alma negra are back on heist! after their much applauded 2017 release with that great soulphiction remix, theyve been rather busy taking over the scene. they started their new label alma negra records where they released 3 eps in quick succession, with new as well as older material that showcases their tropical roots and keen ear for clubby reworks. they launched their live show, doing gigs across europe with a highlight at one of londons more intimate live venues: the jazz cafe. their latest outing making their release count a total of 4 in only 8 months was on marcel vogel’s lumberjacks in hell and explored the more live / rework side of their project. now theyre back on heist with 3 new tracks, supported by an awanto 3 remix. conversation is a track we wanted to put out on heist badly, simply because it’s a beast of a track. it sits somewhere between a live african drum track, percussive techno and moody midwest electronics, with pads and strings coming in and out of play while a relentless kick drum keeps the energy on a haunting level. this track is alma negra at their filthiest, and it feels like they’ve taken a next step from last years dark and heavy luanda dub, bringing it from an intimate dreamy stage straight into the main room. this is the place shows a different side of the house spectrum with the alma’s love for dreamy deep house. the track flows up and down, with soothing rhodes chords, arpeggios and mumbling vocals setting a summery mood thats perfect for your warm up or daytime party. meanwhile, their third original track from the heart goes even deeper and navigates around a smart vocal loop topped with strings, bleeps, claps and rimshots that just keeps going.

st. petersburg resident kuzma palkin is a busy guy, having recorded music in the past as audiocad, cylindro, plattformer and many more. under his own name hes contributed to russia s respected gost zvuk label, and now he signs up to the excellent ukranian outpost wicked bass to drop some hypnotic and delightfully dusky club tracks to inject a little spice into a minimal scenario. the release kicks off with windy bass, which shares a little rugged spirit with stls sonic style and love of loose swing, before diving down into the misty waters of fordism 0205. exalted flow has a more detailed arrangement that pushes extra detail, sequence wobbles and fx tweaks onto the drums to make for a dynamic rhythm workout. krisis ekktro completes the set with a blown out electro throwdown that will be gold dust to any self-respecting machine funk deviant.

after making a promising start with their first installment, disco pocho return with a second round of expertly selected, sliced and segued groovers from the parties of yesteryear. javi frias is the cat on the buttons this time around, taking two loose and limber disco funk burners and giving them just the right subtle touch to set the place alight. its a shame has an easy tempo, but there s more than enough heat embedded in the looped up slices frias gets busy with it s a dense, rugged and rock-tinged sound that should please brass construction fans. on the flip, you got what i need turns things up with a powerful, diva-led gem that s heavy on the one, just like it should be.

5 would be the key number for the brand new chateau flight release on versatile. its been 5 years since the last release and it took 5 days to record. nicolas (i:cube) was busy with his own material, i moved to amsterdam 3 years ago and as we like to make music in the same space. it took a bit of time but finally it s here, the dam house ep. i invited nicolas to visit me last winter, not to do music but just for a cool adam hang out. this turned into 5 intense days of fun production in my studio. it was amazing for both of us to witness how our connection remained intact after all those years and the ideas came really quick. the vibes of the tracks all turned out pretty different, it s a true chateau flight kaleidoscope with an epic 10mn techno track sargan, a more house vibe, crazy (dam house mix), a heavy dark funk drive of lo and the ambient crazy(ambient mix). this record would have not been the same without redlight records,to whom this records dedicated. james and abel left their shop open at night just for us and as children in a candy store we went through the racks looking for samples that formed the inspiration for this ep.

art alfie joined the toy tonics crew ! you know him from studio barnhus. he released his album last on axel bomans label last year and a couple of hot tracks with longtime partner mr. tophat before that. his first ep for toy tonics features 3 of the sweetest bangers he did till now. what a wonderful vibe! and the remix … killer. by stockholms amazing newcomers mount liberation unlimited (who just released an ep on permanent vacation). art alfie is busy these days: besides his involvement with toy tonics he started a own label (velvet pony). even if you might know him mainly from the kick-ass dancefloor stuff he has been doing with karlovak and the studio barnhus gang - there is some more complex background here: alfie used to play in hardcore and psychedelic bands and has a real golden hand when it comes to work with musicians. in fact currently he is also producing some stuff for swedish supergroup/hotshot band ‚off the meds‘! yes, stay tuned! art alfie is coming on strong ?? in 2019!

