mikkel metal returns to copenhagen’s echocord this may with his new mini lp ‘just enough light’, comprising six originals from the danish artist. copenhagen based producer and dj mikkel metal has been a beacon of light in the danish electronic music scene and further afield for nearly two decades now, with the dub techno imprint from his hometown, echocord, being the predominant home for his output, whilst also releasing material on cologne’s kompakt, tartelet, semantica and avant roots, a telling sign of the quality embodied in his work. here though we see mikkel deliver a mini album concept in the shape of ‘just enough light’ and opener ‘awake’ perfectly sets the tone with emotive, dynamically unfolding atmospherics, tension building bass drones and spiraling dub chords subtly easing us into the project. ‘bregnan’ then stirs in some classing dub-techno tropes with billowing stab sequences, lumpy subs and off beat high hats carrying the hypnotic groove for six and a half minutes. ‘jech’ then strips things back to an almost beatless amalgamation of murky chords and modulating synth whirrs. opening the flip side of the release is ‘include’ which embraces a brighter feel via ethereal pad swells, jazztinged synth melodies and bumpy 909 rhythms before ‘konkin’ edges back into the eerie, brooding aesthetic with bubbling echoes, broken drums and menacing bass swells at its core. ‘restore’ then closes the package on a stripped-back vibe, laying focus on an ever- eveolving singular dub chord to ebb and flow around thunderous subs, kicks and bright hats.

pun kuyen (moon night) is the second ep of the nguillatun records label. auca immerses us in this album with a first track, curico (black water), with a techno from the depths of the water, dark hypnotism and pulsating loop. puken (winter) is full of cold atmospheres and suspended drones that create tension. lanahue (lost soul) closes the album with a strong and intense original version, and a remix with low frequencies and beats that takes us almost to the mental disconnection, from the hand of svreca, to take our breath away.

since his appearance on soccer96s jupiter masterdrive edits ep (alongside danny krivit and glenn astro flips, also on wotnot ) in 2015, and subsequent eps on wotnot, monologues and sgol, danvers has swiftly become a name to pay attention to. as a regular appearance on co-ops selectors assemble, both live and on their recent comp vol. 2, he s established himself as a new and original voice on the broken beat scene. his recent the future is broken mix series highlights his ear for unconventional dance music, something that makes him extremely at home on the wildly creative wotnot (thanks dj mag). the opening two tracks are strongly in the broken beat vein. mason opens with dreamy, rhodes jazz over a bruk beat with rolling snare fills, lulling us into a false sense of security before switching to an offbeat but irresistible squelchy synth groove. similarly, in aye ata the pulsing chord that slowly grows out of the beat suddenly turns the track around with a rhythmic twist, showing the playful broken beat in a whole new light. there s a house touch throughout the ep, none more so than in 1997, where a bouncing kick, soulful claps and a booming sub provide a steadier basis for laid back rhodes chords and dreamy spoken word samples. as a big influence on danvers music, frits wentink is welcomed onto remix duty with open arms. the wolf music regular brings an otherworldly vibe to his take on 1997 , with enchanting but almost disorienting chord swells and spiralling vocal fx punctuated with crisp snare rolls. the ever-busy danvers recently launched 38 east , a studio space and music community, with warren xlnce . warren s remix of 1997 was a surprise gift to his business partner and collaborator, and is a deeper house cut, joe armon jones (brownswood) rhodes jam over the track bringing a distinct peckham flavour. dj support from ig culture, andwot (touching bass), neue grafik & evm128 (co-op) t williams

its taken almost 3 years to get the man like medlar back on delusions following his 2015 release with dan shake but finally its come together. that release, along with his regular output for wolf, riverette and for discos only has helped cement medlars reputation as one of the leading uk underground house producers and led to official remixes and approved edits for legendary labels tk disco and west end no less! the medlar seal of quality has led to support from such influential heavyweight selectors as dj harvey, gilles peterson and dj koze. kicking things off we see medlar in straight up dance floor mode on title track nrg, coming through with a drum-heavy workout that utilises a gnarly bassline, echoing synth stabs and rasping hats to excellent effect. flip over for his own dub version which strips things back further placing all the emphasis on the bassline and going heavy on the space echo for a tripped out, dubby warehouse vibe tailor made for the freaky hours. closing the ep we have the aptly named tripped which drops the bpm’s for a low-slung mood-setter to warm up the floors with. a simple groove lays the foundation for a rolling bassline while chiming synths weave in and out of the spacious mix.

