a staple album since its release in 1998, heavenly is as relevant today as it was twenty years ago. it turned heads everywhere, got the underground scene buzzing and set dance floors ablaze like an accomplished pyromaniac. now, the album is back for another round of techno-flavored goodness. revisited, tweaked and rearranged by kevin saunderson under his e-dancer moniker, the album not only comes with additional material in addition to the 1998 originals, but is also poised to fuel a number of exclusive e-dancer live shows. a collection of songs sure to keep the dance floor ablaze for decades, heavenly (revisited) is set to make history once more

when promoting the release of figure-ground’s ‘ep 5’, released december 2016 it was finally announced that the previously anonymous modular duo were in fact dronelock’s alexander church and boris brenecki from ontal. so now the cat’s out of the bag it seems fitting that figure-ground should have this outing on the dronelock / ontal co-run label, shadow story. add to that a collaboration with one of the uk’s finest electronic artists and figure-ground fan, paul mac and you know you’re set for some beautifully worked productions from this trio of talent. teasing and playing with the hardware throughout the ep, they’ve stayed within the realms of techno to create mind-melting and dance floor devastation across 6 tracks. from ‘virtues values & venom’ itself that opens with gusto, before erratic beat experimentation on ‘eightfold path’, the frenetic ‘digital dialectic’, which also gets a second more staccato outing on version 2, ‘noble habitus’ with its machine-funk to the subterranean ‘nativism’, it’s obviously been an enjoyable ride and that translates to the listener.

incl cd, when promoting the release of figure-ground’s ‘ep 5’, released december 2016 it was finally announced that the previously anonymous modular duo were in fact dronelock’s alexander church and boris brenecki from ontal. so now the cat’s out of the bag it seems fitting that figure-ground should have this outing on the dronelock / ontal co-run label, shadow story. add to that a collaboration with one of the uk’s finest electronic artists and figure-ground fan, paul mac and you know you’re set for some beautifully worked productions from this trio of talent. teasing and playing with the hardware throughout the ep, they’ve stayed within the realms of techno to create mind-melting and dance floor devastation across 6 tracks. from ‘virtues values & venom’ itself that opens with gusto, before erratic beat experimentation on ‘eightfold path’, the frenetic ‘digital dialectic’, which also gets a second more staccato outing on version 2, ‘noble habitus’ with its machine-funk to the subterranean ‘nativism’, it’s obviously been an enjoyable ride and that translates to the listener.

luciano nitri has been locked away working on his debut album for horizons music. the sampler is a glimpse of what is to come, with 3 shining vocal tracks, each have the power to be the lead track in their own right. ‘circles’ is funk infused bassline, coupled with lucy kitchen’s haunting vocal this track is the perfect tease and intro for the album. visonobi takes no prisoners, with his heavyweight vocals laid on a sparse nitri beat. ‘homage’ is the calling card to throw some darkness on this single. the final track shows nitri’s liquid flex, soft vocals the track takes us on a journey, and yes this journey for nitri has just begun. circles the album is out soon!

the fifth modern cathedrals release by altstadt echo seeks to exhume genuine, complex, and often contradictory human emotion from dead samples and broken beat structures. throughout the 1905 ep, the artist crafts melodies that embody a tension between nostalgia and frustration, supported by carefully textured and relatively functional percussion. the remix of dry despair by abdulla rashim (ar) strips the original of its lofty chords, instead pursuing a focused and bone-dry experimental techno approach. in contrast, the remix by stave combines elements of the original’s drifting atmosphere with violent industrial percussion.

following rhythm büro’s debut release last year, the kiev-based label has returned with a successive rb002. in a similar vein to their first release, this release features vero and na nich as well as a welcome addition from an up-and-coming ukrainian producer, lobanov k. a2 finds a remix from the notable and much-applauded dj’s dj, eric cloutier. sonically, the record ranges from deeper, housey motifs and dubbed-out techno ventures on the a-side to electro-esque and slightly weirder break-beat expositions on the b-side.

after multiple cassette and 12” releases through kastil’s stale in 2016, it’s time for irazu’s latest addition to the series of complex techno works. “shtamm” is a package that contains four original cuts + a remix by specialist of high-end machine music regis. “refused to be found” is a soaring travel through moods and sonic landscapes which at times resonates like a helicopter flying through an inner city estate building. the aesthetic nature of the opening track is extended through “shtamm”. a multi dimensional piece of work that showcases a more submersive side of irazu s broad pallette. “last hours” is a cinematic stroke of vivid pads that sound like they were extracted from a remastered russian thriller classic. regis opens ups the b-side with a rework of “shtamm”. the off-beat machine funk of the remix leaves little of the original mix intact, yet regis has turned it into a staggering piece of ferocity. “torso” is another irazu original that sound like 7.5 minutes of vigorous rhythms and swerving perc elements.

