rezz s involvement in the toronto scene helped grow her gritty style. events like bassmentality and older shows at the legendary guverment helped shape not only rezz, but an era of electronic music producers who became inspired from early dj college tours. mass manipulation is a commentary on how easily our minds can become manipulated by the things we consume in society. we consume heavily through the media, which, in turn, tries to curate our thoughts and dictate how we as humans are supposed to live and behave. this album plays off this idea and invites people to become hypnotized, allowing their brains to be manipulated by my music in the hope they might see things through a new perspective (perhaps an outer world viewpoint). one where everyone is free from the unrealistic expectations planet earth has drawn for them. a world of acceptance and hypnosis.

optimo trax presents a 4-track ep from germanys mathias schober, head honcho of berlin’s lossless label. as always we prefer to let our artists do the talking. heres what mathias has to say about this release - the idea behind all tracks on the ep was a simple setup of drums and one synth that would do a main sequence/sound, yet theres a lot of detail in all of them. in a certain way features a 808ish beat with a main sequence coming from a tiny monophon synth called atmegatron - 8bit love, it turned out being much more music than i thought it would be when i set everything up. but what rules are made for is the same setup but the sequence is a 101 and so are all the washed out fx synths. on is to break them i went a different route, i had the dub, delayed stabs synth first as i was messin with my moog and a space echo - which btw is used on every single track i release, if you haven’t noticed yet. so i was trying to build something around those stabs in order to fit the track to the others and so i ended up with another sequence coming from my moog. as there was still space on the record, i decided to add an ambient version of is to break them, i love the ambience on this track. i hope that my love for dub sounds is obvious enough on these tracks. happy i found such an excellent home for the ep!

hot on the heels of the first two parts comes part three of hoshs stories from sa talaia series. the series takes tracks from his recently released album of the same name and releases them on his new fryhide label. first up are two collaborations with pig&dan. atlantis is not a fairy tale, a spine tingling tune with shifting melodies above rolling rubber beats. it s emotive and colourful and sets a nice mood to start off. the second brotherhood balearea is deep and elastic, with nice rubber beats and spraying synths bringing some real dynamism to the table. one of those tunes sven väth would drop at those special ibiza after parties. awakening of the birds a collaboration with karmon takes off right there and keeps you in that trance but gets more groovy with its inducing light footed drums, airy hi hats and skyward melodies all zoning you out. last of all, meeting mia lee is a beautifully melodic track that really moves you and strikes a resonant chord with your heart as the smooth and deep house vibes unfold. speaking of heart it features the heartbeat of hoshs unborn daughter. once again then, this is another richly rewarding ep from the one and only hosh.

after releasing their first two releases on one disc, the third release on amsterdam imprint working titles is a release on its own. label founders scott franka & kaap are behind the label s third release that features two epic tracks from the dutch pair and again finds them exploring new and exciting techno territory with their lively machine jams.
first track poise i is a deep and dubbed out techno track with deft synths slowly shapeshifting and bringing sombreness to the quickened groove. it’s late night music to zone you out with sparse but rich detailing to keep your mind occupied and it gets ever-busier over the course of thirteen enthralling minutes. then poise ii is a 16 minute masterpiece that is watery and dubby. it has undulating synth currents and increasingly textured snares. building to a peak then pulling back, with occasional freaky vocal sounds and sci-fi motifs, it is a truly cinematic piece that closes out an ambitious ep.

spezial offer!!! form and function’s second release comes by the hand of a. brehme. over the years the brussels based artist has build a solid reputation as a dj through both frequent appearances as well as curating his own nights at fuse club in brussels. this alongside being a coresident together with peter van hoesen at technoon and playing in clubs such as de school, grelle forelle, suicide circus and more. after years of silent but devoted work in the studio a. brehme is ready to release his debut ep consisting of four powerful cuts that perfectly reflect the sound and mindset he gained his reputation with.