our boss claude vonstroke is the busiest guy we know. when hes not traveling the world or curating an event, hes in the studio every day putting in hours upon hours, relentless in perfecting his craft. hes had a slew of hits the past couple years in the form of remixes and collaborations, and now with the walay (my bae) ep, claude gets back to some inventive and somewhat out of the box solo works. the title song leads with a melodic riff and an funky vocal that sounds like a defective cyborg is proclaiming love for his partner, walay. this quasi-human uses the slang my bae to try and pass for human and we almost believe in his passion. the sound harkens back to old classic rave tracks but also pushes very modern production techniques. on the flip, raw nerve is an emotional exploration in both sounds and lyrics. a melancholy vonstroke dives deep into his insecurities and fears with sonically mutated lyrics like im feeling so sad, im feeling real bad today. when i see you on the street i dont want to compete. you can feel the social instability oozing out of the vocal only to come back at the close with a violently hard bassline embodying the personal angst and frustration that goes along with not fitting in.

the raw jacking sexiness of ghetto house has always played a big role in the killekill universe. so its high time to put out our first release which goes that direction. italian andrew soul is an artist we have been watching for a while already. when he sent the demo with the extremely raw and dirty tunes that you find on the a-side of this 12inch, the decision was easy: killer stuff which makes you bounce immediately we want to put this out! the b-side comes from dirtbox, who is also one half of snuff crew and therefore has been part of the killekill family for a while already. actually almost from the start. being the musical wizard he is, he can not only make house and acid music and anything else you could think of, but also class a ghetto house. maybe even more classic than andrew souls side but ranging from the percussive style of smmfd and work that to the raw energy of fukk it is definitely in no way less original. shake dat ass!

highlife throws a curveball for its next release with a piece of kwaito from south africas dj call me. a track sweeter than irn bru, we first stumbled across marry me on the radio by the new york dj, sadaf. after a quick search, we found it on youtube with over a million views, only to discover it had been track of the summer(s) back in south africa at the start of the decade. almost a searching for sugarman moment. the track wasn’t available to buy in any kind of format, and so began an elaborate quest to track down the artist via his defunct facebook page. after many an unanswered email and a couple of years persistence, we finally managed to track down a manager still in touch with dj call me, and we’re now involved in some regular whatsapp exchanges with the man himself. after showing it to a select group of dj pals, it began to show up on the id of music facebook group, courtesy of plays by the likes of axel boman, hunee & kornel kovacs. last summer, auntie flo and andrew played at a wedding in beirut and this track got such a massive reaction that weve been dying to share it with you ever since

great return of the classic and pioneer band of the french funk scene! after a long absence, malka family reformed, burned some scenes and composed a new album without changing anything to its magic formula. recomposed with almost all original musicians, they come back today with a new album, le retour du kif. at the heart of a still popular and multicultural marais area in paris, young musicians gather to jam. this is where malka family is formed. their first self-produced album, malka on the beach, was released in 1991, and gigs were immediately chaining up all over france and europe, famous for their eccentric costumed performance and after-parties. in 1992, warner france signs them for a second album tous des oufs, a real p-funk space opera with guests such as sidney, dee nasty, marco prince (fff), or juan rozoff. they will then traveled france, switzerland, italy, holland, denmark, namibia, japan ... and in 1994, the band becomes independent again and records an ep for big cheese records, titled fricassee de funk. after a final tour for the third album, fotoukonkass (bmg) recorded with renaud létang the band finally broke up. at a time when daft punk is using funk artists to support their performance, when bruno mars & mark ronsons uptown funk continues to make the crowds dance, it s time for the original funkateers families to come back and teach a lesson to new generations. after the band reformed and started touring again since 2015, they quickly decided to record a new album and to leave on the roads again

archeo recordings chart a course for the balearics with this laid back delight of overlooked italian island grooves. tony esposito is a long-serving singer-songwriter, and two tracks from his 2004 cd viaggio tribale get a vinyl cut here. dove ce luce gets a special, 90s tinged remix from lucaeffesunset. antonio nicola brunos storia della terra mia is the first of three unreleased tracks from this little known lucan artist, striking a curious note with folk undertones and a sunny disposition. ther s a more dramatic tone to danza e ridanza, which takes on an almost talking heads-esque quality for the b version that closes this high quality 12inch from the ever reliable archeo camp.

so you wanna be a star 24 carat disco gold from 1980 right here. mtume, led by legendary jazz percussionist and all-round musical visionary james mtume had a number of massive hits and can count quite a few classics within their repertoire ( juicy fruit anyone?). this flawlessly arranged, funk drenched jam speaks on the dangers of living life too fast and relying on those who can t be trusted. remember, this was the beginning of the 1980s, the disco era had began to fade amidst the drug hazed excesses of the previous decade, while the music continued forging it s path skyward with tremendous records like this one. so you wanna really has a message and that s not surprising considering it has one of the most underrated production teams behind it in the shape of mtume / lucas. a true gem of the post-disco era. essential and rare. this repress of the original epic promo from 1980 is backed with a brand new re-edit from one of nyc s disco kings mr.k aka danny krivit. with almost half a century spent behind the turntables in nyc and beyond he surely understands records like so you wanna be a star intrinsically, he was, after all, there when it all happened! this classic has been legally reissued by above board distribution in conjunction with the legal rights holders sony music entertainment. this high quality repress features original epic label disco 12inch artwork and has been remastered from sonys original sources by optimum mastering, bristol uk.

