1 year of total dedication brings forth this massive musical masterpiece... ranging from 155 to 178 bpm with pure energy from the first till the last kickdrumÉ melody meets rawness, instruments & choirs meet mesmerizing leads and kicks.... with brand new tracks like train of thought, automation, ipnotik generation (vs. dj d) and love sucker (feat. mc tha watcher). containing remixes by none other then hellsystem, t-junction & rudeboy, distorted revelation, miosa, rayden & juanma and last but not least hardcore heavyweight angerfist who remixed one of the most well known nitrogenetics tracks: pledge of resistance.... the album is completed by all the best tracks from the past 2 years like: state of the art, the experience and no heroes.

born from a common will to showcase the maturity and versatility of his producer skills, im:ltd has taken the ambitious challenge to give to the extremely talented arp xp the opportunity to release his first ever solo album effort closer. gathering influences from over ten years spent in the electronic music scene, what were presenting is an accomplished twelve-track album with the finesse youd come to expect from the sardinian sun and bass resident and some more intriguing touches you might not. from the eerie dystopia of title track closer featuring the mournful vocals of estel luz, its clear that none of this release is concerned with brightening wintery nights. each track has a vein of inky blackness running through it, and whether its the clicking, mechanical metronome of standout single something wrong, the serpentine bass of sickness of time or the somewhat middle-eastern-infused bassy stomp of maybe tomorrow with that juddering electro clap, the first half of closer is deeper and darker than the baltic. even with tracks as forcefully dank and derelict as papercuts there are washes of tunes like uneasy, stunnas re-work of closer and the particularly exquisite. upon waves to counterpoint the gloom, showing some break in the clouds. you cant stamp the sunshine out of a mediterranean heart. trademark rolling reeses and distant euphoric pads belie,closers cynical sound gives away arp xps true intention,to simply make the best bass music album he can.

bong-ras new album monolith is a new step in pure hybrid electronics. seamlessly mixing all styles with ease. be it metal, drum and bass, hip hop and dubstep. a musical characteristic he has gained international praise for. monolith is divided up into two segments: alpha and omega. alpha are four hiphop-esque colossals featuring the american rapper sole, who has proven himself over the years with his crew and label anticon. omega is the dancefloor orientated part of the album where bong-ra continues with his trademark metalbreaks style which made him remix the likes of bolt thrower and even screamo legends therapy? since 1996 bong-ra has released 5 full length albums, and has released on labels such as djax. planet mu, ad noiseam, kid 606s tigerbeat 6, jason forrests cock rock disco to name a few. the biggest success came with the 2003 album bikini bandits, kill! kill! kill! managing a full rotation with the videoclip 666mph on mtv. bbcs radio 1 dj, john peel, was also a big fan, inviting bong-ra to do a famous john peel session in 2001, and was asked to be part of the peel tribute cd kats karavan containing peels 125 favourite session artists. this cd contained the likes of bob marley, boomtown rats, the jam, pj harvey and bong-ra amongst others. in the last decade bong-ra has played all the big festivals: glastonbury, lowlands, fusion, dour, eurosonic, etc and has toured europe, the us and japan. bong-ra is further known for being one of the pioneers of the breakcore genre. together with artists like venetian snares, shitmat and jason forrest they developed this unique and energetic crossbreed in the early 2000s. with monolith bong-ra continues to pave the way into heavy electronics, always re-inventing and evolving himself with every album. he recently won the dutch 3voor12 award (the largest dutch music platform) for best musician, for his bong-ra and the kilimanjaro darkjazz ensemble projects.

touki ba banjul is a compilation of the gambian psych sensation guelewar who played a major part in the development of the afro manding sound. from 1979-1982 the band released four albums, featuring some of gembias best funk tunes.

mohn is likely producing the best music that vangelis never wrote, the lost soundtrack to a kšlsch version of blade runner, a space opera in slow motion conducted by a hypnotized caspar david friedrich in orbital transit. as music it gets extremely close, obscuring the sun, whispering loudly, slowly, and furiously, both a fascinating trip into the interior of an inverted electron- scanning microscope and the meticulous recreation of a mandelbrot fractal, all in album format. whether synthesizers dream of electric sheep, wolfgang voigt and jšrg burger may not be able to say for certain, but as mohn, they seem to have a fairly accurate idea how it might sound.

