beranek’s debut album, “sound of danger”, was released on mind expanding records in november 1981. nowhere near as accessible as the previous single, the album fared poorly commercially. withdrawing from the single’s fun, kitsch pop, the album is cool and static, driven by thin rhythm boxes, cold synths, and glacial guitars. taking heavy cues from david bowie, all of the songs are sung in a nasally english accent, a rare occurrence in norway at the time. the lyrics are melancholic, but tinged with paranoia. there are also upbeat tracks that evoke a prog or glam sensibility a la king crimson, alan parsons, or roxy music. all songs have been remastered for vinyl by george horn at fantasy studios in berkeley. housed in the original jacket featuring red, black, and white lines that evoke a visualized richter scale designed by monica moltzau. each copy includes a 2-sided 8x11” insert with lyrics and an autographed press photo of beranek.

hike: cristal clear lakes, impressive mountains, soothing forests and berlin techno music.
the königstuhl is the highest peak in the lower odenwald forest. at its top, an amazing view awaits you - over the neckar valley, rhine lowlands and on a clear day even as far as alsace. high above the university town you will find peace and tranquillity on the numerous footpaths. you can experience the surrounding forests in a unique way on the “via naturae” walking route or the forest adventure trail. on the opposite side of the neckar river, you will find the beautiful “philosophers walk”. in this area you can stumble over beautiful beryll minerals, like the one we used for our cover.

repress alert: continuing to do great service to reissue culture, emotional rescue this time look to the nigh-on insurmountable back catalogue of late manchester-based producer muslimgauze, whose influence can be tangibly heard in the likes of shackleton. suns of arqa were equally enamoured with fusing the haunting qualities of middle eastern music with other styles, in their own case dub, and so their selection to remix a whole host of muslimgauze tracks made perfect sense. now the engrossing and otherworldly jaunt through distant lands enjoys a plush new vinyl release on which to truly enjoy the mixture of soothing and savage sounds.

goldmin founder romain lanteaume aka einka meets terrence dixon for a 2nd record which is nothing but a logical suite to the one released last year. this one is probably less deliberately dark but to us the edge was not dark at all, like what we tend to call melancholy isn t obviously a negative feeling. we believe there s no real duality between things and states. there s an incredible amount of degress in between. its always a bit more complex and deeper than the first impression!

2018 new years deal - red d is back for a follow up to his brilliant chez ep which dropped last year and this time he’s going for the jugular! the man responsible for some of the finest house music of the last decade as fcl (with san soda) and fcl vs vfb (with motor city drum ensemble) knows a thing or two about what makes the dancefloor lose its s..t, with tracks such as lets go seven, it’s you and can we try all testament to this.

the legendary west end records kick off 2017 with the a brand new re-edits series inviting like-minded producers with an underground thirst and a deep understanding of house & disco culture to collaborate on a very special project. first up, wolf music man medlar, applying his dancefloor know-how to west end’s rich archive of classic disco and boogie. hand picking four personal favourites, medlar reworks them perfectly for current club sets. picking out dub sections and skilfully reworking & extending them proving exactly why medlar has been such a draw to labels like delusions of grandeur and for discos only. “i put these edits together for myself and a few friends to play in our dj sets. west end was one of the key stepping stones to what would later become house music and for many is the definitive sound of early 80s new york. i d argue that it s aged better than any other label of that era and if you re relatively new to the label or know it inside out, the catalogue can likely still provide something new.” these four sublime new edits from medlar showcase his passion for digging deep, knowledge of house history and skills as a producer.

toby tobias can be found in the shadows of south london. this is his first offering for the esp institute. on side a, gravitator evolves slowly over ten minutes from a somber intro of supernatural sighs, pulsing machine feedback and techno squelches into an ethereal landscape peppered with dissonant fragments of synth. with side b’s right turn to nowhere , toby stretches out even further, flexing a tasteful programming of the 808 while taking the long road to a reverb-drenched crescendo of distortions and expansive string swells. after a prolific output of material for other quality labels around the world, toby tobias has undoubtedly re-focused his point-of-view upon his induction to the esp institute. these two songs will have you locking up your children at night.

