shortly after his first ep on dnuos ytivil, sub-division of bristol imprint livity sound, simo cell, neo-parisian and nantes native, puts his second release out on fragil musique. on this one, the young producer asserts his bass-tainted electro influences. highly skilled and very technical dj, but above all open to bridges between genres and eras, the record feels like he conceived it for his own club usage. on the a side, two subtle twin tracks, -reading rashid- and -soko ban-. cycling melodies and hypnotic pads sketch two bass outlines, as simple as effective, that seem perfectly fit for switching from a stripped down techno track to an old jungle weapon. on the flip, hit track -meteor racer- is surprising. a rawer and more stripped down electro piece that lifts the veil a bit more on the young producers talent. those four brilliantly crafted track definitely place simo cell among the french newcomers to watch closely.

nice price deal !!! the brstl label reaches its tenth release with a return to where it started with a 12 inch from october & borai. the label was set up by rhythmic theory, chris farrell and shanti celeste in 2011 from the idle hands record shop as a means to showcase the finest house and techno being produced in their city, bristol. octobers * head 4 phuture* is a nod to the acid pioneers without resorting to revivalism. instead a heady groove is teased out over several minutes, perfect dj gear. october & borai * too high the future* is a heady stoned house groove, from bristols highest producers – with some weighty sub to propel things along.

following a string of well-received outings for the project on his own black catalogue label, monty luke debuts his mandingo alias on matt edwards rekids with the parallel universe ep. firmly establishing himself as a brightly talented producer, dj and a&r over the past eight years with releases on planet e and mothership in addition to his own detroit-based imprint, the san franciscan s three tracks offer alternate perspectives on his richly honed sound, drawing on influences from his homes old and new as well as further afield, such as the hybrid electronic sounds of london and bristol.

secretsundaze 18th transmission comes with love from bristol based artist and newcomer shanti celeste. with just a few releases under her belt on the likes of julio bashmores broadwalk, her own label brstl and idle hands (the infamous bristol shop where she also man s the counter a few days a week) she has been quick to impress.

idle hands has been broadening its reach both sonically and geographically this year, turning to ambient electronic dub with portland’s strategy, atmospheric broken beat with london-based leif and stripped down house with german producer matt karmil. this latest ep brings the focus back to bristol with o$vmv$m, the latest project to emerge from the young echo milieu. comprised of neek (commonly found bashing out grime and steppers alongside kahn) and amos childs (of jabu and zhou amongst others), the eight track release marks a step into even more experimental territory for idle hands…

after releases on livity sound sister label dnuos ytivil and cold recordings, batu returns with his own new imprint timedance. the label is set to offer a platform for hybrids and mutations of uk techno, and the first release will be launched with a party in bristol on 20th february, where batu is joined at the cavern club by beneath and transient. the release showcases a progression from batu s first two 12 s, with more colour and melody than his previous work, sitting alongside waves of propulsive percussion.

big, bad batu steps forward with two a-grade dancefloor weapons, stealthy and hard-hitting cuts from one of bristol’s most fresh-faced producers, presenting two trax from the dubplate vaults for the 7th plate on hotline recordings.

based in bristol, space hardware is a project headed up by hypercolour boss jamie russell that is rooted in an appreciation of p­-funk and the outermost hemispheres of soul and disco. so far the imprint has released material from glenn astro, blacksmif, deft and placeholder and, continuing to shapeshift with each new 12-, the next in the series comes courtesy of apollo and delsin affiliate bakradze. also operating under his gacha and winter flags aliases, bakradze is an artist who uses his own live instrumentation, an mpc and classic korg synths to build rich and woozy melodies that he anchors down with technical rhythm structures. his message from home delves deep into this framework and is packed with a serious degree of flair. astute sound design, balmy guitar tones and loose, natural drum patterns pepper an eglo-esque sound in another fine addition to the space hardware catalogue.

london-based artist the room below follows 2014’s dba debut (as part of the 015.5 v/a release) with a mixture of classic and experimental house sounds. born in bristol, raised in dorset and residing in the capital, henry keen aka the room below has been djing and collecting vinyl for over 20 years. as soundspecies alongside his brother he was championed by gilles peterson’s worldwide show and london institution cdr. the alias ‘the room below” was coined to coincide with henry’s analogue re-working of close friend paul white’s ‘rapping with’ lp. since then he has maintained this alias for his house and techno composition. they pay homage to the legendary chicago and detroit artists that inspired him back in the 80’s and 90’s.

bristol based borai kicks off volume 4 with thinking of you, a clean, classic take on house music. strongly recognized for his productions on labels like chicago s tasteful nudes, retrofit and needwant, borai s contribution to volume 4 continues his ode to classic deep house with upbeat drums and straightforward melodies that nod to the new york & new jersey anthems of yore.

