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.

bitterfeld is most known for their production of drain-pipes, paper-roofing and it’s amazing chemical production industry but it’s a little known fact that bitterfeld are also responsible for the production of amazing music. some 900 years after the city’s foundation they’ve finally found the time to establish a music label to reflect the city’s rich musical heritage. the first release comes from guy contact. expect chemical influenced electro, acid and house.

with previous form on colors and love fever, remi mazet returns on relatively new label social joy with a deep and refined trip through house music as played by a true musician. there’s a dusky, cinematic quality to the whole ep, from the captivating intro to the sweet rhodes soul of -safran- and on to the broken wheeze of -jazz e-. -shrine- has a more forthright club-ready veneer, while -jammin- brings furthermore machine-oriented grooves, but at all times the devil is in the details, and this record is most devilish indeed. one for all those craving a little more subtlety and flair in their house music.

berlin based but hailing from south america, lpz offers up his latest production to the hong kong based label fragrant harbour. working with new people and a new label, lpz has taken this opportunity to experiment with a different type of techno - not only playing with the rhythm and groove but venturing farther with weird soundscapes and trippy elements

rawax welcomes patrick raddatz, robin scholz and philipp boß r&s-b&s collective to the family! robin scholz already showed us his talent with the debut ep called -retrospective ep- on the rawax 10 inch series (10.5) also on rawax004ltd together with einzelkind as rhythm factory and last but not least with label boss robert drewek as rdrs on housewax (h1004). philip boß is the label owner of high rising -einfach hören- label which entered the record stores some weeks ago. patrick raddatz is one of the old school dj s from frankfurt. active since 2 decades known from the famous x-fade nights on radio x and of course of his -everglade reshape- on weave records which was 2005 a very big club hit all over the world. this new production is a fantastic demonstration of advanced space electro & ambient - worth to check!

ptwiggs brings the surrealist violence for brand spanking sydney imprint deep seeded. taking an erratic hairpin turn after dsr001s off-piste techno, purge comes off like a tragicomic thriller, swerving between saccharine sensitivity and brutal ultra-violence in the blink of an eye. shit is rough in ptwiggs towers, dishing out relentless tyson jabs to the head on day of wrath with holly herndons inverted poltergeist drifting about between the blows, while lara dies seems to execute your favourite video game character a trillion times per second just for laffs. but it s not all blood and guts rendered in vivid hd. coil-axis twinning of demonic and angelic energies course through yyyy and drift below the surface of the more berserk pieces. not for the faint of heart but life s probs beaten the feeling out of you at this point anyway.

in the field of minimal house reissues, this is a big deal. perlon main man dimbiman doesn’t appear on wax often, but when he does he makes it count. this early release on baby ford s seminal pal sl was originally out in 1998, when minimal house was a vague concept at best on the most outer reaches of dance music. -iso grifo- itself remains a masterclass of spine-chilling space and perfectly strange sonic matter, while -lava- pushes the notion of reduction dance music to its absolute limit. -round- is an even more immersive affair that hides many subtle layers within its seemingly simple construct. quite simply groundbreaking stuff, and highly sought after so don’t sleep on it.

hand numbered vinyl only! frits wentink s next release on his own bobby donny label finds him editing some tracks he has been playing on his radio show for a while. they are originally by vertiqua, a german lo-fi hip hop producer that remains unknown. the vinyl only record is limited to 500 copies. all four of these tracks have been edited to make them more suited to the dance floor. the a side comes as an edit that is all about woozy chords and loose, bumpy drums with a rapped vocal stitched deep into the arrangement. it s warm and intake for cosy dance floors. the b1 has organic boom bap drums and kicks, more tape delayed chords and a nice analogue feel all finished with a wordless but beautifully soul-infused vocal. last of all, the louche drums of on b2 are coated in vinyl crackle and laced up with more intoxicating and imperfect chords. this is a perfectly aged combination of hip hop and house that will get any floor bouncing.

reissued from the spanish version of this awesome cuban records with a unique picture cover. probably one of the best 70’s areito releases, for sure ahead of his times. the entire record minus two tracks of 10 total are all upbeat with afro-latin breaks, dope choral vocal arrangements and chunky bass and conga lines, but don’t sleep, the lower bpm songs are great mellow gems. gilles peterson says: “if a cuban record had come out on sleeping bag records in 1982, i think it would ve sounded a bit like this. it’s an eccentric middle ground between latin-styled pop and disco.”

