when the tsa agent left a little note in mike huckaby s dj case at the airport instructing him to protect the records that he dj s with, little did he know that mike huckaby would be compiling his first lp. a collection of previously released tracks that have been in demand ever since. all tracks are much louder now, and are remastered. this is also a collection of too many classics, produced by mike huckaby. enjoy

nice price deal !!! turquoise records debuts its first vinyl release staying true to both worlds of deep house and house music, produced by armando mendes and featuring larissa kapp (freerange, suol, raygun records). also it comes with an amazing remix and dub mix by techno legend oliver kapp (indulge records, logistic records, stockholm ltd). the original mix is very house/balearic oriented with jacking house beat driving bassline and a very catchy vocal arrangement by larissa. on the other side the dub mix is quite pumping as well with the vocal hook, and foggy cinematic lead keys...

definitive tech house talent nick curly is back with the first of many exciting new releases for 2017. entitled amnezia, it comes on 8bit, his most long running label, and packs a real punch. by now, curly has a refined signature sound that keeps people dancing all over the world. his productions continue to come on esteemed labels like truesoul, drumcode and hot since 82’s knee deep in sound, and he remains an in-demand remixer as well as busy dj who plays everywhere from ministry of sound to timewarp mannheim to warung beach club. also keeping busy with his own events series trust, this german tastemaker has never been busier. the standout title track is a robust affair with tightly coiled drums, slick and funk inducing hits and lots of building tension and masterful release. it is the sort of locked-on groove that keeps floors pumping for days. the excellent ‘second lick’ is less physical and direct and instead goers deeper. it is riddled with emotive synth lines and has train track drums and perc that you simply cannot ignore. with rich and rubbery sub bass propping up the whole thing, this one is sure to make a mark. this is another landmark release from nick curly that is sure to be the sound of the spring and summer to come.

limited edition of 1000 copies for rsd 2017.
soul brother records are delighted to release for record store day 2017 one of the most elusive soul lp’s of all time, a truly holy grail album. susan phillips ‘soft sexy soul’ was recorded for sylvia robinson’s all platinum label 1971, pressed in small quantities. few copies have ever surfaced, it is so rare that many collectors doubt if it was ever released, it is not listed on discogs and it has never been recorded as selling on ebay. if an original copy were found today, it would surely sell for a substantial amount of money. the album has that classic early 70’s new jersey orchestrated soul sound. the album contains the in demand 2-step single ‘he knows my key (is always in the mailbox)’, the northern soul floater ‘answer to my prayer’, detroit sounding ‘please don’t keep me lonely’ the multi paced ‘where do i go from here’ and many great ballads like ‘he’s gone’ and ‘this i’ll guarantee’. demand from soul collectors is expected to be high and this album is likely to sell out quickly in the same way that last years ‘this is eleanore mills’ (also from all platinum) and all the previous soul brother records rsd releases have.

germany-via- artist osker offermann, the owner of leading label white presents us a quality dou-bled package on the mule, strongly effecting his meditated mindsets. as well as his dj sets, his crafted productions have a superb balance between being not too exces-sive, but not being too minimalistic - creating the dynamism which make people move, based on his own aesthetic featured with well-polished, functional electro phrases and raw machine beats. because of its floating grooves, will be nice for club use, but also surely will be a good accompany for the home-listening. oskar continually points forward us the fact, that listening to deep house is no longer meandering journey, but something meaningful and fruitful in your life.

as much as, in modern days, it has become increasingly difficult to pin things down to a specific genre this release brings very defined genres but also a refreshing feature, a constant change of energy in one single track, and most importantly, it all comes with this modern feel to it which indicates it is the new generation rising making justice to what ultrastretch stands for, surfacing fresh and new talents. signed by austrian duo foehn & jerome. the a side is of the ep consists of the genius idea that it is a relatively simple track, however, with the feel that so much is happening, the type when you listen to a loop but one you can listen to forever and not get tired of it, always the best sign. a rolling and constant bassline makes it into a super fat and rounded dancefloor groover, while on top you have these fragments of chopped up vocal samples in and out creating a sense of confusion, a mind drilling element is then complemented by very loose and fine hihats floating around. on the b side starts with quirky minimal track with a galloping kick throughout, when the open hihats slam in with a vocal it quickly develops into a very happy and playful housy vibe and just when you are riding, the clap slams in now on a tighter hat sequence followed by the break and rebuilding, when it comes back however it adds another element changing the energy yet again, through introducing a synthline. the quirky frog sounding noises throughout certainly makes it a super witty track overall.