where the river turns black, is the first international album by copenhagenresident and musician katrine ottosen aka call me kat. call me kat are adorably intense and mesmerizing songs, an enchanting melancholic, almost translucent drift into this sonic world best described as alternative pop, music that gives spoken word of the ever expanding danish music scene of now. songs that adapt a fine line between organic instrumentation and that very specific sound of her voice, which although completely its own tends to remind at times on other playful ladies in music like bj¿rk, feist oder lykke li.earlier works with reknown producers valgeir sigurdsson (bj¿rk, mum, sigur r—s etc.) or joe magistro (prophet omega) on the current album have certainly had their share on this.

the greatest female soul singers of all time! incl. aretha franklin, tina turner, nina simone..

now is the time for aitor etxebarria, better known as el_txef_a to expose his innermost feelings,as hes already begun to on releases from labels like hypercolour, suol and wazi wazi.this time,he is undoubtedly on his best of form.

together with co-producer tom mcfall (r.e.m., weezer, stars) they experimented with new sounds, structures and melodies - and now they are very proud to present the result: the best album by alcoholic faith mission to date. alcoholic faith mission will continue touring as much as possible in 2012 in support of the album, covering europe and usa/canada - and hopefully theyÕll get to play lots of festivals in the sun.

atlanta, ga. all-girl punk band the coathangers reckless energy from their half-serious roots is every bit as vibrant and rambunctious on their latest album, larceny & old lace. but this time around were hearing a band thats honed their trade and incorporated more stylistic variations. with this broadened artistic horizon, refinement of technique, and ed rawls production allowing every instrument to shine without detracting from the bands natural grit, the coathangers latest offering is easily their best record to date. join the party.

the yearly summit of keiji haino, jim o rourke and oren ambarchi continues with imikuzushi, which finds the group extending the power-trio strategies of last years highly praised in a flash everything comes together as one there is no need for a subject (bt05) and bringing to them a newly sustained intensity. for this performance, haino limits himself to electric guitar and vocals, forming complex networks of slashing rhythm work, noise squall and chromatic shredding, moving at times to near-silent passages of howled vocals and isolated, hanging guitar strums. the tendency towards driving free-rock which surfaced on moments of the trios last release is cemented here, with o rourkes fuzzed-out, non-linear bass riffing moving the music into almost garage-rock areas, combining with ambarchis drums to form a bedrock of hypnotic, metronomic pounding which transforms itself effortlessly into passages of flowing free-time. like all of hainos best work, the trio transcends any rock genre exercise to enter a non-idiomatic zone of ritual intensity, creating a music formed purely out of instrumental and group-mind possibility. presented as four unedited excerpts salvaged from an epic show that lasted well over three hours, the sometimes raw nature of the recording only adds to its directness and harshly emotive quality. francis plagne, melbourne, nov, 2011 released as a 6 panel digipak cd and as a limited edition double lp in a lavish gatefold with printed inner sleeves. design by stephen o malley with high quality live shots by ujin matsuo and stunning images by tokyo based photographer and sound artist shunichiro okad

this year hard style event promoter b2s is organizing a new edition of hard bass. the 4th edition of this huge and already sold out event will take on saturday the 11th of february at the gelredome stadium. on this night it s all about hardstyle and again b2s divides the party over 4 areas yellow, red, green and blue and selected sixteen of the best djs and acts. the 4 headliners of the different areas are also mixing and compiling the cd s and this year we selected the best of the best with: the pitcher, luna, frontliner and chris one. expect a lot of new and exclusive material which is a perfect reflection of what sounds hard bass is all about. a great start to the new year with this 4cd must have compilation!

uk collection from the 60s soul legends. smokey robinson and the miracles are one of the greatest vocal groups of all time. they made some of the most important popular music of the 60s and early 70s, that sounds as fresh today as when they were first recorded. this 20-track collection contains some of the groups most loved moments such as the tracks of my tears, the tears of a clown and i second that emotion. this collection takes the listener on a journey through the vocal groups back catalog of albums, taking in many of their best loved tracks.

biggest hardstyle anthems ever, 32 of the best festival hardstyle anthems on one compilation. every big festival has their own anthem to promote and here it is: 32 of the biggest hardstyle anthems ever on one compilation. relive your festival feeling once again and get the vibe back. with tracks from headhunterz, wildstylez, showtek, noisecontrollers and many other makes this compilation is an absolute must-have for all hardstyle lovers.

