boris brenecki and darko kolar (aka katran) regroup as ontal for a horo ep that combines their instinctual brutality with a deeper probe into their penchant for experimentation. lead track ikari’s flickering storm unfurls a rhythmic rage that rolls over you like a turbo-charged synapse exciter. at its peak ikari feels as if it’s about to explode into shards of jagged, forged synthesis, but pulls itself back from the brink to reignite its hostile oscillation. r-amen bends the famous breakbeat over a concentrated twin-drop, peak-time 130bpm eruption, while vigilante is a punishing machine, built to instil palpable tension. in blinding form, headless horseman takes apart ikari and reconstructs it as a hyper half-step technoid stepper, complete with a guttural drop reminiscent of the more advanced strains of 170bpm music.

boris brenecki and darko kolar (aka katran) regroup as ontal for a horo ep that combines their instinctual brutality with a deeper probe into their penchant for experimentation. lead track ikaris flickering storm unfurls a rhythmic rage that rolls over you like a turbo-charged synapse exciter. at its peak ikari feels as if its about to explode into shards of jagged, forged synthesis, but pulls itself back from the brink to reignite its hostile oscillation. r-amen bends the famous breakbeat over a concentrated twin-drop, peak-time 130bpm eruption, while vigilante is a punishing machine, built to instil palpable tension. in blinding form, headless horseman takes apart ikari and reconstructs it as a hyper half-step technoid stepper, complete with a guttural drop reminiscent of the more advanced strains of 170bpm music.

jansport js low begins with the rude assertion that we oughta wake up and be released from our dream state before we absorb what we are about to hear. what follows is 20 concepts identifying the many different states of human existence. the track titles function as a compass. if we began sleep, we are high in the clouds by album-midpoint, before allowing a wake to bring us back to the sobering reality of modern times. love, nostalgia, consciousness and artist integrity, these are some of the themes masterfully weaved in and out of lows soundscapes. jansport stitches together carefully selected samples, nuanced drum loops, and pungent soundbites. by the time you realize you are being serenaded by the revelations of one of americas greatest literary giants, the albums true concept becomes clear: nobody knows whats real and whats not real. but you wake up everyday to try and figure it out anyway.

the modern master of subliminal deep house is back with a new album. galcher lustwerk has rightly earned a sterling reputation for his understated, always entrancing approach to 4/4 grooves. after last year s dark bliss lp and recent diversions via his road hog alias, he s offering up eight heavy-lidded cuts to suit the smokers as much as the dancers. get blissed out in the sax-licked delights of skits like -blue lotus- or lock into the mellow raps and steady-ticking rhythms of see you when i see you 200% galcher goes down smooth from start to finish, like all good albums should.

needwant welcome berlin duo kim brown back into the fold with the stellar pleasuredome continuum. comprised of two dynamic breakbeat cuts to sink into and some incredible remixes from earth boys (lets play house) and kemback (omena/futureboogie). helical scan comes straight from the berlin 5am scene with raw breakbeat production and huge hitting pads and rolling synths. whilst the uniquely titled ceramic unicorns is anything but fluffy and cuddly. the pulsating hi-hat, lofi percussion and cosmic chords take you to another level. kim brown is ji-hun kim & julian braun, local heroes on the berlin club scene and rising producers with previous releases on just another beat, retreat, rivulet, rimini, freerange, fauxpas musik, film and permanent vacation. over the past ten years the needwant mantra has been to push the very best in new talent, having provided the platform for the likes of kiwi, the mekanism, maxxi soundsystem, the revenge and many more.

