master londons joseph russel signs for funkdriven quirky chicago techno but a 1, drums of lagos, stands out of many. what starts like a sturdy minimalist drum and snare pattern monotrack turns inti a discotech monster all at once and seemingly oout of almost nowhere. and once the surprise swingbreak of the track gets you hooked there no stopping.

office 04 circles in memories: the record is about johannes * iron curtis* palukas time at karl-marx-straße berlin where he used to live next door to label head baaz and graphic designer chris fladung. a1 track * magnet* is an ecstatic piece of house music holding all elements ics production is esteemed and loved for : heavy, unrelenting kicks, rolling bass lines, shimmering pads, topped with searing hot yet gamelan-like synts and an icing of slightly loose, detuned organ stabs predesting grand emotions on any dance floor. * what happened happened* surely marks up as another proof of curtis fearless takes on house music: distorted field recordings and blurred spoken words, a web of gossamer melodies and subtle clicks and cuts, all cohered by the louche bassline and the reshuffled groove in a true dilla-ish vein. adapting elements to their own agenda, clandestine groove explorers berg turn * what happened* into a true midnight roller: razor-sharp hihitas join forces with a steam-maschine like percussion, whipping relentlessly in-between kick drum and kick drum. berg cools off their take with prancing melody motifs and strung out pads of the original track, though never loosing focus of the * reductions* aim: keep the dancer dancing.

with his hugely supported pw vinyl release still ringing gloriously in our ears, robsoul boss phil weeks returns with a brace of releases on the mothership and an exclusive taster from his upcoming artists album due later this year. today we bring you the first of those eps, lead by the track from phils as yet untitled long-player. *a man needs a woman* is musical sunshine. stirring strings, warm bass and touching vocal riffs, all filtered to perfection by the frenchman. from the fresh open-air sounds of the title track to the rhythms of the club with *where did the night go*. this sweet sensation is a drum-laden weeks special. *i can make you dance* rounds out the ep. a snare driven, hypnotic and bubbling tool, for the discerning dj.

ukranian techno producer yan cook returns to the planet rhythm imprint with a belter ep. evolving techno sounds that are carefully carved out of analogue pulses and ferm drum hits. where the a side thrives on well produced arps and atmopshere, the b side really hits it with peak time synth action and great fx.

the globally trendsetting house and techno family that is visionquest now turns to a new pairing of sonny fodera & gene farris for their debut ep on the label. entitled ‘we work it’, the two-track affair comes with a remix by visionquest man lee curtiss. australian sonny fodera has been at the sharp end of the dance music scene for years now, clocking up huge hits both solo and with green velvet aka cajmere, releasing albums such as afterparties & aeroplanes and appearing on cajual, defected, suara and many more top labels. gene farris, of course, is a chicago house legend who has been active since the nineties, runs his own farris wheel label and has released close to one hundred definitive eps on relief, soma and many others. up first, ‘we work it’ is a lithe ritual of house funk with bent synths and slick mid tempo drums. a spoken word vocal snippet muses on the intake of various substances and the drums roll on infectiously below. it’s sure to be a standout anthem in the months to come given that vocal line and the spiritualness of the keys all around only adds to the effect. the first remix comes from lee curtiss. this one is a much quicker and more peak time bit of tech house with textured, dynamic bass and plenty of drum fills. it’s an involved, more cosmic and tense take on the original, that will build great pressure on the dance floor. all in all this is another on point package from visionquest that will get played far and wide

2 sleazy, obscure, top shelf chicago basement tracks of the highest order here, dug straight from the trax archives of 1988 & refreshed for 2015! fantasy is a creeping, sinister, rough hewn spoken word banger that has all the things we love about these tunes, dark synths, frenetic drum programming & those lyrics! classic material indeed from short lived production outfit pleasure zone. flip it over for the b-side i cant understand & an instantly familiar vibe jumps out at you, the raw claps, basic melodies & the story of a lover left high & dry recounted over tough jacking rhythms. essential! re-mastered, re-pressed & re-released with the full co-operation & participation of all rights holders.

