glenn underground is one of the most respected deep house producers from the windy city. his releases on seminal labels like cajual, prescription and guidance set him apart as the outstanding talent from the chicago underground of his era. gu s 70 s trip is one of the most sought after releases on cajual records (1997), showcasing his ability to fuse disco and four to floor in an inimitable style.

sounding like something to come out of solar records in 1984, love on hold embraces aeroplanes typically exquisite attention to detail, resulting in a perfect blend of disco, 80s funk and boogie. love on hold also features one of the greatest backing vocalists of our time, tawatha agee who was also the voice of legendary funk band mtume, singing on their 1983 classic juicy fruit. the credentials of tawathas richly poised voice coupled with aeroplanes flawless composition make love on hold unmissable. after a digital release which reached overall traxsource 1, the extended mix of aeroplanes instant classic is now being made available on 12inch, along with an extended instrumental, accapella and two edits from the master of disco re-rubs, dimitri from paris. both extended versions, dimitris instrumental and re-touch explore the versatility of the track for dj use

digital is back on metalheadz for the first time in nearly 2 years and we couldn’t be happier to have such a legend in the scene releasing with us. the * in the lurch ep* consists of everything that we love about digital with the much sought after * sun bites* featuring villem on the a side. for the other 3 tracks on the release we head down the steppier route, bringing tonnes of flavour on the way as digital flexes his production muscles.

following on from their exceptional jojoman release in 2015, the romanian trio premiesku strike gold again on ralph lawsons highly respected 20/20 vision imprint.&#8232,,,the 20/20 vision label has been pumping out quality music for over two decades, and is one of the uk s defining independent dance labels. the focus over the years has always been on quality and that approach is one that has paid off with this ep being no exception. &#8232,,,&#8232,,,the new floor shaking ep ‘in sfera’ is a tight package of dance floor groovers that will be sure to kick any night into 5th gear. every track has its own unique flavour that compliment each other flawlessly, with fuse boss enzo siragusa concluding the collection with a remix of the title track. a champion of all things deep, minimal, and stripped back, enzo has evolved his unique sound that is showcased in the final number.&#8232,,,&#8232,,,the trio pride themselves on pushing the boundaries of electronic live music performance, both technically and sonically and have already tasted success on influential labels such as apollonia, all inn records, vakant, pressure traxx and djebali to name a few. &#8232,,,&#8232,,,they take their custom made analogue hardware all over the globe, including world renowned festivals like lovelands, sunwaves and modernity as well as top clubs including amnesia ibiza, rex paris and stereo montreal. most recently the guys were back spinning at the legendary fabric london, you can check out their preparations and technical set up ahead of the show here.&#8232,,,&#8232,,,it was clear that after premiesku took number 21 in resident advisors top 40 live acts that 2016 really increased their impact in the underground scene and now they have firmly established themselves as one of the world’s most sought after groups, with the latest ep once again seeing them utilise their expertly crafted and infectiously percussive productions.

when titans collide! moscow and fuse bosses archie hamilton and enzo siragusa clash heads on moscow020 bringing both of their influences to bear.
&#8232,ricochet is an unashamed terrace bomb which has been tried and tested by the boys all winter. nothing complicated here, just big beats and tension-filled break that satisfies the dance-floor with the introduction of a familiar sounding old school hip-hop style lead. dubby chords then switch the track up for a few bars before going back to business. the flip opens with transcend, an understated acid track perfect to keep things lively mid- set. the lead weaves it’s way through the track whilst playing with a barely audible vocal and plenty of groovy percussion.
&#8232,the record closes with dubinnovation - something quite different from either of the producers’ usual styles. as the title suggests, the track takes influence from dub, using the sampled voice of lee scratch perry. rolling beats, rasping bass and mind warping effects make this the ultimate after party weapon

kraftek is very proud to present a special edition limited vinyl pressing featuring 2 brand new remixes from label heads pleasurekraft. on the a-side, the track that first put pleasurekraft on the map and now revered as one of the all-time classics of tech house, “tarantula”. after several initial vinyl pressings all of which sold out when it first came out in 2010- this marks the first time the track is available on vinyl again. however, the real jewel in the crown here is the boys new techno take on their original. darker, harder, and meaner, the ‘7 year itch rework’ marks the 7 year anniversary of the track and showcases the musical evolution of the duo as they have gone from strength to strength, having embraced a much tougher techno sound which has brought them the enthusiastic support of icons like carl cox, adam beyer, nicole moudaber, kolsch & more. on the flip side, american techno producer charles duff aka matrixxman has seen a meteoric rise in just a few short years. from the early crosstown rebels days to matthew dear’s spectral to now being a cornerstone of the dekmantel family, here he gets his track -the spell- a steroid injected remix from pleasurekraft. while the beautiful ethereal hook of the original remains intact, the drums and new supporting synth lines make for a behemoth of a canvas for the lead to shine on. we are very proud to present this special limited edition kraftek vinyl series vol 2.

