killer electro/wave tracks by black pond. black pond is a collaboration of underground star beta evers and jeff galea from the legendary eleven pond. known for her solo work as well as various collaborative projects, beta evers can be considered the godmother of german electro wave. her beats are strict while her voice is cool and deep. jeff galea, who founded eleven pond in the mid-80s, is the master of energizing bass lines and emotional synth melodies. deepest chasms reflects their shared darkness in four melodic and atmospheric synthwave tracks that won t let go of you.

after his recently, well acclaimed balearic adventures as “jane in palma”, don froth makes a welcome return to the wncl fold. he comes out fighting with the bass and bleep heavy “hr22”, nicely juxtaposed with the equally quirky but altogether more soulful sounds on “joint loose”. flip to the b side for more jump up adventures with -docs- and, by popular demand, his previously bite-sized cut “a broad range” gets extended into a full on acid squelch “widescreen mix” to close the show.

nice price deal !!! beat pharmacys brendon moeller drops two high end dub tracks on the worlds prettiest looking label, ann aimee...tip! ann aimee presents another new quality artist on their label. new york based south african, brendon moeller has been producing music since 1994. his compositions have been released on francois ks deep space media, third ear records, echocord, mule musiq, rekids and more. he records as brendon moeller, beat pharmacy and echologist. dub, techno, jazz, afrobeat and psychedelia are inspirations that appear in most of his music. whether it be serious dancefloor bizniz, or dubbed out bass-scapes, his music always possesses a quality and signature that have helped him become the prolific force he is today

midi deux entertainment is proud to present you the first ep of theo muller. this maxi starts with the shadowy atmospherics of « turbo drift ». then « focus » lays down a murky techno beat alongside trippy synths. on the other side, theo collaborates with steaward to deliver a massive big room track « en vadrouille ». the ep is closed by a slow tempo techno « yo low » with warm bass and heavy-hitting tones. a promising dubbed-out essay.

globally recognized and respected dj and producer clif jack pairs up with producer and live specialist matteo bruscagin to present leviathan ep on resopal. the ep contains four outstanding minimal and reduced techno tracks -quantum- features slithering synth lines, a nimble and inviting baseline, and plenty of warming emotion. -zadok- is more rubbery and direct, with clacking perc, freewheeling synth lines, and bubbly, roaming drums. -hurricane- has a somber, minor-chord bassline alongside crisp, clean hi-hats while the title track leviathan toys with dancers and posesses a memorable bass line. all four tracks have laidback grooves -- loopy, organic and sexy -- effortlessly seduce the crowd.

nice price deal !!! alessandro bocci s first official full-length album under the m16 guise considerably fleshes out the portrait previously established on the eps he s issued since the alias s 2004 inception (prior to m16, the bologna-based producer was a member of starfuckers). in its early going, lack corner after the beat sessions sounds like it might shape up into a solid but well-behaved collection of artful techno, in particular when armati opens the set promisingly with four minutes of metronomic, bass-heavy throb, and lab 1 follows suit with an agitated broil of bottom-heavy locomotion. but a more experimental side gradually begins to declare its presence in the rippling crackle and buzzing whirrs that threaten to smother the combustible beat undercurrent pounding throughout lab 1. sounding perfectly at home in this context, the already-heard ep cut agenzia 13 then works a thunderously thudding kick drum and ricocheting percussive accents into a roiling groove that grows ever more forceful until it reaches a steamrolling climax.

vinalog’s new ep on relative delivers raging club music with 4 cuts balancing the uk and berlin sound with a masterful touch. the two mixes of “flashback” on the a side provide raw, nasty house with a punchy groove and luscious vocal samples. b side sees two variations of the same motif: “recall 97” has strong uk bass heavy influences with an acid touch and spanish-mumbling vocals, while “redub 97” is a more stripped down version of the latter able to deliver for the dance floor with a more broken-beat rhythmic pattern.

