after a 20 year hiatus, seminal uk electronica / ambient techno imprint likemind records returns with lm05 holovr. holovr (jimmy billingham) has been building a steady fanbase over the last few years with amazing releases for firecracker recordings, opal tapes and his own indole label. his very personal brand of emotional electronica fits perfectly into the likemind stable, with two tracks of beautifully evolving ethereal pads and delicate 303 basslines, very reminiscent of early 90 s black dog or autechre. likemind aims to continue with its original ethos of only releasing the most heartfelt electronic music.

following 2016’s ‘for perfect beings’, s olbricht, makes a welcome return to lobster theremin with his ‘purpleblue’ ep, a four-track excursion that weaves in and out of machine driven techno and shimmering ambient gestures.
what at first seems like a departure from his trademark skewed and sludgy sound is quickly realised as a shifting and ever evolving journey through the outer limits of electronic music.

one of the current techno scene’s ‘hidden treasures’, bristol based a sagittariun has discretely released a wide breadth of music over the last five years for labels like secretsundaze, hypercolour and his own elastic dreams label. two highly acclaimed albums in “dream ritual” and “elasticity” as well as fifteen eps have appealed to those who like their techno without frontiers, taking in blistering 140bpm techno, breakbeat idm and ambient dub with ease. his second release for hypercolour displays signs of crossover appeal at long last… lead track “vanishing point” has already been receiving early plays from the likes of laurent garnier (dropping it in his recent timewarp germany set), spencer parker and len faki. big pumping beats and spiralling fx fall aside to a lone breakbeat that ushers in one pretty special breakdown section. the childlike keys and fathoms deep synth stabs (straight out of the john carpenter school of fathoms deep synth stabs) have already drawn comparisons to the retro 80s vibes to be heard on the american sci-fi horror series stranger things. it’s a breakdown that takes the listener to an uncharted dimension, bookended by slammin’ beats that acts as a perfect mood changer in any set. watch this one soar! “the pathway” keeps things on an all together straighter tip, an incessant tribal loop weaves and filters around a thunderous kick and shuffling hats, ebbing and flowing all the way in what might be a sagittariun’s most club-centric and stripped back production yet. matrixxman (dekmantel/spectral sound) is on hold to deliver a superb remix, pushing the original down a long dark tunnel for a growling and reverberating techno overhaul

since his first release in 1997, hanna has been a body of art with the agenda of putting ambiguous chord structures and harmonies into an electronic music envelope. the more popular works lying in the deep house and techno genre. the apron release called the never end, opens and closes with ambient pieces without drums or percussion with strange titles being and when which are improper adjectives or nouns that symbolize the ambiguity of the chords and beauty of the sound. the other 4 pieces nudge previous unique hanna minerva that makes this a special and impressive release.

obwohl die letzte kompakt-offerte aus dem studio der legendären russichen synthesizeristen scsi-9 schon eine weile zurückliegt – 2008, um genau zu sein, mit dem album “easy as down” (kompakt cd 068) -, hat co-gründer und techno/house-virtuose anton kubikov nicht auf der faulen haut geaalt, sondern sein eigenes label pro-tez records gepflegt – und eine karriere als solo-künstler mit klarem drang zur verdubbten tonlandschaft und ambient-musik in die wege geleitet. whatness ist seine erste solo-album-veröffentlichung unter eigenem namen und webt einen luftigen wie schillernden klangteppich, der genau da weitermacht, wo kubikovs exzellente beiträge zu unserer pop ambient compilation-reihe aufgehört haben. anton kubikovs besonderes ohr für ambientes und tonale räume war schon immer integraler bestandteil von scsi-9s musikalischer dna, die gerne zwischen fokussierter tanzathletik und ausufernden melodieräumen changiert – doch erst als solo-künstler macht er sich daran, diese räume wirklich auszuloten und geheimnisvollen klangspuren in neblige, hallende gegenden zu folgen. kubikovs gastspiele auf mehreren ausgaben unserer pop ambient-serie deuteten auf ein vielverprechendes neues projekt im talentpool hin – ein versprechen, das mit dem mitreissenden klangbad von whatness mehr als erfüllt wird.

frigio records is going back in time for its latest release, some 38 years into the past. back then a young newcastle man was experimenting with early electronic instruments and synths. mick clarke is his name and nearly forty years later he is still at it. two tracks have been borrowed from clarke s seminal games lp, each given a bit of modern boot polish from minimalrome s heinrich dressel and frigio father juanpablo.

