zeta reticula a.k.a. umek drops a dose of razor sharp electro, built in collaboration with mysterious co-producer helga neuer. having released records under the electro-driven moniker for the past 18 years, zeta reticula continues to develop his unique soundscapes of harmonic electro bliss, cinematic chords and powerful, dynamic bass. from the a-side’s anthemic title track and moodier journey of luminsferatu, to the trippy realms of mimic to appear and cromat, i am mensch truly encapsulates the sound of zeta reticula, and carefully blends inspiration from past, present and future electro domains.

the past few years have seen berlins frag maddin release material on waze & odysseys w&o street tracks, rough recordings and egg londons what came first as well as offering up a remix on roog & dennis quins ep for madhouse where her returns to here for a full ep featuring remixes from fellow berlin based acts black loops and kevin over. taking the lead on the package is the zauberflo&#776,te with its skippy hi-hats, hooky organ licks, hypnotic rhodes melodies and vocal cuts all further fuelled by a snaking sub-bass groove to create a slice of authentic house for one of the leading labels of the genre. black loops turns in a remix of the zauberflo&#776,te next, stripping things back to a deeper, more refined feel with spiraling, filtered elements of the original wandering around swinging 909 drums to create a groove-drive counterpart to the original. focus opens the latter half of the package, the second original from frag maddin which employs chugging square wave bass tones and dynamically evolving drums alongside tension building strings and choppy stabs before keving over closes the package with his gritty take on focus, featuring crunchy drums, dusty chords and cleverly arranged string and key samples.

washington based better listen records drop their first va ep. housing four disco influenced dancefloor workouts bringing a slice of sunshine to our shores. folamour kicks things off with an uptempo disco stomper, complete with driving bass, infectious string hooks and energetic piano stabs. the a2 sees ethyene slows things down combining choice vocal snippets, shuffling rhythms and sleezy synthwork to create a sunset groove ready made for the summer. on the flip ari bald draws on all the elements from a classic disco anthem, with brass stabs, slap bass and an uplifting guitar riff driving things forward, before dorsi plantar closes things out with a blissful boogie simmerdown perfect for any sunrise set.

guber releases his first ep on paris based label beat x changers at the intersection of ambiant and mental uk bass music. the whole project is held by alternation of slope / release of sub-frequency and obsessional loop that dye each tracks. anisotropic expression is a first work that could be seen here as an draft representation of the behavior of surrounding matter. non musical influences therefore are brought here by the the study of properties of materials expressed in a musical statement. raw obsessional patterns, evolving and rolling out over the headroom could be seen as the emulation of many deformation models. shaping of stereo and arrangement have been handled with the help of the sound engineer & producer x_1 leading to home or club-listening experience as well. guber is been into music by listening & playing some music of the 70 s and trash-metal that drove him straight to uk bass music. since there he is only focusing on spontaneous creation showing faithfull perception of thoughts, leading to a higher level of singularity.

cool ranchs 4th hand-stamped limited 12inch from chrissy features more jackin disco house. lets go dancing is a catchy filtered affair, with a driving bass-heavy remix from shaun j. wright & alinka. i can feel it is a low end disco stomper. edit master peter croce brings a deeper late night mix!

this is the london based producer s long-awaited ep after releasing on past infinite machine & jbf compilations. lucky for us he has been honing his jagged and emotive take on bass & techno music and created a debut that is a pleasant diversion from structural norms. bristolian heavyweight hodge swoops in for the finale, reworking »lucid« into a dark and ominous techno-stomper.

repress of bp002 to 2014.

elevate melodies are back with four toe-tapping, finger-snapping, dancefloor slaying heaters, all on wax. side 1 takes off with the griffes’ remix of jay airness’ “she staying”, all sumptuous keys, sun dappled strings and peak-time beats propelling the track ever forward. venice beach then takes on sly moore’s seismic “muoosic”, dropping the tempo and creating a super low-slung slab of electro funk, one for the 100bpm crew. on the b side, lord funk takes on “black les grues de nantes” from victorius, turning it into a jazzy workout with slap-bass, chopped up vocals and dusty vinyl crackles giving it a classy 90s feel. and rounding out the selection is new york dj and producer p-sol who applies his midtempo skills to “law and theory” from label boss jay airness, creating an atmospheric groove with some real funk and jazz flourishes. limited to 500 copies.