under the tablecloth of steve murphy and die roh first releases, madi grein has recently collaborated with sagats (boss of noho records) for two exciting 90s flavoured ep for housewax and eat more house. being a full time of the riviera and the vape/vulcano projects, he can be considered without doubts a true ambassador of the sound of brenta. “mainly love” is a truly dancefloor ep, raw and old-schoolish. clean drums drive an hypnotic vocal hook on “mantide”,sleaking a visceral dribbling bass. “express yourself”, has been heavily influenced from a short trip to london, as fast broken beats lurk under acid frequencies, soulful vocals and scattered piano fills. “i m feeling hot“ is pure sweat for the dancers. its remix marieu (half of the analogue cops and boss of restoration and enlightenedwax) which closes the record with a reckless remix with strange guitars and mysterious alien samples.

repress in black vinyl / dj support, raresh (arpiar), sante (cocoon / desolat), chris carrier, ilario alicante, dj w!ld, ....
james barnsley s imprint has reached considerable momentum so far with releases from himself, scan mode, dj honesty and dj w!ld, not to mention remixes from daze maxim, laura jones and burnski to name a few. in its fifth release vessel sees the leeds based label boss pair up with irishman gavin herlihy, known for releasing on leftroom and apparel music, under their newly launched trackers moniker. hexagon paves the way forward with shuffling percussion, arpeggiated synths and mesmerising effects, before memory game delivers crunchy snares and dubby echoes. unison wax and beste modus founder diego krause then takes his hand to hexagon , creating a rhythmic rendition built on intricate drums and hypnotising atmospherics, until french duo s.m.a.l.l & paco arrive under their politics of dancing pseudonym to convert memory game into a bass fuelled dancefloor workout.

spain s javi bora has been steadily carving out a name for himself over the past few years holding up a residency at the infamous, now late space ibiza and its kehakuma parties, as well as racking up releases for elrow music, suara, robsoul, 2020 vision and moda black. here though we see him paired with fellow spaniard for a new ep set to be released via london s fledgling spilt milk recordings which has played host to material from the likes of italoboyz, alexi delano and of course its founders tred benedict and st. bernard. title-track bounze takes the lead on the record, laying the foundations with snaking synth sequences, voice atmospherics and robust rhythms before hector moralez and katal step in on the remix. the pair reshape bounze with their own stripped-back distinctive style, opting for floating pads, heavily swung percussion and snippets from the originals spoken parts. ritual rights follows and lays focus on arpeggio 303 tinged bass hits, crunchy drums and subtly unfolding synth leads that ebb and flow throughout the record. the 002 then rounds out the package with dubby stab sequences, soaring pad swells and gritty, energetic rhythms

pierre codarin returns to his eponymous imprint with four rhythmic productions dropping on wax in december. with previous releases commanding respect from the likes of mr. g, radio slave, raresh, laurent garnier, jackmaster, italojohnson, apollonia and more.
ebbing pads initiate the package in think before teasing in intricate percussion and moody bass throbs. metallic synths, mesmerising atmospherics and an ominous hook then make up front to back before moving on to the soaring chords and trippy nuances of everything you do. tying things together, universal man layers a medley of undulating components as ethereal effects operate throughout.

london s trelik returns to an artist perfectly in tune with the current stance of the british house and techno institution. och has been grafting in the european underground for more than ten years shaping out a truly formidable back catalogue. he first appeared on trelik with whalesong in 2011, while he s also contributed to baby ford s equally revered pal sl label on more than one occasion. in addition, highly-regarded outposts such as all inn, systematic and bass culture have all given och the stamp of approval, while his own autoreply label has continued to be a vital facet on the frontline of the scene. this latest three-track ep finds och on sublime form, working to a crisp, classic house template with the uncluttered precision one expects from a trelik release. the title track struts proudly out in front with its hooky dx7 lead, while -more journeys- builds up to a tougher, psychotropic blend. -sunday love- provides a perfect soulful tonic to round the ep off, rich with warm keys and irresistible shuffle. mastered at d & m.

having worked with the likes of don cherry and laurie anderson, there s little doubting the credentials of ramuntcho matta. emotional rescue have tapped him up for some truly outernational jams that sport african percussion, skronky jazz tones and an engaging minimalism that s hard to resist. the fretless bass and exotic animal cries of -ecoute- are especially appealing, while the squelchy sound design in -o clapo- may well do funny things to all who hear it. it s a startlingly original record that serves as a perfect introduction to a lesser known figure in leftfield music with a great heritage behind him.

