berlins own steffen linck, a multi-instrumentalist known as monolink, announces his debut album amniotic, due april 20th via embassy of music subsidy embassy one. it is the experiential nature of monolink’s music that defies the muddy definition of modern live electronic music. armed with a singular blend of berlin underground culture with the pop-leaning sensibility of american electronica, steffen transports listeners into his own realm of sonic exploration. the music is pillared by emotive guitar tones, analog synth stabs and, for the first time, his own vocals acting as a singular point of departure for this budding talent. amniotic stands as monolinks first complete body of work, following his 2017 ep burning sun via sol selectas, and the end, a collaborative record with acid pauli in 2015.

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.

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)

belgiums favourite underground house dj red d celebrates the 10 year anniversary of his we play house recordings label with 6 vinyl samplers containing new tracks and some very wanted gems from the catalogue. artists featured are san soda, fabrice lig, fcl (featuring lady linn), kiani & his legion, krewcial, reggie dokes, raoul lambert & nacho marco, art of tones and many more. voices near the hypocentre

what if music had no beginning, no end? can music exist for itself or of itself, without structure constraining it, defining it? can music be non-linear, non-narrative, simply experiential, existential? the second full-length album on mysteries of the deep, musica enterrada from portland’s william selman, neither answers these questions nor supposes them. but in listening, one can’t help but wonder: what if i disappeared into this record forever? in another time and place, william selman was known as warmdesk, an alias through which he issued a series of sharply precise minimal techno records. in recent past, selman shifted gears, shedding the dynamics of tension and release that characterized his previous alias output. under his own name, selman began releasing process-oriented, freeform experimental music on cassette-focused outlets like digitalis and hausu mountain. now comes musica enterrada, a diaphanous, weightless musical vision not unlike the theoretical square root of grm and popol vuhs early electronic forays. split into six tracks across two sides of vinyl, musica enterrada bubbles, churns, drifts, and dozes. dulcet tones pile up gently like waves on shore. patterns repeat and reconfigure, as if heard from different angles. rhythms appear, shift the frame, then disappear, into the ether whence they came. play musica enterrada on repeat. and if you disappear into it, fret not you have drifted into solace.

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.

roza terenzi is the latest convert to the kalahari oyster cult, the australian producer debuts with four tracks showcasing her unique sound. influences come from far and wide, shifting between electro, house, techno and even early rave anthems. the space bleeps of -gigi- are soon interrupted by shouldering kick drums. samples stagger and stumble before key stabs cut through beats in this hazy piece of early morning elation. -mwah- maintains those euphoric moods. snapping snares slice through shimmering synthwork and soaring strings to keep the night grooving. darker tones enter with -rare high-, but these shades are soon brightened by arcing notes. acid lines squeak and squirm in this balancing act of disparate colours and chords. distant lands and exotic encounters are conjured for -soft-, perfumed percussion and meandering melodies mingle and merge for head swimming close of aromatic audio.

black truffle is pleased to make oren ambarchi’s grapes from the estate available once more on vinyl. originally released on cd on touch in 2004 and reissued on southern lord as a limited double lp in 2006 during ambarchi’s tenure as a member of sunn o))), grapes from the estate was a landmark release for ambarchi, seeing him expand his sonic palette beyond the clipped, bass-heavy electric guitar tones he was known for at that point. incorporating subtle layers of strings, keyboards, percussion over a bedrock of his signature guitar tones, in retrospect this album can be seen as the beginning of a broadening and evolution in ambarchi’s work that would lead to his acclaimed, densely layered epics for editions mego, quixotism (2014) and hubris (2016).