180 gram, vinyl only.
alessio mereu joins andrea ferlin to create a brand-new duo: aleandro. the two sardinian artists have both been producing for a very long time, but this collaboration promises to deliver quality with 1921 ep.
the a-side kicks off with 19, a soothing track with a strong presence of modulated synths and pads, perfectly balanced with deep basses and kicks. its continual bassline only encourages the rest of the instruments to develop organically, making this one a very special journey throughout its length. the b-side 21 is more influenced by techno with heavier kicks and basses. the duo use trippy sonorities to catch people’s attention but beware: this track will even make your grandparents boogie!

following their much acclaimed surprise debut, vermonts sophomore longplayer presented another set that rewards deep listening (allmusic) and a mix of simplicity and richness whose result is a feeling of spaciousness and a thrilling sense of weightlessness (xlr8r). stripping away even more percussion than on its predecessor, ii saw marcus worgull and danilo plessow zooming in on ambience, texture and sonic cohesiveness, allowing each electronic voice to come into focus (pitchfork). now, ii remixes puts the beat back into the mix, thanks to iconic artists dixon, i:cube and wassermann who each develop their own irresistible groove out of the immersive source material. as one of the albums most highlighted cuts, dschuna gets the royal treatment by innervisions head and internationally revered selector dixon who proves his strong command of the dance floor with a hypnotic ride that surrounds the soaring sounds of the original with tribal esque vocals. the instrumental version drops the chants, but retains the enchantment, all elegant rhythm and gorgeous strings. versatiles i:cube, legendary producer and dj in its own right, brings a distinctly parisian touch to the spectral skorbut, whose sci-fi-imbued widescreen aura gets reimagined as laser-gun-wielding space funk machine. meanwhile, wolfgang voigt aka wassermann condenses paradigma’s roaming synths into pulsating trance swells on his stomping krautramatrik mix.

sebastian mullaert, swedens long standing techno, experimental and ambient producer, is back on mule musiq with three deep tunes that shake your emotions profoundly. on the a-side the epic track mirror seduces with discreet claps, a kind of drunken groove, deeply meditative tones and a twisted melody that arrests your emotions inwardly. on the b-side you find two tracks by the same name: broken mirror. b1 is a sensible layered grower that delivers unhasty grooving minimal techno for those who love to dance slow. the second broken mirror tune comes as a wa wu we reflection, is even more slow, but still deeply groovy and packed with mesmerizing sound particles that stretch your mind and soul endlessly. electronic music straight from the heart. full of human sensitivity delivered with sebastian mullaerts very own signature feeling for rhythmical journeys full of musicality and details in melody, chords and tones.

aula magna records presents atmen by mekas, a storming record that reveals the artist s latest techno explorations in full effect, featuring stockholm ltd label boss par grindvik as guest remixer. a techno statement shaped by melodic and rhythmic interactions that draw the listener into the artist’s profound sound world.
the a-side opens with the powerful beat of clark nova, a cut that moves forward with a modulating synth line and simple but cleverly designed percussions. this is followed by unknown soldier, an intense techno weapon that reflects the distinctive sound of mekas.
the b-side features both versions of atmen, starting off with par grindivik’s dance-floor rework of the title track that combines a fresh arpeggiated motif and a powerful groove with the emotional spirit of the original. atmen closes the record, an epic ambient techno track built with deep atmospheric synth lines on an intelligent stripped down breakbeat.

aketi ray are an all-acoustic dub-jazz group, playing original compositions grounded in the instrumental music of post-independence jamaica -ska, rocksteady, reggae, rockers, dub -but drawing inspiration and influence from ethiopian and us jazz, west african percussion traditions, all with the mind set of uk steppas. an outernational sound: kingston to chicago to addis ababa to dakar to london.
the sound of -from ever since- draws on the vibes and heritage of pre-electr(on)ic music, but gives that traditional sound new power through the use of dub techniques of reverb, delay and eq manipulation.

