days of being wild continues their collaboration with berlin based french producer franz matthews, releasing his first solo ep, the spacey, cosmic ostkreuz. half of the duo languages, whose 1st ep the label released at the end of last year, franz matthews explores a very different sound on his first solo effort, all space disco, retro synths and funky guitars out. title track ostkreuz has been road tested by the days of being wild crew on dance floors all around europe all of last year and has created euphoria and anticipation in equal measure. this is a cosmic hit from outer space, all constructed around well known ingredients that thanks to franz matthews musical and melodic talent rise here to epic heights. the b-side guns of rixdorf is another devastating peak time tune. while remaining in the same vein as ostkreuz, it feels more high energy with its irresistible funky guitars calling and responding over a driving bass. days of being wild always try to pair producers with remixers that will shed a new light on their work. its no exception with ostkreuz, who gets the reinvention treatment from no other than moscoman and rodion aka the claydermans. the cosmic vibe is still here hovering on top in the opening chords of the remix, but soon enough a sub, housier bass makes its way in the mix and wont let you go until the end. carried by shuffling claps and a bouncier beat, the groove here is totally re-invented, taking ostkreuz from peak time to the darker edges of after land.

south london house label giant records offers up its eighth release. after a chance meeting on a london bus grant and david got talking about house music and the result followed in david sending grant these two wicked cuts, which were signed immediately david beigers dream factory ep is ladened with twists and turns of cinematic tech funk two original cuts here from german born david surface and dream factory, the later coming with a remix from grant dell grants take on dream factory is a heavy blend of tribal work outs, shaka zulu chants and shouts with some heavy sub-bass to boot featuring excerpts from mutabarukas the poem.

a sensational mix of west african afrobeat tradition and contemporary european urban culture, reminding us of ebo taylor, for the traditional element, and hugh masekela for its mix with jazz. daniel dzidzonu takes it further down the jazz road and introduces even rock and fusion. as a result this record is one of the key albums of the new afrobeat generation, or in the case of daniel, the afro-european generation of today.

a sensational mix of west african afrobeat tradition and contemporary european urban culture, reminding us of ebo taylor, for the traditional element, and hugh masekela for its mix with jazzdaniel dzidzonu takes it further down the jazz road and introduces even rock and fusion. as a result this record is one of the key albums of the new afrobeat generation, or in the case of daniel, the afro-european generation of today.

life is an important track for me. i m obsessed with the past, with history and the way we apprehend life through the ages. i tried to express this deep feeling into music. so this track is about someone or something growing up. its really as intense and emotional as life can be. here today, gone tomorrow!

mod21 at its first chapter.

dutch producer nathan surreal debuts on biologic records with ?star dust? featuring remixes from adesse versions and neville watson. exploring abstract, ?surreal? and melodic electronic sounds, the dutchman is a perfect addition to the biologic roster. appearing on a host of underground labels since 2014, nathan is set to make a breakthrough with ?star dust’ balancing on the edge of reality and pushing further into the abstract and surreal worlds ?star dust? unfolds through waving synths and dubby bass lines ??? is a darker track, the bassline punchier and driving acid-tinged synths create a dance-floor ready record. next up ?human music? has a more minimal introduction, building in intensity as the synths come through until finally the melody drops, maintaining the dreamy top line that nathan is so adept at maintaining. neville watson provides the first remix on the ep, he adds reverb to the vocal, amplifying its effect on the track. star dust is intensified, perfect for late night, or early morning, dance floors. addesse version?s remix of ?star dust? is a twisted acid remake, a left-field and off kilter beat is slowed down to a psychedelic swirl, pulsating throughout the track.

jonathan baruc, in his guise as death qualia, makes his burnt offering to the undead rave with intention versus. the architecture of longing styled by the black hand beyond . the record leaps from tectonics to tenderness as it meditates on the violence of creation. cascades of sheetrock peel away to reveal a private bardo. though a student of technical finesse, jonathan drives audiences to examine their inner mythology and confront the golems they have raised.
the vinyl release includes a download code.

fav004 is finally upon us and it comes courtesy of l.a based cheyne taylor bush a.k.a tetrad who has been on fire recently, fresh off the back of an inspired and well received zamzam release last year. here he is joined by brother dillon bush a.k.a ahkur on opener -ashes fall-, a seriously dark piece of music and possibly tetrads heaviest production to date. an eerie intro with a haunting vocal sample drop into an assault of pure dubstep pressure which is sure to ignite dance floors the world over. flip side -crumble- is a more stripped back affair with a nod to the classic sounds of dub with its delayed snares, skanks and fx. what really sets this tune apart though is the overwhelming power of the sub, with a weight-line so devastating it could crumble cities let alone the dance! here brothers tetrad and ahkur have succeeded in providing an outstanding plate, absolutely brimming with sound system material in its purest form. essential.