2011 three cd collection that contains the very best northern soul masters from the vaults of atlantic, atco, loma, reprise and warner bros records from 1965-74. this ultimate best of spans the legendary after hours series, picking the best, most funky, soulful and rare tracks to give the listener a truly authentic northern soul experience.

do you love elegant, sophisticated music with a feeling, as much as raw, gutsy, hard-hitting music? guessing that you do penniman records takes great pride in introducing you to the excitements, because their music fits into both categories. they are an all natural free-of-additives-and-preservatives r&b / soul band. a band with both feet solidly planted on memphis and detroit, and with a heartbeat which is pure chicago. to put it simply, the excitements are what the doctor ordered: six dynamite musicians intent on bringing out the very best from koko jean davis extraordinary voice, a voice which will either break your heart or astonish your ears, whatever koko fancies the most. the excitements career is truly awesome. their first gig took place in july 2010, and a month after that the band embarked on the first of their three recording sessions, their first spanish tour and a series of concerts all across europe. very few groups can boast of enjoying such a critical success, selling so many 45s and capturing such a loyal following in so short a time. their splendid first album, -the excitements- available on vinyl and cd - has been produced by the great mike mariconda - the only living man with a direct connection between his ears and his crotch. hearing is believing, and koko and her partners are bound to mesmerize with numbers such as nathaniel mayer s -from now on-, barbara stephens s -wait a minute- and little richard s -never let you go-, a track which will go straight to your heart. you may call them old-fashioned. a classic sound, if you wish. one thing is clear: the good stuff is here to stay. stop reading, listen to the excitements and hear for yourself.

ibiza clubbing institution amnesia celebrates 21 years of ibiza anthems. amnesia is arguably the quintessential ibiza clubbing experience and one of the main sources of inspiration for why dance music culture has thrived around the world. two massive rooms, one a dark cavernous cauldron and the other an expansive arena that is flooded with light when the sun rises, are guarded by the notorious amnesia ice cannons that could strike the crowd at anytime. regularly voted the best global club at various awards ceremonies worldwide, amnesia is quite rightly considered amongst the best clubbing spaces around hosting the world s leading djs and brands across multiple genres. amnesia is currently home to legendary ibiza club nights such as cream and cocoon and its own infamous espuma (foam) party nights. from open air clubbing in the 1980s with dj alfredo s ecletic mix of house, disco and pop, sparking dance music s explosion in the uk, through to a lead roll in the massive harry enfield movie kevin & perry go large, amnesia is part of clubland history and is a name that resonates with dance music fans across the uk and beyond. spread across a 4 cd set, each cd charts a chunk of amnesia history: cd1 covers 2006-2011 with artists such as swedish house mafia, deadmau5, axwell, above & beyond and ti‘sto, cd2 curates 2001-2005 featuring big names like david guetta, bob sinclar, cassius and the egg, cd3 looks at 1996-2000 with moloko, ultra nate, nalin & kane, three drives and more, and finally cd4 closes with 1990-1995 taking in anthems from robin s, real 2 reel, orbital, bucketheads and sven vath.

overview in the 1980s, as hip hop caught fire around new york, sparky d was coming up in the van dyke projects in brownsville brooklyn. she would go on to be one of the first recorded solo female rappers and rise to hip hop stardom. early in her career she was a pivotal player in what came to be known as the roxanne wars. it all kicked off with utfo s roxanne roxxane followed by roxanne shante s debut roxanne s revenge and then a salvo back at shante with utfo and a female mc known as the real roxanne. sparky d then started a trend that ran for what some say was over a hundred assorted answer records and nearly the rest of the decade by jumping into the roxanne trend with sparky s turn (roxanne, you re through). massive spins and sales throughout the city followed. the success of the cut lead to another handful of 12 releases, and this release, her proper full length debut this is sparky ds world,- produced by her boyfriend and old school legend spyder d. though the record didn t take off to the extent that her label mates boogie down productions found with criminal minded....well, what ever did take off like criminal minded. to this day the release serves as a testament to the power of one of hip hop s first female mcs, after all, this is sparky d s world. traffic entertainment group in partnership with b-boy records is proud to release this extended version of the album, out of print in any format for over 14 years. housed in a handsome 6 panel digipak featuring extended artwork and audio including all the 12-cuts, mixes and instrumentals from sparkys classic -throwdown- and -i can t stop- vinyl singles.

