we got cuthead on rat life number 12. you probably know this guy. he is respected worldwide for his one of a kind house and hip-hop productions. lately he said, he got a bit bored with all the soulful jazzy sampling, the groovy shuffles and the catchy hooklines. so, he decided to do something a little different for rat life records. well, thank you sir! happy to present these five variations of banging sounds!

office recordings continues to surprise us. after baaz s techno-/ambient-hybrid on office 011 the label from berlin comes up with a stunning new and anonymous project called * one day* featuring four also unnamed tracks. the a-side of the record starts off with a with a superb deep techno track which tempts us with very emotional pads and a strong kick and bass fundament û an irresistible combination. a2 goes in the same direction but feels like the slightly mellower and softer brother of its predecessor û a little bit moody but still straightforward at the same time. the flip side is dedicated to two freestyle electronic tracks standing in the tradition of the best warp offerings from their heyday in the 90s. weÆre talking charming melodies and sparse but elaborate rhythmic patterns. the record comes in a hand stamped and with a lovely artwork also hand made by office art director super quiet. all tracks have been mastered and cut by sound engineering proficient pole at scape mastering.

unknown mobile has quietly carved out a place for himself in the ever-evolving vancouver beat camp among contemporaries like mood hut, 1080p and project pablo. last years no motion 12 on a/s/l singles club was levi bruces dreamy introduction to most, and 2017 finds him stretching out a bit to further expand his palate of rhythms and textures across the five track mixed use ep for young adults. four sided pebble is a breezy bouncer woven with tickled keys, raw bass and a seamlessly organic live feel throughout. shoreline dub pulses in stuttered syncopation, but keeps its sights set on the dusk dusted horizon with delayed rhodes chords and ocean swells. country side is a total mind-melt, a pastoral graze through mazes of circuit board crop circles. the juggler churns a buttery 4/4 beat in an echo chamber, while proteus 216 dims the lights on its way out to an interstellar communications convention.

patrick weblin gives us this very special ep. 2 original tracks named after his 2 sons, so a lot of time and heart has gone into making this ep with a superb remix from iuly.b. “tadhg’s groove” give us solid house drums, percs and hats but its the pads and bassline that gives it the movement throughout the track, taking you to another level of space and conscious. iuly.b’s remix is down right tasty. it takes you on a little trip and makes you loose track of time all while grooving to this great remix. “ollie’s groove” is something a bit special, big 909 kick combined with 808 tops but this time some melodic synths add a very soulful and elegant sound.

figure jams is back with a another fresh and exciting pairing of artists. this time the record is a collection of pure analogue goodness, sparkling ripe with synthesizer magic. the a-side comes courtesy of duo-of-the-moment twr72, who happen to distill perfection through simplicity in their stripped-back productions. while‚polished is a pulsating bit of beatless yet captivating clean-cut loops, their other contribution shows their talent at crafting something lean, dry and punchy, which is still undeniably driving and hypnotic. picking up on the synth-heavy theme of this release is st. petersburgs finest aleksey niktin aka nocow. inspired by the endless baltic winters, the producer packs his tracks with emtions that feel cold but not icy, engulfing the listener in winching waves of melancholic electronica.

nice price deal !!! runaway wraps up the year with a soulful chugger in the vein of lil louis or carl craig….a fully realized sound and atmosphere of where their direction is going. the fire below is house music built for big sound systems! on the flip we get a very impressive remix of their poltergeist track done by im a cliches label head cosmo vitelli. cosmo pushes the envelope a bit further to show the darkness that lurks between sounds, evoking memories of isolee and other fine playhouse moments

the tenth output of invite’s choice records is another hard hitting banger made by border one.
drumrim’s straightforward four to the floor kick is accompanied by a hard hitting bass and a repetitive leadsound that evolves throughout the track. the overdriven hihats and rides combine well with the panicky sound. diffuse goes along with the flow set by the a1 track, yet has a bit more percussive feel to it due to the toms added.
hatchet on the b-side provides an aggressive kick and percussive elements. the sound evolves around one overdriven synth sound that drains you in to the track. perfect for fast transitions while mixing. copylust ends the ep a bit slower bpm wise, but emits the same energy as the previous tracks. straight-forward, hypnotising, hard hitting contemporary techno.
another great showcase of the talent harvested by invite’s choice.