when tresor founder dimitri hegemann stumbled into a former bank vault in east berlin on march 13th 1991, he had little idea that the space he had unlocked would fast become one of berlin s most influential and enduring techno clubs. “we didn’t know what would happen 10 months later,” he says. “we signed a lease for a year. which eventually got renewed for another three months, and another three months…”
as tresor celebrates its 25th anniversary with this work of artists from the us, germany, china, france, austria, italy and the uk, it is worth dwelling on how the cultural conditions that birthed detroit techno – economic neglect and broken industry – were mirrored by the disused bunkers and impromptu parties of post-unification east berlin, where techno found new, vigorous expression.
the triple vinyl release includes a download code.

panta rhei ends its sabbatical with the 2nd part of trinitas – a two-track, laurelgreen 7- inch beauty featuring martin hayes future groove »flamingo futura« & niccolò cupo s slow swinging »filius«. trinitas ii is strictly limited to 200 records,

bitter end emerge from the ashes of 2016 with a message of positivity and protest beamed from the near future keen eyed aficionado s may spot the homage to mel cheron s classic us label west end records here but while their motto may have been where the sun sets & the stars rise bitter end records embarks on a distinctly more 21st century path to dancefloor salvation... 003 sees a welcome return to utilising the full sonic reach of the 12- single, with these two 21st century power-dancers for strobe-lit moments of praise. can t stop explores a walter gibbons approach to teasing a groove to within an inch of its life, and what a groove. the disco at the end of the universe may well be beaming this one up, such is its sheer intergalactic and unrelenting bad assery. we recently witnessed this unite a dancefloor in such wild abandon it should come with an age restriction ! flip for fat of the land a gorgeous and utterly absorbing, stripped back modern hymn the bitter end - years ahead !

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

with its debut release, sure cuts limited, french house music label, offers a selection of 4 underground tracks, -d-track- quality chicago house with a touch of acid by lotche, -dona fonda- groovy disco track & pumpin vocal by julien guzz, -lost in okabore kingdom- raw material with disco loop, cut for the club by keedo and -smooth à souhait- deep, jazzy & raw at the same time, the subtle blend by hatelate.

based in california, banana stand sound has been wrecking expectations and setting forth new musical streams consistently for two years now. its discography is a diverse display of tribal stompers, melodic groove spectacles and everything in between, which excites the labels unarguably exquisite taste. over the years theyve gained steady advocacy from institutions such as fatkidonfire and trusik among others, as well as by a long list of highly esteemed djs and producers from the likes of j:kenzo, benga, compa, skream and joe nice.

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

cuplet makes a stomping return with its second release, set to become quintessential for the revived techno sound, leaving andrei ciubucs imagination running wild on this 2-tracker. both record sides, overwhelming in the low frequencies area, are painting a dark industrial canvas for andreis devilish signature groove, syncopated for strei2 yet harmonized within the bassline for cel putin.
smoky techno, cuplet style, coming soon on a dancefloor near you!

dys functional electronic music is a compilation release from repitch recordings, celebrating the label’s first five years. its ambivalent title aims to represent the sonic behaviour of its content, often deviating from norms or distancing itself from common club functionalism. for this release, the 3 repitch masterminds ascion, d. carbone and shapednoise are joined by a selection of the artists who contributed shaping the repitch sound throughout the years, along with guests that inspired them in this adventure. during the past 5 years the main focus of the label was to set up a platform for experimentations across the dancefloor canon, establishing a standout musical identity. a spirit that resonates within each artist’s personal approach: from ascion’s dark breakbeats to the exaltics and and’s acid frontalism, shapednoise’s brooding noise, sote’s fractured rave, d. carbone and gaja’s intrusions into melody, pinch and the zenker brothers’ dub-infused atmospherics, skudge’s love of gloom and nuel’s idm-ish minimalism

cosmin trgs fizic is proud to present its first 2017 release, from an exciting new name. serb is born and raised in craiova, romania, where he spent his youth playing guitar in nihilistic, a local punk band. in 2014 he released his debut 12inch, on transient recs. his sophomore record is a prime example of his unique, cerebral take on dance music. qui vive is a somber, syncopated elegy of rugged elegance, with fizzy drums and percution filtering in and out over the fragile melody. feet locked is analog honey poured into your post-rave ear. after-glow synths follow an expertly modulated bass. finally, persistent prick echoes the esotheric explorations of actress, with added twisted funk. serb’s impressive talent and exuberance flow through his music, expect more from our new signing in the very near future.

