discographies in dance music don’t come much more impressive than that belonging to paul woolford, the man behind seminal releases for the likes of planet e, xl recordings and running back. special request is the project that sees him continuing to defy expectation with a new ep on the fabric-run label houndstooth. stairfoot lane bunker encapsulates this approach with 5 bold new excursions into the outer limits followed by a remix from minor science (known for his previous releases on whities and the trilogy tapes) the eagle-eyed will notice 5 of these tracks appear on fabriclive 91. this ep is issued as an addendum. redrum is the fierce opener. rampantly-edited electro beats, a sampled speak-n-spell vocal, and a pure sci-fi breakdown sets the scene for the rest. stairfoot lane bunker and replicant are jungle tracks taken to dizzying extremes - the former building from widescreen atmospherics, thunder spells and lightning before descending into a frenzy of breakbeats and long heavy bass notes. replicant ratchets the pressure up further with hyper-edits across it s breakbeat introduction and throughout, punctuated by furnace-rattling subs. telepathic dog and five lane ends are highly evocative ambient pieces, pushing into the uncanny realms of metaphysical music. to end the release minor science comes through with his remix of stairfoot lane bunker, effortlessly blending in his own work with the disjointed sr breakbeats, flashing only snippets of the serrated bars, chopping them up and creating a new track in the process.

jacques bon motions through the day’s early energy dawning light. true to the record’s title, bon composed the four tracks for his debut ep on beats in space records in the morning sun, reflecting and refracting the colors of daybreak from his compositions. burning spheres aside, bon draws inspiration from his past in paris, where he slung records at daphonics and started the label, smallville with pantha du prince, and his current life in hamburg, where he frequently helms the legendary decks at golden pudel. both cities and their scenes offer crucial cues for bon’s productions across dawning light and past releases for smallville and mule musiq. beginning with licks from his juno 106, filtered through the glide of a tb303 and foundational fits of his roland drum arsenal, bon embraces simplicity in setup to allow for maximum melody. opening track “island” assembles the palette of dawning light, infusing the ep with a warm glow. “we are” twinkles like the first blinks of awakening, dusting away night’s sleep with golden beams trickled onto tangled bed sheets. “aurora” evokes the first rush of the refreshed energy, shaking off yesterday and centering the mind, body, and soul to power through the hours. the record’s title track bounces with youthful optimism, a fitting end for the four-tracker’s mission of morning praise. each 12&#8243,,, on beats in space records features original artwork in considerate and serial form. andrew kuo’s prismatic painting holds dawning light in good polychromatic company, the geometric colors soft-coded entry point for bon’s music.

spacy dub techno, pressed on coloured vinyl

it’s a match made in heaven, techno veteran dino sabatini meets up and coming talent luigi tozzi, who over the last couple of years has delivered stellar eps for the likes of hypnus records, dynamic reflection, mental modern, and sabatini’s own outis music. anyone familiar with the two will know they share an aptitude for adventurous and evolving techno. this is crystallised in this collaboration, which doesn’t take the easy path of creating straightforward club tracks. instead, the three tracks on this release explore the subtler sides of the two producers. that’s not to say this isn’t club music - it is - but they have a lot more to offer than pure functionality. the ep opens with manticora. this eight-minute experience takes the listener through winding claustrophobia as ringing feedback pulses across the stereo field and cavernous rhythms dance about, hard to quite grab. these rhythms build to a point to which they solidify and fall into place, a point at which the track gains a feeling of propulsion, alongside shifting and emotive reverberations and resonances. next up is celeno, a track that slowly unravels under a backing of shuffling hats and a rolling kick drum. twinkling synths swirl around before giving way to a rhythmic and compelling melody. celeno’s musical themes continue into the third and final track, aello, which eases you in with softer drums while a haunting drone builds up. over this, ghostly arpeggios develop alongside weightier drums that carry the track through until the end, leaving just enough time for the drone to ring out and provide a fitting end to the ep.