agnostic & sportsmen, 1989, ktitor, dj whipr snipr ft. amela, satoi and dos all contribute tracks to mood of the era’s six track compilation. a collection of warm, groove worn, floaters collected from seven corners of the world. some of these tracks have been marinating on the internet, some come fresh from the studio but all of them are delicious nuggets of dreamy house music.

after almost two years it s the time for the boss asymmetrical to drop his second ep -for muthafucka use only- merging his hip hop influences with raw culture s poetry. the release features some guest appearances by with his partner in crime alter d, boss of marguerite records, rapper blue and last but not least a fine remix by florian kupfer!

on this new ep, djj’s trademark jagged take on filtered french house is still present, but with chicago bump, techno and more random elements thrown in for good measure.

the patrick adams managed group black ivory scored a number of hits in the mid 70s, two of their most sought after are here together on one 12inch. the paradise garage and loft anthem mainline, penned by prolific disco producer leroy burgess has seen it s fair share of bootlegs but it s available here officially licensed and remastered for the first time since it s original release in 1976. fans of ron hardy may be familiar with the break from the b side cut walking downtown on saturday night as it feature heavily in his sets from the legendary music box in chicago. presented on heavyweight 180g vinyl.

zen in space makes a prominent debut for moonshoe records with yellow jazz ep . the record captivates the feeling of a jam session when the vibe is on point. soaked in instrumentation, the record feels spacious. strong percussive grooves guide the listener through a range of moods that each compliment each other effectively. throughout the ep a combination of spoken word and soulful vocal hooks give a add a tasteful human element.
fourth&bak features a spoken-word that whispers atop of juicy guitar licks and a wobbly sub-bass line, but it s an aching, soulful vocal melody that ties the jam together.
sahara groove is a moody chord progression layed out over a driving 4x4 groove complimented by a dancing, airy flute solo.
to top off the record is a remix from sydney native, setwun - an imaginative and effective reinterpretation that adds a perfect glaise to an already commendable release.

moody repetitions with a chilean background.
feeling a strong connection with the minimal house emerging in the 90’s from detroit and with his roots up in santiago de chile, it is after releases on “matrix recordings”, “deepartsounds” and his own record label “ojodeapolo.cl” time for jorge c. to release his sounds on dopeness galore. the distinctive rhythm and sound slowly presents an old dream (sueño viejo) to one another.
“an old dream for people loving house king’s like rick wade, hieroglyphic being & dj sprinkles but also the french cassius. open up to jorge c. – sueño viejo”

the new album from p!nk as double vinyl in gatefold sleeve.

the strange case of tone drop out volume 4.
i have tried to recount this most peculiar of musical cases many times before but with each attempt some strange ailment has struck me dumb. i feel that if i put fingers to keyboard i might at least be able to help other revellers, less fortunate than myself to share my wicked fate...

applause, applause! your hands are in chains but you still enjoyed the show. drowned records is bringing you a qnete jam that can be described as nothing else but a psycho banger . included is also a second version of the track, milkshaking the original for a more fruity fun affair. finally, leibniz dark remix is slowing things down a little hitting all drumheads with every extremity and other strange things. clap clap!

artificial dance is a new record label from amsterdam. this is the imprint’s debut release. it is the first ever release from young dutch dj/producer job sifre, previously best known for his fortnightly antikunst show on esteemed amsterdam institution red light radio.
worries offers an extended glimpse at sifre’s unique musical vision. it is one that draws heavily on vintage electronic music for inspiration, but also feels fresh and futurist in tone. in turns dark, industrial, hypnotic and mind-altering, the six-track ep bristles with impactful moments of magic.

nobody knows where tugboat edits continues to unearth these producers. they continue to break new names into the scene…it’s a new name but is it a new face? more of sample based tracks & loops, put together perfect for sophisticated dance floors, lounges & ‘real head’ sets. hand-stamped ep.

