dead man s chest aka alex eveson makes his debut appearance on myor massiv sublabel diamond life alongside head honcho coco bryce. dancehalls seem to be the common denominator on this 12”. and where mr eveson prefers to drop a tab of acid, coco opts for a helping of mandy to work his way through the night. both sides find the respective producers operating at the 160 bpm mark, wading through a hazy mist of sounds reminiscent of clandestine warehouse raves. but whereas dmc utilizes a fairly straightforward, 93 style hardcore drum loop in combination with acidic undertones and atmospherics which clearly reveal his love for the “golden era” of mo wax trip hop, señor bryce s jam is a far more hectic sounding affair, layering a chopped and re-edited apache on top of an already-frantic, percussion- laden break beat, adding even more to the rushy feeling induced by the nervous pads and rave stabs. quality, yet slightly off-kilter hardcore junglist exercises.

new zealand s most prolific j-tek enthusiast dan silk aka worldwide epidemic returns to the myor camp, this time for a solo release on the diamond life sublabel. on “aroha” he finds himself exploring territory slightly removed from his usual 4x4 jungle techno habitat. extended pads, techy synth stabs, sugar coated diva vocals and spot of amen choppage courtesy of label boss coco bryce make for a top notch 7 minute atmospheric d&b junglist excursion. “enterprise” offers everything one might have come to expect from mr. silk: his signature offbeat break programming layered with a 4x4 kick drum, instantly recognizable synth melodies and a healthy dose of pads. hardcore in its most gentle form.

check floorfriendly b1: petre inspirescu remix (aripar, amphia... ),
next up on francis harriss newly-founded record label kingdoms comes something very special from brooklyn-based film composer, songwriter, producer and performer leah lazonick. movimenti della luna doro (movements of the moon of gold translated from italian) is a four-track ep from one of the most exciting musicians and performers around - a beautiful quartet of contemporary classical music with a twist. lazonick is something of a polymath, having composed and conducted orchestral and electronic scores for short films and commercials as well as being a classically-trained pianist. lazonick is also a connoisseur of analog synths and vintage drum machines, and will release a second ep focussing on these passions during the course of 2018. here we are treated to three luscious works for piano and string quartet, written for a one-off performance at studio off interarts, an art gallery in montreal. the piece was performed in a forest-like immersive environment, and was originally called in a forest (a piece in three movements). lazonick performed the piano parts along with a string quartet she had assembled for the performance/recording. lazonick explains: as opposed to most of the other songs/compositions i have written, i have no concrete sentimental story behind writing this piece. the motivation, inspiration and overall idea behind composing it was of a more technical nature, attempting to relay the music in my head at its purest form, without any compromises, by primarily making use of melodic and harmonic dissonances whilst still keeping the content captivating, musical and continuous.

piff records continues to unravel its catalogue by calling on an artist slightly closer to home. cardiff-based harrison bdp adds to his already prolific discography with an ep that spans from mellow dub techno vibrations, all the way up to wide-open, rave-driven acid riffs.
harrison’s a-side revels in a deep pool of soft bubbling synth chords, moulded to the backdrop of tight rolling drum work and occasionally teasing the wider, heavier energies to be found on the flip.
the b side ripples with ricocheting, delay-laden soundscapes, rock-solid drums lines, and nostalgic lead synth lines that make you glad that you’ve caught on to this talented producer early on in his promising career.

rrose and lucy need little introduction as heads of eaux and stroboscopic artefacts (respectively), their influence on the direction of techno in the last five years is undeniable. rather than crafting a style to be imitated, they pursue an approach that welcomes unpredictable results, with the intention of stimulating uncharted areas of the mind through sound and rhythm. the first lotus eaters collaboration appeared on stroboscopic artefacts in 2016. for their follow up on eaux, the pair go deeper into lucy s analog modular forest, searching for those essential elements that will yield alchemical results. inner membrane undulates with ring modulated tones that stretch like liquid metal, patiently building up dancefloor energy with only the barest of percussive elements. on the b side, inverted limb takes a similarly minimal approach, utilizing two tones, a bass drum, and hi-hats to maximum effect. the ep closes with seeds of discontent a swirl of feedback and noise that is both soothing and unsettling, leaving us wondering what will come next

luciano e valerio, giacomo e michele: odeon are the union of two couples of roman brothers who are not easily defined. take the mellow melodies of talk talk and the celestial guitar riffs of cocteau twins bound together with some heavy goblin-inspired bassline and youll be close to picturing odeons signature sound. drawing from ‘70 italian b-movies soundtracks, psychedelic rock and early 80s new wave, and combining analog synths, dreamy guitars, melancholy vocoder and drum machine-driven percussion, odeon put together a debut album that sounds fresh and classic at the same time. ethereal and mesmerizing, galaxies is the perfect soundtrack for a sonic journey through dying stars and forbidden planets.