moving music records present the previous unreleased soundtrack to the norwegian cult movie, heaven and hell. a soundtrack written and composed by norwegian maestro egil monn-iversen. it features some of the key norwegian jazz musicians, terje rypdal, jan garbarek and the late svein christiansen. jan erik kongshaug mixed the session.
it was originally recorded summer 1969 and planned for a full release, but it never happened, until now! one of the most exciting norwegian releases this year.
egil monn-iversen nearly perfect score borrows elements from john barrry and lalo schifrin soundtrack music, the opening theme song, sung by inger lise rypdal sounds like it could be a norwegian bond movie theme! key players are hired in from the late 60’s norwegian jazz-scene and you can hear early talents like jan garbarek and terje rypdal in full bloom! the result is a vivid soundtrack that could rank up with any good 60s 70s european groovy soundtrack score!

out for a moment supra comes back in full swing! for its return the parisian imprint presents a collab between super talented french producer onelight and one of the label’s dearest and biggest influence, the legendary egyptian lover. after tuggspeedman, a first release supported by busy p, gilb’r and machinedrum, onelight continues here his musical path with this silver ep. silver is a sophisticated blend of electro funk, break beat and techno. the song is inspired by his obsession for silver rings and more precisely for their sound, spiritual and magnetic energy. who else than the californian legend egyptian lover can provide here some hypnotic vocals? indeed the 808’s king takes his inspiration from all the symbolic of rings and gems and brings to the song his very unique and charismatic touch. maxillaire is going slower but is definitely powerful. it sounds like a 97 bpm techno music made for a space travel soundtrack with a codeine cup. label boss luc supra and orestt (evrlst / mb labworks) team up as supra allstars and deliver the silver deep re rub that appears to be the perfect bridge between detroit and l.a. definitely one for the clubs !

if you are looking for an example of how beautiful an independent soul production can sound, this should be your choice. tighten up your love bone and is this really love is probably one of don gardners best releases. due to the fact that even mint original copies play with crackle throughout on both sides this legitimate reissue is even something for hardcore collectors who usually do not buy reissues.

second album from swedish singer zara larsson as double vinyl with download code included.

the new york-based (u)nity is made up of michael valeanu, axel tosca laugart, chris smith, max cudworth and amaury acosta. they formed the band in 2006 as a project to explore afro-cuban jazz, funk, soul and contemporary electronica. they say they ve been influenced by everyone from chucho valdes to art blakey to led zeppelin to kendrick lamar, and you can definitely hear all of that in this jawdropping work. guarapachanga is special in that it was the first song written by the band back in their days as music students at the new school. it s derived from the style known as guarapachangeo the most advanced form of cuban rumba, heavily improvisational and based on very complex rhythms and melodies. on this recording, (u)nity is graced with a guest performance by grammy award winner pedrito martinez, a master rumbero, one of the greatest conga players ever, an innovator who has left a permanent mark on cuban music. martinez is also a priest in the yoruba religion and a historian of cuban culture. over its eight and a half minutes, guarapachanga twists and turns and journeys through a mind bending array of different tempos and modes, from latin jazz to hip hop, ultimately ending with a trippy ambient soundscape. the whole thing is overlaid with free spirited melody, soul and the afro-cuban essence that is the bands lifeblood. the white-hot live playing gives it the feel of the best early-morning jam session, yet it packs a sonic punch that will make it sound incredible on a good sound system in the hands of adventurous djs in the world-beat or spiritual-house vein. if you didnt know guarapachanga was a contemporary work you might mistake it for a loft classic, yet it s also as fresh and exciting as anything you ll hear this year.

