gancher & ruin! including download code.

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

the mysterious scaarlet is back with a vapourous ep lurking into light and darkness. not good opens the a side with a desperate electronica mood. feel the tension until drums propel you into apocalypse. um pushes you slowly toward the dancefloor. syncopated breakbeats, cut up grooves and a wavy bassline thrive you to embrace the cinematic ambiance. essai nouvo is not just a deep atmospheric broken techno sound. its an awaited glide into nothingness. all tracks mastered by pole at scape mastering in berlin.

after the success of its 5th release, hund records is back again to show qualities of its owners and resident djs, this time with a collaboration between andrea biana and giacomo panni. two groovy originals in the limbo between the wam-up and the dancefloor mood accompanied and completed with a massive french house remix from the master chris carrier where you can hear his typical style and a swinging groove rework from our other residents and owners dubfluss to make this release a must have in the bag for every occasion. artwork concept as usual by uokytoky. already supported by raresh, sonja moonear, rich nxt, doubtingthomas, javier carballo, barac, fabe, janeret, sakro, seb zito, yaya and many more.

a dream come true, jochem peteri a.k.a. newworldaquarium a.k.a. 154 blesses our 12x12 series (already home to releases by kara-lis coverdale, beatrice dillon, raime, dj sprinkles & snd and v/vm) with his first new release in 14 years. his “strike” album under this alias remains unsurpassed in its field today, influencing everyone from actress to lee gamble and huerco s over the past decade and more, and it’s fair to say that this new lp beautifully lives up to that classic high water mark.

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.

for its fifth release, third try introduces maude sphinx, a mysterious new project from a producer who will remain nameless. screen printed by hand / 500 ex only!

san francisco in the late 1960. the hotbed of psychedelic and rock culture. the dead, joplin, jefferson airplane and a host of others all gaining mainstream acceptance for their acid tinged work. but the city and the surrounding bay area had so much more going for them. a liberal political outlook and a large african american and latino population, meant that musical and cultural reference points were wider and more easily assimilated there than (almost) anywhere else in the united states. two of the biggest groups to emerge from this scene were santana and sly and the family stone, with their melting pots of sound that took in jazz, soul, rock and latin influence. for a while they were two of the biggest acts in the united states and scores of local bands tried to follow in their footsteps. they were hard acts to follow and very few got to the stage of making a 45, never mind a whole lp. one of the best to do just that were leon’s creation, whose debut lp “this is the beginning” acid jazz are reissuing here. a native of san francisco leon patillo led the group, whose multi racial line-up echoed that of his heroes on the local scene. self contained and gigging locally they made their debut album at the tiny studio 10 who also custom pressed the album in extremely limited numbers the music is a perfect blend of acid soul, mixed with hippie sentiments that will get you dancing on the uptempo numbers such as the title track, ‘back roads’ – with its glorious harmonies and the soaring ‘power’. more thoughtful numbers such as ‘until you were gone’ or ‘love’ will touch your soul. so impressed was carlos santana that he eventually asked leon to join his band.

following lo sheas industrial iterations ep, duskys 17 steps welcomes the mysterious polymod to the label family with a three track ep of club tools that draw on classic acid house and techno influences. hooked with a vintage 88 piano loop and tightly sprung bassline, opener no other has been ever present in dusky’s sets since the autumn - already inspiring multiple posts in a certain well-known facebook id group, as well as causing one eager id hunter to tweet dusky with home played piano videos of the main loop. for all its catchiness, though, it maintains an understated approach that plays on dynamics and contrast - a driving club tool. taking a darker route but maintaining the intensity, tx goes for the jugular with a looping surge of acid and rolling electro rhythms. completing the trio is the spacious pg1000 that joins the dots between 90s ambient, proto-house and detroit machine music at its most dreamy.