what about this love is not only a famous larry heard song but now it s also a house music label. the first release sees the detroit outsider javonntte and the berliner-italian deep88 on a real underground raw house song, matching the detroit soul house with the rawness and liveness of the italian producer, creating an epic vocal track, something that could have been made in the golden age of house music. on the flip there s the melchior sultana treatment, a name that is rising release after release thanks to his works and nothing else, playing all the kinds of instruments and being able of using sequencers and drum machines creating a perfect balance between a real musician and a serious house producer, add to all this a deep88 remix and a javonntte amazing dub version and the watl01 is served. more to come.

auf hans-peter lindstroms neuem album scheinen wieder die nordischen disco-lichter. benannt nach einem zitat aus ingmar bergman s arthouse-klassiker wild strawberries, vereint das werk die besten momente des cosmic-disco-produzenten: seine balearischen free-disco-exkursionen mit prins thomas, die experimentellen trips mit dem genialen todd rundgren, schillernden electro-pop mit vocals von grace hall (usa) und frida sundemo (schweden), dazu bewusstseinserweiternde poesie von der norwegischen ausnahmekünstlerin jenny hval. eindeutig seine vollkommenste arbeit bislang!

rekids celebrates 10 years of radio slave’s ‘grindhouse’ with remixes from len faki, slam, obscure shape & shdw, vatican shadow, markus suckut, lady starlight and special request. first appearing on a release as part of radio slave’s iconic ‘no sleep’ series, ‘grindhouse’ spawned multiple remixes from the likes of dubfire, danton eeprom, terrance fixmer and nic fanciulli to become one of the biggest techno records since its original release. to commemorate this fact, len faki has produced two different reinterpretations in the first of four heavyweight remix packages.
“i didn’t plan to go back to grindhouse. it’s a monster of a record and undoubtedly the biggest release we’ve had on the label, but after 10 years it seems right to revisit the track and also add some new versions from some of my favourite techno producers.- – radio slave with danton eeprom’s vocal resonating throughout, faki’s first remix features crunchy snares, ominous chords and shuffling effects before piercing synths come into effect in the latter half. meanwhile, the second version rumbles forward with its undulating bassline, soaring atmospherics and echoing elements to round up two solid productions exemplary of the figure founder’s seasoned abilities in the studio.

part three in alden tyrell s latest project: -vorm variaties-, a 5 release series consisting of tracks recorded in the last 2 years. the -vorm variaties- tracks were a -style excercise- for tyrell, flexing his producermuscle while health issues forced him to stop touring. initially he had no intention to release these tracks but we found them so good that we were almost forced to start this series. all tracks selected are variations on classic techno forms, using classic style ingredients and the 909. all 5 -variaties- are different in style, yet all homogenous, all with alden tyrell s sound signature... on point production skills and stripped down arrangements.

1997. drexciya dont have no phone. theyre too busy to do your remix. mad mikes response was short and to the point, enough to put off some, but not vincent koreman. addicted from an early age, the dutch producer dug deeper and deeper into the mythology and mystery of james stinson and gerald donald. the sounds, images and ideas conjured up by the detroit electro duo pulled koreman in, his fascination growing ever more intense as the underwater dwellers sonically prospered. fast forward twenty years and that fascination has not diluted one drop, in fact the aquatic dream of the wavejumpers is the inspiration for recolonization. these tracks would have never had existed, says koreman, if it wasnt for stinson and donald creating that great, energetic, abstract electronic music and coupled it with an original vision on the african diaspora, art and culture. this music is an homage to th e enigma of drexciya, a tribute to the machine marine men who pioneered electro and a vision. drvg cvltvre continues that vision, one of an underwater race that has reconquered earth, overcoming big business, corporate greed and water pollution to reclaim the surface from man. forget mankind. our time is over, recolonization is here.

crackazat is back on local talk! this fall he s about to release his second album on local talk, -rainbow fantasia- and as a little taster we re proud to present this 12-... proton blue and called my name got the crackazat signature house sound, melodic, jazzy and of course very catchy. but it wouldn t be crackazat unless he did his own little spin on those tracks either, right? these two remixes shows why ben is a wizard when it comes to soulful chords on a blaze tip. this is for each and everyone out there that enjoys real music.

