hailing from wellington, aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud, scent is a newcomer to the scene but long time gc of modern hypnosis. his first sighting featured a track ‘devils dread’ on indigo movement’s 5-year digital compilation december 2017. heaving at 140 beats per minute, ‘trax’ creates a certain energy similar to early jungle riddims. chopped percussion, giant synth stabs, weighty driving kicks with underlining sub bass and the odd flute build the track to a halt before commencing it’s minimal technoesq break down. ‘just a dream’ a rooted scentimental dub which takes you deep into a place amongst your rem sleep with sparse whaling strings and swinging percs. scent debut solo release. one to watch.

the music on this lp was sourced from recordings made for two sk live performances in 2017. reproduced here in the same manner they were originally performed. everything by suzanne kraft.

since 2010, buyepongo has led a steadily growing los angeles underground movement that combines the vast influence of traditional tropical sounds with the streetwise edges of the latin american diaspora. much like their name implies (translation: to cause a ruckus), their hybrid style is focused on the celebration, an infectious, energetic vibe that is universally and rhythmically connected. it ll get your feet moving, and much like many of the records from the golden age of cumbia, these two offerings demonstrate an updated and adapted reverence for the roots that is truly distinct to their own unique place and time. for the group s latest single, that place, the sprawling latinx scene east of los angeles, met head on with the east coast hot pot of brooklyn. recorded and produced in collaboration with names you can trust during the band s serendipitous 2017 trip to nyc, this new release takes two of buyepongo s most fan-favored and party-tested original songs, two that had yet to be recorded, and combines them with the nyct forty-five ethos: a stripped-down, warm analog recording that perfectly captures buye s live, bring-the-ruckus style in the room as it happened. por la vida romps over the a-side, a modern-day classic in the making whose lyrics (how beautiful is life, always full of surprises) compliment a sunny, easy-going house party vibe, while miri on the flip evolves from a loping, almost reggae groove into a transcendent journey through caribbean feel-good sounds.

the latest release from the rome-based onda records truly is a delight for the senses. helmed by gianluca marcelli aka dj glc, the label kicked off in 2017 courtesy of the exceptional sounds of g.i.m productions’ ‘rising waves’ ep. although following the latter might have been something of a daunting task, onda’s sophomore release is equally enticing, with two originals (one from dj glc and the other from the aforementioned g.i.m productions) backed with stunning remix interpretations by two of the states’ most respected contemporary producers, atlanta’s byron the aquarius and detroit veteran javontte.

after relocating from california at 7 years old, nasser grew up in a musical environment in new jersey. surrounded by gifted artists from an early age, nasser was fed a diet of authentic 70 s soul, 80 s pop and 90 s hip hop and r&b, which all influenced the spirit of his music and his trademark big production. at only 24 years old nasser displays real musical maturity and a subterranean fearlessness in his productions. mentored by house music master dennis ferrer, nasser has released three ep s and on the indispensible objektivity label, as well as remixing dennis iconic son of raw in 2017. his gramercy ep on suara revealed nasser s more techier side, exposing his wider abilities. his most recent release on objektivity, the just like that ep , dropped in summer 2017, in tune with his first ibiza season. (as a part of dennis ferrer s misfits society crew, a residency he continues in 2018…) here nasser debuts on circus recordings with his first full, self penned, and part sung, vocal single, combined with a intergalactic techno b side that is absolutely not to be skipped over. say something was instantly snapped up by yousef after an early demo was sent to the label owner earlier this year. big, nasty & pin sharp drums carry the original vocal throughout the track, as a playful narrative parties & dances throughout. vocal hook after vocal hook interchange as the slamming 909 drums persist. as yousef said, there is simply nothing else quite like it right now, and as pete tong said it s the best vocal record he has heard in many years, confirmed an essential new tune on the spot… this years bigger than prince..?

