southern italian sociologist, dj and electronic music producer simone gatto is about to release his second album, heaven inside your frequencies, in december 2017.
gatto’s second album represents a complete excursus of his personal and professional paths, into which he combines music, words, studies, researches and experiments. along with the album, split in two parts and to be released on both his labels out-er and pregnant void, the artist is also releasing his first essay, named as the album, the latter offers a theoretical and practical analysis on the use of sounds and frequencies in diverse areas of interest, dedicating space to music therapy and primordial techniques as well as their application in the current digital and virtual era.
both the album and the essay result from gatto’s personal experiences as well as his ten-year’s artistic career: the love of his motherland and his parents, the first approach to clubs, the studies about the potentiality of frequencies, the electroacoustic experimentation and last but not least, the aesthetic sonorous research.

* no order* is a&#8203,,,,,, * deeply emotional and darkly &#8203,,,,,,atmospheric track*. billboard only three releases in and kidnap kids birds that fly is proving to be one of the most prominent uk labels with knockout releases so far coming from kidnap kid himself and bristolian applebottom. keeping the standard sky high, this next offering comes as an epic double hitter from us native amtrac. caleb cornett aka amtrac has been pushing his creative limits as a producer, dj, musician and vocalist since 2008. through this release he skillfully creates feelings of elation and euphoria sharply contrasted with a moody and melancholic ambience. he explains how ‘no order’ is like a movie score for the club, diving deeper with it’s dark atmosphere. big ups to kidnap kid. i love the direction he’s taking with the label musically and aesthetically.” raised in kentucky but now based in la, multi-talented artist &#8203,,,,,,amtrac can electrify an audience with his moving live performance and his driving, funk-filled dj sets. he recently released ‘those days’ featuring vocals from stevie wonder & marvin gaye on legendary uk label toolroom records followed by the &#8203,,,,,,‘lost in motion’ ep, which really gave a snapshot of where he is at musically. never content to settle, amtrac’s musical mood and influences change with each passing season. his ambition and curiosity keep him locked on the edge, always happy to experiment with new techniques and sounds.

kidnap kid’s birds that fly label got off to a flying start with his ow&#8203,,,,,,n release,‘ moments’ feat leo stannard picking up over two million plays and shaking up the spotify / hype machine charts. next up on the imprint is rising uk star apple&#8203,,,,,,bottom with &#8203,,,,,,‘the ride’ ep, an artist that draws many parallels to kidnap kid’s own early career as he barely has made his way out of his teens but already caught the ear of some of the most sought-after labels and radio establishment. annie mac can’t get enough of him and his releases on kerri chandler’s madtech, zed bias’ biasonic and uk powerhouse black butter records have coined him one of the future figureheads of dance music. applebottom has come to be considered a beatmaker able to transverse genres with that rarest of production talents: the consistent ability to make a straight-up club banger, which makes him the perfect follow up for birds that fly. “‘theride’ was quite a diff&#8203,,,,,,erent piece of music for me, ’he explained of the track, ‘i had been thinking about where i d want to release it and i was pretty stuck. but shortly after i d finished it kidnap kid’s first ep on birds that fly came out, and straight away i felt a connection with the sound and a lot of the music i’ve been making recently. it already feels like it has a clear and distinctive sound forming and i can t wait for my music to be part of that.” applebottom hails from the musical mecca of bristol but shares a pioneering view of its style and output. “&#8203,,,,,,i think a lot of people have just gotten too comfortable making the same sounding dance music - and for me that kind of defeats the point, there’s so much variety in it. i feel that particularly for my generation anyway, we’re a lot younger as producers and it’s kind of our job to be that next generation that produces that next sound. we should be striving to make something new and different and build our own vision of what it should be.

known for housing a famous beastie boys sample, the reissue of the 1975 funk and fusion classic funk factory brings peerless polish and american players together for a groovy, eccentric journey. it was an album cut from this lp that captured a particular corner of the music-geek imagination for more than 40 years: “rien ne va plus,” from the self-titled 1975 album, had its reckoning with the canon when the dust brothers sampled major chunks of it for beastie boys’ “car thief.” “rien ne va plus” is a banger, all post-head hunters springy synth-bass. as for the rest of the album, funk factory can stray pretty far into the cheerier excesses of prog-jazz. it emphasizes the alluring strangeness of its more experimental moments, like the hallucinogenic haunted-house tour of “lilliput” or the banshee james brown vocal riffs on “horsing around.” “rien ne va plus” remains the top highlight. this album is proof that a core of musicians schooled in jazz but culturally steeped in the folk and classical traditions of eastern europe could, at least once, put out something that fit well with the crossover sound of the times while being unafraid to dive into freeform weirdness.
pressing on 180 gram audiophile vinyl.