“yuxtaposición” is a recently unearthed treasure recorded by a tight italian trio in miami during the early seventies. until now, this music has only been heard in office backgrounds, tv commercials and movie soundtracks. but the perseverance of an admirer brought about its first-ever release on the italian schema label. imagine hearing a 1972-era cal tjader quartet without cal tjader and you get an idea of what to expect. it’s slightly latin, lightly funky and truly enjoyable. “yuxtaposición” offers enough to interest a jazz listener. but the sounds heard in these 35 minutes are really better appreciated as mood music. lead man, cabildo, composer of all ten tunes here, has a knack for writing jazzy little hooks that launch his tasty, well-crafted keyboard solos. often alternating fender rhodes and piano within the same song, his playing maintains a hypnotic command that recalls bob james’ cti style. electric bassist bobby fares and percussionist max ronnie make subtle, supportive contributions that serve only to enhance cabildo’s sound. there’s a funny thing about yuxtaposición too. it’s kind of like developing an addiction. you may not pay much attention to it at first. but before you know it, you’re hooked. you need to hear it to be satisfied. a very nice surprise.

clash lion is a mix of three personalities shall ocin, terr and daniel watts. three artists with different musical backgrounds merging forces to create a truly eclectic and open-minded label. after the success of their first release from maetrik firmly putting this label in the spotlight, it was followed by releases from shall ocin and daniel watts. anna who started 2018 with the acclaimed‘hidden beauties ep on kompakt now comes back with a 3 track ep for clash lion. her debut on the label kicks off with suzi in transe, a roaring synth work drives this track into the deep and dark realms of techno, but with an acid element thrown in for good measure. ethereal yet brooding, impression is a track that grows and grows. its classical piano stab perfectly blends into the mix, keeping its dancefloor ready pace right to the end. 80s flare, break beat focused rhythms and an explosive synth riff. into the void is the most futuristic offbeat techno piece we have heard from anna, and makes for a standout new release with three varied and texturally interesting tracks.

jonah sharp & dj spun pair up as the loose control band to drop a punk-inspired single on rekids with remixes from label founder radio slave and shut boss ryan james ford. having released a large body of work as spacetime continuum (astralwerks) or alongside david moufang as reagenz (workshop), not to mention significant collaborations with the likes of terence mckenna, haruomi hosono and bill laswell, jonah sharp is unquestionably a highly respected producer. his seminal label reflective played an important role in the experimental ambient and techno scene during the ‘90s, whilst as a remixer he’s worked with music by nine inch nails, meat beat manifesto and matthew herbert. meanwhile, jason drummond has long been a commanding force within new yorks electronic music scene, such as running his prestigious warm up music series or his all night rong parties with regulars like dj harvey. hes also been djing and producing as dj spun for two decades, appearing on golf channel recordings as well as his own illustrious imprint rong music, which used to release music collaboratively with dfa. i dont understand sees a raw and uncompromising side to both artists as they layer a cacophony of murky bass, twisted melodies and mind-bending bleeps whilst drummonds turbulent vocals bellow throughout the mix. staying faithful to the original, radio slaves remix incorporates a heady rhythm with its rolling beat as screeching effects join a moody bassline. moving into techno territory, ryan james fords akihabara remix features rattling percussion and crystalline synths whilst his hope remix is built on an intricate drum sequence as soaring pads and echoing keys contrast with the originals piercing vocal.

r&s newcomer karim sahraoui delivers an ep of deep, emotive techno that draws on the rich legacy of detroit while staying relevant for the modern era. sahraoui is a globetrotting seeker of musical truth spending time in malaysia, italy and spain as well as his native france, he recorded in the early 2000s to some acclaim as djinxx, releasing prolifically for delsin, cocoon, f-com bedrock, and ovum amongst others. in 2009 he took a couple of years out from the industry, travelling to malaysia to find himself. in 2011 a chance meeting reconnected sahraoui with derrick may, who he originally met in the late 90s. may was reactivating transmat and persuaded karim to let him release his music, but on the condition it be under his own name. the resulting pair of eternal life eps in 2014 and 2016 marked his rich return to form glorious melodic, contemplative techno in the classic motor city mode. his plenitude ep for r&s builds on similar positive themes - from the percolating arpeggios and mystic melodies of spy of the desert, to the anthemic jazzy techo paen of born again or the aching symphonic build of before the 2nd coming its clear that after decades in the business sahraouis talent is only growing rather than diminishing. i wanted to give it more spirituality, musicality and roots with the choice of the sounds. going back in the past and transcribe everything with visionary fusions, sahraoui explains.