a re-mastered re-release of fatima yamaha s debut album from last year. 180grams ... fatima yamahas first release a girl between two world (2004), including the masterpiece what s a girl to do has been lingering since it first came out. the story of what s girl to do is nearly as brilliant as the song itself. it took almost a decade until the world acknowledged the tracks brilliance. after being sampled by hudson mohawke on his 2015 album lantern and much demand, it is finally been reissued on magnetron music alongside dekmantel

new to the stay underground it pays gang, the 11h release on the label comes from one of the most elegant japanese producer we ve heard in ages: motomitsu! we get the chance to get 5 cuts on one ep which is almost a mini album introducing you guys to his astonishing sound. born in 1977 hamamatsu, japan motomitsu is a japanese artist, dj, children s book author, musician, poet, event organizer living in paris. he crosses freely the border of music and arts, literature. he is publishing his children s books and releasing his music. he plays dj as a member of dj team-cracki- in paris, also play the keyboards and accordion for some bands. his art work is influenced by music and poem. he has released tracks on various labels such as cracki, soirée records (detroit) & cherry juice. all in all, another wonderful release that feels straight at home in the stay underground it pays catalogue. skylax always.

losoul returns to action with his first long player in almost ten years, and delivers a stunning collection of compositions for the hypercolour released island time. otherwise known as peter kremeier, the german producer has mesmerized us for many years with his organic and emotive house music, largely released on the influential playhouse label, but of late has seen him release singles for karat and tardis records, as well as his very own another picture label. fans of losoul wont be disappointed, as a diverse yet utterly familiar sound aesthetic pours out over the albums seven tracks in his own inimitable style. the jazzy broken beats of gold tooth shine with their micro-sample chops, whilst mean time is a dense and dubby slow stomp, teasing the drums with space echo and injecting sparse bass work where it matters. inventive, spongy house grooves are delivered on boppin lower and square down smoother whilst the album closer, lava in you is a master class in ambient sonics and shimmering keys over a lo-fi swinging groove. its been over 20 years since losouls signature single open door, and the german producer continues to pour out honest and rewarding music.

ltd repress 2019 - for record store day 2018 rnt ushers in the springtime sunshine with ferias 77 reworks, a collection of brasilian revisions from label co-head jkriv. a longtime lover of brasilian sounds, this 8 song double 12inch compiles reworks he created over nearly a decade, drawing from some of his most revered and respected sources. from the upfront boogie of relaxa, to the stomping babaluae, the tropical funk of rainha do mar, the downtempo sway of era um era, to the almost balearic-leaning doto and more, this mini-album contains a wide swath of brasilian styles and flavors.

the copenhagen based label trtlnck delivers fast paced and functional techno on their fourth v/a vinyl installment. riesenfeld opens the record with ‘auto self’ and ‘white weather’, two groove heavy tracks, while resonant pole takes over the flip-side with ‘eroticism moves’, a more trancelike take on contemporary techno, followed up by modah closing the record with ‘lasue’, a suitable tool for almost any selection. all four tracks are heavily dance floor orientated and bring the sound of the copenhagen club scene on to vinyl.

ghent bassed saxophonist mattias de craene (mdc) has caused a stir in the past few years as frontman of jazz rock sensation nordmann. after their second place at humo s rock rally in 2014, nordmann became one of the most exciting bands in the new golden class of belgian jazz groups. 2018 sees mattias fronting his own project mdciii. flanked by two special drummers - simon segers (de beren gieren / black flower / absynthe minded) and lennert jacobs (the germans / hong kong dong), he takes you on a slightly intoxicating musical trip balancing between psychedelic rock, tribal rhythms and energetic free jazz. the band will release their debut album in october 2018. in the meantime they drop a self-titled ep as a teaser. with two tracks of both over 8 minutes, the listener can acquaint the unique musical melting pot of mdciii. for one of the tracks singer sylvie kreusch (warhaus) was recruited and she makes an almost hypnotic contribution.

