len faki is ready to share another batch of his personal secret weapons, this time giving away three floor-focused edits, starring a pair of russian producers philipp gorbachev and nocow. first up are two takes from gorbachevs recent lp, a throwback into the rave scenes heyday. featuring anthemic synths and even front-row vocals by polina. the catchy album opener gets rigged with a solid fundament and peak time-friendly bpm, while similarly sumptuous cut lazer waltzes through fakis tested and well-proven percussive layers. boasting massive low-end impact on the flip, the hardspace mix of nocows k$$$$ hits a special spot, mixing heavy bass, idm-grade level of detail and ghetto-ish vox into a unique and heady power-blend. as with all releases of lf rmx, the proceeds of this record will be forwarded to the berlin organization straßenkinder e.v. to be used in actions against child poverty.

knlb first appeared with the initialize 12inch on vibraphone in july of this year, and it s not taken them long to return with another slab of on-point, upfront house music loaded with flair and imagination. up again is a heavy, chugging and bumping jam that should inspire all manner of screwed up faces of appreciation on the floor, and then fog machine smell simmers things down to a more measured house groove. half life brings a few more dubby elements into the mix, and then the club mix of sin sends the record spinning off in a wonderfully dusty reverie of detuned pianos and late-hitting drums.

pomelo are back with another techno gem by lodig/dibek. the viennese duo delivers two modern techno acid tracks in unique style. on the flip side the cheap records duo erdem tunakan and alpha tracks surprise us with an old school piano techno rave remix.

analog deep space electro with a intimate and melancholic vibe. with each sound carefully designed and crafted to provoke movement and stimulation of body and soul by the alphacom duo. a duo formed by the producers eduardo de la calle (analog solutions) and kristina (amsafe records). the -path ep- showcases another facet of the producers mind, a different from their solo careers. a superb start for the new nny label from madrid. recoommended!!

frankyeffe s riot recordings returns on wax with four techno weapons. on the a side hidden empire s remix for fabio neural is a techno dreamy track with a lead 303 acid bass. aitor ronda returns on the label with a techno proper track ready to burn the dancefloor. on the b side spartaque and astrea bring us to another dimensions with moss and sere di marzo, two tracks full of sounds and melodies.

months after their debut release, bosconi soundsystem is back with another killer package. the italian production trio, consisting of rufus, mass prod and bosconi boss fabio della torre, perk up here with unrequested states of bliss, a 2 x 12- offering that s packed from start to finish with spectacular dancefloor-ready cuts. the title reflects the contents of the album: psychedelic and minimal techno and electro music on a deep and dark tip that speaks to both the mind and the soul. the action kicks off with -serotonin-, a driving tech house jam that s full of driving, spacey atmospheric overtones. -eclipsed- is a more introspective cut, while on the flip you ll find the anthemic swing of the utterly outrageous -scaccomatto- and the psychotic electro of -minor thinking-. the c side opens with the cavernous bass riffs and the ghostly voices of -gravel fire-, followed by the funky grooves and twisted synth lines of -no flowers-. an unusual breakbeat track, it marks an interesting turn of direction of a release filled with intriguing motifs from the off. -blackout- opens amongst a claustrophionic vibe, before things come down a peg or two on the dreamy, celestial strands of -mandibola-

red laser ceo il bosco selects four manctalo nukes that rock the label s manchester party on a regular basis. the manchester dj and producer carefully edits these rare or ignored tracks with the help of the another well-known local who only wishes to be known as the bat. play that song is like the smiths decided to have a go at boogie and creates an amazing mix of indie electro funk that shouldn t work but does. a little happiness has had the big italo collectors around europe searching frantically for the original of this lost gem since the track was aired on red laser s soundcloud. who will find it first? pac manc is an amazing dreamy slice of electro boogie ripe for the dancefloor and finishing the ep in style is the heavy drum led afro funk of shotgun rules again, with a synth bassline so big you could see it from mars. this one will live in dj bags for some time. limited to 150. hand stamped in textured grey card sleeves.

