eshu, the production collective and record label from nijmegen are back with their next offering. their 12th release is a various artists release that features blm, joburg and steven siwalette alongside label members ivano tetelepta and jocelyn abell. it comes on the heels of teteleptas absorbing dub techno album, senang, and is another high class offering. nijmegen based siwalette is first, previously contributed to the label as part of sys. his stragglers is a sparse but atmospheric track with industrial drones and slowly turning drums taking you through a desolate factory late at night. his second offering is alien encounter which is just as it sounds - a spooky, unsettling bit of cinematic sound design with menacing bass and icy pads all growing in loudness until they eventually consume your mind. lastly on the a-side, uk producer and fear of flying label boss blm lays down a skeletal groove thats embellished with beautiful, yawning synths. scattered little details and fx making this a cavernous piece that encourages your mind to wander and get lost. on the flip, jocelyn abell and ivano tetelepta cook up a heavyweight, mid tempo bit of dub techno with sharp hits and rolling kicks lulling you into a trance. last of all, the emerging j?burg picks up the pace with a perfectly chiselled bit of rock solid dub with looping drums and icy hi hats sinking you deep into its midst. this is an excellent ep that packs in a range of fascinating sounds for both the home and the club.

‘lillygood party!’ is the brand new bbe compilation from highly respected swiss dj alex attias. taking its name from a party he runs in his native lausanne, lillygood has gradually evolved into a radio show and even a label, now on its 4th release. refecting the music he plays at the clubnight, ‘lillygood party!’ is packed with funk, disco, deep house and boogie bullets from across the globe. “the idea is to present not only rare or difcult tracks to fnd, simply good grooves for people to play out, or listen to at home.”
from rare japanese disco gems, through spiritual jazz, to genre defying sounds from broken-beat cohorts kaidi tatham and dego, ‘lillygood party!’ takes a unique trip inside the musical mind of one of dance music’s true nonconformists.
alex attias got his start in back in ’88 playing funk, house, jazz, and disco, as well as producing under various monikers such as mustang, freedom soundz or beatless. moving to london in ’97 he started his ‘visions’ label and found himself at the epicentre of the emerging west london ‘broken beat’ scene which grew around his studio at goya. releases on people, planet e, ubiquity, neroli, archive and compost followed, as well as remixes for incognito, 4hero, ennio morricone, sun ra, art blakey, roni size and laurent garnier among others.

omplimenting the long-awaited release of sophomore lp, song for alpha, daniel avery presents the projector ep. taking its title from one of the album’s spectral highlights this additional trio of original productions expands on avery’s regenerated sonic vision. leaning further towards the rhythmic and propulsive intent behind his recent, marathon dj sets, the record serves to delve further still into his unfolding, ever-deepening sound. following the lead of ‘projector’ itself, the record transitions into the first exclusive cut, ‘shadow mountain’. soft in texture and bathed in ethereal feedback, a glitching, transfixing synth line gradually reveals itself as the spine of the piece. throughout ‘glass’, an intimate, breathy vocal sample contrasts with a more industrially tinged base of heavily processed drums. influenced by song for alpha’s embrace of the small hours, “the light emerging from the darkness”, both tracks conjure an almost overwhelmingly tender atmosphere, rich in the hazy strains of rave history. on the more experimental rehbgbv4367, the seams of avery’s influences lap against one another in a steady crescendo of beautiful yet beatless noise, dissipating into ambience. expanding on the delicate core ideas at the centre of his creative ethos, the ep invites listeners on a further excursion of transient, psychedelic bliss.

after the first two 12inches from label founder deep88 himself, ascii records turns to a whole host of different characters to remix those tracks with some stunning and varied results. luis cl is up first, taking a decidedly mellow approach to harmony that tips into a heavy lidded early 90s deep house mood perfectly, while rnr take the robert owens-featuring believe in you and make it into a stirring, tense but ultimately emotional acid-laced floor track. rhythm 2 soul do a gentle job on la beija, mhcrew take a larry heard-esque approach on rotation and jimini lets the space in the mix tell its own story.