jonah sharp & dj spun pair up as the loose control band to drop a punk-inspired single on rekids with remixes from label founder radio slave and shut boss ryan james ford. having released a large body of work as spacetime continuum (astralwerks) or alongside david moufang as reagenz (workshop), not to mention significant collaborations with the likes of terence mckenna, haruomi hosono and bill laswell, jonah sharp is unquestionably a highly respected producer. his seminal label reflective played an important role in the experimental ambient and techno scene during the ‘90s, whilst as a remixer he’s worked with music by nine inch nails, meat beat manifesto and matthew herbert. meanwhile, jason drummond has long been a commanding force within new yorks electronic music scene, such as running his prestigious warm up music series or his all night rong parties with regulars like dj harvey. hes also been djing and producing as dj spun for two decades, appearing on golf channel recordings as well as his own illustrious imprint rong music, which used to release music collaboratively with dfa. i dont understand sees a raw and uncompromising side to both artists as they layer a cacophony of murky bass, twisted melodies and mind-bending bleeps whilst drummonds turbulent vocals bellow throughout the mix. staying faithful to the original, radio slaves remix incorporates a heady rhythm with its rolling beat as screeching effects join a moody bassline. moving into techno territory, ryan james fords akihabara remix features rattling percussion and crystalline synths whilst his hope remix is built on an intricate drum sequence as soaring pads and echoing keys contrast with the originals piercing vocal.

vinyl only release! 2018 repress
galluzzi and schneider: two masters of their craft and two specialists for merging minimal techno with dark house vibes. this particular sound that is high on demand when the club crowd get lost in the middle of night. lost in music. lost in the hot air that makes their bodies sweat. lost in these disco lights that makes us all dazed & confused. this very special sound, based on hypnotic and minimal beats with every bass sound hitting your body and soul.

following from deetrons accomplished entry in to the dj-kicks mix series, !k7 are now serving up one of the original singles from it. produced by the swiss artist and featuring soul futurist steve spacek, it comes with the original and three vital versions. entitled chose me, the single is six tender minutes of musical electronic soul. warm and supple bass, twinkling keys and smeared chords form the atmosphere as spacek delivers a dreamy and heartfelt vocal up top. its a track to get the spine tingling, while the instrumental allows the celestial keys to ring out into a night sky as the main focal point. on the jupiter version, the drums are more loose and broken up, lending a spaced out vibe that will be perfect on outdoor terraces as the weather warms up. jumbled percussion tumbles next to the chords as the vocal soars. a jupiter instrumental closes out this cosmic and cultured house ep

discotheque fantastique is a musical collaboration that produces an eclectic spectrum of genres, somewhere between psychedelic rock, rare groove, funk and cosmic disco.

the first release is an ep with three driving tracks. the first track by discotheque fantastique -carnaval- has a percussive beat, hypnotic bassline, solid funk breaks with layers of tension. the second track by herr 2003 s -bourdonnement de l amour- is an amazing rework of a classic 70 s psychedelic rock tune with a groovy bass line, punchy female vocals and a shimmering arpeggiator synth. on the b side, club bizarre delivers an incredible extended version of a classic french cut from the 80 s.

124 recordings know how to put together a deep house compilation, and they re sounding fierce on this latest, appropriately titled levels up. the jams come heavy and funky from a range of on-point operators, leading in with tom jay s quintessential new jersey bump n grind on hanging on. david moran is a little more shadowy but no less groovesome, while nicola brusegan takes things on a sweet and smooth tip. across the whole double pack there are classically informed jams to satisfy the most weary deep house heads, but keep an ear out for the old-school flavoured heft of freak ds power of bass, which should get some seriously jacking airtime in the right kind of dance.

organic analogue broadens its remit on this killer boogie inflected diversion from italian producer croza. where the label has been often associated with deeper techno and electro, it sounds right at home exploring the moog bass licks and snappy drum programming that pours like a fine wine out of every track. night heat is the perfect lead track, all steamy synth throb and funky guitar licks, while feel turns up the pressure with a proto house burner that would have set the paradise garage alight. also look out for a rare appearance from ad bourke, who cruises on to the record to deliver a blissed out version of night heat for the smokiest of sundown situations.

argentinian veteran jorge savoretti has been djing for more than 20 years, and his first release for esperanza records traces back to 2005. in this time laps he has produced 2 albums, 20 eps and a great number of remixes, on labels such as raum musik, visionquest and ilian tape. his debut on cadenza is a crisp breeze of graceful music for dancing. side a starts point-blank with bou gei bouncing shuffle, driving bass line, lively cymbals, sparkling band-passed chords, summing-up jorge s true dedication to nightclubs and nightlife. with no reprieve, ruth suspicious pads lurk behind a funky swinging rhythm spruced up by a continuous surfacing of snare rolls and giggly stabs. on the b side, sensu dub explores without hesitation darker textures and resonances, leaving no concessions to leave the dancefloor. finally u-fonk #04.01 dives into sweating hotblooded late-time hours, with am hypnotising deep-toned coil, soaked of greasy riffs and gloomy fumes.