wilted woman returns to one of her homes at primitive languages with a follow up to the coveted cassette release “fluid”. on “watching the psycho”, she offers three tracks of condensed rhythmic gestures that tightly encapsulate various aspects of her wide-cast palate.
with recent 12” releases on she rocks and alien jams, this 7” release carves out a smaller aural territory for the listener to meditate upon. another wonderful chapter in the singular makers repertoire.
tracklist:
a1: sorry
a2: böse mango
b1: onwon

played by ricardo villalobos - its time for the next release on long-running paris label bass culture and owner d julz has invited a crack team of talented individuals to deliver the magic to this latest instalment in the label s release schedule. this extra special remix package features contributions from the legendary dj skull, along with sebo k, henrik bergqvist and romanian mp. the bossman s own 2015 ep houdini is the subject of this exquisite bunch of reworks, giving the whole release a fresh lick of paint from a group of artists handpicked by d julz to get to work on his productions. the title track houdini is first in line, with the mighty dj skull on remix duty. the chi-town legend has been a favourite of d julz since the early nineties when he was releasing on labels such as djax-up-beats. the funk-imbued workout he creates from the original production is superb and a testament to someone who has been involved in music for three decades and still going strong. keeping dj skulls remix company on the a-side is sebo k with his take on serendipity. following on from his outstanding ep brock wild, sebo returns to bass culture with another taught dance floor cut, full of swing and groove, pushed along with a strong, insistent energy. on the flipside the deep sultry flavours continue to bubble up. two more dynamic artists bring their unique touch to bass culture and the first is the romanian wonderkid mp (mihai popescu), who has previously released on the sub-label bass culture limited. his reinterpretation of serendipity is deep, nuanced and quirky with a simmering atmosphere throughout.last but certainly not least is the swedish maestro henrik bergqvist. waiting 4 visa gets a kick in its step, with mysterious cosmic fx layered over a mesmerising bassline and a collection of bleeps and chirps that really bring the remix to life. and there it is, four superb new mixes of three great tracks... enjoy!

sterns edits returns after the sell-out success of its debut edition with another two catalogue reworks from ben gomori. this time he turns his attention to burkina faso s much-loved taxi-driver-turned-singer, amadou balaké. balaké ( porcupine in mandinka) is burkina faso s proudest musical export, and in 2013 he recorded his final album before passing away: in conclusion. the record saw him revisit some of his most popular tracks from his remarkable 50-year career, backed by an eight-piece burkinabé band who took the country s traditional sounds and brought them into a contemporary light. gomori retains the essence of the original recordings which were mostly captured in one take and marries them to vigorous afro-house stylings. bar konon mousso (musicien c est pas quelqu un) in which balaké tells of a bar lady being unimpressed by his profession, gets a gentle push towards the modern dancefloor, its wonderful sax lines resplendent. massa kamba is taken for a drive down the more traditional route, with commanding drums bolstering the original grooves and a marvelous triple harmony brass section at its core. balakes freewheeling style suits the hypnotic feel of the edits to a tee. sterns edits is an official collaboration between african music stalwarts sterns music and london s ben gomori.

rbchmbrs returns to 1432r with another mind bending dance ep. passports barges in with a mean kick drum and a manic attitude, slammin and trippin its way through sweaty samples. sliced mangos follows behind with more madness, a swaggering polyrhythm beneath a sicko loop. the b-side sees rbchmbrs slide back into freaky break mode. a cleaned up, bugged out update to the drum n bass featured on his first record. club tested and approved!

bastinov returns on his beloved etruria beat after the big success of solar system with a brand new four track ep, wormhole. kicking off with the title track, characterized by a powerful 909 groove and strong synth, were plunged deep within its magical atmosphere. materia follows with its wonderful ambient pad and energetic kick, before were taken on a melodic tangent by the synth driven ‘paradox. closing the ep and rolling out another beautifully crafted 909 groove is the thumping quantum gravity.