taking inspiration from music, nature and the elements that surround them, jukka hänninen and mika hanka aka shuffless have quickly garnered the attention of many within house and techno since making their production debut in 2016. written at the vislampi studio, located in ruutana city, finland, using a combination of hardware gear from the likes of roland, korg and arturia, here we see the duo reveal their latest work with four diverse and expansive cuts set for release this spring as they return to syncrophone s in-house imprint. opening up the ep, hänninen and hanka fluently introduce chi , a complex and evolving cut that effortlessly fuses deep, rich chords, and delicate, skipping hi-hats, before easing into the flowing groove of lahti with its jazz-tinged melodies and heady tones guiding the production into lighter territories. on the flip, nime Ñvailla introduces a matrix of hazy textures amongst crunchy percussion licks and dubbed out atmospherics as the duo return to deeper, darker realms, before title cut puollaskel punctuates the package in classy fashion, laying down gritty analog percussion, resounding kicks and subtly programmed nuances to conclude an excellently worked ep.

keshavara debuts on film. taking its influence from downtempo alt-pop and hip hop, but with nods to blissed out dub and world music the indian producer arrives on the berlin based label with creators of the rain. danny wolfers takes control on the flip turning in a gorgeous, transcendental remix under his legowelt alias.

plush. palace. regularfantasy s music is about as plush as it gets, filling your area with bright melodic blankets for which to throw around your bod. turning it into a plush palace of sorts, if you will. half of this record seems designed to sooth you while the other half is all about getting you steppin . our pal dj zozi comes in with an absolute heater of a remix, taking you to planets unknown and raves gone by. without a doubt, the party is gonna be turned out.

the italian producer, master of synthesis and oscillators sculptor, for his latest release is focusing on the obscure universe of soundtracks, taking inspiration from italian 70s policemen b-movies. reviewing the musical landscape of the -poliziotteschi- movies - a sometimes forgotten but still infamous sound - modula has recreated the perfect score for an imaginary movie based on the adventures of detective la bella. the agent enters into club ventuno on the a side looking for clues, while he is trying to catch his suspect in a frenetic chase on the b side. a must-buy for every italian soundtracks fiend and italo-disco aficionados.

for over 4 years, david coccagna aka chaperone has been a constant part of great circles, as musician, art director, and muse. with snapback balaclava he once again fully embodies all of those roles, delivering three inspiring tracks, selecting his remixers with specific attention to their musical histories, and designing his cover art. across the a-side, chaperone scrapes away at the grit – personal grit, the grit of anxiety, and philly grit. these are meditations on loops, and loops on meditations. each one appears on the surface to be a brief quote, but time dilation takes over, and minutes later we discover that chaperone has welcomed us into and back out of his own healing moment. like chaperone s p o n d release grcr-009, the b-side of snapback balaclava is a great circles extended family affair with a trio of diverse remixes that expose and exploit fragments of the chaos chaperone so carefully contained. hitoshi kojima thrive reinterprets pulse feels swells beating with relentless syncopated rhythms and synth lines that hang like massive string drones. m//r lays down a signature percussion ensemble palette, zeroes in on otherwise peripheral elements of grit neglect, and then deftly navigates sea change with both. matt korvette and sean mcguinness of philly punk band pissed jeans open up the pit and finish the story, taking femur baseball bat to its literal and brutal potential with monstrous vocals and kicks.

