spell pets backwards to get step. spell step forwards and you get pets going back to basics. step is the new vinyl-only label from the founders of pets catz n dogz with a focus on the rawest forms and root functions of dance music. step searches for the fundamentals with under-the-radar house and techno thats not afraid to be rough around the edges. it’s all about the music.

hq art with gatefold+graphic novel label project from russian dj and rhythm composer julia govor. jujuka is a multidisciplinary art project and record label that involves rhythm composer and dj julia govor and london-based illustration duo le.blue. the project is about music, short narratives, true stories, comics and illustration, where the artists behind the project want to go beyond what the conventional record label offers. every piece will be unique, told through music and stories composed and written by julia, accompanied by artwork and comics illustrated by le.blue.

scion of the urals this devotee called gedevaan drops a notable classy non-moscow sound. the city where music can be fake, where anyone can lie to you, where anything can be sold and re-sold for a higher price. where constantly you suffer from major vanity and notorious capital speedy manner. moving to that town may change you with no warning. “class compliant” is more about authentic slow-burning undercurrents. smells like rest of russia the noise is out of massive roaring cities and their pre-harsh dummy lives. inclined to withdrawn and introspective synthesis gedevaan offers an original dim-light feel, warm-wet, woody swamps and mossy rocks. a velvet haze makes your vision blurry. just look! is it a baba yaga’s hut? track the music. to don’t forget about your roots. it’s pretty nice to accomplish with old stuff by perc and a brand new one of electric rescue - the pure primal perception with a high impact factor.

nick soft touch prepares his foot long fun plates imprint’s second release with four soothing house cuts entitled ‘songs 4 someone’.

harlems legendary disco label queen constance has long been a cult favourite among fans of underground dance music for decades. one of many labels operating under the equally legendary p&p family of imprints land of hits was operated by one peter brown, a truly colossal figure in nycs music scene, its catalogue still fascinates music lovers to this day. covering a wide range of styles including gospel, early rap and disco the label s output continually finds it way into the playlists of respected dj s and selectors across the globe. mistafide s colossal old-school rap behemoth equidity funk has long been a record that makes the serious collectors salivate and is now here in full 12inch form repress, too legit to quit. not much is known about the crew behind mistafide , their government names are listed online but this is the only record they put out using this name. suffice to say, this has no impact on the fury and style with which the mc s deliver their raps, backed with the studio nous of impresario peter brown. across 12 minutes equdity funk is a slamming disco-rap monster, interpolating elements of the evergreen b-boy jam theme from swat it sounds like everyone just got into the studio and went for it. in the style of the times this is the real hip-hop flavour, a live band, some mc s and some death defying bars being dropped, proper old school. a truly rare recording, equidity funk has been one of those records fans of the disco-rap era have been fiending for for decades - often commanding prices over the $1000 mark you can now grab this slice of essential nyc street funk.

the vinyl club quadrilogy. part three of four. incl. an exclusive collaboration between dewalta and topper and the first appearance of audio werner on the berliner imprint.

damian lazarus & the ancient moons have released their new track ‘feedback loop’. this is the latest single to be taken from their forthcoming new album heart of sky, out on july 20th through crosstown rebels/bmg. showcasing the warm textures of jesse appiah’s soulful vocals and the ancient moons’ top notch production, ‘feedback loop’ already sounds like a classic and is undoubtably one of the album’s key moments. the song is about a.i., a conversation between man and machine, and rolls out of the speakers like a 21st century update of bristol’s wild bunch sound system. remixes for the dancefloor from bedouin and serge devant, plus dubs from the legendary mad professor, follow on all formats next month.

nick the record & dan tyler are back with the long awaited, much anticipated 4th release on their record mission imprint. if you have heard nick the record play out during the past year you ve probably heard work & you ve definitely heard give me more - which has been the tune nick has been asked about the most over the last years busy dj schedule. they had some technical difficulties which led to delays in getting this out... or did they just enjoy the exclusivity over the last year??? you decide! give me more is a squidgy funky disco winner for the discerning dancefloor and already a bit of an anthem. work is a feel good vocal disco tune in celebration of the weekend party time when the week s work is over. play is a high speed space disco meets jazz jam that sounds like there was a collision between harry thumann & jason lindh somewhere in space, or maybe underwater. enjoy! .