waxwing pops up on re-fix with a crafty, chopped up soulful house approach that will sit right with fans of max graef and felix lenferink. -can you- is a summery jam with plenty of sliced and diced vocals and romantic sweeps of melody, while -longfunk- gets a cheeky shuffle in the mix with splashy drum hits and nifty rhodes stabs to get bodies popping uncontrollably. -do it for em- gets even twitchier in the edit, using all kinds of heavily funked up samples to create a killer groove. -stand it- takes a more classic new jersey approach without losing that instinct for crafty twirls and curls to spice the mix up.

the title track empty dancefloor combines a thumping kick drum, stuttering hats and mesmeric chords, a combination that prove to be the perfect backing track to a captivating synth solo. its extremely difficult not to find yourself lost in this enchanting track. fracture- is a track where skygaze really showcases his ability to combine broken beat, complex drum patterns with bewitching chords, magical marimbas and a curious bassline. it is a track that really keeps you guessing throughout and one that can really add variety to any dj set.

after the widespread acclaim for shoulders back and july v, leif fires up his 10 inch tio series with another pair of dazzling, future minded cuts for the more inquisitive dancefloor. increasingly he s been moving away from house and techno conventions towards intriguing broken beat variations, and that s apparent in abundance on this new release. bluebird rides on a set of tough but dynamic drum ripples, but the stand-out element is the gorgeous twinkling arpeggio that pirouettes over the top of the beat. number 13 meanwhile takes a moodier, dubbier approach without losing that deft programming, harmonic warmth and crafty rhythmic interplay that has become leifs calling card in recent times.

just like his secrets ep of last year, this latest instalment in detbois catalogue, entitled ‘ice cold, merges elements of drum and bass, jungle, bass music, techno and more in exquisite fashion, quite simply like nobody else has done before. the 3 track ep consists of pure breakbeat pleasure, with ‘blood drops leading the charge, a classy piece that elegantly rolls and seamlessly interchanges through various phases. its without doubt some of detbois most distinguished work yet, and were delighted that its opening the metalheadz account for 2018.

the next chapter in shaw cuts comes from russian duo poima, who celebrate their debut record twin blades of doom – a fierce revenge mission and hunt after the infamous ghost gang. the pursuit opens with triglau , its linear machine groove levelling a fraction of the ghost gang. heads roll on a crimson floor. teaming up with mysterious masked warrior inland, triglau morphs into a hypnotic trip. pushing drum rhythms and swirling pads combine with nasty noise elements, propelling the hunt. the remaining enemy members are already hatching their next evil move. on the way to lu he village where the ghost gang plans its next assault, analogue break-beat punches and swinging percussions weave a menacing tapestry of sound, crushing the bones of rogue creatures in its path. serbian slayer regen arrives in force for the final showdown at qi dou town where the ghost gang plans a huge heist. armed with atmospheric pads and a soaring drum crescendo, his interpretation of bones ends the ghost gang tyranny in one fatal sweep. and the saga goes on...

fausto messina is a veteran dj and producer from treviso, a small town on the plain between the gulf of venice and the alps. fausto has been releasing music for more than 10 years and pica pica is his debut e.p. on cadenza. in the track named pica pica a recurrent evocative voluminous chord is convoyed by a classy powerful kick drum and an organic symphony of fluffy percussions and metallic bonks, with a triumphant layer of dense whistles and shimmering cymbals. the extremely intense vibrant rhythms of idiophono contrast with the gentle reverberating harmonies of an ensemble of struck idiophones, angelically flowing in the background of the track. the smooth magnetic flux of planets ballet concludes the e.p. with high style. this jacky stride over a stack of steamy synthesisers and bubbly bleeps is a golden tune for a quivering late-night dance-floor.