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

inspired by the likes of raresh, zip, and villalobos, the artist known as kepler has something special in store for your local area dance floor. “making chords” is an exciting new release that’s guaranteed to please. the title track “making chords” can be appropriately described as nothing less than an addictive, bona fide banger that will instantaneously hook its end user after one listen. from the beginning kepler. sets the pace with a smooth, sexy bass line that will command your attention and aggressively compel any crowd to start dancing. this passionate production pushes its agenda with a rumbling tempo, dynamic drums, and intriguing vocals that are well worth repeating. laced with clever sounding samples and purposeful piano licks, “making chords” is made for anyone and everyone. the second offering, “wire” is a quirky, fun departure that gives insight to kepler’s wide range. this spooky sounding track is characterized by its off-beat rhythm, saturating bass tones and curious sounding signals that slide up and down while continually building momentum. as the “wire” progresses, one can’t help but to take note of how its unpredictable nature is dictated in such a well-organized manner. very, very interesting.

mihai popoviciu has carved out a reputation for being one of the most innovative producers of electronic music active in europe today. the man from romania has established himself both as a highly respected producer releasing on labels such as highgrade, international gigolo and dessous and as a killer dj performing all over the world. fiction is his 4th release on poker flat recordings, and delivers four distinct flavours to sink your teeth into. i should is a slinky groover, with a slippery, evolving bassline, tight, funky percussion and a sultry female vocal. working just as effectively early in a set as a peak time moment, its bound to get rinsed in the coming months. twisted is a little harder - a straighter beat signals a more heads down approach, and the bassline is sure to trigger some dancefloor scenes wherever it gets played. next up is title track fiction which perhaps makes a reference to mihai’s background, with fragments of eastern european melodies woven into the beautiful synth work, all tied together over a spacey yet driving rhythm track. last but by no means least is interconnected - a straight up deep bomb with echoes of classic chicago deep and acidic house in its warm and sensual vibe.

blackrod proudly announce its second release. the quality techno music included on blackrod002 is provided by the italian born mtd. on the remix side two dutch guys, the twr72 formation show how do they think about techno.

a regular contributor to figure spc, it was jeroen search who both started the series and also put an end to its story. with this creative chapter neatly closed, he is now bringing his ever-impressive work back to the main label. across the ep the dutch artist doesn’t stick to one style, instead he lets his infamous machines roam about freely. they take us for a smooth ride along swaying dub chords and gentle ripples until bellowing eches slowly rise above a hypnotic groove.?on the b-side search then pulls out all the stops and barges right in with fidgety claps and whirling bleeps, leaving the track itself gasping for air. this is the renowned ferocity of his live act - carved into wax! ensuing the sonic assault, a simple synth figure emerges stoically over an almost housy bounce as nostalgic rave strings bring the ep to an epic ending. firmly rooted in the past while always looking forward, jeroen search clearly is still on the top of his game. he simply keeps coming up with timeless techno - time and time again.

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

queen and disco are back with a two track record nothin fancy ep on their own imprint on the a side we have the slower of the two tracks lets go all the way a brass filled disco delight staying true to its original form. flip to the b side and you are welcomed with a percussion laden groove that is up on tempo as well as excitable vocals with everlasting shouts of be yourself.

...vol. 5

it’s time for local talk to go local again with another swedish producer, eric ericsson. with numerous releases out in labels like planet e, fragile and freerange he’s one of those producers with one foot in the techno scene and another in the more soulful house scene. basically, he s not a one trick pony! for his release on local talk we would say he lands somewhere between classic chi-town house and thumping nyc house groove but without sounding too retro or washed out. its simply real house music! we begin with love it, a real bumpy house track with analogue basslines and swinging fender grooves that will work both stateside and in the european house clubs. the second track the chi is as the title suggest a homage to chicago with a slight old school boo williams fee. - dope! but thats not all, to give the release a broader twist we got man of the moment oskar offerman (berlin) to remix love it for us. oskar goes more deep with his trademark sound and gives us a dark mix that will sound amazing in your favourite berlin club of choice.