francis harris exceptional run of releases for his own labels scissors & thread and kingdoms now extends to this perfectly formed ep for hafendisko, which sees him rework some of hfn musics finest moments of the last two years. harris, the brooklynite whose feel for subtlety and space seems to infuse all his work, takes on three of the hamburg labels cannon - kicked off with kasper bjorkes cloud 9, featuring urdur. here harris deconstructs the original and reforms it into a some quite removed from its origins - shuffling drum machines bring about a kraftwerkesque feel, before beautiful tones and atmospheres reveal themselves. the track seems to develop along two paths simultaneously, somehow creating a truly affecting piece of leftfield electronica. null + voids huge dave gahan-featuring-track where i wait has been heavily remixed over the past months, but also gets the harris treatment. completely flipped form the original, this is a haunting remix with tough and funky underbelly, utilizing gahans vocals only sparingly. danish alt-pop trio ticktock have their single hatefuck refixed also, and harris zones in on the glitchy vibe and adds layers of claustrophobic depth to the production.

...comes with an inlay
umeko ando (1932-2004) was a folk singer from japan. she was a representative of the ainu culture on the hokkaido island in the north of japan. “ihunke” is her first album which was recorded with the ainu musician and dub producer oki kano in 2000. it was released on cd in japan only and is finally available on vinyl (2lp + linernotes, dl included). “ihunke” is following last year’s single “iuta upopo” pingipung 58, incl. m.rux remix which had been received with overwhelming enthusiasm and was quickly sold out. the 16 ainu songs on “ihunke” are delicate, natural gems. they are built on oki kano’s tonkori patterns (a 5-string harp), over which umeko ando develops her repetitive, mantric vocals, often in a call-response manner. oki kano is one of very few professional tonkori players who performs worldwide with his oki dub ainu band. the songs possess a mystical energy – when crows call accurately with ando’s brittle voice in the first song, it seems like natural powers join in with her music. her voice sounds like animals of the sky and the forest. oki kano: “it was a lot of fun to record with umeko ando. many ainu hesitate to break from tradition - if umeko hadn’t been so flexible to work with the younger generation and recording technology, this album would never have happened. our sessions were intense, and we were proud and happy about making such beautiful music.” upcoming in autumn: remixes of “ihunke” by tolouse lowtrax, m.rux, dj ground, el buho mark peters, gama, andi otto, and dreems. historical background: only recently (in 2008) have the ainu officially been acknowledged as indigenous people who are culturally independent from japan. this record is an example of how their music has been passed on through generations in the underground ainu communities while it was oppressed by the japanese hegemony. it deserves a huge audience. follow kompakt

the long now is a duo featuring richard norris and finnur bjarnason, with special guests. they mix piano, voice, string section and electronics with the sound of the icelandic breeze. the music sits within the post ambient, electronic, contemporary classical genre, with a strong sense of landscape, mood and melody. richard norris one half of the grid, alongside soft cells dave ball, one half of beyond the wizards sleeve with erol alkan… richard norris has a thing about working as a duo.

the first studio barnhus compilation, studio barnhus volym 1, is coming out at the end of august.
the 19-track release will feature music from the stockholm label s three founders—axel boman, kornél kovács, petter nordkvist—plus various associates, ranging from local newcomers to superstar friends of the label like dj koze, john talabot and superpitcher.

he sings! he dances! the fabulous new album! says the original sticker on dmx krews nu romantix lp and nothing changed 20 years later for ed upton aka ed dmx. permanent vacation marks the anniversary of this influential album with a special re-release. the album is available for the first time on a loud and sharp 45rpm double 12inch (including the instrumental of come to me as bonus track). carefully remastered by lopazz for maximum pleasure. the music is now as relevant as it was 20 years ago, when the king of electro power ballades sings about the essential things in life and takes you to the place called love, that is more needed than ever before.

