smallville welcomes dana ruh. decks tip!

originally released in 1993.

the tracks were composed during the winter months in helsinki, finland in 2019-2021. railo (finnish for >a crack in the ice< or >crevasse<) can be seen as on ode to winter, the richness of the seasons and different weather conditions which have been an inspiration to karjalainens work. the arc of the album follows seasons from autumn to spring, starting from cold autumn winds (viima) and ending to the melting of the ice (sula). different winter phenomena are explored on the way, including >routa< (finnish for >ground frost<), >kuura< (rime) and >kelirikko< (a term known especially in the archipelago meaning a time at the end of winter when the frozen sea does not support transportation anymore but boat traffic is neither possible). yet, the album is being suffused with a sadness stemming from the threatening permanent changes in the diversity and balance of nature trough the climate change caused by us. hannu karjalainen is an internationally acclaimed electronic musician, video artist and photographer based in helsinki, finland. his albums have been released on international record labels since 2007, lately on the renowned german label karaoke kalk. domestically karjalainen is known as the recipient of young artist of the year (in 2009), one of finlands biggest art awards. his video art works and photographs have been exhibited in new york, berlin, zürich, paris and helsinki, among other places.

the long awaited new release on balance recordings since the successful release of the �brwather album� comes a brand new offering from the duo �25 places� a deep house sound with raw groove . this deep houser has been on the shelf of balance for a year now, while being played by chez damier the last few years. the produce is solid a true to the duos deep house sound. 25 places keeps on putting more effort in representing different sounds that crosses over from the old-school to the modern sounds of today. the due is tayfun sarier and stefan rijsmus the 2tow young producers from amsterdam and london keeps getting the attention from many. this project is a special hand picked project designed for executive producer and label owner chez damier and had been getting underground unreleased play by chez and a few selected world wide dj. in the eyes of chez damier, this is a timeless dj keeper

>candy red / hungry horse< is dro careys debut release for hum + buzz. this exciting newcomer from sydney has already made quite an impression, he was named as one of the top ten producers to watch in 2011 by fact magazine and has already collaborated with the former roll deep member trim. dro careys extraordinary music assimilates everything from classic techno and house to rnb, rap, juke and grime, to produce a peculiar skewed aesthetic. on side a, >candy red< places hypnotic other worldly vocals with interlocking melodies, stuttering percussion and subtle bass drops. on the other side, >hungry horse< begins by deploying a haunted female vocal, before morphing into snatches of different fragmented samples and frantic kicks and snares, for an intense narcotic affair.

something slightly different perhaps, but probably even more cutting edge and effective. from definition records we present christian fischer. he is probably one of the most open-minded techno artists around judging his numerous releases which covers just about all aspects of techno music. miracle places is solid stomper with electroid influences and dreamy vocals. this would definitely not be misplaced in a dj hell or terence fixmer set. the b-side is a collaboration between fischer and newcomer the ascent. this results in a dark driven and steady stepper with freaky melody. a solid b-side track for the little hours accompanied by smokemachines in full throttle and full on strobe-action

grandmaster thomas melchior steps along in his lightfoot manner. although with a somehow decent melancholic note, the two deep and reduced tracks should show a similar effect as the announcement >we give away ipods for free on the dancefloor<. these tunes make us extremely corious about his new album, to be scheduled for a 2007 release on perlon

ltd. dunkel-grüne 4fach vinyl

virages label heads alva unites here artists from different places but with the same passion for deep grooves.

hightime inc. is the unit of the two guys �dj tasaka + j.a.k.a.m. (juzu a.k.a. moochy)�who know each other since teenage in tokyo. they have been on their individual career on the different fields. in 2017 they dropped their 1st album �alchemsit now!�which includes various musical influences as hiphop,house,techno,jungle,world music etc.. and it does not belong to any of them. their miscellaneous blended dj set with their own tracks explodes vibrantly as a fundamental passion for the dance floor.

after the original comes the remix. or in this case three. i:cube, chinaski and aera help you refresh your memory and re-draw drawn from memory from benjamin fröhlichs second part of the rude movements series. its one single track, but every remixer has taken his very own approach and came up with a new interpretation. the iconic french producer and permanent vacation long time favourite, i:cube, transformed the original into a soul warming and heart melting late night bomb that lets the sun appear even in the darkest places. chinaski out of frankfurt, well known from his releases on live at robert johnson and uncanny valley, fuses italo disco with a john carpenter-style soundtrack aesthetic and an infectious bassline completed by a full on guitar solo in the break. aera, fresh from releasing his album on permanent vacation, is slowing down the tempo, rearranging the layers of the original and adding a bubbly and underwater atmosphere that let the dub stabs shine. three different versions that may represent different memories of one long night.