zone look to irish artist and esteemed electro producer defekt aka matthew flanagan for their next ep. over the years this artist has become synonymous with proper techno and electro. his hardware based sound has won him fans all over the world and chief amongst those records is the 2010 mini album he released and which got hammered by legends like dave clarke. working on combat recordings, signal code and electronic explorations amongst others, his rugged drum sounds and modular synth style is textured and real and for that reason always stands out.

for this release metrist delves into a set of carefully constructed and deeply rhythmic but ear-grabbingly idiosyncratic, mixed fidelity dancefloor-geared oddities. the first three tracks are united, in a fashion, by the artist’s skill at programming a series of drum tracks that set a definite tone for the productions. within a quite partisan field of often microscopic generic variety, largely pinned down to the tempo and timbre of electronic drums, here metrist has pursued a tricky-to-define path. the bounce of new jack swing is twisted amongst stripped back polyrhythms, equal parts groove and glitch seasoned by some futuristic acid filters that create a constantly shifting aura of space and textural nuance around the individual drum hits. quite often arrhythmic interjections punctuate these ‘grooves’, be it the sawing bursts of noise and snarled, incoherent vocals on ‘an soaep’, the non-language and playful, bubbling bass surrounding the half time feel of ‘on golden seize’ that builds to something approximating an industrial take on uk funky or the brash sub-wobbles that intrude ‘pantomimer tongue’s juddering knife-scraping-on-a-balloon stutters. ‘caaacel the horze’ closes the record in a less weighty style, with crunchy arpeggios running on a synth that sounds like it’s picking up interference from a radio channel, as snatches of moaned vocals allude to a deeply ambiguous yet chilling narrative behind the music. thudding kicks intrude on the skittish melody but in a non-rhythmic way reminiscent of someone trying desperately to snatch your attention by banging on the adjacent wall. gauzy melodic textures in the background provide a calming counterpoint to the uneasy qualities of the composition

after the widespread acclaim for -shoulders back- and -july v-, leif fires up his 10- tio series with another pair of dazzling, future-minded cuts for the more inquisitive dancefloor. increasingly he s been moving away from house and techno conventions towards intriguing broken beat variations, and that s apparent in abundance on this new release. -bluebird- rides on a set of tough but dynamic drum ripples, but the stand-out element is the gorgeous twinkling arpeggio that pirouettes over the top of the beat. -number 13- meanwhile takes a moodier, dubbier approach without losing that deft programming, harmonic warmth and crafty rhythmic interplay that has become leif s calling card in recent times.

growing bin burst into 2018 with a bang, crash and symbol splash, uniting a premier pair of per-cussion obsessives for a supernatural mission into the heart of the rhythm. dressed in the pitch black of du&#776,,sseldorf stands wolf mu&#776,,ller, master of the tropical drums and seven time salon des amateur breakdance champion. repping cologne and berlin is niklas wandt, germany’s funkiest drummer and a mixed musical artist as adept in experimental jazz as demen- ted euro dance. standing toe to toe in a no holds barred, no drum unstruck groove contest, these two titans will make you swing your pants like a crash bandicoot victory dance... so stretch out and step in to ‚instrumentalmusik von der mitte der world

another root ready to bloom has been found in yann polewka. his opener is a filter laden, vocal drenched affair that holds the ever present rfb groove. all i dooo is next and holds that similar french filter style this one focusing on heavy strings and driving drums. the b side sees up ramp up a gear, luv me baby is looping and relentless. the piano and bass loop is short and repetitive but is constantly changing with filters vocals and interweaving percussion, this one works great on the dance floors. with b2 we see rfb take an unusual path for the label. all around is reminiscent of drum and bass almost liquid vibe with seductive vocals and ramped up tempo.

limbo is the debut album by noch.
a collection of bumping, clicking, winding, loops that dip into noise, ambient, and acid. written during jam sessions with friends and worked on at dusk on a stony beach in headphones, each track is based around a simple loop, sometimes left on repeat to wander in meditation, sometimes building complexity in repetition.