after releases from the likes of dakini9, fox and franklin da costa, it was only natural that jersey city-based label green village would turn to dj spider for a new 12 inch. well, it seems natural to us, in any case. the nyc artist is now a respected member of the big apple s contemporary house and techno wave, and it s an absolute must for him to be represented on the city s bubbling scene, especially when he s up for firing off tunes like space jungle and satsang, two mean, clubminded house bangers with a prominent lower-end. divide & conquer turns things darker and more ominous thanks to its icy, minimal approach a cold blend of stripped-back beats and circling bass tones while urantia of nebadon displaces the traditional house framework in favour of a dark, molecular selection of electronic sounds guided by a simple pattern of 4/4 beats. classic spider material

ashley woz westlake is back with a nod to the sounds that have inspired him. moving away from the moodier melodies of his more recent writing, new tracks celsius and grain mark an exploration into some new techniques and sounds. feeling inspired after listening to some old bits from the great terrance parker and kerri chandler, woz loaded a 909 into his rytm and a vox, bongos and chords into a sampler with the intention of working on his workflow and having some fun. the end product was celsius which was quickly snapped up by lobster boy and left woz needing a second track for the release. he wanted to roll with the similar theme of giving his take on an older sound, so using the same workflow on the drum machine and sampler he wrote a track heavily inspired by his love for electro.

ross from friends returns to the lobster pot with a hard skatin, snake evadin’, cherry chompin’ ep of luscious house bangers alongside raw stomping, broken beatdown escapades.
after making some serious waves over the past 12 months with the cult hit talk to me you’ll understand and following with an epic three-person live set, this third ep and sophomore release for the lobster family expands on the rff sound whilst stretching the sound pallet back to encompass the rawer end of the spectrum as seen on his debut for breaker breaker.

dark brooding techno from sister label of stay up forever.

we are proud to announce that andreas tilliander is back on echocord after 15 years. this march sees echocord release the ofog ep comprising three original productions from swedens andreas tilliander. stockholm based andreas tilliander is a name thats been synonymous with the underground electronic music scene for a while now, from his contribution to the glitch genre in the early 1990s through to winning a swedish grammy and producing under various monikers creating a variety of sonic art. this includes his previous echocord released lowfour alias, the raster.noton seminal moikra cliphop album and his more recently explored tm404 project which has seen him release on skudge and kontra-musik. tillianders ofog ep kicks off with an upfront and club leaning track entitled storet, which is driven by deep kicks and crisp hats that both sit tightly at each end of the mix, leaving room for twisted chords and delayed synth swells to fill the gap. next up comes the fine dub-tinged and spacious aesthetic of oliveros, where ethereal textures glide freely alongside the live-sounding tape delayed drums, accompanied by a deep, weaving sub. closing the package is risset, in which a half time bass line chugs alongside vibrantly saturated percussion escorted by dubby chords and glitchy atmospherics.

tenax recording is proud to present the second installment of the anniversary ep series signed by two of the most representative artists of the underground scene both coming from italy: nightdrivers and bassa clan. the first duo (mass prod and rufus) under the nightdrivers moniker deliver two outstanding tracks in order to survive that will drive the floor crazy thanks to its hypnotic and percussive groove & strong and deep vocal. the second track scudiscio beat is a loopy groove with a whistling synth line that evolves from the beginning to the end. the second artists to feature are bassa clan (dino angioletti and fabrizio maurizi) they have released on their own imprint bassa clan, howl, rebirth amoungst others & will appear on tenax with time in a bottle and endless three. time in a bottle is a perfect mix between house and techno while endless three is a magical trip with an infinite change of rhythm based on a chopped up synth line from the beginning to the end. a record ready to be dropped at the peak of any set.dj support: nastia, honey dijon, marco faraone, joris voorn and nic fanciulli…

days of being wild continues their collaboration with berlin based french producer franz matthews, releasing his first solo ep, the spacey, cosmic ostkreuz. half of the duo languages, whose 1st ep the label released at the end of last year, franz matthews explores a very different sound on his first solo effort, all space disco, retro synths and funky guitars out. title track ostkreuz has been road tested by the days of being wild crew on dance floors all around europe all of last year and has created euphoria and anticipation in equal measure. this is a cosmic hit from outer space, all constructed around well known ingredients that thanks to franz matthews musical and melodic talent rise here to epic heights. the b-side guns of rixdorf is another devastating peak time tune. while remaining in the same vein as ostkreuz, it feels more high energy with its irresistible funky guitars calling and responding over a driving bass. days of being wild always try to pair producers with remixers that will shed a new light on their work. its no exception with ostkreuz, who gets the reinvention treatment from no other than moscoman and rodion aka the claydermans. the cosmic vibe is still here hovering on top in the opening chords of the remix, but soon enough a sub, housier bass makes its way in the mix and wont let you go until the end. carried by shuffling claps and a bouncier beat, the groove here is totally re-invented, taking ostkreuz from peak time to the darker edges of after land.

