2016 sees the 3rd anniversary of houndstooth, and the label mark this with their 50th release. tessellations is a compilation of brand new, exclusive tracks from each of the 14 artists to release on the label. the release serves to simultaneously trace common threads and highlight tensions within such a stylistically expansive roster. this 12inch sampler collects four dancefloor-leaning cuts onto vinyl for the first time. the atmospheric jungle of special requests live from alpha centauri could be the soundtrack to an intergalactic chase scene, whilst akkords vector grinds gradually towards an explosion of mechanistic breaks, like an ancient machine brought to life. cant stop sees marquis hawkes dusting down the 303 for a playful yet powerful acid banger, before second storeys elephant ride draws syncopated funk from his machines in his inimitable style.

akkord return with their first original music since june 2014s hth020 ep. obelisk is a study in rhythm and frequencies, suspended in space. on the minimalistic monolith, a single element is moulded into a 3-dimensional sound sculpture, an aural illusion of a lead weight that floats away into the ether. in contrast, megalith has a pulsing gravity, drawing in laser-guided blasts of bass, broadsides of pitched-down jungle, and echoes of distant birdsong and telecommunications as it journeys through the static of space. presented on heavyweight 10inch vinyl. cut & mastered by matt colton at alchemy.

mit hth040 komplementiert das manchesteraner bass-duo akkord seine nach katalognummern benannte miniserie. diese besteht aus den beiden vorgänger-maxis hth020 und hth030, sowie dem cd-minialbum hth035, auf dem zwei zusätzliche remixes von fis (triangle records, loopy) und regis (downwards, sandwell district) enthalten sind, die dank großer nachfrage hier nun auch auf vinyl erscheinen. weißes 180g vinyl

reinterpretationen der grandiosen hth020 ep von akkord. the haxan cloak (tri-angle records) zaubern aus elementen aller 4 tracks der original-ep ein darkes, 10-minütiges masterpiece, das sich allen soundklassifikationen entzieht. hospital-labelmacher vatican shadow knoepft sich die beiden tracks typeface und greyscale vor und vereint sie zu einem bedrohlich-komplexen techno-trip.

sacred geometry, complex polyrhythms and clean sound design all collide in the work of manchester outfit, akkord. with their critically acclaimed, self-titled debut album charting high in 2014s end of year lists, akkord are not resting on their success, and are already planning their next assault with this new body of work. hth020 consists of four tracks of much darker, moodier sounds, pairing monumental low-end frequencies with surgically precise production. the whole ep is centred around clammy, ominous atmospheres, underpinned by stomping beats and descending basslines, placing greater emphasis on the space in-between, and textured over with a doomsday ambience. the music that akkord create never strays out of their own minimalistic and direct approach to techno, but from there, and beyond, they touch on an ever-evolving variety of styles, which gradually drive us in front of an overwhelming and riveting soundscape. hth020 comes pressed on 180g grey vinyl, cut and mastered by matt colton at alchemy, with de-bossed artwork and a postcard insert.

nach seinem szenehit surge sowie der vieldiskutierten navigate ep auf houndstooth lässt das manchesteraner bass-duo akkord, bestehend aus den beiden dj/produzenten synkro und indigo, nun sein selbstbetiteltes debütalbum folgen, auf dem es jungle-revivalismen, verrauchte ambiencen und tiefgreifenden dub zu einem darken uk-bass-sound fusioniert, dass einem das blut in den adern gefriert. das 180 gramm dopel-vinyl erscheint im geprägten cover mit pvc aussenhülle.

schlager

a software engineer at ableton by day, sieren’s love for uk influenced bass music and field recording and experimental soundscaping resulted in his apollo debut ‘static polymorphism’ a masterly ep of spaced out street-rave soul.
now returning with the five track ascension ep, frick has tightened and toughened up his sound somewhat (see the caustic bass glower of ‘slinger’), augmenting his starry eyed wonder with a firmer percussive underpinning and more driving tempos. however still present are his preternatural grasp of emotion and atmosphere that marked him out as one to watch - perfectly underscored by the heartbreaking beauty of the title track.
fellow apollo cohort synkro aka joe mcbride was instrumental in the curation of sieren’s debut static polymorphism ep on apollo, hand picking the tracks, as well as road testing them in his dj sets. this time mcbride goes one further, collaborating with frick on the track ‘lost you’ to memorable effect - the beautiful pads and ghostly piano are a perfect synergy of their complimentary skill sets.
this is richly textured and intricately programmed post-bass music that is sure to satisfy fans of burial, dbridge, akkord with its soulful sincerity and warmth.

raincloud records has announced its debut release, a two-track 12inch from mancunian duo alan johnson. dj support includes: lamont (swamp81), ancestral voices (samurai), akkord (houndstooth), mumdance (xl / tectonic), synkro (r&s / apollo).