as for the second release, the versatile newbeat can be, the versatile this release is.
it kicks off with kfactor. a brazilian ebm-artist, bringing a strong sounding newbeat track. on the edge of military rhythms and cheezy acidlines, and an unmistakely ongoing beat.
vv303, also an ebm artist, give us more then just pure acid. 303’s snorring and humping the dancefloor on fire.
ascended man is the pseudonim for olivier abbeloos, know from t99, quadraphonia,... joins us on this release with a masterpiece. the track connects modern underground electro with the strong and dark newbeat. another floorfiller.
-washing the machince- is the closing track, and a reference to the classic house sound of the warehouse and other early traxx, and still fresh and very newbeat.
as the first release was a huge fresh improvement of todays dancemusic, this release makes the statement clear. fenixfirerecords is here to stay. newbeat is here to stay.

following lone aka matt cutlers stunning sixth album levitates hallucinogenic joyride through breakbeats, he returns to r&s with ambivert tools the first in a series of eps for the floor returning to hypnotic 4/4 excursions. inspired in no small part by the rich seam of house that he’s been excavating with his fine magicwire imprint, a refreshed cutler delivers an ep stacked with sure-fire bullets, crafted for his intoxicating dj sets. first up is crush mood - crunching drums, lush resampled chords and dulcet female vox combine into a heady, peak-time rush. chroma comes off like a lost 90s anthem, with its shimmering vibes, airy chords and bumpy rhythm track. b-side closer from a past life could well be the strongest track on the ep - hazy emulator ii chords, spiral arpeggios, gooey bass and woozy african percussion that finds lone digging deeper into some of his more esoteric house music influences. ambivert tools finds cutler a true master, at the top of his game - taking all hes learned over his many years of beat exploration and condensing it down into rugged house stacked full of nagging melody / harmony that elegantly pays tribute to bygone years whilst simultaneously feeling fresh and vital to 21st century dance floors.

the two diggers project has been steadily increasing in productivity since first emerging in 2015, and now it makes the move to jack s house recordings with this no-nonsense three-tracker. -head trip- keeps things simple but utterly effective with a crisp beat, subby bassline and catchy lead arpeggio, while -down the street- takes a groovier, albeit equally stripped back, approach. -you are my groove- spreads itself across the b-side with a brighter disposition that lets warm and soulful samples slip in between the classic house rhythms. if you re looking for straight-up jams that will do the business on the floor, look no further.

paul woolford has been seriously spreading his wings of late, becoming omni-present by landing his tracks with ease on labels like xl recordings, running back, houndstooth, hotflush and aus music. not wanting to be shackled by genres, paul comfortably serves up a wide variety of curveballs, from the technoid charge of his 4/4 persuasions to the exhilarating warped hardcore & jungle breaks of his much loved special request project. and so it’s with welcome arms that edible usher him to our release schedule, give him the comfy sofa and let him rip it up with two havoc-inducing cuts that are already a staple in label boss eats everything’s dj sets. title track ‘chaos’ finds paul in a particularly warped mode, bleepy synth pulses oscillate wildly over a granite hard beat as a single sub-bass tone drives the brain-scrambling flurry of modular tones into overdrive. a hydrochloric synth riff settles the bed, but only until the next haul of chaotic blips come firing out of the speakers - highly effective, and possibly deranged warehouse tackle. a future classic. flip side, and woolford shows off some decidedly more soulful chops on ‘meditate . a vocal hook plays against a dubwise bass line and ascending 909 rides, as a seductive and transcendental string arpeggio creeps to the fore and demands a breakdown of its own, serving up a serious bucket load of emotion. not a dry eye in the house.

frisky and shifty, eski-beat cheeky, breaky and beaty against a backdrop of raw synthesis punctuated by tekken style karate chants. undoubtedly glowing palms’ most dance-floor-centric release yet. an artist previously released only on the legendary ruf kutz label, this producer is set to turn the climate from tribal to tropical. blip discs has teamed up with this manchester born sonic sorcerer for his well overdue first solo record since 2013! his inimitable sound of trancy synths and twinkly treats has earned support across the game yet again with everyone from kornél kovácz to moxie championing these weighty yet joyful floor fillers.