pets boot down the doors of 2018 with this generous five track version excursion. five of the label bosss most distinctive and decorated tracks from recent years get the treatment from five fittingly big names, this is how its going to go down… the one and only roman flügel takes the lead with a wonked-out trip down ‘basic colour theory lane. with a sly switch on the kicks and full emphasis on the alien encounter feels, his trippy take on ‘dont sets the perfect creative benchmark for whats to follow. dig deeper for a bumping, stripped back warm and jacking twist of ‘its happening by the currently unavoidable rutilance founder dj steaw while counter records pional breaks down their recent jolt of euphoria ‘rave history and rebuilds it into a slinkier, house affair, repurposing every spine-tingle and skin-ripple greg and voitek coded into the original. deeper again were treated to an exceptional twist of their green velvet collaboration ‘keep on as lawler injects a springy, molten momentum to the elements with a salubriously loopy machine funk feel. finally, for good measure, jonathan kasper wraps up their 2016 spiritual trip ‘elixir with a new sense of conga-riddled, bass-licked momentum. still reaching the highs when you least expect it to, the pay-off keeps giving and giving. a little like this whole ep

mark ambrose doubles up on his appearance on was/is with this strident bout of deep end dwellers, kicking off in style with the charged up strut and punchy mono bass of makossa (mix 1) making a point of stepping into a more peak time sound. makossa (mix 2) takes things in a more bugging direction, but there s still plenty of pressure to be felt in the wriggling low end mess and nagging hi hats. the teakup mix of makossa is a devilish broken beat track, and then wagamama slips in a loopy melodic hook and lets a firm but freaky slice of techno roll out underneath

fresh from his and elizabeth wights widely supported pale blue debut on crosstown rebels, new jersey renaissance man mike simonetti returns to correspondant with a touching cyclical trip.fuelled by emotion thanks to an on-point sample of a barbed spoken word, i love you mom is characterised by shimmering hypnotic cathedral cascades that fully arrest the senses. symmetrically bookended by the equally overwhelming i love you dad, where the same chords and sample take a much darker acidic trip, simonetti also treats us to the icy ricochet subversions of the chime-binding riser lets go for a walk and the purring electroid bass prowler no gods, no masters along the way. pregnant with restraint and well-tempered emotions but knowing exactly when to pop, its another certified odyssey from the perennial troubleman. feel the love.

vinyl only ... memento is proud to announce a brand new maxi-single of the extraordinary lithuanian producer mario basanov, better known as ten walls. with this moniker, marijus adomaitis has been releasing a bunch of deep house gems, and has remixed artists such as robert owens and hercules & love affair -swan- begins with a smoky dramatic introduction, that in a rapid glance become a obscure minimalistic dancefloor killer with a grueling bass line and unremitting hi-hats. finally taking off with a gust of monochromatic sequences and a whirl of dampings. in -lake-, after a dense windy evocative prelude, metallic percussion leave the footprint to the headway of a stomping kick drum and a mesmerizing bass line. sedately flowing synthetic notes, filtered bleeps and rapid beads lead the track to a grandiose finale in which whiffle and wafts become an ubiquitous polyphonic pad.

a year on from luigi tozzi and label head dino sabatinis collaborative manticora ep, outis return with a striking, singular solo work from tozzi. ecate ep sees the roman producer bringing three distinct slices of techno, each with its own set of subtleties and the crystal, adept sound design that defines tozzi’s work. spanning the a-side is ecate. this title track is rolling and hypnotic, with muscular, percussive bass. throughout the track, angelic chords come and go, washing the listener in euphoria. alongside, we hear a disorienting melody, grounded by the lightly swung four to the floor kick that gives this track an infectious groove. the flip opens with leto, which immediately defines itself as a club track with an unbroken but evolving set of percussion and a weighty kick. its around this kick that other elements build. we hear long, ringing, resonant string sounds, and a bell like melody morph and unfold as other percussive components come and go. the track falls away into atmospheric eeriness, which perfectly sets the stage for the eps finale. esperedes swung, panning drums give it a disorienting feeling of otherworldliness from the get go. this is before youre greeted by an alien, slightly dubbed out melody and a hanting backing drone that feels like a reference (perhaps in opposition) to the angelic chords of the eps first track. its on this closing track that tozzis delicate, expert sound design best shines through, and really has to be heard to be understood.

