having carved out a reputation for some of the finest cosmic house productions on labels like omena, dirt crew and quintessentials, the lithuanian based producer delivers three new cuts on this release, which comes ably backed by a remix from italian producer fabrizio mammarella. on the title track, alex pletnev (ponty mython), goes for breezy synths and wandering melodies over a chugging mechanical beat and an fm style bassline, whilst fabrizio mammarella (bear funk/les disques de la mort) toughens things up slightly on his remix, plunging into a darker sound aesthetic for a great reinterpretation of the original. on “time spiral” an unhurried groove is laced with layer upon layer of meditative synths and percussive rolls for a fat dose of eighties soundtrack vibes, whilst ep closer, “appreciate it while it s not too late”, settles down to a head-nodding pace with funky bass and key melodies and live drum samples for a real earworm of a track.

soundtrack of the german cult erotic movie by lisa-film from 1979. starring playboy playmate bea fiedler. pressing on black vinyl, including poster, sticker, vampire fake teeth and download code.

lorenzo chiabotti s each one teach one ep starts with the subtly minimal roller esc one, blondie brownie beat follows on, taking a more electro edged approach whilst title track each one teach one bubbles along on a tide of energetic percussion

lagaffe tales co-founder jónbjörn drops four tracks on icelands falk records beat driven sub-label, falk disks. since 2008 falk (fuck art lets kill) has become a creative hub for icelandic and international artists involved in experimental and electronic music, spanning noise rock through to power electronics, underground hip-hop to diy techno and electro. 2017 saw falk continue with releases from icelandic hip-hop producer lord pusswhip, techno/electro producer thizone and canadian industrial techno musician /&#991,,,/huren/&#991,,,/. berlin based icelandic producer jónbjörn, known for curating reykjavík record label lagaffe tales – one of the main pillars in the icelandic house scene – now joins falks’ club focused sub-imprint with a robust four tracker. moving away from the deep house sound hes renowned for towards a darker and leaner night time aesthetic, amsiak inaugurates the release with an infectious electro groove as gurgling pings and acidic clangs and drones are liberally dropped throughout the track. aspekte is a spacious track with blown-out bass sounds that morph and glide across a tempered, slow burning planar rhythm. on the flip, jonbjörn goes for a harder techno sound influenced by his relocation to berlin. sunnudagskaffi is a bendy, 4/4 roller that contains hidden grooves below the basslines and the acid pings that wouldnt be out of place on a livity sound release. meanwhile, holy b is pure warehouse creeper techno, complete with machinic tones and the atmospherics of sweat and grime on dungeon brick walls.

to find lawkyz, follow the beat. it is here, in this vital part, this lighthouse which guides the route of the other instruments, which it prints in depth the low notes of his four strings. riveted on the drums. linking with it a rhythmic pact, ensuring the propulsion of the groove on stage with erik truffaz or guts, on records with uht °, anna kova, or versus, his hip hop project with full live band. when he puts his fetish instrument, when he lets cool his amp, then wakes up his evil twin: the waxidermist. one year after his last ep, the waxidermist comes back to tell his story.

next up in the apparel music limited series is loure with a 4 track ep which also includes a remix by saine. the name of this work by the aussie is smooth talk and it contains all the stylistic elements that make the melbournian one of the most talented in the scene at the moment. the ep kicks off with the title track which can be certified as a dancefloor banger with its solid rhythmics and the smooth synths playing along with a hint of acid keeps going with mutual motion which gives a display of what this guy can do in terms of creating spacey deep harmonies, such a groovy way to lower the tones before the remix of the 1st track smooth talk. saine here puts his signature once again with another banging tune crafted on loure sounds, adding his touch with deep percussions, a substantial compact beat with a bass-line that will get you carried away. the closing track is the right decompression after a journey through sounds: rolling snares, vocal samples chasing each other and a happy touch to finish in style.