iuly.b returns to visionquest this march with the surreal experience ep accompanied by a remix from bass cultures djulz. romanias iuly.b is rapidly becoming a household name in the realms of stripped-back, immersive house music of late, a regular feature on hectors vatos locos imprint and at the labels events, as well as releasing material on bouq, claque musique and of course visionquest where he returns to here following his observatory ep in november of 2016. this time round iuly.b launches the surreal experience with a murky, dub-tinged composition entitled sci fry, laid out over eight minutes with snaking synth whirrs, sweeping dub echoes and tumbling sub bass tones before bass culture head-honcho djulz reworks the original into a more robust, groove-drive interpretation via swinging rhythms, stuttering sample chops and a thunderous low end drive. moonberry opens the flip side on a more reduced tip with bumpy organic percussion, rounded sub swells and an amalgamation of sonar blip melodies to create a dynamic and hypnotic workout, time traveller then closes the release via expansive atmospherics, subtly evolving acidic synth licks and loose shuffling drums

one day back in end of the eighties, a pair of friends began sharing a deep love for music, the music we have been supporting, playing and now, able to put it out for your listening pleasure: ‘mind merge lp’ is a beautiful quintessence of detroit electro, funk and techno, partially blending with contemporary electronic contaminations and we believe it’ll be as timeless as many of their records before.

when words fail, music has the ability to depict the deepest of human emotions and once again kidnap kid uses his signature emotive and sophisticated production to do just that. he returns to birds that fly, the label he founded less than a year ago with brokenhearted an ep containing two original tracks. brokenhearted is a reaction to the immense sadness in the world. my way of processing endless tragedy and distant despair. mist, on the other hand, is a more hopeful response, a faraway light at the end of the tunnel - kidnap kid. musicians have been making music about love and heartbreak for hundreds of years and kidnap kid’s statement on the eternally relevant topic starts with brokenhearted ,a track that taps into the memory vaults. next up is mist whose simple melody is layered over intricate sounds to create an immensely absorbing track. the start of 2016 saw kidnap kid launch his birds that fly imprint as a platform for his own music as well as a means to support like minded producers, such as applebottom and amtrac, both releasing on the label with great success. the labels debut release was from kidnap kid himself and moments was met with such high acclaim it collectively reached 10 million streams, 1.3 million of those coming from spotify and subsequently made the spotify chart in over 10 countries. it was championed by several radio 1 djs and was the closing record for many, including maceo plex who closed his set at crssd festival with the track.

folamour is a new name in the roots for bloom family but by all accounts he fits right in. the opening track nights over you rocks an original and an edit from the label boss himself jamie trench. it focuses on emotive chords, mesmerising key lines and as always on rfb a great groove and low end. the vocal sample cuts the break and takes the limelight of the track. the a2 last morning screams sunshine again focussing on a strong vocal sample -when the morning comes- which you cant help but picture sunsets to. folamour s last offering is $0$ which reminds us of the likes of 90s disco cut samples with great strings and keys throughout. a strong offering from a new head on the rfb scene.

simbad is by no means a newcomer, and has built his rep-utation with over a decades worth of releases. besides his close affiliation with brownswood recordings / worldwide fm, he’s had production credits on releases by mala, daymé arocena and robert owens, and remixed the likes of black jazz consortium, quantic and roy ayers to name but a few. for this release, simbad once again proves his bold and versatile productions skills. continuing where his previous solo releases left off, he returns to his roots to further his journey exploring house music in all its richness and diversity under his new moniker smbd. with references of classic techno, house, and broken beat, the end result is fresh and inspiring. ‘message 045’ is just that, a comment on today’s world tinted with the sound of an uncertain, technological future and held together with innocent melodies, bubbling synths, rolling basslines and driving percussion. shimmering pads and punching drums carry both ‘ping pong love’ and ‘backstreet’, ready for the dance floor. title track ‘message 045’ takes a beatless, contemplative approach, dreamy, euphoric instrumenta-tion aided with dialogue that captures the essence of the release. newcomer world air offers his charmingly unconventional approach to ‘ping pong love’, a mesmerizing and inventive piece that takes the listener on a trip to a brave new sonic world. watch this space for world air’s debut release soon..