with el tunel / proceso , marc pinol and hugo capablanca aced their blend of industrial, acid, techno and new beat in an ep that remains one of the most celebrated moments in the hivern catalogue. now, the evasive duo return to set the bar even higher. four years might seem quite a lot of time, but for c.p.i. it was the necessary period to get rid of expectations and let space for something new to emerge. studio sessions in places like berlin, barcelona, and belgrade brought together an amalgam of voices, spontaneous liasons, mutations and surprising movements that finally crystallised in the four cuts that conform meine hand . masa y poder and sendero luminoso are two sides of the same coin. under all the layers, both ride exactly the same rhythm. two completely different paths that share a common starting point. one builds tension on the dancefloor. the other one tries to fool the threat in the mist. with it s unrelenting acid bassline and lethargic vocals, meine hand feels like some kind of love from above, yet another unexplainable conclusion. ninos de belgrado are, in fact, the children of belgrade. high on drugs. an impending sense of doom. longing for wasted years or perhaps an external threat lurking, who knows. vinyl comes in a standard black cover with insert by designer arnau pi.

with el tunel / proceso, marc pinol and hugo capablanca aced their blend of industrial, acid, techno and new beat in an ep that remains one of the most celebrated moments in the hivern catalogue. now, the evasive duo return to set the bar even higher. four years might seem quite a lot of time, but for c.p.i. it was the necessary period to get rid of expectations and let space for something new to emerge. studio sessions in places like berlin, barcelona, and belgrade brought together an amalgam of voices, spontaneous liasons, mutations and surprising movements that finally crystallised in the four cuts that conform meine hand. masa y poder and sendero luminoso are two sides of the same coin. under all the layers, both ride exactly the same rhythm. two completely different paths that share a common starting point. one builds tension on the dancefloor. the other one tries to fool the threat in the mist. with its unrelenting acid bassline and lethargic vocals, meine hand feels like some kind of love from above, yet another unexplainable conclusion. ninos de belgrado are, in fact, the children of belgrade. high on drugs. an impending sense of doom. longing for wasted years or perhaps an external threat lurking, who knows. silkscrened cover letterpressed at lanacronica. design by arnau pi.

ghana s dj katapila is back with more minimalist dance music productions, this time inspired in part by his travels overseas. following the success of the re-release of his trotro recording a couple years ago, katapila has been playing in europe and the uk, bringing his style of breakneck-paced, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink west african club music into a very different conte, giving katapila (real name ishmael abbey) inspiration in the kind of music he has heard in places like london. so he made some new music, here we go!

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.

the next ep on just this comes from octual, an established figure on the dutch underground techno circuit. his 3rd release to date is an exploration into melody and beat composition � a journey through uncharted territory. �jupiter�s moon� presents a fleeting view of different landscapes - claps and hi-hats depict the lights and shadows of a sublunary word. �untold places� reaches an otherworldly place where rhythm and metre counteract each other and obscure sounds sway us in and out of reality. amsterdam based electronic pioneer sterac provides two remixes, analysing and repurposing the molecular details of octual�s productions. his first rework of �jupiter�s moon� provides a stunning and heartfelt view, exploring the intersection of each artist�s approach. for the dub version he reveals a darker sentiment, creating a dancefloor oriented secret weapon.

das beste von gentlamean auf 180 gramm doppelvinyl im klappcover, album-cd inklusive.

collages are a marvelous thing, every now and then, almost a magical thing. the process of layering materials that were not meant to ft together, such as fabrics with photos, is one of constant choice and assessment. maybe these could ft with those? how can i make this sit well with that? as with physical objects, the process of creating sound collages will have you up late considering� contemplating� calculating� it can leave the strongest of minds numb. but then, all of a sudden, a magic moment occurs. these weirdly ft with those, this somehow blends perfectly with that, and creation just� happens. it will never cease to amaze me how some silky chords recorded on a sunny ohio day, seem destined to be paired with a stumbling polish drumbreak. that is the mind boggling, time traveling magic of beats. pieces of sound, from different times and places, sometimes appear to be made for each other with these words in mind from lyricist ivan ave, we present to you ol burger beats sophomore lp mind games. the frst lp on the newly founded label mutual intentions, and one of the most thematic releases weve done to this day. ol� burger is known in the beatmaking circles for his jazzy sound and great drums. with his latest unreleased instrumentals ep well received, its now time to let the rappers jump on his beats. the feature-list includes underground heavy hitters like chester watson, jeremiah jae, quelle chris, ivan ave, fly anakin & koncept jack$on and kami from savemoney.

