atmosphere ep is rising suns fifth release on fauxpas musik and we can say quite safely that steffen laschinski fueled a few identifiable obsessions over the years for those familiar with his work. it probably wont feel like uncharted territory when theyll hear the title-track. vinyl tastes better

warsaw based duo private press join rekids special projects this july with four deep techno cuts entitled ‘zero sum ep’. hailing from poland, adam brocki and jan wóycicki make up private press – a project that’s released sought after cuts on labels like technosoul and indigo aera. the duo is also known by the name raw feelings, however many will be familiar with brocki’s newborn jr. alias, which has dropped releases on rhythm section, echovolt, dopeness galore and les yeux orange. ‘miracle man sets the tone with delayed resonant synths accompanied by crunchy and distorted snares before ‘becomes the prime’ opts for a lo-fi sound with filtered synth blips and enigmatic vocal slices. on the flip side ‘tooms’ delivers heavily reverberated horn-like stabs, modulated synth lines and an underpinning bass that rumbles throughout as ‘clan’ offers a fast paced cut with high pitched whistling that echoes alongside a thumping kick drum and organic percussion to bring the package to a close..

pennyroyal continues with a slamming ep from zeki, the new alias for a familiar and prolific uk producer. four cuts of ruffian grime / techno hybrids clocking in at 140bpm. built to enjoy or deploy loud at your favourite dance.

this hampshire & foat project should not come as too much of a surprise to those familiar withgreg& warren s music, influenced heavily by not just jazz but the library sound of the 60s and 70s along with film soundtracks from the same golden era.greg& warren are avid collectors of this music,gregsends me links night and day to lps he has picked up digging on his travels. this constant search sends him down new musical pathways and often sparks a whole new concepts for projects. warren andgregare both fiercely creative talented individuals which means we have to keep them working, a challenge for us all, but the music rewards the effort many times over. we had talked for a long time about doing a library style lp (somethinggregis very passionate about) so during different recording sessionsgreg& warren started laying down various tracks with a view to the lp we have here. side one is 5 tracks in very distinct styles, musical paintings for the big screen. the vast sound of the japanese influenced jasmine, the spaghetti western melancholy of mariposa lily, the call to action that is antonio s theme, the breezy vintage sports car in the sun that coastal drivepaints, and lost in nostalgia, a late night poirotesk piece. side 2 is a classic library suite, whichgregdescribes as a detective s theme with different variations on the motifs.

those with an internet connection may be familiar with paolo di nicolantonio through his incredible youtube channel, synthmania. his channel is hub showcasing his endless arsenal of synths and drum machines from his home studio in italy. unlike his italo-heavy channel, this record consists of two original tracks, one old-school deep house number and an additional beatless juno-60 jam to boot. craigie knowes also welcome their first remixer to the label, the impeccable uk deep techno producer, john shima.

with solidarity forever vol.2 comeme continues this new chapter of its own history, introducing new artwork, a new logotype and three various artists eps. solidarity forever is a motivator for our everyday actions, and a reminder of why we are doing what we do, solidarity forever is comemes commitment to the reconstruction of underground culture. these 12inches are introducing artists new to the label, new collaborations and new approaches from co&#769,,meme members already familiar to you. volume two features tracks by rizu x (laredo, tx/nuevo laredo, mx), ana helder (rosario, argentina), vaskular (santiago de chile) and gladkazuka (medellin, colombia). you will be able to hear deep borderline doom house, modern leftfield workout techno, a hispano-oriental acid track, and an uptempo instrumental hip hop adventure heres more utopian music against dystopian times.

a project 18 months in the making, marcel fengler presents a imf10, a three part compilation series detailing the past, present and future of his label index marcel fengler. part 3 focuses on the tougher end of the techno spectrum and features marcel fengler’s first original production in two years, a rare offering from sebastian kramer (aka redshape), a prized luke slater re-work of thomas hessler, while belgian shapeshifter peter van hoesen crafts a powerful production to add to the pot. familiar to fans of the label from his excellent imf09, avion makes a return alongside emerging columbian talent gotshell.