12 inch coloured vinyl (hot pink) hand stamped & numbered sleeve. more vinyl only business from the bristol based just jack camp, this time from firm fave amir alexander under his richie ratchet moniker. 2 original acid cuts designed for late night sleazing, this is timeless dancefloor music that makes you want to take your shirt off. mastered to tape before being cut to wax for that extra bit of juice, this is a limited pressing with only 303 copies and no repress. don t snooze on it! vinyl only!

paul cottams ruff draft label enjoyed a great first year in 2014, delivering white-hot material from the man himself, lk and romansoff, amongst others. for the imprints first missive of 2015, cottam has recruited cardiff-based rising star chesus, who previously impressed via releases on local talk, 4 lux and catapult. theres naturally much to admire, from the acid-era electronics, delicate synth strings and shimmering chords of opener orbicular, to the dj gregory-ish stabs, wonky electronics and dense, organic-sounding percussion of wyw. bristol-based producer owain k - best known for his hook-ups with jamie anderson on dessous - lends a hand on let it happen, a rather fine slice of warm, immersive, balearic deep house goodness seemingly inspired by the vangelis classic of the same nam

bristol s kamikaze space programme joins the trust family with a blistering ep of industrial bass music. stokes croft opens with none other than prolific ninja tune artist emika as a guest, whose haunting vocals turn choke into an ear-catching hybrid of industrial bass electro and gothic pop. three percussive bangers further elaborate chris jarmans philosophy of crafting hard-edged beats from found and self-recorded sounds rather than worn and tired presets, head-strong, futuristic, and ready to obliterate stylistic stagnation with sonic innovation

tip! vinyl only business from mr g out on bristol based just jack with a killer seven davis jr remix! this is late night rawness designed for the dance floor.

happy skulls first release of 2015 comes from uk based artist creta kano, who first impressed with his 2013 debut on rotterdam’s pinkman records. he showcases his highly melodious and deeply textured sound across three tracks for the bristol imprint. *skyway motel* is an emotive, detroit inspired amalgamation of warm chords and rolling drum machine rhythms. the tracks romantic qualities are emphasised on *skyway 81*, a screwed, pitched-down version that re-casts the original as a serotonin fuelled slow jam. *false water* completes the package. a sprawling trip in to broken techno territory, reminiscent of 90s era rephlex.

ryan teague is a composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist based in bristol. his music combines acoustic instrumentation and arrangements with electronic and processed material, often incorporating minimalist, ambient and electro-acoustic styles

it has been local talk bosses mad mats & toolis secret weapon during their dj sets over the past months and have destroyed clubs from london to berlin. with a super catchy chord theme, bumpy 4/4 beats and a slight uk feel this is as bad as it gets. it is just one of those tunes you immediately recognise and can relate with. together with a deep journey house remix from ad bourke and a fierce uk inspired bass/house mix from colognes hade we dare to say that this is one the finest releases on local talk so far. original bristol cat crackazat (now residing in uppsala, sweden) got a sound that fuses jazz theories, electronic 4/4s with a deep uk underground mentality. think underground resistance meets floating points and your almost there. somewhere else is the second single from crackazat on local talk and in early 2015 he will drop his debut album crescendo on local talk.

after an 18-month hiatus, its time for the return of one of the uks true pacesetters: bloom. hydraulics is a brain-twisting four track ep of convulsing, mechanoid dancefloor compositions that represents the belfast producers most advanced body of work to date – and his debut on bristol label crazylegs.

soundway records, along with the goethe-institute and adaptr.org, present ten cities a new compilation including, amongst many others, the likes of bristol dubstep producer pinch, lisbon-based producer batida and kenyan group just a band. the 3x12 inch vinyl edition includes free download code with bonus track.