following the release of their previous single guess what (featuring smerz) today copenhagens code walk announce news of their debut ep‘doubler - out on friday 5th may on ex-local. code walk consists of friends søren gregersen and jesper nørbæk. after garnering praise from radio tastemakers such as benji b, phil taggart, nemone, julie adenuga & jamz supernova, code walk are well on their way to establishing themselves as a staple part of the burgeoning electronic scene that is rising in copenhagen. like recent collaborators smerz, the duo create evocative techno infused electronica, that swells with escalating emotion and energy.

plexus records & meyso present m.a.j.. this is the first full length effort by french producer meyso, after a bunch of projects and collaborations including productions for lomepal, fixpen sill, equipto, sameer ahmad and more! meyso first appeared on plexus records cassette project from 2013, then on the kapla album on the same label with mr hone, maodea and oteest. hes been since producing for several french and belgian rappers and started to be the dj on tour for famous french rapper lomepal. on m.a.j., meyso confirms his skills and delivers a very rich and dense album. influenced at first by producers such as dilla, madlib and dj shadow, he develops now his own modern approach of beatmaking, incorporating elements of trap and electronic music. with guests such as caballero, jeanjass, veerus or ndobo emma, the album balances between deep instrumentals made of rare vinyl samples and some catchy rap and soulful tracks. this lp comes in a limited edition of 500 copies, all hand-numbered and pressed on 180gr, 12x12inch insert included. original art is a painting made by natosito

smbd aka simbad is back on gamm turf again after a longer break and is planning a few eps with seasonal themes for gamm. the first ep is summer and as you might expect he delivers three tasteful summer influenced reworks and remixes which we hope will be your perfect dj weapons over the summer months. if the broken(ish) co-op with alphabet s heaven of bootsy collins (rather be with you) won t do it for you or the supa soulful colonel abrams tribute (table 4 2) don t grab your attention, we guarantee that the stunning 4/4 rework with mike lowrey of jazzy jeff s summer classic (summertime) will be the cut at any summer festival...big jam if u ask us!

there arent many artists that can lay claim to having put out records on labels as divergent as rough trade and john talabot’s hivern discs. perhaps this is because few artists express such genuine diversity in their musical tastes and creative explorations as david kitt. since the turn of the decade as new jackson he has mined a seam of driving, ghostly house to run parallel with his solo strand of ambient folk electronica. his debut release in 2011 the night mail on pogo channeled early record collection heroes aphex twin and orbital through to drexciya and projekt pm but had one foot firmly in the 21st century beaming in like some futuristic cyberballad. on the flip side hussle free had that mix of house and boogie sensibilities with dark and dusty synths and vocoder that would become a signature. this was followed by acclaimed releases on hivern, permanent vacation, major problems, apartment and most recently cin cin. his debut album set for release on all city in may was recorded in kitt’s bedroom studio overlooking dublin bay, its nocturnal hues very much a product of the nightshift often working on headphones with the rest of his housemates fast asleep. it takes full advantage of the scope of the lp format, ebbing and flowing between deep house club ready gems and more restrained and meditative beatless moments for the morning after. the recording process yielded many eureka moments with kitt finally nailing sounds that had hitherto proved elusive. a key moment was getting a bank loan to buy an sp 1200 sampler

patrice bäumel is on fire right now. top remix after top remix and now he debuts on afterlife with an impeccable two tracker. hypnotic styled cuts which will get all the plays they deserve and it s also a new direction for afterlife recordings.

after the great last sbth record the guys are back again on their own platform lossless. modern house music stuffed with a classical c2 touch and a very singular personal note. named after the location of their studio in berlin, it irreproachably captures the nature of our city and their new surroundings.