40 massive r& b hits inside !!!

he is one of the hardcore scenes biggest icons for almost twenty years. after five albums, neophyte returned to his favorite chamber to produce his first album in more than five years. a unique album: for the first time in hardcore history, an album will be released in two different parts. on monday january 16th, neophyte will present the first chapter of rechtoe rechtaan s successor: mainiak . jeroen streundings formation dropped its first ep in 1993 on rotterdam records: they released tons of tracks on the legendary label. next to these activities, neophyte came up with several aliases like bodylotion, hard creation and masters of ceremony to produce on terror traxx and forze records. in 1999 neophyte founded his own label neophyte records, which is considered to be one of the leading labels in hardcore for more than twelve years. neophyte developed himself as one of the best producers of the hardcore scene and helped new artists like evil activities and tha playah to get to the top of the hardcore olympus as well. mainiak proves why neophyte is hailed as a true leader of the hardcore scene. the first chapter of the album is packed with an arsenal of brand new material: besides a lot of solo tracks, neophyte has also collaborated with a selection of other artists such as neophyte records colleagues tha playah & the viper. mainiak s tracks have been edited for the album to keep it flowing in the best way for the listeners pleasure. the dj s and his diehard fans won t have to mourn: the album s tracks will also be available for download in full length.

deep, dramatic, abstracted d&b from exits most esoteric operator, consequence. test dream is an advanced follow-up to the burial-esque scapes of his 2009 debut, live for never, scanning sci-fi inspired minimal d&b topographies with a filigree attention to detail. ultimately, its not the kind of d&b thatll have you firing shots in the ceiling: its strengths lie in the vivid evocation of dystopian futures and plugged-in, cyber-surreal dream states, conducted with the ability to suspend disbelief and submerge the willing participant in a whole other headspace. that said, there are dancefloor-ready moments like the sinuous, sub-heavy soul sees spirit, but the best moments occur when the dancefloor seems to be receding beneath your feet / sofa, as with the whirring autechre-ian dynamics of magda trench and the majestic loveshell, or the flickering, skeletal remains of marlo.

austin-based vvv is one of a new wave of garage producers whose music actually feels like an honest mixture of vintage and modern touches, rather than a trend-hopper looking to capitalize on a few dubstepforum fruity loops tutorials. he s an artist who happily mixes and matches signifiers, lacing his productions with subtle streaks of colour and leading them into unexpected detours. over the course of across the sea vvv swings from gleeful todd edwards-style vocal mush (-aisle seat-) to sepalcure-esque house-tinged workouts like -retreated- to more experimental fare. on tracks like -stuck between- or the stumbling punch-drunk jungle of -duration of light-Ñwhere breaks crash through filtered soul samples and cause ripples like dominoesÑhe always keeps the tracks backbone intact while doing some of the weirdest things to bass music youll hear this side of machinedrum. across the sea doesnt have the same visionary outlook as room(s), but it shares that albums embrace of fine-tuned sequencing and development. the tender, reflective moments that occasionally pop up are its best, whether its that memorable opener or the fogged-glass beats of -among the whispers,- which admittedly sounds a little like burial but higher-definition, with high-strung chords recalling netsky more than untrue. the albums closer -all that weve been through- nicely sums up the proceedings, throwing an out-of-context piano on top of another burial-esque beat loaded up with reverb yet still cutting clear as day. its perfectly representative of vvvs aesthetic: his debut album isnt always made up of entirely original ingredients, but like any good chef, he knows how to present it in a way thats irresistibly appetizing.

deluxe edition - includes previously unreleased tracks...