on the a-side things start of with “inityiat” which simply can be seen as a distorted form of “initiation”. starting of hypnotic, the track slowly progresses adding a plethora of subtle percussive elements. an ethnic and mysterious chanting complements the latter throughout the sonic voyageand caters for a promising start. part two of the a-side, “hata isler”, takes off where “inityiat” ended, but amplified in strength. subliminal voices manipulated harmoniously into the pads are mixed with sophisticated alternations of snares and hats. the result: a perfect continuation of the spirit the first track. side b commences with “insan”, a title that serves the track right. straight forward, upgrading the tempo of the previous tracks into a drive that’s impossible to resist. the maelstrom of drones and soundscapes on a layer of thundering sounds, induce a new stage of sonic hypnosis, until it gradually phases out into silence. “tzotzil” on the other hand is a skillfuly crafted tooltrack that’s build around a glooming and reverbing baseline.

amongst hip-hop fans, boogie down productions first two albums criminal minded (1987) and by all means necessary (1988) both loom very large. and for good reason: they both captured one of the late 1980s most important and influential crews at their highest powers of lyricism and musical invention. that being said, too many people sleep on bdps third lp, ghetto music. released in 1989, when the hip-hop world was truly beginning to explode and reach new heights of sales and exposure around the world, the album is arguably as powerful as the groups first two. as on by all means necessary, in the wake of the tragic death of original founder, producer and dj scott larock, krs-one pushed along mightily on the production side, with help from his extended crew. musically the sound created on albums 2 & 3 was funky, catchy, and continually innovative, giving him the perfect backdrop to build his edutainment syllabus. lyrically there was never a question about krsã power, and on ghetto music he continues to impress, teach and ask important questions. clear cases in point are two of the albumãs singles, you must learn and why is that? but he gets even deeper on lesser-jocked tracks like the anti-police thought-piece who protects us from you (still sadly relevant in 2017), ghetto music and world peace. still as strong and entertaining today as it was almost three decades ago, this new reissue is a perfect way for younger fans to embrace one of the most underrated hip-hop platters of the era.

the visionary talents of multi-instrumentalist zach witness have sprouted full life in this world, lending his sonic touch to the bulk of erykah badus latest album, but you caint use my phone (motown records). this project was brought to life with erykah badu at the badudio and world witness studios in zach witness hometown, dallas, texas. this project put him on a unique trajectory, harnessing his intricately designed fusion productions into the periphery of an entirely new audience around the world. his forthcoming debut ep, electric revival: rise of an outkast nation, is the first project to find the light of day after this expansion phase, initially created as a birthday gift to zach witness friend and collaborator, andre 3000. the catalyst behind the creation of electric revival has a very specific initiation point. during the recordings for but you caint use my phone, erykah badu called on andré 3000 for collaborative assistance. this would result in the albums last track, hello, created at the home studio zach witness has lived in his whole life. this moment in time compelled zach witness to create an offering for andré 3000, and this was in the form of an entire body of music. electric revival takes on the stories of the lives entangled around societys most crippling and hopeless of situations. the social and political intentions of the ep paints a very defined purpose in this context. experience the transformative sounds of zach witness and his debut manifesto.

jazzman records releases the third volume of its jukebox mambo compilation series, artfully selected by dj liam large. a journey through the popular american music of the 1950s influenced by exotic rumba and afro-latin seasoned rhythm and blues. featuring rarities and unearthed gems from percy mayfield, roy gaines, chuz alfred, monogram caribbean orchestra, and many more. the twenty-four track compilation comes complete with in-depth track notes and photographs, as well as a deluxe double vinyl edition with gatefold sleeve, and a super limited edition vintage style 6 x 10inch book set with unique artwork and four exclusive bonus tracks

one year after its debut release, in any case is back with its third record, delivering, as planned, a large organic and groovy sound-scape.this time, co-founder mal... cutouane - sorry - is taking the lead with an edit flawlessly handled , you ll find an uptempo driving beat, a collection of horns and vocals but most importantly, a killer bassline that won t fail at keeping your dancefloor tight. next to him, you ll trip on one of the newcomer to the imprint, kaffe crème, teaming up with co-founder g2s on an hybrid track. this one won t disappoint you with its funky bassline, jazzy and lush rhodes layers, horn ensemble and lastly, mellow pads and sax solo , everything cleverly arranged on top of a massive beat. this one already got dancefloor-proofed this summer and should represent a nice addition to your sets. on the other side, you ll find another new face on in any case named 4004. he worked on a mellow sounding house groove, with jazzy drums samples and a mean bassline below some lush electric piano samples. this one will make your head move anywhere you ll listen to. we ve then got the same team as on a side , g2s & kaffe crème, with a more chopped up track, blending up a disco beat and bassline supported by some house drums and jazz samples for an unusual yet pleasant feeling. closing this third adventure, manuel nie from iac002 is returning to the label with a leftfield downtempo joint, all groovy and organic sounding, perfect for those lazy sunday afternoons.