deep house doesn t get deeper than deep explorer, dubbyman s evergreen label transmitting out of spain. on this latest 12inch, allstarr motomusic makes a welcome return after the first volume of beauty & simplicty back in 2015. this time they re working in collaboration with vocalist sarignia bonfa and the results are stunning. burning (in my soul) is a gorgeous, dubbed out slice of deep house with a true midwest flavour, while el sonido deepex takes things into even more sultry territory. there s also space for downtempo reflection on space of life, but also watch out for the deadly remix of the whole hood in my house- by cvo.

born in a remote log cabin deep in the scottish highlands, eventual reality, the debut album from the james l’estraunge orchestra melds jazz and electronic music sensibilities with a huge helping of heart and soul. in 2014 seasoned producer and musician ricky reid and his partner retreated from the city to embark upon a new life, in his own words “away from the constant, incoherent noise of the world”. as he set up his studio, the clean air and spectacular surroundings began to provoke musical inspiration like never before. then, like a scene from ‘field of dreams’, a series of talented musicians from his former life visited the cabin for a series of late night jamming and recording sessions, leaving behind them hidden treasures to be discovered and lovingly pieced together by ricky over the following months. with nostalgia so much a part of the album’s creation, the james l’estraunge orchestra can’t help but appear somewhat spectral, after all they are truly the band that never was.

for their 12th label anniversary, jazz & milk have decided to launch a new series called “twelve inch jams” in order to celebrate vinyl culture and the legendary 12&#8243,,, format! jams002 sounds the bell for the second round of the series including a 10 years re-issue of the classic sam irl cut “you don’t feel enough”. originally released as a b1 tune on his “african dance ep” debut on pulver records in 2007, this jazzy house gem found its way into the record bags of many influential djs over the years. from session victim, glenn astro, max graef to hodini… the record never disappeared in club sets but certainly from discogs a good while ago. so it was about time to give the tune a second life and finally press it on the format it deserves - a whole 12&#8243,,, side. the german production duo session victim are well-known fans of the track describing it as their secret weapon playing it in quite many dj sets for years, including their 2015 appearance for mixmag’s dj lab. hence, it is a great pleasure that session victim contributed a remix to the new release. their absolutely elegant and groove-driven version with a charming 90’s touch to it makes a brillant counterpart to the original with its jazzy piano-, drum- and double bass samples leading to an epic synth break that regularly causes ecstatic moments on the dancefloor.

beloved dj, compiler and incurable vinyl junkie, kev beadle returns to bbe with a 3rd volume of his much lauded æprivate collectionÆ album series. taking in a wide range of obscure jazz with a distinct nod to the dance-foor, the frst two æprivate collectionsÆ are already considered classics by the jazz-dance community. once again presenting a wealth of ultrarare sounds previously only available to record collectors with very deep pockets, vol.3 sees kev inviting us to travel even deeper into the vinyl vaults.

litüus returns to avian.
sparse and reflective, the chicago native’s work occupies a curious space on the periphery of the techno genre. by stripping back the music to all but its most vital elements - most notably the sequence, but at the same time maintaining a sense of urgency in its articulation, litüus crafts exquisite, ghostly shadows of busier, more fleshed out material. neither intro nor outro, but rather suspended in some middling point of formation - what remains is a remarkably pure examination of minimalist, experimental synthesis.