after a 3 year hiatus from his avatism moniker, thomas feriero, one half of cw/a and owner of parachute records, returns with an ep for his home label vakant. a rough yet refined release, unassuming in its effort, thomas channels both his previous solo work and his cw/a project into a tightly wound package with 4 solid cuts. various influences converge yet a straight line is etched for all to follow. these are up-front, hard working tracks. body music with an undercurrent of breakbeat. his first ep on vakant since his album. file under need / want.

the mall grab helmed ‘steel city dance discs’ imprint returns with a sought after cut from ghettohousedrummachine featuring a dj haus remix on the flip.

after the successful debut ep from giovanni damico and tomson, we play wax brings you their second release: a showcase of one of italy’s most talented and productive new-kid-on-the-block. degio’s “questione interiore” offers up for enjoyment 3 club-ready acid-infused house bangers, while his good friend alessio collina gets deep, down and dirty on the remix duty.
to visually complement the sound, our talented romanian designer lar pavel puts his signature on yet another eye-catching custom-designed artwork, all on professionally mastered and carefully crafted black gold.

2017 repress , growing bin records is incredibly happy to bring you the vinyl edition of moon bs lifeworld - previously released on tape by the vancouver based cassette label 1080p. chopped, grainy subcontinental film aural motifs paired with other slankness on moon b’s latest. after a brief pause since his ppu releases, wes gray returns with a remapped take on his distinctly dusty and groovy samplefocused synth funk. gray has worked towards his particular sweet spot of retrofuturism, and lifeworlds segues between antiquity and contemporary g-funk benefit from extremely rich, filmic moods and a general knack for basking in warmth and sincerity rather than obscurity.

after a full ep on his own for third episode of the label senoid, kike pravda come back with a new release with 3 powerful cuts and a brillant remix by exium.

after previously exhibiting his remixing dexterity on two other occasions, myles sergé returns to „made of concrete“ to showcase his production chops in a four track ep revealing three originals and one rework. firmly rooted in his hometown of grand rapids, a city along the legendary detroit-chicago axis, sergé stays true to the musical hallmarks that made history in the scene, sketching up a contemporary soundscape with haunting old school influences. the ep unfolds as a real treasure trove, with each track digging deeper into the realms of dubbed out electronica, while masterfully blurring the lines between house and techno.

our 2nd ep takes you for a jolly ride on a merry go round packed with talented artists. coming from all corners of the globe, they share a common goal: make decent house music with a beat inspired both by deep and uk house.

for its ninth release, italian label spazio disponible looks to countryman marco shuttle for a first full length. systhema comes three years after his last album on his own eerie label and finds him again focussing on an absorbing ambient techno style across eight enthralling cuts. shuttle layers sound in subtle ways and has a meticulous attention to detail that results in a cinematic techno style that is cavernous and hypnotizing. always operating in a region where ambient, techno and heady soundtracks become one, with this album marco shuttle once again confirms he is one of the finest sonic sculptors out there.

after the release of its 5 year anniversary ep with ricardo villalobos & umho, drumma records starts off 2017 with its sixteenth release - resolutions by faster. the romanian artist brings us three outstanding dance floor tracks. >got to give< is an excellent club piece with a funky minimal ostinato, perfect for energetic and deep sets. the tracks long duration keeps us constantly floating and finally reaches a zenith half-way through. without a doubt, this composition will allow long, purposeful mixes and calm any crowds jitters. on the b-side, >got to take< is a track with a relaxed tempo where beautiful bells and percussive instruments ring out while we feel ethereal and mysterious melodies forming as landscapes in the background of a painting. a perfect b-side to listen to at home or to bring down a club in a sunrise set. 180g and vinyl only!

after a storming 2016 celebrating twenty years of atjazz, where the master musician himself has spent the year jetting all over the globe performing shows to both loyal fans and new converts alike, atjazz record company is very excited to crown this hugely successful year with a release like no other. please allow us to present: that something else!

in this offering by the berlin-based made in the middle east label disco halal, we are more than excited to introduce you our new family members, sasha & sergey lipsky aka simple symmetry, aka the russians. since our first incredible adventure in khazar khaganate, we were hooked and we wanted more, send us music, that was the only message we sent them and they responded gracefully, after working back and forward together, listening to music and planning the future, the time has come, here is simple symmetry s first release for disco halal in 2017, and to top it all an amazing remix 12- is coming up just a couple of weeks after the release... but more on that soon!