n8noface was the vocalist for underground synth-punk legends crimekillz. he is the younger brother of tucson-bred modern boogie rocket man zackey force funk, both now residing in long beach, ca.in 2017, hit+run released n8’s visceral debut album stories of those, as well as demos and demons vol. 1, a ten-track collection of home demos recorded between 2015-2016. on dia de los muertos 2017, noface also unleashed the first single from his forthcoming new album true story, the haunting double a-side lathe cut “idgaf / say goodbye.”
true story, the 14-track lp due this august, reads like a collection of compelling mini-narratives, brief yet honest tales of personal struggles, anti-establishment rants, dead end loves, and real-life tragedies. n8’s minimal wave sound is not about nostalgic lo-fi nor home-recorder formulas, but his own instinctive style that defies categorization and comparisons. the result is a distinct sound of rapid-fire hardcore punk moshing with awkward pop music. standout tracks on the dense 18-minute album include “not like you”, “bad day”, “men who dress well” and “glasgow smile”.

mika visited the moog sound-lab in april 2015. he made one his last known solo studio recordings in the form of two vinyl sized side long pieces. entitled “lydspor” - danish for ‘soundtrack’. mika worked almost exclusively with the lab’s moog modular system 55.
this uk sound -lab instrument is the sole protoype model (containing several golden filters) of moog’s recent sold out reverse-engineered edition (55 units only) recreating the 1970’s classic.
on completion of his sessions mika announced ‘i could work with this machine for the rest of my life….i would need nothing else”.
a second moog session was planned but tragically mika died in an accident in april 2017, shortly after he had approved the vinyl mastering.
pressing on translucent vinyl.

the fourth instalment of moxies compilation series is back, presenting this exclusive 4 track vinyl sampler thoughtfully curated line-up of artists. featuring friends of on loop, up-and-coming producers and prominent names alike. stepping up to open this 12 sampler is the maghreban, adding his trademark touch to an off-kilter remix of steve spaceks ‘gimmi da love. lisbons violet is up next, laying down her energetic signature breakbeat sound on ‘antifa beats. flipping over, the b-side begins with nathan micays infectious builder ‘basic plumbing, paving the way for louise chens ‘reach (raw mix) a solid house number. on loop has continued on a straight upward trajectory since it began, with 2017s volume 3 securing a nomination in dj mags end of year awards for best compilation, and the imprint earning a place in mixmags 20 best record labels of 2017. as the label steps things up, so does moxies nts radio show, now moving to a weekly slot and cementing its place as a staple dance show for the station with regular parties at manchesters soup kitchen, edinburghs sneaky petes and londons pickle factory. with an international tour to be announced this year, things are just getting started for the dj & radio host.

new yorker electronic producer dj spider is back on itay’s out-er with a muggy, abstract techno release “human erosion field ep”, similarly to its debut “v ep”, released in september 2017 and produced in featuring with his longtime friend phil moffa.
italian label out-er presents its twenty-sixth release continuing to explore the diverse musical path between house, techno and experimental electronic - which appears in most cases on out-er’s sub-label pregnant void. “human erosion field ep” otherworldly showcases both a radiant take on electronic as well as gloomy and wild-eyed pieces, an aesthetic approach for which dj spider has been most known in the scene. overlooking to the style of the tracks, the release does contain a sinister mood and a dense, solid sense of groove overall, a typical recurring feature of the producer’s previous outputs.

ahus debut album from 2017, nord dream, was something of an overlooked gem from that year, but its musical palette of dubwise techno and ambient sounds caught the ears and enthusiasm of many. danny clancy was one such admirer, and in turn brings ahus sophisticated sounds to his dichotomy records label for the ‘atlas ep.