from the boom of the international neo-lounge revival italy has become the point of attraction of an almost maniacal interest. there is a lot of research work from different italian labels behind it. thanks to them even the latest generations have the chance to meet the made in italy sound of the soundtracks and library music and even more notoriety has been given to the genial arrangers, composers and musicians who have characterised the italian lounge scene of 60’s/70’s, such as ennio morricone and piero piccioni. a precious recovery of the past to revitalise the present, which builds up new ideas of the future. “metti una bossa a cena”, whose title is completely inspired by the famous soundtrack of ennio morricone, goes on into this research field, discovering very rare tracks of this italian bossa panorama. we believe the result is perfect. gerardo frisina, track compiler of this project, has brought to light some rare tracks and perfectly matched them to create an unique and elegant thread.

ludgate returns to west end communications with a high energy, maximum impakt, club record. ranging from fast paced techno to distorted electro, showcasing a diverse pallet with a more ambient cut to finish. all round 12/10.

joris biesmans tve imprint returns for its third installment, this time featuring it’s eponymous founder front, center and recording under his own name. led by a forward-thinking electro remix from the ever-versatile man power, its another firm display of synth-led versatility, brimming with confidence and charisma. angry baby is an irresistible pressure-pot of stomping house, as playful as it’s name and as demanding as its imaginary infant protagonist, with a truly hypnotic, elastic breakdown proving irresistible in a club context man powers aforementioned remix is less loopy, more analog, with his well-tooled production technique pushing the records texture into altogether more cosmic and overwhelming territory, led by wailing synthesis. back to biesmans for b2, and a more acidic, almost unnerving vision unfolds throughout connecting the dots which does just that, linking futurist, michigan influences with a more floor-focused, european aesthetic.

almost ten years ago, back in november of 2009, before lets play house was even a humble basement-bar and hotel-lobby party, jacques renault quietly released a four-track ep on hole in the sky, an imprint run by canyons leo thomson and ryan grieve, called favicon, that was both a snapshot of new york citys glitter-dusted disco-revival haze and the culmination of the first few years of renaults career through the club circuit. it quickly became a cult classic and set in motion much of what followed for renault it added some fuel to the fire that was runaway, his project with marcos ca

under one of his most notable guises, larry heard is pleased to present a new album for 2018. cerebral hemispheres is his first full length album as mr. fingers in almost 25 years. famous as one of the most important heads in the dance music around the world, larry has enjoyed a successful career as a producer, remixer, collaborator, vocalist and dj spanning 35 years. due for release on his own imprint alleviated records, cerebral hemispheres features 14 new pieces of music that allows the listener to fully immerse themselves and dig deep into larry s musical world.

san francisco in the late 1960. the hotbed of psychedelic and rock culture. the dead, joplin, jefferson airplane and a host of others all gaining mainstream acceptance for their acid tinged work. but the city and the surrounding bay area had so much more going for them. a liberal political outlook and a large african american and latino population, meant that musical and cultural reference points were wider and more easily assimilated there than (almost) anywhere else in the united states. two of the biggest groups to emerge from this scene were santana and sly and the family stone, with their melting pots of sound that took in jazz, soul, rock and latin influence. for a while they were two of the biggest acts in the united states and scores of local bands tried to follow in their footsteps. they were hard acts to follow and very few got to the stage of making a 45, never mind a whole lp. one of the best to do just that were leon’s creation, whose debut lp “this is the beginning” acid jazz are reissuing here. a native of san francisco leon patillo led the group, whose multi racial line-up echoed that of his heroes on the local scene. self contained and gigging locally they made their debut album at the tiny studio 10 who also custom pressed the album in extremely limited numbers the music is a perfect blend of acid soul, mixed with hippie sentiments that will get you dancing on the uptempo numbers such as the title track, ‘back roads’ – with its glorious harmonies and the soaring ‘power’. more thoughtful numbers such as ‘until you were gone’ or ‘love’ will touch your soul. so impressed was carlos santana that he eventually asked leon to join his band.

head honcho samuel deep returns to slapfunk with a solo ep after almost five years. three own tracks and one ingi visions (julian alexander & samuel deep) collab. all high energy club orientated bombs to destroy the dance floor!

“world building” is a blissful and introspective mission into melancholy that wanders over terrain both familiar and unknown. bright and sparse melodies shimmer over icy landscapes, hewn with a careful composition and attention to the most minute detail. ghostly voices swell into symphonic chorus while an analogue rhythm section keeps an almost human-like groove. arguably his most complete work to date, “world building” is a satisfying listening experience with a strong narrative - an auditory tale of an epic journey with warmth and depth from one of europe’s most exciting producers. pressing on green marbled double vinyl.

its almost 20 years ago that hector left mexico to pursue his dream of dj-ing. on this journey, he has learnt that there is no room for complacency, and to stay sharp you need to test your skills. vlack is a new imprint created by hector for techno focused releases, that he also enjoys playing and producing, outside of those deeper more minimal grooves.