a riotous romp through imaginatively used samples, familiar piano riffs, customary beats and other rave tropes, the master of mischief luke vibert puts together a 10 track ode to the era of m25 convoys, mobile phone hotlines and raving amongst dogs on strings in british aerodrome fields. with a long and extensive history in the uks dance counterculture spanning three decades, vibert has released a barrage of inventive and animated music over the years that really doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is all the better for it. lps and singles for mo wax, warp, planet mu, ninja tune and rising high really speaks for itself, so its a honour to welcome vibert back onto hypercolour (after 2014s ridmik album and 2015’s return of his kerrier district moniker).
the double vinyl release includes a download code.

the trap – dom & roland the only -dat- master copy of this track was lost 20 years ago in 1997 somewhere between dom s studio and music house in holloway road. dom has been searching for this holy grail of -amen choppage- since, the only reference to it a crusty recording of a grooverider show from 1998. at various points there have been glimmers of hope of the wearabouts of the track in its entirety, with much excitement from avid followers who have given -the trap- a status akin to a cult classic film. many years, rifled sheds, boxes and lofts later, the breakthrough everyone is waiting for happens. it is christmas 2016 and a subversive character from australia sends in the full original quality version, recorded from dat tape, to dom & roland productions hq. after a full going over in dom’s lab and a wonderful new mastering job by beau at 1087 the amen legend known only as -the trap- is ready to be unleashed. swarm – dom & roland depending on who you ask the dubplate of this track from 1996 was called dark skies or the swarm. one of the first tracks to feature dom s reworked alternating clean and distorted -flow break- which later went on to become a layer in dom s famous -tramen- break. swarm features the switch from light to dark dom has become famous for. featuring one of the largest mentasm basses ever cut on a record alongside the -subway- thump bass that dom later used when producing the -ed rush hit record- of the same name. it has remained an exclusive gem in dom s vaults until now. originally only cut on plate by the a list of metalheadz blue note, this blueprint of bass is finally seeing a release this year. dj play: aphex twin, amon tobin, fabio, grooverider, peshay, loxi, andy c, break, fierce, doc scott, dbridge, goldie, ant tc1, gridlok, marcus intalex, sb81, ulterior motive, noisia

little mary strays from the pack, floating from one rock to another, in the midst of the narrow cascading river stream. feeling the respirating leaves ebb and flow, she caught a glimpse of a pagan rain dance, a drum circle within a pocket of sunshine – where all mantras come to life. this captivating split ep (titled ‘acosta’), sees kilchhofer’s second 12”, after his ‘dersu’ ep on ‘marionette’. the flip side features hainbach who gets his work pressed on vinyl for the very first time – after a few tape releases, his latest being on ted butler & cortini’s ‘limited interest’ label. this is truly something wonderful from two very gifted and unique artists.

after his mcde supported track my people detroit native dwayne jensen delivers a one sided disco infused bomb inspired by the dancefloors of studio 54 as depicted on the picture disc & insert. original photograph by hasse persson, studio 54, max stom publishing. 12inch one sided release silk screen picture disc with insert.

moton records inc return with a very special 40th release, for which they enlist the services of the mighty red greg who goes digging in the crates for 3 very rare & highly sought after cuts of disco / boogie / afro especially for rsd.

inspired by a dreamy sabbatical in western kenya, ‘warthog’ is a slice of lush organic house oozing with classy restraint. this sleeper hit is finally getting its due in the limelight after a limited run of dubplates sold like butter in 2013 - with two heavy-weight remixes from finnish producer-legend jori hulkkonen and rising deep house star saine. driving, balearic and pleasantly euphoric the record is rounded off by a bumping 4/4 groove featuring none other than tapani rinne on bass clarinet. com-007 is a vinyl-only release, limited to 200 copies worldwide.