multi track version take the original song to whole new level of mixes that we wish came out back in 1980! unreleased version of sky here s to you part 1 & 2. taking back to the old days when labels released part 1 & 2 on 45s of recording artists. here s to you, stripped down to the bone. sounds like a lost demo mix thats been sitting on 1 inch reel for over 35 years but originally made for larry levan & ron hardy to drop in their marathon djs sets

groove patrol aka the 95 north crew dropped these 2 sides of heavyweight nyc garage pressure in 1993. one listen and it’s obvious the influence records like this had on uk producers and scenes. swinging, funked out and tough, all at the same time, need your love is here across 3 mixes. the original mix itself sounding the most uk-centric for sure. if soulful, underground us house is your bag you’ll be needing this reissue for sure! absolutely oozing class, classic material. dancin’ to the music is the b-side, 2 mixes feature, again and it’s that 95 north sound - drenched in soul, yet street at the same time. both versions are hard enough for the heads, but musical enough for the dancers who are deep in the speaker stack. brilliant stuff for house lovers old and new. this one’s a tasty 2017 reissue and remaster, featuring all cuts, unedited, as per the original release way back when. essential stuff here. do not sleep. a worthy addition to any dj’s bag.

capturing the hedonism of the glitterbox extravaganza, glitterbox discos revenge is selected and curated by founder and label boss simon dunmore. the album gets to the very essence of dance music in its truest sense music which moves your body and your soul. the standout tracks are a mixture of brand new funk-laden cuts, all-time house classics and rare disco treasures. heard for the first time on the discos revenge compilation, the shapeshifters lend their unmistakeable soulful house sound into the blend with when love breaks down featuring the voice of teni tinks. distilling a universal spirit are iconic grooves like richie havens ‘going back to my roots’, whitney houston ‘it’s not right but it’s okay’ (kcc’s release the love groove mix) and patti labelle ‘music is my way of life’ (john luongo remix), all firm favourites with the glitterbox crowds. giving a subtle nod to the golden era of dance music, glitterbox – disco’s revenge fuses contemporary dancefloor heat with unforgettably timeless grooves, each track being chosen for its ability to create magic on the dancefloor.

nicola altieri aka the mechanical man, from naples is the newest entry in the bosconi family. after contributing with one track on -the sweetest- series on bosconi extra virgin, he delivers here a rich eight tracker mini lp on, where casio sounds, yamaha fm synths and akai samplers are the main ingredients to give birth to his own compositions.
sounding like a constipated and forced minimalistic funky music created in a small bedroom environment, warm, dirty and slowed down like from an old tape cassette but full bodied, the release begins with the intimate and dark mood of sam and keeps going on with the mysterious vibes of march, the breakbeat rhythm of the broken gravity track and the smokey atmosphere of the downbeat sketch slap. more mechanical grooves on b side with the percussive mid tempo of attrazioni and more ethereal, intergalactic broken beats with amarcord, going back to obscurity with the soulful slow house jam of gess, while the dubby the new stein track close up the release with a touch of micro spacial spirituality. mechanical soul for you ears.

proud of this one! our own homegrown mark du mosch on the royal oak. 4 tracks of mark s own brand of house music. deep and heady but still has that uplifting vibe.

bienvenue beton! a brand-new act making his mark straight out of the block. little is known about him besides the fact hes from belgium, hes clearly a graduate of the hardfloor school of knocks, hes invested in some serious analogue gear and he knows his way around a kick-ass groove! his latest project sees the launch of his own label trek u plan, which will also have a vinyl imprint. the debut release is the double header balloon/juegd already picking up major support from francois k, catz & dogz, phil kieran, slam, marco carola, psychatron to name a few. balloon is raw rumbling techno hybrid with the backbone a dark thundering drum and sharp pummelling hi hats. jeugd is a collaboration between beton & fellow belgian stealdrum, who introduce flanger madness that transitions into a warm stabbing synth, giving the track it s funk. it is rooted in classic ideas yet updated with the mind on present. for the remix of jeugd, schmutz delivers a uncompromising belter reminiscent of the i love techno days with the likes of dj rush and dave clarke. using one of the long synths in jeugd it creates a tension throughout that, together with frantic drums, give the track immense drive. beton recently presented his debut release on pets records, immediately getting support from carl cox, eats everything, paul ritch, huxley, anja schnieder, yousef, sidney charles, sante and many more. showcasing his raw sound, with straight to the floor slabs of gritty technoid machine funk, bruxelles paid homage to the citys visceral new beat and ebm roots but with contemporary muscle and a titanium jacking groove almost wink-like hypnosis to the acid as it stripped back. voice 64 continued this theme of stark leftfield savagery, once again another physical, concentrated piece of frank, honest techno. pressed on black vinyl in a hand stamped sleeve. early support from francois k, marco carola, audio injection, davide squillace, sasha carassi, slam, luigi madonna