amsterdam based label anagram readies label co-founder sinfol s first solo release in three years entitled pull back . the release, which features four passionate tracks, sees the light of day in the beginning of april. since the launch of anagram three years ago the label has put out a steady flow of releases from artists such as anetha, octual, stefan vincent, elad magdasi and haze. however, the imprint has also acted as the main platform for sinfol s own productions. blurring the line between various subgenres, the dutch artist is an eclectic one and meanders between acid, house, techno and more. the chords and arpeggios set the mood in life off measure where robotic elements rise to meet them, carving the way for result with its oscillating tones, clap fueled percussion and three-o-three licks. pull back is packed with a thunderous energy that s intertwined with sinfol s soulful vocals and ethereal synths, before swaying into deep house territory with exhale . the track s rolling bass, broken drums and twinkling melodies round off the latest instalment on the rising amsterdam label off in a graceful manner.

2lp gatefold, incl dl card , there are some records that manage to sound both of a time and utterly timeless and bon voyage organisation s jungle? quelle jungle? (a nod to supertramp s crisis? what crisis?) is one of those albums. its silken-smooth production, irresistible grooves, funk-tinged guitars, lush soundscapes and general glowing presence could easily lead one to believe that have dug up a lost disco gem from the 1970s. however, behind the disco-pop gleam lies eerie dystopian sci-fi ruminations of a futuristic bent and tones that can often feel as french as they do asian or african. this sort of cross-continental exploration is an expansion on bvo s previous two eps, the man behind the organisation, adrien durand, says. -i tried to continue the musical expedition between dystopian science-fiction haunted africa - plus haitian vaudou on -soleil dieu- - and futuristic asia. addressing, in a double entendre manner, some of the political issues that i am sensitive to.- in fact the jungle in question in the album s title is a metaphorical one and one that creates a vast series of environments for durand to explore such subjects as world trade, utopian ideals and themes of idols, as well as of time and communication. however, one will need to speak french to decipher such explorations, as well as shake off the natural impulse to move with every glorious beat on its 13 tracks, of which are moved along by maud nadal and agathe bonitzer s golden vocals.

chubby has already earned its stripes as a podcast and party in australia dealing in connoisseurs deep house, and their leap to the world of vinyl is no less classy. the first release splits a 12- between four esteemed practitioners of true skool beats for switched on heads, leading in with antipodean maestro ewan jansen. after delivering the plush tones of his -plants,- moods & grooves label boss mike grant pops up to remix jansen with stunning, understated results. trinidadian deep takes over on the b side with the typically shimmering melodics and dextrous drums he s much loved for. mr yt then serves up a final remix, nudging -move me- just a little up the energy scale with the help of a killer organ line placed at the front of the mix.

torino label we play the music we love has already made a strong start with some immersive turns by trevor deep jr and rills, and now they provide a platform for italian duo luminer. -indaco- is a charged up dub techno excursion with crisp percussion to propel the classic chord shimmer that course through the centre of the track. -canadian- takes a deeper direction with a crafty tapestry of synth flares and a more understated rhythm section. hiver s reconstruction of -indaco- opts for a crooked electro foundation, nimble acid line and a shapeless swell of pad tones as the key ingredients, and then icelandic techno champ thor whips up a sharp-strutting dub techno variation of -canadian- that sits comfortably with the luminer tracks.

after an almost instant sell out last time around, london label tone dropout return for vol. 5 of their series of 12-s. an acid washed ep drawing from the ranks of their ever growing family, each of the four tracks celebrates the timeless appeal of the silver boxed 303 after the rain by label regulars the he-men opens with the soothing patter of raindrops, a hypnotic acid line rising from the deluge to morph into a moody house ride drenched in its own outbursts of spectral sound. dawl is also back on home turf with asylum , following a repress of his sought after solo ep for pareidolia recordings. less about seeking refuge than losing your mind it motors along with steely intent, darkly funky bleeps, throbbing acid and industrial percussion embracing the twin legacies of sheffield and detroit. italian dj and producer robbenspierre launched tone dropout s digital offshoot with a full ep last year and makes his vinyl debut for the label with quarta vanitas . bubbling breakbeat house, a trancey euphoric lead and swirling ethereal vocals take you deep into the thick smoke and laser light of the 4am dance floor. in the wake of an appearance on tone dropout vol.4, corporeal face returns with another rave induced vision. trapped on one, the rushing warehouse breakbeats and bass of permo erupt into waves of acid, fractured vocals and serotonin-depleted synths adding a dark edge to the ecstasy.