tom ellard is the creative force behind australian post-punk band severed heads. in 1982 he self-released two cassettes of solo material, “80s cheesecake” and “snappy carrion”. these cassettes document the transitional period between the early experimental severed heads’ albums “clean” and “blubberknife” before the start of something new with “since the accident”. with the advent of the then new roland tb-303 bass synthesizer, a machine synonymous with the acid house sound, tom began to write more beat driven material. the rhythms are made by a tr-808 drum machine, kawai s100f and sh-1 synthesizers, plus various televisions, radios, cassette decks and pedals. two songs from these cassettes would later appear on the b-side of the “dead eyes opened” single.

repress , originally pressed in 2013 this 12” sat undiscovered for a good year , until vol 2 came out and people found it, then started charging silly money on discogs. this really raw piece of vinyl features just the owners of tone dropout records - sweeney and dawl. trk 1 from dawl is a pounding pulsating rhythmic banger with bleeps gliding through the track with the help of sharp snares and claps, real atmospheric track. then next comes strange world with all its space aged laser bleeps and busy bass line running through like a freight train, as always sounds moving and changing throughout the track both these are bleep tastic, paying much homage to our heroes from the warp days. boom check it then on side b sween comes in with a totally different track, another atmospheric track with military style snares and a moving acid line going in and out over the moody baseline and rising synths. an all round complete e.p kicking off our tone dropout sound, breaks ,bleeps, acid and boomy busy baselines and synths.

bawrut has had an amazing couple of years. since kicking our label off back in 2015 with the modern acid classic ciquita (12inches of which will now set you back silly money on discogs), the madrid-based producer has gone from strength to strength. last year saw him tear down sets at sonar and farr festivals, drop a feted new ep on hard fist records, and have his music soundtrack numerous adverts for fabric events. other djs have been quick to show their appreciation, and bawrut’s unique appeal can be seen in how far and wide across the spectrum his music has featured. optimo, avalon emerson, patrick topping, jackmaster, artwork, andrew weatherall and many more have all supported heavily. were proud to kickstart bawrut’s 2018 with 4x4, a brand new ep of typically leftfield bangers. these four tracks come on like a whirlwind journey through a bawrut dj set, with something for every time of the night. ghettoscar fuses african chants with burbling acid, building the kind of goodtime dancefloor warmth bawrut is famed for. more cowbell does exactly what you’d expect, giving djs a glorious, cowbell-powered disco bomb that fuses the spirit of incredible bongo band with classic nyc house. i hear voices is a crazy ride, with an expertly cut up vocal sample repurposed into a weird, descending riff that’s quite unlike anything else out there. throw in bawrut’s trademark kitbag of carnival whistles, rattling latin percussion and a creeping acid line that works itself up into a soul-salving joy and youve got a modern classic on your hands. finally, lead track three sounds is probably bawruts biggest moment to date, a peak time jacking techno monster built from the most minimal of elements - drums, claps, a one note bass squelch and a tom drum gone wild. bawrut takes this tom sound and treats it like a 303, pushing far off the rails, working it up and up, twisting it through pitch and frequency like a man possessed, raising its pressure til it tears off the roof. theres no one else making techno quite like it - and you can expect dancefloors to be going crazy to the mania of three sounds throughout 2018 so there you have it - four more missives from the wizard of madrid. play em loud.

following on from the odd pair of sox that was oddsox vol. 1, we have been busy curating our next journey and we have recruited some fine talent to guide us on this ride. we go across the globe, straddle the stratosphere before going on an interstellar adventure. leading the way is switzerlands m44k. gaining a proper reputation online for his sublime edits and lo-fi cuts (last years e-beamz with dj seinfield for example), we have caught m44k on a serious deep exploration with infectious bassline and dreamy pads. we couldnt think of a better way to lift off oddsox vol. 2 than marsone. parisian, larry houl, follows up with algerian flag on the moon. another elbow moving bassline that youll be humming nonstop, and some sumptuous, glorious pads. working closely with flabaire in secret value orchestra and a release on london imprint feelings ldn, larry is absolutely one to look out for! flipping over to the b, let your mind and soul wander with mesta. with a delightful release on blind jacks journey and his own label dropping serious heat from harrison bdp, aleksandir delivers a divine blend of dream house and rough, rugged, rumbling bass. bringing us back down to earth is a man from portland, who is on some serious form. coming to our attention with his release on 100% silk, akasha systems deep and dark astral jam ends the cosmic trip with a bang. support and love from: dabj, dom capello, eclair fifi, peach, trp, red rackem, mark archer, marco bernardi, grant, fabrice lig, derek carr, piff records and more.