after the success of the double lp kepler 438 on be as one, the well known shlomi aber imprint , orbe is back with even more energy and strength with his new lp -interplant”. the emerging artist from madrid whose tracks are regularly supported by the likes of marcel dettmann, nina kraviz, maceo plex and john talabot, presents his new 3x12’’ long player featuring fifteen tracks. orbe’s early years in music were shaped by broken rhythms which is worked into the ‘internplant’ lp as he fuses futuristic and cosmic sounds as a nexus.a new step forward for his career and a sonic palette which he wants to focus on right now. hybrid sequences taking inspiration from andromeda/buchla lem3 spider synthesizers and sampling of old school breaks have helped to create compositions like “what happens with strangers”, “revival” “deejay drama” and “virtual environment” where orbe mixes classic and futuristic sounds to create something current and referencing his origins. other singles like “multi filament light” “closer people dreams” and “the old ideology” were written as visionary works without percussive elements. they include atemporal melodies which try to involve to the more exigent listener. “data nights” “thematic exploration” and “higher dimensions influences” show the artist’s darker and more techno focused inspirations. here we can find metallic industrial sounds fused with minimalist precision to create brooding tension. “unreal”, “interplant” and “subground dehumidification” lay focus purely on the dance floor, characterised as a dynamic peak time tool accompanied perfectly with harmonic and glitched out pads.

incl digital download code
exactly one year after the release of their second album m eanderlust, randweg r elease their first ep with remixes - by nick höppner, alex.do, luke abbott and in a left place. the double-a-sided anderlus t / requisetales ep appears on funken records to understand how this record is intended, take a closer look at the artwork: no matter how you turn it: a backside does not exist. on their upcoming anderlust / requisetales ep, randweg present rearrangements of tracks from their two former albums. the new versions clearly bear the signature of their producers, but the tracks also reflect the full range of the duo, which has found its very own sound with clarinet, bass and cajon. for the remixes of two tracks from the ir album m eanderlust, randweg attracted nick höppner and alex.do. you can hear the joy both producers had playing with the original material, which was the basis of their versio ns for the anderlust-side. while nick höppner transfers the calmly prancing wokules walzer into a subtle but euphoric house-track, alex.do slows down the tempo in his version of pool, and plunges down deep into a warm downbeat-bath. randweg ’s debut-album equisetales was released in 2013, and it would have been a pity if the two remixes from the early days of the duo remained unheard in their private archives. luke abbott surprises with an abstract-pl ayful version of the track ball a nd in a left place turns y ofa into an atmospheric club-track.

following the first chapter of andy mac sdiving birdseries, idle hands welcomes italian producer piezo into the fold with an ep that harks back to the smoky, dubwise ambience of some of the label s earliest releases. luca mucci was a bristol resident for a few years before returning to his native milan, carving out an identity for his piezo alias with a slew of dubstep-focused eps on labels such as artikal music and subaltern. while on an idle hands skirmish stateside and playing on ny radio, one of the kelly twins dropped lume and remarked on how idle it sounded, sparking the process that led to this record. you can sense a link the early kowton records on ep opener opeq, all monochromatic textures and taut, slow-stalking rhythms, but here those facets are interspersed with a unique melodic elegance that offsets the moody immersion of the track, eventually blooming out into an effervescent slice of slow-motion house music. novemiluano meanwhile displays muccis capabilities in handling broken beats, exercising a devastating restraint without compromising on presence or energy in crafting a stunning piece of meditative soundsystem music. pushing that foundational dub principle of space and minimalism even further, lume closes the record out in stunning style with an intimate, glacial stepper that champions minute detail as much as looming gaps in the sound. with a peppering of micro sampling atop a deathly bassweight march, its a finely pointed arrow aimed right at the heart of idle hands, and we couldn t be happier to be releasing it.

the new jamiroquai as double 12 inch vinyl in gatefold sleeve

hands off is back with another stunning release. this time we asked trinidadian deep to release two tracks on a fine 10inch. we love his deep music, trinidadian deep has a very unique sound, and we think that this release is something very speciel. he released tracks on labels so many quality labels, and we can t wait for this to drop.

dark brooding techno from sister label of stay up forever.

untamed love is an ufo in peter hunnigale’s career, recorded at omega studio (london) and originally released on the cosmic label in 1986. some people have no words to describe it. you can call it brit boogie, rare funk, sick jam, musical bomb, or god jam, whatever it’s typical mid 80 s tune with a rythmic backgound sound that is captivating and memorable, thanks to heavyweight synth and awesome vocal. the original 12’’ vinyl record is still very hard to find and expensive nowadays. if you are about to discover this song, make sure you are sit down when you listen to it because this song will blow you down « hey girl i like the way you smile ».