new version of the track with jamaican legend ken boothe + dub version. ken everything i own boothe played a significant part in covering sir coxsones studio one walls with gold and goodness knows that label fostered its share of legends. collaborating with the master, blundetto could have laid it on thick with heavy production instead alongside his discreet partner blackjoy, he created a gorgeous production using the purest of jamaican music, proving yet again that time has nothing on the suave tones of mr. rocksteady.

phono ghosts (alias of producer neil scrivin - also behind meatbingo) returns with his long-awaited second album released via brand new imprint fonolith. building upon the cassette-raiding, micro-sampling methodology and varied sound landscape of 2013’s chrome position on skam records, solar dream reel is a journey through summery funk, mangled radio jingles, evocative atmospheres and anthemic edit-stomp, all filtered via the shimmery analogue lens of the compact cassette. a sonic exploration of that borderland between the waking world and sleep - a place everyone has been to but few remember - phono ghosts comes back to reality with a selection of vivid polaroids and cassette memories from his visits to the hypnagogic hinterland of the collective unconscious and presents these pure distilled documents for you on four beautiful sides of vinyl. something may have come back with him...

the red hook grain terminal is a post-industrial unit overlooking brooklyn that serves as a pillar of the recent work of sound-artist, jordan edge. inorganic is a collection of organic sounds that have been degraded by inorganic spaces and working methods. the listener is situated in a three-dimensional world where the deterioration of sound is equal to the creation of the content itself. a world of dampened acoustics, half destroyed spaces, dead room tones and manipulated environmental surroundings.

detroit duo ataxia offer up their kodak moment ep via visionquest this march, accompanied by an edit from label co-founders shaun reeves and ryan crosson. eric ricker and ted krisko aka ataxia have been at the forefront of the contemporary house and techno scene for some time, racking up releases on some of the leading labels across the globe such as leftroom, nervous, culprit and play it say it, making the duo one of detroits finest exports in recent years. here we see them making their debut on visionquest, the label of fellow detroit natives ryan crosson, shaun reeves and lee curtiss. vhs leads the package with murky synth swells, resonant synth sweeps and fluttering square wave bass tones at its core as shuffled drums carry the ever-evolving hypnotic groove along. the original mix of kodak moment follows, shifting the focus over to snaking bass lines, mind-bending, modulating synth whirrs and dynamic, choppy percussion throughout. reeves & crossons edit of kodak moment then rounds out the release, stripping things back to ethereal atmospherics and shuffled drums whilst subtly stirring in the original’s hooky bass groove as the interpretation unfolds.

4th sampler, celebrating 10 years of we play house recordings, featuring tracks from miclem, san soda, artod tones and russ gabriel.

when the one o ones originally released radio cosmo disco back in 1977 it was confined to 7inch, which is no place for such majestic cosmic groove exploration. now best records are continuing their quest to repress every hidden gem of italian dance music and beyond, and they re doing radio cosmo 101 the right way. the full disco version of the track gets to stretch out on a full 12inch side, and does so in a dreamy haze of feel good funk. you can still hear the radio edit on the flip, and the original instrumental jam is included for those who want to drift away on those sumptuous tones of the backing track.

a newcomer on the label’s lineups, mary delivers a distinctive balancing act between bleepy ambient listening and free thinking, heart-rending, dancefloor material. river is an invitation extended to listeners to lose themselves in sound with light tones, graceful harmonics, and smart rhythms. running through idm inflexions, ambient sound baths and low-key house hypnotics, it’s music that seems to have fallen out of time. river is an invitation extended to listeners to lose themselves in sound with light tones, graceful harmonics, and smart rhythms. running through idm inflexions, ambient sound baths and low-key house hypnotics, its music that seems to have fallen out of time.