after kicking off the year with releases by wheelman and general ludd, were very pleased to announce that naum gabo completes our recent trilogy of releases from glasgow based artists. alongside ivan smagghe, its no secret that optimo have been a huge influence around these parts and having released ivans smagghe & cross project on belters last year, its a huge honour to work with naum gabo - the production partnership of jonnie wilkes (jg wikes of optimo) and james savage (mastering engineer for optimo music). fittingly enough, naum gabo played live at the first ever optimo related parties we attended at the sub club back in 2005 and jonnies influential and supportive presence has been felt over the years as we started to become more involved in the glasgow scene and as the label developed. so it didnt require much thought to do this release before we had even heard these new naum gabo tracks they are absolute slammers of the highest order! really big release, bringing to our minds the likes of errorsmith. belters is a new club-focussed label brought to you by huntleys + palmers.

2018 repress - standard cover ... us born and meanwhile in berlin residing kevin mchugh aka ambivalent presents his cocoon recordings single debut. ambivalence seems to the be the musical direction here. daylights is a sheer technomonster, musclepacked and full of dark detroit flavour but the used vocal samples and the harmonic synthstrings cant hide the magic touch of daylights. although the massive techno bassline is the star of this track we are sure it will find its way into the sets of many house djs, too. in contrast to that “swung out” appears way more like pure techno and cannot be filed as house at all. we are hypnotized by the shuffled rim shots and hi hats and ambivalent drives this one straight through the dub universe. techno is the destination and the dark vibe of swung out makes it a perfect after hour weapon.

chevel gives the prism-pushers at mumdance & logos’ different circles their first album release with always yours, a slanted new take on the ‘weightless’ paradigm, floating somewhere between headspaces associated with the styles of lee gamble, actress and logos. paradoxically the longest and yet most minimalistic release on different circles to date, always yours says its piece in succinct yet expansive terms, rendering precisely tooled rhythms and technoid motifs in acres of suspenseful emulated space in a way that connects the brutally efficient dynamic of late ‘90s tech-step with a raster noton-like appreciation of pointillist reduction.in that imagined space chevel moves like a soviet gymnast or prototype robot fluidly executing a demanding routine full of intricate, rigid steps. from the ambient airlock of one evening in july he pulls off the aerobic mid-air rolige of the call, which comes off like a syncopated sleeparchive workout, before twysting into the knotted quasi-step of bulletand stepping into hyperspace on arp 2600. another ambient interlude warming bath returns the lp to balmier states, before the jagged pulse of data recovery pulls back into the dance like a virulent alva noto piece, and dem drums pitch to the rave’s darker side, but ultimately the lushly self-explanatory underwater and always yours keep the lp hovering around the edge of ecstasy and the abyss with a grasp of heady, day-after feelings known to ravers the world over.•the first artist release on logos and mumdance’s different circles•floating in ‘weightless’ space between lee gamble, logos, actress and alva noto•vinyl master + cut by matt colton at alchemy.•cover photo by yusuke yamatani. design + layout by our place

following from deetrons accomplished entry in to the dj-kicks mix series, !k7 are now serving up one of the original singles from it. produced by the swiss artist and featuring soul futurist steve spacek, it comes with the original and three vital versions. entitled chose me, the single is six tender minutes of musical electronic soul. warm and supple bass, twinkling keys and smeared chords form the atmosphere as spacek delivers a dreamy and heartfelt vocal up top. its a track to get the spine tingling, while the instrumental allows the celestial keys to ring out into a night sky as the main focal point. on the jupiter version, the drums are more loose and broken up, lending a spaced out vibe that will be perfect on outdoor terraces as the weather warms up. jumbled percussion tumbles next to the chords as the vocal soars. a jupiter instrumental closes out this cosmic and cultured house ep