multi instrumentalist and deep house master lars bartkuhn returns to utopia records following his nomad ep in april with a 10 minute masterpiece, an ode to the massai . an epic journey of such depth and positive spirit it perhaps deserves to render a genre all to itself. with its musicality, complex arrangement and phrasing massai is a timeless and personal statement from bartkuhn as he seeks the essence in what dance music can and possibly should be. as a young child growing up in frankfurt, bartkuhn penned his first pieces of music with a synthesizer and sequencer, bought for him by his parents upon realising their son s obsession with music. mastering the guitar as a teenager bartkuhn fell deeply in love with the music of pat metheny, keith jarrett and john coltrane and styles such as soul, funk, brasilian sounds, minimal, dance, and others which is heard in his music today. by the mid 90 s bartkuhn began to explore the deep and soulful side of house music and formed lamaya productions and the now legendary record label needs (not wants) together with his older brother marek bartkuhn and dj yannick. needs rapidly became a synonym for soulful, high quality music and while labeled a house music imprint it was lars input that lead the trio to explore alternative, and at the time unorthodox, musical influences that allowed for original textures and arrangements to be included in their productions. countless remix commissions followed and their sound travelled worldwide with works for francois kevorkian, jazztronik, ennio morricone, atjazz to name a few. to date bartkuhn has produced five solo albums all of which demonstrate a never ending creative flow of ideas and artistic diversity, complexity and passion. after some years away from the dance music scene, residing in brasil, lars decided to continue this journey on volcov s neroli records, followed by a 12- for alex bradley s phonica affiliated utopia records. the latter release, nomad has found its way into the sets of the likes of jeremy underground paris, hunee, antal, ron trent, rainer truby, bicep and mcde to name just a few. it s at this point that bartkuhn gives us massai...his self proclaimed finest work

* nan kolé, producer, dj and head of influential label on-the-rise, gqom oh!, returns to black acre for his debut proper with ‘bayefal’, after first collaborating with nervous horizon’s wallwork on his ‘facts / fyah’ 12” at the back end of 2016. * originally from rome, although now a resident of london, nan kolé has been a major player in the expansion of durban’s gqom sound after discovering it in early 2015. through his label, gqom oh!, he honed in on a network of south african producers operating out of durban, unlocking the keys to a world of music largely untapped by audiences outside of southern and western africa. * ‘bayefal’, he explains, was made while still living in rome and was inspired by a group he formed called pepesoup, which consisted of an italo-liberian singer, karima 2g, and senegalese percussionist and singer, moustapha mbengue. “for me, he (mbengue) was a mentor and taught me a lot spiritually but also mentally”, kolé explains, “and without his hard work i wouldn’t be here for sure. this track is dedicated to him, as he s a muslim bayefal.” a joyous, steadfast drum workout made in the carnival spirit, ‘bayefal’ also serves as an ode to his love for both west african rhythms and more specifically, the gqom sound. * on the flip, ‘malumz’ — backed up with two dark, brooding remixes by durban’s citizen boy and crew, formation boyz — is another track rooted in personal experience. “malumz is a tribute to my gqom oh! family”, kolé explains. “they call me malumz, which in zulu means ‘uncle’. the first time citizen boy called me ‘malumz’, it was overwhelming — i felt a change in my relationship with all the guys, because they started to treat me more as a family member, which meant a lot.” * the original mix, a stark, pulsing drum-track dotted with playful whistles and bleepy sampling again celebrates kolé’s fascination with the gqom sound, while first citizen boy and then formation boyz flip ‘malumz’ with harsher, grittier tones and crunching, industrial textures.

formed in 2015, vanishing twin came together to make an exploratory record that marries oblique english pop with a palette of arkestral sounds. having previously released a string of conceptual cassettes under the name orlando, founder cathy lucas named the group after her vanishing twin, an identical sister absorbed in utero, when they were both still a cluster of cells.

sam gellaitry is ready to present the third chapter in his escapism saga: a coming-of-age trilogy that demonstrates the young prodigys unique, filmic musical productions. hot off the heels of the previous two escapism instalments, escapism iii sees sam gellaitrys sound transcending, invoking a cinematic feel of technicolour-esque scope to his experimental production.

»laune der natur« und »learning english lesson 2« als 3-fach-vinyl (180 g) im triple-gatefold-cover, dazu beide alben auf doppel-cd und poster.

seasoned memory athletes will no doubt recall the turbo’s past affiliation with the former soviet union (proxy, tiga tigayevich khristorozhdestvensky), and recent geopolitical developments have prompted the label to once again hedge its bets. our a&r team spent countless hours sifting through layer after layer of russian underground music, a shocking amount of which turned out to be fake soundcloud accounts from producers based in florida. in fact, our best intelligence suggests that dimitri veimar may be the only person making music in russia today. for the 30 minutes a day he is not trading in politically moderate twitter-bot futures, veimar produces dark, raw-dog electro. he has already released music with omnidisc and renate, so it makes little sense to us why we have to communicate with him via a mole in the canadian embassy in moscow, which is further complicated by the fact that the mole is also an aspiring dj/producer whom we have to keep happy at all costs. you have no idea how much has been sacrificed in order to shield you from the realpolitik of international dance music.