while quite a few people are obviously still dwelling in the achievements of munich’s disco era during the 1980s, it seems that another major part of the cities partying scene travels to the same clubs every weekend. here they are getting fed with the plasticized tech house trax that everybody wants, drinking vodka red bull until they almost pass out and walk - if they are still able to - home happily, oversaturated by non-inventive, but good selling music. so far the cliché. fortunately, reality looks a bit different, at least for the lovers of uk bass. in order to make people aware of the city’s flourishing developments in this scene, the grandmasters of ruffhouse and jahmoni records have teamed up for a limited 10”.

fear is the vilest of human emotions - it weakens and corrupts, leaving mistrust and paranoia in its wake. in against the dying light, swarm intelligence embraces and wields fear, all the while breathing life into its rival: hope. to explore these concepts, swarm intelligence turned to horror films for inspiration - choosing dissonance and atonality to create sinister and unsettling melodies, as well as foley techniques to produce disturbing, unnatural sounds. the results are at times vicious and abrasive, at others acquiescent and almost mournful. swarm intelligence s against the dying light marks the first, full-length album on voitax. with moments of seething tension, unrestrained fury and dejection, as well as glimmers of hope - this record may have its roots in industrial techno, but ultimately it defies classification.

currently generating some serious heat and momentum amongst dance music aficionados, man power rocks up with a single for futureboogie that further cements the reputation of this rising british producer/dj. the two original tracks are also backed with a remix from ruf dug. alongside his own very excellent me me me label, man power has been delivering diversely epic releases for labels like esp institute, optimo trax, and correspondant. in its original form, barranquilla trifle features rave-lite stabs and deliciously sweeping pads over woody percussion and an omnipresent studry bassline. a dash of acid darkness only energizes the mood, for what must surely be one of the best ‘sunrise moments’ tracks of the year! ruf dug takes barranquilla further on its trajectory towards summertime vibes the sounds of the ocean sea gently breeze over the soca beat, as the ruf kutz main man adds splashes of percussive hits, huge m1 pads, and melodious keys to the party. more 303 business coats kaon from its opening bars, as man power delivers his second original track on the release. an urgent breakbeat and wandering mega-bass soon evolve into thunderous beats and heady synth arpeggios, an almost post-punk funk atmosphere creeps into the bustling yet succinct ambience.

after an almost instant sell out last time around, london label tone dropout return for vol. 5 of their series of 12-s. an acid washed ep drawing from the ranks of their ever growing family, each of the four tracks celebrates the timeless appeal of the silver boxed 303 after the rain by label regulars the he-men opens with the soothing patter of raindrops, a hypnotic acid line rising from the deluge to morph into a moody house ride drenched in its own outbursts of spectral sound. dawl is also back on home turf with asylum , following a repress of his sought after solo ep for pareidolia recordings. less about seeking refuge than losing your mind it motors along with steely intent, darkly funky bleeps, throbbing acid and industrial percussion embracing the twin legacies of sheffield and detroit. italian dj and producer robbenspierre launched tone dropout s digital offshoot with a full ep last year and makes his vinyl debut for the label with quarta vanitas . bubbling breakbeat house, a trancey euphoric lead and swirling ethereal vocals take you deep into the thick smoke and laser light of the 4am dance floor. in the wake of an appearance on tone dropout vol.4, corporeal face returns with another rave induced vision. trapped on one, the rushing warehouse breakbeats and bass of permo erupt into waves of acid, fractured vocals and serotonin-depleted synths adding a dark edge to the ecstasy.

andreas tilliander released his first album as mokira at the very turn of the millennium on almighty raster noton. 11 years later, the latest mokira album time axis manipulation was issued on ulf erikssons kontra-musik and now it s time to pick up where we left off with chill out . there s an air of happy retrospect and light solemnity surrounding the new album - enhanced by the fact that it marks kontra-musik s 50th release. with chill out , mokira attempts to bring back the dreamlike state from those magical late nights of his youth spent in front of mtv s chill out zone, to go back to his ambient roots using contemporary techniques and perspectives. the result? well, imagine lee scratch perry and klf enjoying an episode of stranger things on a crappy vintage tv after being hard at work burying old tape recordings in perry s tropical garden. imagine them sitting together totally at peace in a big, cosy sofa while a heavy haze is building up in the room, pleasantly affecting the eerie images on the screen. we always knew kontra-musik s 50th release had to be something quite out of the ordinary. as expected, mokira didn t disappoint us one bit. the vinyl lp is accompanied with a download code for a mixed version of the album, containing almost double the amount of tracks. the mixed version makes it easy for the chill out listener to just sit back and let go of reality for a while, just like mokira did 25 years ago in front of his old tv.