vinyl only - round 2 for neukolln based boutique imprint xk after hauke freer s phenomenal first volume left heads baffled all over the place. this time, the label hands the a side to retro spook maniac matthias reiling, who opens with hand of hope, a tune that fuses an attitude-heavy, upright bass / piano theme with a cold hearted drum workout. strongly physical, sensitive, yet somewhat arrogant as we feel here. reiling twangs up his stratocaster on melodioso and explores the possibilities of sequencer based surf rock. you know, like a computer trying to be a backing band or the other way around. we can t help but imagine chris isaak singing under the shower to this one. the b side is freer territory once again, and hauke takes us deep into his realm of hypnotic, druggy dub-disco sculpting. reach out sucks you in, leaves you utterly disoriented and makes your mind paint a picture you would not have painted elsewhere. when you try to tell your friends, you can t find any words, yet it feels right and you all smile at each other.

chicago has always been a place that had talented musicians. it has been a hub for soul, funk, blues, and jazz for generations. the significance of the real sound of chicago release in disco compilation terms is that many chicago private disco labels never made it out of the city. just like chicago house music...

greek producer markos spanoudakis aka kreon has certainly made an impact on the electronic music scene.his percussive and jazz tipped sound has found its place through solo releases for labels such as cecille, robsoul and many more seminal underground imprints. his latest offering on serialism has been widely received by a small handfull of the scenes elite who have been dropping tracks from the ep all summer hualtor kicks of proceedings with delayed vocal stabs that roll over a 4x4 kick and a doubled up snare. the bass groove cleverly pitches up and down and is completed with a series of shuffled hi hats which complete this minimalistic winner. up next on a2 is forpsyche, which encomopasses a tough and rolling drum selection with swing added for good measure, a sub bass, warm pads and erratic lead stabs bring the all the elements together nicely. third track ‘valtera’ then keeps to kreons signature laid back grooves, shuffling drum licks and the use of processed vocal stabs, the track seamlessly rolls with a series of lo-fi glitches and pitch shifted chord stabs. finally forpyke rounds off the package as it rolls out a sure fire drum selection full of swing and stripped-back percussive hits, repetitive chord textures ebb and flow throughout the composition which results in a truly hypnotic and raw dance floor killer, with intricate percussion patterns that are packed full of swing.

in records back in romania again, with another young talent: puxumos. the romanian house groover, which leads us into a deep and massive bass break anthem with his unique groove and way of keeping. a classic style old school house burner made for unique moments. enjoy!

meda fury welcome back oakland resident damon bell for another accomplished ep of rugged cosmic grooves and tribal pressure. bell is riding a rich wave of form with a killer recent release on don’t be afraid, and even more fire on the burek label, not forgetting his impressive debut last year on his regular home, the mighty deepblak - he’s a proven master at fusing afro-centric rhythms, rich keys and off-kilter pads into an urgent and contemporary form of house music that deftly eschews cliche. ‘akebu-lan’ commences the ritual with a gospel vocal loop over pumping 808 kicks and tranced out swollen pads, giving way to ecstatic fender rhodes chords and climatic piano, reminiscent of robert hood - is this bell s fastest bpm track yet? loose/live jazz keys riff throughout ‘ether’ creating a warm rich miasma of sound against the distressed percussive gyrations and sinister drones. hypnotic synth riffs tumble over the powerful drum-track in ‘altered visions’ creating a deliciously hypnotic chug. drawing the ep to a close, deepblak and pan cohort african sciences joins bell for the sizzling ‘kinetic energy’, a sleazy, skronking cut of slurred moog bass and atonally pitched toms wrestling with thumping kicks and whispered vox pummel the listener

south brooklyn s p. leone returns for his second release on spencer parker s work them records with four atmospheric techno cuts this november. earning his stripes in new york and tokyo, p. leone is an established dj however since turning his hand to producing his talents in the studio are indisputable. echoing kicks and piercing stabs form the effervescent 9v9 before a chugging low end works alongside tantalising effects in cold metallic . next up, stability control generates a dusky aesthetic with moody bass throbs and saw like synths until the high-octane apex corners concludes the package with a relentless energy.