jump trax is another essential piece of early chicago house music crafted by the legendary duane thamm jr back in 1984. fusing together a myriad of influences including early 80s euro pop, italo disco and hi nrg, thamm jr was responsible for helping create and influence the burgeoning house sound that would emanate from the city all throughout the second half of the 1980s. not only were these sounds new and fresh, they were experimental too, jump trax sees the bpm s gradually shift throughout the duration of the tracks seamlessly giving the more adventurous djs out there more ammunition and room to experiment with styles and bpms. a truly visionary approach to production and all recorded and mixed within chicago s city limits by thamm jr at his reel to reel studio located in villa park, illinois. jump trax continues to be as influential today as it was back in 84, with many top dj s still citing the record as a go to, powerful indeed. chicagos still music are proud to present this fully legit, remastered and repressed piece of chicago house history. a truly pivotal record now made available again for 2018. essential sound for those who love the real deal snoozing not advised, og copies of this monster are hard to come by!

surely one of the finest operators in the uk underground, miles atmospheric released his last album under his own name miles sagnia back in 2014, and now he finally returns to the long player format to unfurl his vision of deep, driving techno. this time he s appearing on finale sessions, and it s the perfect home for his thoughtfully sculpted cuts. there are more outwardly mellow moments such as mensura, and the utterly gorgeous-peace but there is also plenty of space afforded to the sharper end of his creative transmissions. elysium is a dense, rippling throwdown that touches on many different aspects of contemporary house and techno, while rise offers up a refreshing variation on the acid house template. once again, miles atmospheric demonstrates why he s such a vital, if sometimes overlooked, force in the uk underground

we could say that with this sixth studio album anthony joseph is back to his roots. indeed, it was recorded on his native island of trinidad. but it is more of a continuation, of a culmination. as the caribbean music has strongly infused the music of anthony since its inception. this album entitled people of the sun is a tribute to port of spain (pos), this bubbling port, meeting place of many cultures and a door open on south america. this energy is found throughout the album with many stars of the island (3 channel, brother resistance, ella andal, boogsie the king of steel pan) and pays tribute to rapso, a mixture of protest poetry and soca / calypso created in the 80’s. as always the verb remains in the spotlight with anthony joseph.

they say we are a product of our environment, you are what you eat and you reap what you sow. but what happens when you can no longer dig the earth and your food is toxic? amselcom has forever been near the forefront of change, exposing new ideas and giving insight through music and creativity. our goal was always to bring the world closer by removing barriers and letting sounds and rhythm demonstrate humanity’s true, loving nature. that is why a transformation has taken place and with this latest release we hope to give back and contribute without the shallow, meaningless compensation that feeds the music industry. geplantes nichtstun demonstrates this concept perfectly, by saying it is time to remove ourselves from the machine and make our own way, in our own time. these tracks look to offer introspective that can only be found after eliminating barriers like money and fame. taking time for idleness lets us forget about the things that try and control our lives, a necessary respite in a time of increasing global noise. tracks like opak offer the perfect accompaniment to a quiet time of soulful reflection and mario wagner’s wonderful control room image brings us the idea of self direction and taking charge of your own destiny… one rest at a time.

after reissuing stanislav tolkachevs masterpiece blue mood, the intergalactic research institute for sound comes back with two fresh pieces from georgian artists zesknel and irakli. following a strong start with de sounds from georgia, this new record explores a more abstract electronic music. zesknel, who is a resident of the renowned bassiani club, collaborates here with irakli on two dreamy and airy soundscapes which aspire to depict and recreate the atmosphere of the georgian capital. to do so, they asked for the help of rezo glonti who proceeded to make field-recordings in tbilisi. this work served as a base in order to create something unique and true to the city. the project is part of a sound installation which aims to blend architecture with sound. the idea of the two artists was to conceive a space where they could translate the spirit of tbilisi. inside that space will be found works exhibited by other georgian artists. and this is all part of the exhibition >lara protects me. eine georgische erzählung< at the museum angewante kunst frankfurt

were back with the second jack cassettes series!

were back with the second jack cassettes series! following the success of the first jack series, weve decided to pull heavyweights out of the treasure trove of chicago reel to reels acquired by still music last year. this second series is another incredible glance into our beloved house music through some lost radio mixes salvaged from reel to reels by jerome derradji. we start with a superb one hour mix from frankie knuckles circa 1986 and dive straight to the hot mix 5 with edward get down crosby and his insane mixes, full of edits and original beat traxx. a small detour to miami is made with a killer electro mix by wgci guest joe magic. pull out the tape deck, move the furniture away and jack!