as a polychrome composer, laurent perrier is developing his work through a large number of projects which, although they often share many common points, are all built on a strong identity. thus, zonk t has always been a way of exploring the most ambient fringes of dub, and the transition from the all-digital to compositions made entirely on modular synthesizers has overall not changed its approach in depth. yet, banburismus, whose unlikely title comes from the crypto-analytical process developed by alan turing during the second world war, begins by taking us by surprise with a long luminescent drone that seems to rise endlessly before dissolving little by little in a wall of echoes, glitches and distorted voices then make way to round and deep basses disturbed by metal peaks on which float distant blips, like farway echoes of the secret messages decoded by turing. real master stroke, this track occupying the first face of the lp is a trip in an ether much more populated than it seems. shorter, the three pieces of the b side participate in the same atmosphere, but still extend the sonic field. more stripped, more airy, more cosmic, banburismus achieves there new heights with ease. we could be tempted to play the game of references and try to put zonk t somewhere amongst the great experimenters of electronic dub. but who cares,, banburismus is well beyond categories, and laurent perrier, by cracking the code, opens for us the doors of a universe of disturbing and fascinating vastness.

emotional rescue begins the first in a series of reissues looking at the music of guitarist carl weingarten and his multiphase records label, starting at his highly sought after collaborate album with walter whitney, dreaming in colors. with an early interest in photography and super 8 film leading to a degree in cinema production, weingarten s other, self-taught, love was the slide guitar. taking its blues roots and merging them with his visual arts background created a unique painting in sound style of playing.

after a handful of singles that instantly became favourites for djs including bicep, scuba and laurent garnier, london-duo athlete whippet deliver their 12” debut. “hands only” is a balmy, nonchalant yet carefully crafted house gem incorporating striking live performance.
the record was welcomed with open arms by key tastemakers such as xlr8r (“shimmering and seductive”), resident advisor and complex (“heaven sent for djs”). taking on board fellow producers max graef and seb wildblood, “hands only” is a refreshing and effortless 5-tracker following their recent release on exploited records.

doug cooney has cultivated his knowledge of techno over many years. doug’s passion for this craft runs deep and his dj sets span the full spectrum of techno, past and present. his style and attention to detail have earned him warm up sets for many of his techno heroes, with dave clarke, uvb and abstract division being recent highlights. as well as being a mutate resident, he also plays regular headline slots in dublin’s biggest venues & has played several gigs abroad taking a trip to berlin’s arena club last year featuring on the same line up as adam x & the dystopian record labels jon hester.

spazio disponibile hits release number 13 in style with a collaborative effort between label co-founder donato dozzy and longtime friends retina.it. it is a typically experimental release that features five weird and wonderful tracks, seeing the label taking yet another dip into the more leftfield areas of electronic music.

africa seven is taking its first trip to germany... well germany via cameroun. charlie kingue soppo is better known as charly kingson, cousin of manu dibango and a cameroonian emigrant in the 1970s. charly first headed to paris and then found his way to munich in 1978. he recorded two albums in his career, “born in africa” in munich in 1978 and “dance to the music” two years later in new york. for this outing we focus on his debut “born in africa”. it was recorded in union studios in munich with some of the city’s finest (and surprisingly funky) session musicians of the day.

a chance encounter in barcelona, spain brought us together to make this record happen. it’s a precious little marvel of love from kou keri kou and electric cowbell. based in barcelona, spain, the group began with the aim of making music to dance to, taking inspiration from all over the world with no fear: the music from cuba, perú, jamaica, congo and nigeria is as important for kou keri kou as the music played in europe or in the united states. los zafiros, gary numan, los destellos, radio futura, sunny ade and kiko veneno share place in their imagination and help them create open-minded pop that always looks to the future. their lyrics are sometimes open, sometimes a bit more cryptic, sometimes political and sometimes biting, but always try to communicate with the listeners while trying to make them dance. they’ve been playing together for two years, creating songs that didn’t exist before, urging the people to dance and singing about their issues, which may also be yours.