joran van pol is back on minus with edge, a fantastic four track ep that is his first on the label since 2013. in the years since, the amsterdam based artist has set up his own fade label and has continued to evolve his cinematic techno sound. previously, van pol has also released on labels like rejected, sci+tec and ideal audio, and has the support of all the big techno players who often reach for his tunes in their sets. as a dj he is just as in demand, with headline slots everywhere from space ibiza to time warp all behind him. having recently set up a new studio, he is still coming on strong with fresh inspiration and ever more essential grooves. ‘illos opens things with seven spooky minutes of icy techno. rolling rubbery drums pump away below, and the details up top make for an evocative soundscape with distant industrial sounds, groaning bass and razor sharp hi hats all filling your mind with imagery. next comes title track ‘edge, another brilliant sonic landscape with tense chords repeating over ticking percussion. its a track that builds tension throughout, and keeps you looking over your shoulder into the eerie blackness. the perfectly high pressure ‘return is one that locks you in and never lets up, with warped synths snaking above traintrack like drums and hits. a dark, rumbling bassline and the sounds of pistons releasing air all add to the intensity of this brainmelting bit of futuristic techno. last but not least, ‘frostbite is then the most spacious and spooky offering of the lot. it has freaky alien sound designs scattered around the track with supple kicks driving the whole thing forwards. its an absorbing cut that hurries along and takes you for a thrilling ride. these are four more inventive techno tracks from one of the contemporary scenes brightest stars.

arts gallery was born from the collaboration of two very talented minds. asmar & gëinst 2x12” package is unique, each of the two artist present themself in their own space, this space is also shared in another bigger territory, arts gallery. alchemy is a kind of philosophy: a kind of thinking that leads to a way of understanding. this duchamp quote describe really well this record.

on this split ep, two-heads project minimum syndicat is back again with its own special brand of hard acid music, mixing authentic rave influences and modern industrialish techno to reach this state of dark euphoria who became its trademark. this time, their guest is the famous irish producer sunil sharpe, another figure not known to make any compromise... he delivers two severe cuts of techno and electro full of raw energy, with a sinister vibe reflecting the dirty clubs and warehouses where this music is supposed to be played.

drumcode returns with its 6th installment of the internationally celebrated a-sides series. renowned for fostering a shared space between industry tastemakers and rising talent alike, the careful curation that goes into each volume is a fine example of why beyer s brand continues to go from strength to strength. techno titan adam beyer has grown drumcode into a force to be reckoned with, the label has become synonymous with forward-thinking, functional techno and even after 20 years, drumcode continues to find new boundaries to push, and ways to solidify its legacy as the world s number one techno label. 2017 is no exception, with beyer s imprint hosting it s first stage at tomorrowland, not to mention the expansion of the critically acclaimed junction 2 where the drumcode stage is the centrepiece and adam plays the key role of festival director. the drumcode phenomenon continues to grow each week, chiefly fuelled by drumcode radio, adam s radio show thats broadcast in 57 countries via 86 stations and to a global audience of 16 million techno fans per week. the a-sides series acts as a perfect vignette of drumcode s cutting-edge sound, functional yet inspired techno, all tracks tried and tested by beyer himself. vol. 6 continues this tradition with a collection of 16 multi-faceted cuts from a mixture of both emerging artists and experienced label friends. the heart-throbbing bass in amelie lens electrifying piece in silence sets the tone for the dark and dance-floor-ready energy that vol.6 carries the whole way through. other standouts include mars bill s rough n ready mohave. pulsating and precise, mohave has highlighted many of beyer s sets recently as has wehbba s monster track fake , which fans have been anticipating the release of all year. label-favourites dense & pika also feature on a-sides vol. 6 with their hard-hitting just a beat and a huge track from beyer himself who has joined forces with enrico sangiuliano to bring us their undeniably infectious preset heaven. with many more notable selections from the likes of julian jewell, timmo, tiger stripes and pig&dan, a-sides vol. 6 is another impressive addition to the label s prolific release roster and a testament to why drumcode remains at the forefront of the electronic world.

another great re-issue from johnick on henry street music. essential house classic open up your eyes and captain, including the unreleased moplen remix! 2018 repress

reissue. beatfanatic turns out more of his broken beat remix work for soundscape. broken beats and a touch of latin jazz elements make this similar to some of his past work with the label and this one will certainly be another big one for broken beat and deep house heads alike

this is volume 2 out of 2 of hip hop gone wrong from john daly’s west 2 west project.
following up last years well received the smoke clears, john daly returns to the label under another alias - west 2 west which was debuted on jheri tracks vol 1. equally as atmospheric as the ethereal smoke clears, this project is the result of his ongoing hip hop obsession. mpc workouts inspired by current listening, the result isn’t quite hip hop, but sits nicely in the all city beat discography. there’s an after hours headphone feel to the set - spanning twenty four tracks split evenly over two 12 inches - volume 2.