after a short hiatus to axe on wax and his return to tieffrequent records monosoul is coming back to s4aw, too... monosoul s signature sound is still there and yet has changed a bit. more bouncing basslines, more deepness and more synth textures... on remix credits we ve got atlanta s very own byron the aquarius. 2016 was an exceptionally good year for him in the biz with releases on wild oats, sound signature, etc. in 2017 he will totally go big with his unique, deep - no frills jazzy impro style. so we re more than happy with his own chord jams making up a top notch remix. what s left to be said well like michael brody put it: nothing is more important than friendship. not money, not fame, not death. crew love is true love!

toby tobias joins delusions again for what will be his sixth(!) 12inch entitled the rain. the prolific londoner whose releases have graced such venerable labels as rekids, esp intistute and lets play house, is back with a vengeance, delivering two mighty fine originals plus a remix from nebraska. in true toby tobias style, the rain got made on an mpc, sliced and edited from a single live take through the desk then accidentally deleted so no further mixing, sequencing or editing could be carried out. but what is an a&r mans nightmare, turns out to be the record buying djs gain, as the improvised, dubby vibe and raw as mixdown give the track an authentic feel and energy which could only come from the madness in tobys method. fresh from his brilliant releases on mister saturday night and razor n tape, we have our man nebraska do his thing on the remix of the rain. dropping down the bpms a bit from tobys more frenetic original, nebraska adds a healthy dose of moogy lead lines to the lo-slung house groove, perfect for warming up the dancefloor.

they expect me to write something informative about the tracks on this ep here but i find it really difficult to express music in words. on top of it i went out last night, to club der visionõre, and i feel hungover and empty inside my head. so now im sitting here and all i can think of is, cant you just take a listen to the music?! the ep contains 5 tracks all made in the last couple of lousy summer months here in berlin in nostalgia for the better days. itÆs about house and a bit of electro, no gimmicks.

the must have status of joey negros -remixed with love series has been firmly cemented with both dj and home listening disco lovers since the release of the first two volumes. since the last release jn has been working hard on sourcing more disco multitrack tapes and producing new remixes while the zr team have been equally dedicated to clearing and licensing these new versions. the enduringly popular mtume/lucas produced phyllis hyman soul classic you know how to love me gets a new makeover that reworks the original elements into a more dramatic version with many peaks and troughs, stretching it out to over 10 minutes. even for those love the original this new mix gives a favourite song a fresh new perspective and reason to be played again. motown sounds philly style instrumental bad mouthin was an underground hit on dance floors in new york, london and chicago from the late 70s onwards. it was also famously sampled in bob sinclar s no 1 gym tonic. the original is a pretty dense, everything in all the way through style production, whereas the jn mix opens things up in a bit with more room for the individual parts to be heard. the end result is an extremely energetic bassline driven disco cut that works super well on the dancefloor.

announcing meridian, the newest vinyl release from pjotr g and dubiosity! it all begins with meridian, filled to the brim with distorted kicks, acid sounds and uplifting synths that take you out of your day to day life. if meridian is the booster that launches you into the stratosphere, circle in a world of squares is the engine that pushes you that bit further away from reality: elevating, haunting sounds entrance you and pull you further into fantasy. buried alive, with its echoes and shattering kick, remind you that you are very far away from home, and invite you to take comfort in your new surroundings. finally, apex gives you a sense of calm. you may be floating off into space or re-entering the atmosphere, but it doesn’t matter: you’re surrounded by hypnotizing synths and high hats, and everything seems alright.

mister mellow moves further away from the synthesizer-heavy sounds of the recent washed out releases and more band-driven sound of his work on iconic labels sub pop in america, and domino in europe. on mister mellow, greene draws from the experimental collage techniques of musique concrète and plunderphonics artists such as the residents. combining styles as diverse as free jazz, house, hip-hop and psych together with interlude-esque voiceover samples, often pulled from anonymous youtube vlogs, he creates a busy, chaotic, and caricaturish mix that mirrors the claustrophobic, hyper-stimulated psyche so familiar to young adults. as he continues to carve out his innovative sonic identity, influenced by the world around him but unafraid to buck trends, it’s fitting that greene has partnered with legendary hip hop label stones throw records, long a home for beat-loving musical rebels. his approach to releasing music is every bit as individual, too: in an environment where compiling singles into an album format or working with a single video director are the norm, greene has chosen to commission eleven different artists to bring the visual aspect of his fully-realised album project to life. on mister mellow, washed out steers clear of emotion to empathise with the minutiae of the world around him. ive been much less interested in sentimentality and emotion for the past couple of years, says greene, in some ways, i think its a reaction against getting older and having more responsibilities. maybe i’m just nostalgic for a time in my life where i could just relax and block out the world for a moment. though mister mellow is an intensely personal album, its ideas and observations speak to the lived experience of so many young adults, an experience that we come to see as both funny and sad.