for alan oldham, artistic expression is a way of life, taking multiple forms and medi-ums throughout his lifetime. before he was ever known as dj t-1000, he was a published car-toon artist and radio dj in detroit writing press releases for underground resistance to get by. one day, underground resistance was in need of a last minute dj for their tour in aus-tralia, and a door flew open for alan oldham. with passport in hand he departed on his jour-ney as a dj, which little did he know would eventually span continents. influenced by every-thing around him, his work has dynamically changed and evolved along with his life. currently as an international dj living in berlin, his latest creation is the acidspace ep, released by elypsia records under the detroitrocketscience name. the traveler himself takes us on an intergalactic adventure, beginning with acidspace (8:48). with a steady beat and a unique blend of serene space sounds, this jam excites the imagination for the journey to come. it is followed by rocket to berlin (7:20), a subtle and intricate mix that entices one to enter the unknown. vesta system (6:22) finishes the ep off on a note that leaves lis-teners grooving and enjoying the ride. creativity and sweet sounds are what its all about for alan oldham. with his recent musical shift to mellower, sci-fi inspired jams, he continues to let listeners see for themselves.

superhuit music presents boogymann’s 7th concept album: boogymann & friends. boogymann & friends is an eight track concept album comprised of two parts: with remixes from the original album delight and other previously unreleased tracks that are best described as strong funky house music. the two eps combine influences ranging from deep to disco sounds of the elite level world renowned house producers such as: gene king, james duncan, manoo, david duriez, rocco, dan electro and boogymann himself. after six albums, teo -boogymann- moritz returns with this concept album and once again showcases his status as one of the greatest dj/producers for the global house dancefloors.

killer stuf on klasse wrecks sub label zodiac! frozen russian plains rich with moondust and cybo-fog lie still, a faint rumble is heard from behind the horizon and buttechno checks his pulsemeter 5000, deciding to head on whilst he still can. sonic lighting strikes the dead earth, leaving echoes that reverberate for miles around as digital feedback waves sore through the airless landscape. buttechno steadies his exxo-bike, firing the back up atomic engine before taking a deep breath and heading into the lost and forgotten city. zcapri is the seventh of 12 releases from z o d i a c 4 4. one for each sign of the stars and then z o d i a c 4 4 is forever dead and gone. forever gone and dead.

desolats loco dice joins the roster of martinez brothers cuttin headz label this april with slammer, backed with a remix from detroit techno veteran dj t-1000. du&#776,,sseldorfs loco dice has long been one of the most respected figures in contemporary electronic music with releases over the years on leading labels like cocoon, cadenza, ovum and of course his own desolat as well as a heavy touring schedule taking him across the globe year in year out. here though we see dice offering up his new single courtesy of cuttin’ headz, a platform the martinez brothers and associates to deliver high octane, dance floor focused house and techno. the original mix of title track slammer leads with spiralling brass like bass tones, flute licks, shuffled shakers and resonant synth hooks running alongside a bumpy bass line and an amalgamation of heady, processed vocal lines. following is detroits dj t-1000 stepping up on remix duties, stripping back the aesthetic of the original to lay focus on robust rhythms and various vocal refrains from the original whilst chugging bass and tension building atmospherics gradually unfold throughout.

chris weeks has been building up the kingbastard catalogue for a long time now, generally taking a self-reliant approach in the underground electronica scene where cd-r releases reign supreme. hes been a key figure on ambidextrous since the label launched back in 2008, and now he s committed to wax with a range of crunched up leftfield sonics for the machine-loving crowd. anxiety is a melodic cut with a house-minded structure, but theres a lot of production acrobatics and compositional swerves taking place within this framework. scatterbrain is more overtly out there, tapping up the kind of heavily processed sounds that producers like paradroid have championed in the past. data loss strike a heavy blow somewhere between dubstep and electro, and data ctrl ups the tempo for a rabble-rousing exercise in mind-bending machine music

sb editz returns! jad & the open up proceedings with a dubbed out balearic boogie bomb, with tender games taking the a2 intertwining infectious guitar licks and synth lines into a supercharged groover. on the b side swales incorporates a funked out bass and plucked riffs over the top of some sizzling percussion. finally label founders slothboogie close out the ep laying a tasty 303 line & weighty kick over floaty pads and a choice vocal snippet. 4 cuts, 4 artists, 4 winners!