brand new addition to the ever growing transatlantyk catalogue. after an excursion into the hot, equatorial waters of transafryka, the fleet went back up north to visit europe s busiest port and meet with freux. he comes from the same creative crew from poznan that brought you such talents as selvy and newborn jr. nowadays this young graphic designer spends his days in rotterdam s district of delfshaven, after which this ep is named. a mix of 90 s deep house influences, strong sense of humour and unusual musical sensibility guarantees a sure shot winner. the strong groove of bernie is build on a scatting vocal loop, soon joined by ethereal synths and funky slap bass. borderline cheesy sax line completes the picture, which is like an ocean in the sunny, windy afternoon - soothing but never sleepy. coming up next is ght , inspired equally by 1990 s new york and 2016 s vancouver sounds. ambient soundscapes and chilly melodies are set off to pumping drums and looped basslines. the club mix of step offers a similar sound palette, enriched by mallet percussion. a fantastic soundtrack to any leisure activities. the ambient mix takes the original idea into one of rotterdam s coffeeshops, the one where they show a surf movie in slow-mo on a constant loop. jump and wave.

kepler. makes the second contribution to silencio s catalog with “planetary systems i”. with refined ethereal elements rendered from what is surely an eerie origin, “186f”, is truly engaging. this track is fueled with a seductive synth heralded by haunting vocals that effectively whisper over its steady, punchy bass line. meandering in the background is the type of idiophone sound one would associate with a hand-percussion triangle instrument. its particular effect provides a complex, rolling rhythm that vibrates in a beautiful tone until its objective has been achieved. on the b-side “452b” is a great track to open up a set with, gentle yet still energetic in how it introduces itself to the audience. it begins with a series of echoing sounds that rise and dive throughout, seemingly reflected off the surface of one’s subconscious, in a satisfying manner. accompanied by a deep pulsating bass line that accents its driving drums, this track will set the tone time and time again. imagine the dawning of a realization formed from an inspiring event in nature. the second track, “luzon”, features a laid back tropical tempo and samples that feel transported from a lush, rhythmic rainforest. kepler expresses this vision within the confines of a catchy groove, utilizing subtle bird sounds and rattles that resonate over layers of atmospheric synth. this is emotional music meant to move a crowd or manufacture a sincere moment of clarity.

first strike from the new vinyl-only label comes from ukrainian phenom, silat beksi. limited to 300 copies - no repress
the first strike off comes from none other than ukrainian phenom, silat beksi. the jasm ep spans three encapsulating tracks that are perfect for opening, peak, and after hour sets alike. known for his unique break beat style and rolling bass lines, silat beksi released his debut ep back in 2013 and has quickly risen the ranks as one of the top producers and djs from the eastern bloc. already with releases on the likes of mulen records, tzinah records, and body parts to name a few, his newest release sees a wide spectrum of styles and sounds. the jasm ep starts off with the title track, a smooth roller that infuses the break beat sound that beksi is renowned for with some playful jazz elements - truly a perfect track for those early morning after hour parties.

vinyl 12” with instrumentals, bass links, an accapella and a remix. cover art by bee.

down in scenic auckland, new zealand, tucked in a small basement studio, musician leonard charles & his friends paid tribute to dilla s landmark release by re-recording the entire 31-track album on live instruments. charles gives the tracks a modern funk reinterpretation on live bass, drums, clavinet, rhodes & synths - sans any sampling of the original source or sourced material. featuring vocals by anji toy, adi dick, ruby walsh and georgia anne muldrow on the emotional tribute airworks (forever).