astropolis records brings out its 7th release, welcoming a distinguished guest from scotland. vince watson, the glasgow-based producer, chose the french melodic techno label to release elektrik. his previous productions saw the likes of cocoon, planet e, ovum, tresor and very soon transmit or rebids ... granting him worldwide reputation.
elektrik is a deep, emotional piece of melodious techno that can be relished at home as well as on a massive dancefloor. dark chords, enticing bassline coupled to downy reverb progressively unfurls vince watson’s flair, grasping the audience for a 9-minute journey to a crepuscular, hypnotic and colourful universe.
the b-side highlights one of astropolis record’s cornerstones, frenchie techno activist madben. restyling vince watson’s climb on a dancefloor-powered techno track, whirling and effusive, tenderly shady and mysterious, madben brings the audience to an intense flickering excursion tinged with a smooth groove.

ltd repress 300 copies only
nomine returns with blind man, his fifth 12 inch for tempa. its three tracks offer his sparsest yet most atmospheric and immersive music to date, taking listeners and dance floors further still into the cryptic sound-worlds hes made his own throughout his releases to date. what marks out nomines takes on dubstep and techno is his innate ability to use subtle sonic gestures to create a massive physical and emotional impact: in his hands, a brief flicker of struck hand drums or a fragmentary drift of melody can hit you as hard as a two-ton heavy blast of sub-bass pressure

life is an important track for me. i m obsessed with the past, with history and the way we apprehend life through the ages. i tried to express this deep feeling into music. so this track is about someone or something growing up. its really as intense and emotional as life can be. here today, gone tomorrow!

mit spannung erwartetes debütalbum des kanadischen wahl-new yorker dj/produzenten jacques greene, der nach releases auf uno, 3024, night slugs und luckyme und remixes für tinashe, radiohead(!) und shlohmo, nun ein modernes, von unterschiedlichen 1990 er styles inspiriertes werk aus hiphop, r&b, house und techno vorlegt. “feel infinite” enthält den soul-techno-smash “you can’t deny” aus 2016, den euphorischen nachfolger “afterglow”, sowie ein vocalfeature des us-singer/songwriters how to dress well.
das doppelvinyl erscheint inklusive downloadcode und poster.

leaning against a wall, his shirt unbuttoned to his navel and cradling a tumbler of something strong and sophisticated, tony igiettemo looks every bit the smooth talking 80s gent. when you put hot like fire on the turntable and drop the needle, however, it is immediately clear that smooth tony is also a little bit freaky. sirens, slap bass, squelchy synths and a titchy high hat that just won’t give up, hot like fire is a cosmic call from a dance floor on the far side of the universe.

bitter end emerge from the ashes of 2016 with a message of positivity and protest beamed from the near future keen eyed aficionado s may spot the homage to mel cheron s classic us label west end records here but while their motto may have been where the sun sets & the stars rise bitter end records embarks on a distinctly more 21st century path to dancefloor salvation... 003 sees a welcome return to utilising the full sonic reach of the 12- single, with these two 21st century power-dancers for strobe-lit moments of praise. can t stop explores a walter gibbons approach to teasing a groove to within an inch of its life, and what a groove. the disco at the end of the universe may well be beaming this one up, such is its sheer intergalactic and unrelenting bad assery. we recently witnessed this unite a dancefloor in such wild abandon it should come with an age restriction ! flip for fat of the land a gorgeous and utterly absorbing, stripped back modern hymn the bitter end - years ahead !