apollo proudly presents the debut from haramia tapes, a new mysterious side project from renowned hungarian electronic music producer laurine frost. more usually known for his refined techno sensibilities, frost has packed pfunk with deftly programmed rhythmic structures and infused it with low slung bass and jazzy textures that make for a sumptuous, enveloping listening experience, ideal for fans of nonkeen, jazzanova or leftfield. pfunk contains seven unique beat sessions - smooth funk, crossed with unique broken rhythms, live drums, bass and found sounds - shot through with cinematic melancholy. from the elegiac piano of opener i am you to the twisted drunken breaks of pfunk to the cooled out percussion and spaced atmospheres of hail, or the moody spy-movie atmospherics of farewell four - this is an album that traverses a variety of moods and textures, effortlessly fusing traditional instrumentation with modern electronics and a perfect addition to apollos beguiling canon of mellowed out grooves.

onboard having come up with an annual-ish drop of 12inches since 2010, even brenden aka chmmr set aside the spring of 2016 to challenge himself to a new format: a full-length album. a true nostalgic, he uses compass point-era and early italo sounds for inspiration and attempts to simulate these styles. this makes for a melodic, chuggy and graphic album that belongs a little more in the living room than on the dance floor. with 10 tracks of dusty rhythms and the honest, naive and spacious themes that is brendens signature, its a record designed to signal that todays technological future may not be as different as yesterdays. features a nice-looking cover painting drawn by the late harold cohens aaron program - automation at its finest. hidden behind his chmmr moniker is even brenden, whose summery debut found its way into the world via norwegian psych-disco label luna flicks in 2010. the record became somewhat of a soughtafter item and after making pit stops at relish, dødpop and untz untz records, he landed on prins thomas full pupp in 2014 and have stayed put ever since, all the while enjoying a steady habit of record jocking and the occasional keyboard duty in telephones now-defunct live band. even resides in oslo makes odd waves without vowels.

new years deal - new 2xlp of grinding beat experiments from black dices eric copeland. controlled chaos, chopped sample mayhem, moments of beauty and destruction over four sides

for its eight instalment, and its first various artist, finest hour brings together old and new friends. tolga fidan and voigtmann were in the plans since the label was created in late 2013, and it’s with great joy that we finally welcome their contribution to our series. a versatile ep that ranges from timeless house inspired by the deepness of the 90s to futuristic minimal cuts with a modular touch and a broken beat edge. the va is completed with two individual contributions by label bosses onirik and pablo tarno, fitting with the musical aesthetics that finest hour is known for.

it’s hard to imagine being at the cutting edge of electronic dance music for over three decades, and never resorting to cliché or tired gimmicks in order to create unique and forward thinking music, but matthew herbert is still channelling original and thought provoking ideas into his projects all these years later. via his accidental record label, he has always excelled at left of centre productions, and through a variety of genre aliases (including doctor rockit, wishmountain and the matthew herbert big band), his imagination has always run wild, resulting in an infectious catalogue of music over the years. “brand new love-, featuring the vocals of rising star, zilla, finds herbert creating a dense and dramatic bass heavy cut. a steppers beat, utilizing herbert’s trademark sampling techniques, it’s a killer cut with sweeping cinematic qualities that sounds head and shoulders ahead of the rest. special request, the jungle heavy arm of paul woolford’s many recording talents, is enlisted to put his breakbeat spin on the original, and turns in an absolutely lethal version, choppy breaks, spinbacks and booming subs come with intent, whilst a sumptuous string arrangement accompanies zilla’s vocal for a truly uplifting spirit. “the peacock-, with its loose beats and opaque stabs, rolls along with its industrial undertones and ravey motif, discordant at times but a truly hypnotizing but in the finest of side b1 traditions. bringing up the rear, “cheekbone” is frenetic and charging micro tribal rave (a new genre classification right there), a glorious medley of percussion, earworm synths and guillotined vocal samples, showing just why matthew herbert is as vital an artist now as he has ever been.