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

a regular contributor to figure spc, it was jeroen search who both started the series and also put an end to its story. with this creative chapter neatly closed, he is now bringing his ever-impressive work back to the main label. across the ep the dutch artist doesn’t stick to one style, instead he lets his infamous machines roam about freely. they take us for a smooth ride along swaying dub chords and gentle ripples until bellowing eches slowly rise above a hypnotic groove.?on the b-side search then pulls out all the stops and barges right in with fidgety claps and whirling bleeps, leaving the track itself gasping for air. this is the renowned ferocity of his live act - carved into wax! ensuing the sonic assault, a simple synth figure emerges stoically over an almost housy bounce as nostalgic rave strings bring the ep to an epic ending. firmly rooted in the past while always looking forward, jeroen search clearly is still on the top of his game. he simply keeps coming up with timeless techno - time and time again.

22.02.85 is the new album from bastien keb. initially conceived as a concept album about a stripper lost in the city (like a straight-to-video follow up to showgirls), 22.02.85 has a distinctly nocturnal edge to it. the city at night, lost in a crowd, abandoned petrol stations, empty kebab shops, broken florescent lights. like a half-forgotten dream, familiar yet unnerving. he says all the songs are all about girls apart from two about a big lug. you may catch a phrase here and there but the context is all in the feel: there s a melancholy edge, but i don t wanna depress people. sad but hopeful? if that s possible.

this release journeys to mid-80s argentina and the highly sought after 2nd solo album of carlos cutaia. inspired by the new electronic sounds emanating from europe, this multi instrumentalist offers more than a pastiche, embedding his own melancholy in a unique and classic nueva wave-album. classically trained, carlos cutaia started as a composer for dance and theatre, before spending much of the 1970s as a member of a number heavy rock, prog rock and rock-fusion bands of some note, before finally going solo with the city of distant tones album in 1983. however, by the time of his 2nd solo album in 1985, as his country finally left behind a long period of military control and enjoyed greater freedoms, carlos was fully immersed in the new electronic pop sounds imported with hungry ears from europe. teaming up with fellow composer, keyboardist and producer, daniel melero and alejandro oucinde, the futurism of kraftwerk and gary numan s tubeway army was embraced, but also adapted to fit their native land, just as it was understand a new modernity. starting with the swagger of visiones incomunicadas, the template is set. sharp drum machines, semi-nonchalant, half spoken vocals set the scene, while chopped guitar and smart synth lines fit the over riding feeling of an intelligent nonchalance. things however, do go beyond the straightjacket of euro-pop as heard on the anthemic programacion and avant twist of the first of two piano-ambient pieces aproximacion dos and its companion piece uno found on the b side). eric satie and minimalism are clearly not far away. however, it is side b opener sensacion melancolica that captures the sound to perfection. a balearic masterpiece, capturing in it s title the over-riding atmospheric of a unexplained sadness, a loss. operativo and the poem humanos de america bring things to an end of a feeling melancolica.

fokuz recordings proudly presents the better world lp by powerhouse duo macca & loz contreras. with their classic liquid funk inspired sound the leeds/portsmouth based duo have built a steady reputation as djs and producers pursuing the more soulful end of the drum & bass spectrum. no bombastic kicks and snares here. they tend to stay true to their uplifting ethos through reworking iconic soul samples into danceable feel good grooves underlined by natural-sounding breaks that roll with ease. the better world lp showcases the duo’s best work to date. in addition to a string of new cuts also 4 previous released tracks are included in the package. these works are some of their most highly regarded tracks which obviously couldn’t be left out. the new tracks include a vocal featuring by hannah eve + remixes by lenzman, fd and s.p.y. in addition to their work as a duo this extended album also includes solo efforts by both macca and loz contreras.

with a skillet of brooding, deep & melodic releases in his wake for the lobster main label, moomin’s closer imprint and an exceptionally beautiful self-released tape, royer returns to the lobster family with a clutch of super deep, dusty, planes-of-light-through-the-curtain house music that channel a nostalgic optimism into it’s brooding & humming elemental core.
from the fading melancholy memories of clqsse22 (simple version) and it’s more bubbling & swaggering sunday lit reffaaax counterpart, to the sunlight rays cutting and refracting from the facets of d’orr22. each track finds it’s own slot on the spectrum of deep, warm house music.
closer healyrslfw_lee nods to the more beat-oriented royer works, heavy sampling a playful short piano loop and cutting in spoken word segments.