mentha records steps up with a various release called into yourself featuring four emotive compositions that span the deep house spectrum. tides by michael lovatt starts the 12inch with lush chords and a deep baseline that gives off a warm feeling. kareem ali is up next with arnaldo tamayo mendez, a sensual track that is packed full of frequencies as ali shows off his harmonic and arrangement skills. the flip side begins with an anaxander piece called unspoken , with an emotive motif that displays homage to a classic deep house sound. michael zucker is holding up the last leg with together, this melancholy tune seeps its way slowly into your cells through an invasion of warm tones. into yourself is a solid 12inch for the deep house soldiers.

this release journeys to mid-80s argentina and the highly sought after 2nd solo album of carlos cutaia. inspired by the new electronic sounds emanating from europe, this multi instrumentalist offers more than a pastiche, embedding his own melancholy in a unique and classic nueva wave-album. classically trained, carlos cutaia started as a composer for dance and theatre, before spending much of the 1970s as a member of a number heavy rock, prog rock and rock-fusion bands of some note, before finally going solo with the city of distant tones album in 1983. however, by the time of his 2nd solo album in 1985, as his country finally left behind a long period of military control and enjoyed greater freedoms, carlos was fully immersed in the new electronic pop sounds imported with hungry ears from europe. teaming up with fellow composer, keyboardist and producer, daniel melero and alejandro oucinde, the futurism of kraftwerk and gary numan s tubeway army was embraced, but also adapted to fit their native land, just as it was understand a new modernity. starting with the swagger of visiones incomunicadas, the template is set. sharp drum machines, semi-nonchalant, half spoken vocals set the scene, while chopped guitar and smart synth lines fit the over riding feeling of an intelligent nonchalance. things however, do go beyond the straightjacket of euro-pop as heard on the anthemic programacion and avant twist of the first of two piano-ambient pieces aproximacion dos and its companion piece uno found on the b side). eric satie and minimalism are clearly not far away. however, it is side b opener sensacion melancolica that captures the sound to perfection. a balearic masterpiece, capturing in it s title the over-riding atmospheric of a unexplained sadness, a loss. operativo and the poem humanos de america bring things to an end of a feeling melancolica.

end of dayz presents its tenth release with all stars vol 1., some old friends and a new face on the label. ness, who made a remix on the 002 brings us his original track “semblance”. nx1, who remixed the first reference and did the 003, brings us a mysterious “eod4”. on the b side we have nehuen, who has already published as cws (with cardopusher) the reference 006. this time brings us his track “fight or flight response”. finally, we welcome to end of dayz the german sebastian habben and his track “bdt”.

spencer parker returns on his own imprint this march with a four-track track release as part two of the three part different shapes and sizes series. following on from the raw and stripped back house jam aesthetic as seen in part one, parker kicks off this techno release with size information a track with driving kicks, subtle atmospherics, and infectious panning percussion. next up is shape deviation, which hones in on a twisted 303 arpeggio and is saturated in white noise and backed up with entrancing drums, before shape fascination goes into full drum machine workout mode with off kilter 808 claps fuelled by a hypnotic synth bass line. size devotion rounds off the release with its raw and distorted kicks and simplistic yet effective mesmeric male vocal samples.

d edges cultured off shoot olga is back with a new ep, radiolarian, from german-bulgarian stefan goldmann. again it is a perfectly well sculpted ep with deep and sleek lines that get right into your head. the man behind it is the co-owner of the excellent macro label and for more than fifteen years has released intricate house and techno sounds. he is a deep thinker and master of hi-fidelity sound design and intricate grooves, so is perfect for this label. radiolarian is first and is seven sublime minutes of tunnelling techno rippled with neon melodies and firefly like pads that burrow into your brain. it is a high tempo and high impact track but a subtle one that works its magic slowly. building to a number of peaks, it then pulls back and the whole thing starts again. on the flip, streams is freaky and unhinged, with weird synth sounds making for a trippy atmospheres as minimal beats roll below. perfectly detailed so as to work on both head as well as heel, it rounds out another fine ep.

the latest installment of roam recordings comes from the japanese disco scene via the production duo of internationally acclaimed dj que sakamoto and seasoned studio engineer nt. the title track lalo is an original production with a stylish edit of an obscure vocal. this slow paced groove has a lot to offer with its bells chiming, synths drifting, and peppered in vocal that brings it all together.