the uk based label will offer up several releases throughout 2018 and yama music 001 perfectly sets the tone of what’s to follow. taking the lead here is ‘margaret made me do it’ which lays down woozy synth tones and modulating glitches alongside a snaking sub bass groove, shuffled minimalistic percussion and an amalgamation of contemplative spoken word vocal cuts to create a tripped-out opening to the record. ‘ddderlooon party’ follows and retains a similar aesthetic with swinging drums and ethereal atmospherics at its core whilst hypnotic, billowing synths ebb and flow dynamically across the composition, again creating something raw yet refined. then lastly to round out the package ‘moon boots’ tips the focus over to a more straight percussive groove and stirs in vacillating low-end pulses, murky, evolving stabs and mind-bending electronic blips.

for anma’s sixth outing we see a coupling of two remarkable talents from either sides of the atlantic, each taking two turns across a side of crisp wax. first up for the us side we have new york based trinidadian deep. personally mentored by chi-town legend ron trent and with his own unique vision of soulful deep house, he has imparted us with two deeply immersive cuts of intense dance floor electricity, laced with his signature percussive club spirituality! for the uk flip, london based will lister is a name to watch out for, a young producer who can boast his first wax release being put out on phonica’s own house label! taking things down a notch on the pitch fader, will has provided two slow-mo jams that reward the attentive listener with his sensuous and detailed production style. building tension meticulously before releasing energy with aplomb and polishing things beautifully with his class jazzy flair. lovingly pressed on 180g vinyl, hand stamped and labelled on a limited run.

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

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

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

the „sweet memories ep” is the first release of a three-ep-series coming up in 2018. christophe salin is taking us on his musical journey and paves the way for cooperation with future artists on his very own imprint „salin records” that he runs with his wife daria salin as a platform for electronic music and art. „sweet memories” is just setting up the right mood for this ep that will unlock some forgotten moments and will take you back to that feelings. „paradise” is an homage to the early 2000s and their happy go lucky attitude while „covered with pain” takes you on a modern ambient trip. the flip side is a statement, „house music is like a call, it is a religion to them…” as well as „love is unfair” are coming deep from the heart.

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.

vinyl only ... memento is proud to announce a brand new maxi-single of the extraordinary lithuanian producer mario basanov, better known as ten walls. with this moniker, marijus adomaitis has been releasing a bunch of deep house gems, and has remixed artists such as robert owens and hercules & love affair -swan- begins with a smoky dramatic introduction, that in a rapid glance become a obscure minimalistic dancefloor killer with a grueling bass line and unremitting hi-hats. finally taking off with a gust of monochromatic sequences and a whirl of dampings. in -lake-, after a dense windy evocative prelude, metallic percussion leave the footprint to the headway of a stomping kick drum and a mesmerizing bass line. sedately flowing synthetic notes, filtered bleeps and rapid beads lead the track to a grandiose finale in which whiffle and wafts become an ubiquitous polyphonic pad.

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!

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).

soulquencies is a perfect harmony of deconstructed soundsystem music. beautifully rebuilt with ambient textures, it hints towards grime and steppers while all the time melodious, musical and underpinned with bass weight. it perfectly transcends from clean and heavenly harmonies to bass pressure and grit – icy to warm in a masterful way. this is the first full length album on scrub a dub and we couldn’t be prouder of this piece of music, which is equally at home on a hi-fi or a soundsystem. soulquencies is the brand new album from the artist aquarius, a classically trained musician from tokyo who cut his teeth in the music industry in glasgow in the early noughties. he hosted some of the city’s frst dubstep nights bringing artists like silkie and goth trad, and taking small basement sessions into the bigger clubs, supporting mala at the art school. he played at some of the frst outlook festival parties and was a trusted tour engineer for mungo’s hi fi soundsystem, before returning to tokyo where he distilled his experiences and musical vision into this project.

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.