brainwaltzera debuts on film. the anonymous producer, whose work has has already received online approval from legendary british idm auteur aphex twin, offers up an extended ep for the berlin based imprint. in 2015 a soundcloud profile under the name user18081971 - now identified as belonging to richard d. james, commented on curious brainwaltzera upload quilat spring 1 outtake. the move prompted speculation as to who exactly is behind the music. exquisitely produced and executed in such fine fashion so as to decry pure imitation - there’s plenty to theorise here. regardless of their true creator - which will undoubtedly remain a secret for the time being, the compositions on film006 are of similarly high calibre. varied in approach and marrying both electronic & acoustic elements with ease, the six tracks that comprise the record range from yearning ambient segues and dreamy down tempo grooves to otherworldly krautrock and more direct, dance floor fare - but remain bound tight as a cohesive and functional body of work by a glorious, arcane musicality. whether weaving soft electronic tones in and amongst snappy breaks or detuned drum-machine strikes, the artist’s ear for acoustic harmony is perhaps the pervading theme across the six tracks that make up the aecoba ep, marking it out as an excellent addition to the film labels growing catalogue

cuthead have, over the last few years released all kinds of gritty house and hip hop beats but normally through his friends over at uncanny valley. we re now overjoyed to offer you his first ep on local talk and honestly, it s everything we could ve hoped for. spread out over four tracks you get a real dirty basement jam (fuck that shit), a sample friendly house nugget (get down) and a melodic 4/4 tune that sounds like if cuthead and our old friend hnny hooked up in the studio together it got that lil sweet twist we all love! to round off the ep we also included something extra special for the beat heads, a jazzy instrumental hip hop number (what can i say). a pretty good debut on local talk if you ask us

trusme gets the remix treatment from answer code request, ben sims & pangaea. this is the first of two eps featuring remixes of tracks from the trusme planet 4 album. answer code request takes our future into new territory with two outstanding mixes. remix 1 moves things to a much more sinister & foreboding place. tightening the feel & tension of the original with all the hallmarks of classic berlin techno. remix 2 winds up & coils the track into a searing workout of early 90s hardcore breakbeat. ben sims takes control of ring round heart, pushing the tempo & creating a whole new urgency in the track. this is proper no nonsense heads down business & tight as you like. the mix builds excellently well & manages to produce an epic amount of feel and emotion, dropping in & out of the groove with a sneaky breakbeat & vocal dubs. pangaea tackles one of the albums more esoteric tracks in the unexplained. he manages to work a wonderfully intriguing steppers beat which drops from nowhere after the highly beguiling metronomic extended opening. the tracks are getting plenty of play & plaudits from likes of ben ufo, dj deep, bicep & anthony parasole.

retrogott (d) und motion man (usa) haben eine platte zusammen gemacht. retrogott & motion man am mic / retrogott am beat / retrogott & hulk hodn, sowie kutmasta kurt an den cuts / barto (i love you) am artwork. die platte ist gut!

repress! prod.by the alchemist, 9th wonder, evidence, team demo, beat butcher, khrysis & more. sean price (brooklyn, ny) has a cult-like following. fans have been anticipating the release of his -mic tyson- album for years now and thankfully the wait is over. the cover artwork was illustrated by marc ecko’s lead designer, who also created the cover art for monkey barz. the cover art will be brought to life in the form of a motion-graphics animated video set to one of the tracks from the album.

nick hook is nyc’s waviest resident: an in-demand collaborator, producer extraordinaire, and all around provider of vibes who’s lent his touch to projects from run the jewels, young thug, and countless others, all while building a creative community around his studio, thespacepit, in greenpoint. now the redheaded kingpin steps forward with his relationships lp on fool’s gold, a 16 track album of collaborations that are unconventional, unexpected and all-the-way live (literally: each song was recorded in-person with nick behind the boards, a refreshing move in the email verse era).
featuring a festival-worthy lineup of new school rap upstarts (21 savage, novelist, ilovemakonnen) and fellow beat radicals (prefuse 73, hudson mohawke, the late dj rashad), relationships isn’t just the world’s greatest party guestlist, but a chronicle of nick’s year long, after-midnight vision quest—the sound of a producer breaking through the chrysalis, killing the ego, and raising the bar. put your phone down and dive in.
white double vinyl in gatefold sleeve.