first time on vinyl reissue (previously cd only) of mark van hoens 1998 masterpiece presented on a deluxe 2lp. playing with time perfectly showcases the lush and deep environments that can only arise from van hoen (locust, scala, seefeel). melody maker called it a mesh of loveliness. the sunday telegraph described it as the perfect, spacey chill-out album, and the sunday times had this to say: a sound that at its best has a positively spiritual quality about it. other accolades include sleazenation - at the cutting edge computer music a melange of jerky, cut-up sounds, stretched out ambience... that owes more to far-eastern music than to steve reich. and lastly, hifi world felt the sound scape is so deep and diverse that its accessible to anybody into laidback beats and soothing, beautiful noise. contains a side long bonus track best described as a modal eno-style classical ambient piece that was originally intended as a hidden track at the end of the original 1999 cd release.

the 1962 album from aretha franklin back on vinyl.

dynamic dj and producer kölsch is set to release hal, his brand-new collaborative effort with canadian techno heavyweight tiga, on new label ipso. well known for his genre-defining cuts, danish producer kölsch has sold millions of records all over the world under his many different monikers, including seminal lp ‘1977’ and his widely acclaimed albums ‘1983’ & ‘1983’ & ‘1989’, with the latter including kölschs biggest track ‘grey’. a purveyor of deep and minimalist techno, tiga released his 3-track ‘stay cool’ ep earlier this year, with the game changing producer receiving a wealth of support from bbc radio 1 tastemaker pete tong on his last album, the 11-track ‘no fantasy required’ on counter records. made up of thunderous a-side ‘hal’ and a double b-side - containing the cosmic chord patterns of ‘first blood’ and the sinister build of grumbling ‘still so high’ - kölsch and tiga will also perform together b2b at offsonar this summer, with kölsch also scheduled to play a primetime headline set at belgian mega-festival, tomorrowland. “about a year ago i launched my label ipso”, said kölsch. “this summer ipso 002 is coming up, and it s a collab with none other than tiga. we spent a couple of great days in my copenhagen studio, and came up with 3 tracks i m really proud of. since the first release, i also started my ipso night in the legendary gewölbe club in cologne. i’ve had amazing nights there over the last 2 years and now it s time to expand.” having started his ipso residency in cologne, playing a mammoth 9 hour sets, kölsch has since expanded the brand to miami and watergate berlin, with further destinations in the pipeline. labelled as ‘the king of house” by annie mac, who added that kölsch, the ipso boss has garnered a reputation as one of dance music’s most talented producers, playing several ibiza dates over the summer, including ants, hi&#776,,,,,, ibiza’s ‘in the dark’ and circoloco. follow kompakt

alexander lay-far, one of the most prolific and in demand music producers in russia, is about to release his long-awaited 3rd studio album war is over! deeply personal, honest, emotional and uncompromising album boasts the exciting collaborations with the likes of stee downes, jesse futerman, pete simpson, riddim research lab, phil gerus, andy compton and recloose. after a slew of successful releases on the ever so great local talk, leng records, g.a.m.m., razor n tape, bbe among handful other labels, lay-far is releasing a 100% diy product on his own imprint in-beat-ween music.

pama int’l waren 2006 die erste neue band, die das legendäre label trojan records nach 30 jahren unter vertrag nahm. ihr album “the trojan sessions” wurde mit einem all-star-line-up um lynval golding und horace panter (beide the specials) und vielen prominenten feature-gästen aufgenommen. nun erscheint eine neue dub-version des weltberühmten dub-masters nick manasseh, der bereits mit namhaften künstlern wie lee perry, luciano, johnny osbourne, vin gordon, julian temple und johnny clarke arbeitete und als kiss fm-dj in deren anfangsphase als piratensender auflegte.

there is some serious music coming out of nz right now and has been for a while and these tracks are of no exception. this ep has a very sonically pleasing sound about it all coated with an industrial vibe. from a main room club banger right through to the early morning dark twisted -i have had way too much of a good night- tracks this ep really does push the boundaries and brings something new and refreshing to the table.

autarkic makes up part of an unspoken alliance from telaviv, which is currently altering the state of contemporary house and techno music. heavy dreamer, the artists first, four track outing on life and death, showcases much of what this bold movement is about, all while pushing it forward into progress. ever present tones of kraut and punk rock flow throughout the ep, beginning with some things to keep, a pumping, warehouse floor filler. autarkic steps up to the mic, often re-amping and distorting his vocal delivery, placing it alongside finely programmed keyboard riffs, tough drums and further psychedelia. realistic guru, the trippiest of the lot, is tailor made for an early morning dj tennis afterparty excursion. slowing down the pace on powerhouse, autarkic hints at moments of bauhaus and tones on tails doom and dance pop, while offering up a digital only, stripped down, bonus version. the title track stands as a testament to this new wave of artists, coming from the shores of israels mediterranean coastline. bass, drums and guitar are recorded through bespoke boxes and presented through the lens of modernist club culture.