nick the record & dan tyler are back with the long awaited, much anticipated 4th release on their record mission imprint. if you have heard nick the record play out during the past year you ve probably heard work & you ve definitely heard give me more - which has been the tune nick has been asked about the most over the last years busy dj schedule. they had some technical difficulties which led to delays in getting this out... or did they just enjoy the exclusivity over the last year??? you decide! give me more is a squidgy funky disco winner for the discerning dancefloor and already a bit of an anthem. work is a feel good vocal disco tune in celebration of the weekend party time when the week s work is over. play is a high speed space disco meets jazz jam that sounds like there was a collision between harry thumann & jason lindh somewhere in space, or maybe underwater. enjoy! .

after being one of the many standouts on the we are opilec…! vol. iii compilation back in 2016, i-robots glamouflage is now getting a full vinyl release with artwork by tomozo kevorkian, who was designer for nyc s body & soul, and remixes by a standout team of producers from japan to switzerland to south africa and the usa. opening up the ep is a fantastic new take ii version from label boss i-robots, who added exclusive chinese vocal samples recorded on the streets of huang jiang city many years ago. the track is inspired by ennio morricone and supermax and is a loose and infectious groove with brilliant drums and percussion and an elastic bassline that really gets you moving. it s a subtle update to the original—also included here as a bonus cut—which itself is a steamy and tropical sounding groove. swiss electronic pioneer schaltkreis wassermann then features on a version of the original that reaches for the cosmos with its rugged bass riffs, tumbling toms and busy, ever evolving groove. it has a big breakdown with exotic synths wandering through the night and oodles of effects and big guitar licks. the first of the remixes comes from kuniyuki takahashi who has been a big supporter of i-robots since 2000. he is a sound designer from japan who had a compilation of his works put out by music from memory back in february. his version is laden with cosmic synths and chants, grunting and organic drums and is sure to be massive this summer thanks to its open air vibes. detroit s underrated but vital gary martin is the boss of the teknotika label and his version featuring colten decker playing an unusual sax line shows another side to the motor city. it s a curious and mysterious tune that makes for an unsettling atmosphere that keeps you locked throughout as it snakes along.

limited reissue on purple coloured double vinyl, cut at 45rpm. includes a code for free download of the full album.

apollo is proud to welcome paul frick to the fold. frick is a berlin-born music composer primarily known as one part of the group brandt brauer frick. stunningly despite a 20+ year history of making music “second yard botanicals” is his debut album. with bbf keeping frick inspired and busy since 2009, other ideas had piled up until a temporary break allowed him to fully dive into them - “while it took so long until i made my first album, it took about two months once i started.”

this summer dusty donuts will fly you out to california with two brand new and stunning reworks. keyboard wizard jim dunloop steps in the arena and gives us the love ride. dunloop get s busy with heavy keyboard manipulations as the isley s smooth as silk vocals take you there! naughty nmx and marc hype deliver their nod to dilla s ode to the diamond girl. top shelf summer breezers no question! usually sell out week one, pre-orders as soon as you can.

the legendary gig that joe strummer, singer from the punk rock band “the clash” attended and inspired his writing their classic ‘white man in hammersmith palais’ took place on the 05th june 1977. at the hammersmith palais venue on shepherd’s bush road w6, london during the height of punk mania. the full line up for the show were all jamaican artists dillinger, leroy smart, delroy wilson (all the first time from jamaica) and ken boothe. “ken boothe for uk pop reggae” who had already scored some hits with ‘everything i own’ and ‘crying over you’ in 1974. joe strummer was expecting roots, rock, reggae but the sound system this evening ‘admiral ken sound’ was playing ‘four tops all night’ as in soul and northern soul that were staple crowd pleasers at the time to warm up the audience, but in joe’s eyes the music should have reflected more jamaican roots based music. the song also deals with bigger issues of black and white unity, but some people including the punk rockers. “they’re all too busy fighting, for a good place under the lighting”. joe strummer himself was looking for fun. “i’m the whiteman in the palais... just looking for fun”.

while ant plate has been insanely busy with a plethora of aliases on a multitude of labels recently, he s still found time to turn out some surefire heaters in the studio with long time sparring partner matt hunt. this release marks the first appearance of rhythm plate on vinyl only, but it s worth the wait. there s an epic scope to apathetic empathy, which features bashy 80s drum hits and squelchy bass front and centre, but soaring vocal licks and piano stabs that widen the track out beautifully. observed privacy is a more emotive cut laden with illustrious keys, abuser experience is a bright and bashy deep house belter and prototype night takes things down a slinky, acid-speckled route. rhythm plate still serving up the house music realness after nearly 20 years.