-walls of the night- is a blissed out work of ambient prog rock abstraction. think rumbling horror score and soaring guitar strings. heinrich dressel offers a giallo dipped remix. the building bars of the original are maintained, beats added for ballast and darkened organ keys for a remake etched with murderous intent. the flip is introduced by the dreamy -time is now.- slender synthlines intertwine with gentle strings in a cerebral work. juanpablo tweaks the 1979 material. syrupy acid lines swim in meandering currents, a thick beat keeping time in murky waters of modulations and undulations.

electro, techno and ambient works from super hexagon co-founder jacob wiltshire. each created with a nod to the past and the future. support comes from the likes of faltydl, james ruskin, klose one, kirsti (null + void), hrdvsion, smash tv, severino, dop, danny tenaglia, deft, xxxy, paco osuna, kristian (amé), iron blu, mamiko motto (nts), dense & pika, martelo (nts), samuel bailey (apple music).

bakk extends it s mind-altering quest with plafond 2 with two tracks averaging 17 minutes. from antwerp s depths milan w. brings a stunning track (consisting of three parts) of ambient exotica. the flipside carries synth wizzard ekolali, who resides on a barn in sweden, with a rhythmic jam to sink into. comes again in a special screen printed outer sleeve and tasteful obi strip made by the bakk deep dream department.

for anyone with their pulse on cutting edge music, neel is synonymous with quality. he s one half of the critically acclaimed duo, voices from the lake (with donato dozzy), and here he teams up with his studio partner, filippo scorcucchi. the pair present a project called lf58 (named after neel s mastering/recording studio in rome) for our latest instalment in the late night innominate series. three untitled ambient tracks all created with modular synthesizers, full of emotion and technical brilliance. also worth noting, side a is over 16 minutes of pure bliss!

medical records continues it s fascination with all things mark van hoen this time presenting the sole album release by autocreation entitled mettle . autocreation was formed in 1992 when mark van hoen was roomates in west london with the other members kevin hector and tara patterson. kevin and tara as dj s at the university of london, tara had recorded with the hafler trio prior to this the 3 lived in an apartment block that was full of acid house devotees, djs, and house producers. the 3 friends spent a lot of time in cutting-edge london clubs which inspired and influenced their music. a remix they worked on - seefeel s -plainsong- became the blueprint the autocreation sound, as well as feeding back into seefeel s sound on their own subsequent material. autocreation were heavily influcenced by contemporary dub techno such as basic channel, mika vanio as well as more pure techno such as kirk degiorgio and jeff mills. they recorded the album in late 1993, sandwiched between the recording of van hoen s locust album weathered well and his collaboration with seefeel s darren seymour aurobindo:involution . the album notably features heavy use of modular synthesizers (aries 300, digisound 80 and others), quite unique for a techno record of the time. the album was released on the orb s label inter-modo on cd only - directly following the orb s collaboration with robert fripp (ffwd). artwork was designed by the designers republic - responsible for the vast majority of warp records catalog and various releases by the orb. the album is a dark, brooding ambient techno masterpiece. similar in vein to locust s weathered well but more techno/idm genre compliant that made it at times dance floor compatible. for this special edition (first time on vinyl), the album is expanded to a double lp featuring bonus tracks. the jacket is a gatefold featuring a montage of photos in the gatefold. specially remastered by mark van hoen. presented on limited edition high quality double 160-gram classic black vinyl. for fans of early locust, dark ambient techno, and early 90s dance floor friendly idm.