in early 2017, the young australians from parcels may have only released a couple of tracks and yet they are already being compared to »humanized daft punk who would decide to jam along with steely dan and frank ocean.«
the self-produced hideout ep was created over two years. what remains in early 2017 is a unified piece, an ep that is essentially pop but which shines in a unique, exciting and down right groovy light. as a first completed release from parcels, the hideout ep covers a lot of ground.
tracks range from driving electro thumps to softer pop taps. but what is clear in the end is that parcels bring a unique brand of pop music and deliver it with infectious and emotive dance: »already the musicians have made a statement with their harmonious feel-good funk-pop.« (the 405)

a pair of naughty as you like sample heavy tribal house music rumblers. rapture inducing grooves for the more discerning floor. these gents have had some big label releases, but the names have been changed to protect the innocent. get involved. vinyl only slab. hand stamped 45rpm loud cut for club play.

ltd 2017 repress , rest in peace andreas. your music will live on forever. andreas gehm, before his untimely death, announced on his board he wasn t coming back on stage but he had releases in the pipeline of important labels. two of these tracks were meant to involve. tribute to the master of german acid.

another top notch bokhari outing! stephen is a scotsman but sounds like he is from detroit - he was also on bk013 where he shared an ep with hiver and provided us with the excellent theme from sapl.this time he s on his own. early 90s uk electronica and of course, the inescapable detroit blueprint run deep through this one, the unmistakably chewy, tangible heft of analogue sonics married perfectly with emotive melodies. a welcome whiff of azymuth era kenny larkin clings to the whole ep, while cologne collective noorden regular ikpathua lays out a spacious and deeply atmospheric rendition too...

the end of the year is coming closer, but we ain t getting tired yet - a very warm welcome to slamb, tilman, enliven and dj psychiatre to our whyte series! from sleazy sample based rides to glimmering late nite anthems - it s all up in here.
300 x 12 inch / 180gr / hand stamped / vinyl only!

the last essential outing of 2017 for the play it say it label is from legendary dj and producer harry romero. globally acclaimed and recognised star harry romero has been a driving force in the scene since the 90s. he’s released on such seminal labels as sex mania, power music and strictly rhythm, but also contemporary imprints like ovum and defected. never far from the dance charts and an inductee into pete tong s hall of fame, harry’s own bambossa records is another fine chapter in his definitive story. here he shows off his current sound across three fresh tracks. opening up the ep is the arresting ‘mother earth,’ a percussive and tribal number with pinging kicks and loose hits all encouraging you to cut shapes. bright synths rise up through the mix to bring some tension and drama and crowds are certain to react with hands in the air. the masterfully mangled ‘lesson on swing’ is a vibrant brew of skewed synths and surging bass, vocal yelps and wonky chords that will freak out any floor. it’s another robust and full fat tune from the studio of harry romero. last of all is ‘scatter’, a high-pressure tune with characteristically big drums and fat bass all overlaid with vocal effects that build the intensity. hooky little synth motifs and metallic percussion all add to the steaminess and ensure this a huge anthem in the making. this is a top trio of tunes that are imbued with all the knowledge and know how of a real house legend