the brilliantly beguiling r-zone series hits release number 20 with another genre defying four track ep by no one knows who. as always, the music looks backwards to go forwards and frantically blends breakbeat, rave, acid, house, electro and techno into wild new forms. the geometry of shadows kicks off with a flurry of pinging kick drums, rushing synths and smeared chords that manage to be physical yet serene at the same time. chrysalis is deep detroit style house with gurgling basslines and warm future soul synths extending off into the cosmos. ship of tears then races through the galaxies as asteroids, shooting sci-fi synths and glassy melodies all fly by in enchanting fashion, acid is buried deep within and the drum programming is busy and direct. the parliament of dreams closes things down with more haunting celestial pads and cold acid lines that are all backed by boom-bap breakbeats. its dance floor euphoria of the highest order once more.

after a six-year hiatus, everyone’s favourite hospital compilation returns. witness the sickness, this is drum & bass, this is ‘sick music 2018’. with 24 brand new tracks, the series that brought the world early stories of netsky, wilkinson, sigma and fred v & grafix is back. the heritage of this series speaks volumes, and sick music 2018 takes the quality to a whole new level. filled to the brim with dangerous dubplates this full spectrum injection is a must have for each and every d+b devotee.

with the sublime sounds of um001 still resonating through the drum & bass world, the bristol based utopia collective build on their impressive debut with an equally stunning second single. another long-time supporter of the utopian cause, survival (exit records/audio tactics/dnaudio) steps up with the hypnotic and enchanting traveller whilst the sect give mako and mutes incendiary >connexion< their unique treatment. dj support: ltj bukem, doc scott, dj marky, fierce, makoto, bailey, loxy, total science, spectrasoul, dj lee, flight, instra:mental, survival, invaderz, squire, insiders and many more

memory distorts itself, reshaping past & future alike.
rosewater ctz’s crush ep exists in the space between fantasy & recollection. its ethereal soundscapes, guitars and driving drum breaks depict a fragile utopia. this 6 track ep alternates ambient and club tracks, weaving together states of absence and presence.

following a red letter release in the form of joe armon-jones & maxwell owin s idiom, yam recordings return with the second installment of their you and music compilation series, this time compiled by yam fam hollick & z lovecraft. kicking things off on the a side is native cruise, a new artist hollick has been working extensively with on no bad days, bringing that signature ‘floaty yet punchy’ sound. it’s a kwaito-esque club jam with pan flutes and percussive loops bringing that energy to the start of the record. will listers sunset over st. petets spire is up next with a hypnotising yet intricate production from the hugely promising talent. will is a dude very much affiliated with yam and, of course, our pals over at balamii radio so it only seemed natural to have him on the record. that melody is a proper ear-worm too! the b side, curated by z lovecraft, is a slightly tougher affair with three tracks representing his taste in soulful sounds and expands on his a&r work for rhythm section international. first up is rouge me&#769,,chaniques prisma ltd a 7-minute psychedelic drum odyssey showcasing the multi instrumentalists many talents and influences, with guitar overdubs and flute ambience taking the dance floor far and beyond. on b2, upcoming break beat talent, lt, takes the helm with gale force. hailing from the peak district, lt makes work of deep vocal pads, 606 touches and a killer bass line. finishing off the compilation is wholemeal musics boy wonder, dear earth, who conjures a charming hip-hop ditty with his delicate assemblage style.

slam and obscure shape & shdw step up for the second wave of radio slave ‘grindhouse’ remixes on rekids this february. one of techno’s most iconic records, ‘grindhouse’ first appeared on radio slave’s ‘no sleep’ series before spawning multiple remixes from dubfire, danton eeprom, terence fixmer and nic fanciulli. kick-started by len faki, last year saw the announcement of a series of remixes with more to come from vatican shadow, markus suckut, lady starlight and special request. complete with relentless kicks, sinister drones and industrial elements, part two is not for the faint-hearted. starting with slam, the soma bosses keep things dark, with rattling top lines and echoing effects resulting in a truly decadent techno floor destroyer. following a remix of radio slave’s ‘vision’ in 2016, obscure shape & shdw’s abilities are held in high regard by the rekids owner and their rework of ‘grindhouse’ reinforces why. complete with a rumbling lowend, metallic melodies and soaring synths, the from another mind founders continue to establish themselves as two of techno’s most exciting names.