musical evolution: the first chapter, arnejs newest compilation will be in stores online and in physical form on october 24th. this compilation will feature 15 exclusive and upfront new trance tracks and marks the first comprehensive release from arnej s new label, arnej music. musical evolution: the first chapter includes tracks from such artists as leon bolier, bobina, orjan nilsen, and arnej himself including -the music makers-, a future club classic collaboration between arnej and orjan nilsen. arnej is currently 2 ranked trance dj in the western hemisphere as indicated by djmag top 100. he has also been named armin van buuren s favourite producer and has received the idma best new artist award in miami.

this is the first part (of four) of the much anticipated reissue series of drexciya s early catalogue, marking 20 years since the release of their first ep deep sea dweller , and 10 years since their final album grava 4 . one of the most influential techno acts ever, and part of the heritage of detroits underground resistance, drexciya explored techno like no-one else before: raw and uncompromising music that reflected the harsh environment of the city where drexciya was conceived, with a mythical approach that only added to their cult appeal. drexciya arguably stands for the darker side of techno and electro, made not only for the club scene, but a further development of the music as an expression and extension of the mind. journey of the deep sea dweller is a near-complete collection of their early works, released in four parts, with all audio remastered from the original master tapes. since the original releases have such a strong character and stand on their own, these reissue can never recreate the magic of those originals. instead, clone have stirred up the catalogue, taking tracks out of their original context, giving the committed fan a fresh experience and the new listener a document that is the best possible introduction to the aquatic world of drexciya.

legendary bournemouth-based trio aquasky return with their 8th studio album raise the devil featuring 16 bass-heavy party tracks which include guest vocals and collaborations from lee mortimer, engine earz experiment, daddy freddy, ragga twins, tenor fly, mr. thing, pyramid, acafool, deja, roisin brophy, didjelirium and bex riley. this album sees the trio take it back to basics and return to what people expect when they hear the name aquasky! having been solid friends since the heady days of rave and acid house, the guys first hit the studio together during the jungle era and in 1995 aquasky was born, signing immediately to moving shadow before going onto release on some of the biggest and best labels including polydor, botchit & scarper, reinforced, good looking records, hospital, southern fried and mr. bongo. in 2001 they took the decision to launch their own imprint passenger as a place where they had free reign to unleash their full creativity and develop both their sound and the sounds of other acts.

the album is just a few seconds under an hour long, consists of seventeen tracks and covers every style from wonky reggae through pop-funk, street spitting, straight up hip hop, sung ballads and epic death-disco. it deepens much of what mr manuva has already achieved over a glorious decade of innovation, but also throws in enough new ideas and adventures to last most creative artists a lifetime. we think it is his very best work since run come save me. we re wondering (whisper it) whether it might be his best album ever.

driver drive faster are a new band from manchester, but you wouldnt necessarily tell. this masterful debut album presents a rich, timeworn sound that exists somewhere between americana and spectral indie rock. its crafted song-writing at its best, hinging on stirring chord sequences and moments of fragile beauty. -a review described us as misfits,- says singer/ guitarist dylan giles. -we took it as a compliment.- named open house and recorded in the shared digs in which the entire band reside, the album was a labour of love begun in late 2009, poured over in 2010 and set for release in 2011. the result is a lush, layered record that slowly draws you into its world. think mercury revs deserters songs for a new generation.

this latest release by the ever impressive trunk records consists of two jazz recordings from 1964. the first four tracks, credited to west indian trumpeter shake keane, are taken from an unreleased acetate belonging to garricks private collection. the final four tracks consist of the shake keane & michael garrick quartettes a case of jazz ep that had a limited pressing of just 99 copies. much like trunks earlier michael garrick release moonscape (which was recorded in the same year), this is indeed obscure 1960s uk jazz. the first four cuts from the untitled acetate are very much jazz of the bossa nova variety. the hastings girls choir feature on the first two tracks and their lush vocals add a cool exotic vibe. tracks 3 & 4 are taken from the flipside of the acetate and were recorded with the gordon langford orchestra. the final four tracks from the a case of jazz ep are freer flowing and keanes trumpeting accompanied by garricks piano makes for some quality early modern british jazz. moody album closer regrets is a stunner and best showcases how well they both compliment each other.