the debut album from fast-rising moscow based producer harry light will celebrate robot ranch s 10th release and anniversary, with the range of atmospheric out of space audio structures and analogue deep house/techno flavors there s a lot of things to discover inside. -coaster- delivers stripped back deep techno grooves while trainspotting explores the functional delights of minimalistic sound. -chapter i draw the dub techno dancing realms and nights before finishing the first vinyl with deep atmospheric vibes. unpacking second vinyl you ll find dilemma more dark but very functional dancefloor heater with deeper roller friday night affair on the same side. the lp headliner northern lights brings in with the raw techno palette heavily influenced by its garage sub bass. acid-house dancefloor tool and secret weapon right moment unleash the vinyl number two. happily, there is much to find and listen on the third vinyl. uk rain delivers dusty, sample-heavy deep house groover with touch of garage hooks, while strong iv holds the melody and dubby chords in more classical way filling the mood with beauty and immersed in thought. amayak drives you fastly into jacking-house dancefloor groover which will leave you there without hope for salvation. the last but not least headswing gets you into the hypnotic voodoo thrill or maybe as an act: you discover yourself in center of pbar dancefloor diving into the depth.

lie of the land debuts on porn wax with an appropriately subterranean take on the acid house formula, amping up the delay feedback and weaving accomplished waves of melody in between the floor-minded components of the music. chapparal is especially deep diving, tapping into a late night mood for backroom beauties and beasts to sway rhythmically to. navigator has sharper edges, but is no less hypnotic and subliminal in its approach. the porn wax stamp is a trusted destination for left of centre tackle for stranger dancefloors, and lie of the land understands their unique vibe innately.

keeping things on a strictly low key tip comes the second release from instinct, serving up nothing but razor-sharp uk garage for those who love the deeper side of el b et al. together kicks proceedings off with a nagging 4x4 bump and some beautifully mellow melodies, while motion heads into slightly moodier territory without losing that crafty beat programming nous. voodoo is a more bugged out jam with some heavy processing and a preference for atmospheric touches throughout. realise keeps the quality up once more, rounding the ep off with yet more future-minded goodness that should get all switched on selectors reaching for these instinct 12inches again and again.

having cruised around labels such as la luna, tusk wax and most tellingly back to the balearics, maricopa has already left a trail of smooth-sailing breadcrumbs behind him, and now he drops anchor in a harbour which may yet prove to be his spiritual home. is it balearic? is a question that hardly needs to be asked when you re drifting out to sea on the blissful tones of benthos or reveling in the expressive ripples of deer, but it s safe to say these jams would go down smooth with a mediterranean sunset and an aperol spritz.

root down is an exclusive and strictly limited 7inch single for dj oonops upcoming compilation oonops drops vol.1. the track will be available on the compilation too, but only on this 45 you ll get the instrumental version. oonops is hosting a monthly, successful broadcast show on brooklyn radio (nyc) since four years. a few months ago he selected the album nautiloid quest for agogo records new japanese signing nautilus and worked together with them for this single. oonops idea behind this reinterpretation of root down was a slower, jazzy laidback atmosphere combined with a female voice for the beastie boys lyrics. so he asked nautilus mastermind toshi to arrange a new instrumental and german singer fleur earth to sing over this track.

ikeaboy is the intermittent project from damian tubbritt, who first debuted the moniker more than ten years ago. it s been a long while since any fresh material from this deep cover curio of oddball techno hit wax, but now wicked bass have done the honourable thing and gathered up this excellent trio of tracks. shape memory plies a funky line in squelchy bass and jangling delay trills, while living in the future opts for a more mysterious, pad soaked trip into spooked out electro. on the b-side dayna sports some forthright drum machine beats and epic sweeps of synths that only serve to confound any expectations you might have about the sound of ikeaboy.

so, after a little break we’re back with a new release. this time we’re joined by the multi-talented production powerhouse that is swarm intelligence (aka simon hayes). landing heavy with four bruising techno cuts that each find their own unique way of taking your head off, ear017 is a bumpy journey through darker club flavours. ‘flatlands’ opens things up, reminiscent of the type of marching, granite-heavy brum techno of old – this is minimal in construction but maximum in its impact. move forward to ‘ground up’ where demonic, dissonant keys take the lead above a rattling midrange that sounds like a corrugated roof ready to fly off. opting for cleaner, elastic drum patterns on ‘tingla’, hayes swaps tense for dense, with a loud take on steppy techno, that’ll please fans of some of blawan’s earlier work. ‘skitz’ starts out an a more dub tip with a wailing, paranoia inducing hook and snaking rhythms, eventually joined by more hard-hitting broken kicks, leading us comfortably into oblivion.