this single is very special for visions recordings as we see a fresh collaboration between alex attias and luman child, two swiss artists reunited for the first time.alex proposed luman child a collaboration after listening to his music. then they met and talked about music , visions, influences, method of work and decided straight away to work together without knowing each other well and pushing them outside their comfort zone. they are both very happy with the resultjalex attias has been in the music for many years producing, remixing many great artists and djing all over the world. at the moment alex is about to release a compilation on bbe records ( lillygood party !) , plus a couple of remixes are on the way and he s also preparing other singles for his label visions .luman child produced in 2017 a killer first album with german label solid ground still available on a neo soul hip hop tip. he reached number 11 in the uk soul charts. as a musician and bass player luman child had a few collaborations with ferry ultra, gogo music and marc mac 4 hero.the project they present here is very organic soulful and musical. this single hold two killer tunes for the listener and the dancers.the a side is a 125 bpm disco jazz funk killer jam with live bass, fender rhodes and vintage keyboards sounds driven by a very funky drum beat and live basseline aimed to the dancefloor and good time party people keeping a smile on your face. its simply groovy and goes on and on for 10 minutes of pure disco pleasure.the b side is a funky number boogie jazz funk inspired by mr ayers vibes and sounds . the rhythm is groovy at 120 bpm and the moog bassline is round and fat. accompanied both track by fender rhodes and dope keyboards sounds, this one will definitely find place in dj boxes for those who play and love soulful music with an open mind. groovy , warm and soulful at his best.

into the light is launching a parallel and limited series with contemporary material from both greek and international artists. first stop is the album postclub prism by the german producer cass. offering ten gorgeous ambient pieces about light and romance. since 2012, niklas rehme-schlüter aka cass. has released albums of varying styles, from the rather organic and loop based ambient pieces on loops & farewell sketches and the red atlantic ep on throne of blood in 2017, influenced by 80s pop sonics, to the more balearic and percussive recordings on the sound of glades together with wolf müller in 2016. on his new record postclub prism cass. explores his affinity to calm and atmospheric ambient music at the threshold to the reverberant sound of club music.

alma negra are back on heist! after their much applauded 2017 release with that great soulphiction remix, theyve been rather busy taking over the scene. they started their new label alma negra records where they released 3 eps in quick succession, with new as well as older material that showcases their tropical roots and keen ear for clubby reworks. they launched their live show, doing gigs across europe with a highlight at one of londons more intimate live venues: the jazz cafe. their latest outing making their release count a total of 4 in only 8 months was on marcel vogel’s lumberjacks in hell and explored the more live / rework side of their project. now theyre back on heist with 3 new tracks, supported by an awanto 3 remix. conversation is a track we wanted to put out on heist badly, simply because it’s a beast of a track. it sits somewhere between a live african drum track, percussive techno and moody midwest electronics, with pads and strings coming in and out of play while a relentless kick drum keeps the energy on a haunting level. this track is alma negra at their filthiest, and it feels like they’ve taken a next step from last years dark and heavy luanda dub, bringing it from an intimate dreamy stage straight into the main room. this is the place shows a different side of the house spectrum with the alma’s love for dreamy deep house. the track flows up and down, with soothing rhodes chords, arpeggios and mumbling vocals setting a summery mood thats perfect for your warm up or daytime party. meanwhile, their third original track from the heart goes even deeper and navigates around a smart vocal loop topped with strings, bleeps, claps and rimshots that just keeps going.

brand new release on mondo groove with a remix double pack of selected tracks from daniele baldelli classic cosmic temple six chapters that were out on the italian label from 2015 to 2017. you can find everything for everyone in these new versions. dj tennis and in flagranti tributing pure cosmic sound with their interpretations of gandharva and afelio, dj ralf transforming kosmaro into a house stomper, tiger & woods adding their subtle boogie touch and edit science to vhanessa, clap!clap! going deep and percussive on isotropo funk, alkalino tripping italo-disco with „inner light, club paradiso in an afro-balearic clash on joka joka, eric duncan working a deep-techy groove on diffrazione, and dionigi, often production partner of baldelli, finishing in glory with a brilliant funky take on taxon. you cant sleep on this.