dmitry meshcheryakov hails from moscow but lives in canada, where he s been busy pumping out classically informed garage house for over five years. now plastik people s new sublabel rhythm people carries his first vinyl release, and hes stepped up with some surefire party starters. body werk is a bad ass swinger with a crafty bassline and all the right stabs and samples, while hands together gets into a more rolling peak time house flow. mike millrain drops a heavy remix of body werk that keeps the original ingredients intact and simply builds on them with subtle flourishes. smokey bubblin b gets busy with hands together, crafting a classic shuffling masterclass from the component parts.

with another blazing number lined up in this burgeoning chain of sound (with tracks from ray kandinski, anthony fade, dos...) nerang recordings have just announced their latest, nrngva004 - a six-track mini comp featuring nyc s finest j albert, cassettes for kids, m44k, label staples dj whipr snipr & iok, dj nerdiboy and dj psychiatre. it s all due out late july according to the label... if the pressing plants aren t too busy minting some useless david bowie reissue for 2019 s rsd by then

contemporary disco remix guru moplen steps up to the salsoul archive and turns in 2 absolutely stellar reworks of some solid evergreens. always remixing and reworking with the utmost respect and understanding moplen takes these classics into a new direction, working from the stems and retaining the funk, soul and grooves of the og s. the disco mix market is a busy one these days with lots of people taking a shot at the classics in their bedrooms, but not these, these are legit, heavyweight mixes created by someone who knows! candido s jingo sounds completely fresh, beginning with a totally unheard first few bars, rearranged piano motifs and dubby sounds bristle up against the percussion, all with an even heavier focus on the cuban, latin roots of candido camero s sound, amazing! you ve heard this one before, but not like this. on the flip is first choice s all-out anthem let no man put asunder - again a truly original reimagining of a stone-cold classic, using the percussions and infamous vocal vamps to devastating effect, absolutely essential versions here. moplen has truly done the business. this limited reissue has been made in conjunction with above board distribution and salsoul records, 100% sanctioned and lovingly re-presented for your dancing pleasure. this one is hot. sleep at your peril!

phonica records welcomes spanish producer extraordinaire pional to it’s main label with the ‘xme / one night stand’ 12”. pional is miguel barros and the madrid based musician has been producing for over a decade. with a string of well received solo releases on hivern discs, permanent vacation, young turks and counter, remixing the likes of the xx, chairlift, the rapture, prins thomas and john talabot (who he also co-wrote the incredible ‘fin’ album ender ‘so will be now...’ with) as well as djing around the world, pional has been keeping very busy indeed. for his phonica release he has produced two versions of two very special tracks. on the a-side, ‘xme’ is a melancholic and uplifting electronic excursion with delicate flourishes of it’s synthesised melody becoming a real ear-worm throughout its six and a half minutes. the slower and more foreboding ‘quiet ceremony’ reinterpretation takes the same melody in a darker direction. on the other side, ‘one night stand’ is a bumping, stripped back and moody club track with ghostly vocals floating above metallic pads rising to a release of energy and emotion. the ‘slow drumapella’ lowers the tempo and alters the feel of the track, reducing its elements to a bare-bones drum track with the vocal, fx and pads eventually coming to the fore.

one of our humble imprint s closest allies and a longstanding pillar of philadelphia s electronic music community, billy werner has been a constant presence in the booth at parties throughout the northeast corridor since 1998. we debuted his m//r alias in 2014 with the gathering response data 12- . since he s been busy bringing the grit to points beyond the city of brotherly love, putting in work for the likes of detailssound, l.i.e.s. and jackdept. most recently, he turned out a remix of karen gwyer s -why does your father look so nervous- for the rembo remixes on don t be afraid, as well as another for chaperone s -grit neglect- on the aforementioned snapbackbalaclava ep. written, recorded, and mixed over a period of 15 months, among the methods is in no small part a reflection of the affinities and sensibilities billy holds as both selector and producer. referencing a variety of influences from jazz to dub to electro, the album s allure stems from his deft ability to recontextualize those genres disparate aspects into a familiar–yet fiercely idiosyncratic–musical context. the end result is at once wildly fractured and precision-focused as among the methods finds its own seductive rhythm within a matrix of dub echoes and modulated low-end. it s heady ground,to be sure,as well as the most declarative aesthetic statement fromm//r to date. presented without further comment. the music is the message