superstar & star are back on porridge bullet with there first vinyl ep proper! mastermind ep! a collection of seven classic songs from superstars vaults available for the first time on an estonian vinyl record! neville lawrence immigrated from his home country of trinidad to new york in the mid 80’s where, a few years later, following his fleeting east coast success, he re-settled with wife anne (star) in omaha, nebraska where they continued to perform, produce and record music until the present day. after releasing a cassette, 7inch and 12inch single with us in the last year we are happy to present yet another wonderful release from superstar and star! big big hugs!

another robsoul masterpiece - dj w!ld with body talk ep!

polos contribution to kann in 2017 is another mandatory ep that aligns his productions to his noteworthy dj skills once again. he offers 4 deep detroit influenced techno banger that still feels homely inside label’s vibe. its always a journey.

complatt goes absolutely uncompromising this time by bringing an unapologetically exciting various artists release from such likes as federico chiotto, itu, prã jescu and herck. the monster beats would do a good another name of it for sure. great, unique and quite underground stuff gathered altogether to complete the picture and spotlight the what’s on going that people are really waiting for.

dark entries is honored to release a 4-track ep by red axes, the prolific production duo of dori sadovnik and niv arzi from tel aviv. the pair were raised on a diet of post-punk, new-wave, and italo-disco at fogged out warehouse and basement parties. their own productions and remixes have appeared on labels such as i?m a clich?, correspondant, and hivern discs. ?nyx tape? features two new compositions backed with two edits from our catalog. first up is the slick electro anthem ?5 min? another collaboration with french-canadian born singer chlo? raunet aka c.a.r. followed by ?nyx tape? featuring charismatic singer-lyricist gina kikoine aka gina x, who reached out after hearing their remix of her classic single ?no gdm? that was a huge anthem on the tel aviv 80s underground scene. the track is an ecstatic dance to the rhythm in the darkness with gina?s ice cold teutonic spoken word taking creative inspiration from the jewish mourners? prayer ? the kaddish. on the b-side ?destination moon? by solid space from 1982 has been given a dancefloor makeover with moody synths and a haunting guitar line reminiscent of an adrian sherwood dub. closing this ep is a hypnotic edit of ?la machine ? r?ver? by french bedroom synth freaks x-ray pop from 1984 slowed down to a 4/4 groove that takes the original to outer space and back. all songs have been mastered for vinyl by george horn at fantasy studios in berkeley. the ep is housed in a custom made jacket that features an original collage by eloise leigh representing nyx, the greek goddess of the night. each copy included a postcard with notes and lyrics.

the killers’ 2013 album back on double vinyl. incl mr. brightside

roxy music’s album from 1975 back on vinyl. half speed mastered at abbey road studios, heavyweight vinyl, download code.

on the a-side label head relative delivers to you -i can t get it-, tight 4/4 stomping raw drums mixed with hypnotic pads and old school vocoder, next track is a -ghetto- 2-step juicy remix by blatta. a3 is a classic deep lo-fi punch house by the napoli based s-dm. b-side welcomes back tengrams and its analogue toys, -another day- is a balanced 808 running pattern song that leaves your mind dreaming. b2 is the newcomer will hofbauer with its moody melodies, easy rhythms and heavy choruses. last track is thunderdub from amazing analog adventures, pure italian gem between used machines and vocal cuts on 110 bpm. first 100 copies comes with original instax polaroid!

nice price deal !!! new years deal - what more can be said about 2016 for red rack em apart from massive? in march, he released the instant classic wonky bassline disco banger which has been one of the biggest selling house tracks of the year, picking up praise and plays across the board from moodymann, the black madonna and mcde right through to disclosure and mark ronson.
tomato pope is a slamming party banger. somewhere between house, techno, african music and broken beat, the drums are driving, the bassline is huge and the vocal samples get mangled throughout the track. it s another guaranteed floor wrecker from red rack em and gives a tantalising taste of the lp weight to follow.

a real hip hop classic, back on 180 gram double vinyl

huge 1991 classic , pressed on 180gr vinyl.