outboxx return to brstl two years on from their first release on the label, tougher and more dance floor focused. although primarily known for deeper house sounds for labels such as futureboogie, they have never been afraid to experiment as exemplified on their debut lp for idle hands. here they turn their attention to deep techno, with two stripped back cuts that retain the warmth of their other productions. sequential circles drills down on a singular, angular riff whilst neatly deployed percusiion hits at just the right moments. moon loop whirls round on a deep spacey groove in keeping with its title. another strong release from the bristol focused brstl label.

kowtons reimagining of paul woolfords classic cut sees the light of day on wax. swivelling outside and in, popping upside and around the coveted bristol producer behind livity sound leaves an indellible mark on a notorious tune. includes both beatdown and beatless versions.

broadwalk are proud to welcome shanti celeste to the label, making her debut with 3 slices of melodically rich techno, electro and house. bristol-based but chilean born, shanti has previously released on idle hands, as well as working behind the counter at the record store in stokes croft

the first new crazylegs music of the summer season is a bold slice of motown-fuelled house music from tommy rawson, following up his debut on sweden’s local talk last year. uk garage hero zed bias brings the dread with a dark, broken maddslinky refix on the flip, after recently announcing his imminent retirement from the dj circuit. imami rounds off the package with a booming mutant funk workout, off the back of his debut ep on druid cloak’s apothecary compositions label last november. crazylegs is a young record label birthed in 2012 from a five-year old bristol club party of the same name – founded by jambo and shandy and now run by a small team of like-minded djs and producers – tied together by a love of surprising, spontaneous electronic music and existing to provide a home for the people that create it.

bristol has long been known for its deep love of everything dubwise, from reggae through to the flourishing bass scene the city is now synonymous with. hailing from this melting pot, dubspeeka continues the tradition with 3 heavy cuts that effortlessly blend speaker punishing subs with the driving, crisp techno that oliver huntemanns new senso sounds label is becoming known for.

jackoff beats is a various artist series from berlin based label jackoff records. in this 12 inch you can find returning jackoff artist, bristol based borai with another exceptional emotional track, long time family members oliver deutschmann and freestyle man with dance floor tools we could not resist to share. and last but not least, italian deep88 with his version of a house monster.

space hardware is a bristol based imprint aiming to outlet left-of-centre slices of celestial electronic music. the next release comes courtesy of the essen based space cadet glenn astro who follows up a slew of eps on big bait records, odd socks and copenhagen s tartelet. the whole ep is brilliant, and as powerplay we choose the last track on the ep, clara parker s -uncertainty- remixes by astro hismelf. piano driven song, with broken beats, on the uk garage type.

forthcoming on futureboogie recordings, everyones favorite, lithuanian house duo, downtown party network come correct with their debut release for the bristol imprint. dusty disco loops, acidic arps and smooth pads characterize this extended player and showcase the pairs distinctive production techniques. one for the heads.

klasse wrecks welcomes bristol-based marco bernardi to its ranks following strong releases for clone, delsin, rawax, planet e, and most recently the kelly twins happy skull label. spacejam provides an ep of demented drums, fiddling electronics and refreshing originality, showcasing the signature sound of the studio-obsessed scottish born dj and producer. his idiosyncratic style runs through the three tracks here, from the space jack and green velvet-inspired vocals of the title track, through the rubbery funk of >no i didnt< and frenetic acid of oist mal.

bristol acetate carver and drum major, lurka launches his black acre debut with three unpredictable drum machine battle drills. kicking off with *holding* a technoid inflected dancehall pounder with a relentless low-end theory. the anxious heartbeat littered with schizophrenic percussion and alarm bells bursting into an undead army marching anthem. with *nah so* we are back on slightly more familiar turf, crushing kick drums perform the body blows under intricate hi-hats programming. *kmt* the most meditative of the three with nods to alan howarths bleak synthesiser work while high-fiveing schooly ds drum machine.

the last few years has seen a series of well received releases from rhythmic theory, the anonymous techno producer lurking in the shadows of the bristol music scene. *endless forms* is their second release for idle hands and follows on from where the previous ep *legacy of the lost* left off. the title track delves deeper into the sonic realms of classic jungle and comes up for air sounding like dub techno. a weighty bass line propels things along, whilst a sci-fi voice intones the title. this one is a sound system rocker. *tales of dystopia* brings to mind early nineties uk techno with its haunting synths, swung beats and deadly bass line. rhythmic theory is killing it at the moment, expect more to come.