hot on the heels of their recent eps on roam, correspondant and futureboogie, zombies in miami maintain the disco heat with their debut on mike simonettis 2mr. three tracks and one remix deep, the entire release is a full trip to the senses. take it off leads by example: strident, uplifting and dynamically arranged so a whole new level of feels is unleashed when you least expect it, theres a real timeless energy and focus coded deep into every element. new odisea takes more of a cosmic approach with its slinking bassline and soaring, yearning chords that weave and wave above it. buckle up even the slightest variations and percussive additions are so well placed, they create an almighty rush every single time. finally ‘where is the voice of that man on acid’ attempts to ask the question we’ve all been asking for years. fittingly psychedelic, layered and circuitous, its springy riff persistently tickling under waves of evocative atmospheres and it comes complete with a sublime, sub-loaded rolling technoid trip-fest from honey soundsystems jackie house. the duo describe the ep as the result of hours of jamming, trying to imagine and recreate the loudest, most energetic and sweaty dancefloor tracks that we could play in mexico, europe and all over the world no matter the borders. we’d describe that as mission accomplished.

this is a homage to childhood years spent in the scottish highlands. to mountain biking in fort william. to nights out in glasgow and edinburgh. to the scene and the people. to cha deoch-slaint, i gun a traghadh. its no health if the glass is not emptied. this is alex warrens little nod to scotland. disco halal is delighted to add another genius dancefloor master to the family, kiwi. pine marten opens the ep up, contemplative and majestic, like highlanders preparing for battle. following up, daubentens bat is a bonafide disco halal anthem with indigenous vocals and psychedelic woodwinds. to close the ep, kiwi reworks pine marten into a peak time, italo-infused roller. the highlanders drop their swords, head to panorama bar and jig with reckless abandon.

organic analogue broadens its remit on this killer boogie inflected diversion from italian producer croza. where the label has been often associated with deeper techno and electro, it sounds right at home exploring the moog bass licks and snappy drum programming that pours like a fine wine out of every track. night heat is the perfect lead track, all steamy synth throb and funky guitar licks, while feel turns up the pressure with a proto house burner that would have set the paradise garage alight. also look out for a rare appearance from ad bourke, who cruises on to the record to deliver a blissed out version of night heat for the smokiest of sundown situations.

89:ghost is on fire at present, having thrown down killer releases from todd sines, logic system and tomoki tamura over the past year. tommy vicari jnr is a great addition to the roster, bringing a freaky, wobbly and distinctly hi tech approach on all that matters that will have party people freaking out in a whole new way. things at night takes a completely different approach with its focus on delicately chopped up piano hooks. tlk 2 me wt yr bdy flips the script yet again with a roughneck, ardcore sound palette and some filtered house elements riding atop a booming low end. likely story finishes this varied ep off with a cheeky garage house strut that will have just as many fans as the other killer jams on this well rounded record.

tresor records is proud to announce a new commission, bringing together two of its most time-honored contributors. berlin’s thomas fehlmann and detroit’s terrence dixon came together in detroit to produce this expressive album. an avant-premiere live performance of this album was presented at tresor’s annual detroit showcase in may 2017. composed of six titles and exploring a wide range of rhythms and emotions, “we take it from here” is a celebration of resilience, patience, creativity and devotion.