iron curtis is back on hudd traxx with the second installment of his lights ep. much like the first round that dropped earlier in the year, the man like johannes paluka is on sterling form, dealing in the kind of refined yet earthen, deep but punchy house music hes built his name on to date. spectral is the consummate opener, deft piano chords and rock solid drums with additional dubby fx pulsing through the mix. well well well is a sunnier affair aiming for that euphoric terrace moment, while see ya brings a rough swing to the party with a cosy, intimate line in soulful sample licks. l&p finishes the ep off with a warm, acidic bassline and more of that deep diving beatdown business.

it does not happen that often any more that unreleased music from 40 years ago surfaces. even more unlikely it is that the songs put on tape are such treasures. the voltags were right at the forefront of the local washington dc new wave/punk scene of the late 1970s. influenced by kraftwerk, gary numan, the clash, and the b-52 s, they have released only one 45rpm single during their existence. but during the time span of not even 18 months, they had recorded enough material for an entire album - but the songs remained in the can. this is the story of the voltags, a short-lived band which could have become famous and mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned music legends of that era if their songs had been released back in the day. dive in and enjoy the sound of the voltags, it is truly special. we here at perfect toy are thrilled to be label to finally release their work and we sincerely hope that they are finally getting the appreciation they so richly deserve.

the cowboy moved slowly out of the booth and into the studio. you could tell by the look in his eyes, that the half-dozen shots of chivas regal had put his ego to rest, and he was ready to sing with the lady. they sang for three nights - the cowboy and the lady, and the gods were kind, and their album was finished on time. herein, lie the results…some good, some bad and some more. - lee hazlewood

it does not happen that often any more that unreleased music from 40 years ago surfaces. even more unlikely it is that the songs put on tape are such treasures. the voltags were right at the forefront of the local washington dc new wave/punk scene of the late 1970s. influenced by kraftwerk, gary numan, the clash, and the b-52 s, they have released only one 45rpm single during their existence. but during the time span of not even 18 months, they had recorded enough material for an entire album but the songs remained in the can. this is the story of the voltags, a short-lived band which could have become famous and mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned music legends of that era if their songs had been released back in the day. dive in and enjoy the sound of the voltags, it is truly special. we here at perfect toy are thrilled to be label to finally release their work and we sincerely hope that they are finally getting the appreciation they so richly deserve

recorded in new york’s avatar studios in may 2017 and produced by manfred eicher, blue maqams brings tunisian oud master anouar brahem together with three brilliant improvisers. for anouar brahem and dave holland the album marks a reunion: they first collaborated 20 years ago on the very widely-acclaimed thimar album. brahem meets jack dejohnette for the first time here, but holland and dejohnette have been frequent musical partners over the last half-century beginning with ground-breaking work with miles davis – their collaborations are legendary. british pianist django bates also rises superbly to the challenge of brahem’s compositions. and anouar in turn is inspired to some of his most outgoing playing. blue maqams is a highlight of ecm’s autumn season.
180 gram double vinyl release.

debut solo single from aaron frazer of durand jones & the indications. aaron’s super sweet, silvery falsetto was featured on “is it any wonder?” on the indications’ debut lp, but aaron steps out here with some low-down gospel soul with some help from friends including eli paperboy reed.

we have always loved pure essence so delighted to be able to revisit the lp track and 45 as a 7- with third rock (less rare but imho better track) on the a side from a brand new master done by myself. untouchable disco funk of the highest order, ltd to 500 as are all the now-again vault release, no repress.

