deep, soulful and techy treats by maestro eric ericksson. eric has been releasing his music since the early nineties on labels like fragile and planet e. in resent times eric’s music can also be found on papa records, local talk and freerange, to name a few. an elegant four tracker that starts out with the uncompromising and crude track ”greed”, followed by ”acquiescence” with its sharp and classy shuffles, lush strings and big sounding pads. the flip side starts of with ”totality”. complete, raw sounding with morphing dubby stabs, combined with rough grooves and punching beats. the ep ends off with the pulsating, dreamy and sensitive track ”closure”. nothing is left by chance when eric shows his vision and approach for modern electronic music.

das 2017er album der progressive-formation way out west, bestehend aus top-dj nick warren und dessen partner jody wisternoff erscheint nun als limitierte gesignte deluxe-3lp. die pioniere gehören zu den einflussreichsten elektronischen acts der letzten 25 jahre und haben dort diverse charterfolge zu verzeichnen. sie touren nachwievor global und sind als remixer für gleichgesinnte wie orbital, unkle, james holden, st.etienne und viele mehr bekannt. neben ihrem beeindruckenden katalog also duo sind sie beide als djs weltweit unterwegs. nick warren enthält zudem sein soundgarden label und präsentierte bereits acht ausgaben der ikonischen global underground compilationserie. jody wisternoff hat bereits ein soloalbum bei anjunadeep veröffentlicht und die letzten vier ausgaben der gefeierten labelcompilation gemixt. ihr fünftes album als way out west, tuesday maybe, ist das erste in acht jahren und wird bereits von den fans heiß ersehnt.

sometimes melancholic, sometimes even romantic, or energetic, or nostalgic. we didn’t want it to be just full of 4x4 functional dancefloor music, but also to show our wider range.

an artist as versatile as alex krüger is a rare find these days, not only did he release numerous eps and albums as tigerskin or korsakow since the mid 90s, hes also been on the forefront of the dub techno movement since 1999 with outings on classic labels such as raum…musik, force tracks and 3b/ united states of mars. now ten years after his last album on opossum recordings alex is back with this well crafted genre bending full length caves & cages. from deep techno cuts through rippling ambient excursions to funky reggae infused live jams with haushausen this work is yet another milestone in the creative bubble alex lives in (i.e. his studio)

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.

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

artikal and chestplate combine to form chestikal. a meeting of labels and also a meeting of production minds as distance meets j:kenzo for this special release. spanning the bpms from 140 - 160 halftime, tribal and dark two heavy crafted tracks from the chambers featuring ’the offering’ and dhyana.

“today is a good day... rework’s ‘you’re so just just’ formerly released on playhouse is making an exclusive return on leftroom for record store day. one of my favourite records of all time and a firm fabric anthem, i had to ask paranoid london’s johnny aux for a remix and also gave it a go myself with one of my ec1 mixes. there is a limited vinyl run on this so grab it while they are still on the shelves!!!” - matt tolfrey - april 2018

dimensional people is by it’s nature a collaborative album. originally premiering as a spatial composition using object-based mixing technology playing with the possibilities of sonic design (4d sound) and collective musicianship, the recording expands upon these ideas. dimensional people expresses itself as a dynamic 50-piece orchestra, telling a story in sound. mouse on mars offer sound as a means to encourage open-minded societies, aided by cutting-edge technology including their own mominstruments music software or a spatial mixing technique called object based mixing, with which a spatial version of the work was created. it is a conceptual puzzle composed around one harmonic spectrum within one rhythmic scheme, mostly in the tempo of 145bpm (inspired by chicago footwork, so the dance ?oor is not entirely absent). looking ahead, dimensional people will also be realized through installation, presenting the work as an immersive listening experience, as well as performance.