edmondson first came to my attention with his lobster theramin distributed release, flamingo tripper, on his own label lissoms. or so i thought. turns out he was actually a guy who used to serve me in one of my favourite pubs in newcastle. back in those days he was a dub step / drum and bass kid, and as per the trend with all of those guys, hes now showing the house heads how its done, with a much keener feel for sound design, groove and a better ear for a sample than 90% of us lazy people who cut our teeth on a 4/4 beat. edmondson (or sean as i did know him and how i know him once again) is really one of the most exciting producers out there right now for me, and i couldnt be happier that weve reconnected and hes kindly allowed me me me to present some of his amazing music. we have love is an instant classic, and psg is a work of pure emotive art. to remix we have love, ive enlisted dauwd (fresh from his amazing album on technicolour). sean suggested him, and i jumped on the suggestion as he was one of the first people i met when i moved to berlin 4 years ago, and ive been trying to figure out a way of working with him since. he takes a we have love down a kind of more delicate and steppy route. its very pretty, but also really makes you want to dance. to remix psg i asked asok. again, i thought i first met asok about 7 or 8 years ago, when he came and played for a party i used to throw in newcastle. after becoming good friends over the years, we got chatting and it turned out that we were both in magaluf in 1998, and may have actually been involved in the same street brawl. thats not something either of us are proud of, but its definitely food for thought. i’m biased, but i think his remix is my favourite thing he’s ever done, and i love everything he’s touched musically to date, so thats probably an even bigger endorsement than it first seems. his version is big.

the second modugroove installment from the 100hz studio is a mixture of live improvised session recordings and arranged music taken also from live studio recordings. 2 tracks are collaboration projects with good friends of mine who happen to be great artists. we have 1 from richard rogers aka black booby and myself and 1 from julian giles and me aka junction chaos. this 4 track ep spans several styles of music from deep techno to graceful and emotive string dance. the focus of the ep and the label is the unusual, trying to not use usual drum patterns and 4 beat structures

amsterdam-based duo dj windows xp provide the next ep for live ones, serving up apple infused, sample driven rhythms that ll pop cherries you never knew you had. the pair have previously offered provoking selections on dj haus imprint e-beamz and the amsterdam based who s susan to high acclaim. the biggest contradiction is that none of their music is actually produced on a windows computer - and quite rightly so. what will come next from the duo depends entirely on whether they finally decide to perform that software update.
12 inch vinyl manila sleeve + hand stamp

late last year, we modestly celebrated the sixth anniversary of lph records by releasing a 10-inch that reconnected us with our very first ep by bringing back two of the artists who contributed to it, runaway and soft rocks. now, as a sort of companion to that, we have lph___vi , a 7-inch that gives shine to a couple other names that have been spotted on lph party flyers of old and back catalog credits, jacques renault and daniel t. both these are fun, flavorful little disco nugs united by funky bass guitar fretwork and plenty of sassy woodblock, though jacques leans towards the goofy and daffy, whereas daniels brings some synth-pop seriousness into the frame. as befits the format, both hover around four minutes in length.

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

adrix (p stands for produtor) is one of those contemporary puzzles: born and raised in lisbon, of angolan descent, he moved to manchester at 19, three years ago. we can say the nervous interplay between bass and beat stems from just that. fierce, techy, twitchy grooves run through the whole of -Álbum desconhecido-. it’s in the blood. not surprisingly, adrix has a soft spot for drum ’n’ bass but that’s because it clicked with the adrenalin rush leaping out of kuduro, his true long-standing obsession.

following on from the recent lp on brew records, that we love so much, cologne homeslice, tbz, drops a self released casstte. beat tape business (a load on here ranging from kooked out dancehall, pickled downbeat and nobbly electronics ). very much a winner. tip!

foom present frame loop from peter zummo. a newly discovered recording from 1984 including arthur russell on amplified cello on every track.

ep3: mov clsr is the third and final piece in a trilogy of releases, exploring the libraries of spaceks recent hard drives. encompassing house, footwork, techno, garage and broken beat the legendary vocalist and producer has amassed a wealth of tracks created mostly on iphone and ipad. south london to the core yet globally inspired, his off kilter swing and free flowing approach to music has always set him apart from the pack. from his work with j.dilla (eve/dollar) to his collaboration with mark pritchard as one half of africa hitech, steve spaceks creative output has always been a million miles ahead.