10 years after blu and exile released their magnum opus below the heavens, the california duo have reunited to release 14 tracks from the original 2007 sessions. in the beginning: before the heavens contains previously heard songs and unreleased gems – the best of the best chosen from over 40 songs in the vault. their third collaboration follows 2012s give me my flowers while i can still smell them, and is slated for an october release. in the beginning: before the heavens is made of up songs that are raw and untouched, keeping the authenticity of blu and exile’s creativity at the time. the album has guest appearances from familiar names like dr. oop, donel smokes, aloe blacc, and blame one. while soul provider, another day, and party of two appeared on blus lifted ep, the majority of these songs showcase blu rapping at his peak, maintaining his underground attitude as he dishes on reaching star status (constellations), getting radio play (on the radio), or opposing views in a problem-ridden world (youre gonna die someday). exile, meanwhile, builds a golden hip-hop era feel with head-nodding samples and dj scratches.

it all started in march 2016 when attek and guy johnson met each other at their school in utrecht (nl). they immediately started working together on some house projects, it was the beginning of a great friendship. when mentor and friend dj caspa sended over some oldskool vinyl which he recorded from his magical collection, things really took off. with deep characteristic pads, uplifting drums, soft chords and warm smootchy vocals, attek and guy johnson went all out with this warm ep. strctr is proud to introduce another beautiful piece of art, mastered once again by the house legend dj steaw.

• another total curveball from ideal
• this one comes highly recommended if you’re into toresch, fever ray, cs+kreme and autechre
• edition of 300 individually numbered copies
• whte vinyl

like a message in a bottle, carried round by the ocean streams for decades, henrik rylander’s album “fran en obestamd plats i rummet” has floated around in the space of swedish underground music. hoga nord pulls the cork and unfolds the message that is a piece of music that was ahead of its time, sounding now 20 years after its first release in the late nineties. this album is a well-kept secret even for the most initiated music lovers in sweden! the music, influenced by flying saucer attack and other reverb/distortion drenched acts from the early nineties, harmonia and some of kraftwerks earlier works and minimalism, still sounds fresh!
rylander, a member of legendary acts such as union carbide productions and the skull defekts, has been pushing the envelope for electronic music, varying between ambient and noise. rylander’s solo works could be described as sophisticated music and “fran en obestamd plats i rummet” combines the sophisticated sides with his band oriented works that holds another kind of tension.
this record is the first release on the sub label hoga nord arkiv on which releases from the past, that hasn’t got as much attention they deserve gets re-released in an appropriate context.

shlomo takes a step away from his own taapion records to return to delsin for his second full ep for the label. the parisian producer serves up two of his modern techno jams, a lush ambient piece plus a slamming rework by tommy four seven. up first is in absentia: tome 2, a follow up track to his last ep on the label. it is another cold techno cut with turbulent drums down low and icy, slithering hi hats up top all backed by synths that light up the track from behind with a heavenly glow. tbilisian cure is a more abrasive affair with blistered synth lines and scurrying electronics running through the fast and brutal drums. lali then flips the script and offers an ambient excursion with watery synths forming celestial puddles in the sky. it s a zoned out soundtrack that s the perfect comedown. finishing off the ep, 47 label boss tommy four seven flips this one into a weightless techno groove that rocks back and forth on the drums as sweeping chords leave you feeling suspended in mid air. plenty of ground is covered in this one, and all with equally compelling results.