boris bunnik is no stranger in the world of electronic music. he released several albums and ep’s under a variety of monikers since 2007 on labels like delsin, shipwrec, frustrated funk and his own transcendent imprint. fauxpas musik welcomes him for a new project called severnaya.
originally hailing from the island of terschelling, the most northern and remote part of the netherlands he now made a piece of music dedicated to this special place. severnaya means north in russian and refers to the bright frozen landscapes of the northern archipels. boris often plays with the influences and elements of ambient in his music. if we have to believe the man himself, polar skies is his most personal sound trajectory to come from his mind. drum programming is scarce and what remains is a lush and profound listening experience floating on scapes and melodies. we clearly hear his roots and intentions represented in the airy, tranquil sound design of this new album project. things sound spacious, and life is at ease in these melancholic compositions. crispy crackling percussions and icey pads place you in the midst of a resonant arctic landscape. you can hear influences drawn from producers like biosphere, pub, brian eno but we also hear more contemporary influences from modern day film composition but most of all we here boris his own signature. the tracks were composed over a couple of years (2015-2017) in a more contemplative mindset. at some point this selection formed a consistent piece of music and as a result you hear his most personal and fragile works to date. fauxpas musik is proud to release this new project in 2018. written and produced by boris bunnik aka conforce at the pasadenaoceanlab studios special thanks to family, friends and fauxpas musik for their support. this release comes in 180g vinyl and a hot foil stamping on the cover. vinyl tastes better...

acid paulis album bld dropped earlier this year and was a superb reminder of martin gretschmanns unique place within the electronic music. breathing musicality and adventurousness into everything that he does, the album covered a number of moods and emotions, from dystopian carnivalesque vibes to moments of high intensity, through to deep melancholia and synth laden ambience. following on from the a remix package, b brings another huge selection of producers into the fray to reinterpret the originals. first up, hamburg hero stimming works over ‘amadou - flipping the original, into a techy bomb. a thick kick underpins a shuffling, off kilter rhythm and beautifully treated melodics. stimmings feel for gently pushing the dancefloor into new places shines through. ‘rené is reworked by roman flügel, the ongaku/klang/playhouse boss whose influence on the european electronic music scene has been immense. always willing to experiment, ‘rené is the perfect canvas - arpeggiated blips and beeps echo primitive electronic explorations by the likes of francis bebey, and a huge subby kick drum take this track into space. alex boman sets to work on ‘jeanne, locking into his signature groovy, tribal approach to working the dancefloor. the swedish producer adds dubby elements, an irresistible percussion track and disruptive, random sounds to the thick, heady mix. dutch wunderkind satori tackles ‘jorge - twisting the original into a psychedelic groover that finds room for backwards vocals, marimba-like melodies, fat basslines and shuffling breakbeats.

time for a little recognition… pets welcome a true polish techno founding father to the fold: jacek sienkiewicz. dj since the early 90s, producer since the late 90s and one of the earliest artists to stamp their country down on the techno map, jacek was one of the first polish producers to be signed by the likes of trapez, cocoon and klang and laid down the foundations for the likes of pets founders catz n dogz several years later when they emerged as 3 channels. og status confirmed, hes remained just as consistent as he is influential. this single is proof: ‘su17 is a bubbling sine cauldron that starts with a simmer but builds to a boil with its ever-morphing, lava-like flow. expert drum momentum and sudden layers of instrumental help to create a fluid three-track-in-one experience that spellbinds you crowd for the entire eight minutes without realising. ‘mustang is a cascading synth odyssey that gently rises and falls like an escher looped staircase. gradually building in momentum with more of jaceks signature hypnosis flare, its not until the drums double up with an almost live-style visceral feel that you realise just how high jaceks taken you. it comes complete with a star-lit switch from berlins serial innovator tobias, where the synths are deftly refocused and a whole layer of orchestral delight are layered within.

iron curtis has felt like a polytone artist for quite a while now. he recently delivered a breathtaking remix for matthias vogt, and shared a split ep with the man himself, terrence dixon. hes also played several label nights, but indeed unwind is his first very own ep on polytone. the opening track riders is our floor filler here. a subsonic bass experience of the more intensive kind. its a pure groover, with a surprisingly long lasting breakdown that never lacks on intensity. cream on the a2 is a stellar ambient joint, with rhythmic elements and cosmic pads. on the flip we have the title track, unwind, with an unconventional basic groove, bleepy touches and trademark 707 drum machine sounds. pure and stunning deepness. the final track is a remix from force/emerge and leads unwind into techno territory. polytone stands for diversity, and again demonstrates the labels vision of versatility here.