known for their take on the gentler side of house music, jazz pianists, electronic enthusiasts and label founders of the analogue attic imprint, albrecht labrooy have joined night tides family with their latest sojourn emissary ep. the release began with a concept from the artists, who asked for field recordings taken by night tides eluize from around her adopted home in berlin. sounds from parks, gardens, trains and stations that make up the local, everyday sonic landscape made their way across the atlantic to arrive in albrecht labrooys studio, where they were used as inspiration for the three outings on this record. the melbourne duo’s live approach to programming and arrangement can be heard as the tracks ebb and flow effortlessly. in tempelhof sub swells and a throbbing kick accompany delicate leads and lightly touched drums. the more uptempo hinterhof pulses and sways with lively percussion, crystalline bells, euphoric strings and softly spoken melodies that float in and out of view. u-bahn/s-bahn begins with glistening top lines and panoramic chords over a growling bass and a steady groove. as the journey rolls on from the underground into open-air window-gazing territory, the piece takes an ambient, beatless turn. contemplative synth lines and arpeggios play while the station announcements drift somewhere in the distance. photograph by christophe mauberqué.

next up on aficionado, is something a little bit different…bendith are a collaborative welsh four piece, comprising of carwyn ellis from colorama (who recorded hapus for ‘nado back in 2012) and elan, marged and gwilym rhys from plu. following the folk-pop vein of bendith’s album released in october 2016, the ep includes 3 brand new tracks and two tracks - ‘dinas’ and ‘mis mehifin’ from the self-titled album.two of the new songs include welsh language adaptations of old classics, ‘can am gariad’ is a version of the lesley duncan tune, ‘love song’, specially requested by aficionado recordings’ moonboots, who obsessively collects versions of this song. ‘hwiangerdd takeda’ is a version of the traditional japanese song, ‘takeda lullaby’ and is inspired by the 1969 rendition by akai tori, the vocal folk group from japan. bookending the ep is ‘dan glo’, a lovely and mystical music-box demo instrumental. all tracks retain the stunning vocal harmonies and instrumental arrangements which have marked out bendith as a unique and very special musical prospect.

after his debut ep hello 307 and critically acclaimed follow up lp dance with me we find microlith, aka rhys celeste, pushing his sound ever forward. celeste takes his sublime musical ability and electro funk influence to produce a compelling soundscape. a vast army of analogue synths can be heard on every track which will catch the ears of afx fans as he effortlessly manipulates them into beautiful, highly detailed compositions. this ep occupies a corner of electro seldom trod, and with it celeste galvanises his lofty position in the new wave of braindance. rip rhys, our deepest condolences go out to your family and friends

imagine being dropped into a spiralling warehouse of acid and sub-base pressure with only four tracks to lead you into the light. the he-men compress three hours into a key change driver, stabbing and bubbling as you reach the surface gulping for air, bathing in the strings, dripping in acid-wash. before you know it you’ve been whisked away to the halcyon days of yore, creeping around castle corridors. leeds native djpc then kidnaps your soul for a spin in acid mundae (24 master) bombarding you with high hats, rolling baseline and old school pads and synths that take you to the dark underbelly of house music and beyond the black rainbow. the shadow of dawl’s electro powered hand then commands you with telepath, breaks and bleeps morse code that compel you to dance. the menacing sample, “i know what you’re thinking,” crawls around your skull until it finally shakes you loose from his imperious grip. dawl isn’t finished yet. his apache spirit breaks loose in freestylin’, a controlled dash of a tune that scratches all over your body, hauling you to his hip hop roots before dumping you, used and abused back on the dance floor waiting for an uber to teleport you to the darkest after party you can find

inspired by the likes of raresh, zip, and villalobos, the artist known as kepler has something special in store for your local area dance floor. “making chords” is an exciting new release that’s guaranteed to please. the title track “making chords” can be appropriately described as nothing less than an addictive, bona fide banger that will instantaneously hook its end user after one listen. from the beginning kepler. sets the pace with a smooth, sexy bass line that will command your attention and aggressively compel any crowd to start dancing. this passionate production pushes its agenda with a rumbling tempo, dynamic drums, and intriguing vocals that are well worth repeating. laced with clever sounding samples and purposeful piano licks, “making chords” is made for anyone and everyone. the second offering, “wire” is a quirky, fun departure that gives insight to kepler’s wide range. this spooky sounding track is characterized by its off-beat rhythm, saturating bass tones and curious sounding signals that slide up and down while continually building momentum. as the “wire” progresses, one can’t help but to take note of how its unpredictable nature is dictated in such a well-organized manner. very, very interesting.