naïf 008 opens a series of five eps that will be released around the release of the dj-mix-cd also named naif which has its release in april 2018 the first strike comes with two blinding techno tracks: running man is a contribution by the gentleman of techno steve bicknell. the other comes from the young swedish producer that goes by the name of kuf and who is part of the arsenik crew. besides that we find two compositions by phillip sollmann himself that show his abstract and experimental approach. while aliasing bells is a texture of sampled tibetan bells tag3 by his side-project autolyse is a jam on a light-sensor-controlled custom-made synth. perfect for layering on top of a mix. after more then three years of silence as a producer, efdemin aka phillip sollmann returns with a striking hybrid concept that merges the album format with the continuous dj mix format, presenting completely new material in a seamless manner. the cd-mix, named naif, officially reinstates his label of the same name and is a sprawling tour of inner space featuring 19 distinct tracks from fellow producers along with an additional ten that feature efdemin himself (either as soloist or collaborator). the release condenses his decade-long dj-ing journey and evolution as a producer into a single potent elixir of contemporary techno. naïf consists of completely unreleased material from both himself and valued collaborators, all of which will eventually manifest as ep releases: five on his own naïf label and two more on curle.

pets boot down the doors of 2018 with this generous five track version excursion. five of the label bosss most distinctive and decorated tracks from recent years get the treatment from five fittingly big names, this is how its going to go down… the one and only roman flügel takes the lead with a wonked-out trip down ‘basic colour theory lane. with a sly switch on the kicks and full emphasis on the alien encounter feels, his trippy take on ‘dont sets the perfect creative benchmark for whats to follow. dig deeper for a bumping, stripped back warm and jacking twist of ‘its happening by the currently unavoidable rutilance founder dj steaw while counter records pional breaks down their recent jolt of euphoria ‘rave history and rebuilds it into a slinkier, house affair, repurposing every spine-tingle and skin-ripple greg and voitek coded into the original. deeper again were treated to an exceptional twist of their green velvet collaboration ‘keep on as lawler injects a springy, molten momentum to the elements with a salubriously loopy machine funk feel. finally, for good measure, jonathan kasper wraps up their 2016 spiritual trip ‘elixir with a new sense of conga-riddled, bass-licked momentum. still reaching the highs when you least expect it to, the pay-off keeps giving and giving. a little like this whole ep

fresh from his and elizabeth wights widely supported pale blue debut on crosstown rebels, new jersey renaissance man mike simonetti returns to correspondant with a touching cyclical trip.fuelled by emotion thanks to an on-point sample of a barbed spoken word, i love you mom is characterised by shimmering hypnotic cathedral cascades that fully arrest the senses. symmetrically bookended by the equally overwhelming i love you dad, where the same chords and sample take a much darker acidic trip, simonetti also treats us to the icy ricochet subversions of the chime-binding riser lets go for a walk and the purring electroid bass prowler no gods, no masters along the way. pregnant with restraint and well-tempered emotions but knowing exactly when to pop, its another certified odyssey from the perennial troubleman. feel the love.

last spotted on correspondants fourth annual collection, jennifer cardini and noura labbani return to yovavs majestic slice of cold wave theatre running wave and develop its universe on their ever-bubbling dischi autunno imprint. still as epic and dramatic as it ever was, its narrative is now galvanised by a typically dynamic edit from gerd janson (who also remixed yovavs last single on correspondant), three originals and one remix. railroad is an animated chip-like adventure with layers of leads cleverly interlaced around the lolloping lofi kicks file detective plays the consummate creeper as a slinky metallic beat suddenly melts into a sleazy, sneaky lead that keeps peeping over its shoulder space work closes the show on a cosmic high with such a strong emotional pull it could make sabres of paradise blush while brassica add crucial footnotes with uptempo breakbeat remix so elastic and euphoric it could flex a bicep or two. stunning, immersive and truly singular no one is doing it like yovav right now.