with additional successes under such labels as taub, latence releases once again on play label records for his fresh superheated ep. collaborating ideas from his teen years in belgium through the 90’s, with more progressive inspirations, latence has materialized a unique style, which is a celebration of timeless dance music and it’s continued influences on forward-thinking artists. kicking things off with his title-track, pablo flaunts a subtle build of off beat chords injected around playful and erratic acid house influences. a busy and varied concoction of sounds topped with provocative whispers. deeper amplitude is the second of this four track ep, and as the name suggests, we are provided with ample bass, accompanied by snippets of melodic discord and a boisterous snare, fearless and rhythmic. metastable lays a minimalist percussive foundation, sporting a retro 70s synth that steals focus with its quirky pitch shifts, a classic example of latence’s immense talent for blending influences across eras. latence closes with acido basic, an eccentric finale to this eclectic ep. using exotic vocal sampling centered around chemical compounds, he simplifies his percussive layers to a clean texture, which form the bedrock for his experimentations.

unter der katalognummer brrwd006 erscheint der zweite teil der 10inch-serie von ta-ku und repeat pattern auf jakarta records, bei der es vornehmlich um noch weniger bekannte beat-produzenten geht. aktr (engl. actor ausgesprochen) ist ein beat-wizard aus dem umfeld von repeat pattern in yokohama, japan. sein soundspektrum erstreckt sich von 80 s funk-samples über loops bis hin zu vaporwave ähnlichem.

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

bqd40.2 is a collection of original material of artists who we signed back then. on the a side, vid’s “camelie” was an early masterpiece for the label. the mesmerising piano that shines over the beat caught everybody out and made this track one of the most loved brouqade anthems. the b1 belongs to label fave, oshana, who actually released her first production, “magdelena”, on the label. the track featured here, “something different”, was part of a digital compilation, and we’re proud to say we’ve been part of oshana’s story since the very beginning. and as we’ve been digging this track for so long, it’s now only right that it gets some a release on wax.

game of chance makes for such potent material on the dancefloor. from the funky bleep techno tones of “planet pan” to the dubby immersion of “divenire”, with the snappy shuffle of “any robots here” to the blissed-out pads and snaking beat of “point of view”. this is refined and reduced dance music that radiates warmth and champions groove, subtly preaching positivity in the most elegant of ways.

new years deal - delsins next trick is a debut double 12 from sentomea, an amsterdam native, real name sander schuurman, you might not have heard of but a real synth freak. exclusively producing his music in hardware-based live takes, and that gives rise to perfectly imperfect stuff that feels visceral and alive. often making music with a visual connection, this ep is full of versatile 909 beats and fizzing electronic textures. relative solace is up first and is a frosty house trip with bell textures and melancholic strings sounding all celestial and heavenly. wander is all about a sludgy 909 groove being lit up with bright strings and icy hi hat ringlets as dissonant pads stretch and skew all about the arrangement then fortitude boogie has classic detroit pads, a lovely broken rhythm and a funkateer bassline that makes the whole cut dance and emotional dance. fluid is more stripped back and clean, with rubbery 909 drums plodding below w atery, gurgling synth sounds up top and this most expressive and textural ep closes with the experimental fm synthesis that is matter with its raw, off beat grooves and glassy surfaces, and finally reminiscent, a horizontal, star gazing cut that encourages you to lay back and day dream in the grass.

r&s records present the three remixes from sporting lifes slam dunk series pressed to one slab of wax. &#8232,,&#8232,,these remixes all came from sporting lifes friends and contemporaries. actress turns in a stunning, typically deconstructed remix of court vision (feat evy jane) alternating between using the full vocal, the mood is one of melancholic hauntology. galcher lustwork comes correct with a tripped out, euphoric house reworking of hydrate peeling back the complexity of the original for a straight jack that oozes class. finally arch beat provocateur dean blunt provides a suitably oddball take with his babyfather honeytrap mix (for shakilus) final vip if youve heard the amazing babyfather album or mixtape you know what to expect here

repress , from moods & grooves to sistrum, brian harden has served up more than enough soulful, synth-led house and techno in his time. it s just the kind of style that suits the mood on d3, and so the label has picked up his essential -chicago to detroit- jam and called upon a fine selection of remixers to rework the track. first up is byron the aquarius, who drops some expressive broken beat drums into the mix to spar with the illustrious melodic tones to great effect. meanwhile the label boss brian gets busy with a classic, straight-up adaptation on his -chicago sur seine mix- before patrice scott opts for an energised variation with poignant new rhodes-esque keys floating on top.

the greek beat-head massive is represented once again on the cold busted label with beatbop street. it’s an album from the cool new project andyfellaz, a collaboration of athens-based producer billa qause (beatquick) and percussionist nikos martziokas (wolfy funk).