brand new year, brand new imprint. coop presents is an all-new record label, founded by ig culture and alex phountzi, set to focus on the depth and wealth of talent that exists within the london bruk movement and beyond, a project which they consider to be a continuation in the same spirit of the legendary coop movement. last summer, the coop presents crew released an ep via first word records entitled selectors assemble . this was the first collective offering from a foundation comprised of uk dance music pioneers and nowadays bruk soldiers, navigating in & around the world of broken beat and beyond over the last two decades to the present day. reinvigorated by recent boiler room sessions, the crew proceeded with more parties, more radio shows, and gained access to an unlimited pool of all-new sounds. the squad were primed and ready to move forwards from the famed days of the plastic people dances, and further explore the evolution of their sound.

this is a great sophomore effort by this scottish outfit. the singer has a unique semi-quavering voice with a melodramatic quality that suits the music and would equally suit him on stage in a musical. some songs are aggressive but with a dark hue. opening cut -a leaving song- finds sutherland carving his way through jangly and buzzing guitars set to a skittery beat with a touch of the theatrical. closing is -home-, a forlorn ballad with sutherland delicately pleading -please let me come home-, elegiac and sweet.

label boss nachtbraker is finally making his solo debut on quartet series after a successful ep last year on heist recordings. widely known for exploring different sounds and angles with his productions, this record is the most club-orientated to date. intricate ghetto house with a slight french touch to straight up 4x4 with a pinch of jacking flavour would be an accurate description of this release. the use of 90s hip hop samples within this auditory concoction successfully highlights nachtbrakers excellent ear for detail and penchant for exciting, eclectic and downright weird changeovers. the main hitter taking over the full a side is the title track small towel people. an uplifting bass line accompanied by heated 909 percussion and a hypnotic thriving arp to seal the deal. on the flipside, youll find kippendijen on the b1. a heavyweight in the house category, some glimpses of early days jacking house and a little french touch on the filter. throw in a breakdown even houdini wouldnt be able to handle and youll find yourself putting this track on repeat. then when the needle hits the b2 groove, zomaar kicks off with an energetic mpc style breakbeat before morphing into a deep jam of lush chords and a thrusting 4x4 beat. the track closes after switching back to the first part of the record and ends in a sublimely deep and dubby breakbeat.

formerly of france, now based in brazil, d3 elements returns with their second instalment of the beatz series, this time with jazz artist, bruno e, also hailing from brazil. bruno, who has been producing and performing since the late 90s, has worked with and remixed the likes of silhouette brown and gilles peterson, as well as releasing albums in his own right. this limited colour 10inch release features three versions of the track ventos do outono, (loosely translated to autumn winds). first up is drummer, composer and producer, pat van dyke, taking a break from composing the soundtrack to jerry seinfeld s comedians in cars getting coffee, with a breezy, laid back version of the original. featuring lush horns and flutes, along with vintage keyboards, the track urges us to get down, while straddling the boundaries of jazz and golden era hip-hop. still on the a side, it s bruno s turn, delivering a wonderful broken beat track. full of beautiful keys, strings and intricate rhythms, this track is reminiscent of the sound championed by kaidi tatham and nu era. flip over to the b side, and techno legend, kirk de giorgio takes us on a deep, futuristic ride. the track starts off with banging drums and a pulsating bass line, priming us for the cosmic pads and keys to come as the uk producer takes us on a journey to outer space and back. another quality release from bryan hervieus label, with three diverse versions of the same track, sure to appeal to a wide variety of tastes

vol. 8 with more stunning jungle

few authentic electro producers from the uk can wear the badge legend with the same level of justification as phil klein aka bass junkie. active since the late 80s, phil has been peddling his own take on electro almost constantly, either as a solo artist or as part of numerous collabs with the likes of dynamix ii, keith tenniswood (radioactiveman) and si brown (dexorcist). dj, remixer, live act, and the man behind the killer battle trax label, there is nothing this junkie hasn’t done.
with essential releases on labels such dmx krew’s breakin records, andrea parker’s touchin bass, and billy nasty’s elektrix, the bass junkie sound spans the old school beats and vibes of the electro genre’s origins, to the borderline industrial. from funky to ferocious, bass junkie’s discography is a must have for anyone claiming passion for the genre - influential, individual, and infectious with every beat.
his low frequency fugitive ep is a welcome return for his bass junkie project, after several years working primarily on collabs. the ep brings four new tracks that maintain the bass junkie sound that brought him such success and notoriety in the first place, with a healthy dose of evolution too.
this is one fugitive everyone should try and track down...