were back with the second jack cassettes series! following the success of the first jack series, weve decided to pull heavyweights out of the treasure trove of chicago reel to reels acquired by still music last year. this second series is another incredible glance into our beloved house music through some lost radio mixes salvaged from reel to reels by jerome derradji. we start with a superb one hour mix from frankie knuckles circa 1986 and dive straight to the hot mix 5 with edward get down crosby and his insane mixes, full of edits and original beat traxx. a small detour to miami is made with a killer electro mix by wgci guest joe magic. pull out the tape deck, move the furniture away and jack!

were back with the second jack cassettes series! following the success of the first jack series, w’ve decided to pull heavyweights out of the treasure trove of chicago reel to reels acquired by still music last year. this second series is another incredible glance into our beloved house music through some lost radio mixes salvaged from reel to reels by jerome derradji. we start with a superb one hour mix from frankie knuckles circa 1986 and dive straight to the hot mix 5 with edward get down crosby and his insane mixes, full of edits and original beat traxx. a small detour to miami is made with a killer electro mix by wgci guest joe magic. pull out the tape deck, move the furniture away and jack!

back in stock! when two legends meet one of the most promising talents from the new generation, the result just could not be any better. for its fifth release, berg audio is proud to present >a different path<, an ep featuring two original tracks from the paris-based producer traumer accompanied by incredible remixes from delano smith & exos. must have!

christian smith and john selway, make a powerful collab team. the two legendary producers are back with the second instalment of their count zero ep. 3 original tracks delivery on all levels, whether it s the bellowing synths in delirium, the modulating bass found in royal movement or the rippling groove closing out the ep in virtual light

hard, acid, mechanistic techno.

an all-time rave classic gets the gerd janson re-loving as he works his magic on the 1992 anthem dont go. 26 years on from it s first release, gerd takes the tempo down a notch laying out that all too familiar drum break, instantly recognisable piano line and julie mcdermott s timeless vocals. his subtle touches and added weight, behind a pounding kick, are sure to set any dancefloor alight. about as euphoric as they get - if this doesn t do the business then god help us all. on the b side, belfast s ejeca flips don t go into a heavy-hitting, rave tinged, techno bomb. his inventive sampling turns the synth stabs and vocals on their heads, making them almost indistinguishable, but no less impactful, from the original. it s over four and a half minutes till the iconic chord progression is heard in it s initial form, before ejeca throws it back into a rapid fire, industrial thumper. lastly, gerd serves up a vip dub mix echoing claps and synth lines into the stratosphere, whilst leaving the vocals at bay, save a short cry of don t go from julie towards the end of the track, allowing those anthemic elements to do the talking. a modern touch on an all-time classic from gerd with a complete reinterpretation from ejeca, this is a heavyweight release and one thats already being played by the biggest and the best out there.

this album is a collaboration between labels kontra-musik and kess kill. what would have become of d.a.f. if they had been signed to trojan instead of mute back in the day add a good pinch of absurdism and social realism in the vein of prized film director roy andersson and vanligt folk might just be the answer. the gothenburg groups name can be translated to common people and they make use of primitive electronics, drums and skewed vocals - ranging from harsh social commentary to the purely nonsensical - to create their own take on body music. hambo is the name of a traditional swedish folk dance that was highly popular among the common people at the turn of the last century. with this album, vanligt folk juxtaposes the working class dance phenomena of hambo with modern day rave culture. this is done in the most blasphemous manner thinkable, as is the way of vanligt folk. concepts like nationalism, race and tradition are all treated with the same merry lack of reverence. the only thing that needs to be respected is the dance and those who take part in it, whether accompanied by accordions or drum machines. or both.