joakim on samurai: this is a very personal record. i tried to channel the emotions and spontaneity i had when i first started making music. its not about nostalgia, its about the freshness and directness call it naivety you lose when you start becoming a professional musician. i moved to new york almost 5 years ago. these past few years have been a weird combination of excitement and quite challenging events. ive learnt what it means to be exiled, in every sense. this album is about that, being far away from home and from yourself and finding your way back. the album is built like an unknown city, you walk through it, making random turns, getting lost, some corners may bring back memories, you’re getting away from something and at the same time youre on a quest. hence the importance of listening to it in its entirety (yes, im a utopian). it will be the only physical release, very limited. no cd edition. producer, d.j., label manager, tireless gem searcher, musician, music lover, its hard to reduce joakim to a single function xavier veilhan, french artist et sculptor tall lanky weird dude who makes great music

after an italian-artists-only policy in 2016, un.t.o. goes international with its 6th release presenting the amsterdam-based producer jack roland. this one cuts a line between rough and ready electro and cutting edge techno.

phi002 returns to your favourite record store with a vengance. the pragmatism ep opens with a subtle yet catchy electro rattle crawling from a wet basement, soon opening rusty iron doors with an -early 90s electronica- sign with the help of a massive atmoshperic push. dial-up terror manages to recall the boundless sounds of pioneering techno days only to give hand to the playful and jacking afterhours stomper that is no - fun + compute. crossroads between ambient and electro rarely sounded as dreamy as with timeless ultrasonic sensei particle and its kaleidoscopic arrangements, that might have landed on of your favourite early warp releases. phi002 saves best for last with cinematic hypnotism called memento mori, a perfect closure for a colourful release that carves a soundscape deeper than trendy genre names.

after his successful ‘i’m made of stars’ lp last year, michele pinna brings his time traveler moniker back to his chronicles diary imprint with ‘chapter v: chronicles from 1957’. following the label’s concept ‘chapter v’ is dedicated to his mother anna maria and time is being stretched back to her birth, where past and future seem to collide through time traveler’s dystopian vision of techno. a1 opens the ep with an industrial killer groove and time traveler’s distorted vocals prompting to follow him in an out of control journey. a2 rushes in with a more mental and compulsive beat, where synths and percussions converge. on the flip side, we find b1 infused with hypnotic modular melodies and intense rolling analog grooves. b2 concludes time traveler’s journey with its finally crafted, hammering beats, ecstatic bass synths and drum patters.

aus welcome back label favourite shenoda for his third release on the label, burn backed with a remix from juxta position. previous releases on hypercolour & electric minds have seen shenoda firmly on the ascent but its in his recent outings on aus that his bold, rugged club music has really reached its zenith. burn follows suit with its predecessors with its power being rooted in seismic, analogue drums that are balanced against soft, allaying melodies. the muscular vista then rolls out punching stabs and tight, shuffling drums before label mate marquis hawkes dusts off his juxta position alias and delivers a pacey and forthright take on burn. melodies are softly mangled and given a spectral quality that recalls his mazury on dvs1’s mistress wrapping another solid addition to the catalogue as the aus music family continue to deliver the goods.

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

rare and expensive, hard to find 90 s ukg tracks brought to you by plastik people, its a must have for any vinyl collector

this classic deep house jam was huge in its original form when it landed on som underground back in 2000, and then it went on to receive the remix treatment from artists as widely respected as 2000 & one and christopher groove. aside from the official remixes, the likes of luciano took the accapella for a ride and created infamous bootlegs that took the scene by storm, whether soundtracking an intimate club throwdown or a blissed-out ibiza terrace moment. now, more than fifteen years on from the original release, it s time to revisit a stone cold classic and call in a fresh interpretation. berlin-based tony lionni has already scored countless essential deep house releases for freerange, madhouse, modelisme, mule musiq and versatile amongst many others. his warm, slow-grooving approach suits the mood of pachanga s laconic vocal delivery perfectly, but behind the mellow veneer there s a powerful, soundsystem-ready punch to the track that demonstrates why lionni has risen to be such an in demand producer over the years

hercules & love affair return to the fray with “controller”, a pulsing, propulsive new song that signals the first salvo from their long-awaited new album. featuring the horrors’ faris badwan on vocals, it takes the hercules’ disco-house heritage and fuses it with starker post-punk stylings. a taster both sonically and aesthetically of the new album, controller connects new wave, post-punk and 80s electro within the clubland realm of hercules & love affair. also featured is tuff city kids italo-disco inspired remix, and mike simonetto homage to early 90’s west coast break-beat house, and then there is the superb dub of the original….what a package! hearing the the horrors’ live version of frankie knuckles & jamie principle’s ‘your love’, andy realised he’d found a rock artist willing to engage with dance culture s history. with its underbelly of seamy ‘80s electro-pop yet recalling early house records by the likes of lil louis and bam bam, “controller”’s sub-dom, master-and-servant roleplay in the lyrics work perfectly with faris vocals delivery creating something truly quiet special