a year on from luigi tozzi and label head dino sabatinis collaborative manticora ep, outis return with a striking, singular solo work from tozzi. ecate ep sees the roman producer bringing three distinct slices of techno, each with its own set of subtleties and the crystal, adept sound design that defines tozzi’s work. spanning the a-side is ecate. this title track is rolling and hypnotic, with muscular, percussive bass. throughout the track, angelic chords come and go, washing the listener in euphoria. alongside, we hear a disorienting melody, grounded by the lightly swung four to the floor kick that gives this track an infectious groove. the flip opens with leto, which immediately defines itself as a club track with an unbroken but evolving set of percussion and a weighty kick. its around this kick that other elements build. we hear long, ringing, resonant string sounds, and a bell like melody morph and unfold as other percussive components come and go. the track falls away into atmospheric eeriness, which perfectly sets the stage for the eps finale. esperedes swung, panning drums give it a disorienting feeling of otherworldliness from the get go. this is before youre greeted by an alien, slightly dubbed out melody and a hanting backing drone that feels like a reference (perhaps in opposition) to the angelic chords of the eps first track. its on this closing track that tozzis delicate, expert sound design best shines through, and really has to be heard to be understood.

having grown up with and on the internet, martin steer (1986) has transformed its pull into a concept album that is just as immediate and intangible as the digital world. bad stream is guitars and machines vanishing in the spaces between radiohead and nine inch nails only to reemerge amidst ambient, noise, and drone. bad stream, then, is his modus operandi - a hybrid soundtrack to the feelings of resignation, isolation, and cynicism within neoliberal cyberspace and to that strangely numbing comfort of bodies transmuting into zeros and ones in real time.

len faki mixes , transparent vinyl , len faki takes on a couple of classics for 007 of his ongoing special edits series lfrmx, striking a perfect balance between the old and new. first up is a tweaked version of steve stolls 1998 lp-excerpt reciproheat, elegantly edged while carrying the proper weight to move. dj shufflemasters booming housedust release from the same year however has a wacky tack to its groove, its mind-bending qualities yet amplified by faki boiling down the tempo to more current confines. the flipside goes all deep, starring a rework of valentino moras recent space odyssey. building upon the originals lively tribal percussion, the prevailent mystical mood is spliced up, readying the track special moments in an otherwise up-tempo-environment. a gently pulsing edit of ubx127s barabrus eventually puts a meditative and soothing finishing touch to the ep. as with all releases of lf rmx, the proceeds of this record will be forwarded to the berlin organization straßenkinder e.v. to be used in actions against child poverty.

new clouds material from calum macleod and liam robertson can mean only one thing: these things will go quick, and as you can imagine, you ll want to get them in your dj sets just in time for the nye debauchery. the duo land on british techno imprint overlee assembly, kicking the carnage off with a perc remix of tuned to a dead channel, something of a toxic headbanger with a gnarly bass at its core. this is followed by a much sleeker, more restrained tuned version of chained to a dead channel, and then by a jungle/breakcore driven version from headcore wreckage, and an acid-laden, drum-nutty hardcore tuned again version.

so robbie m says hes retired, but thats just the day job, now with new gear acquired and the studio set up in the family room, its time for ram music productions to become a household name (spoken only through a vocoder).

repress , originally pressed in 2013 this 12” sat undiscovered for a good year , until vol 2 came out and people found it, then started charging silly money on discogs. this really raw piece of vinyl features just the owners of tone dropout records - sweeney and dawl. trk 1 from dawl is a pounding pulsating rhythmic banger with bleeps gliding through the track with the help of sharp snares and claps, real atmospheric track. then next comes strange world with all its space aged laser bleeps and busy bass line running through like a freight train, as always sounds moving and changing throughout the track both these are bleep tastic, paying much homage to our heroes from the warp days. boom check it then on side b sween comes in with a totally different track, another atmospheric track with military style snares and a moving acid line going in and out over the moody baseline and rising synths. an all round complete e.p kicking off our tone dropout sound, breaks ,bleeps, acid and boomy busy baselines and synths.