with his newest ep goa tee, moscoman finds himself seven releases deep into his 12 part treisar series. living up to its name, the seventh piece of the puzzle is the trippiest of the series yet, kicking off with some of my fears, a piece if outer space hypnosis carried by a rolling percussion and bass combo that will keep firmly stomping across dancefloors. reflecting the mood set on the a side, moments in space sees moscoman channel his italo flair while reaching out for a rave indebted sonic palette. final track chinchilla closes on delirious sounds and 8 bit melodies rubbing shoulders with a lovingly syncopated beat. a weapon all exotically inclined djs will be reaching out for a their next jungle party.

yay 008 is finally on the way. a big welcome to les points with their first release on yay recordings. 4 tracks in a different style where electro, techno and acid are the main ingredients for this solid ep.

wrapping up the summer with a bit of a 90s throwback number by st. david, &#8203,, * fools jam* . the ep opens with the titual track, a crunchy, crisp deep house burner, and moves on, with night lovers, into speedier, smoother floor-filling fodder that’s all wiggling, weaving pads and synth leads. the b is a little gentler and more contemplative, but no less melodious dream it (emphasi mix) is a playful yet gauzy piano-led tune that serenades the listener, and la luna (spiritual dub) is a tranquil ditty that serenely glides off into the distance. a calming, mellow conclusion to a particularly emotive 12inch.

maybe its just you: jumping around from joyful reveries to passages of melancholia, from uncanny revelations to the grey routines. or maybe its just the music: a dusty cosmic theme with a bit of the 80s electronic flavour, warping your state of mind on the slick drum rolling, electro tingles and obsessive sci fi bleeps. we call it moodswing: sublees electronic visions for contemporan.

after a killer 12 inches from mori ra, jongno edits is back with two tunes, blurring the lines between editing and sampling. the a-side, 42 below, is an uplifting korean fusion boogie with slap bass, tropical synths, summery guitar and female vocals. given a serious dub work out by monsieur jongno. effortlessly working the bassline and guitar with added muscle, subtle dub fx s, drum fills, teasing the vocal and synths before unleashing the chorus and guitar solos. nice brazilian vibes on this one, like a lincoln olivetti production, seoul went rio. on the flip side, drums and a bass is an obscure lp cut from a korean percussion ensemble with traditional korean folk elements, tribal drums and chanting, spikey avant garde guitar plucks, rolling punk funk bassline that builds the energy levels with jazz style vocals and horns. sounding very liquid liquid, a bit can, a bit pig bag, with some korean craziness. expertly extended and re-arranged by the jongno edits main man to give it more of a dancefloor edge, and ramping up the psychedelics. powerful stuff.

vinyl only.

anyone who has seen one of egyptian lover s riotous live shows will confirm the role that classic cut -i need a freak- plays in proceedings. during performances, he attempts to get female members of the audience going by altering the lyrics to suit the occasion - a tactic that usually gets a rapturous response. despite being recorded in the 80s (and eventually released in 1994), the track has lost none of its energy or appeal, it should be in the collection of any genuine electro enthusiast. there s another treat on the flip in the shape of the rarely seen extended version of 1984 cut -my house (on the nile)-, which is every bit as essential as the a.

up-and-coming portland soul sensation blossom and liquid beat producer hot16 come together for the 7 inch release of “so cool”. the original version of “so cool” appears on their collaborative album “tease”, while the b-side features an exclusive remix by producer extraordinaire, buscrates 16-bit ensemble. blossom floats effortlessly over hot16’s crisp production, which is punctuated by some clever chops of live bass & horns played by portland’s tony ozier & farnell newton. buscrates infuses the track with a modern funk take on the groove. by utilizing punchy drums & adding some amazing keyboard work, buscrates adds the signature flavor that he is known for.with a standout vocal performance from blossom, and two funky & unique mixes from hot16 & buscrates, the “so cool 7 inch is bound to be a dj favorite and crate staple throughout the summer and beyond.