a brand new compilation featuring the a- and b-sides of all the bands chiswick singles. includes four tracks new to cd. when we recently came to re-press our long-standing the best of the damned, the pressing plant told us that, unfortunately, the films had been lost. rather than simply make a new set of films, we decided to make a completely new cd and so present you with the damned: the chiswick singles - and another thing... overseen by the producer of the bands chiswick releases, roger armstrong, the package comes with brand new high-end transfers from the original master tapes - the damned have never sounded better. an extensive trawl through box after box of saved material from that era means that the booklet features a lavishly illustrated package including rare photographs and tons of memorabilia.

australian pressing of this 2011 collection of rarities and non-album tracks from the queen of modern soul. sharon jones & the dap-kings have developed an international reputation as the #1 group on todays soul scene. soul time is an exploration of the full range of their dynamic sound through 12 songs handpicked by the daptone records gang, each one a precious exclusive. the needle drops on genuine pts. 1 & 2, a supercharged funk arrangement that evokes the late godfather not only with the spirited syncopation of the dap-kings rhythms, but also with the raw power of jones voice. it is performances such as these that have earned her the moniker the female james brown. though it has long been one of their best-selling singles, it makes its album debut here. longer and stronger, written for her 50th birthday, is a deep mid-tempo soul celebration of the strength and determination with which sharon jones has earned her long overdue success. whether youre a lifetime fan, or just getting turned on, sharon jones & the dap-kings have yet again made a record that will blow your mind.

katalyst is sydney-based producer ashley anderson, one of australias most prolific producers. over the past two decades katalyst has risen to the top of the australian hip hop and electronica scenes, receiving multiple aria and j award nominations along the way. his reputation as one of australias best producers has seen him collaborate with the likes of geoff barrow of portishead, aloe blacc, dead prez, guilty simpson, phat kat, j-live, finale, frank n dank, diverse, ugly duckling and steve spacek (who together form space invadas). the latest product of his audiophiliac obsession, deep impressions? deconstructs and distils soul, hip hop, funk, jazz, reggae and electro influences into what is perhaps most accurately described as -the katalyst sound-. it is a reflection of the large variety tunes that influence katalysts own musical direction. the album also includes collaborations with the likes of los angeles hip-hop artist bootie brown (of the pharcyde), sydneys own kweeng (killaqueenz), underground legend mr clean, upcoming north carolina mc coin locker kid, stephanie mckay (usa), steve spacek (uk), hau (koolism), and jane doe (formally jade macrae).

ex-harry pussy guitarist bill orcutt s 2009 side a new way to pay old debts was an instant classic for those attuned to his brand of stomach-scrapingly raw, hoary blues improvisation. few could have expected the album to be subsequently issued on cd by editions mego, but the more you thought about it the more it made sense - though all-acoustic, orcutt s music is every bit as extreme, violent and threshold-testing as that of, say, florian hecker, russell haswell or mika vainio. as if to prove it wasn t a token gesture towards eclecticism, mego boss peter rehberg has signed a brand new album from orcutt, and what an album it is. for the most part it s in that visceral, coruscating style that he s best known for, all finger-bleeding fretboard assaults that manage to sound at once virtuoso and completely out-of-control, reaching a psychotic climax on the visible bosom: but there are some more reflective passages too, hell, the title track might even be the most chilled thing he s ever recorded. the album was cut at d+m in berlin, which really teases every last drop of blood, sweat and tears out of the recording, which took place at orcutt s home studio in san francisco in spring of 2011. brutal, bludgeoning but incurably romantic, how the thing sings demands your steadfast attention. mind-blowing.

sander van doorns new artist album 2011. if theres one thing we can say about the evolution of the worldwide dance scene this year, is that its genres are being mashed up like never before. on his new artist album eleve11, sander van doorn once again does what he does best, mixing up styles, genres and artist-cooperations. along side his smash hits koko and love is darkness, eleve11 is packed with artist-cooperations such as believe with singer/songwriter tom helsen, eagles with adrian lux and sanders latest purle haze installment timezone. an emotional dancefloor-killer that brings shivers down your spine each time you hear us singer fredericks voice. more uplifting is sanders collab with fellow-dutchman laidback luke. whos wearing the cap is an idea born when their resemblance on a photo was so anstonishing that the songtitle was placed underneath it, making fans wonder if they might be brothers. those who have heard nadia ali on iios classic rapture have probably wondered when her voice was due for a svd treatment. well, that time has finally come and the result is called: rolling the dice together with sidney samson all in all, eleve11, with its neatly corresponding 11 tracks all recorded in 2011, shows the world exactly what sander van doorn has evolved into.. a worldwide dancemusic phenomena.