nebraska is someone who’s tracks we’ve been loving for a good few years now and finally managed to pin him down for a release here on delusions of grandeur. the uk producer is something of an enigma, and despite some amazing releases on rush hour still remains resolutely underground and seems to keep his releases to a minimum, focusing on keeping the quality high rather than flooding the market with average material. once again, he brings the real deal with three drum-heavy warehouse jams to nice-up the dancefloor. aw-right (mute version) sets the tone with a raw house groove that keeps things stripped to the bare minimum. a bouncing bassline and rattling percussion break help to define the track but it’s the dusty, dubby approach to the mix which really makes the track shine. next up we have warp and weft, a similar sounding track but by dropping the bpm’s nebraska has created a sublime low-slung, bumpy groove to really move to. flipping over we’re treated to the brilliant eighty eights which will have you nodding your head like the churchill’s dog before you can say ‘looped up piano and bass one bar groove repeated for over eight and a half minutes shouldn’t work should it?’

messalina keeps up the pressure with another fantastic assortment of balearic gems including a heavy steel drum version of the classic *papa was a rolling stone*, plus *peace & war*, a throbbing afro disco groover with phat bass, funky synths, killer piano hook and a great positive message. its over to brazil on the flip with the brilliant *katarina*, a slo-mo chugger full of rio flavour edited to perfection by balearic maestro andy kidd with the promo already receiving a lot of attention in ibiza. lastly we have *crioula*, lucci capris floor friendly version of a lost jose roberto samba funk classic. top quality all the way.

drum & bass stalwarts black sun empire are to follow up a trio of recent eps from the upbeats, neonlight and pythius with the release of *until the world ends* - a four-track, collaborative ep with nz duo state of mind. to be released in march on double vinyl via their genre-defining blackout imprint, it marks an exciting start to 2015.

recent output has seen dorisburg pushing into deeper realms. computer drumming are some further steps in these explorations of 4/4 rhythms and acoustic depth. with a wide range in tempo, the track titles offers aid for the venturous. a1 is a reduced jam of echoing percussion that never sees the entry of a kick drum. a2 compensates with bouncing bass and a playful array of drumming elements entering and dropping off in a bold tempo. exiting on a more well established pulse, the b side consists of the deepest and most mysterious offering from dorisburg to date. distant bells and chimes and a grand formation of percussion meets thundering bass in an encounter set on vast grounds.

plenaque: heavy focus on the bass from the get-go sets the platform for a muffled kick drum to evoke a sense of impending danger. accompanied by effective synth layers the track bounces to a shuddering alien/deep marine sound, reminiscent of the productions dvs1 is known for. support by: seth troxler, stacey pullen, agoria, nick warren, dubfire

first release on housewax 10 inch vinyl comes from the detroit soul factory * the message* was written and produced in the legendary motor city!

oh yeah, we love those tunes, we love the idea of this west (mexico) to east (lithuania) studio exchange, we love the jam style, we love the instant lets record it and put it on wax feel! so we dont want to blow this up. no big pr stories, just good music made by ponty mython (dirt crew, swedish brandy, eat more house) and sebastien vorhaus (quintessentials, faces records, vicario musique). buy it, play it, feel it! thanks!

wasting no time, eatbrain - the budapest based label headed by jade - is back with another dancefloor annihilating ep. it comes from a name needing little introduction in todays quickly rising movement of high energy neurofunk drum and bass, the badmen from new zealand, state of mind.
the duos high-octane style of drum & bass has catapulted them through the ranks over the last few years, forging alliances with some of the genres foremost innovators. their latest effort, the full force ep, sees state of mind link with the infamous budapest sound, collaborating with the likes of mindscape, chris.su, and jade himself. it is a fearsome meeting of the minds - after all, this is eatbrain. premier neurofunk.
dj support include: phace, grooverider, hype, zardonic, dirtyphonics, black sun empire, rockwell, culture shock, amc, dieselboy, john b, maztek, crissy cris, rene lavice, mind vortex, june miller, audio, drumsound, simon bassline smith, mob tactics, tony colman, neonlight, hybrid minds, billain, c4c

the title track -loom- builds around an electro acidic arpeggiated bassline that keeps intensity high through the roof and is topped with great drum and effect arrangements. -that s not you- goes into a deeper direction with a big bass house influence, killer breakdowns and great synth work. -bang- closes this release with style, this one is has a great bouncy groove, vocal stabs and dark twisted melodies making your mind trip all over the place.