blindsmyth ist ein musikalischer weltenbummler. in verschiedenen bands erkundete er klangspektren von metal und postrock bis zu electronica. während seines musik-studiums tauchte er dann noch tiefer in die unterschiedlichsten musikalischen genres und produktionstechniken ein, kombinierte verschiedenste instrumente mit elektronischen produktions- und performance-techniken und fand so, auch durch viele live-shows, zu seinem eigenen sound. das debütalbum von blindsmyth ist eine entdeckungsreise zwischen tiefen elektronischen klanglandschaften und experimenteller popmusik. alle tracks wurden mit analogen instrumenten, organischen drum sounds und eigenen field recordings produziert. es ist impulsiv, groovig, experimentell und verträumt. die stimmung changiert zwischen house, folk und langsamen techno - kombiniert mit atmosphären aus ambient, dub und post rock.

eagles & butterflies readies the third instalment in his art imitating life label series. boldly detuned and expertly defined, the last dance showcases trademark e&b chords and arpeggio sequences, backed with elegant vintage pads, tumbling, drum machines and percussion. the flip sees two reinterpretations of the title track, where a nineties broken-beat is accompanied by a beatless, synthapella edit.

two new cuts from levon vincent

obrani records are proud to present strangeman - an ep from the young and talented producer plantae, who has conquered the minimal hearts of techno and house heads alike. the intensity and broadness of plantae’s musical pallet, reflected in every crease of the release, will appeal to diggers from all scapes of the globe. from grassroots break-beat to snappy hats and bold percussion, occasionally visited by passing high notes, like comets in a coma of ever-changing motive. if forced to reduce his sound to words, musical abstractionism would hit as close to home as the 808 bass drum. undoubtedly, strangeman made it’s way to the obrani records collection.

villa Åbo in the alternative solo project of swedish musician and producer jan svensson, who has been making electronic music for the better part of 30 years as the artist behind such aliases as frak, studio ss and alvars orkestra. svensson also runs legendary swedish dance and experimental music label börft, the product of a mutual appreciation for severed heads and terse tapes. as villa Åbo he released two records in 1997 on börft and remained inactive for 17 years until the dutch label bio rhythm coaxed him into revisiting the project and released a double 12&#8243,, in 2014. jan has since followed with a steady stream of 12” singles for kontra-musik, noise in my head and radio lundberg.
“magnetic moves” is villa Åbo’s debut album, originally released in an limited edition of 65 hand-numbered cassettes by funeral fog in 2016.
clocking in at over 46 minutes, this first-ever vinyl edition spreads the 8 ragged techno tracks across four sides for maximum loudness. some songs are aggressively potent, with cyclical synth riffs and razor-sharp acid lines riding a heavy, funk-fuelled techno groove. others tracks are more fluid, vintage underground resistance or derrick may with killer drum machine workouts that come in handy as dj tools. all songs have been remastered by george horn at fantasy studios in berkeley. the record is housed in a custom made jacket designed by eloise leigh, featuring a photograph of jan’s mother’s house, the meaning behind “villa Åbo”. each copy includes a double-sided postcard with notes.

after his well acclaimed soundtrack lp on hivern discs, brussels based producer lawrence le doux is returning to homebase vlek for his next offering. and what a project it has become: le doux, heads first, dived deep into the belgian national history of electronic music, and came up with a sampler covering the various fields the belgians have explored over the last 30 years. from digi dub over simple drum computer house to one­man industrial cassettes: host has it all.

fortuna records boss kalbata launches his new record label brush & broom with this impressive ep, featuring two acid-tinged african percussion excursions for the late hours. obskuur is a ritualistic percussion journey reminiscent of old-school warehouse days while rumoured is a high-tech conga roller layered on top of analog drum machines and an acidic bassline. crucial and limited!