mitte der neunziger setzte sich terry lee brown jr. alias norman feller an eine symbiose aus techno und house, zwei damals sich eher gegeneinander ausspielende genres. heute ist tech-house dank deutscher labels wie pokerflat, perlon oder plastic city allgegenwärtig und hat selbst dem minimal-hype der letzten jahre standgehalten. mit letzterem label ist terry lee brown jr. eng verbunden. ein großer teil seiner langen diskografie wurde dort veröffentlicht. drei alben, unzählige dj-gigs, unzählige remixe, eine eigene dj-mix-cd-serie und immer wieder auch ausflüge in trance-, downbeat- oder breakbeat-gefilde – es ist eine erfolggeschichte. sein viertes album „karambolage“ ist das erste seit sechs jahren. gewohnt sicher und feingliedrig geht mr. brown ans werk. da sitzt jeder beat, da werden saubere melodien eingewoben und die balance zwischen musikalität und funktionalität ausgelotet. zum album erschien ebenfalls eine limitierte 7“ mit einem „karambolage-edit“, einem stück, das die fixpunkte des albums in einem ganzen verschmilzt. doch keine bange, es handelt sich nicht um einen liebloses medley. die edit-version ist ein ganzer track, der den status quo von terry lee brown jr. beleuchtet.

fit siegel and dj sotofett join together on their first 12- collaboration as s & m trading co. - a voyage many years in the making. dark and atmospheric strings sail over a thumping bass line, all while a banging 909 beat and percussions keep this ship on course. the route is long, the conditions are rough,but soon a mysterious landscape beings to take shape beyond the haze. *12- also contains acidic and synthetic mixes

for our first release of 2018 and our 11th year in the game, we kick off proceedings with jicheal mackson. the highly in demand producer and live artist drops another forward thinking offering on our imprint. on the a side he delivers carneval, its an underground disco themed cut with hypnotic highs, a groovy bassline and intricate drum programming that evolves through out, vocal murmurs add to the ambiance and complete this winner. jichael switches things up on the b side (vinyl only) with odyssey, this is a more stripped down and trippy affair with break beat drum programming merged with 4/4 swing, white noise slashes and drones set the mood for dark little number. on b2, he lifts the mood with kraut, a more upbeat offering, driven with a bouncy bass groove and intermittent lush pads he creates another groovy master piece perfect for a late night dance floor. this ep truly shows the diversity and talent of jicheal mackson and confirms serialism never ending quest to deliver quality underground music...

the mighty zaf & phil asher present 80s, their new edit label specialising in disco & boogie, and strictly vinyl only. their debut 3 track 12inch brings a mixture of boogie, disco & disco funk, something for everyone. these unique new edits are already being championed by mcde, red greg, geology, jeremy underground, sadar, darryn jones & mark grusane

reptile dysfunction launches think sideways edits: a four track vinyl ep with club cuts from soul clap, charlie rope, noah schy & rick trainer and doorly himself. doorly and reptile dysfunction proudly present the first of their new vinyl think sideways edits series, in which the label boss will be calling in favours from a-list stars and bright young guns to release some heavy duty, clubfocussed edits and sample heavy cuts. since launching in late 2016, reptile dysfunction has been resolute in championing previously undiscovered talent alongside releases from firmly established artists. now with the launch of a new vinyl edits series, and the first official reptile dysfunction parties just around the corner, the label looks set to have a landmark year. with miami wmc just around the corner and the summer season following sharply on its heels, think sideways edits vol.1 presents four disco-sampling, feel good club edits ripe for pool parties and basements alike. -this one features one from me that one been holding tight for a while. i m now putting it out due to popular demand after people track iding the hell out of it for the last few months. soul clap have – unsurprisingly – turned in a stunner, then we have new talent from noah & rick trainer and a follow up to his wonderful ep from charlie rope. -all of these tracks have been severely road tested in the clubs and i really believe it s our strongest release so far.- doorly

it s been a while since we last heard from flord king, who has popped up on junk yard connections as well as regularly featuring on lyssna. it s the latter label he returns to now, and he s got some focused, stripped down club fare to impart. -el klassiko- is a shuffling, funky minimal house jam with some wriggling melodies and a subby bass throb, while -avocado in blue- does a quirkier turn with some crafty synth flex that really stands out from the crowd. -bob- too is a distinctive cut with some detailed layers of dubby ripples and errant computer debris quivering and shaking over the mellow pads and steady beat. -deep diff- twists out some cheeky bass and an overall emotive mood that ends the record on a poignant tip.