drumcode returns with its 6th installment of the internationally celebrated a-sides series. renowned for fostering a shared space between industry tastemakers and rising talent alike, the careful curation that goes into each volume is a fine example of why beyer s brand continues to go from strength to strength. techno titan adam beyer has grown drumcode into a force to be reckoned with, the label has become synonymous with forward-thinking, functional techno and even after 20 years, drumcode continues to find new boundaries to push, and ways to solidify its legacy as the worlds number one techno label. 2017 is no exception, with beyers imprint hosting it s first stage at tomorrowland, not to mention the expansion of the critically acclaimed junction 2 where the drumcode stage is the centrepiece and adam plays the key role of festival director. the drumcode phenomenon continues to grow each week, chiefly fuelled by drumcode radio, adam s radio show that s broadcast in 57 countries via 86 stations and to a global audience of 16 million techno fans per week. the a-sides series acts as a perfect vignette of drumcode s cutting-edge sound, functional yet inspired techno, all tracks tried and tested by beyer himself. vol. 6 continues this tradition with a collection of 16 multi-faceted cuts from a mixture of both emerging artists and experienced label friends. the heart-throbbing bass in amelie lens electrifying piece in silence sets the tone for the dark and dance-floor-ready energy that vol.6 carries the whole way through. other standouts include mars bill s rough n ready mohave. pulsating and precise, mohave has highlighted many of beyer s sets recently as has wehbba s monster track fake, which fans have been anticipating the release of all year. label-favourites dense & pika also feature on a-sides vol. 6 with their hard-hitting just a beat and a huge track from beyer himself who has joined forces with enrico sangiuliano to bring us their undeniably infectious preset heaven . with many more notable selections from the likes of julian jewell, timmo, tiger stripes and pig&dan, a-sides vol. 6 is another impressive addition to the label s prolific release roster and a testament to why drumcode remains at the forefront of the electronic world.

after ennio and the sluwe vos, it s time for patron record s third release. the gru ep is coming from the hands of lewski, a young dutch producer/dj who clearly got his inspiration from the darker detroit techno sounds. lewski definitely shows his originality and craft with his debut ep. the four-tracker is full of vintage sounding techno tracks, blasting you into another dimension. laurent garnier, leftfield, carl craig (ernie guerra is his manager), a?me, barely legal, maceo plex, bleaching agent, diz washington/iz & diz, minor science, simeon mobile disco, freund der familie, or:la, marco bernardi, horse meat disco, benjamin damage, danny tenaglia, truncate, kid enigma, iron curtis, randomer, altern-8 + more to follow

another stellar journey into marc macs cosmic soul as nu era. this time across a 5 track ep, marc imagines a futuristic meeting of soulful techno in a head on collision with 70s fusion and 80s electro boogie. nu era explore vintage machines and synthesis in a way few producers do, always providing experimental electronic music without leaving you cold. following on from the geometricks ep earlier in 2017 the packaging completes an all round well presented record. limited to 500 copies in cornflower blue vinyl.

hot on the heels of this summers anthemic release i found you, damian lazarus & the ancient moons return with another heavy hitter: fly away complete with stupendous dennis ferrer remix. fly away is another great beguiling, soulful masterpiece by damian lazarus & the moons, featuring the inimitable vocal talents of afronaut zu, who transcendent voca leanings underpin the lush evocative production of the effortless string laden grooves. on the flip and dennis ferrer delivers a monster of a remix jacking the groove, dubbing zus vocal and mesmerising the dance-floor to maximum effect!

to progress towards a civilization which does not unconsciously perpetuate or aggravate inequality and poverty, we need to accept our many differences. for those who prefer uniformity or others who would rather avoid proximity, the celebration of diversity might sound ridiculous. a certain measure of discomfort is required to reach compassion. but peace through diversity is no prophet’s fantasy. it is no harder to imagine than the magical fact that we are alive right now. the eternal act of dancing is one of the most active form of contemplation. facing our own selves in the mirror of movement, we realize that we indeed are reflections of one another at all times. what will our own actions and thoughts feed around us? with over 30 years of combined dancefloor experience, possible futures have been witnesses to the wildest fauna and flora the great nocturnal jungle has to offer. sourcing their inspiration from the many shades of color that co-exist between black and white, it is through the open and eclectic selections of inspired and devoted luminaries that possible futures have found their manyfold sound: frankie knuckles, larry heard, francois k, carl craig, moritz von oswald, dj harvey, theo parrish, chez damier, ron trent, dj deep or moodymann, amongst so many others, have dedicated their lives to the flourishing of diversity on the dancefloor. while the minds of possible futures float in the air with their bodies rotating behind the turntables, their feet are steadily rooted in reality, enabling their musical knowledge to unfold beyond the night. through their own record label, possible futures share their therapeutic musical blends. the first two cuts come from the grooves of argentine old hand leonel, a family friend of long date. “antares” and “bunda” drag their dusty trails across different genres, to be enjoyed at 45 rotations per minute. curative properties guaranteed.