time for another adventure down the east . . . disco hamam is back with their 4th presentation of turkish & oriental killer disco edits. this time, tokyo matt tells you a tale of the oriental with a fist full of dollars, whilst afacan soundsystem has a thing or two to tell about the disco.. east is east but these are the real deal yeast free dance floor beasts.

houston-based “gulf coast soul” band the suffers, led by the powerhouse vocals of kam franklin, is a contemporary version of classic r&b bands earth, wind & fire, kool & the gang, the commodores and others. their critically-acclaimed 2016 debut led to performances on late night with david letterman, the daily show and npr as well as high-profile placements such as queen sugar, honda and kit-kat tv spots. with the release of everything here, their most bold statement yet, the suffers are bound to further endear die-hard fans and make believers of new ones. the vinyl lp is housed in a gatefold sleeve with download code included.

bill browns super rare brownstone release is one for the deep heads, less well known than label mate everyday people but just as rare and collectable. shuffling sunshine soul its all about the groove and feeling. 500 copies only. one for the heads. bill brown and al hall jr met around 1971, they were both in south central l.a and shared the same apartment building, also in the same building was doug carn and brownstone singer billy wilson. these studio sessions were done at paramount studios hollywood where al hall jr was working for producer art smith a&c music. the main distributor for a&c was accent records.

a vinyl album containing the dozen solo tracks mary recorded for modern in the 60s and two gospel-soul essentials from the 80s.

apollo is proud to welcome paul frick to the fold. frick is a berlin-born music composer primarily known as one part of the group brandt brauer frick. stunningly despite a 20+ year history of making music “second yard botanicals” is his debut album. with bbf keeping frick inspired and busy since 2009, other ideas had piled up until a temporary break allowed him to fully dive into them - “while it took so long until i made my first album, it took about two months once i started.”

limited repress! dont sleep on this! vinyl only! two of the most talked about tracks from the white isle of ibiza this summer, played by the martinez brothers, jamie jones, luciano, marco carola and many more!!!

2018 repress of this timeless classic. the desired by many and sought after ‘the time’ by vizar is getting a re-release. the hypnotic and sweeping track originally released in 2011 is still being featured in numerous dj sets to this day thus proving the ‘timelessness’ contrary to its title. besides these it appeared as one of the soundtracks in anatoly ivanov’s 2013 documentary ’kvadrat’ that is about the realities of techno djing exemplified by the life of andrey pushkarev. b-side is reserved for yet another worthy vizar masterpiece, ‘in between’.

south london label and party series troy town is proud to present the first release in 3 years from warren brown aka wbeeza, insanely talented south london producer and 1st generation pioneer of what has become affectionately known in dance music as the peckham sound . djs, producers and musicians such as henry wu, bradley zero and chaos in the cbd have added to the wealth of a deeply musical community but it was the likes of brown and another se15 local, el-prevost, who first put the area on the dance music map. although he s resistant to using the word house too often about his music, the swing nods to detroit and chicago while the links to friends and collaborators, delano smith, mike agent x clark and scott grooves are clear. progressing through a musical heritage that has seen him produce across grime, hip-hop, drum n bass and techno but it s his signature low slung, heavy-on-groove and atmosphere productions that have garnered the respect of peers and critics whilst his popular and energetic live sets have seen him tour extensively around the world for the past 8 years. this 3-track ep covers a variety of moods and situations. opening with the od, a heady march to peak time on the dancefloor which has featured heavily in live sets over the last 2 years. the bassline bubbles tantalisingly as it edges through a kinetic, digital riff that sticks with you long after the lights go up. grove park is so low slung that the snare sounds like it might fall out of sync at any moment while the lead synth leads you on a drunk walk home, at times holding it s line before stumbling over a pitch bend and veering to find its balance. bizzle boogie is equal parts gritty, midwest-influenced bounce track and shimmering eyes closed rave moments.