exit safe mode, a project by the visionary margus lo&#776,,,vve, establishing himself in estonian technoid music, has converged its sonic baggage into the newly released debut album immerse. the spheres created and recorded during 2008-2017 are travelling in ambient landscapes, while deserving to be called genuine contemporary music for its clarity of thought and musical focus. these eight themes are reminiscent of the dubstep-ish flows of lo&#776,,,vves earlier projects l-ow and 1derl& that are giving way to more idiosyncratic lines. the depth of sound manipulations allows one to discover tones of life in the synthetic analog worlds and provides a body-forsaking sideview to the interpretations of stringed instruments. the created sonorous state of immerse serves as an introduction to more rhythmic future affairs of exit safe mode

after an excellent first release featuring freerotation lynchpin steevio, russ gabriels rivers of groove label returns with a pair of excursions into lush, bubbling techno from gabriel on his own. as a first generation uk techno stalwart, its little wonder that he can turn out productions as accomplished as these, but there s no sense that he s treading water. ambulate bears the hallmarks of modular production, all twinkling, morphing synth tones chiming around a delicate beat, while dover calling favours a snappier electro palette, but both stand out from the crowd for the sheer quality in the production, the warmth in the composition and the needlepoint focus given to every shred of detail in this crucial cuts.

viers clocks back in on figure duty, showing up with up for another strong statement of his unmistakenly singular style. here he is working it from all angles: straight up and searingly stoic techno opener let my mind breath is grinding away grittily, while things turn surprisingly bouncy, as genesis dishes out electrifying boom-bap-breakbeats, transporting imagery of neo-futuristic tokyo streets. as night sets in, so does the kinetic groove of oyasumi, which twirls layers of energetic movement into a thick current, zooming through the citys deep gorges of concrete and fiber glass. closing track data entry 4590 finally provides some soothing ambient tones of melancholic longing, inviting to slowly drift away into white-washed nothingness and process the bright color storm that viers lets unfold on this intense record.

jezgro004 follows up our previous release by submechanical – armoury ep. profligate, death qualia, shadows aka and and huren selected their favourite tracks from the jezgro003 and made remixes, each one of them in own specific style. a1 is profligate s rhythmic noise remix of the pressure, high-pitched with mechanical tones. a2 is also a remix of pressure arranged by death qualia a real glitchy, distorted experimental techno track that simply ramps through. on the side b, shadows made a remix of armoury – hunting and seductive power experimental/industrial track. and the last track is huren s chaotic and massive rhythmic noise remix of the track after wave, purposely made raw and unpleasantly satisfying.

matuss continue to deliver deep and soulful techno via her vinyl only imprint absence seizure, which she helms alongside abe duque. opening with whistler, matuss delivers heavyweight bass tones, dubbed out drums and obscure synthesiser transitions before zoya the destroyer provides eerie atmospheres, crisp percussion and subtle mid-range motifs which sit on top of a melodic low-end. on the flip side we have stranger things, which sets an ominous tone with murky ambiences and ethereal pads underpinned by a powerful kick, rumbling sub-bass and percolating rhythms to close the release.