uk hip hop’s original and best live band are back with brand new album ‘bring out the sound’, released in march 2018 on bbe music. founded in the early 90s by ollie teeba and jake wherry, the herbaliser have earned every single accolade they’ve received during almost 25 years of touring and recording. best known for delivering a series of groundbreaking albums on ninja tune and providing one of the all-time highlights of the ‘fabric live’ mix series, the herbaliser’s most recent lp ‘there were seven’ was issued on their own ‘department h’ imprint back in 2012. having worked with hip hop royalty such as jazzy jeff and pete rock over the years, not to mention releasing j dilla’s first and last solo albums, bbe are delighted to share in the herbaliser’s musical journey.

initially described as superlative 25th century electronic exotica by cowboy rhythmbox themselves, the fourth ep from phantasys in-house trouble and hitmakers received support from top jocks including dixon, jackmaster and marcel dettmann. now, i’s dynamic lead track is rejigged, expanded upon and shot through with analogue energy by two equally inventive producer pairings. fellow outsiders on the inside of the house of house, israels finest red axes take the first turn, coaxing the cosmos out of the original and allowing the bewildering vocal samples to lead the way through waves of more than pleasurable cosmic tension. soon, with the timing just right, feet to pedals and strobe to hand, the pair unleash a series of distorted guitar licks that blow dust off the stacks, even throwing in a sharp blast of their trademark surrealist vocals for extra freaky fx. on the flip, marvin and guy zone out and hone in on the originals ebm-indebted elements to contribute a trippy, wave-riding electro rework that oscillates irresistibly. teasing listeners with a playful, almost naive synth line, the mood shimmers instead with uncompromising acid, as the pair ultimately push the modulars into strange and hypnotic territories to get lost in.

b-stock - plastic cover is broken - music = mint .... 3 years on, and after their first critically acclaimed album on versatile, five steps (aka jonathan fitoussi and clemens hourrière), who have been likened to the godfathers of the synthesizer genre (think suzanne cianni, françois bayle or morton subotnik and you re almost there!) are back with espaces timbrés a brand new episode in their exploration of the legendary modular synthesizer - the buchla, specially crafted for versatile records. after 2 years of tireless work, ever pushing and furthering their musical research, fitoussi and hourrière reveal to us new territories, textures, sounds and feelings to explore with the help of the equally legendary i:cube on mixing duties to add even more sonic reflections and mixing desk wizardry. this one s a hyper-jump into the future made possible through a machine from the past, giving birth to those most captivating of electronic mantras... dive in, the water s warm!

mindblowing afro soul music from ivory coast served up by an obscure artist who only recorded four albums in between 1979 and the beginning of the 80’s. he created an original funky fusion with bété langage. a selection of four amazing tracks recorded in abidjan on two different records label called war records and as records. the music here is a mixture of funk with heavy basslines, traditional percussions, funky guitar riffs, nice horns section and lyrics in beté. the song «demonde» is inspired by harmonies of the famous «dance to the drummer beat» by herman kelly. those two rare records were found by afrobrazilero aka djamel hammadi and never appeared on the vinyl market. it’s almost impossible to have infos about this singer and composer neither the musicians involved in the recording sessions. most of the trace of the recording session were lost by the labels we licensed the tracks with. unique, pressed on a deluxe vinyl, remastered by the carvery, this very funky album is a must have for all the afro funk lovers!

polytechnic youth enter the fray once again, continuing an already productive year (these new 45s are 4/5/6th releases in 2018 already!) with a trio of quite brilliant yet totally different 45s.
alpár aka hungarian bálint zalkai, is the co-founder of farbwechsel, the budapest based record label, and his own recordings of electronic compositions (often built upon random looping sequencers in a minimalist style) are key to the label’s release output thus far. his goal as he sees it is to “catch a random pattern, loop it and build up a piece with that randomly pulsing theme. just let to flow the voltages and sound waves and try not to disturb them or change their basic behaviours”.
the two tracks here were recorded with this approach very much in mind. the atmosphere of “mejiro” is “not unlike a bird observation. attempting to find the right spot, getting closer and closer to the bird, which almost controls you and your movements as you attempt to near it”. whereas “wakayama” is a more direct piece, and maybe the most melodic song alpár ever recorded. while “mejiro” is a woozy, cautious piece, “wakayama is like a tropical fruit or the ume, (the japanese apricot), colourful and full of flavour yet -with thanks to- the slowly humming theme in the background, an element of sourness grips you at the back of your tongue as it ends!
a beautiful pair of tracks released as a double a side 45 early march 2018. pressing of 250 numbered copies.

with their new horizon ep, lucien & the kimono orchestra open a music box which transports you in a blue and dawnish atmosphere, a morning spent on walking in an old cinematic paris. first step in the eighties, connection starts as a film opening. then arrives the single, fresh start, full of indelible voices and gimmicks. horizon, sung in french, is a delicate reference to the french songwriting tradition inherited from michel berger, alain chamfort or alain souchon. to get some breath back between two songs, georges, offers a strong instrumental interlude. almost at the end, the english-spoken shell extends the panel of influences with its downtempo emotion. with its spontaneous declamations and slick guitar riff, asile closes the journey, as the splendid climax of the foursomes second ep.