what recordings present their new release the m-ep (what03) with the original tracks „muzic- and „mentiv-. after the what? members and label owners tobi neumann and patrick ense released their first two eps in 2017 they had earlier this year already a highly respected release „what you doing ?- in collaboration with dorian paic and legendary singer eric d clark on arno einzelkind s imprint la peña. they went back to their studio and came out with this two little gems. the track „muzic- was already played by ricardo villalobos on several festivals during this summer.

nach ihrem vielgelobten debütalbum “penelope one” 2017 auf optimo music veröffentlicht die londoner künstlerin penelope trappes nun ein limitiertes 7”+cd bundle als teaser zum nachfolger “penelope two” demnächst auf houndstooth. dabei setzt sie ihren intimen und geisterhaften ambient-gothic-romantizismus gekonnt fort. während sie auf dem bonustrack “i can hear you...” von ex-wire-frontmann colin newman begleitet wird, liefert der enigmatische, serbische produzent abul mogard ein 13-minütiges drone-remix-meisterwerk des titeltracks ab, das exklusiv auf der cd erscheint.

medical records presents the eleventh release in our transfusions 12- singles series. guilt, the collaborative project of new york city based artists, oliver chapoy and nathaniel young, is the result of 2 recording sessions during the spring of 2017.

grime originators macabre unit return to the nomine sound imprint with 2 absolute grime belters. the originals were released on nomine sound in 2017 and if you are familiar with them then these vips will not disappoint.

after their histoire d une ame ep in 2017, peine perdue returns to electronic emergencies with a full album. tokyo en morceaux contains 11 new tracks by the avant-garde acid wave duo residing in paris and berlin. tokyo en morceaux takes you on a dazzling joyride through the streets of the metropolis, high on devotion, deception, delirium and many other intense emotions that echo between the skyscrapers, trying not to get lost in translation.

next up on duskys renowned 17 steps label is the return of long term pal kiwi. having supported the lads on 9 of the 17 steps tour dates and having also provided the 15th release in the label catalogue - the fellow londoner now readies his oooh ep which comes backed up with a remix from feel my bicep affiliate hammer. kiwis sound is one defined by positive, kinetic feeling joining the dots between detroit techno, soul and balearic. with previous releases on futureboogie, life and death and moscomans lauded disco halal imprint, hes garnered several accolades including reaching number #85 in mixmag s top 100 tunes of 2017 and sitting at #1 in the genre chart for a total of 9 weeks with his orca ep back in 2016. now continuing on his ascent, kiwi lays out a pair of rapturous, gooey house jams that lands right on time for the festival season. on oooh vocal lines swirl over a largely beatless backing track. a rich, balmy feeling unfolds behind synth chimes and layered delays which work together to form an irresistible summer dj tool. andromeda then follows up and blends 80’s soundtrack-tinged stabs with crispy drums and thick sub bass before being accompanied by a pulsating synth line that carries the track to a delectable crescendo. hammer then closes things up with a somewhat hallucinogenic take on oooh with lfos, analogue sweeps and blobs of acid bleeding together to cap off an altogether warm and woozy trip.

after the roaring success of last years route zero ep, headlined by the 2017 anthem low blow, were delighted to be welcoming benny l back to metalheadz for his debut main label release. one of the biggest names to emerge from drum and bass in the last few years, benny l has conjured up a scintillating ep crammed full of his own unique sounds, well and truly carrying on from where his last metalheadz appearance left off.

ellum black, the new sub-label of maceo plexs notorious imprint, focuses on the dark and intellectual side of techno. this second record instalment features spanish producer architectural. following an ep on the main branch of the label in 2017, juan rico aka architectural delivers 3 forward thinking cuts for this record. architectural is known for his detailed and magnetic productions and on ‘a girl with no friends ep’ he goes deeper into the hypnotic edge of his soundscape. the first track we hear ‘romanticism movement’ creates a statement for the vocabulary of sounds rico used for this record such as low frequencies and deep grooves. the title track follows on the b-side with develops on these textures. closing the trio ’never yours, boy’ finishes the ep with another variation of architectural’s romantic techno repertoire.