2011 collection featuring cuts from shuggie otis, sly & the family stone and aretha franklin.. the old grey whistle test has now been synonymous with quality music for 40 years. although possibly best know as a show for rock music, the show maintained an amazing variety when it came to choosing its artists, it really only had two criteria, 1, that the artists had released an album and 2 that they produced great music. this collection mostly features artists that appeared on the show but also include artists who for whatever reason didnt or couldnt appear on the show.

berlin-based djs and composers ricardo villalobos and max loderbauer - two of the best-known names in contemporary electronica - share their admiration for music on ecm in a unique double-album of specially-created >sound-structures<. their project >re: ecm< will bring the labels music to a new listenership. it is certain to be one of the most talked-about albums of the season. using original ecm recordings as a starting point, villalobos and loderbauer create new music that bridges several worlds, including ecms world of space-conscious improvisation and composition and the worlds of ambient electronics and minimal techno. source materials on >re: ecmÓ include recordings of christian wallumr¿d, alexander knaifel, louis sclavis, john abercrombie, bennie maupin, arvo pŠrt, wolfert brederode, paul giger and more - looped, sampled, remixed and reworked in evocative new treatments. pleased with the duos creative response to his productions manfred eicher gave them carte blanche to carry on experimenting with the ecm titles of their choice. eicher subsequently supervised the mastering of >re: ecm< in munich, completing a unique sonic experience.

the excitement that percolates inside us when days start to get longer, the weather gets warmer, knowing summers just around the corner, has always had an instant gratification effect. hailing from the beautiful island of mallorca is dj / producer kiko navarro, a mainstay in the dance world on the party island of ibiza, had a residency at the world-famous club pacha, has done numerous productions for nite grooves / king street. he now comes back on board remixing, re-working, and re-editing some of the best well known, brand new tunes in the catalog, giving this comp a beautiful balaeric flow.

driver drive faster are a new band from manchester, but you wouldnt necessarily tell. this masterful debut album presents a rich, timeworn sound that exists somewhere between americana and spectral indie rock. its crafted song-writing at its best, hinging on stirring chord sequences and moments of fragile beauty. -a review described us as misfits,- says singer/ guitarist dylan giles. -we took it as a compliment.- named open house and recorded in the shared digs in which the entire band reside, the album was a labour of love begun in late 2009, poured over in 2010 and set for release in 2011. the result is a lush, layered record that slowly draws you into its world. think mercury revs deserters songs for a new generation.

travis stewart is a producer whos always been admired by the electronic cognosenti, both as a solo producer in his project machinedrum and also as one half of sepalcure on hotflush recordings. after a break from producing he started to resurface in a major way last year with the -many faces e.p.- on glasgows luckyme label. however, for -room(s)-, his latest album on planet mu, he s well ahead of the curve, approaching the album in a way he s never worked before.the tracks on room(s) were started on the spur of the moment, often whilst traveling and finished in the studio, with the notion in mind that great moments of inspiration are fleeting so its best to grab on to that moment when it happens and squeeze it for all its worth. travis says of this process, -i feel like the energy of a song is lost the longer you spend working on it. this experiment in becoming less attached to my work essentially lead to a lot of songs that are connected sonically and aesthetically.-

yuri mendez jr. has an amazing gift for composing good songs. he arranges them and records them brilliantly, and then groups them together on an album in an unpredictable yet cohesive way (his last album had 22 tracks. this one only has 8). uri mŽndez jr. is a true artisan in the best sense of the word. this is pajaro sunrises third album, and although the essentials havenÕt changed (good songs, great songs), the rest has certainly evolved. yuris voice sounds more and more emphatic, and with an extensive register full of nuances, he sings a story in every song. in doing this, he covers a stunning vocal range that dazzles from the first listen. yuri has been playing together with the same fantastic band for some time now. with them, he has rehearsed the tracks (many of which they were already playing in concerts), and then gone into the studio where almost everything was recorded with everyone playing live. the benefits of having a group that has already travelled together, as well as shared stages and life experiences are evident. and, if this disc breathes anything, its travel, highways, and familiar stories stolen from faraway places that also feel nearby. its a grandiose yet intimate album that thrills and grows with each listen.