american producer dustin zahn readies the next release on rekids special projects this april with four vigorous cuts entitled take the throne. dustin zahn has been flying the techno flag for two decades, releasing on labels like rekids when not helming the berlin-based enemy records, a label which has released music from artists like fellow us techno stalwart ambivalent, arts boss emmanuel, and innervisions producer yotam avni. zahn is also respected for train wrecks, his weekly podcast series inviting members of the house and techno community to discuss a wide variety of music and industry related topics and stories. the release opens with the thumping kicks and sci-fi melodies of take the throne before rolling into the dubby tones, infectious claps and rattling white noise of decorum. the atmospheric nameless midnight then follows, packed with echoing synths, tantalising effects and a twisted vocal sample that weaves throughout, arriving at the final track subtle flex where escalating synths meet syncopated percussion.

serge devant returns to one of his favoured labels with his white groove ep, delivering a pair of deep, textured tracks thatll vitalise any rigid dancefloor. archie hamilton makes his crosstown rebels debut and supplies a punchy, tripped-out revision of lead track, white groove. white groove is an absorbing mix of rumbling sub bass, soft, textured percussion, and ethereal pads. loose percussion and a tough kick carve out the initial vibe on connect to server. a hypnotising, low-riding synth is the final layer and helps generate even more groove into this peak time roller. archie hamilton switches up white groove, revising the bassline into a buzzing, forward pushing rhythm but retains the mystical feel of the original, bolstering the whirring pads and using intricate percussive sounds and fx. serge devant hails from brooklyn, new york and released his seminal track fearing love in 2015 on emerald city. since then he’s been championed by damian lazarus, a firm favourite on both crosstown rebels and rebellion, whilst also receiving plaudits for his releases on knee deep in sound and circus recordings. moscow records, moss.co and arkityp owner archie hamilton is one of the uks most promising talents, consistently releasing high quality house and techno on the likes of get physical, fuse london, 2020 vision, fear of flying among others.

transcendent records is proud to present a new immersive cinematic techno release by a french producer who goes under the name of ersatz olfolks. some might already know him from previous releases on singular records and cheap. for a producer with only two records behind him we think he already has a bright voice within the overcrowded musical techno landscape. heliopolis is the city of the sun and was the theological center of the greatest sun temple of pharaonic times. the sunrays bring brightness but we also find ourselves in the darkest ominous shades of an eclipse. we were instantly captivated by his contra dictionary sound that is filled with subtle harmonic distortions and sophisticated melodic and evolving modular patterns. heliopolis ep is a careful selection of works recorded during live sessions. this is our definition of techno! pressing of 300 copies in special silver sleeve.

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!

uppermost will be releasing his upcoming album on march 23, 2018 with a completely new perspective that should change the course of his career, expanding to a brand new pop oriented approach but keeping his french signature at the core of the project. his previous hit tracks flashback and beautiful light have already generated more than 27 million combined streams across platforms, while mercedes-benz selected uppermost single disco kids to be featured in their formula one advertising campaign and starz/encore chose another of his instrumentals for their 2018 tv spot only few weeks ago. uppermost is being closely followed by international media leading to great articles from influent press channels such as djmag, vice, complex, paper magazine, and famous radios such as bbc 1 and virgin. in addition to releasing music via his own independent label uppwind records, uppermost has released music through powerful labels such as sony and ministry of sound and done official remixes for dada life, lemaitre and crystal fighters. he has also already shared french festival solidayss stage with madeon, yelle, fakear and die antwoord

after the last release, that was more house-oriented, we can say – in a nutshell – that the upcoming ://ab004 is about: techno! with their piece ab1, nx1 take a powerful, break-fueled percussive line, keeping an eye on the big floor with their huge reverb rooms, while stephanie sykes, who grew so close to our hearts, presents a real peak time-slammer with her track blur, that definitely references to her brimming, energetic dj sets. jay quentin, also a friend of the club for many years, nourishes a lotz of warmth and depth in his track information superhigh, which remains still pushing enough for the dancefloor – perfect for a special b side. rave on, ravers!

