after dj reds successful raw cacao ep last year, that included a remix by the mighty ricardo villalobos, darko essers wolfskuil limited now presents a solid three-tracker from the dutch newcomer circular vector patterns

alessandro adriani weaves a nightmarish scenario as the mannequin man returns to pinkman s broken dreams with four hardened works. beats are shaven into rigid points as ebm echoes are speared with contemporary contempt. throughout the quartet are moments of exotic abstraction, psychological stresses and visceral disorders. music for sleepless nights and addled minds.

2017 repress! after releases on creme organization and signals, myriadd returns on the dutch label pinkman with another four-track chicago inspired ep

besides launching his fresh bodybuilder quartet series (qsb), inaugurated by scott franka, nachtbraker unveils yet another quartet: four records in the the trophy quartet series (qst). both these two quartets will be released over the course of the next two years. the trophy series will cover the warmer side of the house music spectrum. and who better than parisian boy-wonder tell (banoffee pies, skylax, rutilance) to kick off proceedings with the brilliant faster than light ep. last year he released hope springs eternal on qs003 which was an overnight succes after getting rinsed by heavyweights like jeremy underground and dam swindle, so a proper solo ep was inevitable. on the a1 tell serves up some intergalactic french filter house dubbed faster than light which brings back the daft punk and armand van helden vibes of our walkman-days. we all just love filters, admit it. its true. next up is yall feel that honey (paradise mix), a tune with undeniable swing and moody chords that ultimately collide beautifully with a delectable big room piano riff that will stay in your head for days. b1 opens with a leisurely-paced jam called “what can u do for me”. it’s the ‘pretty one’ of the ep, the one girls fall in love with and boys hate to love because they know he’s hot stuff. a high pitched vocal, asking what you can do for her, flies over rubbery rhodes chords with neat percussion keeping you on the groove. the ep closes with b2 vamos a la playa. keywords: coconuts, sand, bikini, six-pack and tan. vamos! large and in charge.

this is joels second appearance on kanzleramt after his very much loved solo 12inch reminder in 2006. its also not the first release of the two, as last years drumcode limited release slight munch shows. joel and heiko have been friends for over a decade. the depth of that connection is reflected in rooter as much of this release was designed and realised right at the kitchen table over breakfast or with a good wine while cooking dinner. more parts of those sessions will be following on parabel later this year.

!! 2018 repress !! flying high after their successful watergate 22 compilation, catz n dogz return to deliver eight exclusive tracks from their mix via two eps showcasing their expert ability to navigate a multitude of different styles. ep 1 commences with catz n dogz original fire burning when we are, a tune that sees them flying solo to create a stunning journey that lands somewhere sonically between carl craig and henrik schwarz where infectious drums reinforce an ensemble of dramatic harmonies tangling with euphoric melodies. afterglow follows suit with an attitude infused vocal from shaun j. wright laid over a trek into a world where old school vibes meet a new school plan of attack resulting in an absolute floor filler perfect for any time. rounding out the ep are remixes from two of the best: prosumer and sebo k. prosumer steps up first to rework fire burning when we ar’ and creates a massive tune with the signature prosumer touch, evident in the timelessness and maturity of the reimagining. sebo k in turn hands over a jackin remake of afterglow by staying true to the original by keeping everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.

after a first track -i sent you flowers- released in early 2017, the young parisian artist tour-maubourg unveils his first ep with a wink title déclaration préalable à l’embauche. a 5-tracker, with a subtle synthesis of jazz and house, mixing festive and melancholic sounds.

chapter 5: space music atmosphere in kata sandi, a fusion of italo disco electronics and moroder influences with a vocoder to interpret the melody. dioxide: an electro funk with psychotic and tribal influences. after a grand opening esaedro starts to fly in space in tangerinine dream atmosphere.

modeight records is back with a new ep. this pack includes three tracks produced by romanian talent dragutesku. after two successful releases he continues to amaze with spaced out minimal tunes. pumping a1 “faraon” holds us tight with a massive bassline and misty mood. then there is the atmospheric “hipnotic” flys on a2. ethereal and rhythmic “apatic” on the b side lets no one leave the dancefloor.

one of electronic music’s greats steps back into the limelight with his first ep in more than 10 years. erik van den broek, the dutch producer who is probably better known under some of his pseudonyms such as shiver, essit musique and acid kid dominated the 90’s with a slew of brilliant acid and electro releases on dance arena productions and shiver. erik was a firm favourite of dave clarke and laurent garnier who included some of his tracks on their perfectly blended mix cds (x-mix electro boogie and laboratoire mix respectively).
erik already made an appearance on de:tuned’s 5 years box set in 2014 with the track primerose and now he’s back with more previously unreleased material. the tracks on offer are all on a deeper tip, with warm yet slightly eerie and mysterious sounds, clever programming and subtle effects. proof that erik has still got it after all these years. these tracks were made during an emotional time for erik, something that is clearly reflected in the music.
once again we enlisted alan oldham for artwork duties and matt colton for mastering the source material to perfection. this ep will be available on 180 gr vinyl. a digital release will also be available from all the usual outlets. de:tuned are honoured to have worked with erik on this release, a very personal record for him. thanks erik & emiel for your confidence and support!