correspondant welcome berlin duo hinode having established themselves with a string of well received cuts on their own science fiction imprint, they were spotted by chance by label boss jennifer cardini on a recent record-shopping jaunt. with a raw, no-rules sense of machine funk running through everything they create, theyre the perfect match for correspondant and make their label debut with four numerical delights…i lights the analog fire with raw sleaze and off-beat mischief. unkempt and wily, it sets the tone for the entire ep: ii writhes snake-like with its slinky kicks and purring textures, iii slurs with bass groans and shakes with paranoid, alien melodies while iv closes with much more of a tunnelling, sense-blurring experience. total machine harmony, unbounded synthetic creativity, made to mix and wholly outer-planetary… hinode and correspondant are a match made in the stars.

the man who put the beat into afrobeat is back! part of the tony allen reissue series on kindred spirits, featuring remastered versions and original restored artwork. a must for afro-beat fans around the globe. 2018 repress

surely one of the most famous song that franck produced in his entire career.. the combination between him and mandel turner (naturally born in usa) was explosive the day they created this songin avery naive and uncalculated way .it all started from a beat on a mpc with a minimal hook and a bassline.. franck called his long time friend mandel turner to join him in his studio and explained him that the idea was not to do a classic garage song but to make it in a modern way. the result was to work on a strong chorus without verses etc .that we can found on every classic songs. we gived a demo track to appolonia guys wich were in ibiza starting their new residency at dc10 and it has been played the whole summer and all clubbers in ibiza knew this song and became a underground hit when it came out.. franck asked to his close friends (seuil etc..) and producers to give another interpretation of this song because he knew that his friends loved already this song.. so they gave to this song a new life few month later after the success of the original release. today we got ion one wax different versions of this song for different time to be played and different audiences.

vinyl only. lisbon-based record shop carpet & snares second release comes from owner jorge caiado. optimistic strings and sweetly melancholic keys bring a touch of wistfulness to both ap135 and choices : the former matches skippy detroit hats with deep berlin bass in the manner of derek carr, while the latter draws from a rawer palette more reminiscent of 3 chairs. on the flip, tarradas takes us into spacier territory, the almost-broken beat contrasted with a sustained background wash of synths and acid highlights, which s. moreira of the slow life crew turns into the main motif of his driving, funked-up remix, finding a place where techno, breaks and house influences coalesce into a new, exciting whole

after a successful release with church recordings at the start of the year ben hauke returns to his label woop records for a five track ep , first takes. first takes ep combines the sounds of broken beat and house music with a strong nod to 90s hip hop throughout. ben is cementing his own sound and approach to music through his eclectic sampling of jazz records detailed drum sequencing and no nonsense attitude

the ramones’ self-titled debut album from 1976 back with remastered audio on 180 gram vinyl.

new label made by mathias munk modica. the producer behind indiedance labels gomma and toy tonics. (modica produced records with people like james murphy, whomadewho, peaches, daniel avery, the rammellzee - jrbb is a german 15 person big band that combines jazz with electronica. additional beat production by coeo (toy tonics). on this ep is a rework from jrbb friends brandt brauer frick included.