reaching its 15th release, amphia sees the return of cezar lazar’s double ep, intuitively called “archetypes”. known for his innovative approach both behind the decks and productions, cezar’s creative alter-ego enacts a variable puzzle with hard-edged sonic pieces laid out over five tracks, each with their own distinct acoustic palette. side a holds “equtime”. this side-long track envelops a stripped-down melody with perforated rhythmical pads, fleshed out with disconnected threads of vocals. side b is dedicated entirely to “badgervox”. displaying a weighty bass section alongside the shuffled percussion work, its intricate melody is integrated smoothly creating a unique soundscape. “thicken court” holds the first half of side c. sharp in its composition, it holds an assorted percussion ensemble and a collection of fizzy waveforms. they complement a thunder-like bass protagonist that holds the center stage. we continue with “boe dark”, where textures and sharp tones grow in layers upon layers creating tension. the apex is reached when modular timbres are hindered by sparse piano patterns, completing this electro-acoustic scenery. on the flipside, “wedmar” holds the key to our puzzle with its accurate four-to-the-floor feat. with a series of programmed overlapping organ vibes, the sound feels both piercing and intense, creating a sort of sensory impairment. “archetypes” displays cezar lazar s gentle subtleties and fluency in different dialects of idm.
(text by: bianca iulia)

dj seinfeld presents an immersive ep exploring the balance between fragility and force. ‘sakura ep’ is the third and most dynamic offering from deep sea frequency. four tracks draw from a multitude of influences, breaks, electro, dub and trance elements band together with a familiar lo-fidelity approach where distortion acts as an instrument of its own. ‘sakura’ is a subaquatic dose of old school electro with swollen bass and fuzzy harmonics. title track ‘segrada’ brandishes swirling melodies with layers of detail, followed by ‘belvedere’ which uses looped breaks and a sub-driven bassline to build animated funk. ‘battery’ closes things out with a nod to detroit, and a full on drum workout which plays with delicate melodic inflections over a cavernous low end.

record comes in translucent red vinyl, full colour sleeve and printed innersleeve. limited edition a series of songs written and destroyed . . . self-cannibalized productions spit back out in abnormal silhouettes . . . the originals shredded apart into discreet motifs— miniature rhythmic patterns, collections of melodic runs . . . selected moments of recordings from maxwell sterling (double bass) and peter evans (trumpet) introduced as ‘probiotics’ . . . freeform ideas set to feed off of the original productions like bacterial organisms . . . creating new ‘growths’ . . . mutating and congealing into foreign forms.

tevatron is back on its metrohm label with its -my origins- concept. inspired by the fathers of techno he synthesizes his influences and his project is quickly acclaimed by one of the masters of the genre like derrick may in others. -my origins part 2- is an invitation to discover the roots of techno, with this new version, tevatron returns to the sources by offering us two beautiful timeless tracks powered by bass lines based on arpeggio, powerful beats with a groove supported, striking agreements with a backbone very representative of the techno of the mid-90s. laurent garnier considers this ep as a new classic of its kind.

soulquencies is a perfect harmony of deconstructed soundsystem music. beautifully rebuilt with ambient textures, it hints towards grime and steppers while all the time melodious, musical and underpinned with bass weight. it perfectly transcends from clean and heavenly harmonies to bass pressure and grit – icy to warm in a masterful way. this is the first full length album on scrub a dub and we couldn’t be prouder of this piece of music, which is equally at home on a hi-fi or a soundsystem. soulquencies is the brand new album from the artist aquarius, a classically trained musician from tokyo who cut his teeth in the music industry in glasgow in the early noughties. he hosted some of the city’s frst dubstep nights bringing artists like silkie and goth trad, and taking small basement sessions into the bigger clubs, supporting mala at the art school. he played at some of the frst outlook festival parties and was a trusted tour engineer for mungo’s hi fi soundsystem, before returning to tokyo where he distilled his experiences and musical vision into this project.

founded in 2015 by dubstep forefather sleeper, crucial recordings has continued to develop and strengthen its undeniable grip on the dubstep world with each release, never failing to act as an unyielding beacon within the scene for unearthing fresh, standard-setting talent. leaping from strength to strength, this highly prolific imprint constantly delivers multifaceted and boundary shattering bass music through ingenious and unprecedented ways. the latest addition to the label’s ever-expanding vision for multifaceted bass music comes from rotterdam-based hebbe, who has truly emerged from the shadows recently through releases on subway recordings, artikal music, duploc and version collective. regarded as the most promising up-and-comer in the dutch dubstep scene, hebbe sports an obscure, sound driven flow that aims to inject diversity and progress into today’s musical output. keeping within a similar spirit, hebbe’s crucial016 boasts two far reaching tracks, “mad hatter” and “galata” that convey trailblazing bassweight through two very different formats. while “mad hatter” cuts through to the core with simplicity and impact, “galata” equally enchants with smokey darkness and trenchlike depth, building upon crucial recordings’ irreplaceable position within the dubstep circuit.