for the second instalment from quantum entanglement we delve into the misty past, a time when moving parts ruled the dance, when the power of the night rested on a needle and a bassline, and before cdjs calculated the bpm for you…you had to touch things, buy things, and the bassline ruled over all. acid thunder, a classic by fast eddie, was the first dance record i ever bought. it was important. the guy who sold it to me, at the time a spotty school kid in his school uniform, was called john stapleton, and the shop was sidetrax in bristol.

idle hands affiliate brstl continues their exhibit of bristol born house and techno. following the success of samuels *numberuma* and with previous releases from shanti celeste, october & borai and outboxx, the next instalment: *eyes wide shut / voyeuristic distress* comes courtesy of good friend rhythmic theory. in keeping with the labels ethos, brstl007 relies on the astute manipulation of its limited elements and is two cuts of tough and direct techno.

dext recordings is a brand new label kicking off with an ep from dubspeeka complete with remixes from apple pips boss appleblim and aus artist komon and it is a bit of a bristol affair. dubspeeka, the elusive bristol based producer who has released on oliver huntemanns ideal audio, waveform and has remixed for evolution, is sure to become big news in 2014, especially once the world gets to hear this new ep.
pressing on translucent, orange coloured vinyl.

mythical beasts, felix dickinson tickles out two horny boogie/house numbers for bristol s futureboogie, including hackman and machete savane remixes.

over a handful of singles and an album on bristol labels like immerse, idle hands and brstl, it is now time for jacob martin and matt lambert aka outboxx to make their debut on local talk. sticking close to what they do best, this ep is filled with house music infused with electronic soul.

bristol music has always stood strongest as an alternative to the lowest common denominator, and so it is with brstl as the label continues to provide a platform to previously undiscovered talent in the underbelly of the citys flourishing house scene. following lauded debuts from shanti celeste and jay l, the sixth installment in the series turns to another unknown in the shape of samuel. as with other releases on brstl, 006 is made up of two distinct halves. on the a-side, >numberuma< delivers machine driven house of a rugged and charming nature. the drums switch up with playful intent but largely centre around a forward-charging 4/4 pulse with a faint hint of tropical flavour rubbed into the groove. meanwhile the limber lead keys speak of sunnier days through a cracked lens while the accompanying chord swells intone an equally uplifting and nostalgic message. while from the outset the track may be wrought from simple ingredients, the dynamic interplay between the different elements belies the producers years. on the flip, >groove therapy< opts for a more esoteric approach made up of long, dreamy lead-ins full of distant pads and delicate percussion and transitions as smooth as silk. indeed this track makes a smart foil to >numberuma<, choosing to snake its way into the subconscious through delicate melodic content and an undulating beat rather than rambunctious rhythm. slow-release filters draw that aforementioned pad in before sending it out to sea once more, and all the while the stripped back drums tick out a hypnotic chant. once again a pair of unique tracks loaded with character prove brstl to be an essential outpost for the most creative 4/4 music emanating from the west country.

bristol native and musical wiz benjamin jacobs aka crackazat dazzled us since the first time we heard him a few years ago on futureboogie with his deep and jazzy electronic house not house sound. after a move to sweden and refining his characteristic music profile you will now find hints of floating points, faltydl, lone or underground resistance in his productions. its dance + music at its best and something truly special if you ask us! after a killer track (size up) on local talks off shoot label oneoffs and a bumpin piano remix for tony blitz our man crackazat is now here with his first solo release on local talk ... the candle coast ep. all three tracks are winners by themselves and its seriously tricky to single out any of them so its just up to you to choose your favourite cut. it wont be easy we tell you!

following his breakthrough release on cult bristol label happy skulls, which carried a tearing funkineven remix, adjowa marks his second release of the year with a slamming addition to the dba dubs series. beautiful swimmers own max d (known to his friends, but perhaps not his family, as maximillion dunbar), contributes the compulsory us remix on the flip, drawing on the grime, jungle and breakbeat hardcore tropes to create a truly otherworldly banger.