today we once again celebrate the coming together of two of technos most legendary and respected figures for the next installment of their much lauded elements series - oliver huntemann & dubfire. as the series name alludes, aire is a track that harnesses elements from the previous brace of tracks and brings them together whilst adding a fresh touch of flair. irelands matador takes on the remix task, delivering two contrasting new versions. his beautifully deep dub mix is an understated, smooth and wondrous excursion while his main mix throws down its earth-moving kick drum throughout as he allows the original atmospherics and fx to playfully pierce the production.

the new album from eskmo on limited edition white vinyl, download code included.

init is the musical incarnation of rhein-main based duo nadia d alo and benedikt frey. albeit heavy use of analogue synthesis and drum-machines, init rethinks its genres sonic approach, unfolding a unique and organic, yet alienating sound, somewhere in mysterious mids of acid, techno, ambient and kraut-rock

a killer collection of tracks from the mighty paul johnson on steve poindexters chicago underground offshoot. this is some true blue ghetto house music, fat, funky and fresh with all the swing youd expect from vintage paul johnson! the tracks across this ep kick like a mule when applied in the correct scenario, all styles are present here featuring some straight ahead bangers and some weird, woozy down-tempo cuts for the freaky side of the dance-floor to get lost in! theres endless fun to be had here for the djs, youll want to work these tracks all night long in the mix. essential! re-mastered, re-pressed and re-released with the permission of and in conjunction with steve poindexter chicago underground records usa and inspired by bobique bobby. do it!

arturo garces, our brother from the west coast, returns to robsoul with his looking for strangers ep. loved by the robsoul community for his beats from the streets series, the san jose resident first appeared on the label back in 2012 with a trio of tracks that made up vol.1. two more collections followed and firmly established arturo as one of the labels most exciting talents. a label boss himself, arturo is seen as having helped define what is known as the silicon valley sound. his own blend of beat-laden house infused with elements of soul, funk and disco has seen him become a favourite with the likes of sneak, farina and weeks.
looking for strangers opens with the latin guitar licks of the title track before we are treated to the deeper jackin vibes and delicious chords of bassment beat. the vicious kick drum of no fool leads us on the flip, with its awesome stabs of soul. in motion featuring the subtle and sultry vocals of silencia closes the ep with its twisted filters and bass-heavy beats.

happy skulls first release of 2015 comes from uk based artist creta kano, who first impressed with his 2013 debut on rotterdam’s pinkman records. he showcases his highly melodious and deeply textured sound across three tracks for the bristol imprint. *skyway motel* is an emotive, detroit inspired amalgamation of warm chords and rolling drum machine rhythms. the tracks romantic qualities are emphasised on *skyway 81*, a screwed, pitched-down version that re-casts the original as a serotonin fuelled slow jam. *false water* completes the package. a sprawling trip in to broken techno territory, reminiscent of 90s era rephlex.

kalakuta soul records come with a series of releases and new gems that surely will keep this year quite busy. after al kents killer joint that went by the title love & care, its cuttlefish & asparagus who once again deliver a strong three tracker made to work the hell out of every imaginable sound system. mainly known for their unforgettable work on black suns self-titled epic track, atlantis cuttlefish & asparagus deliver an a side that coulnt work any hip harder.

label boss dodi palese is back on what ever not with a brand new chemtrails ep of 6 tracks including remixes from d’marc cantu (crème organization, m>o>s) & rising techno italian artist chevel (enklav, non series, stroboscopic artefacts). title track results as a sick combination of well randomized drum patterns, synths and abstract layers turned into a bouncing house interpretation by the mighty d’marc cantu. the electric shocks of dodis machines go all the way through ‘storm’ delivering a monster dub track which got also treatment by the eclectic and talented chevel, check his slow tempo doped beats to see what we are talking about. two additional luscious bonus tracks, barium and aluminum, complete the package. dodi palese brings the chemtrail conspiracy theory to the music dimension!

in-beat-ween music continue their programme of remixes from lay fars much loved debut album so many ways with a second 12inch featuring the high profile talents of ashley beedle, peter oakden & craig smith, tommy rawson and aroop roy

fokuz recordings makes its advance on the international drum & bass scene. already a quality, consistent label for the last couple of years 2015 is already looking promising with the opium dream ep by need for mirrors and hlz! both tracks are drenched with that distinctive nfm sound. its a hommage to the early tech step vibes from back in the days sometimes even comparable to grooveriders mysteries of funk album. the digital release will have two extra tracks for those that cant get enough, just like us here at fokuz hq. essential!