the man known as persian follows his own path. house. techno. garage. breaks. jungle. digidub. dubplates. here two cult classics come together as a ‘showcase’ of riley’s talent. a song for the end of times, we should shout faces down the corrupt systems of today. true thoughts. real garage. ambient house makes a welcome return with detroit special, mr fit siegel. an ode to dive deep down and beyond. green fields. dew. sound system. bass. freedom. morning sun. persian can’t be defined. a chameleon. links beyond history if you will. normal 4 represents the nu-old-skool. where were you in ’92? feed the mystery.

rune returns on his own drum island imprint, this time very ably assisted by uk house turned ambient ambassador chris coco weekend billionaires, in its original form is a delightfully lolloping balearic builder. the chris coco sunshine mix immerses those guitar licks and synth pads in a sea of dubbed out, ultra-violet light. already rumoured to be included on harvey s eagerly awaited mercury rising comp. anton klint (tryck & ton / public possession) steps up on the flip with a no-less psychedelic, but decidedly more laser-lit interpretation. finally alta lab wraps things up with a pacier interpretation, housing up the elements into a hypnotic, emotive rendition

with his new release the polish transatlantyk sails into - as yet uncharted - waters of the lol- fi breakbeat house scene to bring you the debut of dj stoner dad. not much is known about the man behind the nickname, except that he is a dj, a dad and that he likes getting his hits from the bong on during the infamously long warsaw afterparties. the -raw romantics ep- showcases his own take on the deeply saturated, smokey and breakbeat-infused house genre. fake strings is a certified banger alluring the dancefloor with a great combo of rolling bass, squashed kicks and hats, grimy, atmospheric pads and a bits of spoken word thrown in. magic phunk brings that break again and for a good measure. drums are floating over an ocean worth of blazing pads, liquid synths, acid riffs, pillowy, yet dirty chords and whatever else dj stoner dad could lay his hands on at the time. iv is a full frontal ambient jam, with little bits of wandering drums coming into the picture at the very end. finally v brings cinematic influences over slightly uneasy slow groove.

ikpathua returns to noorden with three splendid cuts shaped by varieties of dub techno, leftfield and uk bass. machine woman adds two distinctive remixes of »oboo« to the package – a creaky dancefloor-version and a stripped-down ambient one.

jordon saxton aka lk has become a regular name on shall not fade, having remixed detroit legend rick wade last time out, his third output features four breathtaking tracks which showcase another dimension to his productions. the four track ep features ambient, jazz infused cuts, perfectly for the dancefloor.

nadia struiwigh is an electronic music dj & producer from rotterdam, netherlands. sitting somewhere between biosphere and boards of canada, struiwigh s refined downtempo electronica takes you on a journey full of synthesized soundscapes that flirt with ambient techno. awash with melody and warm electronics, lenticular is an expertly crafted piece from an artist who has found her sound and is now effortlessly outputting inspiring compositions. reminiscent of warps artificial intelligence series, this is electronic listening music for quiet nights and club drowsy dawns. both tracks are taken from her forthcoming album of the same name.

154 s cult 2004 album strike is being re-issued on the producer s own nwaq/ape label on heavyweight 180g vinyl. mixing up ambient, techno and abstract designs into deep, sci-fi influenced soundtracks, it still sounds as fresh and unique today as it did back then, and remains an expensive and in demand record on discogs as well as an important album that has influenced many producers since.

music of color proudly presents its first offering from none other than the breakthrough artist duke hugh. the approaching lights ep compiles four undeniable offerings, each standing on its own, and provides another glimpse into to the mind of the eclectic and versatile dutch producer. on the intimate opener „a new beginning“ duke hugh opens up a dreamy state. with singing strings it s hauntology at its core. following this emotional ambient treasure, title track „approaching lights“ goes in with a steady 4/4 groove before decomposing through lush chords into a bassline monster that begs for attention in the dark hours. brightening up the b-side, „burning up“ is prime time material with sticky keys, sharp hi-hats and playful basslines. but it’s the final head-nod heater „broken samba“ which makes this ep such an undeniable no-brainer. led by latin percussion and stumbling drums it sounds like duke hugh pays homage to broken beat maestros without ever loosing his own sound signature. rhodes, synth-sweeps and guitar sprinkles make the ingredients for a funk opus that leaves you with a smile while leaving the night behind. can you see the light? limited first pressing in screenprinted cover with holy water gin infused color! edition of 500 early support from alexander nut, bradley zero, red greg, sassy j, thristian, delfonic, contours, hodini, borut cvajner…

love creation 003 broadens the palette further with 4 inventive creations that take in downtempo, disco, afro psyche soul and ambient styles.