the prolific jason letkiewicz returns to his steve summers alias for a suite of post-apocalyptic jack tracks. across labels like l.i.e.s., future times, echovolt, nation and clone, letkiewicz spent the last decade exploring dimensional rifts between techno, house, noise, ambient and more. after occupying nearly as many cities as monikers he&#65533,,,s landed in chicago and on local outpost clear

for the first time ever on vinyl after 36 years, the most wanted susana estrada track, espacial, only previously available on the lost macho cassette, and featuring two new remixes. susana is possibly the most acclaimed superstar of the spanish destape b movies era and this was the soundtrack of one of her most famous sexy live shows, hence probably only distributed on site and therefore very rare.

for the first time ever on vinyl after 36 years, the most wanted susana estrada track, espacial, only previously available on the lost machos cassette, and featuring two new remixes. susana is possibly the most acclaimed superstar of the spanish destape b movies era and this was the soundtrack of one of her most famous sexy live shows, hence probably only distributed on site and therefore very rare

after recently inaugurating the label with shedbug s well-received afterglow ep, flux records are back with their second release. following suit, flux002 includes three original tracks from burgeoning french talent laroze, supplied with a sweet remix from detroit s one and only andres. with its fair share of dance floor heaters the loin des yeux ep exudes an effortless 90s revival feel to it, drawing upon classic us house and acid as the basis for its form and style.
3000 copies limited press on 180g, 12 vinyl (no digital), with artwork from laura zhang.
france s dance scene is currently replete with a plethora of fresh and charismatic artists, labels, and promoters, and has all the signs of a movement that s really beginning to take off. hailing from bordeaux, laroze s making his own mark not just as one of the figures behind the country s authority electronic music publication seeksicksound, but also as a dj and producer in his own right.

after his tape release on anime solitarie cassette, bellatrix? arrives on veleno viola with an esoteric mix of mutant body music and acid.
white vinyl pressing.

durian brothers album das macht modern, released on kontra-musik in 2014, remains one of the most sought after highlights in our catalogue. the mad scientists of salon des amateurs produced an eccentric masterpiece that can be described in a multitude of ways, straight dance music not being one of them. one of the brothers, stefan schwander, fills this gap with his solo project harmonious thelonious. inspired by american minimalist music and african rhythm patterns, the result is muscular and twangy like an old radboud mens record on steroids. moist and mechanical at the same time.

after studying dance, kirikoo des aka nsdos, felt the need to create his own sound in order to explore movement. this is how he started imagining a whole new sonic order, an alternative approach to music – through abstraction. nsdos can’t restrain himself to existing technological tools and softwares, he prefers creating his own mediums: futurist instruments made of old audio converters (carte son), gameboy emulators, pieces of metal dismantled and weld together giving form to surreal machines. surrounded by his hybrid tools, nsdos unravels the rectilinear anatomy of techno music. textures are exploded, sounds mutilated, and brought back to their essence. this sonic odyssey, nsdos initiated in his native town paris before exploring it deeper in berlin – a city that he sees as a giant laboratory in which he experimented the field of possibilities. a huge admirer of the dada and lettrism movements, nsdos can be considered as the offspring of a diy culture. he ranks among his icons artists such as christian marley, stelarc or donna haraway who gave him a desire to push the limits of the body, objects and sound. his alternative vision and the way he reinterprets technological tools have made him one of the most important techno hackers of his generation. nsdos doesn’t create, he regenerates and transmutes music. his creative path is empirical, sometimes organic as he puts sensors on insects, his public in trance, trees – everything that comes on his way – and transcribes their movement into sounds. after three maxis, lazer connect in 2013, female guest list in 2015 both signed on parisian music label clekcleckboom recordings and money exchange published in 2016 on his label standalone complex, his new album, intuition, intervenes as the completion of his organic vison of music. inspired by meteorological stations and according to a principle of « bio feedback », nsdos surveyed the movements of nature, turned into data before translating them into sounds, textures and rhythms. the album comes with a series of 5 videos detailing the creative process of the artist – from recording in the middle of nature to the studio. in intuition, nsdos splinters the boundaries between genres and places techno as a matrix. his album reveals his sense of discipline, one that he draws from his passion from japanese dance buto, as well as his interest for biology, his experimental aura through industrial, sometimes nearly metal sounds. all these elements form the essence of whole new movement, unclassifiable, of which he constantly pushes the frontiers.

originally released in 1997 during the heyday of the alternative uk electro scene, finley quaye’s debut “maverick a strike” struck a chord with many. fusing dub, reggae, pop, triphop and indie, his amalgam of styles resonated throughout the music world like no other record at the time.
limited 20th anniversary edition of 1.000 numbered copies on flaming orange and yellow-swirled 180 gram vinyl.

in 2017, the finnish jazz scene seems to bubble with talent. one of the most prominent players in this mix is by definition, trumpeter jukka eskola. after over a decade of adventures in different spaces of jazz – from the dance floor burn of the five corners quintet to the raw expressive modes of mikko innanen’s small big band, jimi tenor’s cosmic jazz and his own prime cti styled solo recordings – eskola takes things back to bare basics. and as usual, when it’s done right, it’s the best thing out there.

tangram presents the second installment of ltgl’s limited 7” series for record store day 2017. this one features a brand new track by ltgl, called scribble. he’s been playing the song live in the past year(s), featured it in his boiler room set and it has become a sought after gem.

limited repress! rackmizar had his second encounter and the next installment has finally landed. teluric brings us ptolemy ep, named after the greek mathematician and astronomer. with four tracks this release is set to make you dance, think and gaze at the night sky looking for the constellations orion, aries, gemini and cygnus.

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

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.

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.

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.