lowrider soul heads for a south-of-the-border surf date on these two sizzling originals from alba & the mighty lions. a perfect soundtrack for cruising with the bad girls in a drop-top or soothing a late night heartbreak, la verdad and -esperando- are your tough, no-nonsense friend with a heart of gold who always has your back. soulful vocals paint a mood while the bands nimble arrangements follow every move. alba ponce de león is a multi-talented artist who cut her teeth in the swirling scene of brooklyns indie underground, backing up daptone acts charles bradley & naomi shelton as well as playing a major role in the fearsome feminist freedom fighters, the resistance revival chorus.

wonderfully spaced out, subtly pulsating classic chill-out & ambient techno schooled album (download card included)

andrea ferlin is back on sleep is commercial with this trippy minimal ep

great 2lp full of techno! back in 2020

fabian kempes productions under the name of korridor have consistently presented a foreboding and striking assembly. previous appearances on northern electronics have taken in stuttering percussive works as well as tense minimalist designs. his debut album end of cycle applies a breadth of expression to a wide palette of mesmerizing and intense fit-outs that corrode and fortify in equal measure. end of cycle is born of a deeply personal set of experiences to have marked kempes life. shortcomings and tribulations that have prompted spirals back to starting places and beginnings have informed the mood and missive that his debut album seeks to portray. taking in themes that stretch from despondency to paranoid elation, kempe has developed an architecture that lets austerity scream. stark and synthetic ambient plains lead us out of conditions for communal experience, yet its these passages that enable the sharp and brooding dancefloor works to deliver the barbed disturbances that they transport.

four slabs of no nonsense, bassline-driven rollers. st, our favourite son and the first release on our slow to grow label is back for 004. an extension beyond the deep excursions of 001, if you caught that you may know what to expect, if not, think 3am at racket on a quality biscuit with the bass bins shaking. if you’ve never been to mad racket then we suggest you visit sometime, two head-bent remixes in the form of locked grooves on each side from our other love, jon watts (jon & hugh - otis002). cause life is cyclical

in 2011, when singer/rapper/songwriter phonte of the foreign exchange (+fe) fame released the critically-acclaimed, top 10 rap/hip hop album, charity starts at home,it was an impactful reminder that phonte was more than just the occasionally comical, often reflective crooner of +fe, much more. as a rapper, phonte had been the lynchpin of north carolina’s globally respected four album, six mixtapes run of the now defunct little brother trio, whose “lovin’ it” single from the 9th wonder produced the minstrel show is a bonafide cult classic.

too $hort’s legendary 1992 effort “shorty the pimp” is back in effect on vinyl thanks to the hip hop preservationist at get on down. though many don’t consider this to be one of too $hort’s strongest releases, the project did move well over 80.000 in its first week of release landing at number 6 on the billboard top 200. taking the title from the incredibly rare 1973 blaxploitation film, too $hort does what he does best on shorty the pimp: funk beats, oastful braggadocio, a few conscious rhymes and layers of straight up pimp talk. the lyrical content can certainly be considered comical and entertaining. “shorty the pimp” is also a stand out project for producer ant banks who did many of the beats for the project, his first works with too $hort with many more to follow over the next decade. oddly enough, one of the best comments on “shorty the pimp” comes from a random guy on the internet who commented on his experience listening to the release, “i ran my car into a tree after listening to ‘it don’t stop’ definitely made for cars with the booming systems!”

tropical disco records are back with their fifth release of the year, bringing you four killer edits from the tropical disco volt. moodena introduces volume 5 in fine style, mustering another spellbinding composition with gils groove. sounding as swagged out as ever, its evident form & flair comes naturally to the artist. td comrades moodena & sartorial present their first collaboration on turn it up, neatly entwining their distinct styles, rolling basslines, cascading guitars and sultry sax. the result is a piece of pure energy, its hard not to do exactly what the track tells you. the disco wizard, sartorial continues his ever growing solo output with 6 million, a righteous slab of soulful dance music that can make a dancefloor bang, as well as weep. feel the heat rolls effortlessly with a lush vocal that melts the loins and lays out a sonic smorgasboard of what epitomises tropical disco records - soul!