stuck in the depths of a dark alley, blocked by yet another breeze, hitting a stone wall, road sign ahead: dead end. impasse. “cul-de-sac”. hip-hop. the original, some would say, official music of the late 20th century bronx. some say it has endured it’s fair share of distractions, detractors and defectors. some say it has murdered itself, having been abandoned by its so-called best men, those who have gone off in other directions, or who have, simply, just beat-retired. yet, there are plenty of soldier monks still out there, prepared to sweat it out in the temple of machinery and mics. low cut honored this cause four years ago, with his mpc crafted minimalist version of ny minute and he’s back to ring the bells and unsheathe the samples!
the double vinyl release includes a download code.

inspiriert von der musik von fela kuti und seinem africa 70 projekt mit tony allen am schlagzeug, ist -the devil made me do it- reiner downtempo afro beat in seiner ursprünglichen version. der erste remix namens -invisible cosmic echoes- hat ein langsameres tempo und zeichnet sich - wie der titel schon sagt - durch nachhall und raumklang aus, während die -the invisible astral wave version- durch sein beschleunigtes tempo mit schwerpunkt auf dem perkussiven stammes-element perfekt für einen dj-mix geeignet ist.

a voyage into the outer reaches of immersive, ambient techno and electronics where boundaries are blurred between 80s bedroom boogie, detroit electro, broken beat and warp golden-era bleep

todd osborn & tadd mullinix return for part 3 of their analogue acid project! more info to follow.

our dedicated digging team has scoured the planet once again to bring you yet another dope rare break kit from around the planet. ready to chop, loop, and layer, international breaks 505 features 101 new breaks from from the late 60s to early 80s. our team assembled a comprehensive break beat kit with ultra rare gems from russia, china, thailand, india, korea, japan, bulgaria, turkey, france, holland, italy, poland, uk, and brazil. if you are looking for more variety than your typical over sampled soul breaks, then this kit is is perfect for your production arsenal. don’t sleep on this kit!

the first inner shift encounter with ewan jansen was several years ago on a pair of test pressings, from mike grant of moods and grooves. the label hadn t even begun yet, but ewan created a huge impression and wasn t to be forgotten by them later. ffwd to 2016/17, enter: return to hyperbola. the first track in, you get a good tech house/deep house vibe called docking lane , fully equipped with lovely atmospheres, a driving kick and intelligent chords. next is bulkhead, mainly defined by a full-sounding, broken beat rhythm and expressive keyboards. b1 is deceleration , another 4-4 deep house number, but witha subtle quirkiness and over all moody feel. on the b2 is perspex, featuring a funky bass, nice pads and elevating keyboard part. dont miss out, ewan never fails to impress.

continuing its mission to shine light on the genuine anomalies of 70s italian production music, finders keepers records resurrects another unlikely transcription disc from the vaults of one of rome s most esoteric library music archives! the mythical, mysterious and misfiled transcription disc of a lost italian demonic religious rock opera recorded at pierre umiliani s sound workshop by stefano marcucci - beat group veteran, fernando arrabal collaborator and libra affiliate. featuring members of the wider casa/ducros family and future federico fellini collaborators, this previously commercially unavailable mini-lp features embryonic minimoog, ecclesiastical organs and chorus alongside a tight psych funk rhythm section from italian library musics golden era.

two floor-smashing highlights from the gnarliest corner of the spectral sound library get a welcome reissue on the first limited addendum 12” to the dope jams nyc volume 1: 2005-2012 compilation. first up is futuristic acid banger “poison dart” by 2 am/fm, the double-headed beast of ann arbor’s d’marc cantu and james t. cotton. beginning with an eerie synth coiling endlessly around a shuffling, anxious beat, the track unexpectedly blasts off with one of the nastiest acid basslines since “washing machine.” commanding, otherworldly, and freaky to the core. on the flip, cotton flies solo and tosses listeners headfirst into his chaotic and terrifying “bizarre carnival.” pounding kicks, blown-out bass and frenzied synths relentlessly collide with one another, creating an endless nightmare of a world on the verge of machine-induced annihilation.

the new testament of funk is back to preach the new funk! it’s been a while but now is the time to get the groove again. after the success of the last ntof-samplers many believers were waiting for new stuff. there you go! henry storch and chrispop took their time to compile a sampler for all you funkers, groovers and hip cats. ntof vol. 6 delivers previously unreleased tracks such as „in control“ by sons of time or „where do we go from here“ by the mighty mocambos feat. lee fields and exclusive remixes of andy cooper’s „chasing the funk“ and „get up & get it“ by reiner witzel & datfunk. so just like the former ntof the new testament of funk vol. 6 contains the hottest tunes you can get. amen!