aussteiger is a berlin based german dj / producer. he runs the dub disco label in berlin and dj’s around the world. zusammenkunft is his debut album released on copenhagen’s music for dreams. once upon a time a golden boy came back from the shadows. rumors were told that he once left the big city in a time where the music scene and clubs were dominated by cold music and average beats. he left behind civilisation, living withdrawn in the woody mountains of a covert place. from there on people talked about him as aussteiger. connected to the nature and deeply rooted in the harmonic essence, aussteiger became a part of the great whole. in a full moon illuminated clear night while experimenting with various unique herbs he accidentally found a recipe to create warm and ravishing music. he firmly believes that music is his infinite source to gather strength and positive energy after years of strengthening himself and shaping vibrant sounds aussteiger decided to share his delightful music with the world. he returned from his retreat in order to enchant the music lovers all over the world with his feel good approach and supernatural sounds. coming back to the city, he also co-founded the awesome dub disco label with his buddy serj nosé.

oozing, oozing soul, oozing feel, oozing the essence of rhythm and the body. this is what elbee bad is about. a native new yorker who has long since transplanted himself in berlin, elbee bad aka the prince of dance is back on thema recordings with a masterclass mini album that will resonate for years to come. crossing dimensions- is more than just a record, it is a philosophy on turntablism and what it means to be engaged in this culture. sitting comfortably on the shelf next to artists like mr. g, moodymann, and dj sprinkles, elbee recalls this genuine house feeling while adding a spice that could only be summoned out of his creative nuance. from the anthemic knowledge of request monster to the bass blistering sonnets of crossing dimensions, elbee showcases the sound of an artist who is deeply in touch with himself, the crowd, and the history of this music. no filler, no bullshit, just truth, love, and house.

this is the debut release on noir music from brazilian k.a.l.i.l. we have been working quite some time to perfect this first release from him on the label and give it the edge needed to stand out. after tons of road-testing and going back and forth with production ideas i am now happy to have 2 perfect tracks ready from k.a.l.i.l. that really showcase his super solid techno sound and production flair. “involved” (co-produced with any mello) is a quite simple trip with any’s spoken word in center of industrial elements wobling it and out. this track works really well in the clubs because of its on point minimalism, the high intensity stacatto synths and the catchy vocal line from any. it’s not easy to do big tracks without big basslines – but that’s what k.a.l.i.l. and any mello truely achieved with this one. “revolved” is a track i signed already last year and since then k.a.l.i.l. has been perfecting everything about the track from small details to bigger arrangement improvements. this track has that big bassline that sits right in your face. it also has the right build for those peaktime moments in the clubs. i have been playing “revolved” a lot over the past months and people go crazy for those big bass drops. we are honored to have another great producer join the noir music family and proud to have another belter of a release ready for you.

what can be said about this absolute classic that hasn t already been said? a true, blue gay anthem and much loved and sampled dance record, it really doesn t get any bigger to be honest. how about a super high quality 2018 reissue with all of the big mixes in one place? sounds good, right? featured here on this brand new pressing are shep pettibone s better days and club mixes, tom moulton s version and larry levan s live edit mix. need we say more? bag yourself an essential piece of disco and dance music history, remastered and reissued for today

harlem s legendary disco label queen constance has long been a cult favourite among fans of underground dance music for decades. one of many labels operating under the equally legendary p&p family of imprints queen constance was operated by one peter brown, a truly colossal figure in nyc s music scene, it s catalogue still fascinates music lovers to this day. covering a wide range of styles including gospel, early rap and disco the label s output continually finds it way into the playlists of respected dj s and selectors across the globe. high fidelity will be the first in a series of queen constance rarities to be reissued, an extremely rare and coveted record that can change hands on the second hand market for big big money, avoid those low rent bootlegs that are out there and cop this fully licensed repress. the group s self-titled sole long-player is a fantastic 6 track set of gritty, soulful and uplifting funky disco with a diy edge. not too much is known about the artists themselves, or even when the record was performed, recorded or released but it certainly sounds like a group who knew their craft inside out. the energy is high across the record and the group sound like they re on fire, just check the outrageously funkified magic carpet and you ll see what we mean. amazing. the whole project has that enchanting lo-fi, back-street feel to it in terms of production and the mind boggles as to how such a record would have come off had it been recorded at a motown or any other big studio, but no matter as this release is perfect the way it is, an essential piece of street-level nyc disco straight from the underground.