repress 2017 , a sagittariun arrived in late 2011, fully formed, and with a strong agenda to release musical dispatches from the front line of the constellation. he has indulged in astrological techno, spiritual house music, bass heavy dub rhythms and ambient paths. this his first ep for secretsundaze supplying three original tracks in his trademark style.

electronic music- / dj- und producer-pionier moby veröffentlicht sein 13. studio album »more songs about the apocalypse«, das bereits zweite werk, welches unter dem alter ego moby & the void pacific choir erscheint.
für moby-fans ist es nicht überraschend, dass innerhalb der 3 dekaden seines schaffens auch dieses album die spirituelle als auch politische ebene in diesem album aufgegriffen wird. »more fast songs about the apocalypse« ist wohl das persönlichste werk, das moby seither veröffentlicht hat! »that quality of atmospheric sadness i’ve done so much of before isn’t here – there’s nothing quiet or ambient, sonically, this record isn’t subtle: it’s big & loud, with huge kick drums & massive choral choruses.«
pressung auf transluzentem, pinkfarbenem vinyl.

gravitational 003 features two spaced-out ambient cuts from tbilisi-based artist hanker. a must for all sci-fi soundtrack enthusiasts out there. comes with a stellar blind observatory treatment on the flip side and a printed 21x21cm artwork.

mathew jonson’s “decompression” was first released on minus in 2004. to celebrate 13 years since it’s release mathew has commissioned 11 artists to remix this classic split over 4 releases. the first ep of the series features remixes from dbridge, konrad black and nathan jonson, each artists contribution provides a fresh approach to a package fuelled by the influence of drum & bass. dbridge steps up for two remixes, the first is warped and deconstructed, the second a high energy drum & bass belter. konrad black slows things down with a darker groove whilst nathan jonson’s ‘rewind to 96’ utilises rave tropes and chopped vocal samples. the package is a magnificent addition to the legacy of ‘decompression’ and coming next will be remixes from seth troxler, deadbeat, mike shannon and natalia escobar. mathew jonson’s “decompression” was first released on minus in 2004. this is the first release on mathew jonson’s new label entitled “freedom engine” mastered at scape mastering

beautifully deep ambient house pulses

a-side fully hypnotic, frontal, skeletal & static live drum track with dubbed vocoder throughout the whole side. helsinki s jesse duo with a special non-album track from their album sessions produced by dj sotofett (upcoming lp on keys of life). on the flip lns collaborates with dj sotofett for a shimmering and pad warming ambient track kept coherent by liquid driplets of echoed synths at the beginning and later the tickering & harmonic arpeggios.

the 12th installment in the falling ethics series is an adventurous piece of work. tensal and p.e.a.r.l. team up on this split ep to showcase their production styles which are mainly built around crafty drum loops and buoyant synth experiments.
tensal takes care of the a-side where he takes care of one flaming techno cut for the dancefloor which is followed up by two adventurous pieces of electronica.
p.e.a.r.l. also took care of three cuts on the b-side. the opening track “joy of rapture” is a straight forward demonstration of machine heavy techno. “fall before you” is a deep and soul wrenching cut that showcases p.e.a.r.l.’s more delicate side. “red flame” is a piece of horror reminiscent ambient.