zweite teaser 12 inch zum bevorstehenden zweiten album der lonelady, *hinterland*. das albumhighlight *bunkerpop* ist ein von post-punk inspirierter ohrwurm mit funky gitarrenlinien über einer mechanischen drum machine, mit dem lonelady wieder ihr ausgezeichnetes songwriting bei minimal-groovender instrumentierung unter beweis stellt.

the first installment in a double issue of brand new cleric productions drops with figure 64. the young british producer has released a handful of 12s over the last few years, issuing forth a bold, club targeted sound with a keen ear for clarity and full-spectrum sonics. now we are treated to a wide ranging and impressive new wave of work, over 8 tracks on 2x12s, from cleric on figure. taking us head first into the action, >avoid the subject< presents a crazy dystopia of arpeggiated synth bleeps, dancing and filtering around a heavy trademark cleric drum barrage. at once recognisable, part-insane and part-paranoid funk, its a strong statement to start the ep.

as part of longstanding no wave duo naked on the vague, murky girl group knitted abyss and extraterrestrial drone project half high, lucy phelan has been a critical force in the sydney diy scene for over 10 years. under the solo veil of lucy cliche, she annihilates with these four wavey techno tracks that honour her noise and punk ethos. with pounding drum sequences, draining synths and emotionless vocals echoing cosey fanni tutti, her dark dreams sabotage our calculations of modern dance while demonstrating how physicality and the ethereal can interact.

after an excursion in initiating their new subsidiary city fly records ltd to release new, interesting projects - in which they presented a super exclusive in the form of a beautifully packaged limited edition clear 10 inch by uglyink aka drum machine deviants and aural aestheticians ugly drums and inkswel - city fly are back in familiar territory with some house flavour on the hallowed 12 inch format.

…fast-forward to an impending soundscape absolute in rhythmatic and melodic synthesis.
drivetrain (detroit, usa) – this love …a sexy late night gem from the deeper arsenal of derrick thompson. meticulous drumming regulate a solid bass groove under an infectious keyboard riff and a moody, mysterious vocal delivery.
santonio echols (detroit, usa) – magicgrooves …santonioís soiree debut solidifies his accomplished and revered status. driving a provocative vocal sample lies a signature subterranean house track flavored with lush chords.
rennie foster (vancouver, canada) – just begun …a bionic, dark creation with a touch of syncopation. spicy pads highlight an impeccable vocal sample to consummate high-tech transcendence.
hideyoshi (tokyo, japan) – alpha decay …his first release on soiree, hideyoshi dives into the depths of minimal, atmospheric rhythm with automation, effects and a dominating kick drum. …welcome to the future.

a1 facade - tampa bay is tried and tested house weapon that we ve had since the label began waiting for the right fit, he comes with his garage beats, deep chords and infectious melodies - simple, driving, effective.
a2 prima - dont stop - lht label co partner delivers a twisted mutating late night tool that instructs you to dont stop dancing til the sun has well and truly risen or at least the smoke has cleared.
b1 jamie blanco - unknown reason (alphonse drum prequel) - jamie met alphonse in the studio again, they messed with his track and got the dub machine working overtime on the 808, look out for main mix on the next release.
b2 kruton - lagoon - the sleeping giant here on b2, kruton is not be messed with, he channels a certain mr atkins here and delivers a dream machine opus.

the nuclear family return with the follow-up to the summer’s after effects ep - another four tracks of deeper electronics for discerning djs and dancers. the title cut is a throwback to the days when we made music in our bedrooms with whatever cheap-ass drum machines and synths we could lay our hands on, and we have invited one of our favourite artists, atlantas moon b, to lend his magic touch to a remix on the flip, we drift into dubbier climes before dropping the tempo to close things out on a spaced-out electro tip.

mr anderson taking a fresh twist and releasing more excellence on dekmantel.
the art of omission is a craft new jersey native joey anderson masters like few others. after releasing an acclaimed debut album in 2014, anderson returns to the dekmantel label serving up the signature sound we love him for. with the 1974 ep, he continues his modern day techno odyssey investigating the outskirts of the genre, while focusing on details and unexpected twists. serving up dense melodic structures, intense chord progressions and unique but relentless drum programming and sounds, anderson shows that the future of techno is bright, original and full of energy.