soul jazz records’ latest excursion into the crescent city vaults delves deep into the roots and history of the voodoo world of new orleans funk. packed to the brim with serious break-heavy, heavyweight funk tunes from classic new orleans artists including eddie bo, betty harris, dave bartholomew, johnny adams and eldridge holmes (with the ever-present allen toussaint and the meters as always behind the scenes). there is also a host of rare cuts from a number of lesser-known second line new orleans artists, whose fame rarely reached past the walls of the city, including gus ‘the groove’ lewis, james k-nine, norma jean, bob french, chuck colbert, zilla mayes and joe haywood. comes as heavyweight 180 gram double vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve with download code included.

trora vol. 1 is panda lassow’s interpretation of recent global tropical bass movements like gqom, kuduro and more. she likes bass music from around the world. thus, we can also hear influences from bounce and booty elements. as born and grown up in eastern germany, in trora vol. 1 she combines these with her musical roots she found in techno and rave music.

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.

“courtrai moderne: definite definitivos” is the very first full vinyl release of kortrijk’s own punk heroes: an anthology of their best songs. it was sheer enthousiasm when punk-craze hit kortrijk in the late seventies. frank holvoet didn’t really know how to handle a guitar but that didn’t really matter: he gathered drummer rik masselis (see also the p.i.g.z.), peter coppens and local wild boy lucien callewaert: definitivos were portuguese cigarettes and also the name of the band.

manooz returns on housewax with another great release. the ep #2 contains also fanstastic remixes by agnès and paul deepnlow moore

fireplays (also spelled -fireplais- on second single) was the moniker chosen in 1981 by italian producer franco pagliaccia foran instant-band project composed by him and a few other musicians. -allein- b/w -hormone- was released in mid-1982, and as can be clearly heard, both tracks clearly show the mutation disco as a genre, started having at the very beginning of the 80s in europe: ablend of electro disco, along with new-wavish elements and some classic era-blueprint sonic elements: synth driven melodies, filtered vocodered choruses, pads, swirling cosmic sounds, cowbells, all topped by a powerful male voice that will give genuineconnoisseurs an exact zeitgeist, along with assured goosebumps.

kingswood drive and accidental return were an early teaser of this new set. displaying their signature analogue sounds and arpeggios, alongside broken beats and soul, you wouldn t be alone in hearing the influences of dam funk, herbie hancock or bugz in the attic coming through on these two. elsewhere more jittery, playful rhythms underpin croydon rooftop café culture. as well as in the calming and ethereal prints on the heath, a subtle tribute to mutual hero prince, who passed away on the unusually prolific day this and two other, currently unreleased, tracks were written and recorded. throughout the ep the duo nod at their london home from the -heath- to kingswood drive and more obviously croydon itself. the sound of south london is threaded throughout this record with pride. even down to the mechanical sunset sound of ep finale thorns, capturing some of the essence of the studio view over london from their high point on the hill in thornton heath. the first ep from albert s favourites co-founders and synth-production duo modified man focused on throwing out heavy editing, recording music with as few processes as possible and grabbing performances as single takes. blending warped cassette recordings that touched upon early jazz-funk/brit-funk influences with the energy of broken beat and experimental electronica, won them support from patrick forge, osunlade, thris tian, yam who? and titeknots to name a few. since that release they premiered new track thorns live on boiler room, going on to deliver a full, three-hour live performance and dj set for the infamous global community. they also provided remixes for dele sosimi, amp fiddler, makadem & behr and hector plimmer, meanwhile, busily preparing a series of four, six-track vinyl eps which will be released over the next 18 months.

second instalment by music mania reprise gives belgian 80s synth classic crocodile tears a new life. music mania is proud to present the next instalment in their reprise series. following the highly sought after classic elle et moi (mmr001), comes the blissful belgian synth pop anthem ‘crocodile tears’ (mmr002). the track was one of the first singles of kuruki, the minimal wave project spearheaded by ghent-based musician gerry d haeyer and alain bureau (sally joy). in an age of electronic sequenced experimentation, the band managed to find a distinctive sound that easily puts them between the likes of telex. the original ep such a liar was released in 1981 and clearly echoes the new wave of its time. the scenes described by vocalist sally joy as well as the melancholic keys of the main track crocodile tears breathe tristesse. nevertheless, it has a playful sound full of catchy synths. a dualism between such beauty and melancholy: this track was undeniably made in belgium in the eighties, but should also appeal to lovers of italo disco. be aware: for their second reprise music mania managed to include an exclusive instrumental version of this belgitude. even more synths for your listening pleasure.