after some releases on several interesting label in the techno scene, reform make return to etruria with their strong new ep called “checkmate-, which includes two remixes from the soma talent charles fenckler and the belgian amelie lens . first original is a melodic track characterized by hypnotic synths which interchange everytime in the arrangement and also dirty and powered drums. amelie version’s express exactly her style, giving to the tracks something magic with the vocals added, making a very true and enigmatic game of chess. second original instead is dominated by a strong pad, which fill up the mix, blowing up in the break and giving an epic feeling to the ensemble. charles’s remix is techno with no excuses: raw powerful and groovy, is the perfect end for this pack, giving a much more underground touch to the release.

tobias. returns to ostgut ton with his third full length eyes in the center and expands the musical narrative laid out by his helium sessions ep (o-ton, 2016). the berghain resident keeps exploring the vast modular synth-driven techno, experimental and ambient territories on a journey in-between genres. tobias freund is long established as an influential artist and has – since the early 1990s – been working as a professional producer, sound engineer, label owner and strictly live musician. besides his early solo projects (such as pink elln, metazone or phobia) he’s also been collaborating with dandy jack (as sieg Über die sonne), ricardo villalobos (as odd machine), max loderbauer (as nsi.), valentina berthelon (as recent arts) and atom tm to only name a few. with his vast experience, diverse output and interests, tobias. doesn’t tire to actively push against existing boundaries and explore new areas of electronic music.

it really feels like we (aka mad mats & tooli) have been around way longer than 5 1/2 years with local talk, but it s really true what they say, time flies when you re having fun! from what started as a somewhat simple and almost primitive urge to create a small house imprint has now grown into a much bigger affair. we really tried hard to keep the label from getting stuck in any genre (remember 90s house?) and to always keep the local talk relevant, curious, diverse and with a healthy dose of underground mentality. from our very first release with bassfort s excellent moon shadow in the summer of 2011, we had a crystal clear vision of what local talk should represent...house music in any way, shape or form! over the years we released soulful, disco, jack, afro, vocal, deep, jazz, tech, latin, old school, acid, uk, berlin, new jersey, detroit and of course chicago inspired house music. if it made us bump...we put it out! this brings us up to today and about +80 releases later. we thought about how we best could sum up these first 5 1/2 years and immediately the image of blaze s classic album 25 years later popped up. besides the fact that it s an amazing album cover it also a good representation when different musical genres fuse together. it s not strictly a house album but just as well a r&b, reggae and soul album. this fusion and variation of house sounds is something that we ve tried to capture on our 5 1/2 years later compilation, split into two parts. on part 2 you ll find a high energy disco rub from parisian s3a, a truly deep and soulful vocal jam from boddhi satva & sly johnson, a deep uk garage production from smbd (aka simbad), a dark and electronic affair from toto chiavetta (yoruba) and finally a musical acid number with that magical bristol touch from newcomer marcel lune. all in all we think we got most angles covered and hopefully this album will make you spread that chalk on the dance floor and get down...local talk style

stockholm-based mikael jonasson is a long serving dj and producer who continues to push the boundaries of modern club music with his amazingly crafted techno productions. with past releases on labels like drumcode, figure, octopus recordings and phobiq, mikael has earned the support from the key players all around the globe and now makes his first appearance on darknet with three quality cuts on dissonance ep , also including a remix from austrian techno-rave master niereich.

jos & eli might seem unknown to many electronic music lovers but they have been releasing great music since 2013. they have been sending me music for a long time and i think we have spend about a year developing this first release on noir music, making sure it represented their debut on the label perfectly.
when you hear the adrenaline hunt release you will notice that the 2 guys from tel-aviv have developed into a great production team over the years and these 3 tracks included here are not only cleverly crafted for the deeper dancefloors but can also be enjoyed on home stereo’s.