voyage animé is a mental and spiritual trip dedicated to house music. with deep resorts to funk, disco and garage, this 4-track record invites the listener to wander in different atmospheres and places.

despite building their careers out of strikingly different musical places, both dbridge and radioactive man have taken influence from the field in which each other operate. dbridge (darren white) was part of the iconic drum & bass outfit bad company and he helms one of the scene�s most solid and quality imprints in exit records and radioactive man (keith tenniswood) was born from the acid house scene and the off kilter electronics of his two lone swordsman projects (alongside andrew weatherall) which led him to create his decidedly uk take on drexciyan electro. it�s by no means a stretch to learn that both producers have crates that contain their favourites from each genre but they�ve also found a mutual respect and connection in the studio over the last few years, leading to the dbrm moniker for craig richards� the nothing special label.

zaquoir alias matthias groß is a producer and musician currently living in leipzig. after sending us more than 10 gigabites of great music, we sat down together and tied a selection of his really eclectic styles of production together into one lp, creating some sort of showreel created in the timespan of over 15 years. zaquoir himself sees the record as a reminiscent mood of a donkey in the sardinian sun and describes the record as a trip in itself, allowing the listener to traverse the lines of various acoustic landscapes. the tracks on the lp where produced in six different places, including a historic house in the centre of vilnius, the artist residency blumen in leipzig, a french-german art association and a village in northern bavaria.

as bass culture proudly reaches its 40th release, it gives us great pleasure to welcome back john jastszebski after he last turned out an ep for us back in 2012. releases for phonogramme and robsoul in the past two years have confirmed that he is a force to be reckoned with in the booming parisian house and techno scene. his approach on the would be back e.p fits in perfectly with the bass culture aesthetic, delivering tracks with a simple immediacy, always loaded with soul in just the right places, but never shirking the all-important groove. > would be back< s sturdy beat leads neatly up to a colourful burst of piano chords and rousing strings that make this into a perfect summer house cut. > fevrier< comes on with an entirely different season in mind, as mysterious and dubby tendrils of synths and samples unfurl around each other with a distinctly wintry mood. > my girl< meanwhile keeps the energy levels up with a stripped back, punchy beat, filling the space in the mix out with rousing pads that soothe and uplift.for a remix of > would be back<, we decided to turn to a long-time legend of the uk house scene, nail. his remix takes a more emotive approach to johns original, dropping in some playful synth lines and dreamy effects with stunning results. reaching across all seasons, situations and times of day and night, the would be back e.p delivers just the kind of versatile house music that sets our souls alight here at bass culture

legowelt brings us two tracks with his trademark dancefloor drums punching through analog layers of melody and atmosphere. willie burns takes us on a hypnotic journey through the grooving crunchiness of a lost underground new york and then deep into the stars. like lovers separated by prison glass, these tracks come from very different places but they all serenade you to the dancefloor and take you into a maze of hazy visions.

the first immerse release of 2011 sees the label taking on a fresh approach while retaining the same atmospherics that have made it an essential fixture in the bristol music canon. outboxx are made up of jacob martin and matt lambert, and their sound is rooted in groovy, analogue house music. with an emphasis on jamming, theres a loose, live feel to these tracks that has an instant appeal but drags you deeper with each listen. >kate libby< kicks off on a swung beat and warm pads, before dropping down to p-funk bass and sparse synth flourishes. >berties groove< places jazzy rhodes playing at the front of the mix with a classic drum machine workout ticking away in the background. this is soulful, authentic house music with not a clinical midi pattern in earshot. despite coming from a different angle, the outboxx tracks slip neatly into the immerse legacy thus far, pointing the way for a year filled with more of the spacious, haunting club music the label has become renowned for.