slow glass is not only the debut release by le frère it is also a very personal diary of the last two years of his life. all four tracks are based on recordings, samples and ideas he collected while travelling the world. with the concept of slow glass in mind le frere tried to catch moments of his life without stripping them of their dynamic and evanescence. the ep starts with lots of positive energy and light but already reveals glimpses of the shadows that slowly emerge throughout the following tracks. nice is a lightly humming version of an (almost) innocent summer morning. it s a collage of field-recordings, synth-pads and manipulated guitar sounds. candid is a light and open dialog between a simple guitar theme and a playful synth-arpeggio. v1b1n creates the dense atmosphere of a rainy caribbean afternoon dominated by field recordings and everyday noises. nttt8-sets a counter point to the previous three tracks as the energy of le frere s travels cumulates in nttt8, making it a more dance-floor oriented piece carried by a dark and heavy bass-line and almost rave-sirens.

with its seventh release, new york trax welcomes the revival of john selway’s semblance factor alias. selway became an indispensable element of the history of the new york sound by virtue of building an extensive catalog of high quality releases spanning almost three decades and multiple genres of electronic music. from his first electronic band chaotic sound matrix, to his major contributions to the early productions of deep dish from his first success in the techno world as part of the seminal new york duo disintegrator to the most successful of his collaborations, smith & selway, and his deep and minimal techno label csm, from the intelligent electro-funk of synapse and serotonin records, the electro and synth-pop of memory boy to the wild improvisational eclecticism of the rancho relaxo allstars, selway has created one of the richest bodies of work in the world of electronic music. defiance ep is a venture into hard-hitting electro, acid, and raw industrial-leaning and experimental sound. below the intense threshold of sound, there is a message for todays complacent society

clear vinyl , london s silverlining continues the series with an ep of fresh tracks from his new west norwood studio. written on the road, during the summer of 2017, between the backwoods of canada and the hills of southern spain, these tracks were then re-patched and mixed down on almost the same set-up as his 90s productions that have defined this label.

sudd records make the leap to vinyl with the help of detroit champ gari romalis. abstraxx (linear mix) kicks off the record in a heady fog of undulating pads, the smoke positively drifting out of the speaker cones over a simple, deep-as-you-like drum pattern. dark ryda (sunset mix) gets a little more funk in its rhythm, but the same mellow mood prevails, almost reaching dub techno levels in its atmospheric chord swells. heat (bout that life mix) takes things out of the darkness and into a lighter frame of mind, but romalis is still firmly in the deep end of the deep house pool with this final cut on the record.

those wizards of digging psychemagik doing the business once again. hot on the heels of last year s monstrous gotta hold on me / wildman they re letting folks know that they were still out there searching in the darkest recesses of the last 40+ years of popular and unpopular music, and boy oh boy are they good at it! the trip lives up to it s name. the track kicks off with some ultra beefed up psychedelic shenanigans, swirling, cacophonous sounds whirl and sweep and gradually drag us into the holographic tunnel, gradually giving way to some heavyweight drums and percussions and unfurling into a muscular psych-discoid beast. this one will send the kids crazy and will undoubtedly cause some damage in the club, both sonically and mentally. but what is the original? we hear you say... answers on a postcard please. sisters of the moon on the flip-side is a very different animal - all laid back, laconic steel-guitars and thundering slo-mo drums and percussion. the dark side of a rural witchcraft dream exposed here, almost menacing... and then? those vocals spring out of the mix amidst the throbbing sexually charged atmosphere and drag us back into the realm of near reality with sultry moans and groans. this one s woozy alright, but in the best possible way. so wrong, it s right and possibly the natural soundtrack to too many of those strange shots that that guy in the weird hat gave us earlier when we entered that country pub. what guy? i hear you ask.... ultimate freak-disco and deepest druid funk for the discerning and psychedelically inclined record consumer.

the levels of deep that trinidadian deep can reach with his sound are almost unfathomable, and he s at it once again for deepartsounds. as if he needed any help getting down low, sarignia bonfa lends her steamy vocals to i need you- and the trademark trini sound gets into a whole new realm of sensuality. fusion pulls things out of the boudoir and into the sunlight, bringing some of that infectious, uplifting soul to the table that he made his name on. future funk places some synths at the front of the mix and sharpens the edges of the drumming, giving the brain one last blast before allstarr motomusic steps up for a remix of i need you that goes down very smooth indeed.