floor fillers reminiscent of early prodigy-style breakbeat, accompanied by a neurotic acid gem and an ambient version of the title track. the r raves on! with whats going on, electronic emergencies turns back the clock to 1993. by then, dutch brothers the r had made a name for themselves with releases like rave the planet on legendary proto techno label esp, and the four previously unreleased tracks on whats going on were also created during the heyday of dutch pre-trance techno house

the sound of detroit by one of its unsung heroes, amp fiddlers new album motor city booty coming straight off the d funk assembly line, a full on dance floor affair from motown to p-funk, techno and neo soul. this 12 track album produced by amp fiddler & yam who? includes the massive soul fly sounding like a mark ronson production had he been hanging out with george clinton s parlet followed by the bonafide p-funk anthem steppin both featuring the stunning vocals by the dames brown girls. amp fiddler is credited for taking both a young j dilla and also q-tip under his wing teaching them his akai mpc techniques, setting the path for some of hip hops finest recordings which have defined the shape of things to come. his musical collaborations & current duties include: moodymann s musical maestro, keyboard wizard for theo parrish s live band, a longstanding funkadelic member, co-writer for sly & robbie, prince, maxwell, jamiroquai & seal to name a few.

ltd coloured edition
from his early releases as lusine onward, jeff mcilwain’s electronic explorations make up one of the more diverse discographies of the past decade and a half. effortlessly blurring the lines between techno, electro-pop and experimental composition, the texas-raised/seattle-based producer’s arrangements are meticulously constructed, but also filled with emotion and soul. with an introspective turn that’s hinted at in the record title, lusine’s fourth album for ghostly sees mcilwain diffusing the pop-leanings of 2013’s the waiting room with opaque, brush-stroked melodies washing over these new buoyant productions.
the double vinyl release includes a download code.

another certified 90s hip hop anthem on 45 for the first time courtesy of 5 borough breaks. original flavour s -can i get open- was an underground smash at the time and is also notable for one of the very first times global rap star jay-z appeared on wax - classic material no doubt. as always, the b-side reveals one of the sample sources for the track, this time young holt limited s -wah wah man- providing the neck snapping drums.

slam city jams is back with its second release, produced by young brussel based artist kassett. this multi-talented dude not only makes great music, but also does visual arts (look at that amazing fanzine coming with the record) and has his own label & artist collective called midlife. kassett aka gavin vanælst isn’t about genres, but about emotions when it comes to his music. however, asking him what he would call the sound he makes, his simple answer is: rave ambient. the all i feel 1 million ep‘ is a record full of diversity. it reaches from emotional and dreamy, arp-based ambient tracks with rave and trance references, to broken beats, weird synth solos, up to a rough but melodious techno tune. finally the cherry on top of this special ep, is a remix by lobster theremin regular imre kiss. he delivered a dark and dubby version of the a2, that sounds like it was recorded underwater.

we are very much excited to support this re-issue, credited by jacob f. desvarieux, a composer and also well known as the guitarist of kassav - the only-one band which continually embodies the word zouk- for last few decades. a1 is the tune showing us psychedelic guitar phrases fused together with wobbling heavy synthesizer. you’d better hurry to get the copy for this song, since this is just simply a killer. besides it, a2 is also a tropical danceable tune with moving bass and impressive vocoder chorus, makes everyone literally -emotional- on the floor. kuniyuki joins with more deep spacey re-edit on the b side, probably we need few words to describe this man in our bio because of his right craftsmanship. following re-issue could be expected from us in near future. grab one and find yourself in caribbean exotica!

umm have returned in fighting form after a 10 year hiatus. this influential imprint, also known as underground music movement are the ambassadors to organic italian house.

we are extremely happy to welcome jerome meyer aka von d in the evergrowing moonshine recordings family. von d, is renowned for his ability to fill dance floors, fuse genres and hold his own in collaborations with some of the biggest names in the underground music. with three albums and multiple eps under his belt for labels such as black acre, boka or argon, he is also recognized for featuring exclusive and unreleased dub or dubstep tunes, alongside his own music. with regular shows in europe, asia, new zealand, australia and five tours in the usa, his world fan base is testament to his skill. von d is on an increasingly prolific trajectory since last year. recent 12’s on scrub a dub and khaliphonic (zamzam), and forthcoming tunes on lion charge and moonshine have signaled his renewed focus on dubwise productions. the french producer is going back to his musical roots. he continues to evolve his style and sound, touring around and setting clubs on fire night after night.