cheap present was formed in 2013 as a collaborative project between melbourne artists env and luis cl serving as an outlet for the pair to experiment outside of their main musical acts and subsequent genre limitations.
cheap present’s music is mostly recorded live in the studio with minimal overdubs and draws sounds and influences from various sources. using old keyboards and samples mixed with digital high definition sounds, the duo create a mixture of raw elements from the techno and dance tradition with a nod to classical melodies and industrial music. each song features heavy drums to highlight the melodic playfulness of their bass, synth arrangements and humorous but expressive vocals and song titles. the anterior mini lp follows on from the duo’s wet garden cassette earlier in the year and presents a collection of material looking back from the group’s creation in 2013 to more recent output. the pair’s evolution is clearly on display on the this 12 inch, from initial jam based songs such as waterproofyouth and bergwasser, which have a spontaneous metallic edge, to new songs such as rooftops, which display a more meticulous and mature approach to production.

beck’s 1998 album back on vinyl with code for high quality digital download included.

12 inch housed in die-cut sleeve. vinyl-only release. -trust is good but control is better.-

hailing from helsingborg but living in berlin since 2012, swedish street artist and electronic musician erik jaahalli releases his debut on borft. with smudgy analog romantic morning theme tracks bordering between chicago house, detroit techno and european new beat influences. but what youre hearing is geographically the sound of lichtenberg berlin now and more specifically the morning vibe at the private continous party domestic affairs. lennie the cat and dong xuan center included. -dj joakim cosmo

the delsin re-issue arm turns its attention to lost trax. this ep features four cuts taken from two different eps, the saturnian system and lost trax 2 from 2006 and 2010 respectively. saturnian system opens the ep with some acid laced electro slickness. fluttering snares and spacey synths carry it away into the cosmos, then the sequel gets much busier. scurrying lines dart about in manic but funky fashion, with serene pads off setting the high energy drums. self destruct sequence then drops into an urgent, slippery electronic groove riddled with squelchy sounds and rubbery bass all perfectly orchestrated. last of all, birth is a nimble electronic house cut with plaintive synths and kinetic drums that wiggle and wriggling through the night sky. this is an ep stuffed with timeless sounds and is another essential reissue from delsin.

scenario founder sebo k drops his debut lp - a seven track mini-album - entitled ‘patience’ on rekids in november.
reflecting on 15 years as a producer, sebo k has an admirable discography but recent years have been particularly exciting. the german producer’s continual rise includes recent releases on bass culture, robsoul recordings and tsuba, whilst his vinyl-only label scenario has been putting out wax featuring ian pooley, dj honesty, jus ed, dan curtin, dj deep and diego krause. having cemented a reputation for consistently quality house music, sebo k’s debut on rekids exhibits a refreshing sound from the established artist.

after a feature on steffi s fabric 94 mix cd (and the accompanying dolly deluxe 3 release), late night approach debuts on klakson with a hyper funky electro twelve. the two tracks on the a side both show machine music that s simultaneously human, whether it s the melancholic shards of melody buried under -clarence mews- commanding rhythmic pulsations, or the beautifully striking chords on -luvquest-. however, the b-side takes us to gloomy subterranean pastures with the uptempo banger -primo-, while a2 -kit- crosses over into broken beats but still keeps the same shadowy atmosphere.

quadratschulz delivers his debut album -ww303-. ten tracks make up this vision, a vision of lazers, pulsing neon and gleaming chrome. arcade game memories. curls of acid. electrofunk vocals. synth wave chic. and even some past greats. all are lovingly folded together in this rich and diverse collection. styles are juxtaposed. 303 bars throb and strings soar in the lilting -der rasende roland- whereas -robotic dancer- struts to a future-world funk. quadratschulz sculpts his sound with a wonderfully warm and autumnal quality, as in the cascading synth showers of ferrofluid. yet there are colder moments, the frigid flows of kran sprouting into the chilly house tones of piloten. a tribute to the groundbreaking lfo is also included. bleep festooned chicanery is the offering as ring the bell takes you back to the infamous warehouse parties of 90s britain. and if that weren t enough, the 2lp also comes with downloads for some cracking remixes by dmx krew, andreas gehm, kettel, chris moss acid and posthuman to name but a few. a wide angle view of quadratschulz s unique sound.