boogie café black s next outing gives you reworks of some stone cold classics from undisputed truth and james brown and mrs shaw, on side a, -mannmademusic- brings the deep disco house vibe with reworks of undisputed truth and james brown. flip it over for some marlena-inspired slinky business. jank s version is slow and dirty, while the mannmademusic remix takes it up a notch so you can take it to the dancefloor. early support from neil diablo, noel watson, rahaan, john morales, dj nature and deli g.

two deep and driving house tunes by baaz! since the release of his last sol 12inch „swimmer“ (sol5) quite a bit has happened: baaz founded his own successful label office recordings, he has also created a new moniker for his dub techno productions as -eric miller-. his love of dubby sounds and echo chambers can be experienced in „the reason“ and „ancestor s fun“, although it s obvious that baaz also stays true to his deep house roots. he skillfully combines spacial structures with his characteristic driving beats and organic sounds. -the reason- is a grooving light footed tune with a jumping bassline and develops, step by step, this driving energy, that will not let you go. -ancestor s fun- brings up the energy level with stronger beats and open high hats, but the playful warm sounds and drifting strings keeps the wonderful flow that we love to hear from baaz s productions

dele sosimis album you no fit touch am was released in 2015 to much universal acclaim. a perfect document of the lessons the keyboard master and vocalist learned in fela kuti s ranks during the 70s and 80s, but brought firmly up-to-date and with contemporary social comment as vital to the afrobeat genre as any rhythm or instrument. in 2016, to take that forward thinking even further, wah wah 45s commissioned four huge remixes from a quartet of the uk s most interesting new production names. that was just part one of the story though this year the label can reveal the final four remixes to be taken from this hugely popular and influential project.

over 3 years ago, casey tucker was thrust into the limelight after 15 years in the shadows. never truly getting the recognition for is detroit influenced and post rave sound in the 90s, for those that knoe reissued some of casey s classic material and unearthed some gems on dat in 2013. fast forward to the current day and a recent treasure trove was uncovered and some fresh dats untouched since the late 90s were discovered! ben promptly bought a dat player on ebay and shipped it to casey s home for the un-dusting to commence. fttk has worked with casey to present another round of authentic material spread across a further three eps. the track carpet dancer has been in demand since the fine balance recordings gained deserved attention. originally featuring as the a side on the very first fine balance ep, it evokes all of the emotions that caseys music can muster. juxtaposition is a slower groovy effort with meandering chords, trademark fizzy percussion and topped off with a lush string finale. whatever comes to mind rounds off the ep with a rolling percussive bassline, delicate arps and smooth sweeping pads.

trudge embarks on the second expedition into the exotic lands of palm trees and blue skies with his ambient and dreamy ‘when the rain’ ep on lost palms. expedition two features four jams packed full of breakdowns, breathtaking soundscapes and lo-fi esque drum sequences.

new school electro wunderkind privacy makes his debut on klakson with a dark four tracker that checks all the right boxes. the ep kicks off with four io, a haunting, spacey dubbed out acid roller with lush pads throughout. u can tell and ncsc are both specimens of the finest ebm tradition, re-interpreting the sound for 2017, while shove on the b2 effortlessly transports us into deep, uptempo aquatic electro territory.

mint condition - a brand new record label focussed on excavating the outer fringes of classic house and techno. unreleased mixes, classics and overlooked gems mined from the last 20+ of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. from chicago, detroit and new york to london and beyond, mint condition have got their expert digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been on your wants list for years! dig in.... forever ahead of the curve, matthew herbert dropped this 3 track ep on classic all the way back in 1996 and every track featured sounds like it could easily have been released yesterday. such is the genius of herbert, always managing to be one step ahead of most other producers, whether it s producing slamming house like you got to be moving , rolling emotive electronics like fat king fire or subtle, shifting percussion confusing jams like housewife all of his tracks retain this fresh energy that can t be pigeon holed. classic herbert is exactly that, a 3 tracker that defies genre, celebrates the eclecticism of it s producer and still manages to be slamming (& classic) in the process! essential stuff! this ep has always been tough to track down, proving to be a very sought after gem in the vinyl digging world. a repress was definitely needed! classic herbert has been legitimately re-released with the full involvement of matthew herbert for 2017 and remastered from the original sources specially for mint condition. 100% legit, licensed and released. dug, remastered, repackaged and brought to you by the caring folks at your new favourite reissue label - mint condition!