ra+re, pronounced rare is a paris based female only record label. the name of the label, ra+re records, describes precisely what it aims to represent: rare, underground, unique and meaningful music. ra+re records wants to gather talented feminine artists that will spread their sound and sensibility all over the world. ra+re records is excited to present its 5th release, signed by the argentinian artist, victoria engel, vinyl only. this new ep blends dub-techno sounds and an aerial and mind-blowing atmosphere. keeping the groove and the feminity of all ra+re records release. also, the talented dutch artist, andrea cichecki marks an amazing remix very minimalistic and powerful.

the divergent label is set to build on the success of its first release with a standout second single this spring, this time from exciting new artist end to end, co-produced by label boss bimas. the single also features a remix from the head honcho as well as stephan krus and is another fine package that is set to further cement the reputation of this up and coming imprint. paolo aliberti is an italian artist who has worked with labels like melodica and stealth since starting out in the 80s. his big and bouncy techno sound has a focus on melody, groove and harmony, and he recently linked with the ceo of media records to start this new alias end to end

optimo music presents -miracle steps (music from the fourth world 1983 - 2017), a 2 x lp compilation of fourth world music compiled by jd twitch & fergus clark. also available as a digital release.

siince the release of his debut album, substantial, in 2004, volker bertelmann – aka hauschka – has, slowly but surely, earned a remarkable reputation as a purveyor of imaginative, distinctive, prepared piano music. this isn’t, to be fair, a heavily populated field, but it’s one he’s made his own, and while some might have dismissed his work early on as a novelty, bertelmann has proven himself to be uncommonly inventive, coaxing ever more unprecedented, euphonic sounds and rhythms out of his instrument. even so, on what if – which finds him adding player pianos (also known as pianolas) to his armoury – bertelmann expands his range even further, defying expectations and delivering what is without doubt his most ingenious album yet.
the vinyl release includes a download code.

saint & don t introduces it s second vinyl release, this time we have one of our favorite producers that needs no introduction. felipe valenzuela delivers -prototypes-, some selected tracks from his music series, where he shows the eclectic side of his career, this release also includes a collaboration with dorian paic (raum...musik), reshaping prototype 23 togheter.

incredible repress of rick wilhites 2004 ep on chicagos still music imprint. pure detroit beatdown house music, featuring some stellar remix and production work from the legendary delano smith too! city bar reopen live dancing is the opening track, a down-low, funk drenched late night mover that s full of soul with killer vocals from the amazingly monikered billy beemer aka bill beaver. this one s a cult track, underground house music for dancers! 2 mixes of magic water also appear on this essential 12inch, a collabo between rick and delano which is all that needs to be said really! as you can imagine this one is deep a subdued groove that slowly blooms and unfolds until you re totally locked in and it s too late! all in all, a timely reissue of a mid 2000s classic 12inch overflowing with rick wilhites unique style and flow, one of detroit’s most unsung heroes.

dolphin dance is the second release by d. briggs on the brooklyn based -stray current- label. on this limited run of 300 hand-stamped copies briggs combines driving dance beats with rough analog synth tones to create a set tunes that will move the floor. the title track has also been remixed by wt label owner willie burns. on his remix, burns strips the track down to the bone and drenches it in reverb, giving it a darker mood and a pummeling melody.

having honed his sound on a string of feted self-released cassettes released on his own harsh riddims label - which has also put out everything from bizarro hip hop to gleaming synth pop - and dropped a hyped 12” released on the cgi imprint, the healthcare ep finds fit of body delivering his most accomplished work to date. five woozy original tracks jammed out on second hand drum machines, bass guitar, cheap mics and creaking synths, this is techno as it was first imagined, raw machine soul made for strange times and unknown futures.

gut zwölf jahre ist es her, dass james blunt mit »you’re beautiful« seinen ersten hit hatte. sein debütalbum »back to bedlam« erreichte gleich in mehreren ländern platz eins der charts und wurde weltweit mit platinauszeichnungen geehrt. seither veröffentlichte der britische singer-songwriter drei weitere alben, die ebenfalls alle die spitze der charts eroberten.
beste voraussetzungen also für album nummer fünf, für das sich blunt das »who is who« der songwriterszene ins boot holte und auf dem er wie ausgewechselt klingt. hier ist »the afterlove«.
die vinyl-lp erscheint inklusive downloadcode.