the second outing from btg follows, in tradition, their 2 originals and 2 remixes format. this time round toyc creates a slower paced dance floor obliterator titled ‘kicks’ sounding like a wonky laser gun trapped inside a broken 808 landing somewhere between broken techno and bass. on the remix project mooncircle and 20/20 ldn affiliated deft deconstructs and reconstructs toyc’s track into a maximalist beast fusing the current sounds of 160 bpm 170 bpm and half­time dnb with the technical precision of amon tobin. up next the booty­shaking stormer they call itoa, known for releases on bad taste and being featured in storming 160­/170bpm sets by djs and tastemakers such as om unit and sam binga. ‘snake pass’ is a classic itoa track, playful bouncing subs and flickering percussion and shards of vocal, landing somewhere between footwork and booty bass. btg co­founder etch sets the pace with his remix of snake pass, coming through with a schizophrenic beats influenced sub heavy stepper that slowly evolves into a breakbeat onslaught.
dj support: nightwave, sully, addison groove, deadboy, horse meat disco, mj cole, barely legal, shadow child, amy becker, pathaan/bbc worldwide, boy 8-bit, blackdown/rinse fm, 2 bad mice, synkro/akkord, randomer, my nu leng, craig richards, foul play/moving shadow, dj zinc, dj orgasmic/origami sound... + many more

apollo introduce sieren, aka matthias frick. a software engineer at ableton by day, sierens love for uk influenced bass music and field recording and experimental soundscaping has resulted in this masterly ep of atmospheric street-rave soul. this is his first release since his debut lp transients of light, released earlier this year on christian lofflers ki records. fittingly, fellow apollo cohort synkro was instrumental in the curation of the static polymorphism ep hand picking the tracks, as well as road testing them to memorable effect on berghains hallowed system no less.neglection opens the release, with billowing widescreen pads, a ghostly 2-step drum figure and pulsing subs,rebase ratchets up the intensity, with sinister bass drones punctuated by strafing perc and hissing ambiance while relicts angelic yet melancholic atmosphere pulls the listener in with heart-aching synth washes and whispered female vocals. closer how to pairs mechanistic slo-mo funk with caustic 808 kicks, muttered vox and juddering bass stabs. this is richly textured and intricately programmed post-bass music that is sure to satisfy fans of burial, dbridge, akkord with its soulful sincerity and warmth.

liam blackburn’s transformative night of visions lp as ancestral voices forged a bold new sonic identity for an influential figure on the electronic music scene. from his groundbreaking work as indigo and onto the success of akkord’s hybrid electronic melting pot (with synkro), the quest for forward movement is intrinsic to everything liam produces. to further celebrate the night of visions lp release, we asked some of our favourite producers to reconstruct some of night of visions highlights in their own style.

liam blackburn s transformative night of visions lp as ancestral voices forged a bold new sonic identity for an influential figure on the electronic music scene. from his groundbreaking work as indigo and onto the success of akkord s hybrid electronic melting pot (with synkro), the quest for forward movement is intrinsic to everything liam produces. to further celebrate the night of visions lp release, we asked some of our favourite producers to reconstruct some of night of visions highlights in their own style. each remixer chose their own track from night of visions to work with. the first name on our remix list was swedish producer and northern electronics label head - abdulla rashim. choosing invocations , his remix focuses on the hypnotic power of the original, turning the tune into a golden loop with subtle kick drum stabs, sweeping percussion and a dangling tension that hangs through the entire 7.33 minutes. asc & sam kdc chose feathered serpent and using just touches of the original tune have masterfully built an all new backbone that demonstrates clearly the ability of the grey area sound to work at 2 different tempo s and weld together with straight techno.

zwei weisheiten aus dem modeselektions-einmaleins. erstens: eine selektion ist immer so gut wie der abstand zwischen ihren unterschiedlichsten gliedern, je größer, desto besser. zweitens: eine selektion ist umso besser, je öfter man überrascht wird und je mehr neue entdeckungen zu machen sind. bevor die lichter angehen, hier noch ein paar harte fakten: *modeselektion vol. 03* kommt erstmals ohne eigenen modeselektor-beitrag aus (vom souleyman-edit mal abgesehen), einfach, weil es so viel gute musik von alten und neuen freunden gab.

houndstooth hat sich nach nur einem jahr zu einem der angesagtesten britischen techno-/electronic-labels entwickelt. zum jahresende 2013 erschien hth vs hth, auf dem houndstooth-künstler sich gegenseitig remixen. auf vielfachem wunsch erscheinen nun zwei der besten tracks auf limitiertem vinyl in einer stueckzahl von nur 500 weltweit.