having produced a wealth of some of the most lovingly referential and consistent music of recent times, the tracks making up palta og ti på den tolvte Ø are slightly harder to pin down to exact genre markers. each song is busy yet never overcrowded with elements, building concise and playful grooves which if forced we would say positions them somewhere in the ambient space between jazzy-improv-house and dubby, hypnotic electronics. that s as absolute in adjectives as we would ever care to be... expertly crafted both technically and musically, we are more than excited to be able to present this to you as our fifth installment.

hannes norrvide has had a busy year, it has been only six months since the latest album from lust for youth was released and since then he has released the debut album of norin in the shape of february’s “bakom planteringen”, he has released his collaborative work with frederik valentin under the name kyo with june’s “aktuel musik” lp and the earlier “potentiel musik” cassette album. now he is ready with the second vinyl release under his norin guise.

crew member dj format has joined forces with mc andy cooper to produce a special little number for 45 live records. “get on that”, taken from andy’s most recent lp has been completely re-worked into a brand new track with a new vocal from andy and matt format adding his superb production skills. it’s classic format material, super funky, deftly arranged and aimed squarely at the dancefloor. throw this donut on and watch the floor ignite! this 45 comes complete with an instrumental on the flip, ready to get busy in the mix if you re grabbing doubles.

here it is ! the long-awaited new lp from former dubtribe soundsystem shaman sunshine jones far from basking in bay area bliss, sunshine has been busy redefining his organic approach to music making and sound synthesis into a rich and textured fresh take on the house blueprint - best realised in his elaborate & ever-evolving live shows. assembling these improvised pieces into a cohesive whole, that might well just be the best vinyl based representation off a full night out you re likely to hear this year. from the emotive opener to last year s anthemic fall in love, not in line closer, home represents the fluid but refined garden of sound that s grown from dubtribe s rich 90 s foundation. the artwork on this splendidly presented gatefold lp is a photograph of sunshine performing live at the garden party in san francisco by the holy mountain, the collage is done by sunshine and the design is by fernando_graphicos. accompanied by detailed track notes, with all equipment used to make the record alongside sonic schematic. man and machine aligned for total transcendence ! single gatefold lp

dont is excited to welcome dublins another alias with a perfectly unsettling 4-track ep that veers from 2 step through techno and out the other side, truly bringing something new to the table.this producer has been busy carving out a definite sound of late and that sound chimed so much with the original ethos of dont, that he was immediately sought out and invited to record an ep. his productions bang, whilst managing to hit a delightfully off-kilter tone which is a tricky combination to get right and we really hope you’ll enjoy this special release.

der renommierte künstler elektronischer musik paul d. miller, besser bekannt als dj spooky, hat in einer kollaboration mit vp records einen exklusiven longplayer produziert. exklusive beats treffen auf authorisierte samples und melodien aus dem reichhaltigen katalog von greensleeves und vp. dj spooky wird dabei von seinem protege stephen levitin (aka apple juice kid) und dem keyboarder alex thompson (aka fourth shift) unterstützt. als stargast wurde walshy fire von major lazer für den tune enter the arena engagiert und der dancehall-künstler sanjay für dash it in the mirror- ins studio gebeten, sowie die stimmen von busy signal, lady saw und garnett silk kommen in dem vielseitigen dancehall-projekt zum einsatz.

ground is an osaka native, but his soul is truly that of a nomad, traversing the planet, befriending the kindred spirits found in humans, animals and plants. he is exceptionally receptive to the beauty in all that surrounds him—the incidental music of a busy city street, the orchestrated chaos of a scrambling radio, the syncopated grace of a migrating flock of birds, the simplicity of an isolated hand clap—and as his map continuously unfolds, he accumulates a vast catalogue of visceral tools to complex musically recount his experiences. sunizm is a cross section of the artist’s process—an array of complex microcosms overlapping to comprise a thematic whole—gathering field recordings, found instrumentation, jagged electronics, and synthesized chanting, to be woven into a dense narrative that appears both obsessively constructed and divinely improvised. with each consecutive track, the artist gradually constructs hypnotic patterns that 1-up the mind as it struggles to break free from a seduction of loops, steadily intensifying until reaching an apex of sound collage so cerebral that the listener might consider a post-album shower. but alas, the fourth quarter releases a bit of pressure, our gobs still lay smacked but there is a warm confidence as the psychedelic trial delivers us home to nod out. dear humans, animals and plants, ground and the esp institute present, sunizm.