open returns to close the year with its third release on the growing uk based imprint. italian duo dnart join the label and provide what can only be descirbed as an incredible old school house vibe illustrating their true passion for solid sounds and hardware. having released on labels such as anma and shift limited its great to hear their passion on this ep one . joining the release for remix duties are nick beringer and frazer campbell. nick beringer is an exploding artists with a full library of sold out releases and clear to see why with his drivey remix of short story. frazer campbell of open and elliot project remixed zzyzx with an unexpected percussive version to close off open s third release

what can you expect? take the best fusion-band ever (chick coreas return to forever), some james brown funk, synth-fun like tangerine dream and even a bit of hardrock, and youre getting close. this is zappa, the flemish zappa: cool,funny, sad, difficult,no record for those who love the traditional verse-chorus-verse, and so probably as uncommercial as it can get

how do you follow up a stone-cold afro funk classic like village boogie? simple. gather together some of the hottest players in nigeria, take them down to the phonodisk studios in ijebu igbo and let them loose on a bunch dancefloor fillers you spent the last four years ‘road testing’ in kaduna. and don’t forget to get lady franka and mariam pledge in on backing vocals. those girls know how to fire up a party. it helps, of course, if you’re steve ‘dudu’ black. steve had a god-given knack for writing combustible dance tunes and the contacts in the industry to get the likes of willy nfor, willy roy and felix lebarty to make them explode. from the opening track, ‘osasuima’, the heat never stops. on ‘no stopping me now’ and ‘ololufe/ stay the night’, it’s almost too hot to handle. polished in a studio in london while musical youth recorded pass the dutchie in the next room, happy birthday to u is the gift that keeps on giving – an irresistible blend of highlife, afro beat and afro funk that is guaranteed to start a party on any dance floor.
(peter moore)

this is the fourth ep the paris legends dan ghenacia and chris carrier have made together over the last year, and it’s just as fresh as their previous efforts with plenty of bounce, depth and funk. first up on the a-side is ‘the blue grass’, a deeply sensual cut with a potent low end. therein lies the groove, which is utterly captivating – made to get you writhing with glee, this one is aimed straight at the hips. alongside that sleazy bassline we have jazzy notes, swinging percussion and otherworldly bleeps and chirps. all of which makes it a great intro to this sterling ep. on the flip side, we have ‘blue stick’, another ridiculously groovy riddim with warped voices floating above a set of crispy beats and a raw undercurrent of emotion. minimal in composition, and the effect is deadly. lastly, to close out the three-tracker, it’s ‘kind of blues’ (can you spot the theme here?!). when it starts off, this one is a stomper with a moody expression. the beats are hefty, the bass morose and the analogue effects strangely cosmic. more twisted vocals are filtered in the background, giving this one its weird hook. the vocal reveals itself in the breakdown midway through before the track bounds on to its finale. dan ghenacia and chris carrier deliver three firebombs, perfect dance floor material with tight grooves and killer production. would you expect anything less?! go get em…

sheffields thatmanmonkz is quite the sonic force to be reckoned with. with an impressive discography across the board, dropping his most recent album columbusing on delusions of grandeur in 2016 and running his own successful imprint shadeleaf, were very happy to welcome him to dirt crew and present his latest ep shade throw. kicking things off rough and ready in true detroit “hight tech jazz style,manna for poppa is a saxed up dance floor bomb ready for the taking. intrinsic divine, a sonically soaring breakbeat outing lightens the mood a little, think classic trip hop meets modern deep house. the cinematic string arrangement is accompanied by freestyle piano and licks of ad-libbed sax over a steady kitspace jam 2017 sees thatmanmonkz team up with new york citys clyde phalanx to create a pure psyched up space house outing. we can picture this one over a sun-drenched balearic scenery or deep in a dark and smokey basement somewhere. jazzy freestyle drums underpin a live guitar improvisation that gets truly nasty on this interplanetary journey. slow and sexy is the tempo for the closing track. evolver is a soulful disco burner reminiscent of idjut boys, grooving along with smooth rnb vocals and salacious keys while intoxicating strings lift the energy to pure cosmic goodness.