following up his tender, soul-searching, journeyman 12” on lobster sub-label mörk last year. the northern hemisphere’s drum fanatical enigma roza roza returns with another round of heavily swung, choppy drum jams, all shrouded in a smooth aura of glistening hi ends, smooth carpeted pads and rankling, chiming basses.
“-”was by far one of the most off-kilter eps we’ve released so far, and sadok sudei picks up where the frenetic drum skits left off, reaching further afield for inspiration and providing a refreshing angle on core elements and ideas distilled from detroit techno, arp-led ambient and uk dub and bass influences.

super rare (pretty much unknown) mid tempo vocal modern soul / disco floater with a great sweet soul flip. i have been looking for this one for a long while, its got that outsider soul lo-fi vibe that i love. remember and always check the flip, the ballad goes double time near the end and is one for the more sophisticated dance-floors

fasten musique comes with its 10th release -slow notions ep- this time a collaboation from kamran sadeghi who is known as a core member of the art and music group soundwalk collective based between berlin and new york city.the release contains two orignal tracks,vinyl only as always.

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

name in lights have been organising parties, djing, producing music and running their own label feed for a long time. fact is - they are kind of royalty back in stockholm. after releasing records on under the shade, free association, let s play house, as well as getting remixed by dr dunks and axel boman it s now time to present two tracks on omena. believe it or not but the ties between omena and name in lights go way back. all inclusive is that type or track you would either start or end the night with while post mortem sounds like dj koze and isolee would have a baby together. on this release there are two remixes which completely flip the originals. underground hero samo dj is a force to be reckoned with. with recent releases on the trilogy tapes, public possession and an album on snaker together with maxxxbass he found time to work all inclusive into something completely new. watch out for the end. finally label boss tooli delivers a remix filled with as much rhodes and conga as your heart desires.

lady blacktronika : she needs no introduction to the usual skylax heads, after last year’s killer ‘it’s a blacktronika world’ ep, the queen of beatdown returns to the skylax fold with a packed eleven track lp for us. it has got her signature slo-mo grooves, as well as a couple of housier cuts on the back-end of the record. naturally, a lot of these tracks are perfect for the club on their own, whether it’s an early set or a late one, but the lp really stands up on a full run through for home listening too. on the topside of the record, there’s the chugging vibe of “who doctor”, with its whirling synth and sizzling hats perfect for that low light, early mood. then you have the likes of “how i miss my x”, and titular track “a lonely space program”, that both raise the tempo into housier territory. all bases covered, really. this record is a slice of beatdown history, one you’d be a fool to sleep on!

bosconi extra virgin is proud to launch the first vinyl release by japanese duo spangleman formed by tsukasa kato and ataru nishizaki. their brown ep is a 5 tracker of ultra minimalistic and sophisticated house jams!! first cut is -jimmy-, a broken swingy jazzy track with a deep aquatic rhodes and a slap bass, chasing each other all along the track, reminding some of the trimsound or tom ellis early works. second track of a side goes more straight into an hypnotic deep house track.. which still maintains it s jazzy approach with an original arrangement from beginning to end. the welcoming sound of -ubi-quitous- opens the b side, a broken dubby tune reminding early 90 s atmospheres a la nightmares on wax.. follows up the ultra dry deep after hour track -illusion- sounding like a real jazz jam with drums and contrabass where a quirky voice appearing from time to time, brings you back to reality! the ep ends with the freaky minimal chicagoish jam -chi this ma- , a puzzle of chopped voice and acid samples stuck together so well like only akufen could do.. hard to define a sound for this release, could be minimal, detroit jazzy house.. or more simply just gentleman s house music!