planet rhythm follows up on its centennial release with the 101st effort on the long running imprint. for this 12inch the label has acquired quite a prruk all star line up. with milan-based emmanuel kicking off the a-side with an analog stomper, this is already a release to add to your collection. dutch techno stalwarts abstract division add an acid chugger to the a side. the b side excists out of a piece of drum machine terror by vsk and a fruitful collaboration between serbia based scalemeriya and re:axis.

olin returns to argot with fellow smart bar resident savile in tow. vinyl only original mix + dubbed out floor-filler & suffocating bass, massive kicks, and relentless drum programming, on the remixes.

the long running one records overseen by adam shelton and subb-an returns with it s 32nd release and first of the year, more importantly warp is the first full ep for the label from mr. ashique subhan! with a style very much cultivated across releases on spectral, crosstown rebels, visionquest, cocoon, a new record from subb-an will always be greeted with anticipation. lead track warp is a typically classy slice of effervescent house music, funnelling deep and dubby textures underneath a strident bassline and crisp, intricate drum programming. complementing this, tv is an equally charming production who s worming bass surges work well against the vocal contribution from jacob phono.

on a debut release for bliq, seixlack unleashes his unique fusion of intoxicating gear-crunched cuts. vasumitra is built around static drum-kicks and a pulsating bassline countered by atmospheric and murky synth progressions its repetitive and body-thumping structure rolls deep. nublando o ar rips it from the get-go, with a hyper-funked groove that manages to sustain its rugged pace and entrancing impact all the way. in the title track feitico, seixlack succeeds in artfully juxtaposing banging riddims with jazzed-out, infectious chords leading nicely to the fourth cut, re-crafted by the mighty miltiades, with a deep-rooted and slow-burner of a meditation.

the super disco edit team have pulled out all the stops on this super un-issued 1979 disco dancer from the stable of world renowned musician stu gardner. here he teams up with the beautiful ms irene cathaway to bring you a unique slice of disco madness. pulling away from too much disco cheese and sleaze mr gardner kills it with some organ work like no other disco ‘12! a 6 minute party jam, with those lovely disco drum breaks towards the end. but hold on, flip it over to get another lovely un-issued feel good track called he can ring my bell, dropping like an emotions out take!. so two previously un-issued tracks, in a 350grm customized disco sleeve, with inner. this is limited once again,with a no repress policy.

abstract cuts is the first ep of a series produced by the french dj & producer tomska. for this new project, tomska explores raw and abstract sounds. dirty kicks and phat basslines with dark synths on the a side, and a deep experimental track with a nice drum kick on the flip side. since his debut on vibes and pepper records, tomska has been gaining steady growing attention by underground house music lovers and dj s.

brighton s ever-cultured black key label pushes on with another house connoisseur for its next release, namely the venerated scotland-based deep house producer brad peterson. opening up the ep is -monsoon- a nice and propulsive house jam that journeys through deep space with infectious drum hits and radiant synths fleshing out the rubbery groove. -sit back- is a more reflective and sombre cut, with wallowing, liquid chords draped over a ponderous, snaking bassline. the classy, cultured work continues on closer -cloud remedy- with its reverb coated hits, decisive drums and carefully spraying, ever shifting synth patterns. classic but not overly reverential of the past, it s a beautifully musical bit of deep house with gently tumbling, starry night sky melodies to die for.

lay-far s critically acclaimed debut album -so many ways- which took him worldwide gets a friendly treatment from the global music family! in the first installment of the remix series we have artistic versions from atjazz, inkswel, jonny miller and thatmanmonkz! martin iveson kicks off the ep with a masterpiece of a remix for one of the highlights of the album - electronic ballad -stand up- featuring pete simpson. when the strings come in you realize - it s atjazz at his best - conscious boogie for the soul! we believe it may easily become future classics! inkswel s version of -when i m seeing you- is soaked in the warm sound of distorted drum machines and tape delays. be warned - this heavy-hitter can actually damage your speakers! the b-side opens with the deep and sophisticated afro house of jonny miller whose remix of -summer vacation- immediately teleports you to the open air party in the adriatic sea coast. last but not the least we have sheffield s own thatmanmonkz revisiting -that dream-. inspired heavily by classic blaxploitation movies, shadeleaf music label boss comes up with a dynamic soundtrack for the imaginary chase scene. badass!