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

4 shorelights is a collaborative ambient techno project feat. rod modell (deepchord, echospace, waveform transmission, transformations), and walter wasacz and christopher mcnamara of the detroit-based audio visual collective nospectacle. ancient lights expands the vision and the range of the shorelights aesthetic, heading into deeper territories of inner and outer space. its ambient for body and spirit, sound designed to make the human heart dance. limited copies…

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

(1 x solid red 12 in 350 gr colored uv varnish sleeve with black paper-sleeve with download code included) the black heart rebellion wrote an alternative soundtrack to the 2015 ana lily amirpur movie a girl walks home alone at night.

reaching its 15th release, amphia sees the return of cezar lazar’s double ep, intuitively called “archetypes”. known for his innovative approach both behind the decks and productions, cezar’s creative alter-ego enacts a variable puzzle with hard-edged sonic pieces laid out over five tracks, each with their own distinct acoustic palette. side a holds “equtime”. this side-long track envelops a stripped-down melody with perforated rhythmical pads, fleshed out with disconnected threads of vocals. side b is dedicated entirely to “badgervox”. displaying a weighty bass section alongside the shuffled percussion work, its intricate melody is integrated smoothly creating a unique soundscape. “thicken court” holds the first half of side c. sharp in its composition, it holds an assorted percussion ensemble and a collection of fizzy waveforms. they complement a thunder-like bass protagonist that holds the center stage. we continue with “boe dark”, where textures and sharp tones grow in layers upon layers creating tension. the apex is reached when modular timbres are hindered by sparse piano patterns, completing this electro-acoustic scenery. on the flipside, “wedmar” holds the key to our puzzle with its accurate four-to-the-floor feat. with a series of programmed overlapping organ vibes, the sound feels both piercing and intense, creating a sort of sensory impairment. “archetypes” displays cezar lazar s gentle subtleties and fluency in different dialects of idm.
(text by: bianca iulia)

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

dj seinfeld presents an immersive ep exploring the balance between fragility and force. ‘sakura ep’ is the third and most dynamic offering from deep sea frequency. four tracks draw from a multitude of influences, breaks, electro, dub and trance elements band together with a familiar lo-fidelity approach where distortion acts as an instrument of its own. ‘sakura’ is a subaquatic dose of old school electro with swollen bass and fuzzy harmonics. title track ‘segrada’ brandishes swirling melodies with layers of detail, followed by ‘belvedere’ which uses looped breaks and a sub-driven bassline to build animated funk. ‘battery’ closes things out with a nod to detroit, and a full on drum workout which plays with delicate melodic inflections over a cavernous low end.

tevatron is back on its metrohm label with its -my origins- concept. inspired by the fathers of techno he synthesizes his influences and his project is quickly acclaimed by one of the masters of the genre like derrick may in others. -my origins part 2- is an invitation to discover the roots of techno, with this new version, tevatron returns to the sources by offering us two beautiful timeless tracks powered by bass lines based on arpeggio, powerful beats with a groove supported, striking agreements with a backbone very representative of the techno of the mid-90s. laurent garnier considers this ep as a new classic of its kind.

ras g and moresounds explore the outer reaches of sound system culture for dub-stuy’s new collaborative series of eps. brooklyn-based label dub-stuy kicks off 2018 with the inaugural release of a new ep series dedicated to unearthing and celebrating the outer reaches of sound system culture. taking its cue from the classic dub releases where two producers would face off with their own versions, dub-stuy’s meets series brings together artists who have a clear dub influence but do not operate solely within the sphere of the dub and reggae world. the first such meeting is between los angeles beat supremo ras g (brainfeeder, stones throw) and paris junglistic dub scientist moresounds (cosmic bridge, astrophonica).

founded in 2015 by dubstep forefather sleeper, crucial recordings has continued to develop and strengthen its undeniable grip on the dubstep world with each release, never failing to act as an unyielding beacon within the scene for unearthing fresh, standard-setting talent. leaping from strength to strength, this highly prolific imprint constantly delivers multifaceted and boundary shattering bass music through ingenious and unprecedented ways. the latest addition to the label’s ever-expanding vision for multifaceted bass music comes from rotterdam-based hebbe, who has truly emerged from the shadows recently through releases on subway recordings, artikal music, duploc and version collective. regarded as the most promising up-and-comer in the dutch dubstep scene, hebbe sports an obscure, sound driven flow that aims to inject diversity and progress into today’s musical output. keeping within a similar spirit, hebbe’s crucial016 boasts two far reaching tracks, “mad hatter” and “galata” that convey trailblazing bassweight through two very different formats. while “mad hatter” cuts through to the core with simplicity and impact, “galata” equally enchants with smokey darkness and trenchlike depth, building upon crucial recordings’ irreplaceable position within the dubstep circuit.