* after almost 20 years of making tracks with blaringly loud kicks, you tend to start producing with the other elements first to give yourself a break from the constant pounding of monitors at point blank range. following an analog filter shopping spree, i began working on a group of tracks where the low end was satisfied by the filtering, and realized these songs worked just fine without a bass drum. therefore this record is called “rareforms” since most of my other work consists of a kick drum and lots of loud effects. this record is dedicated to the brilliant synthesist and interpreter isao tomita, whose records always provide inspiration in the lab. also to master storyteller rod serling and his frequent collaborator bernard hermann, whose score for the hitchcock film vertigo i adapted through some midi processes and wavetable synthesis, then sent it through a 4-foot spring reverb.* - phil moffa

rotterdam based 25 places are back on dirt crew with a bang! since their love more release in 2015 the boys have been hard at work and have just released an ep for chez damier on his prescription records sub label balance. the bounce begins with party in the hills hosting a huge kick, loopy rhodes, squelching bass, ragga flavoured vocal and squeaky lead, its straight up good times right from the get go. an infectious groove on this one! closing title song heads into deep soaring territory, its forward house beat and pulsing synth lead intertwine with loose tropical percussion and a rhapsodic horn hook. on the flip we have laurence guy who does not really need an introduction anymore, the man has been all over the place since this years releases on cin cin, outplay and the imminent church where he dropped two big eps bamboo and kojak. here he takes on the soulful deep chicago house of 25 places and turns it into a 90s breakbeat acid galore of ecstasy tingled uk house. 25 places wrap up the rave session with backyard stories, a raw and bouncing, bass face inducing jam. uplifting and dirty in one stroke, its thumping kick and feverous melodies make it impossible not to move.

something from nothing is a four tracker that fuses techno sensibility with house swagger, a voice calling to detroits second wave while a hand beckons the shadowy waters of house. hearts of darkness are immersed in late nights and smoke-filled basements, with past form seeing them play fabric and bugged out! an unhealthy loyalty to vintage hardware and long forgotten code means their music is analogue, not for fashion, but because it feels right. on the a,sequential circus is purest machine funk as a driving bass bubbles into self-oscillation. next, just on for the ride bounces to a millennial deep house swing. flip it for a dense future dub workout in charlie don t surf, then hotshot closes with a pad soaked vibe for the discerning warm up. a melting pot ep with all the right ingredients. something from nothing opens the door to hearts of darkness. step inside

mid november will see retrograde co-founder marlon hoffstadt pair up with paris brightledge for shattered. following a run of releases for his retrograde label and a track featured on the 100 dirt crew compilation berlin based dj and producer marlon hoffstadt continues his upwards trajectory, once again enlisting the services of legendary chicago vocalist paris brightledge who recently collaborated with paranoid london on their paris dub 1 & 2 records. stepping up first is the original mix of shattered with hoffstadt and brightledge delivered a raw, experimental house feel via broken drums breaks, sweeping synth chords and acidic bass chops, whilst paris vocal stylings add a soulful edge to the record.

the eleventh modal analysis release introduces umwelt, with his debut appearance on the label. density ep is a 4 track release blending umwelt s unique style which is a perfect fit with the modal analysis aesthetic. industrial meets electro here, and the lyon based producer joins the sound of athens. density #1 fully reflects umwelts skills on enigmatic riffs and fat bass-lines. density #2 and density #3 sneak into the more dance-floor minded record bags, while density#4 feeds a melodic/melancholic feeling whilst hard hitting beats bring it home.

thule records camp is hitting it hard these days. this time its a collaboration between two pioneers within the icelandic techno scene. on the a-side, we have static, a hypnotic groove with indistinguishable voices and shimmering dub chords, and Útkall, minimalistic dub techno mantra. on the flipside we have the heavily-rhythmic sedna, where the drums and bass compliment each other in such a way that it might cause involuntary muscle movements, and at last timelaps, a delicate minimalistic voyage. ohm is best known for his releases on force inc with exos. octal industries, a veteran who has already gained a respectable reputation within the idm community under his ruxpin pseudonym, returns to his origins with this collaboration. thule records is considered by many to be a pioneer in the field of dub-influenced techno music and was a starting point for many of iceland‘s most renowned electronic musicians.

shubaka come through with their third release, a big time house affair featuring two heavyweights of the scene, dj nature and damon lamar. the a side features a magical downtempo house number from dj nature. think 90s nyc, a crisp bass line and some mysterious keys. damon lamar takes things deeper on the flip, with a slow burning house number that packs plenty of emotion and atmosphere.