idle hands continues its quest to support new talent coming out of bristol with a fresh 12inch from local beatsmith crump. up to this point, he s been quietly slipping out razor sharp reduced house cuts on various artist releases for extended play and banoffee pies, but it s high time he had a 12inch of his to truly showcase his sound. the two tracks on this single tap into a consistent thread on idle, fusing the minimal sensibilities of contemporary european house music with a swung, dub-weighted presence fit for soundsystem consumption in the fair city we call home. much like previous releases from leif, christian jay and matt karmil, this is a demonstration of stripped down music loaded with swagger. -ice & spheres- pivots around an ear-snagging 2-step shuffle that cuts through any mix, but there s scores of subtlety woven in between the drums to reward the attentive listener. snatches of vocal, distant field recordings, low-blowing synth licks and other unidentifiable sonic matter lurk quietly in the mix to cast a spell on the sleep-deprived twitcher and warm-up head-nodder alike. sporting a brighter disposition thanks to the sheen of its chords, -mechanisms- provides a different vibe on the flip. the beat throws down with a rugged nod to west london broken styles while still tapping into that aforementioned continental 4/4 sensibility, injecting a refreshing variation into the densely populated minimal house landscape while maintaining the meditative qualities that keep the genre close to our hearts

when the growing bin first bloomed from blog and record store to label it was originally intended to be a reissue imprint. if youve kept your ear to the ground and head in the bin, you’ll know that isnt exactly how it went down. but for this release we are going back to the scheme a young basso dreamed up in his adolescent years: bring back the rare, unknown and unfindable.

make believe disco, the energetic younger sibling in the sleazybeats family of labels, continues to provide quality modern club jams ! this time they welcome ouvrijster to the make believe disco fold. ouvrijster might be dutch for old spinster , but we re not dealing with some old hag with edm aspirations here. a fresh face from amsterdam s bustling scene is behind the moniker, making his debut on the label with a three-track affair that ticks all the right boxes: sample-heavy disco gear, dusty basement beatdown and some proper mahogany vibes make for a killer ep.

the industry of dance music can be as soul-crushing as any other. those thrills and spills of late, loud nights come with a best-before expiry date, after which even the most seasoned selector-producer-scenemaker begins to wrinkle their nose. to have experienced it all over 15+ years and seek to see it unfold again through fresh eyes, what sort of lunatic would willingly put themselves through that? v would. so its a new character, but who was the mysterious v in a past life? make your own conclusions. a little digging will lead you toward the origin story, but sometimes the pleasure comes from the unknowing. opt to enjoy the silence. silence, however, is not the focal point for v. in fact, this new form is a way to discard baggage and revitalise the process of music making.

the uks best kept secret chocky returns to dessous recordings after the success of his first outing, the well received self knowledge ep. here we see the talented dj / producer drop four tracks via the playtime ep - yet more sublime house music for steve bugs imprint. ‘double dip is a chunky, stripped down vibe, reduced the vitals that will slay dancefloors - firing percussion over a shuffling groove and a cut-up vocal reminiscent of pepe bradock. ‘organism is a deep affair - spacy pads provide the counterbalance to the tough drum track, softening the edges but keeping the vibe high. ‘soul alive taps into chockys clear appreciation for the 90s, with a strong vocal, atmospheric strings and a loose yet crispy beat. ‘playtime (dub) brings the whole ep home with yet another stormer - beginning as a driving basement jam but then introducing an unexpected piano riff that flips the script and takes things in a welcome jazzy direction.

future music from new kanada s frontman adam marshall. sometimes its hard to categorize certain tracks and these ones are from outa space. it reminds me a lot of the time when we all discovered the first playhouse records from isolee, losoul and soylent green. magic moments which at first listen maybe not seem to work on the dancefloor because they are too challenging, but if you find the right moment they gonna work wonder…tip!

vocal trance? yes. but probably not as you would imagine. here is friday dunard from cologne.

3byk debuts with a release of a strong and uncompromising techno.
a1 track is a 12 min passage through distorted acid lines and a heavy bass groove
b1 has a powerful flow and a heavy but funky rhythm
b2 is a drunk synth over a strong drum pattern

180 gram brazilian polysom re-issue of the polydor original.
one of the hardest rocking albums ever cut by os mutantes – a record that’s got a slightly ironic take on rock and roll styles of the time – still performed with the sense of drama and humor that always made the band so great! rita lee and arnaldo baptista are still in the group at this point, and they’re working amidst a heavy wave of guitars that echo out with a bit of keyboards and some rhythms that are chunky enough to almost be called funky at times, but sweet and dreamy at others – all produced with a flanged-out finish that makes the whole thing sound great!