bristol born producer guido releases his second album *moods of future joy* through home town label tectonic recordings. alongside joker and gemmy, guido completed bristols purple trinity generation of dubstep producers, whose collective sound took the worldwide underground scene by storm in 2009.

its not easy making jams that really work the crowd just as well in bristol as in berlin. nor any other city for that matter. its those crossover artists that really stand out for us with tunes that do so much more than just ride the wave of whats hot. enter the organ grinder and his sick 3track ep for heist.

limited to 200 copies. three-track techno/house/bass hybrid ep from bristol via southampton producer state. inaugerating the no logo imprint with a solid ep containing added elements of acid, dub and garage. hot!

seems bristol may not be the only bass-built uk city to spawn true dirtybird talent. midway up the little island the city of birmingham is boiling its bins and splitting its subs with the sounds of hannah wants and chris lorenzo.

*regular & irregular* is a collection of five unfolding tracks, that reveal themselves through hidden sections, like walking through a foreign city at night hearing snatches of life. these tracks were created over a two year period and represent andys further exploration of melodic, rhythmic, and sonic ideas, some with instrumental parts contributed by fellow fallingup (the bristol club night andy runs) crew members typesun and jay l. spread over 2×12 inches, this is the 7th release in 2013 from idle hands following on from esteemed releases by outboxx, rhythmc theory, kevin mcphee and strategy. this is andys first release since his acclaimed 12 inch for peverelists punch drunk label.

after successful ep collapsed (r-n116) the bristol based project strikes back with a full length album on raster-noton. once more james ginzburg & paul purgas challenge the perceptual boundaries between noise and music and the potential for both technology and architecture to embed and codify themselves within sound

a word from label boss chris farrell: this is the new one on idle hands, from us producer strategy. i first came across paul dickows work when he released a 12 inch called *world house* on his own community library label back in 2005. it blew me away. in the ensuing years my friend duncan george who promoted bristol’s best electronic music night - under_score tried on numerous ocasions to book him for a bristol date but it never quite hapened due to the usual things that go wrong in club land. in those years duncan kept in touch with paul and last year suggested to him that it might be worth sending some tracks to me, which he did at the start of 2013… add a peverelist remix and you have the tracks here before you, dub reggae informed house and psychedelic 2 step vibes.

we are pleased to welcome back the extremely talented need for mirrors duo back to the dispatch camp. here they strike completely on the money with the hard hitting funk-led *sling blade* and backing up the a side we have a heavy slice of bristol themed flavour for 2013 with *grapefruit*. both tracks present a clear nod to the old school and inspirational late 90s sounds we always loved (but never left!). need for mirrors prove again with this release that they are quite simply on a roll both as individual artists that make up the nfm duo and in their own individual right, definitely ones to watch for the rest of 2013 and beyond.

after the recent success of their expansive debut full length on idle hands and while they bask in the glory of their recently well received resident advisor podcast, jacob hodge and matt lambert push on with a new ep on bristols futureboogie. to date outboxx have fomented their own ebullient house style that is imbued with a keen sense of uplifting melody, plenty of analogue dust and some heavyweight bass, largely on bristol based labels, and this new ep sees them continue in that fine form.

nyta hails not from the big apple, but from bristol, uk. his real name is mensah anderson, who is also the seasoned producer that you probably know simply as mensah. the nyta guise focuses on being a fresh outlet for his 120 - 130bpm 80s electro, house & techno influenced tracks & creations. the new york transit authority name was first adopted for a split 12 release with conqueror (redlight) on redlightfs lobster boy label last year. his side was a slinky, 808 house number entitled *off the traxx*, which deservedly found its way into facts 50 best tracks of the year & was caned by a wide range of top djs across the globe, including joe goddard, loefah, redlight, boddika, jackmaster, disclosure, pearson sound, benji b & giles peterson to name just a few. nyta has already proven himself as a talent on the decks with sets across the world & two exclusives mixes: one for dazed & confused & ethe onef for fact mag that finished in the top 20 best fact mixes of the year.

johanna knutsson and fellow swede hans berg are finally back on board and bringing a fantastic new release to klasses schedule. donka/mosquitoes is a wonderful work of melodic techno and features remixes from bristol native, october and bass culture/kontra regular joel alter