these four edits are imbuing you with uplifting and lovely vibes but also a fragrant and sensuous melancholy. a looking back to old times and its optimistic, forward-tending spirit.

super rhythm trax is excited to unveil their brand new side label. bleeper, which will concentrate on a slightly tougher strain of techno. the first four releases are in production and will be enough to give you a strong idea of where the label will be going! first out of the gate are ford foster (unknown to the unknown/opal tapes) and frankie castle with bounce that, an ingenious ghetto house jam with a serious twist, backed with a jerome hill remix that strips the whole thing down leaving the bare ingredients to do damage on the dancefloor. also included are an instrumental version of the original, and the slo mo banger shake that.

1st press full colour sleeve edition limited to initial print! you remember that kung fu kid movie, where he had to wash the motorcycles for years and then…whatever, constant dripping wears away the stone. dublin-manchester-nycs finest krystal klear (cold tonic, all city, tooth pick) has been honing his skills as a dress man for years and also made a name for himself as an expert in all things (electronic) boogie. the division is his dapper debut ep for running back. custom-made club studies shifting between sound factories, hot haciendas, heavenly lagoons and chrome-plated dance floors: fast, slow, hard and soft. a love letter to dance music written with pink ink. oh, and there is neutron dance on it as well…yes, the euphoric fun one. once again: dance!

oddmann recordings is a new london based label run by half baked s greg brockmann and production partner odd soul under their oddmann alias. having already forged their own very unique minimal techno sound, here they bring a superb three tracker with tunes aimed squarely at the dance floor, both at peak time and also those creepy dark after-hours moments

2023 repress - pablos eye is the science of studio pressure, when engineer becomes artist. appropriating left and right as well as front and back, pablos eye uses the mixing desk to examine and exhaust the possibilities of moments. pablos eye is a record of that examination and exhaustion, but it is also a record of its own inner space. by means of depth placement, psychoacoustics and spatial fug, pablo’s eye is experienced in the deeper reaches of the body, bypassing the conscious part of the mind entirely. . pablos eye is the turning of recorded music inside out to show its seams. it interrogates a song, stripping down the body of the song to reveal its bones. pablo’s eye is in the interstices of music, it plugs the gaps, fills the holes. pablo’s eye seeks out the concealed mechanisms, it is a songs hidden agenda. for this compilation, it was decided to present the softer air-beatings of pablos eye. more than anything, pablos eye is a temporary atmosphere, like a taste or a dream.

raum musik 104 is a various artists compilation that features exclusive tracks from all the labels key artists. federico molinari, john dimas, franco cinelli, lee burton and phil evans have released on our label before, but we also have three new artists on board this time. jorge savoretti has released the last single on our label before the compilation plus the two newcomers enrico mantini from italy and andy kolwes from cologne. altogether it forms a nice package to celebrate 20 years of raum musik that shows as well the different sides of our label and we hope that you enjoy the tracks as much as we do.

mihigh steps up for tlr006 and in mihighs true fashion brings his usual dark flavour to trapped ldn. mihigh is known for his head bending, dark, trippy erie minimal style and he has once again delivered with this evil 2 track ep. mirrors is a mix of driving minimal and dark atmospheric sounds which gives you a great after party style of track but could also be blended into a maintime set. mutual contemplation is our personal favourite which can be used as both a tool, a warm up track or an after party track. its crazy trippy leading synth keeps you entertained throughout the whole track and sounds like it was created to mess up anyones mind while at a party. we are super happy to have mihigh in the trapped family as he has been one of our favourites at various festivals we have seen him

for the second release on rotterhague records i am proud to have two new tracks from dj maaco, known for the unbeatable detroit in effect and also the illustrious cybonix releases. classic detroit stuff with that huge maaco stamp on it, i know i will be playing it a lot! there is also two overdose tracks on this one, one that drove a crowd in moscow mad and one that is about how stuff drives me mad. more funky robotics!