open returns to close the year with its third release on the growing uk based imprint. italian duo dnart join the label and provide what can only be descirbed as an incredible old school house vibe illustrating their true passion for solid sounds and hardware. having released on labels such as anma and shift limited its great to hear their passion on this ep one . joining the release for remix duties are nick beringer and frazer campbell. nick beringer is an exploding artists with a full library of sold out releases and clear to see why with his drivey remix of short story. frazer campbell of open and elliot project remixed zzyzx with an unexpected percussive version to close off open s third release

fasten musique comes with its 10th release -slow notions ep- this time a collaboation from kamran sadeghi who is known as a core member of the art and music group soundwalk collective based between berlin and new york city.the release contains two orignal tracks,vinyl only as always.

darren allen joins the family at discobar for a 2-part release, the first containing four abstract grooves disrupted by distinctive sound interventions both synthesised and real. a clock ticking on ‘initiation’ joins rapping snares in giving intent to the track’s floating melodic figures and vocalisations. ‘manitou’ overlays steppy breaks with the rumble and roar of the eponymous heavy-duty vehicle, an invasion of the outside world sure to bewilder some dancefloors.things turn darker with distorted highs and groggy mid-range drift in ’obyvatel’, before the quiet industry of ’molecular’ – its assorted bubbles and rattles both musical and humorous – brings us back to the light.

another motive launches its record label with an ep from finnish producer roope karhunen aka mirage man. mirage man has crafted a unique sound exploring a hypnotic and seductive aesthetic within house and techno. the a-side opens up with ‘hiss & hers’ , a soothing-narcotic take on techno with overtones of dub and ambience. followed by a hard-hitting ‘harmoni’, layering crisp drum machines and ethereal synths within a magnetic groove that evolves from raw to rich. the b-side embarks with ‘healing’, composed of shuffling rhythms and subtle streams of warm synth pads that grow into an esoteric climax fitting several styles within one. closing the ep is ‘harmoni’ remix by bnjmn taking the essence of the original and folding it into a kaleidoscope of fractured rhythms and surreal sounds that collide to finish the ep off with a bang

fresh off of a pair of well-received eps on his recently-launched manhigh imprint, berlins highly respected techno auteur henning baer makes his first appearance on nonplus with 4 excellently crafted, saturated machine techno tracks on the idea of instinct. following on feelings suggested in the title, the ep opens with a pair of more contemplative pieces: the title track’s spare arrangement puts mechanical rhythmic drive behind its exploration of dusky electronic atmospheres, while the feeling of dna is both brighter and slightly pacier, its hypnosis deriving from the pads and synthesizer sequences that circle the drums. ccc ii takes a darker approach to a similar idea, this time with the suggestion of polyrhythms in the distant and heavily-treated percussive elements circling in the background behind uneasy ambience. it builds to the closer spiritual quest, where overlaid rhythms in 3 and 4 are not easily reducible and create the tension at the track’s centre driving it to its conclusion.

dominique lawalree (b. 1954) is a composer born and based in brussels. first meeting is lawalree s first archival release to date. culled from four different albums originally self-published on his private label editions walrus, circa 1978-1982, this compilation highlights the composer s unique sense of ambient and minimal composition. originally considered for release on brian eno s obscure records, lawalree s music is now no longer hidden. in this collection the listener finds the sounds of piano, synthesizers, percussion, wurlitzer, organ, and voice, all performed by lawalree. using these tools dominique creates miniature themes that gallop across the speakers in slow motion, stretching our normal sense of dynamics and color, effortlessly widening the stereo plane. on musique satieerique dominique pays homage to the influence of satie with simple repeated piano figures and a lush field of organs and flutes. and on other selections, like -le maison des 5 elements,- he takes a more wistful, ambient approach, layering keyboard lines, and invoking found/tape sounds to create a hypnogogic world of his own. childlike in its playfulness and surreal to the bone, the music spins like a carrousel placed inside the rothko chapel. lawalree s sense of timbre, tone, and overarching composition is like an impression of a home movie whose charm lies in its knowledge of intimacy, shared by few? an incantation of innocence. a quiet, understated music that is both touching and elegant gavin bryars