adelaide duo warren raww present a 12” that ups the energy of their july ep, whilst still delivering on their own brand of melodic, synth-laden house music. this time flanked by comrades arthur miles and freddie norwood, they add to the already high volume of talent currently emanating from australia.
the a side offerings shift between the more low-end driven aspect of warren raww’s production style, with off-kilter bass lines, punchy percussion and contemplative chord progression. the b side strips things back a bit further with a track each from arthur miles and freddie norwood. gliding pads, raw percussion, broken beats and rolling drums all melt together to deliver an essential slab of house music.

from minute one, it’s obvious that “he is the voice i hear” is something extraordinary. glimmering piano sets the stage until an insistent violin gives way to a rollicking disco bass line — and then we’re off. it’s the rare work that feels truly greater than the sum of its parts, once it’s over, you’ll be counting down the minutes until you hear the whole thing again.
“he is the voice i hear” is dedicated to the voices who inspired the black madonna to become who she is: frankie knuckles, larry levan, arthur russell, walter gibbons, loleatta holloway. says stamper: “i wanted to make a record that returned to the core values of dance music. in a lot of ways, i don’t think i’m doing something new with this record. i’m doing something old.”

j:kenzo heads back to 31 records with two new tracks from his arsenal. “sykura” encaptures the vibe of ’97 / ’98 drum and bass with its soundscapes and twisted analog synths, whereas “assemble” keeps the traditional 2 step rolling style with energy throughout.

barker & baumecker take turns from techno, bass, breaks, and experimental terrain with their second album on ostgut ton.

manchester native alex coulton has nurtured a reputation for creating sub-heavy rollers thanks to 12”s for the likes of black acre, livity sound and bloc. with gamma ray burst, the next in his series of releases on london low-end specialists tempa, coulton consolidates his sound to deliver some of the most sparse, rhythmic work of his career. with the record’s title track, coulton weaves from hard-hitting kicks, through to dizzying tribal polyrhythms the whole time maintaining a minimal, space driven atmosphere that remains omnipresent throughout the track’s most intense moments. ‘ground zero’ revels in its spaciousness, allowing reverb to flood into the negative space between flashes of heavyweight techno percussion and saturated ripples of synth while the pulsating kicks that underpin ‘alpha decay’ are punctuated with bleak, discordant bells, rhythmic bass hits and hypnotic filtered percussion. showing his diverse abilities, ‘phase two’ is an exercise in measured restraint, as a cacophony of clicks and hisses come together to disorientate before forming a driving rhythm section before coulton maximises his expansive elements on the fog-tinged ‘ascent’. closing with the steady flowing, brighter-hued melodic work of ‘distant resonance’, alex coulton has created a masterful collection of experimental tech-focused electronica that bewilders, intrigues and will draw the listener in with each play.

cupol was an english post-punk band that formed during wire s 1980-1984 hiatus. the duo consisted of bruce gilbert (guitar, vocals, synthesizer) and graham lewis (bass, vocals, synthesizer). building on wire

the maghreban returns with essential new house odyssey ‘brooklyn’, named after his dead cat. his second outing on black acre, ‘brooklyn’ is a breathtaking night flight, viewed through a prism both phantasmagorical and seedily terrestrial. trance inducing caribbean percussion, possessed chants, motown bass, sci-fi synths, wayward filter sweeps, analogue free jazz - all get their moment to shine in the weird and wonderful 8-minute microcosm that is ‘brooklyn’. flip-side ‘the carpenters’ strikes a more domesticated tone, with motorik industrial dub eventually giving way to haunted sci-fi bachelor pad lounge.

moscow records close 2016 with a fantastic 3-track ep from berlin imports roustam and tolga fidan. this being their first outing together, the pair deliver a high quality, intelligent journey through minimal house and techno. the record opens with brodsky beat, a groovy, dance floor-focused track. lively percussion and tight bass communicate perfectly with the hope-filled lead to build tension throughout. the omega variant on the a2 has a much more abstract feel. broken beats and skippy percussion play back and forth with deep, spacey hooks and a peculiar synth, giving the listener a sense of mystery. finally, growing up is just a phase is a calming 14 minute trip that uses the entirety of the b side to tell a story of reassurance and calm. laid-back rhythms, guitar samples, relaxed vocals and a wandering synth line work together to form the perfect warmup track.