in 2014, k’valentine linked up with javotti media, a label owned by hip hop star talib kweli, and began to work on her third mixtape, million dollar baby. million dollar baby finds k’valentine rhyming over tracks that are new as well as her versions of existing hits, giving the listener a well rounded perspective of a young lady that can lyrically spar with the best of them. you can also find k’valentine’s contributions to the world of music on javotti media’s mixtape, the cathedral, which placed k in the company of esteemed artists such as big k.r.i.t. joell ortiz, curren$y, niko is and more. in 2015 k was featured on the joint album from talib kweli and 9th wonder, indie 500 and in 2016 she was featured on the latest javotti media’s mixtape, awful people are great at parties, with production from some of the top names in the game including kaytranada, hi tek and the late great j dilla. k’valentine’s love for music has given her a calling, and she is here to answer that call. the music she makes is not just wonderful for the listener, but has also been her therapy to get through life’s trying times.as beautiful as she is talented, her experience is valuable and her voice is needed. her debut album, here for a reason, is now set to be released. experience k’valentine and enjoy!
the vinyl release includes a download code.

the cold busted label unearths more funky nuggets from the fertile russian soil with this brilliant 7“ single from moscow’s anatoly ice. dj, producer, and host of the funk and beyond parties and radio show (running for nearly ten years), anatoly ice has been drawn to the swing of a phat beat for a long while. this single bursts with old school funk and new school attitude, beginning with ”something happened (2me)“. a vintage drum kit and melodic horns are joined by a big hip hop rhythm as the vocals and horn section are expertly cut up and rearranged. the song’s catchy hook – also the title – is left nearly intact and should playfully dance around any b-boy’s head as he does his thing. flip the record for ”light”, which exhibits a strutting breakbeat and some g-funk sauce in its prominent synth line. funky piano, guitar, and bass provide the backdrop, soundtracking a midnight cruise through the bad (as in good) part of town. hold tight … anatoly ice is at the wheel.

balance recording introduces another underground imprint * balance traxx* inspired by time spent in italy , this new series called (word of mouth) also * parola di bocca*. this 4 tracker feature something old and something new. a new imprint project with chez damier and ben vedren new joint venture h2h called * road trip* a house grove with a limited mix by hugo lx. the project also features chicago producer garrett david (courtesy of balance ) with this underground track that s been played at the panorama bar over the last year, we also bring you the classic by chuggles * thank you* produced by ralph lawson and chez damier with remix by uks classic underground producers xpress2, the last track is a remix of french connection * speechless* with remix by italian producer nicholas. the project was created as a dj tool project.

totes preesh make tracks for your ears. sean marquand and patrick wood of new york city have created these sounds for you and your friends and tooled them to perfection, for your pleasure. whether youre at home, or in the club, or driving around in your car, looking for drugs, you can count on these guys to soundtrack your day correctly. they were featured on 2015s mangiami - la compilation on golf channel recordings, but this is their first 12inch. they are here to make you bump to a cosmic sound that is sexy and pristine, and yet, also feels exactly like two buffalo boys going round the outside, round the outside. double a-side alert. first up head shop boys, a kicky, kinky, neon affair, perfect for late-night debauchery on the flip, haole is a straight up trip with some serious old school new york flavour, and will undoubtedly prove to be the worlds first crossover drive-time club banger.

our next release is coming from phil evans. phil is also part of the new generation of dj’s and producers that are hailing from the rhein-main area around frankfurt. together with his best mate markus sommer he is running the label pager records. he caught our attention already a while ago and so we were quite happy to receive the tracks for this ep from him. he has a lot of personality in his productions already and his musical range is also quite large going from hip hop to house, but also more stripped down stuff or chicago house references can be found in his music selection and influences. besides that he is a lovely and very sympathetic young man and so it is definitely worth keeping an eye on him, because he is on fire.