uk bass legends stanton warriors return with their highly-anticipated seventh studio album rebel bass. following the huge lead single loving me wrong, proclaimed game changing by leading tastemakers mixmag, thump and dj mag, we present a 4 track vinyl sampler taken from the lp featuring 3 tracks from the lads and a danny byrd remix of the one formalising this new juncture in the stanton warriors sound rebel bass is full of thumping bass bangers that perfectly showcases the fresh, new sound theyve been busy crafting over the last year and paves the way for an album that draws on their strong garage roots, with infectious, radio-friendly songs sitting comfortably alongside booming club tracks, all underpinned by that inimitable bass sound we ve all come to know and love.

casey tucker is on a roll at the moment, and his infectious brand of uplifting, full-fat machine soul seems to have struck a chord in many places (not least via his reissues on for those that knoe). after appearing on love notes back in 2015, tuckers back on the label with another salvo of colourful, charming and utterly magnificent house jams shot through with the inventive programming of techno. alternative faction is many things a bubbly acid track, a swooning deep house cut and a sassy broken beat affair and yet feels utterly smooth in its execution. that time of year has plenty of motor city soul feeding into its composition, not least in the gorgeous synth strings, and new mission gets busy in the swing with all kinds of bouncing melodies and rhythms.

magdalena s -elementum ep- is her first full ep on diynamic music. the 3-tracker marks the beginning of a busy summer season for her. the opening track -mountains of es cubells- pays tribute to ibiza s after party culture – which occurs in private houses that open when the clubs close, out in the warm air and sunlight, and a very intimate atmosphere. the protagonist s verdict -i think tonight i see ibiza like it was 25 years ago- sums it up perfectly. -nautilus- is a dreamy melodic house cut, ethereally swerving through a sea of hypnotic percussions and brassy synth elements.
closing off the record is -radialis-, a brooding and gloomily minimalistic techno tune.

marcel vogels latest on lumberjacks in hell welcomes the mighty leftfield nyc mc sensational to flow over his learned disco house grooves. sensational sounds right at home on if you like, and vogel gives him a slightly freaked groove to riff on that works just fine. brown curls taps up khalil anthony, one of the finest uk house vocalists in operation right now, and patchworks remixes it into a dreamy disco funk jam for the boogie brothers and sisters to shake it to. alma negra gets busy with if you like, creating a tumbling afro-centric re-rub par excellence, and then tim jules comes on board with an instrumental version that nudges into tightly wound funk territory.

solar phenomena are keeping up a busy and high quality release rate in 2018 with a fifth offering already. this one is a three tracker from stl, who already released his “if time would move backwards” ep on the label earlier in the year. the title track opens the account with blown out drums trudging along in ever changing patterns. swirling, lo-fi ambience adds scale to the track and encourages you to get lost in the middle of it all. “weed detective” is ten minutes of psyched-out and stripped back drum work at an inviting mid tempo. keys dance and heavily treated vocal sounds trip you out in slow motion. last of all, “scubbu babe” has finger clicks, bright and mild crazed keys and ad libbed vocal sounds all doing gymnastics round more of those trademark drums. once again, stl proves he operates in a world of his own.

delsins reissue arm once again looks to the revered back catalogue of lost trax for a second 12 that picks out the best of the anonymous collectives work. the ep features five cuts taken from two highly sought after eps released on tabernacle records in 2011 and 2012. the eye opens things up with punchy drum programming and the sort of sci-fi effects and synths that immediately take you to a future intergalactic world. its a weighty but emotional opener, while pulp is more twisted and urgent, with warped synth sounds and busy, bristling drums and perc all building pressure throughout. the forest resets the mood with mystic synths and mysterious atmospheres that mix ambient beauty with suggestive skeletal beats. b01 then canes through the cosmos on a detroit electro tip with slithers of synth, swollen pads and crisp hits and dominion rounds things out in hurried fashion. the restless electro drums pound away as prickly snares and cymbals, blurts of machine noise and sweeping pads all wrestle for attention and keep you on your toes. this is high octane electro and techno designed with metallic precision but oozing plenty of human feelings.