you may not have heard the name jackson almond before, but you will have likely heard some of his music. having released on wotnot back in 2013 under the name real, with a flurry of eps, remixes and bootlegs under this name and as part of duo boean (on bbe, warner, xvi & slowfoot among others), jackson has been delighting ears for a while now, with a particular knack for balancing hooks and earworms with original ideas and creative production. this ep began life as a series of headphone jams written when jackson was living outside of the city in self-imposed exile, tuning into the goings on in dance music from an external position. it was then polished into dancefloor gems at the wotnot studio at the total refreshment centre. the music reflects this, with the sonic palette reflecting lo-fi and outsider house, but with a warmth, depth and musicality specific to his own personal situation.

with the disco revival firmly set at full steam quantize recordings felt it was the right time to dig in & rework what is widely regarded as one of the biggest anthems from the disco era - loleatta holloway’s “love sensation”. often imitated, & much sampled they had to be firmly on their game with this and boy did they hit it hard now blessed with the talent of susu bobien on lead vocals (and the equally talented tasha larae on bvs!) alongside a full horn section, “love sensation” is back once more and ready to do damage to a whole new generation of dance floors! the much sought after accapella is also included on this release, the only format you’ll ever be able to get this on!

‘mais kriola’ first appeared on brazilian beats brooklyn compilation put together by greg caz and sean marquand for us in 2006. it’s a lovely laid back mid tempo boogie/soul/fusion jam. originally appeared on matheus self-titled lp from 1975.
‘maita’ is a wonderful piece of warm, upbeat mpb from doris monteiro. originally appeared on her ‘agora’ lp from 1976, released by odeon.

180g vinyl lp (incl. download codes) marking sixty years of bossa nova, and twenty years since marcos valles first release for far out recordings, what better time to bring back this era-defining classic from the brazilian master composer?

daniel terndrup ist ein in los angeles ansässiger dj, produzent und langjähriger plattensammler, der zu einer lokalen autorität vergangener musik geworden ist. er ist regelmäßiger gastgeber in radiosendungen auf dublab (crosseyed & painless) und nts (heat-wave) und veranstaltet gleichzeitig eine wöchentliche party für heat-wave in zusammenarbeit mit wyatt potts im ehemaligen hollywood stripclub gold digger. daniel begann vor einem jahrzehnt als eine hälfte von cosmic kids musik zu machen. neben ron poznansky machte er sich einen namen mit berauschenden house und astral dance tunes auf kultlabels wie throne of blood, let s play house und dfa. das duo remixte auch namhafte künstler wie the rapture, holy ghost!, poolside und superhumanoids. nach einer handvoll veröffentlichungen mit cosmic kids wendete er sich eigenen projekten als daniel t. zu. sein solo-output ist inspiriert von allem, was sich beim durchblättern seiner plattensammlung findet: funk, post punk, new age und pop (z.b. compass point all stars oder yellow magic orchestra). die musik, die er als daniel t. veröffentlicht, spiegelt seinen globalen geschmack wieder, ist aber unauslöschlich gefiltert durch seine südkalifornische umgebung. die vinyl-lp erscheint inklusive downloadcode.

duke ellington once said that there are 2 kinds of music: the good one and the bad one. with the compilation series shaolin soul we are always certain to be on the right side of the line since its 1st episode released in 1998 and which compiled two dozens of tracks sampled by rza and the wu-tang clan. following a second episode in 2001 and a third one in 2014, the famous curator uncle o is back to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the shaolin soul series with a fourth episode compiling 22 tracks among the rarest and finest treats of soul music, because everybodys talking about the good ol days!

ruolamies stikes back on north harbour grooves with ruolargo ep full of disco, house and summer joints.