ziemlich genau zwei jahre nach der ersten kollaborationssause aus dem märz 2015 legt tausendsassa jeff Özdemir sein zweites -friends--album vor. an diesem beteiligt waren keine geringeren als f.s. blumm, andrew pekler, halloumi express, sonja polligkeit, benjamin wild und dizzy (rotation) - wer solche freunde hat, darf sich glücklich schätzen! wie bereits auch beim ersten teil geht es bei den 20 neuen stücken drunter und drüber. jeff Özdemir, multiinstrumentalist, komponist, produzent und besitzer des berliner plattenladens 33rpm store sowie mitgründer des gleichnamigen labels, mag es seit je her bunt. wer will, kann hier 1001 einflüsse aus jazz, chanson, soul, gameboy-sounds, dub, minimal, psychedelischem wüsten-blues, siebzigerjahre-pop, klassik und john-carpenter-sounds heraushören. oder sich wundern, dass neben deutsch auch auf französisch, türkisch, japanisch und portugiesisch gesungen wird. aber das sind nur details, die für sich genommen wenig zählen. worauf es hier wirklich ankommt: die atemberaubende kombination zeit-, generations- und stilübergreifender akkorde, rhythmen und grooves besitzt ein ästhetisch rundum stimmiges klangbild, das seine volle wirkung entfaltet, sobald man sich diesem im ganzen hingibt.

lagaffe tales co-founder jónbjörn drops four tracks on icelands falk records beat driven sub-label, falk disks. since 2008 falk (fuck art lets kill) has become a creative hub for icelandic and international artists involved in experimental and electronic music, spanning noise rock through to power electronics, underground hip-hop to diy techno and electro. 2017 saw falk continue with releases from icelandic hip-hop producer lord pusswhip, techno/electro producer thizone and canadian industrial techno musician /&#991,,,/huren/&#991,,,/. berlin based icelandic producer jónbjörn, known for curating reykjavík record label lagaffe tales – one of the main pillars in the icelandic house scene – now joins falks’ club focused sub-imprint with a robust four tracker. moving away from the deep house sound hes renowned for towards a darker and leaner night time aesthetic, amsiak inaugurates the release with an infectious electro groove as gurgling pings and acidic clangs and drones are liberally dropped throughout the track. aspekte is a spacious track with blown-out bass sounds that morph and glide across a tempered, slow burning planar rhythm. on the flip, jonbjörn goes for a harder techno sound influenced by his relocation to berlin. sunnudagskaffi is a bendy, 4/4 roller that contains hidden grooves below the basslines and the acid pings that wouldnt be out of place on a livity sound release. meanwhile, holy b is pure warehouse creeper techno, complete with machinic tones and the atmospherics of sweat and grime on dungeon brick walls.

next up in the apparel music limited series is loure with a 4 track ep which also includes a remix by saine. the name of this work by the aussie is smooth talk and it contains all the stylistic elements that make the melbournian one of the most talented in the scene at the moment. the ep kicks off with the title track which can be certified as a dancefloor banger with its solid rhythmics and the smooth synths playing along with a hint of acid keeps going with mutual motion which gives a display of what this guy can do in terms of creating spacey deep harmonies, such a groovy way to lower the tones before the remix of the 1st track smooth talk. saine here puts his signature once again with another banging tune crafted on loure sounds, adding his touch with deep percussions, a substantial compact beat with a bass-line that will get you carried away. the closing track is the right decompression after a journey through sounds: rolling snares, vocal samples chasing each other and a happy touch to finish in style.

having previously appeared alongside tommi vicari jr on a 12inch last year, opto mystics strike out on their own with this 12inch for italian powerhouse vibraphone. new horizon very much represents the new school approach with the long serving italian house label, keeping that deep, melodic quality but embracing new rhythms, tones and approaches. new horizon almost has an akufen quality to it, while bucky triangle could easily transmit from the motor city house scene. m.i.y.e. is a swirling blur of gorgeous synths, and -suddent- finishes the ep off on a surprisingly experimental tip.

björk has released two remixes of the track ‘blissing me’, from the current album ‘utopia’, one which strips back the existing layers of song to purely her voice and a harp arrangement by herself, and another by the enigmatic artist serpentwithfeet who has gifted his heavenly gospel tones to the track.