the man, the maestro, the mystery the cube! thats right, you read that correctly, new music from the mind of one of europe s freshest, not just one record, but two. at the same time. right here. versatile s main man (alongside monsieur gilb r) returns to the fray with a hotly anticipated set of tracks that will surely stand alone in their uniqueness, but if you re reading this then you already know that. i:cube has been busy, and he s keen to share the fruits of his labour with lucky us on this, the 120th release on versatile. the sounds here are diverse, impeccably mixed, arranged and selected by the man himself and will surely find their way into the ears and minds of those who come into close contact effortlessly. from the lost world dreamy trance of the first track flutes souterraines to the acid indigestion inducing fingering of the troglo dance, to the deep cavernous bass-line creepings of ramurc this collection of six stellar cuts is a stunning return to form and a perfect example of why i:cube should be regarded as one of the legends!

since his appearance on soccer96s jupiter masterdrive edits ep (alongside danny krivit and glenn astro flips, also on wotnot ) in 2015, and subsequent eps on wotnot, monologues and sgol, danvers has swiftly become a name to pay attention to. as a regular appearance on co-ops selectors assemble, both live and on their recent comp vol. 2, he s established himself as a new and original voice on the broken beat scene. his recent the future is broken mix series highlights his ear for unconventional dance music, something that makes him extremely at home on the wildly creative wotnot (thanks dj mag). the opening two tracks are strongly in the broken beat vein. mason opens with dreamy, rhodes jazz over a bruk beat with rolling snare fills, lulling us into a false sense of security before switching to an offbeat but irresistible squelchy synth groove. similarly, in aye ata the pulsing chord that slowly grows out of the beat suddenly turns the track around with a rhythmic twist, showing the playful broken beat in a whole new light. there s a house touch throughout the ep, none more so than in 1997, where a bouncing kick, soulful claps and a booming sub provide a steadier basis for laid back rhodes chords and dreamy spoken word samples. as a big influence on danvers music, frits wentink is welcomed onto remix duty with open arms. the wolf music regular brings an otherworldly vibe to his take on 1997 , with enchanting but almost disorienting chord swells and spiralling vocal fx punctuated with crisp snare rolls. the ever-busy danvers recently launched 38 east , a studio space and music community, with warren xlnce . warren s remix of 1997 was a surprise gift to his business partner and collaborator, and is a deeper house cut, joe armon jones (brownswood) rhodes jam over the track bringing a distinct peckham flavour. dj support from ig culture, andwot (touching bass), neue grafik & evm128 (co-op) t williams

to say the past 2 years have been busy for peggy gou would perhaps be an understatement. prolific both in the studio and behind the decks, 2016 saw the release of no less than four eps across three labels. her two-part ‘art of war’ series on rekids was interspersed with a contribution to ‘phonica white’ series of 12”s.

one of the most busy and consistently excellent producers in all of electronic music is boris bunnik, and now he is back under his most loved alias, conforce, on his most regular home, delsin.

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

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

newusg001 organizes a programme of optimistic dystopian techno and related electronic music ideal for a busy monorail or speed-travel setting. tracks veer through noise, techno, electro, industrial, ebm, and experimental improvised music, with overlapping influences and unique palettes.

solar phenomena keeps up a busy schedule with the third ep of 2018. this one comes from cult uk artist duckett whose past collaborations include tom demac, grimes adhesif and leif. recently he has served up solo eps for labels like galdoors, untilmyheartstops and wisdom teeth. mixing up elements of idm, techno and ambient, he is a sculptor of timeless tracks that come from another world.

keeping up a high rate and high quality of release, dan mela and dodi palese s what ever not label serves up a second ep of 2018, this time from the esteemed simone gatto with a special remix from voiski. italian gatto is now based in lecce, south italy, where he co-runs his out-er label, which since 2010 has become synonymous with house and techno that challenges the norm. his own productions find new life in the underground, roaming between labels like night vision, raw waxes and his own pregnant void. most recently he served up a two-part album, heaven inside your frequencies , which combined dark ambient, techno and abstract sound with his professional work as a researcher and came with a book that offered a theoretical and practical analysis of the use of sounds and frequencies. this new ep is another arresting affair that lays out gatto s unique and varied vision for club music across three very different tracks. it opens with no regrets , which pairs blissful ambient synths that lift you up into the skies with busy, bristling hi hats and gnarly bass. thumping drums drive the whole thing along, and the interplay between coarseness and serenity is truly original. frenchman, dekmantel and sheik n beik records man vioski then brings all his scintillating techno skills to the table for a remix. it journeys deep into a cosmic night sky, with sheet metal percussion peeling off the groove as an uplifting synth brings a subtle sense of euphoria to the mix.