back with the heat, chicago native dj jana rush kicks off objects limitedÕs 2017 with her debut album ÔpariahÕ. jana rush received attention for her mind-bending drum acrobatics on last year s Ômpc 7635Õ ep also released by objects ltd. jana started djing aged just 13, releasing her first record on dance mania back in 1996 but having a hiatus from music between 2000 to 2013. with ÔpariahÕ she has created an album rooted in chicago s footwork sound, but with a myriad of influences, such as jungle, acid, soul, jazz and house, developing her sound on from Ômpc 7635Õ. by popular demand from a kickstarter, now on vinyl

frankie say relax . those three words in black letters on white oversized t-shirts persist as a main part of the imagery of the eighties. but even if you take away all the malcolm mclaren-styled-marketing, welcome to the pleasuredome still stands out as one of the seminal records of the decade. the re-mastering of this album will make your head spin and is the first that does the trevor horn production justice.
pressing on audiophile 190 gram double vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

for gregory porter, the influence of nat king cole on his life and music runs deep, a through-line that reaches back into some of his earliest childhood memories, and culminates in the release of the two-time grammy-winning vocalist’s stunning fifth studio album nat king cole & me, a heartfelt tribute to the legendary singer, pianist, and capitol recording artist. “he was one of a kind. he left such great music – such beautiful things to listen to that you can’t help but be influenced by that extraordinary timbre, style, and ultimate cool,” porter enthuses.

the northern wind blows hard around me the northern wind cuts me through my leg and bones i do not even know exactly why but i wish i could shout well like the wind, the fiery northern wind october closes his windows because the sky is getting cold and colder it s a nice beach in the morning light seems so deadly silent and i m getting lost here i do not know what i want but the wind that sounds to be heard because a violent storm is on life is an eternal game of pros and cons and the beautiful days come and go always like ebb and flood strange that i cannot explain what makes me so unexplainable when the wind starts to blow and the foam on the water wake up, awake

this may look like just another lp, but in reality, it s a journey. i always made electronic music, but sometimes i wanted to get a musical point across that a synthesizer couldn t reach: the human touch, the perfection of imperfections, atonal experiments, the euphoria of the slightly out-of-tune fuzz guitar. so 7 years ago, my friend weytkin and me started a guitar combo to see what we could do with our collection of guitars and vintage equipment. the only machine i was 100% familiar with was the drummer: my trusty roland tr-808.- – ruud lekx (rude 66, jagdstaffel 66, lekx).

super rhythm trax welcomes phenomenally talented producer john heckle to the label . john has rightly picked up quite a following due to quality output on labels like mathematics, tabernacle, creme and more, not to mention his killer series of techno 12”s under the head front panel name. on this release you’ll find heavy nods to detroit as the music is bursting with soaring chords and emotion but all the time underpinned by the heaviest of 909 beats ! enjoy !

this year sees abba’s the album turn 40, and usm are pleased to announce that we’ll be releasing a selection of products to celebrate the anniversary. abba: the album is the fifth studio album by the swedish pop group abba. it was originally released in scandinavia on 12 december 1977 through polar music and was released in conjunction with abba: the movie, with several of the songs featured in the film. the album contained two uk number-one singles, -take a chance on me- and -the name of the game-, as well as european hits -eagle- and -thank you for the music-. the album includes three songs from abba’s 1977 tour mini-musical the girl with the golden hair. these songs are -thank you for the music-, -i wonder (departure)- and -i’m a marionette-. altogether the album contained just nine songs—the least of any abba album, but were longer in length than previous albums (opening track -eagle- runs to nearly six minutes). abba: the album reached no. 1 in many territories. in the uk it debuted at the top and remained there for seven weeks, ending up as the third biggest selling album of the year (behind the movie soundtrack lps of saturday night fever and grease). in the us it became their highest charting album, where during 1978 abba undertook a big promotional campaign.
half speed mastered at abbey road studios and cut at 45rpm. 180 gram double vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve with download code included.

next up on the main label there is a shureshot by sebastian habben himself. with pasadena he delivers a blinding baseline-journey that evolves into a deep techno track including some heavy dub chords. not as heavy but therefore even more groovy montebello present a slightly house influenced dub track that is matched with classic sounding chords and a cool vocal sample. on the remix duty we are more than happy to see our italian buddy federico alfieri join us with a superb dub techno version of pasadena. give it a spin!