there is no too much info about this strange and mysterious release. electro, idm, jazz-funk, disco and many more, scattered in 4 tracks made by unknown artists. don t sleep on this. only 100 copies available.

derek s music instantly takes the listener on a midnight drive, cruising the grand river avenue through detroit. derek carr s ability to create soulful melodies that effortlessly wrap themselves around bouncy basslines and elegant beats is not only classy – it s classical. derek carr is not from the detroit though.. he s an irishman through and through, born and bred in westmeath, about 3400 miles from the state of michigan. yet he absolutely nails it! after two decades of crafting his own sound with analogue synths and samplers with the music culture of motor city as an inspiration, derek carr doesn t sound like anyone else. all the archetypical detroit sounds are there – from the robotic bleeps in binary systems to the moody strings of metro city – but derek carr uses them to create a primarily club oriented vibe, uplifting and positive.

the artwork for this album is made by abdul haqq, the legendary visual artist responsible for a great number of classic covers for artists and labels such as juan atkins, derrick may, transmat, drexciya, carl craig, planet e and underground resistance...

special remarks connect4 kit ltd to 250 copies (out of 500): you might be curious about what we’re gonna give you as a present this time: included in the release pack (first 250 copies only, once gone , it s gone) you’ll find a full connect4 kit as we always like to play with numbers, right? tracklist a1. 004a1 a2. 004a2 b1. 004b1 b2. 004b2 shortinfo: here we are for the 4th round of apparel wax and a crazy one indeed for all the lovers of the vinyl masked man, a release that expresses 4 different nuances of house. few words are needed to describe the debut of the vinyl with a1 track which is a rarely powerful combination of 2.0 dance music and 80’s vibes, a proper slap in the face to kick it off! our unknown dj then shifts to a more sensual mode with a2, where funky guitar shades and smooth chords blended with the vocals that drag us on a more intimate level of listening to keep on traveling on a lower tone. b side starts with a track guided by weaving jazzy rhythmics dialoguing hectically with samba and some jungle environmental recordings, creating a super personal interpretation of brazilian jazzy house, while to end up the 4th trip on wax planet, b2 blesses us with some more classic vibes with a sharp string’s melody and a rich bassline guided silently by a rhodes piano and some pungent and melancholic female vocals, to end it up in style.

following on from angophora s beautiful long player, ken oath is back with another full length lp from low flung. friends of the label will note that this is his third release for ken oath, and it s a fittingly mature and expansive statement for a debut lp. perhaps mature is the wrong word here, as all his brilliant ideas are backed up by a sense of whimsy that betrays his playful side. the music strikes a balance between styles and spaces that could perfectly soundtrack moments at home, in the club, and in the liminal spaces between. danny s efforts at writing dance music still contain the idiosyncratic approaches of his ambient works: the deadly deep subs and endless echo spirals on -rising damp- sounds like someone trying to piece together a drum & bass track after an off-hand conversation about the genre. he s transmuted the propulsive energy of jungle into something no less dynamic, full of stops and starts and sonic pressure but flush with space. -tarp climber- is at heart a rollicking digi-dub. the more ambient moments of the lp are equally captivating - the glassy tones of -frozen coat- sound like a space-age ensemble soundtracking a floating lounge on a suite of glass instruments, while -ocean grove- blends field recordings and dreamy synthesizer melodies to create an uncanny sense of place that unroots you from wherever you re listening. there s a heavy emphasis on danny s collaborators as well - the cold emotion duo is reprised on the spacey ‘hills hoist’. closer -bacchus marsh- is a collaboration with prophets, a cross-state ensemble that defy any easy categorisation. the music here flirts with jazz and minimalism but with a dubwise production aesthetic to produce something that recalls khan jamal s visionary -drum dance to the motherland- in spirit and practice, but this whole album sounds as otherworldly and one-of-a-kind as the aforementioned lp.