monotonix are a punk trio from tel aviv. they formed in november 2005, set up on the floor of the club with the audience, and the party began. but the party usually got too wild, the power got cut, the cops were called and monotonix were banned from playing again almost everywhere. before long, they were looking for good places to play outside of israel - and they were delighted to find that there are more rock and roll party places outside of israel than inside! today, monotonix are the hardest working rock band in the world. sure, lots of other bands work up a sweat, but monontonix are definitely the only band who puts in the kind of miles they do, and they rock rings around pretty much the rest of us too. these guys do two different shows in two different towns on the same day whenever they can manage it. but thats only the tip of the hard working iceberg. body language sounds almost like a monotonix show. the only thing you cant hear is the sound of your heart beating in your ears after having been chased around the room by a vocalist with his pants literally on fire, then getting dousedwith beer and dancing your ass off to the guitar riffage, then ending it all by carrying the drummer around on your shoulders while a few other guys hold his kit up so he can keep drumming. you dont end up quite as out of breath when listening body language, but you do get a ton of excitement anyway, courtesy of a killer guitar sound, precision power drumming and lusty lead vocals. they recorded body language with tim green (of the fucking champs) at louder studios in san francisco. it twists and grooves with all the fun and fervor of great rock and roll.

the fourth album from lewsberg.

an exciting group of producers brings us melodic underground sound from different places around the world.

after jimmy batt setting the bar very high with his �retrospection� lp, opia records invite two modern day innovators of dance floor energy to create their eleventh release. taking up a side each on the record we have rakya�s idris bena, and slowlife affiliate, paolo mosca - a combination you never realised you needed.

double-vinyl release with silver pantone cover and an exclusive holographic sticker.

we welcome ed longo and his studio project the applied arts ensemble debut on early sounds with the other fantasy, the result of many recording sessions that took place in different places around europe. conceived with a strong jazz-funk, fusion and boogie sound it has been conceptualized around the idea that the schizophrenia of the internet-age, the visions of otherness (the undiscovered lands, the primitive happiness, the impossible love) permeate the collective consciousness and the idealized other loses any correspondence with the physical world.

well, this is different� fourth kind the self titled mini album on omniverse records. it�s hard to pinpoint a genre with records like this, produced by marc mac of 4hero and similar to some of the 4hero output, it defies genre and fits somewhere in-between many. the production is heavily reliant on synthesisers and vintage drum machines in places but is full of real life and organic movements, this is partly down to the signature drums played by luke parkhouse. the only other guest spot is filled by nu jazz funker pascal strauss aka luman child who plays bass guitar on �take me to your sky� which along with �afterglows� are the closest we get to dance tracks, in most parts a 70s fusion feel is present. the short interlude type tracks are just as important and i would go as far as to say vital to telling the story. moogs, arps and solina strings weave patterns throughout, all in all, across the 10 tracks the album is a journey of mood and emotions. 180g pressing.

r&s welcome back highly-revered techno artist benjamin damage with his new double headed single �malfunction / binary . �montreal� from his debut r&s ep proved to be one of the label s biggest techno releases of the last few years - the pummelling drums, intense atmosphere and beatuiful melodies are synonymous with the music that has made the label timeless. road tested in benjamin�s heavy artillery live shows across the globe, malfunction / binary pick up where the last ep left off - pistoning rhythms, breakneck beats and monolithic bass, but this time the mood is more reflective and optimistic - skying cloud-like pads offer a dreamy counterpoint. made between london and berlin, following recent live shows at berghain and oval space, benjamin�s wanderlust and restless studio dynamic sees him continually breaking down his gear to travel, �being on tour with all my gear i find it quite easy to work in new places,� he explains. �i like the energy of different cities and it s good to keep moving.� this new ep is announced ahead of a huge, all hardware live show at sonar by night in barcelona. with �malfunction/binary� sure to do the business and an album in progress for r&s scheduled for 2019 it�s going to be an exciting year ahead!

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

every now and then a release comes along from out of nowhere with little fanfare, no social media or extensive pr campaign enabling those who discover it to simply focus on the music without bias or preconceived ideas which can so often cloud our judgement these days. the hypochondriac ep is one such release, bringing four diverse tracks which veer from the heavier percussive groove and goose-bump inducing rhodes of the title track through to the spaced-out, soul-drenched vocal workout existential. on movement and ghosted we�re treated to deep and tracky shuffled grooves and 90�s inspired nyc deep house with a nod to dopewax and henry street. simply put, this is the kind of record that back in the day would be your secret weapon for many years with all four tracks working their magic in different sets in different situations and places. we hope you enjoy this little slice of house perfec-tion!