the second release in no bad days’ sister imprint no bad edits comes from montréal upstart unknown mobile, who first caught our ear with a lovely debut on asl singles club. here, he looks to the 1980s for inspiration, channeling that decade’s confidence and colour with three shimmering reworks. the a-side’s “dream state” matches its namesake, evoking a busy fourth world market scene, with pipes, bells and flutes chiming away in happy harmony.
on the flip, “programmer” is a slab of excitable and effects-slathered fusion funk, as if a computer has sprung to life and begun to dance. the 12” wraps with “valerian slip”, where unknown mobile folds the strands of silk from a free-form windham hill deep cut into a new shape, every bit as smooth as the original but with a nagging groove to underpin it.

aroop roy has been making waves with his unique sounds for the past few years, with a wealth of successful releases and a busy gig schedule at the helm of some of the best clubs around the world. by fusing elements of jazz, afro, latin, funk and soul with the deeper end of house and disco, aroop has forged his own style with eps on revered labels including g.a.m.m, basic fingers, freestyle and lazy days. for his delusions of grandeur debut he pulled out all the stops, delivering three original tracks which further show his diversity as an artist and ability to produce left of centre, quality underground music without losing sight of the dancefloor. things kick off with save our love, a track that’s absolutely brimming with energy thanks to punchy wurlitzer chops, tension-building philly strings, and a rock-solid disco groove. next up we have what i love which sees aroop take an altogether more freaky approach flipping an uptempo rolling break, distorted synth line, cross-rhythm stabs and rasping vocal cuts into an edgy dance floor workout. closing this brilliant ep is the low-slung bump of walk that walk featuring original vocals from oakland, ca based blacktroniks who delivers his flow on top of a bass-heavy slice of deep electro boogie.

gasp records opens 2018 with an impressive, breathtaking and extraordinary debut ep represented by the ukranian newcomer unkkut. first appeared on the radar as part of get busy recordings compilation now he’s here to debut his first vinyl release - attitude ep. unkkut reveals your deepest fears and won’t let you run from them. take a deep breath as you drown inside yourself.

when we started the bunker new york label in 2014 there was a short list of artists whose music we knew that we wanted to get out into the world. lori napoleon, aka antenes, was high up on that list, although at the time the brooklyn-based chicago native had yet to release her recorded music at all. five years on, after acclaimed records on l.i.e.s. and silent season, residencies at issue project room and bell labs plus a busy global touring schedule as both a dj and live performer, we are proud and excited to present loris ante meridiem ep under her antemeridian production moniker. she tells us that the antemeridian project is a special outlet for her more melodic synthesizer compositions and the name antemeridian refers to morning light and the meridian lines of the planet, the view you would have from above if you were already in the sky/space/seeing the atmosphere also from a great distance.

uncage founder marco faraone debuts on rekids, dropping four techno cuts on the label’s special projects series this march. the italian producer has had a busy few years touring north america, south america and europe, not to mention dropping releases on labels like ovum and tenax recordings. meanwhile his uncage imprint, which he runs alongside norman methner, has quickly cemented a reputation for quality house and techno, releasing music from artists like eduardo de la calle, pablo mateo and fabio della torre (under his corcos moniker). with its rolling percussion and a heady spoken word sample, find the song introduces a quintessential rekids record. thunderous kick drums and piercing stabs then form the high-octane arcane before the dark and ominous justice demonstrates industrial elements and floating atmospherics. tying it all together, tantalizing melodies join echoing effects for the final track titled layers.