crazy 12 track library music style album on this ace italian label. all based around bumping live rhythms triggering an obscure japanese drum synth module recorded in 2018. it was november 2017 when i received a call from an old friend, hi fabrizio, i found a rare japanese drum machine, you should come and see it before i put this on ebay. i went to check it out and immediately realized it had more potential than just drum sounds generation, it was able to produce quirky and creepy sounds if triggered by any sound source. so i bought it and brought in the studio, where me and alex were laying down new beats and ideas. it took just three days of jams to get the skeleton of this record done: i programmed the module to receive alex s drum hits and the device started creating synth lines, almost as it was speaking its own language.i ve found a soul in this machine, and i wanted to bring it to life in these tracks, a mix of arranged compositions and improvised jams. no root keys, no grids, no clicks, everything came out in an instinctive and natural way as far as we know it s the first time this synthesizer/drum machine is been used in this improper and new way.

poolside began as a recording project in a converted los angeles backyard pool house in early 2011, producing sunny tracks of subaquatic indie dance music in this makeshift recording studio. surfacing first in the form of a youtube video for the catchy track do you believe? poolside were soon gaining local and national attention, with djs like james murphy of lcd soundsystem, techno legend derrick may, and disco don todd terje spinning these tracks at events and a growing online following. throughout 2011 poolside continued making waves with a sound called daytime disco through tracks like their cover of neil youngs harvest moon and original tunes. in 2012 poolside worked on a remix for longtime disco punks the rapture and held fans over with a new single and video for a song called slow down as they prepared to release their debut album. that album, pacific standard time, was self-released in july of 2012. after the albums release, remixes for artists like matthew dear, little dragon and fools gold soon followed, as well as rehearsing and touring with a live band and doing dj sets around the world. as thoughts turned to a second album, poolside went on ice for a year to regroup, beginning to work in earnest on another album in the fall of 2016. while still revolving around the sunny, laid-back disco sound of pst, these sessions yielded the additions of up-tempo dance songs and more guitars, and generally more fleshed-out arrangements. poolside surprise released their second album heat in 2017. poolside have over 1.5 million monthly listeners on spotify and have fans all over the world. they are currently on tour as a live band.

mennie and julien sandre team up under their jarau alias for an impressive ep on one records. dubnova features two originals that span hypnotic synths, warm, sonic basslines and intricate spacey layers. for the remix, musical craftsmen dewalta and voigtmann join forces for the first time since their monumental ground effect ep on jan kruger s hello? repeat in 2014. here they showcase the more techno side to their production skills. friends and colleagues, mennie and julien, began the jarau project in 2017 to experiment and push creative boundaries. 2018 saw the release of their interstellar ep on respected vinyl imprint pleasure zone, which will be followed by this heavy-weight offering on one records. tenax resident mennie was named by dj mag as one of the most prominent emerging italian producers. born in france and now based in italy, julien runs the acclaimed blind box vinyl only label, which he started in 2015. meander boss dewalta a.k.a david koch is one of the most admired artists in the industry, not only a talent behind the decks he delivers a remarkable live set and has released a wealth of music on key underground labels. claus voigtmann was originally born in germany but bases himself in london, where he co-founded the underground and conceptual party, toi.toi.musik. this year sees the release of his eagerly anticipated album and a focus on his subsequent imprint, also playing regularly alongside adam shelton and subb-an for their one records showcases

last years (2017) edition of convenanza festival featured swedish band fontan, who have released material on hoga nord rekords, and that set the ground for a collaboration between the record label and one of the most interesting festivals around. the joint forces has resulted in the compilation album convenanza 2018 containing this years (2018) acts.