an incredible album from lo borges one of the best singer/songwriters on the brazilian scene of the 70s! borges first burst into the spotlight for his work on the club da esquina album by milton nascimento and his work as part of miltons corner club really helped shape the style of the more famous singer. yet borges is almost an equally great talent on his own with a soaring, soulful approach that’s every bit as great as the best nascimento material from the period and recorded in a wonderfully similar spirit! the sound here is completely sublime right from the start music that moves us, even if we can t understand the language of the lyrics like some of the best work by caetano veloso and gilberto gil. there’s maybe a bit more guitar than on some of the milton nascimento work of the period but used in a fuzzy way that slides in nicely with some of the jazzy phrasing of the instrumentation which is delivered with help from key contemporaries who include beto guedes, nelson angelo, toninho horta, and tenorio jr. the songwriting is amazing and titles include cancao postal, voce fica melhor assim, nao foi nada, calibre, faca seu jogo, toda essa agua,pensa voce, como o machando, and aos baroes.

cachai limited releases # 3, 4 & 5 all bundled up for one special price!

much may have changed over a two-decade period, but drumcode s commitment to releasing the scene s most cutting-edge and refined techno remains resolute. 2017 has already seen releases from adam beyer vs pig&dan, alan fitzpatrick, ilario alicante, julian jeweil, as well as a debut album from layton giordani. the label continues push forwards, bringing fail-safe, club-ready music to the techno community. perennial pushers of the techno envelope, dense & pika are renowned for their standout studio output that seems to constantly conjure up a particularly unique take on their distinct sound, d&p have rather outdone themselves in 2017. kicking off the year with a selection of back catalogue remixes from the likes of danny daze, scuba, slam and yotam avni that illustrated the high esteem in which d&p are held by their peers right across the spectrum, from heritage acts to current headliners and cutting edge talent, the duo have gone on to drop bomb after bomb after bomb. their universally lauded remix of tiga s louder than a bomb was the first of a run of chart topping cuts, with a remix of me & her s wild rage on jamie jones hottrax imprint and their own casino single both challenging the norm of what techno sounds like in the here and now. cooked up with a more melodic vibe and fusing elements of house and techno, dense & pika s latest outing on drumcode offers something different compared to their previous work. there is still that vintage feel to each of the tracks with analogue sounds and arrangements born and developed from experimental studio jams. indeed, suki heavily utilizes the distinct harmonic tones of the dave smith prophet 8 keyboard. while little sun - a staple of d&p performances over the last three months - delivers a more classic drumcode sound. lanky closes out the release with an infectious slab of wonderfully wonked-out raw funk

after solemnly closing out the spc-series in 2016, jeroen search hands in his second ep of the year for figure. carrying his signature style, these tunes embody the live-recording feel he is known for, perfectly executed and arranged in clean-cut layers. both tracks on the a-side feature big and beefy beats, their generous sub-range creating ample space for the juxtaposing elements to effectively slice through, whether it be the penetrating bleeps of deduced or the piercing rides on interval. things get bumpy on the flip when the rugged but undeniable groove of steady pulse firmly stands its ground against repeated onslaughts of flailing percussion. the jolty rhythms and tinkling loops of endless circles may seem like it being the odd one out, but unexpectedly merge into an intricate mesh of sounds, making for a most memorable closer to this jam-packed ep.

the pieces were created as structured improvisations using a monophonic synth (primarily) along with a yamaha dx7 (borrowed from a friend) and possibly a guitar. recording was made on an older otari mx5050 1/2 8 track. mixing was done on a tascam m-50 console and a revox a77 1/4 machine. i recall the project happened in two bursts: i did half of it in september 85, then i finished up and edited the album together in december 85. i dont really recall making copies for anyone. i think i played it for a dozen people and that was it. just forgot about it. i remember jeff ament from pearl jam (green river back then) came by while i had it playing on my home stereo. he asked what it was and said he liked it. surprised me a little. with regard to overall aesthetic: i like the sound of machinery, but i enjoy the fragility of human error and human instinct. i like to put things into motion then climb aboard and drive. i can’t play an instrument (in the classical sense) for the life of me, so i’ve always just played things that are mostly choice rather than a convolution of style and technique. i guess you call that the brian eno school of rock.

who is der opium queen? a royalty in the locality, but unknown to the masses, makes a wave to everyone for the first time with his 12” “in the clouds”. here you can find hot and humid tracks coming straight from the tschungle, then chopped and transported straight to the turntable.