nc-17s grindhou5e imprint is home to a roster of star names including state of mind, the upbeats, mr. xplicit, smooth, and the man himself. now in its third year, the label is based in ncs home town of toronto, canada, and has become a go-to label for those looking for drum & bass with a difference.

very limited 2015 repress! supported by: tania vulcano, radio slave, matthias tanzmann, martinez, nick curly, johnny d, robert dietz, federico molinari, sis, steve bug, ryan crosson, deetron, ellen allien, ilario alicante, soul clap, kasper, brothers vibeà having established himself as a dj off the back of winning check magazine s dj contest and coming runner up in the red bull dj academy, the time has now come for jaffa surfa to spread the word via his impressive productions.throughly road-tested at his residency at hungary s roxy club , budapest s monthly party debut and in his regular european gigs, his early productions for the likes of bosconi and off have already picked up support from such names as dj sneak, lauhaus, mark farina, josh wink, osunlade and the revenge.today s three track release is possibly his finest work to date and kicks off with the serenely deep, classic beats and vocals of doin hauz . staying deep, u know delivers yet more oldschool sounds. built around a subtle rhodes riff and two stunning vocal samples, this 90 s tinged house cut oozes with sunshine vibes. final track drop it on is a more stripped workout. kick drum, snare and delicate keys are matched with a super spoken-word vocal

with this first ep, s.o.n.s pays homage to the early age of electronic dance music, when techno, house and trance were friendly to each other, when tracks were full of deepness and harmonics, when drums were crazy and raw, when techno was soulful. yeah, this is all about this ep, some soulful deep techno excursions. while the a1 is an after-hours emotional weapon freely inspired by an obscure m. goddard production some will recognize, the a2 is a more straight forward electro track with dark vocals and rising chords, as they made it in detroit back in the days. on the other side of the record is a techno journey through a rainforest with pan flute, deep chords and old school bassline. plus there is a little bonus locked groove: a mere 4/4 tr909 bass drum s.o.n.s personally uses in their crazy obscure techno mixes. turquoise vinyl + foil sticker on cover, limited to 200 copies. mastered by matt colton (l.i.e.s, apron…)

today gregor returns home with two slamming new tracks, both of which are the result of hours of tweaking and testing whilst on the road this summer. midas is built around a stripped back single-riff groove. minimal elements and maximum effect show that gregor still has that midas touch. on the flip and easily living up to its name is disturber. its snarling synth takes centre stage, intimidating and unsettling. but as the kick drum thumps and the intensity builds, disturber suddenly returns to the dark shadows.

at the tail end of the 90s, gregory darsa played around with a number of pseudonyms before finally settling on his now familiar dj gregory alias. one of those abandoned aliases was headcore. it was used for a single ep back in 1998, released on chateau flight s label, versatile (then in it s infancy). here, that ep gets a welcome reissue. it s aged rather well, with all four tracks - explorations of deep house themes with occasional nods to the dubby, african-influenced style darsa would later explore on the africanism project - sounding as fresh now as they did 16 years ago. picking highlights is tricky, but we re particularly enjoyed the sparse, swinging dub-house of -cage- (accompanied with a tasty drum dub) and the chez damier-influenced chug of -in & out

john shima is a prolific electronic music producer. he has a sound maybe best described as futuristic & intelligent, with a hint of quarkiness at times. he brings true depth and emotion into his productions, usually illustrated by using spacey pads, electrofunk basslines and intelligent drum programming. this ep contains two tracks, carefully selected from his archive to compliment one another and to bring you his productions of highest quality.

finally. a taster of what we have been waiting for a long time, four tracks from motorcycle boys upcoming album - squalo. with a quad of dancefloor ready tracks at your disposal this 12 has something for everyone. need to kick your disco-dance party into touch? no problemo! mutant house and dischord disco sit alongside girl friendly drum workouts and emo disco. its disco, but not as we know it. look out for squalo in the later part of this year, but dont miss your chance to get in on the action early. this 12 is not to be missed. did we say essential?