the fourth series of silent movie sounds opens with beautiful house tune by nemanja krstic, producer of the memorable track novi beograd on the ninth my love is underground release. queen of deep house, lady blacktronika also features on a side with a slow jam with japanese influence. speaking of the land of the rising sun, opening the b side of rhr 012 is yoshiki tsuchiya aka miruga, who already was part of the label on rhr 006 with his compatriots. seal bient, producer from yekaterinburg makes his vinyl debut with the mesmerizing track slavery

yann leguay is a brussels-based french artist. his approach to sound design for installation, performance and film centers on the materiality of sound. both as visual artist, sound maker and reverse, he has participated in numerous exhibitions and festival in europe and beyond. he also composes sound tracks for artist s films and participates in choreographic projects (with ula sickle, studio kabako...).

in its five years dgtl has carved its style and sound worldwide as one of amsterdams staple dance music institutions. this year the organisation is deepening its focus and vision. therefore dgtl is launching its own imprint dgtl records. the label builds on the festivals musical theme of an evocative cross section of the sounds and styles showcasing forward thinking, cutting edge artists. the one to kick off the new imprint will be the bulgarian hardware wizard kink. best known for his live performances, teemed with explosive energy, which for a consecutive year puts him to the no.1 spot of live acts on ra poll, he is also one of houses most in demand producers. kink has worked with dgtl for quite some time, including last years audiovisual installation transmission tower, where the first track neutrino was born. the melodic neutrino , kicks off with syncopating bassline. its interconnecting layers organically jump over and under each other, reflecting the organic character of kinks live performances, where every knob touch and turn matters. on the latter, he built the b-sider dynamo: i loaded my favourite element from neutrino in my computer and i tweaked the sound through various weird devices in my studio, till it sounded like a completely new track. as usual, he added a few endless loops on the record, for the adventurous djs, exclusively for the 12inch. the idea for the dgtl records artwork is to feature a different visual/graphic artist from the dgtl art program every year starting with the cover from tim buiting and his graphical visual of the liege train station, designed by calatrava for this years releases.

repress of the original vinyl release on mff back in 2001. newly re-mastered for 2017, angies fucked and sure are sounding bigger and better. driving dubby deep house with freaky effects. this ep was undoubtedly one of mffs release highlights and c++ (aka joshua, circulation, j-boom, c++, free energy, stereo people, dubwise and as iz of iz & diz) needs no introduction having been making music for past 24 years and setting up vizual records with production partner diz. hes previously released tracks on label giants such as prescription, balance, clas-sic, junior boys own, om and guidance, working with the likes of derrick carter, chez damier and cajmere. four tet also chose to pay homage to this rarity by adding angies fucked to his highly revered fabric live 59 compilation, released in 2011. the track sits comfor-tably alongside burial, floating points, red rackem, ricardo villalobos and cari-bou, who all feature on the album too. make sure you play it lou

beranek’s debut album, “sound of danger”, was released on mind expanding records in november 1981. nowhere near as accessible as the previous single, the album fared poorly commercially. withdrawing from the single’s fun, kitsch pop, the album is cool and static, driven by thin rhythm boxes, cold synths, and glacial guitars. taking heavy cues from david bowie, all of the songs are sung in a nasally english accent, a rare occurrence in norway at the time. the lyrics are melancholic, but tinged with paranoia. there are also upbeat tracks that evoke a prog or glam sensibility a la king crimson, alan parsons, or roxy music. all songs have been remastered for vinyl by george horn at fantasy studios in berkeley. housed in the original jacket featuring red, black, and white lines that evoke a visualized richter scale designed by monica moltzau. each copy includes a 2-sided 8x11” insert with lyrics and an autographed press photo of beranek.

one of the funkiest records ever from brazilian soul legend tim maia and a set that also has him singing a bit of english language lyrics too!

love will remember pharaon de winter, it says at the very end of this record. pharaon de winter was a relatively unsuccessful painter from northern france. today its the name of a band, but also the name of the song that changed its authors life. the ex-leader of the bands toy fight and (please) dont blame mexico - the eps first aid and michel foucault, and the album concorde, in 2011, with the hit song the protocol - maxime chamouxs musical style could be placed somewhere between north-american rock, spoon, neutral milk hotel, and prefab spout and xtcs sophisticated brit-pop.