scuba drops another four cuts as scb on hotflush recordings this december. paul rose first launched his scb moniker in 2010, going on to appear on labels like ostgut ton, aus music and nonplus until 2014. this year saw the pioneering british producer revisit his darker alias with a dystopian themed release on hotflush he now returns with four more twisted and ominous productions.

what attracts us to chilean-born artist ricardo tobar is the notion of intersection, and although fusion is nothing new, as a concept it will always pull our heartstrings. applying influence is amateur, we see this over and over again as we endure trend-driven appropriation of cultures the world over, but the epiphany when an artist finds true synergy between heritage and influence is a pivotal moment that the inspired will seek, even though it may take the length of one’s career to behold. as pretentious as that may sound, it is precisely the hybrid born from that place of intersection that excites us at the esp institute, the a plus b that equals 3. we hear this in ricardos music the latin american instinct in his drums and percussion, sometimes tightly aligned with body movements and other times hauntingly mis-aligned and chaotic, intersects with his rock influence of ethereal (micro) melodies that slowly layer and layer until were climbing a glorious (macro) wall of sound but most importantly we hear where these different parts of his life come together to further create one unique voice. on both sides of his esp institute debut liturgia, tobar couples one pulsing dance-driven track with another atmospheric and immersive track, requiring we educate ourselves in the polarity of this language he’s building, one that will expand to tell a broader story later this year with his debut album. we welcome ricardo tobar, another forward-thinking artist, to the esp institute, and are proud to support any direction his compass points from here, as we believe hell never follow but will always lead.

five hundred and seventy-three moons ago (give or take), thunder tillman and his personal shaman emerged from the esp institute with an epic debut ep of baked psychedelics entitled jaguar mirror. we now bare witness to the duo’s glorious follow-up as they initiate us into the night school of universal wisdom. these two cosmic jokers possess a vibrant and fearless sense of exploration that knows no boundaries, as if their dreams translate directly into song and their bodies exist merely to channel music they’ve tapped into from another world, one where influences are uncharted and any instrument imaginable is available at their fingertips. as with jaguar mirror, their grasp of all things analogue begins with guitar laying the slightly imperfect foundation for four harmonious narratives, a journey that begins with a fast paced gallop across vast landscapes in search of the incan god of thunder, catequil, and gently concludes with us lying horizontally to absorb sporadic beams of healing light. the discourse throughout night school of universal wisdom is as charming as it is exquisite, orienting the listener with a bouquet of warm tones whilst layering plies of musical dialogue so subtle they require repeated study. thunder tillman manage to weave the past into future without diverting to pastiche, successfully merging their characterized production with melodic mastery and a sense of humor, a creative achievement that accredits them as two of our most esteemed scholars.

northsouth hit their second release with a crisp selection of minimalist dancefloor gems from two rising talents. christian jay has been previously spotted on idle hands, and he delivers another example of his knack for sleek and skippy garage reductions with enclave and faculties, matching icy textures with punchy bass honed for maximum dancefloor impact. bilal meanwhile takes an electro approach on command station before twitching things up masterfully on ejecta while maintaining the steely finish that binds this split 12inch together.

the jaunt records 10 years series shores up with the land installment featuring another four adventurous souls that have the spirit of deepest techno in their bones. stojche lets lush motor city synths lead the way on the energetic the exchange before awol gets into an intricate broken beat groove on the stunning 54.973379, 1.614705. luke hess brings some unabashed acid gurgles to the front of the mix on tdy and then deep a & biri plot a course for dubby waters with the growling tones of pilgrim.