this record definitely takes a bit more of a layered approach - natan h offers us yet another unique, immersive, and charismatic release for acid camp records. acid camp records is rolling through again, this time with an artist known for his atmospheric and cosmic-oriented tracks, natan h. conveying inspiration for this record, just a little nod to extrasensory experiences and perception, is undoubtedly fitting for acrs second release. the opening track, atmosphere, breaks away from 4/4 timing with o-kilter drums that traverse into a heavier beat, pushing the track forward just to bring it right back at the end. followed up with a remix from techno serialist, conforce. through his use of a low pass filter, polyrhythms, and fervor conforce delivers a track nothing short of the prototype for driving techno. remote view pt. i turns out an ambient break and taking the listener to a space of the ethereal and planetary. the ep closes with remote view pt. ii, which incorperates layers of hi-hats, delayed strings, and synths that alternate throughout the arrangement in syncopation.

after last year’s massive “brainbox” album, de:tuned presents the 7th and final installment “unboxed brain” which contains 3 excellent re-interpretations by future/past (aka kirk degiorgio), mark broom and the black dog of selected tracks off the album and an exclusive new track by the future sound of london. yet again, mastered by matt colton (alchemy mastering) and related artwork by designer kevin foakes from openmind (aka strictly kev, dj food from ninja tune). both kirk degiorgio and mark broom rework b12’s “worlds end”. kirk degiorgio, who makes a rare appearance as future/past, increases the energy levels and turns the original into a dance floor bomb. broom’s version heals back to a more electro and breakbeat vibe by adding some deep ballsy and stretched out beats. on the flipside, scanner’s “eros” gets the black dog treatment. the illustrious uk outfit strips down the original into an eerie futuristic soundscape. lastly, the future sound of london brings us an intense piece of sound design: sit back and let the music take control, stay tuned!

after the success of the broad and powerful second lp alone in time?, Ø phase continues his ongoing connection to token with the submerged metropolitan ep. the title track enters with burchett s own brand of unease, the lead is tense and discordant, moving over a bumpy, rolling kick. brushing off-beat hats rush overhead and play delicately with this unease above the thunder. a vague spoken word sample adds texture and contributes to the cerebral edge. ethereal swells and intense rhythmic play introduce fallen columns, which delves into atonality with keys that add a controlled recklessness to the composition. this absent mind takes on a hypnotic, dubby form with a confidence that belies its complexity. a sublime breakdown introduces the heavier second half of the track, which enters impressively and batters on to the end.

super rhythm trax release their first record of 2017 and it’s a return for jared wilson who steps up with four tracks of deep acidic house music. these tracks burrow away and are certified ear-worms from the opening ‘getting that feeling’ with it’s warm bassline complimented by lush pads and on the other end of the scale, the sparse menace of ‘it’s the message’, it’s another great ep from the detroit acid don.

on just their second release the micronesia crew are already proving themselves to be impeccable selectors when it comes to curating their various artist gatherings. ulithi opens in a gloriously serene funk courtesy of lk, who pushes deep house right to the edge of consciousness with untitled. shanahan & lynch rise to the challenge and head even further out into ambient pastures with the ethereal pulse of ask, before duijn & douglas whip up a hypnotic cycle of chords and rhythms for the deep end of the night. omar santis and vgav maintain the mellow disposition of the record perfectly, leaving you with five fresh, thoughtful variations on gentle house and techno.

having been approved by labels as respected as underground quality and autoreply, brazilian producer apoena returns to his allnite label with yet more of that pure and heartfelt deep house music for those who like it classic and classy. i know yo- punches and tickles in all the right places with its dreamy keys, soulful vocal lick and rock solid drum lines, while tristeza nao tem fim heads into even more blissed-out territory with its rolling groove and heavy-lidded chords. lost has a solid bottom end thrust that wouldnt sound out of place on a mike huckaby record, and mama loves you brings more of that sweet, laid back, feel good feeling to finish up this impeccable collection of house jams.

rekids return with an ethereal release from burgeoning producer patrick conway featuring hessle audio’s pangaea on remix duties. -records inspired by transcendental mediation, uk rave, sheffield bleep/warp records, carl craig circa early 90 s, silent servant, shabba ranks and joss sticks smoking out the studio…- – patrick conway syncopated percussion introduces ‘sandy lane’ whilst ebbing pads and metallic nuances add to an overall shadowy aesthetic. ‘orbit’ then sees intricate breaks, ghostly synths and murky melodies join piercing vocal cries before pangaea delivers a cacophonous remix combining crunchy drums with effervescent notes and a throbbing low-end.