bondage-music head honchos pornbugs prep the labels next release for early april comprising three original tracks and a remix from mihai popoviciu. since 2006, german duo pornbugs have been pushing their minimal yet ambitious dance floor orientated house music through clubs across the globe, with their label bondage-music acting as a catalyst for forward thinking music. bondage-music also works as an outlet for other talented producers including romania’s mihai popoviciu and inmotion music signee markus homm to further develop their sound. fresh from a string of early 2017 digital releases from frink and sous sol, april sees bondage-music’s first vinyl offering of the year, kick started with the subtle and melodic cut “when you are gone“, which takes a deep groove and laces it with a plethora of soft synths and atmospherics. mihai popoviciu then reworks “when you are gone“ into a different entity, rewiring a headier groove into the track with raw-defined hats, building further tension with tight synth stabs and ethereal pads. vinyl only track “innocent“ then takes tribal tinged percussion to new depths, fuelling it with booming kicks and flourishing chords, further intensified by swirling vocals. a pure dub aesthetic then shines through “maritza“, as saturated drums and a rumbling low end provide the skeleton for swelling synths to meander alongside spiritual vocals, closing out the package.

one of the uks most exciting and versatile young talents, route 94, is the next to make his mark on crosstown rebels with mind, body & soul featuring a body rhythm soul version from nyc’s joaquin joe claussell. cohort and leftroom boss matt tolfrey is also onboard, collaborating on second track habitual. the title track sets the tone of the release by heading straight into the late night hours with varied drum workouts and inspiriting keys that compliment the meaningful vocal. while habitual, produced alongside fellow londoner matt tolfrey who has been a mainstay dj, producer and label owner in the underground house and techno scene for over a decade, is electric and sensual with an enticing bassline. damian lazarus has enlisted influential nyc head and ibadan label co-founder, joaquin joe claussell to deliver a stunning body rhythm soul version, remixed in reference to his infamous body & soul sunday parties. here he delivers delectable keys and soothing brass tones as the serve of the day. route 94 aka rowan jones shot to fame, hitting no.1 in the uk charts with my love featuring jess glynne. keeping things largely underground, he followed with releases and remixes on leftroom, defected and hot creations. overwhelming success ensued as he performed at the likes of fabric, sub club, space, ushuaia, dc10 and many more. with an abundance of new material about to drop and a packed calendar of gigs already booked in for the coming year, this is only the start for the talented artist.

in november last year, undo released “disconnect”, his third album. a charming long-player that has won very good feedbacks and reviews. now it’s time to unveil the first ep with remixes from the album. a great and variate package including reworks from friends and artists he admires as mexican iñigo vontier, russian dimitri veimar and belgium cabaret nocturne. there’s also a new mix by undo himself.

an mini lp of works by denis mpunga and paul k. combining elements of traditional african music with experimental electronics, the belgian/congolese duo released only a handful of tracks, scattered across a few rare lp and cassette compilations that were put out in the mid eighties by obscure european labels . this release also includes a few previously unreleased songs that were found on the original master tapes. 180gram pressing. big tip!

bristol boogie dons - the allergies, are back with another hot 7inch single to rip up dancefloors, and once again they ve got champion mc and producer andy cooper (ugly duckling) to assist in their funky endeavours. feedback for previous album as we do our thing and single with andy cooper album of the day on bbc 6 music with additional support from shaun keaveny, lauren laverne, nemone, craig charles don letts, and radcliffe and maconie andy cooper and the allergies also performed a dermot o leary bbc radio 2 session and a loose ends session on bbc radio 4. hit top 3 in the itunes uk hip hop chart (47 main overall) #1 on juno download the previous single rock rock featuring andy cooper was featured on channel 4 s sunday brunch and rock rock used to soundtrack euro football qualifiers on itv (both national television station) rock rock was tune of the month in mixmag rock rock also went to 1 on juno download hip hop chart on release.

love notes (from brooklyn) serves up another winner, this time with the sonic stylings of the illustious (and also brooklyn based) octo octa, whose not unimpressive discography already includes releases on such heavyweight labels such as running back, argot, and deepblak. from the opening, echoed chords and unique percussive qualities of eyes low, through the spaced out funk of touch formation, to the early morning vibes of i feel, this ep delivers on all levels. this is the 9th release on this fine american imprint and they show no signs of slowing down their sonic agenda.