paper recordings ben davis takes off his flash atkins cape and mask to launch a new project exploring things left of centre and balearic. in these disposable times, stubb will celebrate community and diy with a limited run of 300 vinyl screen-printed kraft card sleeves of commissioned illustrations by artist rachel johns plus hand-drawn labels by hebden bridge s the egg factory. we are launching is a journey in to psychedelic balearia with one of the most exciting artists of recent years, jane weaver her mercury music prize long-listed album modern kosmology was described by the guardian as -a lean and thrillingly addictive slice of unearthly pop-. the stubb collaboration is a sublime head trip to the deep reaches of space and electronica with hallucinatory guitars, burbling synths and arpeggiators that are beautifully set off by jane s ethereal vocals. mike lindsay is founder and producer of folktronica pioneers tunng and his distinctive tones sing the praises of doing nothing on boring days, which is psychedelic leftfield pop at its finest. the track is locked down by a nagging fifth bass with vocal pops, hand claps, muted afro guitar, washed synths and arps that build before the choruses hit in a wave of analogue keyboards and fuzz guitar. after that, a gloriously stretched outro takes you straight to the mediterranean. there s also an edited instrumental that brings out the sunshine...

norwegian duo smerz had a prolific 2017, which saw the copenhagen-based henriette and catharina play the likes of club 2 club, moma ps1, sell out half life parties of their own, as well as release five new tracks along with five self-directed videos. clearly not ones to wait around, smerz go in to the new year with their have fun ep on the horizon for release via xl recordings in march 2018. with their unique electronic sound blending deconstructed club music, minimalist r&b and experimental pop and techno, smerz are also prolific djs who s djing style takes a similar route. mixing live vocals over their own music and interlaced with choice cuts aimed squarely at the dancefloor, this duo dj hard in a live setting and are thrilling to watch as well as listen. smerz currently host their own monthly nts radio residency, mixing cutting-edge dance music and darker tones, in what is turning in to their trademark style.

the goldie award winning producer / dj debuts on alpha pup with a four track ep on orange & black splatter vinyl. across 15 hours to la, holly uses otherworldly synth tones, dissonant staccato, heavy low end, and frenzied digital drum-work, providing a synthetic journey where technicality and style meet at a unique crossroads.

the french duo klash point , who have already enjoyed djs support from the likes of minimal techno scene, hot on the heels of their module records debut with their -persistence e.p.-, is back with four tracks of roughened groove , this new -mono phase e.p.- is likely to attract even more attention. side a ,-mono phase- is just the true definition of a deep techno mood! and -stockholm- rocks around an hypnotic rolling groove that as it perpetually twists and turns. side b ,-kologne- push up you higher with its straight atmospheric synth ... and with textures and tones nodding to both berlin and detroit, once again there s a strong sense of timelessness and versatility to play -dolby-.

belgiums favourite underground house dj red d celebrates the 10 year anniversary of his we play house recordings label with 6 vinyl samplers containing new tracks and some very wanted gems from the catalogue. artists featured are san soda, fabrice lig, fcl (featuring lady linn), kiani & his legion, krewcial, reggie dokes, raoul lambert & nacho marco, art of tones and many more. voices near the hypocentre

his hard-edged beats, insistent tones, and occasional flash of devious humor make deutschmann a natural addition to the mote-evolver roster: his natural versatility and clear-minded futurism result in compelling club tracks and dj nights, and his mote evolver debut ep lost in a loop is no exception to this rule. with just a simple schematic to work with, deutschmann does what the best producers do and enlivens those simple instructions until they give an illusion of greater complexity.