florian kupfer, after a string of prestigious releases on ron morelli’s l.i.e.s. and russian torrent versions imprints, willie burns w.t. records, rush hour and ninja tune’s technicolour sub-label (lest not forget that white label sade bootleg), returns with a three track ep on private persons.
this 12 inch tells us the story of the beginning of florian’s career - his travels, dreams and of course love. title track “post present”, recorded for the first time five years ago get’s its first cut into wax. eerie, other-worldly voices reach over a kicking, distinctively kupfer-esque rhythm track. “i can’t love life without u” is a dub drive through retro-futuristic heartbreak and “&#1051,,,&#1102,,,&#1073,,,&#1086,,,&#1074,,,&#1100,,,” an ambient tip into the subconscious.

emerging from what sounds like the unknown depths of outer space, new artist icore drops a debut ep on osiris music uk lled with ve exercises in hypnotic, polyrhythmic tension. the a-side’s two tracks ’sigil’ and ‘status field’ feel like two parts of a whole, each establishing a minimal, kick-heavy march in 6/8 that would perfectly ll the cavernous hull of an abandoned mining vessel, lurching through empty parts of the galaxy to the sound of ominous drones and malfunctioning, high-end bleeps. the b-side is more cinematic in its scope, with opener ‘substance from shadow’ summoning a distinctly b-movie vibe in its melody, before both ‘claimed by night’ and ‘axiom’ retreat into darker, more ambient territory, the former thick in sub- bass kicks, the latter ramping up the dread with unnerving repetition.

originally released in 1986, “alkaid” was the first solo release of deca following his debut appearance on the cult various artists compilation “angelo segreti” the original edition was published in a tiny edition on the independent italian label videoradio and to this day remains a rare and sought after album. following mothball and bordello’s continued work with deca, we are proud to make this diverse and fascinating collection of music available to a wider audience. on this instrumental lp we can hear elements of modern classical, synth-pop, dark ambient and even some middle eastern influence.

up from down under, following crucial releases on his own body language imprint, lj shifts gears and steers his intricate sound-world — torn between house and ambient, with larry heard s alien lp coursing through — into deeper, more techno-infused waters. watch out for the centre of time, evoking over its twenty minutes both the arctic vapour of vletrmx21-vintage autechre and the expansiveness of vangelis in full flight. next-level stuff from berceuse heroique.

der kölner produzent desmond denker präsentiert auf seinem aktuellen release zehn stücke auf einer gratwanderung zwischen electronica und grime. durch die absenz von vocals und beats wird die einnehmende atmosphäre angereichert durch pure synthesizer-melodien, von analogen und virtuellen klangerzeugern geschaffen. das ergebnis geht dabei weit über ambient hinaus und beweist, das seine essenz der elektronischen musik frisch und lebendig ist. nach seinem vinyl-album denking out the world (2010) und diversen maxis und compilation-beiträgen, setzt mdf03 nun den forschungsauftrag kölner elektronik-schule im uk-sound- fort. was damals als produzent der bambam babylon bajasch begann und sich in der zwischenzeit durch das renommierte musikprojekt the nest fortgesetzt hat, trägt hier früchte als weiterer brückenschlag zwischen tanz und geistesmusik.

framed by two spoken word samples and wrapped in house and techno emotions, that know about electro and 90’s electronica too: the new, second album of the leipzig and berlin based producer and live artist martin enke aka lake people moves in a fresh way. this time he shifts towards a focus on the essentials of electronic club music: sounds and groove, rough and playful interweaved with the aesthetic particles of techno. with his “point ep”, released on the berlin based imprint krakatau records in late 2012, his creative life as a producer for melancholic driven club tunes took off. several top notch djs played the tune “point in time”, lake people started to tour world-wide with his mesmerizing live set and produced countless remixes for colleagues from all around the globe. in 2015 he finally released his first album “purposely uncertain field” on the munich based label permanent vacation and delivered eleven tracks at the interface of techno, ambient, experimental and electronic, that bewitch with hymnal chords, yearningly melodies, detailed production, elaborate sound design and an overall introspective, emotive feeling. now, just shortly after he published a fresh ep on the dresden based imprint uncanny valley, lake people drops “phase transition”, a new album consisting of ten haunting tracks full of dance suspense. he recorded all between 2016 and early 2017 on various vintage analog synthesizers, uad and other creative interfaces. to find out if his latest pure slamming tracks work deep, he tried them out during his live shows in order to catch some new ideas directly from the dance floor.