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

crucial heavyweights poldoore and emapea each take on a side of this cold busted 7“ single, the latest in a bi-monthly series of dub / reggae cuts exhumed from the label’s golden vault. belgium’s poldoore commandeers the a-side with an instrumental version of ”this road“, a track originally found on his acclaimed 2016 album the day after. stirringly dubwise, the cut is wet with atmosphere and the ping of spring reverb, as a tuneful horn section carries the main melody. flip the wax for accomplished polish beat-maker emapea and his delightfully skankin’ ”rudeboy“. previously appearing on the in dub 3 compilation, ”rudeboy” showcases emapea’s knack for combining samples from multiple genres into one cohesive, steamy gumbo. with either track, b-boys and natty dreads alike will give the dance floor a serious workout as the needle meets the vinyl.

freda & jackson’s msh002 is the second offering from sydney’s moonshoe records and their first ep on the label as a duo. in 2016 the two beat-makers burst onto the scene and further-introduced the label with a pair of singles, persius & sumluv to a warm response at home and abroad. msh002, although predominantly house-cuts, sees the pair draw largely on their hip-hop influences with a heavy use of sample chops and and raw percussion. the 5-track maintains an emotional undertone of sadness from front-to-back while each tune holds up as a stand-alone journey.

ltd to 200 copies
hailing from east london but otherwise shrouded in mystery, loop lf makes a strong first appearance with this opening gambit for well street records. there s a diverse array of sounds presented across this 12-, with the intricate minimalisms of -moon gz- matching glitchy percussion with ethereal pad tones to great effect before -ocean drums- opens the sound out into a broader, fuller broken beat context. -stepping back- is an audacious production that makes full use of the space between the drum hits before -you wouldn t understand- heads into an overtly reduced, dubstep-minded headspace perfect for all lovers of the original fwd vibe in a modern setting.

lessismore record label, founded in 2003 by the dutch dj and producer alexis tyrel together with mbc, has been home for mostly his own releases under all his monikers and various artist compilations. “return to planet alpha” continues in this tradition, being a second long-player of alexis tyrel after his debut “newtradition” from 2011.
“return to planet alpha” is a collection of elegant techno tracks which instead of following the now so popular dark and destructive path focuses on daily moods and airy atmosphere, which is closer to open air and lounge than to sweaty pits of contemporary rave. but that doesn’t mean that the twelve tracks are just indistinctive background music. for one thing, tyrel is a master of slick and tight beat foundations of kick drums and bass, often smoothed out with cool synth pads, onto which he layers all kinds of rhythmical chains, subtle melodic ideas and sounds ranging from vintage synths and industrial bits to organic textures and even field recordings.

one in a million leads with a bright 90s garage house beat reminiscent of disclosure before breaking into the kind of danceable indie-pop swagger that will excite fans of lcd soundsystem and hot chip. replete with remixes from zomby and playgroup this 12inch sets a precednt for olsson 12inch release where he kindly asks his heros to reimagine his work. in this case two of electrtonic musics most exciting and consistent names step up.

special double pack for all you friendly fire lovers out there - contains 2 classic releases:
- frf010: robert natus vs. brainshaker - schizophrenia ep
- arcussinus002: fl-x - aligozinosa

the fourth release on bjarki and johnny chrome silver’s bbbbbb records, comes hot on the heels of the first. two and three are limited run, vinyl only, hand stamped releases to be sought out from your local dealer. bjarki returns as cucumb45 with the 5-track ep ‘something weirdcore’. on the surface there are elements of jungle, breakbeat, techno and rave, but to say this spans genres would be an understatement – it defies them. the title track instantly commands attention with breaks samples offset against indecipherable robotic groans and melancholic chords, but a sudden change of drum pattern shows this is more than a reprieve of known territory – it’s a voyage away from the limits of tempo and genre. this theme is explored throughout the ep by way of unnerving stripped back techno (akureyri), electro with subtle inflections of dancehall (comatack) and even a big beat/dub influenced jam (music for advertising). as cucumb45 plays with genres as we know them, so he does with the emotional resonance of the release. frequently switching from euphoric to anxious, each track is a testament to his incredible attention to detail. simply put, this is music for those who hate to be labelled.