lena willikens is the kind of artist whos only capable of following one path her own. in many ways, shes the archetypal selector, an unpredictable dj who often eschews all notions of genre in favor of what she describes as different temperatures, different time zones, different moods and a healthy portion of chaos. although her methods have certainly proven effective on the dancefloor, willikens also refuses to be bound by its traditional limitations.

the ninth release on the dsr-c series comes from rhine. a new name with his roots in atmospheric techno steps up for his first solo ep.the ninth release on the dsr-c series comes from rhine. a new name with his roots in atmospheric techno steps up for his first solo ep. de storm opens the account with a loose collage of textured drums and scuffed-up synths. it makes for a bubbly groove that journeys far off into the night while de bron is more rooted underground, with cavernous echo chambers run through by supple bass synths and icy hi hat trails. spooky and haunting, its a track to send shivers down your spine. last of all, het meer is a watery affair, with aqueous drips and drops, radiant pads and then more tightly coiled drums brushing up against one another to make for something atmospheric but also nicely driven. all three tracks are characterised by a rather tender and reflective mood that makes them all the more unique.

first ever vinyl release of this iconic critically acclaimed soul album from 2014 for rsd 2018. this record is one of the most significant and award winning soul albums of the 21st century. the album is presented as a double vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, limited to 750 copies. the album draws on the spirit of donny hathaway and marvin gaye along with influences from stevie wonder and many of the soul and jazz greats, but jarrod has created his own identity. the twelve self-penned songs have meaningful lyrics and a spirituality which is uncommon in contemporary music, making it a future classic. it has been one of the bestselling independent soul albums in the last decade. jarrod lawson has performed many times in the uk supporting the album at many venues including ronnie scott’s, jazz café and at shepherds bush empire as part of the london jazz festival, building up a large fan base. jarrod also recorded a session for gilles peterson’s bbc6 which increased his profile.

‘pat thomas introduces marijata’ is a seminal ghanian album that fuses highlife, reggae, folk, funk and soul, from legendary vocalist pat thomas. originally released in 1976 on gapophone records. ‘marijata’ was a group made up of three members – kofi ‘electric’ addison on drums, bob fischlan on organ and nat osmanu on guitar, hailing from ghana. pat thomas career began in 1969 with the ‘broadway dance band’, leaving a year later to join the ‘uhuru dance band’. he then played with ebo taylor’s ‘blue monks’ and finally formed the ‘sweet beans’ in 1973 where he really made his name. the group released ‘false lover’ in 1974, split and then reformed as marijata, releasing ‘marijata’ (also available on mr bongo) and this album, ‘pat thomas introduces marijata’. thomas career spans more than 50 years and he still tours regularly across the world. replica original artwork, official mr bongo reissue. licensed from gapophone records courtesy of george prah.

blackstyle is meant to create this image of the berlin fetich underworld, scenes in berghain, of decadence but also one of independence, of liberation from social standards, entering into another mode of existence. the edition of 300 copies are silkscreened and individually hand numbered. silkscreened at atelier 30, quai notre-dame

decks full cover edition! sensek hits complatt with this -linear momentum ep-. sensek does amazing minimalism. sensek also got a great remix by mister cosmjn. sensek is very welcome here. he does a great job! limited press. no digital release afterwards.

sensek hits complatt with this -linear momentum ep-. sensek does amazing minimalism. sensek also got a great remix by mister cosmjn. sensek is very welcome here. he does a great job! limited press. no digital release afterwards.

vigram, a new viennese label, debuts with a strong three track ep by dan lodig, also known under his lok 44 moniker and as one half of /dl/ms/. dan s ms-45 ep features two hazy and playful original cuts on the fringe of techno and electro. pinn 487 builds tension with doomy sci-fi synths, welcome repetitions are broken up by frantic hi-hat patterns creating a dialogue, while watery acidlines support the beat. can t stop breaks with the four to the floor paradigm and delivers raunchy electro rhythms with intersecting acid lines topped by ethereal sounds for the curious minds. comes with a massive spesimen remix on the flip!! essential stuff..