having previously appeared alongside tommi vicari jr on a 12inch last year, opto mystics strike out on their own with this 12inch for italian powerhouse vibraphone. new horizon very much represents the new school approach with the long serving italian house label, keeping that deep, melodic quality but embracing new rhythms, tones and approaches. new horizon almost has an akufen quality to it, while bucky triangle could easily transmit from the motor city house scene. m.i.y.e. is a swirling blur of gorgeous synths, and -suddent- finishes the ep off on a surprisingly experimental tip.

italian techno producer distant echoes presents the first ep of the new year -rough waves-, a four-track pack out on the berlin-based, southern-italy born out-er label.
distant echoes has been building a name in the last few years since he debuted on the dystopian label in 2014 and toured all around the world, yet, he s been producing and playing electronic/house/techno music since almost two decades. as out-er co-founder, he previously released music before the beginning of his bond with dystopian. in the last years, while distant echoes has mostly focused on releasing on dystopian, out-er has indeed expanded its range of collaborations worldwide, by putting out music from juan atkins, orlando voorn, terrence dixon and more.
distant echoes now readies the first installment on his own label with his newest moniker, showcasing his typical sound: deep, intense grooves and gloomy soundscapes crafted with exceptional productional accuracy.

two of dance musics hottest producers coalesce on the latest hot creations release. frank storm and matteo spedicati bring us gimme tha honey, a throbbing three-track ep that gifts us with a rework from robsoul label boss phil weeks. frank storm reveals -this is our first collaboration which was born a year ago in our studio in barcelona. we share the same passion for our own definition of the ghetto sound, blending fresh and techy vibes.” with this inspiration they weave an almost menacing vocal into the pulsating bassline of lead track gimme tha honey. the phil weeks remix brings a slither of light with a shower of synths and warm, bubbling bass. the ep closes with the long wait shaking the record into heavier terrain, as the industrial keys are underpinned by a flurry of tough drums. frank storm has been a key player on the white isle having played at some of the island’s biggest clubs, space, sankey’s, pacha, ministry of sound and zoo project, as well holding down a residency at the night unusual suspects. matteo spedicati began releasing music in 2006 and has received support from ricardo villalobos and richie hawtin. since then he’s gone on to work with such high profile names as joseph capriati and mendo, as well as releasing records on an abundance of top labels.

debut single breakthrough introduced the insanely catchy but deeply soulful blend of synths and groove, but here on the album that is explored to the fullest with longer breakdowns and more expansive, experimental solos. pocket 5 displays the, possibly unexpected, influences of broken beat and almost combative rhythm playing - particularly in the complex guitar and keys breakdown where koor and o keefe layer conflicting time signatures and battle to ride it out to the heavy drum return.

beware, discomatin is back. in 2018, the parisian crew of diggers and dj’s originally known for their edits goes official with fully licensed and remastered reissues. for this new adventure, they chose an incredible in-demand french boogie ep from diva, an eighties funk band from bordeaux. diva only released one ep with la nuit, a sentimental, almost poetic boogie banger with great synth, guitar and vocal parts. the track could honestly have been a radio hit in the eighties with some real promotion. today, it’s still time to make it right and it is already an anthem in the french underground disco scene. originally on the b side of the 1985 original release on cactus, la nuit is here available with its two different versions (12inch and 7inch mix) and comes also with prise au piege, a more synth-pop influenced funk track which gave its name to the original release. the band was formed by gabrielle andriampanana, alex louisor and olivier renoir. before diva, these last two already played together in the local new-wave band bolton which was one of the first of the area to use synthetisers. even if they had a small recognition at the time, the original release stood quite underground. thanks to discomatin, its now available to the real connoisseurs and still with the fantastic illustrations of french artist camille de cussac on the back cover.

it’s been almost three years since ressort imprint label head ekserd released his first and last solo ep to date. now - in late 2017 – the young, drum-loving artist finally comes back with a new set of tracks and even a whole new label. drive 99 will have its full focus on the tempo, the drive and the looks of the late 90s and early 00s, just the way ekserd loves to play things on the clubs soundsystems.

the ecstatic sounds of a fruit machine spewing out winnings or a computer game bleeping a player upwards to the next level chirp and bleep all over ‘true beauty (and other things), a jubilant and chaotic tape from philadelphia’s nah aka michul kuun. his first release under new alias michul kuun, the seven track album lurches between church bells, angsty video game chimes and battered drums (kunn pummelled drums in punk band 1994! in the past). there are flashes of mutated house and techno (“threes, threes, threes” and “written house”) as panicky, stammery rhythm structures are built up, battered down then kicked around. “taking station” seems like it’s going to be the most mellow, almost melodic jam, then rounds off with a solid minute of air horn, before exiting on what sounds like a motorbike through a swooshing traffic for jittery finisher, “follow thruu”. - claire sawers, for wire magazine