die heutige tangerine dream-besetzung aus thorsten quaeschning, ulrich schnauss und hoshiko yamane legt traditionell bei jedem konzert eine 20- bis 30-minütige improvisationssession ein, die besten von ihnen werden jetzt nach und nach auf tonträger veröffentlicht. -the sessions 1- enthält zwei aufnahmen aus konzerten in budapest und hongkong anfang 2017. zusammen ca. 60 minuten. pressung auf transoarentem 140g vinyl.

shortly before the turn of the year 2017/18, my friend jan müller wrote me an e-mail: »dear martin, i ll send you the new album of my band ›dirty dishes‹ now. the album is titled ›kabinett von papen‹. it is a concept album, which has the third-last government cabinet of the weimar republic as a subject. so, please tell me how you see it – whatever your verdict, i ll use it as an incentive to put my mind and body in the service of global pop culture even more so in the future«.

1954 is the fifth vinyl release on the modern cathedrals label by recent detroit export altstadt echo. staying true to the themes of the the “year series” that began with the 1913 ep and was followed by the 1905 ep, the artist continues to explore somber, broken beat techno with an eroded, highly-textured percussive focus. in the previous two eps from this series, altstadt echo was joined by varg, abdulla rashim, stave, and evigt morker on remix duty. for the 1954 ep, he’s commissioned uk artist szare, who delivers a highly danceable revision that combines the ghostly vocals of the original with highly frenetic percussive injections. the artwork of the ep is aligned with the label’s greyscale documentation of detroit, this time featuring the stunning architecture of the new center district of the city. the photos were taken by the artist prior to his move to berlin in fall 2017.

vinyl only, strictly limited, no repress.
gatefold cover, design by bus.group, artwork by reiche.
this year s nachtdigital record follows the path we started to explore in 2017: to combine artists who are close to us, each given the specific task to tell a story in up to 24 minutes (which is pretty much the maximum you can press on one side of a vinyl record) - with complete artistic freedom.

mental overdrive, norwegian gran ol wizard of techno, owner of love od communications starts of with “clocked”, a colorful and moody track with a touch of grittyness. thomas urv, ploink label head and one of norwegian techno’s main protagonists, brings a signature raw high energy techno track “6.24 con dao”. per hammar, swedish producer and dj based in berlin, the captain behind dirty hands and 10years labels delivers a steady dubbed hypnotic house track “blank space”. thomas skjaerstad from trysil, norwegian winner of burn residency 2017 finishes the ep with a punchy, dark spaced out techno track titled “space x (sommeroya edit)”.

lab personnel is a very intriguing collaboration between a number of producers hailing from croatia. members include zarkoff (member of sumerian fleet), neon lies, ikonal many more (total eight members). the tracks were recorded during synth lab 4 improvisational sessions in pisak in 2017. the album is a dense and stormy affair overall with mesmerizing and dark synths. the styles presented drift between genres including acid techno, electro, ebm, and other hybrids. all instrumental, the lp is a brooding journey into diverse techno soundscapes with eight strong tracks that will not disappoint.

detail: having persuaded flamingods to dj at an east london food bank fundraiser (£7k raised for eat or heat), byrd out hounded them to produce a remix ep of their 2017 kewali ep, bringing together a team of intriguing artists. erol alkan s co-conspirator in beyond the wizard s sleeve, richard norris takes mixed blessings in a more a dancefloor friendly direction, liverpool 3 piece stealing sheep paint a hypnotic gloss on the title track, bringing out the colours in a downtempo sunrise of a remix, made for 6am, the quietus darlings vanishing twin s remix starts at a run and carries on from there, most obviously absorbing the middle eastern vibe. the ep is a step forward at a time when the world seems bent on looking backwards. artwork by james burgess, mastered by the legendary noel summerville.

john mayer’s 2017 album the search for everything as 180 gram double vinyl

look we re five records deep and yes, we arent sure which tune is on which side. but luckily, this release is as high concept as speed 2: cruise control. on one side you will find ad, which samples an inspiring speech given by the heroic angela davis at southbank in 2017. listen to her wisdom as you play this in your front room at 7am to people who suddenly can t quite look at their hands properly. the other side pas greets you with warnings of atomic explosions over a riotous jam between a yamaha cs-10 and a sturdy analogue 808 clone. if you have a pressing need for air raid sirens, this is for you. we hope you like this west friends release. there will be more.