for its fourth release under its main series, quanta records welcomes panorama island, zwei kreise’s new album, mixing ambient, idm and sonic experimentations. with panorama island, zwei kreise delivers one of his most accomplished work so far, inspired by memory and more precisely its flaws: hidden corners, lost knowledge or elliptic recollections.
melancholic ambient tracks and deconstructed breaks come one after the other and set the mood of the person who dives in. melodies play a very important role in these introspections: meticulously planned, sharp or languishing, they guide the listener through his wandering. in this record, zwei kreise shows his obsession for detail and micro-variations under a new light, more ethereal and contemplative, renewing our perceptions with every listening.

the opening track from the award-winning toy album has been extensively remixed by andrew weatherall. frautonium is andrews favourite track from toy and hes produced four very different mixes covering electro, house, minimal and cosmic disco. with a wide-screen ambient version from ian tregoning. limited edition of 1.000 copies and released only in the uk as a double 12inch

nice price deal !!! kaleidoscope is the first ep by the very talented and young producer individualsim from amsterdam nl. winning the grote prijs van nederland in 2010 is a great start and shows something special is going on. pure and gentle electronic music combining styles like house, ambient, jazz, dub and pop without ever being predictable. this first vinyl release features four tracks that show a great amount of creativity and the vision it takes to transform certain feelings into music. limited to 200 copies, pressed on crystal clear vinyl.

audiophile presentation of dreamy, dubby pulsating ambient beauties

flori s life signs marks the eighth release for voyage and the uk artist s debut for the label. an ode to the unexplored landscapes of mars, flori uses a refined aesthetic, not dissimilar to the original star gazers of detroit, to imagine and encapsulate the reality of being alone on point lake. two driving explorations, accompanied by a pensive ambient excursion, life signs takes flori and voyage into the areocentric orbit of our closest terrestrial neighbour

dispersion is an ep deep in style, talent and wonder. embellishing the underground kudos of berlin-based techno dj and producer avion, owner of the hotly tipped, and renowned imprint crossing, dispersion is an eclectic mix of cerebral, uncompromising and colorful techno. title track dispersion is a gleaming display of spacious dancefloor beats melancholic, yet industrial. real is clinical, functional techno, emulating some of the wizards influential magic. inverse blends together a contemporary approach to sonic aptitudes, while remaining a strictly dancefloor and body orientated, while enidan a colorful moment of ambient beauty, plays the ep out. it is the first release on marcel fengler s regarded, techno imprint imf in 2017. dispersion is an ambitious, and unique ep, from a true underground and mysterious talent. the eps style embodies the bright, hypnotic and pulsing music that has characterized his releases to date on crossing. talking about the release, fengler states, he got my attention after some pretty strong releases on his own imprint crossing. i felt that this was something i didnt have on my label, but still reflected the idea of imf.

dark ambient, drones, industrial, lp

whacked out from the whisky soaked bristles of firecracker hq, the danish dondada dj sports (he of regelbau and help recordings fame) offers up a maiden lp of vast and varied sonic states. get set for solid rave aesthetics aplenty - the double packs journey trudges over a musical milieu of broke-beaten, ambient driven house and techno, melancholy junglist and dubwise downtempo. one foot in the past, one foot in the future and killing the present - a perfect and timely addition to the firecracker canon.