it’s time to step into the bristol shadows with sector 7 once again as label co-runner boofy invites young echo to the fray for two instrumental grime / dub hybrids. -roll the dice- pelvises with its dense subs and shimmering atmospheric textures while shattering trap snare roll and a mystic melody and skippy drum arrangement flicker in and out of the foreground. -cane sword- is a little more on the pure grime tip with some superb drum momentum, breathless atmospheres and cool samples that skid to a halt when you least expect them. roll again...

prolific producer mathis mootz is very well known within the drum/bass and hardcore techno arenas as being one of the innovative pioneers to merge both genres with an unique approach. his contribution to the electronic music community is not limited to his explorations within only the drum and bass and hardcore genres, mathis also has various experimental projects, most noteworthy being his m2 ( squaremeter ) project with releases on mille pleateux, ant-zen and hands productions. the sound of m2 is defined as a combination of micro sound and industrial soundscapes. the panacea is no stranger to the world of techno as some may suspect, his command of the position chrome record label came from his close relationship with force inc. music works which was one of the earliest german record labels to fuel the underground techno/rave scenes in the early 90’s. since position chrome came under his guidance in 1997 it has become one of the most important labels in electronic music due to it’s integrity and an impressive release of quality music for it’s genre. more recently, he has been investigating the techno landscape with david frisch together known as new frames, their latest release on hands productions is essential for those interested in contemporary electronic music of the dark techno/industrial kind. “ above the absolute “ is a 12’’ of mercenary techno produced with expert skill. the opening track “ above the absolute 96 “ is pure sound wave balance with all the components for what is sure to light any dance floor on fire. “ most basic resolution “ is a dark, mood shifting, hard acid techno reminder of what it means to create music for warehouses, pure old school for the hardcore. “ overdrive ee “ continues in a more contemporary direction and demonstrates a mastery of percussive elements in tune with the kind of atmosphere that brings people together in the dark. the final track “ walter “ goes back into the future with a track aimed at the headstrong, an exceptional closing chapter that hits dead centre on the search of the perfect beat. an overall completely impressive work from an artist who has set no limitations for himself.

urulu returns from his travels to namek with this warm and colourful sound-set for voyage.

super heavyweight chicago heat from 1994 on steve poindexter s muzique label! this one s only for the headstrong, hard, jacking, minimal and raw. pure chi-town ghetto style! you have dj deeon, dj milton, mike dunn and armando all collaborating to bring you the -nothing stopping ep- so you know this is some serious dance-floor searing business indeed. it s all here, the stripped back, manic drum programming, the sexual innuendo laden vocals and that insane chicago energy that makes records like this so special. there was definitely something in the water in lake michigan! this essential ghetto house 4 tracker has been re-mastered, re-pressed and re-released for 2018 with all original muzique records artwork intact and with full permission from mr.steve poindexter, chicago usa

2018 repress , a stunning piece of nyc proto-house / electronic disco from vocalist shirley lites mixed by the legendary studio team of nick martinelli & david todd. released in 1983 -heat you up...- is a slamming, heady mixture of drum machines, synths, dub fx & lites powerful, soulful vocals, a record that worked the dancefloors of the paradise garage, the zanzibar, the muzic box & many, many others into a complete frenzy, a true underground disco classic (check that dub mix!) this bonafide dance classic is now here again, re-mastered & re-pressed in conjunction with west end records & still causing a sensation when played almost 30 years after it s original release, essential!

skyrager presents the first in a series of dance floor edits designed for optimum peak set destruction! beat girl/wonderful is already generating heat on worldwide dance-floors in the skilled hands of crack selectors including hunee, lovefingers, mark e and more.beat girl is our a-side, a heavy, throbbing ebm monster. like something discovered on a long lost belgian white label with it s sharp french femme-fatale monologue and nagging acid bass-line. trust us, this one sounds ultra-heavy on the system! things get a little sexual about halfway through and then those guitars kick in, yes, guitars, scuzzed out, fuzzed out chords run rampant over this beast and you re gonna love it. this is that sleaze, put your phone away, pick up the amyl and jack. wonderful is just that, a ridiculously rare south african (!) cover of italo overlords klein & mbo s cut of the same name. there shouldn t be much more to say here, but you should know that it s a stellar combo of hypnotic drum machine rhythms, mind melting synth bass-lines and super dreamy spoken word vocals. its almost as if she s speaking directly to you as you lose yourself in the smoke and lazers, let go, you know you want to.