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.

the nu-rons, were a family group consisting of two sets of brothers and cousins, the four young men in question being brothers daryl howard and raymond gibson (daryl’s mother registered him under his father’s surname of howard and raymond under her maiden name of gibson) together with otho bateman and charles bateman. they were all born and raised in salem, new jersey and from the age of ten and eleven began singing with a fifth member and gibson brother rudolph in a group called the gospel 5. they eventually decided to crossover to secular music and as a group known for their energetic dance routines they came up with the new performing name of ‘the nu-rons’ (taken from the word ‘neuron’ which is a cell that transmits nerve impulses). however rudolph was soon to leave the group due to physical illness. also daryl howard and charles bateman had also been part of a working group known as the devotions prior to becoming the nu-ron’s.

in october 2017 honey dijon was commissioned to take part in the smirnoff were open campaign, aiming to promote inclusive night time culture and celebrate nightlifes ability to transcend gender boundaries and prejudice. as well as appearing in the were open tv commercial, honey was asked to record her take on the initiative’s ethos for creating positive change, making dance music culture a more open-minded and socially inclusive space. what resulted was a rework of ‘queen of disco’ sylvester’s ‘stars’ featuring vocals by singer-songwriter sam sparro, who she collaborated with previously on her album the best of both worlds. now being released on limited edition blue vinyl via classic music company, with breathtaking artwork from assume vivid astro focus who also supplied cover artwork for the album, the entire proceeds from the release will be donated to lgbt foundation. created with parts recorded especially for the were open advert,stars (disco version), produced with the help of classic head luke solomon and studio partner lance desardi, pops sylvester’s spangled party-starter directly into 2018. previously made available as a free download to coincide with the launch of the campaign, the cosmic energy dub, underlining honey’s acidic but sweet production, is followed by two mixes by one of her favourite producers of the moment and fellow chicagoan, cratebug. his nova remix references the classic disco elements of the original, while the supernova remix - exclusive to vinyl - goes fully intergalactic with a glorious squelching extended mix. paying lip service to the legacy of a truly gender-redefining figure whose music is nothing but inclusive and empowering, honey dijon and classic prove the power of music to inspire positive change in the dance music communities with this stars release.

jonah sharp & dj spun pair up as the loose control band to drop a punk-inspired single on rekids with remixes from label founder radio slave and shut boss ryan james ford. having released a large body of work as spacetime continuum (astralwerks) or alongside david moufang as reagenz (workshop), not to mention significant collaborations with the likes of terence mckenna, haruomi hosono and bill laswell, jonah sharp is unquestionably a highly respected producer. his seminal label reflective played an important role in the experimental ambient and techno scene during the ‘90s, whilst as a remixer he’s worked with music by nine inch nails, meat beat manifesto and matthew herbert. meanwhile, jason drummond has long been a commanding force within new yorks electronic music scene, such as running his prestigious warm up music series or his all night rong parties with regulars like dj harvey. hes also been djing and producing as dj spun for two decades, appearing on golf channel recordings as well as his own illustrious imprint rong music, which used to release music collaboratively with dfa. i dont understand sees a raw and uncompromising side to both artists as they layer a cacophony of murky bass, twisted melodies and mind-bending bleeps whilst drummonds turbulent vocals bellow throughout the mix. staying faithful to the original, radio slaves remix incorporates a heady rhythm with its rolling beat as screeching effects join a moody bassline. moving into techno territory, ryan james fords akihabara remix features rattling percussion and crystalline synths whilst his hope remix is built on an intricate drum sequence as soaring pads and echoing keys contrast with the originals piercing vocal.