logistics, one of hospital records’ most prolific artists, is back with his seventh studio album ‘hologram’. inspired by his travels to hong-kong and new zealand, this universally admired drum & bass figure presents a vibrant 16-track collection soaked in his signature groove, soul and liquid-funk stylings.

adam beyer s drumcode closed out another hugely successful year in 2017, with a non-stop release schedule showcasing some of the best techno on offer from both the labels roster of artists to some fresh new names popping up on the scene. now in its 21st year, the label announced its drumcode festival later this summer, that will only contribute to solidify their position as the world s no.1 techno label. making his debut on drumcode in 2017 with his track fake featured on the a-sides vol 6 compilation, one of brazil s much loved exports wehbba brings us his first full ep this february with eclipse . a no nonsense 4 track offering, and all thoroughly road tested by adam, they have gained much support from longtime drumcode fans. eclipse, delivers a low end rumble along with a modulating synth line. reigning high throughout the track, is the undeniably catchy and unique synth. leaving this track one to be recognised on dancefloors all over the world. ‘protocol doesn t turn down the pace, straight into a chugging hypnotic drive, this track leaks with attitude, along it s eerie undertones. probably the most acid influenced track of the ep, glasswerk has a futuristic modular synth riff which thunders along a hypnotic bass line which flows nicely into framework to close out the ep. its punchy and powerful kick sits alongside the cleverly crafted synth pattern, taking this track into a dark zone with a groovy element still resonant.

while quite a few people are obviously still dwelling in the achievements of munich’s disco era during the 1980s, it seems that another major part of the cities partying scene travels to the same clubs every weekend. here they are getting fed with the plasticized tech house trax that everybody wants, drinking vodka red bull until they almost pass out and walk - if they are still able to - home happily, oversaturated by non-inventive, but good selling music. so far the cliché. fortunately, reality looks a bit different, at least for the lovers of uk bass. in order to make people aware of the city’s flourishing developments in this scene, the grandmasters of ruffhouse and jahmoni records have teamed up for a limited 10”.

the magnetic buzz riddim brings us back to the jamaican early dancehall days where heavy rub a dub riddims used to rule the dance. fruits records studio band the 18th parallel travelled to jamaica and teamed up with reggae greatest bass player robbie shakespeare from famous duet sly & robbie to build the explosive and powerful magnetic buzz riddim. sylvan white, famous for hit songs like africans unite or mountain top recorded in the early 80s, comes back in the business after years off the scene with his beautiful song mother nature. then follows an experimental dub mixed by spanish wizard roberto sánchez featuring robbie’s crazy lead bass line. b side shows for the first time on vinyl record young promising artist from rockfort earth warrior followed by the sweet voice of veteran singer delroy melody whos famous for hit songs from 1980 like ease up the pressure and natty dread she want. heavy maxi 12inch record paying tribute to the early 80s jamaican reggae!

the magnetic buzz riddim brings us back to the jamaican early dancehall days where heavy rub a dub riddims used to rule the dance. fruits records studio band the 18th parallel travelled to jamaica and teamed up with reggae greatest bass player robbie shakespeare – from famous duet sly & robbie – to build the explosive and powerful magnetic buzz riddim. sylvan white, famous for hit songs like africans unite or mountain top recorded in the early 80’s, comes back in the business after years off the scene with his beautiful song mother nature. then follows an experimental dub mixed by spanish wizard roberto sánchez featuring robbie’s crazy lead bass line. b side shows for the first time on vinyl record young promising artist from rockfort earth warrior followed by the sweet voice of veteran singer delroy melody whos famous for hit songs from 1980 like ease up the pressure and natty dread she want. heavy maxi 12inch record paying tribute to the early 80’s jamaican reggae!