chreal01 is the debut project by scottish producer chaotic reality exploring a meditative side to techno. written over the course of several months spent living in new york as a resistance to the frenetic pace of a busy environment, chreal01 contains four tracks that repeat, oscillate and soundtrack a more centred existence. inspired by shinichi atobe, avalon emerson, newworldaquarium / ross154 & the 7th plain. each track in this self-released record is named after its sequence and operates on a slower tempo, focussing on melody and sound design, with aim to investigate the space between dub techno and early trance. track one opens with gentle dancing chords developing over 7 minutes, with subtle nods to echospace and black dogs otaku over a punchy kick and warm sub. reverb-licked stabs pass softly in and out the mix and ride over a homogenous chord range, highlighting points in the melody and meandering back into the ether. two has an introspective focus, rarely reaching more than two kicks per four bars. an arpeggiated lead centres the composition, slowly developing over a thick bassline. distant snaps and pops season the track and highlight the empty breathing space intentionally left in the production. on the b-side, three is characterised by heavily saturated kicks softly thumping under a bubbling melody, broken by echo-delayed stabs varying in form, filter depth and feedback timing. on the closing song four, chaoticreality develops and sculpts a stack of delayed chords creating a progressively elevating soundscape. the lead melody chords layer and discord changing thickness, shape and form throughout with pseudo kicks acting as a complimentary melody. here, cr plays with space to creating a hypnotic spacial production akin to digital justice or the orb, with the intention to take the listener to a transcendental state. chreal01 is housed in a popset sleeve & hand stickered

”hey, remember me? i’ve been busy working like crazy.“ mit dieser zeile meldete sich fever ray ende 2017 erstmals seit ihrem debütalbum aus dem jahr 2009 zu wort. während das von kritikern wie fans gefeierte debütalbum noch eine art düstere, diffuse fantasiewelt war, die aus fabelartigen wesen, finsterer atmosphäre und mystischen klängen bestand, erscheint “plunge“ etwas offener, dynamischer und elektronisch verspielter, aber nicht minder edgy und direkt. die kreative evolution von fever ray ist also weiter im gange, ohne die vor jahren geschaffene klangwelt zu verlassen. die elf neuen songs wurden größtenteils in dreijers studio in stockholm aufgenommen – und landeten bereits auf den jahresbestenlisten von musikexpress und spex. das 180 gramm vinyl erscheint inklusive downloadcode und poster.

love notes turns its affections towards the windy city with this exemplary 12- from chicago producer shmoo, who is no slouch in the energy department when rolling out the pumped up deep house delights of -sidehacker-. -intellect s intuitive waste- is no slouch either, taking a brighter sunshine approach compared to -sidehacker-s nocturnal veneer, and -limited trance- keeps the jack up while letting the additional tones and textures take things deeper. garrett david gets busy with -intellect s intuitive waste-, creating a crafty remix steeped in intriguing percussion without losing that housey focus that defines the love notes approach.

seth troxler’s play it say it label opens up 2018 with another release from the highly regarded ataxia, who serve up their third ep for the imprint. the detroit duo impressed with their previous outings on the label, the supertouch ep back in july 2017 and the acid ep in 2016. since then they have also released on leftroom and nervous and continued their eight year residency at prominent detroit venue tv lounge. their fresh take on motor city techno often comes with flashes of acid and makes cyber punks ted krisko and eric ricker one of the most interesting pairs in the game. opening up the essential ep is ‘quicksand’, an immediately arresting and busy electro track with real machine soul. the bassline bubbles and boils underneath crisp percussion and emotive keys bring a sense of tenderness. it’s a macho cut with robust drums and is sure to win over any crowd. the fresh ‘hot snakes’ is a deep, menacing track with dark bass gurgling beneath the airy hi hats. frazzled synths are dystopian and brain frying, and together the whole thing takes you into hypnotic territory with an intense sense of urgency that is impossible to ignore. last of all is the freakiest of the lot. the brilliant ‘texas is the reason’ has circling bass that is warped and intriguing and will own any club, while the drums drive on and trippy keys are skewed and twisted up top. it’s a truly intense record for late in the night that is sure to become a big tune. this is an expressive and varied ep full of contemporary and innovative detroit house and techno sounds and marks another step in the ataxia story.

halvtrak has gathered a following. the previous releases by the finn on dont be afraid and bakk teased an appetite among techno heads for his detroit infused and texturised sound and unexpected grooves. moving towards warmer tones, his latest output on a new london/helsinki label cold blow enters him further into detroits past. as an unexpected treat, the title track has been re-imagined by the very special chinaski with his trademark ghoul sound so reminiscent of old horror films now blended with sharp electro and ebm vibe. chinaski has been busy of late with a berghain live set as well as his fine rivers end ep on uncanny valley and ghost rider on live at robert johnson. from relentless groove to darker places, this is halvtraks most refined release yet as he becomes an illuminator of his own ascent.