written & produced by roboknob. mixed by stefan goldmann. mastered by rashad becker. info: weve said it before: technos vanguard can be found in the east right now. sofias quirky techno underground is densifying. evolving around the diviat slon parties (residents: stefak & stefan goldmann), the beton nights, the indoors offspins of artmospheric festival and unannounced appearances of kink under his cyrillic guise, raw and rave-infused techno is increasingly defining the citys sound of the small hours. roboknob are part of this movement, and this is their debut ep. a live hardware duo, yasen and stanislav drop rugged, noisy machine jams around the bulgarian capital and have been regulars at artmospheric. the ep’s tracks have been distilled from their live repertoire and mixed by stefan goldmann into sharply defined form with added bite.dexydi is greek for acid - the corrosive liquid, not the music. accordingly, its heavy-handed single-note bass attack will cut through anything.spellbind is more bouncy with frantic upward movements, distorted percussive fallout and a seasick bass foundation. liulka handles two layers of time rubbing off of each other: quirky and pushing high in the sky, against the bass drum mechanics down low. a suitable acoustic symbol for sofias state of techno.

otis junior & dr. dundiff release the follow up album to their critically acclaimed “dubplates from jakarta #5” release. the vinyl lp includes a download code.

for the first release in 2017, echovolt draws from the canadian continent to bring an ep from mysterious producer from the west coast.an inventory of thoughtful cuts bringing dubby motifs, early italian house elements, and moody synth-work. a diverse expansive 12- presented with an all around deep, straight to tape sound quality.

joining our label for the 4th release are dan andrei and kozo, under their collaboration named ak41, a fructuous project that offers three highly complex tracks.
on the a side you can find “icebreaker” solely, an eccentric sound with a steady bassline, percussive kicks, tripping shakers and a thoughtful, mysterious melody that touches all the frequencies of your body. turning to the b side we find “swingenious”, a groovier interpretation produced by a combination of spacey feelings and sophisticated instruments that will move every bone on the dancefloor. closing the ep is “in memoriam”, a melancholic version that is not short of an aggressive bassline, ambiguous vocals and deep introspects, all aligned to disconnect you from the reality of routine.

as the world collapses, dragging its unwilling inhabitants into insanity, a few things, fortunately, remain true. the man who s contributed to the development of the jak sound on behalf of the nation community from lake michigan to the dutch west coast, where he became well known for several eps released on creme organization records, is back. after two full-length albums, dozens of eps and action in the 2am/fm project, dmc has gained well-earned respect as an underground artist. we are very pleased to bring this little return to the jak beat style.

we can attest “despertar” is one of the most intriguing and beautiful albums to emerge from the spanish’s electronic music scene in 2017. a celebrated debut by the artist piek, emerged from the most versatile musical scene, not in vain he creates inspired by the magic of great names such as sigur ros, moderat or bonobo. “despertar” is the title chosen for the debut lp of this producer and dedicated music lover from pamplona.
pressing on green & black marbled vinyl.
played & supported by el_txef_a, upercent, affkt and a long etc.

we can attest “despertar” is one of the most intriguing and beautiful albums to emerge from the spanish’s electronic music scene in 2017. a celebrated debut by the artist piek, emerged from the most versatile musical scene, not in vain he creates inspired by the magic of great names such as sigur ros, moderat or bonobo. “despertar” is the title chosen for the debut lp of this producer and dedicated music lover from pamplona.
pressing on green & black marbled vinyl, cd-copy of the album included.
played & supported by el_txef_a, upercent, affkt and a long etc.