2016 repress - r&s welcome another newcomer to the family. with only one release behind him on hessle audio and a wicked remix for warp (the hundred in the hands) blawan finds his new tracks in demand from the likes of james blake, jackmaster, untold, ben ufo, ramadanman and pariah. the title track is already creating a bit of a stir from its inclusion in a few high profile dj sets, but all three tracks raise the game for this young producer. the whole ep is filled with an honest, infectious energy, just like his dj sets. you cant pigeonhole this as >post< anything, its pure, stripped down, club music. sometimes drums, bass and acid is all you need.

having made his label introduction with his remix of label newcomer villete’s “rillia-, darand land gets to spread out and show off his unique brand of euphoric and uplifting deep house on his debut ep for the label, ‘discover you’. the title track is classic darand land, with bright piano chords, buzzing organs and a thick chicago house bass line. siren-like pads fade in and out from the periphery, as electrifying percussion elements come into play. frank & tony take a turn and apply their signature style onto the former track, adding a chunkier kick with bright as day claps and hi-hats to propel the track through the opalescent haze draped over the melodic elements. on the flip, “marcela’s sense” is a blissed out, head down late night affair. cosmic pads swirl around glistening keys and repressed organ chords, as toms bounce among the steady hi-hat ride, lulling the listener into a state of euphoria. the ep closes out with the atmospheric, peak time detroit house cut, “souls awash-. a serpentine bass line runs the show amidst swelling pads and in-your-face kicks and percussion. as with all of his productions, the track shines in the smaller details that float in and out of focus throughout, lending the track’s weightier elements an even greater sense of gravitas.

nicetraxuk strides with confidence to its fourth release with some grade a producers on board to confirm the label s position as a trusted outpost for upfront club tackle. moodymanc is on fine form on -where s the story?- dropping an expressive set of drums in a crafty broken beat funk as submerged chords play out and an unnamed source waxes lyrical about stories in house tracks. lil mark meanwhile links up with jcub for -epic 40,- a seriously stripped down club workout that maximizes on finger clicking and moody bass in a flawless demonstration of restraint.

kapote loves the funk. and he loves blaxploitation movies. the black underground cinema from the 1970ies. kapote samples dirty talk from these movies and puts it on his bass lines. melodic basslines with a heavy 1070 funk vibe. bass lines that can create a sexual tension. kapote adds a few warm, jazzy rhodes piano chords and a lot of reverbs and filtering. and the music rolls. often more like a jam then like a constructed piece of music. in the highest points this music is pure endorphin. it s 4 to the floor - but it has a soulful analogue sound. kapote says he was listening to records from old detroit label red planet and parisian downtempo pioneers motorbass and la funk mob while making this record. and yes, the vibe is there. like these guys kapote likes to build his musical trips around snippets from old funk vinyl. adding beats with vintage drum machines and creating an eclectic trip into a universe full of jazzy bits, noisy drums and dirty samples.

last seen on robsoul jazz back in april with his wonderfully unique and creative long-player ‘green age’, our longest and dearest collaborator mr chris carrier is back to close out 2016 with a fresh selection of straight up house gems. first choice is the sweat inducing philly flava of ‘fever tree’. showering us in ’70’s glitter with its timeless vocal and low-slung bass. following and flexing its funk is ‘to the wonder’ with its filtered strings and vocal, garnished with piercing beams of sound and fx. on the flip chris opens with the warping piano, sultry sax and skittish snare work of the aptly titled ‘feel good tonight’, before dropping some warehouse chops with the weighty bass growl of ‘inside’, closing yet another essential carrier crop for your record box.

basement find, 1998 berlin drum & bass.

basement find, 1998 berlin drum & bass.

basement find, 1998 berlin drum & bass.

basement find, 1997 berlin drum & bass.

basement find, 2000 berlin drum & bass.