yeah boys n girls sturo is back with our favourite swedish guy nils diezel. delivering three tracks with a bit of pure geilness. waldi international - we love you!

roman producer (and a force behind minimalrome label) valerio lombardozzi known as heinrich dressel returns to barba with a second release for our label, titled -the styx swamp-. heinrich has a unique way of combining classic techno and electro sounds with elements from the beloved drexcyan universe and john carpenter leitmotifs, and making them come together in a manner that both moves your body and pushes your mind beyond the point of awareness. as with the previous record, -lurking underwater-, here he pulls off the move with the same efficiency and without sounding like he s repeating himself. -gray slope-, -sailing the nether waterways- and -the styx swamp- are all quite moody and deep, rich with sound and thick with vibe. however, the tracks feel equally at home in 4 am techno situation and a heady afterhours affair. he truly is a master of crafting hybrids whose influences get so flawlessly embedded that it s hard to point them out. if that s not enough, -the styx swamp- got a treatment by nigel rogers aka perseus traxx, a multi-faceted producer and a mighty live act performer. nigel stayed respectful to the original but made the original s bouncy groove into something more direct and reduced, while retaining the same feel conditioned by lead synth s hypnotic quality. we re known to give a little bit of extra love to our releases so (as all before) this one s pressed onto a heavy duty 180 gram vinyl and beautifully packaged in an original artwork by emaemaema.

2016 was a banner year for dirtybirds founder, claude vonstroke. he debuted his get real alias with green velvet in the winter, and followed up with another number one single in the spring with the rain break. he celebrated the 10th anniversary of whos afraid of detroit to kick off the summer, and finished in the fall by being crowned americas best dj by pioneer at a ceremony he shared with all the fans at the dirtybird campout. after a relentless touring schedule the first half of 2017, claude hit the studio with a couple ace producers, will clarke & sébastien v to collaborate on two giant singles for the works well with others ep. tiny tambourine is the product of will clarke & claude working together. its a bit of a misnomer, as tiny is the last word to describe the heavy bassline which starts to form immediately at the tracks outset. continuing to build over crisp and heavy beats and outbursts of drama before dropping back to the burly bassline, the result is monstrous. will clarke has been on a dirtybird hot streak having released 3 solo eps, 5 singles, an appearance on justin martins album, as well as a brand new collab with shiba san on the bbq compilation and a full takeover on the birdhouse radio show. on the flip side, claude teams up with one of dirtybirds freshest talents, sébastien v, for daylight dark room a light, melodic tone contrasts with a dark and funky acid resonance to create a truly unique masterpiece. the mysterious sébastien v was also featured on the dirtybird bbq compilation with his super-hot track funkulate, and there are rumors floating around that he is actually someone from the core dirtybird roster sporting a secret alias.

for its very first vinyl release after 2 years of activity in the digital realm, experimental ambient label arythmic records from strasbourg (france) did a rather bold choice by putting its hopes into a local techno artist well known for its open-mindedness and creativity: letherique. after over a year of various experiments, the best ideas were selected and compiled into a series of 3 eps, each one dedicated to a particular vibe. the first part is about the more synthetic and futuristic outcome. the second one will be rather dark and organic. finally, the third and last one will be about the more experimental and minimalistic remainder. taking from many influences way beyond the world of casual techno music, letherique ended up crafting unexpected techno tunes, usually starting with an ambient base on which he couldnÕt help himself adding beats in order to develop what he knew best. after years of activity in the dark, he needed something a little bit special to put into what he could proudly call his first ep as a testament of his passion for the infinite realms of the electronic music genre. these were the perfect fit.

sowohl der film als auch der soundtrack zu »guardians of the galaxy« sind absolut kult. und da 2017 endlich die fortsetzung des science-fiction-abenteuers von marvel in den kinos läuft, gibt es passend dazu die neue filmmusik: »guardians of the galaxy: awesome mix vol. 2«.