magnetik north is live drum electronics. drum performances are fed through processors, samplers and sequencers to produce layers of rhythmic patterns that interact with each other. other instruments are melted into different textures so that only the harmonic content remains. this is a new project from ian tregoning, engineer and producer for artists as diverse as yello and fela kuti. now working with jaki liebezeit, the legendary drummer from can, to add his endless evolving rhythms. jaki s in a world of his own as he balances technical brilliance with subtle restraint. recording started in the summer 2006 in an old jazz studio in the south of ko&#776,,,,ln. jaki arrived with a minimal drum kit including customised cymbals, a snare and a huge gretsch floor-tom from the can days. all of jaki s performances are complete takes with no drop-ins, loops or edits. the backing tracks for evolver were recorded without using key changes. each song features one key which is held continuously while other instruments and effects are blended with the key. drums (also tuned to the same key) were added last which is another unusual technique. as jaki says they re often overlooked as tuned instruments in their own right . the finished results are a minimal blend of industrial and classical. like listening to a raga in an earthquake.

organic analogue broadens its remit on this killer boogie inflected diversion from italian producer croza. where the label has been often associated with deeper techno and electro, it sounds right at home exploring the moog bass licks and snappy drum programming that pours like a fine wine out of every track. night heat is the perfect lead track, all steamy synth throb and funky guitar licks, while feel turns up the pressure with a proto house burner that would have set the paradise garage alight. also look out for a rare appearance from ad bourke, who cruises on to the record to deliver a blissed out version of night heat for the smokiest of sundown situations.

naïf 008 opens a series of five eps that will be released around the release of the dj-mix-cd also named naif which has its release in april 2018 the first strike comes with two blinding techno tracks: running man is a contribution by the gentleman of techno steve bicknell. the other comes from the young swedish producer that goes by the name of kuf and who is part of the arsenik crew. besides that we find two compositions by phillip sollmann himself that show his abstract and experimental approach. while aliasing bells is a texture of sampled tibetan bells tag3 by his side-project autolyse is a jam on a light-sensor-controlled custom-made synth. perfect for layering on top of a mix. after more then three years of silence as a producer, efdemin aka phillip sollmann returns with a striking hybrid concept that merges the album format with the continuous dj mix format, presenting completely new material in a seamless manner. the cd-mix, named naif, officially reinstates his label of the same name and is a sprawling tour of inner space featuring 19 distinct tracks from fellow producers along with an additional ten that feature efdemin himself (either as soloist or collaborator). the release condenses his decade-long dj-ing journey and evolution as a producer into a single potent elixir of contemporary techno. naïf consists of completely unreleased material from both himself and valued collaborators, all of which will eventually manifest as ep releases: five on his own naïf label and two more on curle.

fresh from his and elizabeth wights widely supported pale blue debut on crosstown rebels, new jersey renaissance man mike simonetti returns to correspondant with a touching cyclical trip.fuelled by emotion thanks to an on-point sample of a barbed spoken word, i love you mom is characterised by shimmering hypnotic cathedral cascades that fully arrest the senses. symmetrically bookended by the equally overwhelming i love you dad, where the same chords and sample take a much darker acidic trip, simonetti also treats us to the icy ricochet subversions of the chime-binding riser lets go for a walk and the purring electroid bass prowler no gods, no masters along the way. pregnant with restraint and well-tempered emotions but knowing exactly when to pop, its another certified odyssey from the perennial troubleman. feel the love.

last spotted on correspondants fourth annual collection, jennifer cardini and noura labbani return to yovavs majestic slice of cold wave theatre running wave and develop its universe on their ever-bubbling dischi autunno imprint. still as epic and dramatic as it ever was, its narrative is now galvanised by a typically dynamic edit from gerd janson (who also remixed yovavs last single on correspondant), three originals and one remix. railroad is an animated chip-like adventure with layers of leads cleverly interlaced around the lolloping lofi kicks file detective plays the consummate creeper as a slinky metallic beat suddenly melts into a sleazy, sneaky lead that keeps peeping over its shoulder space work closes the show on a cosmic high with such a strong emotional pull it could make sabres of paradise blush while brassica add crucial footnotes with uptempo breakbeat remix so elastic and euphoric it could flex a bicep or two. stunning, immersive and truly singular no one is doing it like yovav right now.