having given us a taster of things to come back in september 2016, with the pressing matters single, the cyclist returns to hypercolour with a brand new, full length album. and as the title suggests, sapa inca delirium leans heavily on south american mysticism, not just musically, but in the visual imagery that the eleven-track album paints so well across its various tempos and rhythms. from the tropical burst of mood setting opener, go back to the steamy and pacey percussive flow of inhale/exhale which features regular collaborator tanaya harper on vocals, the cyclist’s fourth long player is crammed full of intriguing atmospheres and soundscapes. antiexist, with its down-tempo rolling snare fills and ethereal gregorian chanting segues effortlessly into a blind girl drinks ayawaska, a suitably discordant and hallucinogenic skit that ensures the album flows into the more rhythmic cuts like skateboarding in the jungle and mirrors (the second album cut to feature harper on vocals). even the traditional jazzier vibes of when we all break down featuring joni are kept rugged and boisterous, with heavyweight bending bass, choppy breakbeats and fx’d ambience amongst the smooth jazzy chords and sweet vocal delivery. sapa inca delirium is one of those albums that will reward on repeat listen, such is the diversity of style on show here, and the detailed and wide eyed curiosity offered up across the long players fifty three minutes.

5 track ep. yamahas dx series of synthesizers has long been a source of inspiration for tom trago. the dx7, in particular, appeals to the dutch producer thanks to a unique sound that he describes as glassy but classic and icy. 34 years after it went on sale the same year as trago was born, interestingly the synthesizer’s sound still bristles with futurist appeal. trago, who was partially trained in how to use the dx7 by studio friends bok bok, sterac electronics and juju and jordash, has decided to pay tribute to this most distinctive of synthesizers by using it as inspiration for serene waters, his first ep for voyage direct since 2014 epic hidden heart of gold.

following on from the first part of heatwave remixes, mike maurro digs deep into this legendary groups catalogue to bring us another duo of stellar reworkings. this time their jazz-funk classic the groove line from 1977 gets the mm remix treatment and is backed with their evergreen slow-jam always and forever. 2 deeper cuts this time but the quality is just as high as maurro really understands this music and knows what to use and how. fans of heatwave will undoubtedly adore these new mixes and people who are new to the group will be amazed they hadn’t checked out the legendary mr. rod temperton and his super talented pan-european band of musicians before! naturally, everyone is welcome to this party...

dj and producer reggie dokes, along with detroit colleague brian neal, come together for a moving and soulful presentation: detroit luv ep. intertwining both house and techno elements seamlessly in homage to the detroit techno and house legacy. artist brian neal may be unknown to most, but he has been creating music for years. here we find the artist tapped by mr. dokes, presenting his music for the first time in vinyl format. this melodic, dancefloor material, is sure to bring brian neal to the spotlight.

the fourth reference of onward recordings comes with 2 great artist, first martin prestige from hungary who created two amazing tracks for the a side. the b side of this reference it s for the milano duo infinite layers of reality, lusbek & bhonz who collaborate with two lovely tracks. you can also find a tool on this side! enjoy it.

titonton duvante presents residual classic. this series is created to all the outstanding releases titonton did in the past on various labels. some of those are not active anymore but the music needed a return on vinyl and with residual classic there is now the right platform.
first release is the classic * avenues/ alleyways* from 1998 which originally came out on 2000 black!

released in 1974, téo azevedos first album grito selvagem (wild shout) is an irresistible blend of soul and rock with an unmistakable brazilian character. as many other lost gems of time past, the album found little commercial success, and still during the 70s teo turned forever to the true brazilian popular music the forró, the roots of sertanejo and the rhythms and traditions of brazils often forgotten countryside becoming, from then on, a genuine cultural reference in brazil not only as musician and composer, but also as a poet and researcher of popular folklore, being awarded the grammy latino prize in 2013.

hope are in the black phase. everything around them is obscured. every lyric and every spark of music, every photograph and every recording is drenched in black. it’s not the black of wave or gothic bands, but the unpretentious black of portishead or talk talk. a black arising from a wound and at the same time covering the wound, burying it. a scab. a black letting you forget the jazz, the academics, and the provinces that hope has come from. in germany, jazz, academics and the provinces are very close, and hope had to live through most painful experiences, play many unnoticed concerts, and remain unloved to find the love for themselves and their music. only this explains the dark stringency and consequence of their self-titled debut album (produced by olaf opal), featuring monolithic songs like cell, kingdom and raw. songs, sounding rather like dystopic infinity than a light-hearted debut album. songs, compressed to one word, as if the listener should not waste any time with reading, but start listening. listen and dive into the endless hope wave of sound, vehemence and black. and yes, during all of this, the iconic singer christine börsch-supan is naked. we can only guess her contours - it is too dark.