"starting this year with a lethal debut in the venomous ep, bristol based kyrist returns with the remedy this november for her sophomore dispatch release; the antidote ep.
with a profound ability to create stripped back beats with unsurmountable energy, kyrist has mastered the balance of essential minimal grooves, perfectly catered to the big stage.
forging her unique sound at an alarming rate, kyrist presents four tracks delivered with panache; distinctively callous to the core, but constantly building with playful progression.
concluding an impressive year with a busy touring schedule, kyrist seals 2017 in style."

say what you wanna say, but you have to give strahil velchev this: the manÆs a powerhouse. recording and playing live under the kink alias, he went on to become one of finest purveyorÆs of funk in techno and house. what it is, by definition, ainÆt exactly clear. and that is the beauty of it. kinkÆs music is unifying in the best possible way. channeling the spirit and feeling of a time where it didnÆt really matter who the faces behind the music were, kink plays with the elements of genres and sub-genres as if the future of it all is still wide-open. at the same time it could be accused of retro-fetishism, as much as the pope himself is infallible. the pure need to recreate moments, feelings and experience - rather than carbon copies of existing designs - was what started kinkÆs production work. hailing from bulgaria, it was nearly impossible to get your hands on all the records and music that fed into a system of raves, clubs and record shops that seemed far away from sofia, and financially it might as well have meant another galaxy. wanting to dj without having access to the tracks that spun the carousel meant that you had to create them yourselves. so, here we go with a private bootlegger gone public mastermind and one of the loudest voices in house, techno and beyond. from kinkÆs early productions with neville watson to his smash-hit for ovum, a cerebral album for macro, tons of remixes & tracks and his mind-bending live act, playground seems to take all that into a blender. simultaneously a sound-summary, the harvest of a field of ideas, and the exhibition of an artist in his prime, it also works as a sort of kink dictionary: avant-garde soundscapes stand next to boisterous bangers, classic club tracks and peak time emotions

on 005 ken turns away from the light and invites you into the dark with adelaide’s furious frank, who dishes up a selection of psychedelic burners and formidable squelch. on this release frank pays tribute to the many mushroom picking spots in the surrounding hills of his hometown, and does them justice with an assortment of broken beats, affected drum flourishes and paranoid synths. over the course of the 5-tracker, frank presents sounds for the frayed final edges of a night out dancing, where shadows start to play tricks on the mind and each remaining track poses more questions than answers. none typify this nervous energy more so than a2 “dangerous dancer”, with it’s smoked out electro punctuated by a wailing 303 intended for dancers that may have gone too far, but are willing to take the next step.

“gateway to hyperspace ep” consists purely of original works from label head deepbass. taking a more euphonic approach the release delves into a more blissful sound with graceful seductive melodies but still with his distinctive rolling energetic touch.

“veil of flames” is the second solo ep by label head kastil in 2017 after the successful “the sadistic abbess” earlier this year.
threading through the corn fields, wearing nothing but a cotton scarf, her body is like an abstract painting. he who beholds her with unpure sentiments, sees not what she is made of.
her fierce complexion radiates briefly before she speeds up her motions. out of breath she arrives at the altar of affection. she won’t sacrifice her decency for a chance to be with god.

“i’ve said it before, but dancehall and its influence on uk music has been a massive inspiration for me, going way back to hearing chris goldfinger on radio 1 playing music that was like nothing else i’d heard before. i love that fundamental rhythmic pattern, and i love how within the same world you can have some tunes that are built around the sweetest melodies and harmonies, and others that are built around super-tuff minimal drums and crazy squeeks and bleeps.
when it came time to build another ep for critical, i decided to link up with my good friend and long-time collaborator rider shafique, who has a much deeper knowledge of this music than me, and together create something that references both old and new dancehall, while still being playable in the kinds of sets i ve become known for. there’s no halftime and no chopped-up jungle breaks here - we wanted to make something really focussed and even disciplined - and hopefully we’ve succeeded.
big shouts to the vocal collaborators - super hyped to work with stush on a tune, irah came through with the righteous fire, and tiffanie malvo absolutely bodied her beat - but ultimate biggups have to go to rider. this wasn’t a project where i made the beats and rider voiced them - for pretty much every tune, we worked and reworked the riddims together. we’re both stoked on the results, and it seems like people in the dance feel the same way.” - sam binga