calling in the favors: marcel dettmann, roman flügel and scuba under his scb inversion disguise, take apart songs and tracks from tuff city kids debut album adoldesscent. dettmann, submisses to his new wave and em callings, keeps the song that is scared intact, but mangles it into a fast-paced pogo piece, while flügel uses his second take of rmancer (see the happy gerdy remix for reference) to push it into the k-lauer abyss, before scb inversion tones down the rockism of nordo and makes it inherently his own. to complete the picture, you get thorarium by tck themselves. a previously unreleased track that is basically a remix of a previously unreleased track

strap yourselves in as post pluto takes flight with french duo, rbdp, on their fresh self-titled ep. the record features four tracks of high altitude cruisers, soaring through the elements of acid, deep house, breaks and dubbed out synths. we depart the troposphere with -acid r-, a mellow and low-end fusion of dubby textures and acidic lines. -like dat- follows, with moody pads, percussive grooves and celestial tones. on the flip, -st san- takes the record into an acidic journey of 303 sequences and saturated 707 drum patterns, with a sublime zero-gravity remix by red ember records bossman ewan jansen.

from the archives of the legendary belter and discophon labels, ps has selected 14 dance-friendly tracks taken from overlooked lps and 45s. gipsy–funk sound, full of screaming flamenco vocals, funk drums, electric guitars, wah–wah, organ, electric bass, exotic percussions, soulish horns, latin and even oriental touches

melchior sultana has not been short of labels to release on over the past few years, from deepartsounds and three fingers musique to minuendo and 12records, but here he can be found inaugurating the profound sound label with some of his trademark deep house tones. -feel this- is a shimmering, nocturnal groover with mystery to match its subtle funkiness, while the live edit of -give it to the moon- has an easier vibe about it with its lingering, warm pads and breezy swing. -treasures- shakes things up with a jazz funk twist, letting effervescent instrumentation flirt around the crooked house beat with stunning results and then the slow, sensual original version of -give it to the moon- cradles the remaining run time of the ep in a downtempo haze of easy beats and stirring vocals.

love notes turns its affections towards the windy city with this exemplary 12- from chicago producer shmoo, who is no slouch in the energy department when rolling out the pumped up deep house delights of -sidehacker-. -intellect s intuitive waste- is no slouch either, taking a brighter sunshine approach compared to -sidehacker-s nocturnal veneer, and -limited trance- keeps the jack up while letting the additional tones and textures take things deeper. garrett david gets busy with -intellect s intuitive waste-, creating a crafty remix steeped in intriguing percussion without losing that housey focus that defines the love notes approach.

modern boogie funk with a classic sound! two songs, two producers, one artist and one legendary rhythm guitarist, this record is clearly inspired by the synthesizer funk of 1983 with a dance floor focus. fueled by a driving bass groove and swinging drum line, body heat delivers a smooth, dance friendly vibe with warm tones and sexy vocals. midnight lover brings a raw sound with an upfront drum groove, fat synth bass line and features expert rhythm guitars by spence, known for his 1983 classic get it on.

driven by a vicious and visceral soul, the buttshakers are known for their fierce and fiery music. yet after nearly a decade of touring and recording, it was with a different musical vision that they approached sweet rewards, their first collaboration with underdog records. accustomed to the raw, primitive sounds of 60s garage rock and the crude sexuality of premotown soul music, a sound they could have continued to dig into again and again. instead, they decided to take another route: a creative shift, a return to a style of soul music that no longer has to rely on pure energy alone. exceeding the limitations imposed by their tight yet powerful six person lineup, they opened up this studio session to fully accommodate their ideas and concretize their musical ambitions: a larger horn section creates a richer, scintillating sonority, a touch of slide-guitar opens their creative universe to the open spaces of the far west, the organ vacillates between psychedelic drapery and heartfelt gospel tones, all of this supported by the wicked groove of a percussionist driving the beat on. their sultry and soulful frontwoman, ciara thompson, is here for the first time supported by backing vocalist. an occasion for her to indulge in a few call and- response chorales, a reverence to a gospel background instilled in her from her native st louis (missouri), a still vibrant heritage from the city that cradled jazz, blues, country and folk music. ideal for a sound that never lets down yet remains intuitive to the gradual rise of emotion each song demands. with each new listening, sweet rewards reveals something new to the listener: another dimension, a hidden layer.