gost zvuk marks tenth release with a new full-length by vtgnike, arguably the most influential producer on the russian electronic scene who is also partly responsible for shaping the label’s aesthetics and sonic identity.
during the years of his practice vtgnike meticulously sculpting a sound unique to himself finding a gap yet unexplored - somewhere between current hardcore continuum trends and the sounds of classic idm era. but despite falling somewhere on the uk music territories, collection creates a space of its own - the one inspired by the al the splendors and miseries of post-sovietness one cannot get rid of.

aaaron joins forces with newcomers deckert and singer valentine to unveil the new title track for connected. the three combine all the talents of each individual to create something really special. while aaaron provides a sub heavy african inspired groove pattern and combines it with deckert’s intense harmonies, valentine finishes off the track with her touching voice performance and lyrics that are both melancholic and deep. wether you listen to it on your odyssey through the night or while watching the sun rise again: if you had to choose a hymn for your last night on this planet, ‘l.d.o.e.’ might be your future pick. floyd soaks up everything that was happy, bright and ancestral and pushes it straight into the void twisting it into a hypnotic techno chant where leftovers leave nothing but ashes behind. perfect for a rough peaktime approach or the early morning hours when the storm is hitting the coast. this track is a predator and will haunt you in your dreams through an endless jungle of insanity.

xixa balance ep (apa002) abstract places audio elusive producer xixa delivers the second abstract places audio release. balance is a three-track ep where the co-founder of the label packs a solid techno sound drowned in complex and evolving atmospheres. as first label’s release (clip - gebre, 2016), this is not a 100% club record, we can hear ambient and idm influences, but a1 and b1 are perfect tracks to keep a techno set full of rhythm and tension, and will get its place on any dj record bag. a1 balance is built around a distorted but controlled techno beat. patiently, a wide palette of drones and other-worldly artefacts are growing next to carefully crafted percussive sounds. 1984 opens the b side of the 12”, with a 4 to the floor overdriven bass drum and a reverse reverb announcing its main synth sequence, accompanied by organic hi-hats and clap sounds. a collection of ethereal drones and noises is also used, giving the track a sense of cohesion and gluing its different parts. life inside a snow ball is xixa s personal take on ambient. some of the drones and artefacts from a1 are now mixed with new quasi- harmonic emotional textures and subtle noises emerging from a deep unknown space and forming a complete new sonic experience. balance ep is a very solid second release by abstract places audio that confirms the label sound and philosophy.

break at home is the collected recordings of the mysterious group 2 katara which was formed in athens, greece in 1978 by george theodorakis (keyboards, percussion, vocals) with his close friend dimitris papangelidis (bass, guitars, percussion, vocals) tip! this musical-duo recorded quietly over a decade between theodorakis’ family idyllic home studio in the philopappou hill of athens and the nearby studios theta and sr. for some part, the tracks seem like adventurous experiments or even unfinished samplers or riffs the band starts to develop, but at the same time there are productions that are clearly meant to be the backbone of an album that never came out.

lowwaxx open doors for a very special welcome to the well established uk scene producer tommy vicary jnr, signing label s 3rd release with 2 originals bangers as well as a remix by fuse london regular rich nxt. opening up matters is the sounds of the title track. a moody effort that s notable for its many haunting tones and a reluctance to follow a straight path, it s the sort of intricate bomb that gets under the listener s skin from the get go. difficult to pigeonhole but still full of dancefloor panache. an auspicious start to the release with a track that s sure to get you talking. the b-side then gets underway courtesy of -best way-. this time, the emphasis is more firmly placed on tidy rhythms and straight up baselines, though this one also demonstrates the producer s knack for the unexpected. a whole peaceful landscape trip decorated with overwhelming chords placed on tidy rhythms and straight up baselines. culminating the release is the sounds of rich nxt, who delivers a stunning remix of -best way-. indebted to deep tropes and imbued with a catchy-as-hell baseline.