“world be live” komplettiert die alben-trilogie, die 2017 mit der veröffentlichung des 17. erasure-studioalbums “world be gone” begann und ihre fortsetzung anfang diesen jahres mit “world beyond” fand, einer bearbeitung des “world be gone”-originalmaterials durch das belgische echo collective. “world be live” wurde zum abschluss der ausverkauften uk-tour im rahmen zweier shows im eventim apolo in hammersmith im februar 2018 aufgenommen und bietet hits aus allen schaffensphasen erasures inklusive zeitloser welthits wie “sometimes”, “oh l’amour”, “ship of fools”, “chains of love”, “blue savannah” und “stop!”. dazu gesellen sich mit “atomic” ein blondie-cover und die hits ihres letzten albums “world be gone”, inklusive “love you to the sky!” 3lp edition auf schwarzem vinyl.

89:ghost are thrilled to bring you an ep from talented finnish producer vesa-matti, with an ep that could be a dub techno soundtrack to a finnish sealife documentory, here s some direct info: tracks were written & produced by vesa-matti kivioja in vaasa, finland, between 2011-2017 in three different locations, highsquare sound, studio k & seafront mixingroom: we seriously dig this dude, try check out his other, more ambient work too if you can. peace. nx

full cover artwork. lovely the mole debut on meander. sun-infused, jacking and swinging house cuts with a very intuitive flow. in the past few years the canadian born, berlin based producer released a string of exceptional releases for labels like slices of life, perlon, musique risquee, wagon repair and his own maybe tomorrow. includes a remix from romanian genre-bending project amorf (vlad caia, mischa blanos and cristi cons). in 2017 amorf released their acclaimed debut album on understand, the label from cezar lazar

deleted - 180gram vinyl. first 200 copies come with limited hand-made screen printed sleeves (silver-white color on brown recycled sleeves), all further copies with full cover artwork. lovely the mole debut on meander. sun-infused, jacking and swinging house cuts with a very intuitive flow. in the past few years the canadian born, berlin based producer released a string of exceptional releases for labels like slices of life, perlon, musique risquee, wagon repair and his own maybe tomorrow. includes a remix from romanian genre-bending project amorf (vlad caia, mischa blanos and cristi cons). in 2017 amorf released their acclaimed debut album on understand, the label from cezar lazar

due rent is a collaborative double album by solo artists lojii & swarvy. written & recorded in the summer of 2016 in l.a. by the two philadelphian transplants, lojii says this tape is a score to being a broke nxgga in amerikkka (emphasis on the kkk) – full of dreams and hustlin to make em happen, but dealing with the everyday pressures of making ends meet. a.k.a trying to pay rent. the 22 tracks, many of which barely break the two-minute mark, make for a vast voyage through remarkable contemporary hip-hop. the grooves and beats that skip and flutter are smooth and mellow, with nods to the old-school but entirely void of nostalgia. this is a sophisticated, thoughtful, and inventive modern hip-hop record that understands anger doesnt have to be loud. daniel dylan wray, bandcamp (best 100 albums of 2017)

cut from the same cloth as last year’s double-cassette, “like all mornings”, vanessa amara’s new album trails shorthand piano pieces and wilted strings through magnificent, electro-acoustic surrounds, often settling into buzzing, syncopated reveries.

killawatt steps up for his 3rd solo ep on 47. a1 accupunk thrashes and beats with complex rhythm programming. a2 the roamer continues with high-velocity alien minimalism. b1 polar polemic slows the pace to heavy stepping with cyborg talk. and b2 glacia systemic decelerates even more so the voices and synth-lines are glaciers twisting in space. portsmouth, uk–based producer and dj killawatt released the solo eps 47010 and 47012 in 2017, and featured on the label s first release 47001 with label head tommy four seven.