for its 6th release, bjarki and johnny chrome silver’s bbbbbb records welcome new signing eod (aka stian gjevik) to their unholy alliance with his swurlk ep . the norwegian born, strictly analog producer takes the label off-roading with four outstanding productions channeling ambient, electro and hard bloody techno. having released on imprints including rephlex and weme records, it was actually on soundcloud that bjarki discovered eod’s music. after getting in touch, the scale of his work emerged as gigabytes of unheard music dating back to 2002 were exchanged, all of which was made without the use of a pc an approach which speaks for itself through his instinctive, playful melodies. swurlk ep boasts an impeccable sense of arrangement, more like that of a composer, and even more impressive considering the absence of any computer. the title track opens with a velvety smooth synth melody building with bass textures.‘evenhark uses a broken beat framework to carry floating harmonies. swarm uses layer upon layer of stuttered percussion to build into a relentless techno cut. elcaset_testgroove pairs catchy, interacting melodies with pensive harmonies. swurlk ep is a must listen for fans of melodic electro and an exciting move from a label that continues to challenge all our fucking expectations

following up on their recently released pertiwi ep, featuring two original tracks and a 10 minute soundbath rework of this very record by gonjasufi, gamelan voices (aka nid & sancy) present their first album, aptly titled i.the result is a visceral blend of raw gamelan instruments, atmosperic synths, bass guitar and washes of asian metallophones.although the nine tracks on this album are meditative in nature, you d be wrong to assume this package is little more than new age synths noodling away. i is ambient with a raw component. it touches a nerve and it s as much inspired by the work of jon hassell as it is by coil. i will be released through gong ear and available on digital,cd and vinyl.

new album from philippe hallais, aka low jack blissed out and emotive instrumental ambient pieces somewhere between shoegaze, dream pop and futuristic 1980’s documentary music

new years deal - a1 - luc marianni - six synthetic suites (anno stamm remix) berlin producer anstam’s remix of six synthetic suites is quite a trip. the producer has crafted a dubbed-out version, almost sub aquatic in its sound design, structured around a murky but driving techno beat on which he layers marianni’s sounds. exotic instruments, unusual timbres, daring melodies and even slapped bass: the contrast between these sounds and stamm’s grayscale groove is powerful. a2 vril - synthetic suite giegling artist vril uses samples from marianni’s six synthetic suites released in 1986 to produce this lovely slab of dub techno. carefully crafted, this track is all about soft edges, with a kind of blurry and hazy vibe that permeates it. a sense of motion is conveyed by the sparse but efficient rhythmic section, with chords and melodic elements giving the impression of floating. with much more contrast and complexity than it might seem at first listen, this is beyond your usual dub techno cut. b1 luc marianni - six synthetic suites (margaret dygas remix) also based in berlin, margaret dygas’ own remix of six synthetic suites is a deconstructed affair, built around a half step groove, ready to be used creatively in dj sets. somewhere between an ambient excursion and a more rhythmic jam, the producer uses a sparse palette of hallucinogenic, dizzying sounds with a dash of eerie darkness that gives this version a melancholic, unsettling nature. words by edouard isar.

four distinctly diverse cuts here on the second edition of blue hours * remixed* series
printed, stickered disco sleeve
the second edition of blue hour s remixed series features four distinctly diverse cuts. mark broom delivers a peak time take of common ground , followed by substance s (aka dj pete) dub driven remix of the untitled hidden ambient track which appeared on reference 97 . on the flip hessle audio s pangaea re-captures the jacking and functional energy of falling lines , then closing the ep is a raw and dreamy electro workout of introspective ii from vc-118a.

next up on hell yeah is -the most balearic record i have ever released- according to label boss & it comes from japan s disco don max essa which features a four part track, themes from the hood, the cad, & the lovely, on one side of vinyl, and two more on the flip. essa was born matthew bruce and the uk artist has now been releasing his blissed out beats on labels like feel music, electric minds, bear funk and is it balearic? recording for a decade. a prolific producer whose big hits like panorama suite/uptown vibration (is it balearic?) from 2010 have long been in the hell yeah boss s record bag, essa first approached the label with a bunch of tracks. a good correspondence alchemy ensued and together the artist and label decided to put out the most timeless 12inch possible. the exquisitely ambitious themes from the hood, the cad, & the lovely is almost 12 minutes of serene ambient synth work that is like a soundtrack to a hot summer s day. heavenly chords sound just like a breathy female vocal and as they come and go, one finger piano tinkles add real emotional beauty and gentle twinkles shimmer in the distance. half way through lazy drums propel things along at a loveably lethargic pace and immediately place you on the beach. on the flip, saguaro is just as organic and beautiful, but has tumbling drums, wooden hits and soft claps as well as essa s magical synth work all bathing your soul in warm rays. b2 buran chime is perfectly horizontal and expansive, with tinkling triangles, angelic chords and scattered hits and harpsichord sounds all radiating effusively. this is timeless music that will calm busy minds now and forever.