after releasing space control an intergalactic journey into synthesizers, back in 2012, the theremynt duo went on to release a successful, if steady, stream of eps, including robotique de l amou r and vampiros discos (a tribute to brazilian filmmaker ze do caixao). with remixes coming from the likes of david carretta, acid washed and club bizarre, these were playlisted by scene djs such as marvin & guy and ivan smagghe, amongst others. now yann and eva are striking back with their second lp, parallels. it s a record that sees them changing their colour palette and mood, but one that s still haunted by ghosts that lurk within their synthesizers and drum machines. the 10 tracks still exhibit peel s ever shifting vocal style and yann s sophisticated arrangements. but the second lp oscillates between ballad and dancefloor, landing between cosmic disco influences, krautrock and other progressive techno sounds. as a bonus, the album also features a cover of famous 80 s anthem self control. (raf & laura branigan).

a kind of intimate scrapbook of the startling collaboration between the techno maestro and this long-standing musical collective based in bishkek, devoted to the roots music of kyrgyzstan. loose-leaved but balanced, lucid and intimate, it sets out from stunning a cappella and virtuosic komuz and kylak, mouth harp and traditional percussion: not field, but expert studio recordings, using marvellous vintage microphones, made over several days in berlin. further, a few of these are deftly treated by moritz, using reichian de-synced double-tracking, and discreet effects. also two ten-minute dubs: a deadly, signature berlin steppers, plus its version and an echoing, mystical drum session, recorded live on stage in bishkek. and a side-long, dream-like summation: the locomotive, oceanic, clangorous, dread facets. ravishing, rooted, searching music, beautifully presented.

we ve been closely watching the rise of a sagittariun ever since he first popped up with his consistently excellent elastic dreams label back in 2011. what started out as an anonymous project has since been revealed as the handiwork of nick harris, a long time champion of the bristol house and techno scene since before most of us were even hitting the dance. his music has been flying out with a no nonsense approach self-released, minimal promo, just cracking club-ready 12inches that tap into the fierce-but-fun spirit of detroit techno and albums loaded with smokers delights to appease his west country roots.

this record is a collaborative between marq spekt and experimental, proto-new wave musician gary wilson (stones throw). it’s rare that you get the opportunity to work with the actual artist rather than just sampling his records. gary opened his vaults and provided sample soundscapes. some of these instrumentals date back to 1973 and may have been heard before. others may not. the ending result is a pure creative expression and meshes hip-hop, psychedelic, jazz and funk. soak up the vibrations and enjoy!
this is the kind of idea that makes you enjoy the fringes of rap more than what’s in the spotlight. with that said, “broken mazes” sounds weirder on paper than it does in the headphones. gary wilson is an awesomely strange dude with some outré music under his belt, but for this project spekt wisely sticks with the more accessible sides of wilson’s catalog. it’s all breezy jazz-funk with some vague psychedelic touches for extra oomph, a wide-open feld for spekt to run his free-flowing bars. the result is relaxed and enjoyable, if at times a bit unfocused – kinda like a good open-ended improv session by a talented jazz band.

jonas palzer returns to lackrec with four stellar house tracks for those moments.

for the 4th release from our beloved ourselves they ve once again invited a group of friends to serve us up a healthy dose of tasty house and disco. this time, originaltracks from luvless, snacks, siggatunez und jan ketel are on the menu. &#8203,,,, for starters we have luvless from leipzig whose prepared a floor stomper with a side of heavy drums paired with a warm chords- and stringsounds and a groovy bassline...completely love. the berlin duo snacks appear for the first time on ourselves with their track sisters . a delicious disco snack that sounds like an effortless kitchen jam with an extremely funky aftertaste - you re tastebuds will be dancing. hand played bass sprinkled over percussion, guitar licks and building up synths....hopefully you like your snacks authentic...they muste be true musicians...they are!! the one love disco & funk and the other jazz...so does siggatunez. he cuts us up a vibraphonline and sends it on the chase with a chord so delectably deep that not even the side of fat drums can keep up with the bounce and speed it creates but finally gets it and breaks down the club. jan ketel has prepared a desert that at first, tastes like a mere groovy tool but it soon opens up into something bigger and more hectic. it s like you gotta check in at charles de gaulle while in anothher moment the unmistakable flavour of a lush warm rhodes appears...a timeless flavour, and one that you ll never forget.