welcome back to the 80ties

the fourth instalment of moxies compilation series is back, presenting this exclusive 4 track vinyl sampler thoughtfully curated line-up of artists. featuring friends of on loop, up-and-coming producers and prominent names alike. stepping up to open this 12 sampler is the maghreban, adding his trademark touch to an off-kilter remix of steve spaceks ‘gimmi da love. lisbons violet is up next, laying down her energetic signature breakbeat sound on ‘antifa beats. flipping over, the b-side begins with nathan micays infectious builder ‘basic plumbing, paving the way for louise chens ‘reach (raw mix) a solid house number. on loop has continued on a straight upward trajectory since it began, with 2017s volume 3 securing a nomination in dj mags end of year awards for best compilation, and the imprint earning a place in mixmags 20 best record labels of 2017. as the label steps things up, so does moxies nts radio show, now moving to a weekly slot and cementing its place as a staple dance show for the station with regular parties at manchesters soup kitchen, edinburghs sneaky petes and londons pickle factory. with an international tour to be announced this year, things are just getting started for the dj & radio host.

given his prolific, decades long-career, it’s little surprise that kirk degiorgio has more than a few lost musical surprises in his back-catalogue. ‘sphere’, his new ep on garage hermétique, finds degiorgio in his as one guise, delivering a lost classic on vinyl for the first time alongside a pair of rarities and a brand new mix by detroit pioneer juan atkins

children of tomorrow will celebrate soon its 10 years anniversary. the label was created by emmanuel ternois back in the day and being joined by arnaud le texier in 2011. since then they focused on techno producing amazing artists, to name few: terrence dixon, zadig, tensal, antigone, oscar mulero, jonas kopp, samuli kemppi etc... children of tomorrow is now presenting the first album from arnaud le texier. after almost 30 years dj-ing around the world and almost 20 years producing. signing many releases over the years and always busy delivering dance floor releases, it s been a long wait to finally get an album from arnaudon his first album we can feel that he wanted to tell a story and to express something deeper with his production experience. there is a different variety of techno that stretches from ambient / broken beat / hypnotic / raw techno along with subtles grooves, wondrous atmospheres & sonic textures. on a side the album opens with dusk, an ambient atmospheric mid-tempo track with sonic sounds that is a perfect intro.pattern 2 starts with drones and blip sounds and a broken beat groove follows with a pad that sounds like a voice coming from the space. the track ends with some modular click sounds that make the whole track clever. followed by the album title granular therapy, a deep techno track with modular bass line and melancholic pad. a perfect track to play in after or to warm up a party.the b side is more dedicated to the dance floor with black nympheas that is a proper dark modern techno with a grinding bass line and magic drones. a simple beat makes the track evolve in a nice way. blade pass frequency is 4/4 effective techno with a 909 kick, a syncope acid bass line and a pad that sends you to another dimension. it is a powerful track but with a sense of deepness and sensibility that arnaud can achieve sometimes. this side closes with binary sun dawn which is an ambient track with melody that has a jazz feeling mixed with dark atmospheres, sonic drones and water drops. the c side opens with mono driver, a minimal track with a little synth that stays until the end repetitively until it makes you travel and lose your mind. deep and dance floor at the same time.

following a string of well-received eps on cin cin, exit strategy and get physical, belfast’s lor readies his debut, self-titled album ‘lunar orbit rendezvous’. this will mark the first release on his newly minted label lorec. a technique used in apollo lunar missions, lunar orbit rendezvous charts a journey to the moon and back. a bold album, both in concept and sound, its the work of an artist coming into his own.the title track and first single lunar orbit rendezvous prepares the album for lift off. its a track that carries the technical tension of crucial operations, with gnarly acid pulses and happily erratic synths sparring over a steadfast electro beat while vocal samples collapse into themselves. lunar orbit rendezvous comes accompanied by a video from studio creme whose design and video work has been championed by the likes of james holden, warp and simian mobile disco. using a hyper detailed black and white render of a nasa grade rocket, the video brings the optical journey of lunar orbit rendezvous to life

produced by eminem, compiled by the alchimist. 2018 back in.