after a short break, caduceus records returns with a weighty techno 12inch by long-time friend pascal hetzel. the berlin-based producer delivers four storming tracks that cleverly translate the 90s techno heritage into the present. on motion blur a hypnotic bleep sequence gives way for majestic pad sweeps just in time for your serotonine rush. -stutter- is more restrained, with a modulating chord sequence and sturdy drums, while -timelapse- catapults into darker territory filled with industrial shrapnel and an extra bit of high-octane paranoia. strobe is the fittingly titled closer of the ep. a pummeling piece of monochrome techno hypnosis with a massive kickdrum drenched in reverb and icy atmosphere.

hamburg’s fine impro-trio treibgut blesses us with a wonderful ep this summer. after a brief hiatus the three boys have refined their trademark sound even more - sitting confidently somewhere between techno, house and melodic electronica. while treibgut’s shows normally are almost ethereal snapshots due to their improvisational nature, we were able to convince them to hold down two of their finest results on tape. the outcome is a two-track ep - complemented by spot-on reinterpretations from two early supporters of our label: iorie and the duo peng peng. one remix convinces with a straight-forward club approach while the b-side is a bit more mellow and relaxed.

sprouting arms and legs to emerge from his wetlands lair, mysterious scaled amphibian bufobufo leaps onto land to launch new vinyl label ritual poison.
the a side is taken up by the house sounds of “what’s that noise?”, a stripped back acid bit ready built for blowing up the floor. on the flip, there’s “parasol” - agaric electro served raw and deadly and “spider fortress”, eight-legged techno spun smooth like silk and tough as steel.

it s time for another 7- foot-stomping bonanza from rocafort records, digging deep into the rich new orleans repertoire of the carbo family. all brothers were heavily involved in the 60s crescent city funk scene, so tight and on the one that it s easy to understand why hank suspects a bit of plagiarism from the godfather himself.

for his first outing on rnt, parisian soul-slinger reverend p brings his signature reverent touch to a tasty edit 4 pack. the a-side comes in hot with the well-worn but ever-funky feel the heat- then finishes sweet with strong enuff, reworking an often overlooked soul burner. on the flip we have the crooning and swooning late-nite vibes of the way you get me followed by soul fire, a clever bit of edit cheekiness that s sure to turn some heads and move thembootays!

the owl returns for 003 after two sell-out opening releases. there is a bit more sample trickery on this release with beefed up drums and smooth chords added to the original material. the opening track being a clever disco-house take . the drums are chunkier and the groove is tight! donny hathaway s little ghetto boy gets more or the straight up edit treatment with all the good parts looped for a dj friendly mix. hustle is a very clever rework with plenty of new parts added to give the original a much needed dance floor boost. rounding the release off with a simple yet effective re-do of fred wesley s classic house party .

we’re delighted to report that black grape are back on the road, and with new album pop voodoo that really does rock the fuck out of the discotheque. it’s a rewind to over twenty years ago and the glory days.
shaun’s word play has never been deployed to such devastating effect, and he scores a bullseye whether he hits the obvious targets (trump), and the more obscure ones… well, find out for yourself. the world is in a bit of a state right now, and bullshit reigns more than ever, and perversely disguised as candour. we need manc street sass, intelligence and wit more than ever right now. this new pop voodoo album has that in spades.
180 gram vinyl in gatefold sleeve with download code included.

nice price deal !!! some serious disco funk heat coming all the way from the pacific northwest on this blazer from beat freeze and tj gorton. >club cabana< is a hot percussive workout that flawlessly mixes old and new school vibes, with chunky drums, a sick bassline and cool synth washes getting the dancefloor all hot and bothered. you definitely wouldnt be wrong to find this one in a dj t or prins thomas set. on the flip sfs anthony mansfield lets loose with his own remix that houses the proceedings up a bit with some cool synths and cut-up vocal samples. excellent stuff from these new-school disconauts

nice price deal !!! after a bit of a hiatus pushing red is back in swing. delivering the next release is by german meastro martsman.

hot on the heels of inre rydmen, the ep that the swedish multi-instrumentalist group tommy awards released via origin peoples in mid-june, come the remixes. drafting in a cohort of the very best, this impending release will see the likes of jonny nash, coyote and mystic jungle tribe jump on the remix duties, touching original productions with their unmistakable idiosyncrasies. bartosz kruczynski, the polish producer better known under his earth trax guise, is another name credited on the release, offering up a 15-minute epic as he reinterprets penultimate track, hans logan. also to see an appearance on this ep is the romanian eirwud mudwasser, offering up a rendition of the track ‘mike sierra foxtrot’ reworked in a similar esoteric expanse, albeit it quite a bit more lucid. oscillating electronics mesmerise and an arpeggiating synth melody gradually make way for marimbas. sweeping, elongated strums of guitar stretch out like the horizon and the dialogue between various melodic elements continues throughout as we bear witness to various transformations. irregardless of pacing, the meditative quality remaining consistent throughout each glorious edit.