fat beats records is proud to present bakers dozen, an exclusive series that shines a light on the best minds of instrumental hip-hop, ambient, and electronic music. each installment gives one artist carte blanche to capture their signature sound. every volume’s limited vinyl pressing features one artist and twelve tracks, and comes equipped with a 5x7inch postcard insert that features a photo of the artists workspace along with the equipment used in their music-making process. visually cohesive and packaged with the utmost attention to detail, baker’s dozen is a series that speaks up for artists whose craft renders voices superfluous, whose instrumentals alone suffice to make a statement. volume nine highlights the guelph, ontario producer elaquent, who breaks down his creative process below: “since the beginning, my philosophy has always been that perfection is boring, so despite all the changes that have occurred with my equipment and system, that main philosophy remains the same. in the beginning it was all about flipping samples with fl studio and just my computer keyboard, and over the years, i added the mpd and masterkey in order to be able to jam out drums live and play keys, which speeds up the workflow. i like the effects on the 404, and theres a lot of dope ways to integrate my ipad into it, but at the end of the day, it starts with a melody or sample, and i kinda just let the vibe take over.

djeuhdjoah & lieutenant nicholson is a french composers and afro-soul singer s duo. t es qui ? is their first album, fruit of an intense collaboration during many years, on stage and in studio. they call their music as -afropean songs-, a collection of jazzy-pop melodies, afro-soul and funk arrangements. they ll be back in november with a tremendous afro-jazz and funky album titled aimez ces airs. until then, they present -el nino-, an afro-funk gem about climate change, and -fontaine-, an afro hit with a great combination of analog take and electronic dancefloor ingredients. after massive support from national radios and prestigious djs such as gilles peterson, it could be the funky summer hit 2018! limited press on a deluxe vinyl designed by the artist felix.

!! 2018 repress !! after a seven years release break, mambotur take you on a quality journey of airiness. except for the stunning result, there is nothing magical about it, because berlin-based venezuelan argenis brito and chilean pier bucci take nonchalance seriously.

volume 11 of the masterworks music journey comes in the form a four track e.p. of edit gold from russian producer, valique. ‘it s hot heavy boogie edit opens up proceedings, laying down a guitar driven, synth boogie gem, heavy on the squelchy top lines, weighty bass and full-frontal female vocals. think about it not too long edit then takes you into peak time disco territory - sun drenched, beefed up, filtered and phased for maximum dancefloor vibrations. flip it over and you re hit with an infectious guitar lick and bumping bass from the off on one chain makes no prison edit , before that killer vocal joins the party. finally, rounding off the e.p. hypnotizing wanna be free edit treads a more late-night path with a hypnotising vocal sample coupled with panned cosmic pads and percussion, sure to entrance any crowd it s put before.

with the masters at work name under contract elsewhere at the peak of their career, kenny dope and louie vega had little choice but to work under other names for their strictly rhythm projects. hardrive became popular, largely thanks to the iconic ‘deep inside’ whose vocal hook (from, barbara tucker’s ‘beautiful people’) and bass line helped made the track become one of house music‘s most memorable hits. “sometimes a record just manages to capture and distill the true essence of what this is all about and deep inside is one such record, it bears all the hallmarks of golden era masters at work, all the signposts of what was happening in nyc s clubs in the early to mid 90 s were there within it s grooves. you know a record is good when it s still being, quite literally, hammered nearly 25 years later”. it’s no surprise even kanye west would sample this classic to make another chart topping track! this one s a straight up essential for any self-respecting house music aficionado. availble for the first time as a 7”. original mix on the a, dub on the flip. you know what to do!

hailing from the mists of the early 90s uk techno scene, ramjac corporation s -cameroon massif!- epitomises everything great about the anything goes spirit of the scene prior to firm genre boundaries being established. emotional rescue have done the right thing and brought the vintage curio back to light, and what a return it is. while it shows its age, it sounds in fine fettle, all rolling breaks, trancey zaps and mysterious vocal hooks that positively draw you into a transcendental rave headspace. both the -massive- and -massing- mixes are essential, but then you also get the added bonus of a live version from a reunion gig back in 2009.