crossing borders of different genres & cultural spheres, yor kultura delivers a superb ep on the magic movement. once again the three rotterdam based producers and djs danny, raymon and kris impress with their very own cozmik blend of tribal music, house and downbeat. on the lotus ep, yor kultura reveals a more melodic side of their musical realm. gritty synth lines, strong percussion work and rolling basses invoke the spirits of places not yet discovered. mysterious vocal samples sing the blues on this journey through various psychedelic worlds. the sultan of hamam swing mehmet aslan, crafts a sublime version of willow on b2, giving a turkish twist by adding extra guitars and percussion. 33 & 45rpm playback is tested and highly recommended.

in recent years the clamour for the funkier side of aor, blue eyed soul, funky rock or any other description you d care to imagine has reached heightened places. the hardest diggers have been endlessly searching for breezy, soulful and rock-infused r&b gems hidden away in the recesses of the major and independent label archives. miamis cat records one such independent, and an off shoot of the hugely successful tk disco empire had made its mark since the early 70s with stellar sides from little beaver, george & gwen mccrae, raw soul express and many more

three years after the launch of the label and after releasing different digital tracks, sumpfsee records proudly presents the release of the first vinyl. at the end of summer the hamburg based producer and long year sumpfsee member pay kusten shows his preferences for slow and organic music. the alpaka ep comes with four different tracks and shows the diversity of his music. all tracks are characterized by warm basslines and influences from different places of the globe. from the happy and harmonic alpaka till the more dark and dusty camina the artist takes you on a journey into his mind.

in a time when everybody gets a virtual stage to speak out about anybody at anytime, sharing moments in dark places together with people known and unknown while completely immersing into the music seems to be a valuable anchor. a (hopefully) phone-free and algorithm-free space with no need for judgments and justifications builds the realm for a respectful togetherness. night defined recordings provides a soundtrack for those precious hours by putting together two thoughtful dub tracks by fred kreeger, each of them reinterpreted in a very different approach by fellow berliners pablo mateo and ron wilson. enjoy this beautiful piece of limited hand-stamped wax!

between places- is the new sublabel from solaronemusic, because som set their focus more on albums and all kinds of electronic music.the new -between places- label will only have the focus on pure electro music from all different countries.!!! first release comes from german producer -das muster- known from his work for solaronemusic, luke eargoggle s stilleben records, arnold steiners transient force or also from his great album on alek stark s fundamental records. he is no stranger for die hard electro fans and also for all who like the old, cold and dark sound of dopplereffekt.

korsao lasar is an audio-visual project founded in 2016. korsa-001, the first material that opens the series, is a four track ep which invites you to dance in different moments of a clubnight. on the second side it contains a photo made by korsao himself. this will be the future layout of the vinyl series, that wants to become a double exhibition: first of all a musical journey and secondly a visual trip to special places around the world.

planet mu are very excited to announce jlin�s long awaited second album �black origami�. a percussion-led tour de force, it�s a creation that seals her reputation as a unique producer with an exceptional ability to make riveting rhythmic music.
�black origami� is driven by a deep creative thirst which she describes as �this driving feeling that i wanted to do something different, something that challenged me to my core. black origami for me, comes from letting go creatively, creating with no boundaries. the simple definition of origami is the art of folding and constructing paper into a beautiful, yet complex design. composing music for me is like origami, only i m replacing paper with sound. i chose to title the album -black origami- because like -dark energy- i still create from the beauty of darkness and blackness. the willingness to go into the hardest places within myself to create for me means that i can touch the infinity.�

bqd40.2 is a collection of original material of artists who we signed back then. on the a side, vid�s �camelie� was an early masterpiece for the label. the mesmerising piano that shines over the beat caught everybody out and made this track one of the most loved brouqade anthems. the b1 belongs to label fave, oshana, who actually released her first production, �magdelena�, on the label. the track featured here, �something different�, was part of a digital compilation, and we�re proud to say we�ve been part of oshana�s story since the very beginning. and as we�ve been digging this track for so long, it�s now only right that it gets some a release on wax.