the new york-based (u)nity is made up of michael valeanu, axel tosca laugart, chris smith, max cudworth and amaury acosta. they formed the band in 2006 as a project to explore afro-cuban jazz, funk, soul and contemporary electronica. they say they ve been influenced by everyone from chucho valdes to art blakey to led zeppelin to kendrick lamar, and you can definitely hear all of that in this jawdropping work. guarapachanga is special in that it was the first song written by the band back in their days as music students at the new school. it s derived from the style known as guarapachangeo the most advanced form of cuban rumba, heavily improvisational and based on very complex rhythms and melodies. on this recording, (u)nity is graced with a guest performance by grammy award winner pedrito martinez, a master rumbero, one of the greatest conga players ever, an innovator who has left a permanent mark on cuban music. martinez is also a priest in the yoruba religion and a historian of cuban culture. over its eight and a half minutes, guarapachanga twists and turns and journeys through a mind bending array of different tempos and modes, from latin jazz to hip hop, ultimately ending with a trippy ambient soundscape. the whole thing is overlaid with free spirited melody, soul and the afro-cuban essence that is the bands lifeblood. the white-hot live playing gives it the feel of the best early-morning jam session, yet it packs a sonic punch that will make it sound incredible on a good sound system in the hands of adventurous djs in the world-beat or spiritual-house vein. if you didnt know guarapachanga was a contemporary work you might mistake it for a loft classic, yet it s also as fresh and exciting as anything you ll hear this year.

the cocoon recordings very own inhouse compilation series dots and pearls is back once again and takes us on a tour to the expected sounds of the upcoming spring season. frankfurt based christian burkhardt starts the selection of four exclusive and previously unreleased tracks. his -karambolage- breathes spring air and creates an early summer feeling par excellence. this tune will even turn gray and rainy april weather into bright sunlight. on spot with playful and positive harmonies and a very subtle 80 s synthie-pop flavour. this one here definitely makes us want more! next in line is argy, one of our most long standing cocoon recordings artists. his -how late it was, how late- has an undeniable 80s retro charm, too however it follows a completely different direction than burkhardts -karambolage-. this one refers strongly to an early 80s acid sound and reminds us of great productions such as -on and on- by jesse saunders. we cannot tell how far argy s reminiscences goes back but for the ones who know: -how late it was, how late- will bring you back to the great times of labels like rams horn and their rational youth s -dancing on the berlin- wall. brave and surprising at the same time and above all: -übercool-! with -baroon- by markus fix follows another acid track - however, this one has a far more epic flavour full of warm analogue strings and based on a hypnotic arrangement. fix -baroon- is defintely less retro than argys and burkhardts contributions - a deep tech house gem made for the first sunrises of the upcoming allnighter open airs. with -euphrasia- jim jules accelerates slightly but goes also deeper at the same time. his production follows the cinematic mood of markus fix but paints a darker picture. this one takes us on an intensive musical journey. deep, slightly gloomy and extremely hypnotic, -euphrasia- is almost captivating and bewitching and a perfect conclusion for this highly diversified fourtracker.

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exactly one year after the release of their second album m eanderlust, randweg r elease their first ep with remixes - by nick höppner, alex.do, luke abbott and in a left place. the double-a-sided anderlus t / requisetales ep appears on funken records to understand how this record is intended, take a closer look at the artwork: no matter how you turn it: a backside does not exist. on their upcoming anderlust / requisetales ep, randweg present rearrangements of tracks from their two former albums. the new versions clearly bear the signature of their producers, but the tracks also reflect the full range of the duo, which has found its very own sound with clarinet, bass and cajon. for the remixes of two tracks from the ir album m eanderlust, randweg attracted nick höppner and alex.do. you can hear the joy both producers had playing with the original material, which was the basis of their versio ns for the anderlust-side. while nick höppner transfers the calmly prancing wokules walzer into a subtle but euphoric house-track, alex.do slows down the tempo in his version of pool, and plunges down deep into a warm downbeat-bath. randweg ’s debut-album equisetales was released in 2013, and it would have been a pity if the two remixes from the early days of the duo remained unheard in their private archives. luke abbott surprises with an abstract-pl ayful version of the track ball a nd in a left place turns y ofa into an atmospheric club-track.