meditative and off-kilter, dubkasm’s new 12” is, unsurprisingly, completely unlike any other tune out there, and pays tribute to a too-frequently overlooked part of reggae tradition: dub poetry. originating in a collaboration between dubkasm and their long-time friend, norway-dwelling heavyweight bass guitarist, bajan steppa, enter the gates is a discomix built on a tuff bassline, skittering drums and retro synths, and features reflective, courageous lyrics about the enduring power of black liberation movements and consciousness, from gloucester vocalist rider shafique. the b-side contains an upfront instrumental cut, followed, in true dubkasm style, by a collaboration with a musical titan. mad professor’s incredible dub flips the original into a propulsive soundsystem killer, retaining the tune’s heart and spirit, but driving and percussive where the original is deep and soulful. mastered on to 1/2” tape at stardelta studios, and pressed on 180g vinyl.

lore’s debut on kokeshi comes in the form of a 3-track ep featured on 180g heavyweight vinyl, with hand stamped kokeshi logo. lore’s influences range from early dubstep, grime and garage, including artists like el-b, burial, sp:mc, blawan, skream, wiley and mount kimbie. the ‘down the well’ ep features tracks in the 120–135 bpm range, with dark chunky beats, heavy bass and haunting vocal samples. be sure to check out his production tutorials on youtube.

after an inaugural, top-rated release by kouslin and his friends, the le chatroom familia remain on top of their release schedule with this successive record, featuring some familiar faces from the uk music scene. the team have compiled another hefty va, containing three bass-heavy tracks close to the 130bpm mark that definitely resonate at le chatroom’s signature frequency. with their first release having received support from a wide range of artists, from marcus nasty to huxley to bristol s livity sound gang, and with glowing write-ups in djmag, when we dip and cone mag, this second excursion is destined to be a highly successful follow-up.
dj support: lee gamble, peverelist, kowton, moxie, marcus nasty, jus now, simo cell, murder he wrote, lurka, silas and snare.

edwards graceful take on modern house and techno is a perfect fit for trelik, and the german producer sounds comfortable as he unfurls swooning threads of otherworldly music for the tripped out dancefloor. the ogermania mx of mikko is a hazy, string soaked affair pitched somewhere warm and dreamlike, but there s plenty of energy churning away in the lower register. lottery is a more twitchy affair for darker times, all moody bass bounce and looming drones around a shuffling set of percussion. groaning ghosts is the techiest of the bunch, and theres a whole lot of freaked out sound design swirling around in the mix as well. this is simply stunning, highly advanced dance music from a modern day maestro.

following his widely praised smoke signals album, overlook returns to uvb-76 music with all of them witches, a five track ep steeped in occult suggestion. four original works and a positive centre remix coerce the listener into a sound palette that maintains the powerful dynamics of drum & bass while overlooks masterful story telling lends compelling narrative: ritualistic, seductive and arcane.

kwaito 12 inch featuring two forgotten bass-heavy cuts from south africa in the early 90s. vanonyana lava by volcano is a sought after tune right now (so difficult to get an original copy!) while the beat gangsters are a new introduction (to us) from okapis vaults. tip! hot on the heels the labels debut release burnin beat, johannesburg-based afrosynth records second release is a 12inch of two bass-heavy cuts of obscure 90s kwaito from south africa.

after the success of the joe cleen ep, jazz cabbage returns in purple with a special new draft in the team: daisuke kondo from okayama, japan. after spending his teenage years playing bass in local psychedelic bands, daisuke finds his calling through detroit soulful house, and delivers here a well rounded punchy deep house ep with distinctive jazzy harmonies & percussions. on the flip is french broken beat don kaffe creme doing what he does best. follow the cabbage!

13th hour records presents its debut ep: a four track v/a celebrating both the pulse of the late-night dancefloor and the starry-eyed ride home. two tracks from subjoi forge the a-side, the vibrant yet moody “make me” taking the a1 slot and spacy, hi-hat bonanza “doin’ fine” at a2. and influenced by the bass-heavy vibrato of 70s funk, ricky razu kicks off the b-side with the infinitely groovable “reaching out,” followed by the sultry cut “moonlight jam” to close out the album.

decks tipp!!
ichisan s 2017 aperitiv was so good that we ve decided to return for a second helping from his sumptuous album. four choice cuts have been selected and reworked with a specific instrument focus. the harpsicord version of -hotel- keeps the intoxicating melody of the original but allows beats to relax as notes shine with an incandescent brilliance. drums put their feet up for the rhodes version of -modri tunel.- deep stings and lounging lines mingle in this work of smoke swirling seduction. -kozmetika (trumpet version)- dances to a different tune. rich bass is again central but this time brash and bold brass intertwine with funk filled bars. the last waltz arrives with the piano version of -terminal e.- alluring notes ascend, rising and falling against heartwrenching guitar strings for a finale to end this ballroom inspired beauty.