july sees radio slave’s rekids invite britain’s renowned swayzak to the roster with a cold war themed release entitled ‘odessa calling’ ep. a name associated with quality, swayzak’s ability to retain their signature sound whilst producing across various sub-genres has cemented them a solid reputation since their humble beginnings in the 90s. their impressive back catalogue includes six studio albums and appearances on labels like k7, m_nus, curle, ellum and swayzak’s own label 240 volts, which was relaunched in 2017. originally a duo comprised of david brown and james taylor, brown has been helming the project solo since 2012. he now joins respected berlin-based imprint rekids with two inspired productions. ‘odessa calling’ is a mysterious track with hypnotic synths, mesmerising pads and enigmatic vocals that combine together to create a celestial aesthetic. on the flipside, ‘numbers station’ continues with the otherworldly feel employing shimmering percussion that wanders alongside a brooding bassline for a well refined finish to the package.

mika vainio and franck vigroux’s peau froide, le&#769,,,,ger soleil was a dense and complex record, a collection of sonic sculptures forged in the heavy tonal matter. it was the product of a lengthy creative process, articulated through studio sessions and live performances. the result was a huge amount of material that the duo actually decided to partition into more than one release, the album being the first in line. the new 6-tracker ep ignis makes for the first posthumous release from the two producers, after the untimely passing of vainio in 2017.

casino times return to omena with a second ep, recoded. for those of you that could not get enough of decoded , released in 2017, here s four more tracks - all winners...

imre kiss presents crisis 001. the budapest-based artist ushers in the next phase of the party and dj collective that has been reshaping the hungarian music landscape since its inception in early 2016. the label’s inaugural release, ad astra, represents the fruits of a collaboration that has been a long time in the making. kiss, fresh off the back of his evolutionary strangers ep on mörk, partners with compatriot norwell, who is following up a prolific 2017 – one in which helena hauff named his odd ep her favourite record of the year.

simplicity is a 12 inch 180 gram blue colored vinyl with full color cover. you heard the magnificent culture power 45 compilation dynamo ‘fruition’, the cp45 crew returns with the second release in its vinyl compilation series entitled ‘simplicity’. dope beats and rhymes, it’s as simple as that with bangers from the likes of dug infinite, truth universal, kenny keys, infinito 2017, thaione davis, 84, dj spinna, the primerdian, vic spencer, buscrates, brez evah flowin and a host of others that will surely keep the record spinnin. proven fact is that betting on culture power 45 is a simple win!

appearing out of nowhere in particular in 2017, donald dust s debut ep for no bad days and subsequent fleeting cameos for bordello a parigi and paradise palms introduced the world to his musical sphere: wbmx radio mixes, ron hardy drum tracks, the golden era of italo synths and the rawer fledgling sounds of eurodisco-influenced house circling and overlapping in his productions and dj sets.

the new 7&#8243,, mars r-trax mines the depths of youtube modular synth demos, adam & fleisner sfx and disco drum 12&#8243,,s resulting in a two-part dj tool for cosmic punks.

as the title suggests, joakim recorded this new album last year at studio venezia, the installation/sculptural ensemble/recording studio created by xavier veilhan for the prestigious 2017 venice art biennale. built inside the french pavilion & inspired by the grotto-like merzbau by kurt schwitters, studio venezia had dozens of artists create and record there over the 6 months of the biennale (from chassol to brian eno, from joakim to sebastien tellier), invited by xavier veilhan himself with the help of co-curator christian marclay. with an impressive collection of rare instruments from medieval horns to rare modular synths (baschet crystals and percussions, a buchla, a clavinet...), studio venezia was an amazing creative playground for the adventurous musician. those instruments were captured by a team of sound engineers in the best possible way thanks to nigel godrich’s (beck, radiohead...) mobile studio loaded with state of the art vintage recording gear.