for kontra-musik white label s 10th release we give you none other than nuel. the italian producer is closely connected to the aquaplano label run by donato dozzy a natural source of collaboration as they speak the same language, not least in the musical sense. nuel has perfected this dreamlike and seductive speech and it was irresistible for kontra-musik. on the surface nuel s tracks might seem abstract and mathematical, but there s really an abundance of movement and groove in his music. mechanical yet sensual, there s subtle erotic current running through the whole release: it s like a marvin gaye record for robots that just want to get it on.

a story about a man separated from his group of travellers, lost in the amazon rainforest. he comes across a small settlement inhabited by people of a completely different mindset and way of living. they take him in and show him how to look at the world in an alternative way, which evokes an incredible revelation in him. he then goes off into the wilderness alone in search of his comrades, and everything is completely different to how he first perceived. this is extremely overwhelming and euphoric. he eventually finds himself at the top of a gigantic tree that stands tall as the sky, right at the crest of a majestic waterfall. as his journey peaks, he jumps from the tree into the water below. as he surfaces for air, things seem normal again. as is if it had never happened, but he knows something in him has changed. his companions are waiting at the bank of the river for him. he rejoins the group. as they head for basecamp, he realises there is no way that he will ever be able to express what he experienced that day. his journey is his own, and always will be.

funkadelic have created an enduring legacy, and the power of their impact is visceral in detroit. their records not only played with genre, but possessed a diabolical sense of humour that led to music domination by the late 70s with parliament, funkadelic, parlet, bootsy’s rubber band and the brides of funkenstein all releasing albums the same year for two years in a row. the music itself is beyond stereotype, but equally huge is that they were a black band not allowing themselves to be limited by anyone else’s notions of who they could be, having a massive impact on the next generation of detroit music, detroit techno. but more than just techno, it is a freedom of thinking that extends beyond boxes, so we included all sorts of today s generation of detroit musicians and producers to show the wide range of music that was funkadelic and how these ideas are still contemporary, they endure and inspire.

ariel pink sets a serene but complicated scene for the next chapter in his curious career with “another weekend,” the first solo material heard since the prog-pop opus pom pom. contrary to the lyrics of “another weekend” (and fortunately for both fanatics and the newly initiated), pink is neither too shy or humble to have brought his singular style of pop music beyond the bedroom for the befuddled masses over the past two decades, but returned to the formative, familiar setting to craft what will surely live as another shimmering moment in an unrivaled canon. encapsulating the lingering euphoria of a regrettable weekend over the edge, “another weekend” speaks in morose volumes while whispering sweetly, the dichotomy of pink’s pathos once again on display. backed with “ode to the goat (thank you)”, “another weekend” will be shared as a 7” single.

airhead has put out some great music this year. kicking off with the radiophonic ice of kazzt for mumdance s different circles and just recently the low slung cristobal on ps records his production chops get bolder by the minute. it s no surprise seeing as he spent much of the previous year producing key tracks for the incredible -1-800 dinosaur presents trim- album alongside bullion and boothroyd as well as regularly touring and writing with long-time musical partner james blake. back with another 12- on hemlock, his first since 2014 s rolling october / macondo this time the sound is dustier, warmer, but packing twice the punch all the while retaining his signature understated wild-man groove. both tracks are capable on dancefloor whilst richly layered, packed with detail and arranged for maximum connectivity with contemporary beat styles such as house, techno and breaks. what happened to ricky martin? shaded is the twisted latin stepper you didn t know you needed, so much, right now. polished drums dug into a tweaky sci-fi soundbed make way for the curveball drop not every dj will be able to style out but those brave few that do will reap the reward. captain, we have an incoming transmission. by now, antipolo will be on the long-range scanners of a several fleets in this sector and is finally ready for replication and deployment. beaming out to the far reaches of the dancefloor we have bass, breakbeats and synth hooks but not as we know it together forming an advanced composite bond of extreme strength and malleability.