frank is the latest release from dolfin records, a texas indie label with a prominent underground roster that includes rapper lord byron, producer ben hixon, r&b singer jon bap, and former stanley clarke drummer mike mitchell. liv.e is one of the newer artists on the label, having previously collaborated with hixon through a series of dj parties in dallas (“new math mondays”). hixon and bap have significant marks on this project, providing production, mixing, and background vocals. the beats they lend are often heavy on the drums, with short, hazy riffs that resemble dilla-style syncopated loops. frank opens with a short hiss, launching into a jittery pattern of cymbals and drums, stinging bass slaps, and bouncy guitar riffs. you can almost see the tape reels rolling in front of you as the instrumental loops play themselves out with occasional flutters and skips. a chorus of voices enter with harmonies out of the george clinton songbook, blending in behind the slow, finger-snapping beat. it sounds more like a lost, dusty funk recording from the ’70s than an r&b song made in 2017. -nitish pahwa (passion of the weiss)

melchior sultana has not been short of labels to release on over the past few years, from deepartsounds and three fingers musique to minuendo and 12records, but here he can be found inaugurating the profound sound label with some of his trademark deep house tones. -feel this- is a shimmering, nocturnal groover with mystery to match its subtle funkiness, while the live edit of -give it to the moon- has an easier vibe about it with its lingering, warm pads and breezy swing. -treasures- shakes things up with a jazz funk twist, letting effervescent instrumentation flirt around the crooked house beat with stunning results and then the slow, sensual original version of -give it to the moon- cradles the remaining run time of the ep in a downtempo haze of easy beats and stirring vocals.

(2x12inch lp, 140g vinyl) max durantes first lp in a 30 year career, the experiment, is a new, left field direction for an artist whose history traces from the birth of techno, through idm, industrial and electro. spread over four sides of vinyl, the experimentconsists of beatless pieces (which reveal another character when slowed to 33rpm), broken-beat techno and straight-up dancefloor trips.

late eighties, early nineties. a back-alley studio in antwerp where new beat and detroit techno lingered. trance was still in the house. electronic body and mind music, fuelled by common sense and primitive artificial intelligence. there was a buzz about wonka. elektrons revolving around atom. humanity firmly on the mappa mundi. labels and sub labels, one-off projects and alter egos, unsung heroes and soon-to-be stars. laurent garnier pushing ludovic navarre to pass on his tapes. all-night light from koenie’s basement. sven van hees entangled in liaisons dangereuses. jan van den bergh before lounge. jan vanneste spreading the news. jan berquin and nicolas rosquin going quadratic. usa import was ready to export its own music. antwerp bio techno. homegrown and uncut. these tracks are evergreens from that place and time.

following on from a hectic summer touring across the globe, ny producer joeski returns to the studio to create his next release, due on crosstown rebels in 2018. the release unfolds with the original version of i want you - a fierce, driving beat is juxtaposed alongside the sensual and smoldering vocal as the bassline rumbles on. pure 4am, fist pumping pleasure. the flip side introduces the disco mix of the title track. but don’t let the ‘disco’ lull you into a false sense of security. the track is fuelled by intense industrial sounding smashes and an abundance of layers that creep ever closer. a founding member of nyc’s the chocolate factory dj collective, joeski has been a staple in the underground scene in new york since 1991, holding down a residency at the city’s famed nightclub- roxy. he’s played alongside the likes of danny tenaglia, louis vega and roger sanchez. his career has seen him release on electrik soul, siesta, chez and camouflage as well as launching his own imprint maya records in 2001. this year, the prolific producer has juggled a jam-packed touring schedule taking in australia, new zealand, south america and europe, as well as ibiza for do not sleep and misfits.

for the first release of 2018 we welcome harry wolfman to the outplay family! having followed his work for the last couple of years we re very happy to have him deliver this varied 4-tracker, which very well might be some of his best work to date. the a side starts off with hitch . a warm and dusty groover driven by rhodes, a rubbery bassline and a thudding kick. a lovely string piece in the middle of the track slowly builds up to the break for it to return to the head nodding groove soon after. the added percussion gives it a nice lively feel as well. pigs in blankets sets the pace a little slower, but the funk goes on. the track incorporates 80s style samples with some excellent synth and chord work. perfect for a warm up session. starting on the b side harry takes it up a notch with nemoto , which will be a definite stomper for the dance floor. it takes you on a 9 minute journey of rolling bumpy basslines, screaming distortion leads and hypnotising synth work. finally, to ease things off, sts-136 (final call) comes in at a slow 88 bpm pace as a perfect closure to the ep. dreamy pads, piano licks and a calming marimba melody combined with a beat which feels like a warm blanket will make you wander off for a moment