13th hour records presents its debut ep: a four track v/a celebrating both the pulse of the late-night dancefloor and the starry-eyed ride home. two tracks from subjoi forge the a-side, the vibrant yet moody “make me” taking the a1 slot and spacy, hi-hat bonanza “doin’ fine” at a2. and influenced by the bass-heavy vibrato of 70s funk, ricky razu kicks off the b-side with the infinitely groovable “reaching out,” followed by the sultry cut “moonlight jam” to close out the album.

lp,180g , ltd ! alex is a dark, haunting and brooding synthwave record that sets the night on fire, taking you from darkness all the way to the shining lights of broadway. with hints of cyberpunk, outrun and other 80s inspired retrowave influences, alex has developed a true signature sound that is funky, groovy and totally rocking. x takes you on a futuristic, electronic music trip thats filled with nostalgia and suspense

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

the ‘matière obscure ep’ is the first in a two-part series, whereby each composition was made using only recordings from one specific material (metal, glass and wood). the process involved taking everyday objects and making them resonate in every way possible, such as striking them with mallets or using a violin bow, and building up a sample library. ‘weld (metal_01)’ kicks off the release with its syncopated percussion and gritty groove before moving into the cavernous ‘molten (glass_01)’ that’s composed of rolling drums and sinister atmospherics. ‘carve (wood_01)’ is a lot bouncier by comparison, with its fidgeting bassline and murky tones until the menacing ‘cast (glass_02)’ concludes the package with machine inspired effects and a cacophony of stabs.

dax j returns in epic fashion with his 2nd album on monnom black taking you on a journey through techno, acid, ebm, idm and jungle. 14 killer cuts! legendary and absolutely essential! 2 x vinyl lp + free digital download codes + a5 art insert + sticker and plastic wrapped

taking advantage of his first japan tour, ortella is back with a strong ep rich in styles. believe is mixing memories and fantasies, each track gives a deeper journey with a panel of emotions and feelings, keeping the french man own solid base with dance-floor oriented drums and enhancing them with some cosmic trippy loops, a very special romantic mood and a drop of acid : the perfect formula for evasion. dancing is great, tripping is better!

ltd 100 copies - taking it back to the old school and manufactured in the space of 5 week, this handmade nugget of black crack beat the previous release and all it s issues. dr spaventi once again provides the expert mastering to some artisanal yorkshire electronics from northern powerhouse. the full range of frequencies have been lovingly captured and set for eternity into nice and solid, hand pressed plastic before being bound in gorgeously minimal white paper -inners-. adding individual nuance to each and every record, is a stylised image of the visionary york philanthropist, joseph rowntree. details of which tracks are which are lovingly incorporated into this image using a black ink to stand against mr rowntree s brilliance. the hand screened label, uses the latest in dual pizza/kitchen table printing technology™ with a tried and tested lounge floor drying system to ensure any moisture is gone before the vinyl is shipped, so that transport weight can be kept to a minimum and savings passed on to you.

taking melodies from various sources, the artist built the record with a common orientation contrasted by various asperities for each track. merging electronic strengths with complex aspects of original instruments, the record might be taken as a contrast that would satisfy both dancers and musical seekers with the objective to keep the mr godot risin.

vision songs vol. 1 (1984) is the laraaji album like no other, located at the intersection of new age and gospel. it is both his outlier and magnum opus, the feel-good diy tape of the century. discovered busking in washington square park by brian eno in the late 70s, engagement with the eternal flow has led laraaji to, seemingly by magic, emerge as the most beloved avatar of the unstoppable new age music revival of recent years. now vision songs rewrites laraaji’s musical history. unlike the many instrumental, free form albums upon which his reputation was built, this is an album of songs, with lyrics, verses, choruses. vision songs is literally a revelation -- of a master songwriter whose unbelievably catchy best compositions such as “we shall be lifted”, “all of a sudden”, and “is this clear?” belong in any great american songbook. casio synth jams recorded at spiritual retreat guest rooms and a tiny bedroom on the upper west side, lysergicallyspectacular anthems for a continually arriving new moment, “channeled,” as laraaji states in the album’s eloquent liner notes, “from the sky,” previously available in an edition of 100 cassettes sold at yoga retreats and on the streets of new york city, vision songs is humbly offered on vinyl, cd, and streaming for the very first time. this is where this is going on, this is where this is taking place, this is how this is going on. is this very clear?