dubfire and miss kittin have scored another big hit in the form of their second collaboration ride, the follow-up to the much-loved anthem exit. now, many destroyed dancefloors later and they’re unleashing a big pack of remixes to sit alongside their two original versions. solomun may best known for big melodies and hooks, but his remix boldly displays his affinity for heads down techno. a beast of a track, it centers around ticking percussion and pulsating synth delays with a throbbing low end. minimal in approach, maximal in aesthetic, it’s a no-nonsense groove. matthew dear dons his audion guise to remind us how instrumental he was in formulating that oddball techno sound a decade ago, making good use of the vocals in the heady breakdowns and matching them with unsettlingly wavering synth sirens and an almost tribal bass stomp. it’s full of atmospheric touches and pulls off a big room feel without resorting to cliches. depeche mode, erasure and yazoo legend vince clarke is a personal hero of dubfire’s, making his appearance on this package all the more of a special, rare treat. his chunky house groove is decked out with rolling congas, electro arpeggios and a yearning, bluesy guitar lick. french star djedjotronic has himself remixed depeche mode, and his version rounds off the package with throbbing low end, harrowing synths, techy percussion and brooding reese bass swells. with four very different mixes to choose from, this is an immense package that is set to cause havoc on dancefloors worldwide for some time to come.

no light at the end of the tunnel. no helping hand to pull you out of the hole. no second chances. no god to cure this deadly disease. no heaven to save your soul after your final seconds... hope will hold on, but in the end, death shall claim it. all this, we understand a little more, day by day.
we will experience our absolute zero, and the stages of life that come as close. we think that we will never recover and that we are not strong enough to fight against it. our immaculate, peaceful souls, that we begin our lives with, start to bleed, and slowly get torn into, bit by bit by the cold hard truth that breaks our protective walls. we learn to handle and accept this even as pieces of us shatter and die every time a little bit more inside us. to give light, we must endure burning. but what if everything we are able to burn is gone?
there is no other way... we are falling apart a bit more, every day.

kanja records is sincerely honored to present its fourth vinyl release, based on a concept called sunday mornings. with this series of releases we will focus on that warm up, early morning, after party gems and slowly fading away from peak time music. our philosophy behind this concept is that the focus goes to the tracks being timeless, and music that you can listen to in every time of day and night. music that offers a vast variety, but in the end coming together in that sweet and warm morning glory.

remastered for 2016! another classic by highpriest larry heard. three tracks that prove again the mans genius and unparalleled talent in squeezing true emotions and funk out of his machines and lift you into a state of euphoria. the a-side holds a long, midtempo 80s electrofunk groove with beautiful richly textures synth melodies. flip over for a slightly rawer fingers style workout with highly emotive strings and a perfect end of the night tune with a gorgeous piano solo showing heard s strong roots in jazz. music from a different stratosphere - a record to treasure!

repress 2017 , allez! as the curtains come down on another crazy summer of love, apollonia drop their latest release courtesy of io mulen - the ukranian rude boy who appeared on the label at the beginning of the year with ‘unknown to the unknown’. he’s back with a hefty six-track package which is sure to please his fans, and win him a whole new army of supporters. we get straight to business with the first track, ‘rdm37’, one of those trusty apollonia bouncing bombs. skittish beats work off a sublime groove, while io keeps the background full of interesting sounds, boings, cheeps and all manner of whimsical effects, introducing more and more as the track progresses. by the midpoint you’re so gripped by the track that your whole body is moving uncontrollably, super glued to the rhythm. next up, it’s ‘xdt54’ coming through with a deep, persuasive bassline that jigs around in the low end luring you into its web. simple, polished percussive elements keep things moving at a pace while subtle keys and barely-there vocals add further layers to this catchy little number. the third track in on this lengthy ep is ‘mpc13’, a walk on the sensual side. vocal snippets are interspersed among sultry pads, skipping four to the floor beats and a sleazy b-line to create a delectable slice of dance floor naughtiness. this one flirts with you as it writhes around, taking you ever deeper…four tracks in we have ‘zgb41’, another alluring cut that has all the hallmarks of a deep house classic. those shimmering pads, a bassline that feels like it was born in nineties chicago, diamond-cut beats and a general feeling of what we would call ‘true house music’. there’s soul, there’s funk and there’s realness, what more can you ask for?ypt58’ keeps us locked in to that hypnotic groove with an insistent b-line holding things down - together with the infectious rhythm cultivated by the drum arrangement, it’s a killer combo. put those together with the smooth atmospherics plus synth lines staggering in and out of the background and you’ve got yourself a roller. last but definitely not least is ‘zxy22’, a wistful slice of technoid funk which has a delicate melody at its foundation. as it develops we get sucked in to layer upon layer of beauty, from the analogue low end to the electric guitar riff – each layer complementing the other and creating a symphony of sounds that acts as a perfect way to close out the ep and will no doubt end plenty of dj sets, when it’s released. so monsieur io (mulen) returns to apollonia with an instant classic, make sure you snap it up right away. magnifique!