cold recordings is very proud to include berlin based producer phon.o as part of it’s growing roster by means of this immaculate ep. across the 3 tracks, phon.o demonstrates his ability to combine uk- bass influences with techno sensibilities, ultimately crafting cutting edge music for the dancefloor.
‘clu5t3r’ opens the ep with a swinging 132bpm rhythm that sits somewhere in between classic uk-funky and a cracking shed/heads high techno anthem. the repeating riff that circles and cycles, sweeps through the frequency spectrum, energising and purposeful. versatile and effective, this is a track to come back to time and time again.
flip the plate and there’s another couple of gems. ‘v3r5u5’ continues on from where ‘clu5t3r’ left off, progressing the mood into a more ethereal space, building layers of pads and texture as the track developes, rising and ramping up, before pulling back and dropping into a rolling rhythm. closing up the ep is ‘h4ndcuff3d’, which takes the mood into a more dramatic backdrop. chilling pads swell up from the ground like mist in a graveyard, while the broken rhythm sets pace, creating a moody ambiance for those moments when you want to take a dancefloor into mystical, other-worldly territories. dramatic and energising!

danny berman aka red rack em is back with 2 more burners on his much loved bergerac label. after slaying everyone last year with wonky bassline disco banger and this years hotly tipped self portrait lp he s got his sights set firmly on the dancefloor once more. 2017 has been a vintage year for the berlin based dj producer with radio 1 mixes, serious air miles, remixes for tensnake, tinie tempah, shows for rinse and after a hectic summer, it s time to focus on his own productions and get back to what he does best. making slamming house cuts designed for maximum floor damage. place for me (version) is a cut up, pumping, soulful disco house slammer. originally released in 2009, it s been updated and remastered and is another great example of red rack ems ability to chop up vocal samples and make something fresh from them. guaranteed club wrecker, which served as a pre-cursor to wbdb and thus needs to be out there once more. exhalt is a super deep, spiritual house number with vibes galore. deep pads and crisp beats combine with deep bass in an ecstacy tinged, euphoric disco number. one for the heads…

after chris carrier’s amazing >addicting game< ep mouche returns with another strong ep. the second release of the label brings a varied ep full of bouncy, driving deep techno freshly cooked by finnish native tm shuffle. while document4 on a1 is a driving deep excursion into snowy landscapes of middle finland, the powerful chord-driven weapon drumman dub on a2 brings a lot of groove to all the dancefloors out there. the b-side takes a more relaxed stance: alone in dub (b1) - created with longtime-friend lauri leino – combines icy soundscapes with a deep dub bass. that mixture heats up things slowly and steadily. ruutana by night (b2) rounds up the package with moody, chilling beats and echoes floating around.

as one of fuse s original residents, rich nxt played a major part in the brand s evolution, helping take it from that sunday morning afters to being one of the most respected event brands and labels on the planet ever since the age of 10, rich nxt has been involved in creating his own music. thanks to his early training as both a drummer and keyboardist, nxt has an inherent musicianship fully apparent in his sound and style of production. taking influence from the london rave scene of the early 90s spanning drum n bass and jungle and later the minimal and tech-house scenes of europe, nxt s output found a platform on the now world-class fuse london label (launched in 2011). a core artist for the label, with five solo eps and a collaboration alongside seb zito, rich nxt has been integral to fuse s trademark sound with his debut ep bristle and quixotic ep two of the labels defining moments. nxt and zito s chemistry in the studio is clear with a further two collaborations on fuse sister label infuse. alongside his own productions, nxt s remix catalogue includes seb zito s never with enzo siragusa and his original breakthrough remix of jon maker s seeker , which was championed by tini and many other leading djs in the minimal house scene. by the end of 2016, a residency at amnesia ibiza with hyte x fuse alongside dates at off week in barcelona and several stand out events on fuse s 8th birthday tour including an epic after hours set at berlin s hoppetosse proved nxt is on top of his game. nxt also launched his own imprint nxt records that year, another platform for his own consistently quality output. several releases down the line, nxt s distinctive style layered with intricate percussion, obscure synths and ethereal pads combined with punchy snares and atmospheric vocals is marking out the producer and label as a prime source for djs and vinyl lovers. 2017 sees the launch of a second vinyl only imprint what nxt, a home for musical discoveries that end up buried deep in his own record bag. featuring both emerging talent and established artists from the uk and beyond, what nxt? all roads lead to the rave.