derrick morgans recording career spans over five decades, starting with smiths in the late 1950s with mainly r&b style output. in the ska era of the early 1960s he moved on to work with producers: duke reid, prince buster, leslie kong, c.s. dodd (studio one) and later in the 1960s and into the 1970s, with the ubiquitous bunny lee. during this time, many of his own productions were also released, this compilation features ska productions from the 1960-1966 period. the lp has been re-compiled, re-mastered and has new art-work. it features the best tracks from now deleted 12 inch lp rrtlp 06 and concentrates on obscure and hard to find sides.

you can forgive a band who set out to create something even just a little bit different and get it horrendously wrong, but its tough to have sympathy for a band who shy away from the challenge altogether. such was the case with autokratz on their first album, animal, which, apart from a passable opening track, consisted of a series of bland electronic pastiches Ð dance music that conversely made the listener want to sit and wait it out. that didnt stop the hype building around the duo, though, thanks in no small part to the fact that the album was released through in-vogue french label kitsunŽ music. the confusing positivity surrounding the lp suggesting, perhaps, that style overcomes substance once a record company has received the hipster seal of approval.this time around, however, kitsune has stepped aside, with autokratz releasing the follow-up on their own label, bad life. but has the sense of responsibility that surely comes with this step made them re-evaluate their direction? has it inspired them to inject a much-needed shot of creativity into their work? not a hope. if anything, autokratz descend even further into mediocrity on self help for beginners. once again, their best tunes are loaded towards the front of the album, starting with the lead single, -opposite of love. its far from outstanding, helped in no small part by the terribly contrived lyrics, but does possess a catchy synth melody Ð enough to earn it a place on club playlists, at least. its a similar story with -becoming the wraith, which has peter hook on hand to deliver an overtly new order-esque bassline. beyond that, however, the quality dips dramatically. tracks like -the seventh seal and -r.i.s.e. are typical of the selection on offer, underwhelmingly vapid, derivative tunes which show up a disappointing, but not totally unexpected, scarcity of guile on the part of their creators.where autokratz do excel is as producers Ð a quality evident not only in their own work, but also in their remixes for other artists. unfortunately, this only serves to exacerbate their deficiencies on the other side of the control room desk. ultimately it may mean that, having failed to address the shortcomings of their debut, autokratz will be fated to be filed under -also rans in the annals of music history. thats assuming, of course, that someone out there will actually remember them at all.

its been a wild ride since back in march 2009 when the demo of sare havliceks white russian hit landed in our inbox. since then sare has gone onto be one of the scenes musical and dj bright spots. his debut >toscana nights< album in 2010 was warmly received by press and public alike and a series of remixes has firmly cemented him as one of the best nu disco producers around

our obsession with the machine lies at the heart of all electronic music. but what sets the best electronic producers apart is their ability to harness technology to create sounds that are as emotional as they are innovative - something that shines through andrew bayers debut lp >its artificial<. touching on everything from flying lotus-esque glitch-hop and leftfield electronica to swirling melodic techno and warped electro, >its artificial< is the sound of a maverick musician using his machines to their fullest

founded in 2007 by julien henry (syhths & vocals) & marc aumont (bass & vocals), rafale got the meters in overdrive right from the start. they played festivals after festivals (les trans musicales, les dŽcouvertes du printemps de bourges, astropolis, art rock...) & stood out thanks to inflamatory shows which raw rock power melts with rapturous clubbing rave. after the release tow eps (rock it, dont stop it - excessively blogged - & drive, one of year 2009s best videos according to french magazine les inrocks) & with the support of the media, this double act grew to a trio when franck richard joined on the drums to work on a third ep produced by arnaud rebotini (blackstrobe) : eraser. rafale is now about to launch debut album produced by arnaud rebotini, on rise recordings