this rare piece of ex-yu socialist electronica was considered lost. composed by famed croatian artist tomislav simovic for the 1981 sci-fi extravaganza visitors from the galaxy which included men with breasts, beautiful alien heroine and jan svankmajer monster on killing spree, it is now found and published by fox & his friends label team. this gatefold limited lp release on 180g vinyl includes soundtrack cut from the original master tapes restored by paul alexander from cedar audio ltd., extensive liner notes in english by zeljko luketic and irena paulus, new artwork insert spread with film set photographs and colour poster starring alien heroine andra. fox & his friends is run by leri ahel (worldwide syndicated mutant disco radio show) and zeljko luketic (electronic jugoton, ex yu electronica iii, borderline music). we release music without genre boundaries, discover rare, obscure and forgotten stuff, the sounds that have timeless value, both contemporary and vintage

growth is about adaptation, existing in transit, and nourishing flux. it gives us a reason to move on to our next project, challenges us, and feeds our creative hunger.
sona elango, as the multi-talented elaquent, captures a catalogue of experiences and feelings that span time zones from over the better part of 2016. elaquent has created a reflective sound weaving themes of travel and personal growth into the core of his music. worst case scenario is a record with roots in europe and japan, inspired by moments of reflection in hostels, airports, and trains.

monster split from the os xxx crew.. gnarly acid wielding techno-houz bombs from e.s.s.d & raw ambassador aka antonio - also on on the cut!

repress 2017 , following a killer split 12inch w/ djrum for the zenker brothers ilian tape label, new artist struction debuts for r&s newcomer struction joins the r&s family for a titanic ep of dystopian post-rave experimentation - the 4 track release, entitled gefüge, effortlessly crystallises the best parts of r&ss storied musical heritage without coming off like pastiche. from the jacked menace of opener kreen, a dizzying percussive assault of breakbeats and 808 kicks, its clear that struction means business. warrior follows on with deep end breakbeats cut through with melancholic synth washes. the flip side commences with ai, all skittering percussion, swelling distorted pads and relentless kick drum thrum, while dolly rounds out the release in fine style, quickening the pulse with its hypnotic fm bass polyrhythms, scything cymbals and icy strings. with this release struction marks himself as one to watch very closely for the future, as well as once again showing r&ss commitment to nurturing new talent, as well as releasing the best cutting edge electronic music.

ak €2 are eight fusion-jazz and ambient tracks, recorded by di erent cologne-based musicians, composed and arranged by gianni brezzo. the record comes in a crayon painted cover showing a holiday landscape with beach, sea, mountains and two sunshades.

dj koze comes up to task for the next re-construction of michael mayer & joe goddards for you, following up from the re-interpretation by diynamics solomun and pachanga boys. the maverick of flawless productions develops two narratives for this remix package: the first is a club mix composed of layered, floor-raising chords while ruffling up the original vocals gradually and elegantly. the second is a mbira remix, filled with african-inspired percussive inklings and sprinkled with effortless melodic flourishes. with two accompanying instrumental versions, dj koze takes us to the final curtain, closing the end chapter to michael mayers acclaimed & project.

it is a big temptation - whilst striving to place oneself on the map - to favour and repeat established structures and norms in order to gain fortune, fame and power. to cripple a work of art under pressure of commercial success and to trade the uniqueness of a creative spark for an egoistic idea means using a calculating mind to overrule art and emotions. but this pulse of an artist is not his mind but his heart with which he exposes his energy and vibration through frequencies. for this reason there is only one way which retains the creation in its innocent spontaneous form in order to stay true to its inspirational core. the path of resistance! (johannes heil)