there are tracks that only deploy their full meaning when pumping through the speakers of a dark club. to give shelter to the latter, hivern kick starts a new series of vinyl-only splits dedicated to club-ready cuts by artists in our orbit. to launch the series, we count with both a well-known hivern stalwart and a new addition to the label. side a is dedicated to cel avall , a track that has been hidden in marc pinol s vaults for way too many years. with it s slow pace and direct but hypnotic feel, it sounds as if one of the pioneers of the first wave of chicago house had spent a night dancing to danielle baldelli at the cosmic club. in the b-side, aurora 2 , by norwegian producer charlotte bendiks, also has something of the rawness and minimalism of the first chicago sound. a perpetually fresh energy that, combined with her nonchalant vocal phrasings, provides the track with her distinctive blend of darkness, sensuality and cheekiness. the visual concept of the series has been developed by london based design studio dr.me

byron s ballads is a dance treat on the housey-ish vibe showing ceephax s melodic skills in full flow. citylink is a smooth house/disco track ideal for cruising the ocean highways and downtown boulevards. sneaker is a poundy 303 classic with an emotional melody which is simultaneously uplifting and melancholy. haliphax is based on ceephax s earlier -friend track- but has a nice camelot chord arrangement and disco finale that takes it to medieval heights. the hague is a simple upbeat house track with wintery strings and distant pianos over a throbby bassline.

at its core, organn is a record about love and duality. taking inspiration from isidore-lucien ducasse’s poem les chants de maldoror, the record is antagonistic yet often drops its temper to reveal blistered beauty within the chaos. such are the contradictory elements within the compositions themselves: widescreen claustrophobia, glimmering sludge, piercing vhs ambience. visuals come courtesy of french mixed-media artist, thomas hauser. hauser’s imagery similarly evokes retrograde surrealism and further insists on a narrative at work here, with obscured characters playing out alongside mantric piano, filmic vox and hyperspeed jungle.

does this need an explanation? my two favourite dj sides from stark reality catalog, for say brother i fixed the eq and made it a bit more club friendly also editing the crazy tripped out ending out which maybe controversial but always freaked the dance floor out so i cut that out to gain some extra volume and bass. on the flip we got bustin out of doors which has always been a favourite warm-up record again without the random ending. to make it extra cute i used the o.g hoagy carmichael’s music shop illustration. 500 only, no repress.

limited 2017 repress !! / only 1 per customer
new andres 12inch debut on his own label la vida. andres is one that really needs no introduction, but for those unfamiliar here it is: andres, aka dj dez, is one of detroits unsung heros of underground music. since the late 90s andres has built up an extremely respectable catalog of that blurs the boundaries between genres, most notably his records on kdj and mahogani music. not to forget, dj dez is also slum villages dj, has recorded many hip hop instrumental on hipnotech records, and his hand is on countless other detroit records. definitely one of the most consistent producers we’ve got here whose music can be summed up in one word: quality!

a strong selection of remixes for dj emersons latest album >repetitive music<. johannes heil strips things down and delievers a monotone monster of a track with a heavy and dark kickdrum. yan cook puts the broken beats of >anonymous< straight and transfers it into a throbbing dark and heavy track. markus suckut aka tales of the machines is having one of his most succesful years ever with the release of his album and the uprise of his exile label. this track really shows what his t.o.t.m. moniker is all about. nothing but pure unadulterated techno in the most underground sense. oliver deutschmann delievers a groove driven version of >string theory< great rolling tune with a perfect sound and build-up.

cpu and dance musics polymath neil landstrumm share a love for classic bleep techno, hence landstrumm has brought to the table four superb reminders of the criminally short lived genre. with spine tingling melodies reminiscent of 808 state s best work, and sub-bass worthy of lfo s bass-bin shaking reputation. a death, a mexican and a mormon perfectly encapsulates not only landstrumms influences but also his deep seated love for bleep. a labour of love which the sheffield based imprint has been only all too happy to encourage and hopes will keep the genre alive for generations to come.