incepted just three years after the beginning of the kompakt venture in 2001, it s safe to say the speicher series holds a very special place in both the heart of the label and its audience s. taking the helm for the 102nd instalment in the catalogue (and the first speicher to feature 3 tracks) we find an eclectic squad of producers triangulating from all corners of the globe but united by their boundless science of the groove. longtime friends turned studio companions, enzo elia (of balearic gabba soundsystem fame) and musumeci join forces for the first time on the unfaltering late night hip-swayer gothic safari , kicking things off with a relentless deep dancefloor epic à la Âme.

the dncn remix of san eco’s debut single finds him taking the track’s understated beauty and sending it drifting into cataclysmic chaos. the rolling bassline is swapped out for insectile swirling, the infrequent laid-back percussion for an upfront, energetic backline. it’s the ideal counterfoil to the original, minimising it’s heartfelt swooning melodies and morphing them into a crackling high-energy stomp. comes on a limited edition 7&#8243,,, vinyl with the original tune. don’t wait on it!

after last year s stellar ep on l.i.e.s. records, veteran, brooklyn-based producer and dj jake reif (savage hymn, upsetting keys) continues to make waves with his device control brand. the first side of the new ep2 begins with silhouettes: a robotic, techno-funk work out with a nasty kick drum, swirling modular sounds and a timothy leary inspired vocoded vocal. an instrumental version has been included for selectors who prefer tracks to songs. on the flip, joystuck continues the aural assault with a slightly more stripped-back approach. hard-hitting metallic percussion and screaming, alien-esque synth bleeps are all that s necessary here to decimate a dance-floor. finally, divisive rounds out the ep with a stomping vengeance, its jacking claps and dissonant harmonics have been carefully designed to deliver a sonic gut-punch, taking no prisoners when played on a club system

astropolis records adds to misericordia’s w.lv.s (electric rescue and the driver) four remixes that amplifies the rave vibe of the ep released last year, with more power and agression, with four distinguished guests from techno and hardcore spheres: french veteran the hacker, the mysterious and rare lunatic asylum, the pilar maxime dangles and techno hardcore figure torgull. a must have for all lovers of the french techno and hardcore scene, a wild ride taking you straight to hell!
the hacker rebuilds blacksmith in his vintage and industrial spirit between electro, acid and techno, while the lunatic asylum rework of misercordia will catch you up in the dark room of dance, with delicious breaks and metallic spirals melodies added to this rave anthem. flipside, maxime dangles is turning misericordia in a muscular but melodic late night techno assault with dark vocals and his typical synths and chords, while torgull’s version steps up the darkness with a techno hardcore rework, raw, heavily haunted by vocals, textured and sensory.

demuja joins the madhouse roster this march with come to me, a four track ep featuring french/australian singer ladybird and a folamour remix of the title track. after various releases on the likes of nervous records, rtct records, and his own label muja, austria’s bernhard weiss aka demuja joins madhouse with some fresh material following last year’s output on house puff and freerange. the release opens with title track come to me, a rough and ready lo-fi number featuring a soulful sample, and blissful stabs of horns and strings. following is the folamour’s lost in eden remix, twisting the original into a balearic, sun-drenched vibe, contrasting the original and bringing a more funk-infused, melodious feel to things. up next is the second original on the release take which employs classic house tropes with a nod to the 90s via catchy horns and a new jersey garage/house beat. free me feat ladybird then closes the package, taking you on a silky smooth house journey, with ladybirds dazzling vocals taking center stage.

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

taking its title from a minoan legend that deals with rage, greed and destruction, the latest release from abyss x expands and reconstructs conceptions of aural space and time. out on february 23 on danse noire, pleasures of the bull finds the multi-disciplinary artist and producer flirting with the sounds of hard jazz while mystifying the parameters of experimental music across several distinct movements, thus allowing the listener to break free from their sonic principles.