rich nxt returns to fuse london for his 6th solo ep and it is perhaps his most crucial and striking material yet. these tracks have been destroying parties around the globe all summer from daytime to night time, club to warehouse, all three are certified bangers. from the ridiculous baselines of brigade, the beautifully uplifting vocal of serious and the effect of the synthesis between natural and artificial drum sounds on eight, each track combines moments of twisted raving with crystal clear breaks and heavy drops.

originally released in 1984, identical-twin-brother duo aleem’s release yourself gets a timely repress. this is an early electro masterpiece that goes a long way in showing what subsequent trends have inherited (vocal sample re-pitch, reverence for drum machines, etc.) and what, for better or for worse, they’ve largely discarded (infectious, funky positivity). they don’t make it like this anymore. comes with free titular advice to any artists struggling for label deals.

2018 repress . since launching last summer, rasta vibez has carved a niche for itself among the drum and bass community for those seeking out some dub and reggae flecked jungle cuts for the dance. now, after a successful series of 10 inch hand stamped records, mystic pulse kicks off a new 12 inch series pushing a more serious and distinguished sound with style. both sides start off halftime but effectively evolve into breakbeat chaos, which has already proven to shake up the dancefloor big time. in short a must have for all ragga muffin junglists!

julien sandre and mennie return under their jarau guise this january with the saturn system ep, set for release via visionquests special edition sub-label. julien sandre and mennie return under their jarau guise this january with the saturn system ep, set for release via visionquest’s special edition sub-label. france’s julian sandre and italy’s mennie have both individually carved out quite the career over the past decade with the former racking up releases on blindbox, franck roger’s home invasion and e wax amongst others, and the latter holding a residency at tenax club in italy and collaborating togheter on releases for poker flat and housewax of late, 2017 also saw their collaborative debut as jarau which came courtesy of the revered pleasure zone imprint. now returning for their second ep under this new guise the pair join the roster of visionquest special edition with saturn system and taking the lead is le voyage a snaking journey through billowing synth swells, jangling percussive chimes and organic drums before dubhe strips the vibe back to modulating resonant synths, shuffled stripped-back rhythms and lumpy sub bass tones. adrienne opens the flip side with the focus on a swinging drum groove as airy atmospherics ebb and flow throughout. hypnotize then rounds out the package and as the name would suggest relies on subtle nuances to draw you deeper and deeper into the intricately programmed percussion and smoothly blooming synth flourishes.

slam city jams are back with their first compilation. a 4-tracker packed up with five amazing artists from all over the globe. and lets face it: its a breaky affair! starting off with our munich homeboys from coeo. known for their funked up house tunes on toy tonics, they start into complete new realms this time. ‚never going home‘ is the perfect example of a dope broken beat electro tune, that with its weird synth line & smooth breakdown never failed on a gig in the last months. on a2 the man doppelate from london (lets go swimming rec.) exactly hits the spot with mezmerizing synths, tight drum programming and a crunchy acid bassline on ‚four feet up the stairs‘. the flip side starts off with label head honchos rhode & brown, who teamed up with their buddy leo woelfel from austria, both known for releases on toy tonics, public possession or lets play house. here the name ‚more drama (less hysteria) says it all: pure drama on this breaky acid tune! to round up this great package weve got marco lazovic from moscow on b2. he digs deep ‚in the jungle with rolling 707 drums, dreamy synths and this tropical atmosphere we cant get enough of.

smile for a while bring us a sizzling-hot re-issue on their - all that jelly sublabel with thumpin beats by chicago grandmaster jordan fields. this slice of black gold came out on large records in 1994 and was now carefully remastered by german sound guru herb lf. you ll hear devastating 909 drums with loads of chopped up latin-style samples all hardware-honed with drum machines and an mpc. basement-style house for all the oldschool lovers out there. we don t make dance records, we make records you can dance to!

incredible japanese to-ru (dujada-goja) drops out two tracks of downtempo hard drum beat, hypnotic and chaotic like bangkoks streets.

celebrating the label’s 3rd anniversary, stranger presents the 10th output of his self reflektion imprint. sampler 1/2 features tracks from the likes of janice, moving thoughts, hiroaki iizuka and stranger. forthcoming on 12” in january 2018.