wie der bootsmann auf der scholle sitzt the micronaut inmitten der tosenden klangfluten unserer zeit. mit versonnenem lächeln lauscht er dem rhythmischen murmeln, angelt hin und wieder einen akkord heraus, mischt ihn mit den bunten fantasiefrüchten seines kleinen eilands und kocht daraus sein ganz eigenes süppchen. diesmal serviert er uns einen durchweg lebensbejahenden hörgenuss namens what else, in dem sich männlicher und weiblicher gesang über entspanntem aber erbaulichem groove vereinen. im remix dazu orientiert sich mollono.bass am song-orientierten charakter des originals, bringt das ganze aber etwas mehr den punkt, an welchem der sound auf der tanzfläche optimal ist. die b-seite fischt dann in den gründen des friedfisch, und zieht zwei nie gehörte remixes zum gleichnamigen debütalbum von the micronaut aus der tiefe. da ist zum einen die einlullend-hypnotische dub techno nummer der lake people, die mairenke auf stehendem subbass anrichten. und zum anderen das perlende klangspiel und die sprudelnden, gebrochenen beats von map.aches version der rotfeder

continuing in a strong and revitalised form that has seen widespread recognition for releases from synkro, troy gunner, szare and stickman, mindset records return with a debut 12 inch for longtime friend of the label, elsewhere. hailing from the same rural locale as sometime production partner stickman, elsewheres infinitely technical productions bear the hallmarks of a studio obsessive, with production values of a higher level helping to deliver three tracks of a unique quality. with productions informed partly by seminal trips to london to stand in front of dmz soundsytems, elsewhere reworks the dystopian dread and power of that sound into something entirely new, with lead track trippin already finding its way into the record bags of akkord, lone, troy gunner and more. bott bott displays intense dynamics with a smartly deployed vocal and a ruthless subbass underpinning a ferocious uk funky influenced drumtrack whilst the espers comes with alternating slices of rude ukg swagger and some subtle atmospheric work.

ladies and gentleman: der dritte raum is back - and this time, its not only with new sounds in well known krüger style, but also with a new label platform: der dritte raum records! fresh and dreamy, thats the sound of the first release, with four tracks full of groove, warmth and the distinctive der dritte raum-funk on board. on all tracks of this release andreas krüger proves he has a firm hold on his analogue machinery - as always - but also shows his connection to contemporary machine music as well as krautrock and psychedelic sounds. inspired by his band project von trips, numerous analogue recordings entered the new material. wre ready to take on summer with this first release on our new label: warm layers and playful details skillfully surround the swinging grooves - you can almost feel the soft breeze of a beautiful summer night touch your skin. just wonderful.

bsssssss...diesmal greifen mirko hensel und andre staedter aka channel x wie mosquitos aus der luft an. angelockt von frischen porensaft stuerzen sie sich im beatrausch auf die emsigen tanzflächen der clubs und saugen sie sich von break zu break mit blutgruppe uy025 voll. da fällt manöverkritik schwer, sitzt doch jeder flügelschlag wie ein akkord auf m steinway und die euphorischen frequenzen blitzen auf wie hornissenstachel. so schön kann also blutspenden sein und dem tropenfieber steht nichts mehr im weg

bsssssss...diesmal greifen mirko hensel und andre staedter aka channel x wie mosquitos aus der luft an. angelockt von frischen porensaft stuerzen sie sich im beatrausch auf die emsigen tanzflõchen der clubs und saugen sie sich von break zu break mit blutgruppe uy025 voll. da fõllt man÷verkritik schwer, sitzt doch jeder fl³gelschlag wie ein akkord auf m steinway und die euphorischen frequenzen blitzen auf wie hornissenstachel. so sch÷n kann also blutspenden sein und dem tropenfieber steht nichts mehr im weg

ein raum, fernab vom allem und doch gleich um die ecke. eine vision zum greifen nahe und doch soweit entfernt. gerahmt von tasten, klappen, poties und kleinteiligen liegen, diskutieren und tanzen marbert rocel durch den winter 2015. in diesem, ihrem leipziger studio fŸhlt die band die lieder zusammen, die im sommer 2014 in einem noch abgelegneren, umwaldeten winkel entstanden. jede entscheidung durch alle kšpfe, jeder akkord von hinten und vorn hunderte male gehšrt, jeder kompromiss ein triumph fŸr die sache. keine streicherarrangements vermitteln hier grš§e, sondern das einvernehmliche nicken, das Ÿber die jahre in marbert rocel entstand. in the beginning ist das vierte marbert rocel album. eine gelebte utopie von freundschaft, ein herber kuss fŸr jeden genreliebenden. hier ist nichts grob gehauen, sondern fein gemei§elt. wie tau perlt das schlagwerk von fŠchernden synths. wie gute freunde empfangen dich die songs. wie tinkerbell leitet spunks stimme durch eine vertraut-fremde welt vorbei an gro§en gefŸhlen und kleinen gesten, um schlie§lich dahin zu fŸhren, wo alles begann in the beginning.

modeselektion vol. 03- kommt erstmals ohne eigenen modeselektor-beitrag aus (vom souleyman-edit mal abgesehen), einfach, weil es so viel gute musik von alten und neuen freunden gab. das ganze ist daher erstmals auf einer zweifach-cd zu haben, au§erdem als digital bundle und, leicht abgespeckt, auch als doppel-12-inch-lp sowie auf zwei ep-auskopplungen auf vinyl. 19 tracks, lauter sŸ§e frŸchtchen. das maskottchen ist diesmal nicht umsonst der ananasaffe.