randommindstate is back with the second vinyl of their random edits series. the second part contains 5 bumping tracks made by 5 different talents. from an uplifting disco edit by ray kandinski and another george feely banger to a warm late-night-deep-house-tale told by ayer fijen: a record made to hit the dancefloor at any time. limited to 300 copies. don’t sleep

black repress! the legendary todd terry back on frole for our 10th vinyl release. two special house tracks in typical tt style

australian group retiree return to rhythm section intl in 2018 with a new record house or home. the musical project of matt crowley, tori holleman and marco vella retiree have steadily congealed their broad influences into a unique emulsion of strongly rhythmic and emotional music. from two releases, theyve been described as pared back 1980s comfort pop for all occasions, having a whole lot of criss-crossing rhythm containing swirling synth flourishes, languid wistful vocals and strutting drum machines. the albums songs explore the theme of house or home and what that means in present day australia for different people. they journey from an aboriginal tent embassy on the south coast of new south wales, a retirement village, a one room flat in ringwood and a sleepless 17 hour stop over in malaysia.

following hard on the heels of bbe delving into the archives of detroit’s strata records and delivering their widely acclaimed and hugely in-demand exploration of j-jazz, comes another crate digger’s delight- ralph thomas’ ‘eastern standard time’, which dropped the usa back in in 1980, on the obscure zebra jazz imprint.

master of snare disaster limewax strikes back hard again on this huge 4 track ep on prspct. delivering all things great this disturbed but brilliant producer has to offer. drum & bass for the freaks and outcasts that crave for more then just a rolling beat. 2 solo tracks + 2 collabs with the likes of l 33, switch technique, dieselboy and thrasher. did we mention this release is huge? hell yeah we did! well it s a good thing as its double huge anyway! all hail limewax and houjekkmuil!

farrago created a name for himself in this short time taking back the real roots of techno and rave and putting them in a new context... we said new, not different. this is his 3rd record on the label, and this time he goes beyond the idea of reminiscing the past, “hard light” shows how the rave can be alive in everyone of us, and absolutely not changing the formula he gives us this beautiful feeling of being back in the past, while you dig in a record shop and you find something that hits you, in our past was that record that gave us memories. in this case the work of this record is almost double, the record itself reminisces the past, but gives good hope for the future of genuine rave music without compromises.

for over 18 years, spectral sound, the dance music imprint of ghostly international, has thrived at the forefront of techno and house. it has been a source of support for numerous djs and producers during that time, from matthew dear and benoit & sergio to avalon emerson and hieroglyphic being. now, spectral brings the past alongside the present with its latest release, a compilation that offers a vibrant cross-section of the current moment in underground dance music. despite the wide-ranging selections on spectral 139, a throughline of classic style and infectious energy emerges from the up-and-coming and established artists alike. rising talents such as minimal violence, russell e.l. butler, and earth trax x newborn jr. bring unique perspectives to their hardware-centric productions. veteran producers bring their own edge as well: d marc cantu blows the roof off with the outsized funk of regularly people, and nigil caenaans januarys end, a low-key detroit classic from the late 90s, closes spectral 139 with a whirlwind of manic rhythms and sedate synths. gunnar haslam opens the tracklist with his acidic mindbender, versione antica. and ghostly regulars like tadd mullinix, who drops a lush jtc remix of his new x-altera alias, and matrixxman, who collaborates with riccardo limiti on the cavernous inferno, tie everything back to the label s roots. the double 12 compilation, as well as each individual single, features original work by los angeles-based artist nina hartmann. her designs have appeared on releases from labels such as ascetic house and big love, and the pieces for spectral 139 continue to develop her cryptic aesthetic. the marriage of hartmanns striking, high-contrast symbols with such bold dance music speaks to a collection that aims to stand out.

for our 12th release we turn to local friend and rising star on the underground scene, ray mono. with a string of recent releases catching the ears of people like ben rau & enzo siragusa, ray’s signature groovy sound is in hot demand. for remixes we ve turned to julenn who’s recent blind vision ep sold out in under a week. holding up the tail pathway boss niko maxen delivers a stripped back remix of identify crisis.