after 18 12- singles and eps, cgi has finally found a record suited for its first full-length lp release, hurt plaza from atlanta s own pamela_ and her sons. pamela_ is the solo music project of alessandra hoshor, an atlanta-based multimedia artist, and 1/2 of evil dance project big ded. their microtonal compositions build up from slow perceptual movements into heavy dance sets full of deconstructed vocals. pamela_ is microtonal, cerebral dance music. fragmented, off-kilter anxiety techno with an emphasis on texture, pattern, and rhythm. familiar palettes are rearranged and presented in a form completely alien, opening new pathways to what is possible within the realm of electronic composition without ever underestimating the power of suggestion…effectively like looking into the eyes of your best friend for the first time agai

mexicos hotmood brings the heat. after sold out releases on tugboat edits the 4th volume drops on sister label star creature. featuring 4 supreme cuts in hotmoods signature beatdown style. 3 uptempo floor fillers and the 4th is a real scorcher: welcome to the barrio.

after the huge diggin disco deep 3 lp which released for the record store day 2016, the label hits back with its second rsd title, providing its fans with essential deep-house and deep-disco vibes by lipski, the silver rider, folamour, gari romalis & lello di franco.

bunkr enslave dust-coated synthesizers, dilapidated drum machines and rusty fx boxes to craft 4/4 tunes for their impatient overlords. their vision is clear they will make techno, they will make house, they will make electronica, and you will listen and dance. its not yet clear if bunkr is the work of one frenzied human or many lazy individuals but we do know one thing - the ringleader is one james dean, who previously released as lost idol on labels such as pork recordings, nature, final frontier and cookshop. following a prolonged spell of writing music at slow tempos, dean initiated bunkr as a reactionary desire to speed things up. too much time had been spent just sitting around - it was time to stop sitting and start dancing. true to their vision, here we have cloud chaser, a bubbling jam backed with a huge remix from shan, who flips the mix with dramatic strings, sprinkles of magic dust and massive amen breaks. no less impressive is junos revenge, a track youd turn up on your headphones while taking a nice afternoon stroll on the moon, on a sunny morning after a long interplanetary rave. igor tipura delivers the rework, complete with a marching percussion workout and acid chemtrails that will send you right back to 1993.

were happy to welcome back harry wolfman for a full record after his fine collaborative square lane ep with loz goddard last year. here he delves into the leftfield side of house, this dreamy 5-tracker. torontos jesse futerman joins us for the remix fresh from his debut releases on church and omena.fermi brings the tropically tinged deep house heat, wavering pads and buoyant bass paint us a mirage of sweltering summer days ahead. ice thin starts as a melancholic mover, it steadily builds through dusty samples, shaken percussion and smokey moods elevating the energy into something euphoric. things get gritty as we flip to the b-side. downstream is a dark and grainy outing, edgy arps work in and out of tough drums and frenzied synths. jesses superb rework of ice thin features distant horns and vocals that ring out over a warbling rhodes and rumbling bass, then comes the lick of a slide guitar reminiscent of some kind of twisted western. wrapping up this beautiful and somewhat nostalgic journey we turn to outro version a funk laden work out. rich strings and woodwinds fill out the lush landscape that swells and soars across the steady, bottom heavy, dance inducing

after almost two decades, dan pius album self education (moto 003) finally gets the vinyl treatment it deserves: the best tracks extracted from dat tapes, pressed on wax and renamed to living in fear for cartulis music s fourth release. even though the original and incredibly exclusive cd was heard and appreciated in the years around its release in 1999 from djs such as jeff mills and carl craig, it was virtually impossible to own (only 30 copies were made, ever). despite its rarity and status, cartulis choses this masterpiece for one principal reason: the music. an exhibition of an innovative era, of heavy duty machinery (roland juno 60, roland juno 106, roland tr-909 and emu vintage keys, just to name a few) and of fine craftsmanship (using his own samples and playing the keys himself), the album opens your mind and ears to interconnecting styles of ambient atmospheres, electronic-instrumental hip hop, and signature dance-floor killers self education and living in fear. not only for fans of dan piu and his subsequent labels (moto music, deepartsounds, no acting vibes) but for any music aficionado that appreciates a deeply cult classic.