fourth release on nitsa’s label is a very special one. dj fra and shelby grey, two of the residents of the legendary club in barcelona, are joining for the first time ever in the studio. at first sight ’death proof’ looks like a simple dj tool, but is way more than that: while keeping the same elements for a long time, and just using a beautiful pad and a tuba alike heavy bass, it manages to sound completely fresh and classic at the same time.

hart & tief turns 3. as the most fascinating yet tremendous of creatures, h&t relaunches its sound in every release, like a shiny day that gently welcomes an outrageous storm leaving your body wet and your mind connected with whats next. everlasting artists dave dk & stimming are the chosen ones to break through the clouds and reach the dimension beyond what’s predictable. soulphiction, mike dehnert, robag wruhme and dj koze delivered the first 2 releases, showing what not to expect from the hart & tief state of beat: comforting sounds for predictable minds. let’s turn it upside down: deep emotional trips for like-minded clubbers and artists. non-conformist dancefloors and exacting passionate crowds. hamburg-based, stimming and dave dk have built their experience through uncountable tracks and performances. turning the lights off and playing it loud is what they are best known for. on this special occasion, painting the vinyl specially dark is what they were desiring and the frame brings together two superb tracks: frankfurt main and saida222. stimming has built in a sneaky percussion with an enormous engaging touch. buoyed up by a textured bass, frankfurt main reaches the center of what an in-depth track aims to be. saida222 takes us on a contemplative, introspective and melodic journey, a route usually explored by dave dk in his previous and acclaimed works. both tracks are pushing a refreshing and windy vision that, far beyond from being just obscure, gets us closer to a wise enlightening experience.

black truffle is pleased to make oren ambarchi’s grapes from the estate available once more on vinyl. originally released on cd on touch in 2004 and reissued on southern lord as a limited double lp in 2006 during ambarchi’s tenure as a member of sunn o))), grapes from the estate was a landmark release for ambarchi, seeing him expand his sonic palette beyond the clipped, bass-heavy electric guitar tones he was known for at that point. incorporating subtle layers of strings, keyboards, percussion over a bedrock of his signature guitar tones, in retrospect this album can be seen as the beginning of a broadening and evolution in ambarchi’s work that would lead to his acclaimed, densely layered epics for editions mego, quixotism (2014) and hubris (2016).

amsterdam based label anagram readies label co-founder sinfol s first solo release in three years entitled pull back . the release, which features four passionate tracks, sees the light of day in the beginning of april. since the launch of anagram three years ago the label has put out a steady flow of releases from artists such as anetha, octual, stefan vincent, elad magdasi and haze. however, the imprint has also acted as the main platform for sinfol s own productions. blurring the line between various subgenres, the dutch artist is an eclectic one and meanders between acid, house, techno and more. the chords and arpeggios set the mood in life off measure where robotic elements rise to meet them, carving the way for result with its oscillating tones, clap fueled percussion and three-o-three licks. pull back is packed with a thunderous energy that s intertwined with sinfol s soulful vocals and ethereal synths, before swaying into deep house territory with exhale . the track s rolling bass, broken drums and twinkling melodies round off the latest instalment on the rising amsterdam label off in a graceful manner.

a glorious live disco workout harking back to the spirit of new yorks heyday when love and inclusivity ruled the dancefloor. featuring additional remix by rahaan. you need this in your life! you know that feeling when you hear a killer melody and it just sticks in your head and makes you wanna dance? call it disco, call it what you want, this song is packed with soul, emotion and a righteous hook, boasting a stunning vocal performance from us singer angela gooden and comes armed with heavy percussion, funky bass, and some serious rhodes. as part of a three track vinyl package on madrid label lovemonk, new york/madrid dj, producer and vinyl vendor oli stewart, better known as casbah 73, goes back-to-boogie-basics on the lead track, along with a b side re-fix by chicago s don of the disco edit, dj rahaan, and a full-on percussion jam instrumental cut. love saves the day is a joyous tribute to open-minded and inclusive clubs past and present with a sly nod to the seminal new york institutions like the loft and the paradise garage. but this record isn t some banal exercise in faithful reproduction, rather a exhuberant slice of soul-disco that reignites the spirit of these underground nightclubs, lofts and warehouses. casbah 73 has handpicked key musicians from around the globe and threaded all these together for a smack-you-on-the-lips belter, reverberating with positivity love really is the message. rahaan s on-the-spot offer to remix love saves the day came about after a chance meeting with casbah 73 in madrid. a couple of days were spent checking out records and drinking wine oli is one of europe s leading disco, soul and jazz vinyl dealers when he played rahaan an early demo. the rest, as they say, is history