dj pone was french dmc champion for 4 years (1999-2002) and is member of birdy nam nam, famous dj crew which released 4 albums and was also world dmc champion crew in 2000.the tracks falkens maze and m.f.e. sound a bit like slow justice songs with urban beats. dipodaine (feat. didai) can remind modeselektor and the 4th track errotic impulses featuring arnaud rebotini is a really efficient techno track with analog synth and rythmics.

money $ex return with the latest hot 4 track from newcomer nas1 sample gymnastics in sharp focus once again, as the 8-bit crunch meets dilla-pickles for lunch !

limited triple coloured vinyl pressing. do not sleep. brand new label from copenhagen exploring the universe of chord/dubtechno run by the host of the legendary tweakfm show, johnny fredsgaard aka kvadrant. first release contains four solid dub influenced tracks made by ohm and the label owner himself. ohm needs no introduction as he is a well established icelandic artist and a part of the label family around the thule label. over the years he has teamed up with artists such as exos and octal industries with whom he already released two eps in 2017 on rawax and taped artifact. ejer is made for the dancefloor with its heavy rhythm, characteristic roland space echo delayed chords and a stunning break which will make the floor burn as soon as the bass kicks in. laki is a fast paced track with repetitive chords and heavy kick. octal industries takes laki to a deeper level and delivers a stand out groovy remix of the track and adds a bit of a melodic flow to it. yding is a groovy crossover track which fits well in the world between techno and house. watch out for the phat funky bassline.

eric boss â&#128,&#147, closer to the spirit just when you thought that the funk 45 game was becoming a little bit too predictable, mocambo once again hits with a sureshot single to smash dancefloors across the pond. eric boss (dj e da boss, myron & e, the pendletons...) needs little introduction. his 2ndouting with the german funk heavyweights anticipates their forthcoming collaborative album - a modern love- with a raw uptempo funk track, oozing old school vibes, flipped live and uncut on tape with a fresh style that is all their own. limited edition vinyl 45 includes instrumental for dedicated djs.

29 songs from the movie “baby driver” on 180g double vinyl in gatefold sleeves. which includes the bonus song “chase me” by danger mouse featuring run the jewels & big boi.

modularz presents a special edition release taking a bit of a different approach to whole getting deeper and focusing on the details that make it happen on the floor ! this is a solid 4 track techno banger written and produced by juxta position who was previously featured on dvs1 s mistress recordings, rhythm nation and his own failsafe imprint, the release displays great razor sharp percussion with melancholic synth lines, whilst serious sub bass shifts much air and shimmering moods filter across the mid range. this is another one of those never leaves the bag eps play it loud!!

here it is! some brand-new wax for your listening pleasure! the days are becoming longer, summer is just around the corner, and our latest release appears to perfectly embody the spirit of something new, something fresh, and something exciting. indeed, we’ve combined all this into a single 12” featuring the likes of satl & electrosoul system, and invadhertz. the release is all about good mood and chilled vibes, and virtually anything you can tag with the liquid label (if you really need to). but categories aside, our new twelve incher comes with a superb collab between satl & electrosoul system on one side, and with a solid track by the upcoming collective of invadhertz on the flipside. the former, entitled “satless”, is a warm, vocal-infused gentle roller that seems to be best enjoyed in the sunny days to come, while the latter, named “lily”, offers a nice combination of a bit rougher percussion section and booming bassline enriched with even more of vocal inserts. all in all, the whole single is a tasty treat for all those into the lighter side of drum & bass.

the historical power electronic founders duo remixed by two of the infamous artists of this new industrial/noise scene. parrish smith, also know as sige bythos and volition immanent, already appeared on labels as nation, contort yourself and knekelhuis, made a smashing track, slow and heavy, distorted and electrically powered. black seed, already appeared on dtls snd and sign bit zero signed a syncopated track, with tribal influences and bouncing sounds that will turn your brain into a whirpool.