following on from releases on mary go black, novamute and sleaze, charlotte de witte continues her streak of stripped back techno on this latest ep for suara music. the heart of mine ep leads with the dark stomper this. a simple and very effective twisted workout. the title track heart of mine, is typical of her trademark style. pounding kicks, stark synths, and snatches of uplifting vocal. the ep closes with the lewis fautzi remix of this. its atmospheric and crunching sound rounds of this solid techno release.

adam beyer s drumcode closed out another hugely successful year in 2017, with a non-stop release schedule showcasing some of the best techno on offer from both the labels roster of artists to some fresh new names popping up on the scene. now in its 21st year, the label announced its drumcode festival later this summer, that will only contribute to solidify their position as the world s no.1 techno label. making his debut on drumcode in 2017 with his track fake featured on the a-sides vol 6 compilation, one of brazil s much loved exports wehbba brings us his first full ep this february with eclipse . a no nonsense 4 track offering, and all thoroughly road tested by adam, they have gained much support from longtime drumcode fans. eclipse, delivers a low end rumble along with a modulating synth line. reigning high throughout the track, is the undeniably catchy and unique synth. leaving this track one to be recognised on dancefloors all over the world. ‘protocol doesn t turn down the pace, straight into a chugging hypnotic drive, this track leaks with attitude, along it s eerie undertones. probably the most acid influenced track of the ep, glasswerk has a futuristic modular synth riff which thunders along a hypnotic bass line which flows nicely into framework to close out the ep. its punchy and powerful kick sits alongside the cleverly crafted synth pattern, taking this track into a dark zone with a groovy element still resonant.

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!!

fear is the vilest of human emotions - it weakens and corrupts, leaving mistrust and paranoia in its wake. in against the dying light, swarm intelligence embraces and wields fear, all the while breathing life into its rival: hope. to explore these concepts, swarm intelligence turned to horror films for inspiration - choosing dissonance and atonality to create sinister and unsettling melodies, as well as foley techniques to produce disturbing, unnatural sounds. the results are at times vicious and abrasive, at others acquiescent and almost mournful. swarm intelligence s against the dying light marks the first, full-length album on voitax. with moments of seething tension, unrestrained fury and dejection, as well as glimmers of hope - this record may have its roots in industrial techno, but ultimately it defies classification.

rico casazza is an electronic producer, dj & teacher, based in london. having produced music for over 11 years, he has established a solid musical identity with releases on labels such as soma, archipel, plastic city & wiggle. following his killer “they move fast” ep on beef last summer, we now welcome him back for his first 12” with us. the productions are unique but you can tell they are from the same magical casazza signature ... raw acidity, enslaving basslines and subtle percussion. the ep kicks off at a measured pace with “yurican”, whose self-assured acid line sits wonderfully alongside the track’s reflective atmospheres. “argue” then evolves this acidic energy, still praying to the sky but pumping its fist higher than before ... laying the patchwork for the final original on the 12”, the euphoric dance floor obliterator, “macabre”. to finish, bringing your heart rate down with caution, dirscen has provided a drugged out remix of “end 2016”.

deepartsounds may be a sublabel of moto music, but it s achieved so much on its own terms over the past decade. now joe lewis is joining the esteemed ranks of the label with even more experience behind him he was recording for the likes of relief records and peacefrog way back when. its no secret when you listen to his jams on back 2 live, where rugged and raw synth lines sit atop tough machine beats. love mystery is plenty tender where it counts, but 9 lives and confused house head towards a rougher end goal for the nastier kind of party.