halvtrak has gathered a following. the previous releases by the finn on dont be afraid and bakk teased an appetite among techno heads for his detroit infused and texturised sound and unexpected grooves. moving towards warmer tones, his latest output on a new london/helsinki label cold blow enters him further into detroits past. as an unexpected treat, the title track has been re-imagined by the very special chinaski with his trademark ghoul sound so reminiscent of old horror films now blended with sharp electro and ebm vibe. chinaski has been busy of late with a berghain live set as well as his fine rivers end ep on uncanny valley and ghost rider on live at robert johnson. from relentless groove to darker places, this is halvtraks most refined release yet as he becomes an illuminator of his own ascent.

a modular synthesiser and an urge to find interesting tones, textures and timbres... ekke s second lp klangfarbenmodular is due to bevreleased by detroit underground . it is electronic music with compositions that deal with abstract textures, glitchy beats, nostalgic synth melodies, and sound design. like the title of the album suggests, one of the main interests for ekke has been finding different interesting tone-colours, textures and timbres. second very important inspiration for ekke while composing this material was his instrument – modular synthesiser. he has been studying free improvisation and composition on that instrument for years and the instrument has become like a good friend and music teacher for him. the album was composed and recorded during 2015-2017. most of the material has been recorded as studio jam sessions. all the pieces have then gone through many reincarnations. although most of the material comes from machines, there is a track where all the sounds are field recordings registered in tallinn, estonia, which is a current home for ekke .

rrose and lucy need little introduction as heads of eaux and stroboscopic artefacts (respectively), their influence on the direction of techno in the last five years is undeniable. rather than crafting a style to be imitated, they pursue an approach that welcomes unpredictable results, with the intention of stimulating uncharted areas of the mind through sound and rhythm. the first lotus eaters collaboration appeared on stroboscopic artefacts in 2016. for their follow up on eaux, the pair go deeper into lucy s analog modular forest, searching for those essential elements that will yield alchemical results. inner membrane undulates with ring modulated tones that stretch like liquid metal, patiently building up dancefloor energy with only the barest of percussive elements. on the b side, inverted limb takes a similarly minimal approach, utilizing two tones, a bass drum, and hi-hats to maximum effect. the ep closes with seeds of discontent a swirl of feedback and noise that is both soothing and unsettling, leaving us wondering what will come next

one of techno’s most prominent prism pushers follows work on fever ray’s plunge album to open 2018 with the masterful machine control of the 3d printed songbook , dispatched thru his stockholm-based personal imprint. in his highly personalised style of scandinavian techno dub pressure, mannerfelt pursues a signature blend of raved-up smarts with cutting-edge sound design into ever more curious, densely packed but spacious gestures on the 3d printed songbook by getting ever closer to grips with his elemental electronic material. where so much techno can feel like the work of a bored neek pushing blocks on a screen or effectively doing a colouring-in book, mannerfelt is a sculptor who has picked techno and pure, abstract electronics as his medium, manifesting a sound which works just as well for those who appreciate the tactile sensuality of manipulated noise, as those who love dancing to irregular, warped rhythms and sensational tones.

sabrina & samantha is the newest ed banger records signature a brand new project born from the meeting of confirmed producers julien briffaz (botox) and laurent bardainne (poni hoax) where mental and dancing techno collide, obviously influenced by tribal tones and the most radical grooves (be reassured! didgeridoo is prohibited)

malin genie s warm, funk fuelled sound returns to blow some balmy vibes into your frostbitten souls, and he s sounding especially expressive on this effervescent new 12-. -snake scale- features all kinds of liquid funk notes pouring around the crisp house beat, channeling soulful tones without resorting to basic sampling. -bloom- is a more linear cut with a steady tech house pulse, but it s shot through with mysterious ambience that deepens the emotional impact of the track. -altrica- completes the ep with a smoked out trip into reduced, back room house subtleties for the blissed out crew to get psychedelic to