following their eponymously titled 2016 arrival on midlands graded imprint, as well as a recent followup on dark entries, solitary dancer return to the label on which they made their debut. once again, this three-track 12inch blends electro, ambient, and acid to superb, undeniably modern effect. with a running time of nearly 12-minutes, the title track transmitting to heaven is an ambitiously sweeping cut that subtly moves through its various shades, from electro and acid, to strobe-lit 90s rave. the b-side kicks off with birth of saturn, built around an arpeggiating synth that shifts and morphs throughout the track as the intensity ascends. the 12inch closes off with ‘at the end of the corridor of love, a loss’, a slow burning ambient piece that is as sombre as it is cinematic.

danny scrilla returns to cosmic bridge records with a full-length project inspired by a desire to experiment outside of club conventions. while cosmic bridge has become known for forward-thinking, dubwise dancefloor mutations, label founder om unit has long been a fan of ambient and synthesizer music and ancient musical box offers a current take on the format, with 16 tracks of lush electronic compositions and meditations. fittingly, ancient musical box also marks the label s first cassette release.

ancient musical box was written over the past year as a direct reaction to danny s frustration with club music and the inevitable cynicism that can sometimes arise from prolonged contact with scenes, styles, and genres. i wanted to create something without any ulterior motives, he explains. as the tracks accumulated, the project took on a personal dimension and therapeutic qualities. intent on not over-thinking or polishing his ideas, danny created something that is less album and more a collection of emotions in their rawest form.

despite not being intended for the dancefloor, the music on ancient musical box still bears clear relations to danny s catalogue in its minimalist approach and use of melodic motifs. you can hear it in the hazy crescendo of night sweats , the wobbly funk of pangalactic gargleblaster , and the gentle keys of talisman . alongside these are more experimental moments, seemingly fragile in their simplicity but hiding a depth that reveals itself in context: the delicate loops of the title track, the vibrations of cryopod , the melancholy progressions of too little too late .

ancient musical box is the sound of a producer remembering that the best ideas are the simplest, in the process pointing to new directions.

mit der neupressung von -loop-finding-jazz-records- als doppel-lp (inlusive downloadcode) ist 16 jahre nach der erstveröffentlichung ein meilenstein deutscher minimalelektronik wieder verfügbar. das stilprägende album erschien 2001 auf dem wunderbaren berliner label scape, wo es zwischen den knister-, hall- und frickel-klängen eines pole, kit claytons und burnt friedmans hineinpasste, wie die faust aufs auge. mit jazz hatte das ganze natürlich nichts am hut, vielmehr mit clicks & cuts und glitschenden microsounds, die seinerzeit hoch im kurs standen. das szenemagazin -groove- nahm -loop-finding-jazz-records- 2013 in die liste der besten 50 elektronischen alben auf. kollege tobias thomas von kompakt schrieb in seiner laudatio: -seine clicks und cuts waren wie funkelnde fragmente, die man aus einem großen diamanten herausgelöst hatte. umhüllt von digitalem sternenstaub, dabei nie kalt, sondern geschmeidig und feinstofflich dahingroovend, bewegten sich seine tracks wie ein amalgam von ambient, freier elektronika und sehr tiefer, sehr reduzierter house music.- die neuauflage von -loop-finding-jazz-records- enthält die beiden bonustracks -moiré (guitar & horns)- und -poren-, die ursprünglich b-seiten-stücke der 2000 ebenfalls bei scape erschienen -tendency ep- waren