acid pauli is a name synonymous with certain aesthetic towards electronic music culture - both a part of the unhooked generation of that grew up experiencing his revelatory sets at places like bar 25 and fusion, and yet deeply rooted in musicality and adventurousness. bld, the second full album from martin gretschmann, (aka acid pauli), builds on his already impressive back catalogue which spans back to 2005, and includes a debut album released on nicolas jaar�s clown and sunset. over the course of the eight tracks here, gretschmann explores some of the many facets that have made him one of the most trusted artists in his field. released on his own (and nico stojan�s) label ouïe - the album is the perfect expression of the imprint�s commitment to diverse, exciting sounds, freed of the conventions of traditional club music. the album covers a number of moods and emotions, from dystopian carnivalesque vibes to moments of high intensity, through to deep melancholia and synth laden ambience. gretschmann�s well documented love of the sampler shines throughout - tracks are textured and colored with different hues from his extensive sound palette, whether it�s a part of his more psychedelic moments, or concentrated on his innate knowledge of dancefloor dynamics. as such bld sits together as a complete piece of music - to be relished just as much by blissed out home listeners as the left-field dancers.

the original track is an industrial and distortion experimental project of the owner label federico amoroso which contain a really metallic and dark sound. positive centre his remix it s a dark walk into industrial noise and distortion audio bites, with ambiental moment and powerfull distroy counter. the first track of b side it s remixed by italian producer plukkk which heavy dominating with relentless attitude and distortion driving kick - drum, with big impact for the dancefloor. the last remix is an collaboration with the japanese producer yuuki sakai which has an original idea to add a lyrical singer in the middle of distortion broken techno beat. the new label started well: arriving the big names of the genre and industrial noise skarn division label founder federico amoroso, a new label that will touch many different genres and musical nuances: techno, industrial, noise, drone, ambient and experimental, a melting pot of sounds joined together by a passion for harsh corners and futuristic electronics. artists who remix the first disc of the founder federico amoroso are positive centre (who played several times in places like berghain and tresor), plukkk and yuuki sakai: every producer knows that long in the field of industrial techno and noise music (just look, to name one, the presence of the same positive centre to the latest editions of the berlin atonal festival, or even yuuki sakai: remixed by oscar mulero .. and so on!)

alexis tyrel�s man in the sky introduces itself as a no-nonsense kick and riff driven track. although simple in nature, it is a bold and distinct. the track zeros in on the very memorable riff and the different adaptations of it that play throughout. changes in key, timbre and depth give this piece an eerie vibe in places and a funky vibe in others.

modern love very rarely reaches out to artists outside of its immediate surroundings, it�s happened just a couple of times in the last 14 years. but there�s something about philippe hallais that compelled the label to ask him if he wanted to do something together. philippe has released music on a bunch of cool labels (l.i.e.s., the trilogy tapes, delsin, in paradisum), but hearing the first tracks recorded for lighthouse stories, it was obvious philippe was hitting on something new: a kinda weird slow/fast dance music that sounded like a footwork variant sewn up with an exotic production style that was impossible to pin down. these tracks eventually splintered off into different directions, held together by a strong sense of narrative and motion harking back to a teenage obsession with turntablism, detroit electro and ghetto house, and eventually juke and grime. although he�s spent the last few years focusing on more industrial dancefloor variants, for lighthouse stories philippe turned to these foundational influences, as well as his love of mixtapes and sound collages full of unfinished ideas, skits and experiments, all things that inform the flow of this new album. lighthouse stories captures a sense of nostalgia well, but is also a futuristic vision full of that exploratory, vibrant spirit that�s so hard to find in electronic music these days. frames of reference are hard, but in places it reminds us of the dusted swagger of anthony shake shakir, the acquatic drexciyan movements of ultradyne, a loose-limbed take on shangaan, and of actress at his most submerged. but ultimately, it�s an album made by a producer looking to his personal history while forging new ground, pushing ahead with little regard to convention and ultimately ending up with something completely unique: a kind of intimate journal rendered in bright colours and odd shapes.

despite building their careers out of strikingly different musical places, both dbridge and radioactive man have taken influence from the field in which each other operate. dbridge (darren white) was part of the iconic drum & bass outfit bad company and he helms one of the scene�s most solid and quality imprints in exit records and radioactive man (keith tenniswood) was born from the acid house scene and the off kilter electronics of his two lone swordsman projects (alongside andrew weatherall) which led him to create his decidedly uk take on drexciyan electro. it�s by no means a stretch to learn that both producers have crates that contain their favourites from each genre but they�ve also found a mutual respect and connection in the studio over the last few years, leading to the dbrm moniker for craig richards the nothing special label.

run harder vol. 1 is the first installment in the run harder series. a various artists concept that will represent different cities across the globe. the first effort is a trans-atlantic affair. two great american metropoles and two european cities are connected through a slice of black gold.