you know when the dj drops something so special you’re mentally forced to ask for the track and the reply you get is ”its my own unreleased track”. that’s how i (art alfie) stumbled upon all three of these. about ten years ago i witnessed van rivers & the subliminal kid (peder mannerfelt) turn berghain upside-down with the dark techno epos ”mars attacks”. around the same time i had the luck to see nils westerlund boogle minds with the broken beat psychedelics of ”suspiria” at a stockholm open air. last but not least, a couple of years ago i heard ”thicker than blood” for the first time, like the sirens in greek mythology, it lured people on to the dance floor at stockholms classic summer hot spot f12. i’ve been playing these tracks ever since and im beyond happy i get to share them with the world at this point. //art alfie

desroi debuts on avian. shifted s avian label returns to fore with a heady, five track offering from german producer, desroi. in keeping with the label s finely tuned aesthetic concerns, the music draws from a reduced palette – keeping the colours muted & the tone driven and direct, focusing instead on drawing out pleasing textures & subtle rhythmic anomalies via intricate use of delay and reverb, to arrive at a sweet spot between dance-floor potency & the more cerebral posits of the techno genre. tethered at the base by cavernous low end, heady drum machine programming drives the work – often married with a single warping synth motif shifting about the sonic periphery, modulated carefully across the course of the recording s run time to create both moments of heads down introspection & outright hysteria. like much of the best work on the label, the music has a diy quality that belies its complexity, but at the same time lends to its undoubted effectiveness. desroi s ability to harness the full force of such a limited collection of elements is testament to the producer s skill as an artist within the genre, creating a powerful sense of cohesion on his avian debut.

under frustration is a 3 volumes compilation project by tunisian collective arabstazy, establishing a picture of the contemporary electronic music scene in the arab world. this musical journey stands for the diversity of this scene, and deconstructs the occidental perceptions that sees the arab world as a culturally united and homogeneous entity. it is a manifesto for the burgeoning wave of post-revolution futurism. arabstazy chose to give all the benefits and profits of this project to the lebanese ngo basmeh & zeitooneh, and most specifically to their yearly art event - seen - which highlights unseen artists and break stereotypes about refugees.

shadows lengthen, the nights heat up, and flexi throws down the new piada vibes. like any italian dish the ingredients are simple and effective (let s say piadina romagnola)!

over the course of the last decade, black pepper label boss jose manuel has proved to be one of electronic music s finest contemporary alchemists, conjuring percussive, intoxicating and otherworldly musical treats for such labels as tusk wax, kinfolk, kill the dj, optimo trax and music for dreams. the genius of manuel s productions lies in the italian s ability to conjure cracking cosmic compositions out of a diverse range of global rhythms, instruments and influences. rarely has this been more evident than on his debut release for nunorthernsoul, a four-track serving of dancefloor mysticism that puts mind-altering rhythms and saucer-eyed instrumentation front and centre. track, for example, the light and dreamy wrapped sumptuous balearic synthesizer chords and melodies around gentle hand percussion and drifting zambian vocals on the sublime journey in lusaka followed by the feverish, trance-inducing african rhythms, delay-laden chants, psychedelic acid lines and jangling jew s harp motifs of intense opener journey in lusanda , a ritualistic afro-cosmic onslaught ripe for peak-time plays. if the ep opener is all about being flat on your back and staring skywards, the follow up is all about druggy, heads down sweatiness! manuel s deep love of indian music is explored on journey in mumbai , where exotic sitar lines, fluttering clarinets and echoing, densely layered female vocals rise above a thick, tabla-fired groove. it s naturally hugely evocative and atmospheric - a fine dose of emotion-rich spirituality capable of inducing hallucinations in the straightest of listeners. to complete the ep, our hero travels even further east for journey in osaka , a fittingly percussive exploration of japanese music s past and present that also includes audible nods towards the poly-rhythmic drums of west africa. it s a superb combination of traditional instrumentation, 21st century electronics, heavyweight rhythms and mood-enhancing melodic flourishes. like the rest of the journeys in...ep, it s both hugely alluring and impeccably produced

there is something to be majestic about stalwarts of a certain flock coming together to be creative. the harder side of drum & bass didn’t have its own power formation until today. it’s as of this day that czech producer forbidden society, formed an alliance with two of his most respected peers to create 3rdknd. donny, katharsys and fs all have a strong lean to rhythmic textures, tough drum cuts and experimental fx works. just in time for the european festival season, the thunderous first effort has arrived, and it’s going to turn some heads.