berlin based arttu has been dropping his dusty fat beats across numerous techno labels including philpot, clone and 4lux for a few years but it was 2016’s track ‘hoodies’ on arttu’s own imprint cyblo that caught the attention of accidental label boss matthew herbert (and which remains firmly in herbert’s record bag). arttu was invited onto the accidental jnr roster and has delivered a chunk of techno with so much swing it made donkey kong blush. arttu takes the most simple of jazz bass hooks and loops across a rigid kick, it’s when those hats kick in that the groove goes fucking wild. the presence of us native roberto q ingram on vocals brings a full detroit gangster flavour to the party. initially arttu and roberto had an idea to record a simple and sweaty track with roberto on the mic and arttu at the control of some dusty old machines. the result, ‘bass trakk’ is exactly that: roberto dropping lyrics over a raw beat and a massive bassline. the ep is rounded off with a deep bit of techno ‘debris’ with all the trappings of the darkest hour of a berlin winter in which it was recorded.

frigio records is going back in time for its latest release, some 38 years into the past. back then a young newcastle man was experimenting with early electronic instruments and synths. mick clarke is his name and nearly forty years later he is still at it. two tracks have been borrowed from clarke s seminal games lp, each given a bit of modern boot polish from minimalrome s heinrich dressel and frigio father juanpablo.

-walls of the night- is a blissed out work of ambient prog rock abstraction. think rumbling horror score and soaring guitar strings. heinrich dressel offers a giallo dipped remix. the building bars of the original are maintained, beats added for ballast and darkened organ keys for a remake etched with murderous intent. the flip is introduced by the dreamy -time is now.- slender synthlines intertwine with gentle strings in a cerebral work. juanpablo tweaks the 1979 material. syrupy acid lines swim in meandering currents, a thick beat keeping time in murky waters of modulations and undulations.

nyako is our 7th vinyl release here at otc and it s a big one. south african producer behr created nyako together with makadem during a santuri safari session at sondeka festival in kenya. the e.p is 4 cuts that build in brilliance from the original which has extremely broad appeal. indian producer daisho delivers a straight ahead 4 x 4 house groover, south-london production duo modified man swing their analogue machines into action for a heady synth adventure, which is just a bit broken. berlin-based duo of dirk leyers and dj nomad (hans reuschl) are the ideal pairing to merge technology and tradition together as africaine808 bring up the rear with a balearic sensation to round off the ep. makadem is a talented musician and vibrant performing artist from kenya. he s a figurehead of the benga scene in nairobi. his stage presence and powerful vocal delivery, had him likened to the legendary fela kuti. makadem innovates by bringing traditional african instrumentation, story telling and contemporary production methods together.

the jungle brothers’ 1988 debut, straight out the jungle, was important for many reasons. it was sloppy and goofy but had moments of real focus and social consciousness. it was a true “kitchen sink” record, that caught a rap fanbase enraptured by eric b. & rakim, public enemy and boogie down productions a bit off-guard. also of note, beyond the excellence of the album itself, the jungle brothers were the fulcrum for what would become the native tongues movement – they came first, de la soul and a tribe called quest followed, under their guidance.

following the success of ‘ride’ with miss kittin, eminent sci+tec founder dubfire returns with another chaos-conjuring techno composition. previously the sole-preserve of his epic sense-blurring hybrid show, dubfire is finally unleashing ‘dust devil’… his first solo release in several years, ‘dust devil’ is all about precision momentum. a move that dubfire’s made his signature, you can physically feel movement and destination throughout. especially as we reach the short breakdown where the riff revolves faster and higher, providing space for the echoed stabs that whirl and twist around you intensely. as the drums re-ignite, the riff is suddenly converted into groove energy as the jack-minded persistence brings the elements back together with pure focus. this is what ali has to say… “this was an instrumental i had done that i wasn’t quite sure what to do with. it wasn’t strong enough for a lead single and it always felt as though there was something missing, perhaps a spoken or sung vocal. so i sort of put it out of my mind until it was time to compile the music for the hybrid show back in the summer of 2013. once i had the backbone of the set list, along with the visual look, there seemed to be a more defined mood and look. and when i happened upon this track again it seemed to have been tailor-made for this show. it was also nice to insert something no one had heard before to break things up a bit.