dusk & dawn is private agenda s most conceptual work to date. sat at a grand piano, the pair composed two nocturnes over the course of twelve moonlit hours, chronicling the allure and mystique of the night. building on an emotive pop foundation, developed over releases on international feel and their own nightshift imprint, dusk & dawn is a deeper sonic exploration that pays closer attention to ambience and sound design. dusk is an enchanting take on new wave pop, referencing talk talk and early simple minds. a drum machine beats a half-time groove while a dusty but characterful synthesizer pulls the track towards it s cathartic dream-pop apex. dawn draws on contemporaries like imaginary softwoods and croatian amor, bringing the listener down to earth into lucidity. beautiful arpeggios soar over reverse guitars, wistful lyricism is coupled with detailed ambience. a blissful meditation to ease you into the day. remixes come from faze action, ron basejam and ian blevins who all add their deft to touch to dawn and offer up flavors from different corners of the dance floor to this adriatic / balearic influenced piece of music.

a true balearic classic. one of a handful of records that can comfortably boast this title, elkin & nelson’s 1979 classic jibaro sits in the canon of selections that enlightened the ears of the jet-set and globe trotting music fanatics in the heady and much storied years of the white isle in the 1980’s. the colombian brothers javier and leon marin velez brought their own rustic brand of folksy-rock-psychedelia to the listening public in 1974 with their debut lp angeles y demonios on columbia records. the brothers had relocated to spain, snared a major label deal and ran with it. the first of 3 lps it proved a big hit in later years with adventurous dj’s and selectors. a cult record you might say. of course, this lp featured jibaro in all it’s forms, but it is this 1986 reissue 12” promo pressing with its iconic, distinctive jacket that was the coveted slab sonic adventurers were seeking. fully sanctioned and legitimately remastered from the original sources and packaged in its original columbia promo sleeve jibaro is back on the shelves, still an incredible record that gets pulled by the most discerning selectors across the globe. a true classic, featured here in its long and short versions as per the ’86 release. absolute top-shelf stuff here, essential, must own and classic.

legendary los hermanos member santiago salazar’s album ‘aspirations for young xol’ is given a vinyl release courtesy of rekids. a heartfelt dedication to his son isaias, ‘aspirations for young xol’ takes us through the life of a pillar in the electronic music community - santiago salazar. from his formative years spent in california to his connection with detroit and the passing of a childhood friend, the long-player’s tracks signpost the musician’s significant experiences, both positive and negative. this meaningful body of work was released digitally on pastel voids and now rekids release the album on wax. ‘saturated fear’ sets a deep tone for the lp, flanging melodies and echoing claps float through the composition before the album’s title track ‘aspirations for young xol’ offers haunting arpeggios with occasional acidic overtones which are cleverly offset by beautifully designed lead synth transitions. ‘bloodlines’ follows a similar musical vein with delayed bass riffs that are suspended above shimmering hihats and a weighted kick. santiago provides three beatless pieces throughout, which digress into more emotional territory whilst offering brief respite from his heavier drum work. ‘xol’s pain’ combines orchestral strings and swelling synthesisers which build tension with a subtly complex, evolving motif. both ‘dark matter’ and ‘ode to stinson’ use arresting atmospheres, warped arpeggios and ethereal pads which lull the listener into a retrospective mood. an intensity builds in the later tracks, a gritty but powerful low end provides a solid foundation in ‘orange blossom thump”, eventually making way for a hectic and elastic lead synth before ‘pachuco dub’ displays drones that build a dissonant pressure in which the complex tom rhythms and rolling hi hats can grow. ‘sarah rivera’ hypnotises with its delectable chord progressions and complimentary melodies which seem to float above a rigid drum composition to close the album with style

forriner is lee forster and oli worriner.
i made music together with lee for years (alongside mick rolfe) as last waltz. he also worked as lizards with james hadfield (james released solo for me me me 02), oli worriner, is a talented young northerner who’s already making a great name for his solo output, both under his own name and his traela alias, as well his label “tunnyl recordings”.
i’m really flattered that they’ve let me release their first full solo release, and i love how they’ve brought out each others deeper and more emotive sides in these 2 tracks. shit robot is a hero of mine. i basically wore out the grooves on a bunch of his dfa stuff from just over 10 years ago, and i’ve avidly bought everything he’s released since. i met him this summer for the first time when we shared the bill at a festival, and was so happy to find that he’s also lovely guy in real life. they say you should never meet your heroes, but i don’t subscribe to that as this meeting led to not one, but two fantastic remixes for me me me 08. the originals are a bright mix of melodically analogue left leaning house, while the remixes zero-in on a punchier dancefloor vibe, with an epic version goodnight, as well a more heads down disco dub.
so yeah, links within links, and keeping it northeastern again i guess.