driven by a vicious and visceral soul, the buttshakers are known for their fierce and fiery music. yet after nearly a decade of touring and recording, it was with a different musical vision that they approached sweet rewards, their first collaboration with underdog records. accustomed to the raw, primitive sounds of 60s garage rock and the crude sexuality of premotown soul music, a sound they could have continued to dig into again and again. instead, they decided to take another route: a creative shift, a return to a style of soul music that no longer has to rely on pure energy alone. exceeding the limitations imposed by their tight yet powerful six person lineup, they opened up this studio session to fully accommodate their ideas and concretize their musical ambitions: a larger horn section creates a richer, scintillating sonority, a touch of slide-guitar opens their creative universe to the open spaces of the far west, the organ vacillates between psychedelic drapery and heartfelt gospel tones, all of this supported by the wicked groove of a percussionist driving the beat on. their sultry and soulful frontwoman, ciara thompson, is here for the first time supported by backing vocalist. an occasion for her to indulge in a few call and- response chorales, a reverence to a gospel background instilled in her from her native st louis (missouri), a still vibrant heritage from the city that cradled jazz, blues, country and folk music. ideal for a sound that never lets down yet remains intuitive to the gradual rise of emotion each song demands. with each new listening, sweet rewards reveals something new to the listener: another dimension, a hidden layer.

dead man s chest aka alex eveson makes his debut appearance on myor massiv sublabel diamond life alongside head honcho coco bryce. dancehalls seem to be the common denominator on this 12”. and where mr eveson prefers to drop a tab of acid, coco opts for a helping of mandy to work his way through the night. both sides find the respective producers operating at the 160 bpm mark, wading through a hazy mist of sounds reminiscent of clandestine warehouse raves. but whereas dmc utilizes a fairly straightforward, 93 style hardcore drum loop in combination with acidic undertones and atmospherics which clearly reveal his love for the “golden era” of mo wax trip hop, señor bryce s jam is a far more hectic sounding affair, layering a chopped and re-edited apache on top of an already-frantic, percussion- laden break beat, adding even more to the rushy feeling induced by the nervous pads and rave stabs. quality, yet slightly off-kilter hardcore junglist exercises.

ltd edition of vinvl release .after the last jezgro release by merzbow, the forthcoming one will be experimental, noise and dub created by submechanical, that is no novice in the experimental music. he was one half of noise/dubstep project cloaks and was involved with the 3by3 label. among many other releases the latest release on 3by3 was from jk flesh (justin broadrick of godflesh). when cloaks ground to a stop, the submechanical solo project was born. armoury ep is contained of smashing 4 tracks. tracks pressure and ea2277 are great openers - slow, eerie noise sounding like it s from the future dystopian wars. wave after is on b side, a track that is very crushing and distorted dub. the last track is armoury and it is a hard beating and crunching off beat track.

hailing from newcastle upon tyne, uk, steve bird aka mr. bird is the latest artist to land at matasuna records nest, hatching an exotic and fiery ep. starting on a mid flight ambience, before charging to catch its funky prey, dance away, the opening track, is a scorching collaboration with chief commander yaaba, one of the lead singers of london based combo yaaba funk. undeniably catchy bass line, afro horns blended with a string of unexpected beat variations, dance away is a call to the dancefloor, a celebratory ground to let loose, where mothers and sisters alike are beckoned to shine to the positive tune.

cold busted has navigated the smooth seas to unearth sailing, the new album from moroccan guitarist and beat-flinger saib. the casablanca- based producer has steered his sound into warmer waters. mixing tempered hip-hop beats with jazzy vibes and a lounge sensibility, saib. touches on a style thats both chill and opulent. the albums opener, archipelago, sets the scene with gentle piano, swirling strings, and beachside sounds that would make martin denny proud. tropics pushes the agenda further, featuring delightful vibraphone lines, stand-up bass, and boom bap beats, providing the perfect soundtrack for poolside cocktails. the sleepy crooning of blue memories, the future-retro sing-a-long of mermaid dreams, and the guitar/vibes interplay of pastel provide other highlights. sailings twelve songs show saib. as an artist capable of bringing a sunny climate to any listening environment