madcap and jaybee team up to create the musical masterpiece called “settle down”. the song starts out rather jazzy, with it’s smooth rhodes keys and heavy cymbal riding drum lines. when the song hits the breakdown, the whole tone of the tune changes. the punchy sub bassline is unleashed and becomes one of the driving forces of the track. echoing reggae style vocals are beautifully weaved into the background of the track, transforming the vibe into a reggae/dub style d&b classic. the amen drums also help to create an intoxicating energy that make this one a sure thing for dance floor mayhem. instant classic!
“hear comes” takes over where “settle down” left off. the song begins with big amen drums, backed with a reggae style skanking guitar chop. during the breakdown, a thoughtful roots reggae vocal sample is introduced that helps lift the track into a true dubwise gem. when the drop hits, the baseline kicks in and begins to wobble and throb behind all the deep atmospherics. the track has a beautiful breakdown, which takes the listener to a more melodic place. after a moment of serenity, the song breaks back into the chaotic old school flavor, which madcap does so well. this one’s a beauty!!

vent is guided by bana haffar into ethereal vistas open for interpretation. endless suggestions are offered, each fractaling into sparks of insight leading in turn to more suggestions. bana’s compositions display layer after layer of colourful enigmatic veils, hinting at an inner core of darkness whilst remaining playful and intuitive. her ideas expand over the length of this lp, and beyond that, further into our minds and bodies with the reverberations of her sounds.

the eccentric producer and resident dj of the phormix parties in athens, morah, after his releases on return to disorder, berceuse heroique and lux rec, returns with a fourtracker ep on vanila, delivering the sixth release of the label. slow and steady!

the berlin based russian artist alexey volkov appears on sacred court with a mesmerising 4- track ep after his previous releases on planet rouge and jealous god. broken beats, voices and strong rhythms stand out on this wax.

unterton introduces an artist who’s already renowned for his work within informed circles but yet to be discovered by most: berlin-based new yorker phase fatale debuts on unterton after strong releases with respected labels jealous god and aufnahme + wiedergabe and six well-received club appearances at berghain.

after spending a year on the road, experimenting with new sounds and production methods, abstract division returns to their home imprint with the release of the activated ep. fashioned true to their well known unique balanced style, this three track ep presents its listener with a powerful blend of deep tools and peak-time grooves. a real must-have for every selector, these tracks will cary any dance-floor deep in to the night, and far beyond.

new imprint ocd’s first release comes from portland native aaron carlson who, with his ac$ alias, has generated quite a buzz in underground circles of late, off the back of a few highly sought-after records. ‘do u know what u represent?’ is a slice of rolling tech-house that utilises vocal snippets amidst a flurry of 909 hats while the rhodes-laced ’more odds’ dials up the swing with a nod to early prescription releases. on the b side, ‘just like you’ is a more heady affair, seeing lazy chords sitting over a nebulous bassline and assorted weirdness, while the acid-tinged, atmospheric ‘organ morph’ is sure to find favour with fans of binh or nicolas lutz.

language is a tricky thing. it’s possible to convey the most beautiful and heartfelt experiences with just a few words but meanings can be lost in translation. language itself being just a symbol pointing to the actual thing, like fingers pointing to the moon it’s key not to mistake the finger for the actual moon. if you do you might miss all the heavenly glory the finger is pointing to. the map is not the territory. kiani & his legion is back on sohaso with the next chapter in his sonic explorations. a mini-album that’s more than the sum of it parts, drawing you in with a story worth to be told. using a language that doesn’t need to be explained trough words, the symbols merge with their meaning trough sound. the story commences with a female voice whispering gently to you to ‘close your eyes and fly’ and while making your journey don’t forget to ‘breath’. you get introduced to the sturdy drum patterns and eerie string pads that have become main ingredients for kiani’s soundworld. eindeloos takes an irresistible groove and badass walking bass winding up between endless flanging spirals. oval flight starts out with the cheeky sound of an electric harp but inside it hides a seed that sprouts to enormous proportions. beneath the beauty you can feel something sweltering, wanting to expose itself. it links back to the beginning and finally lifts you off with a grand gesture. if you remember me then i don’t care if veryone else forgets, uses haunting atmospheres that remind of 80’s science fiction or the eerie vibes found in twin peaks to provide safe landing ground beneath the feet after your flight. l.o.v.e. forms an appropriate conclusion to the story, reflecting with a melancholic chord progression, soul healing choirs and the phonetic symbols ‘lima, oscar, victor, echo’ repeating till infinity.