the mutable nature of our lives leads to a constant pursuit of musical incentives. last month we launched a new series on mindtrip aiming to bring together diverse sounds and musical backgrounds under a mutual project. mutable minds edition ii welcomes the very exceptional work from five of our favorite artists out there. the release opens with our head honcho pfirter and his anti-routine that comes with his trademark modular effect and a well-constructed sequence. sleepwalker belongs to mexicos finest techno export aka fixeer who delivered a pounding track with great energy. on the b-side things are getting deeper and more tripped out yet still powerful and intense with the swedish duo kuf & dold and their track mint. mutual minds ii closes with a familiar name that is none other than jonas kopp who returns to mindtrip with a very interesting piece that comprises a narcotic feeling and space stabs. the final outcome of the second mutable minds edition perfectly describes the musical perspective and ethos on mindtrip. hope you enjoy this trip to the fullest. this is mindtrip!

super rare and killer alric forbes 70s roots, only ever released on a mis-labeled pressing! the rhythm will be familiar to deep roots aficionados as the same one used for sydney wilson s -why do i cry.- a co-release with our french comrades onlyroots, who have already reissued a pair of classics from alric, -morning train- and -warn the nation.-

berlin-based pianist nils frahm is already a firebrand in the music world, collaborating with contemporaries such as peter broderick, Ólafur arnalds and anne müller. his unconventional approach to an age-old instrument, played contemplatively and intimately, has won him many fans around the world.
having recorded his last album live in a large, reverberant church, nils frahm now invites you to put on your headphones and dive into a world of microscopic and delicate sounds – so intimate that you could be sitting beside him.
the vinyl lp includes a download code.

fans of the berlin based nils frahm are by now familiar with his beguiling live shows where more often than not fellow touring artists are encouraged to join frahm on stage – the likes of rachel grimes, rob lowe of balmorhea as well as label colleagues peter broderick and Ólafur arnalds have all obliged with fascinating results. it will come as no surprise then that nils frahm, an accomplished composer and producer who signed to erased tapes in 2009, has extended his collaborative live musings to encompass the recording studio, working for the first time with noted cellist and fellow berliner anne müller to produce 7fingers.
with their first collective release frahm and müller have built a world where modern classical and electronica collide creating an intoxicating and delicious collection of songs. primarily a pianist nils frahm provides evidence with 7fingers that he can effortlessly turn electric throwing in loops, samples and glitches to accompany and showcase müller on cello. anne müller, a renowned musician noted for her work with the wolf-ferrari-ensemble, phillip boa and recent tours with agnes obel, proves an amp musical partner for frahm.
the vinyl release includes a download code.

“resist the categories that define and divide.”
uncanny valley ep sonically explores the uneasy, obscure but familiar relationships between human and machine in contemporary life. this is the debut release on resist, the record label launched by experimental club/art hybrid event from belfast, northern ireland. this debut release is by resist event and label founder, koichi. remix comes from electronic music innovator and eotrax label owner, eomac in an anxiety driven, frenzied remix of the title track.

sami baha is a turkish producer based in south east london. his music was introduced to the world via his 2016 ep “mavericks” (planet mu), recorded while he was moving from istanbul to london where he’s now been living the last 3 years. sami got into producing through being a rapper himself, working with local rappers in turkey and producing beats for them, before setting his sights outside the country.
while his first record was focused around a more familiar trap based hiphop sound, “free for all” expands its range into more unfamiliar territory and also brings his production into focus by featuring a number of mcs from all corners of the globe: uk drill squad 67’s dimzy, stockholm’s yung lean and chicago rapper and singer dj nate (aka flexxbabii) who’s previously recorded on planet mu as a footwork producer. the record also features the rowdy sing-song of egyptian mcs dawsha and abanob from cairo whom sami met while on tour in egypt.

jon allen, acclaimed singer-songwriter from london, england is set to release his highly anticipated new album, “blue flame”. with a voice that is equal parts rod stewart, van morrison and sam cooke, jon allen has an uncanny ability to write songs that feel instantly familiar.

“vain” marks the prodigal return of venezuelan artist carlos giffoni to the avant-electronic music scene he was instrumental in shaping with the seminal, hybridising no fun fest and no fun productions label, which was home to debut releases by oneohtrix point never and noveller, and classics from haswell and prurient during the late 00s to early part of this decade. carlos’ first new release in 6 years, “vain” was drawn from hundreds of hours of improvisations made at carlos malibu studio, the final lp describes a tumultuous narrative in affective abstract swells and pulsating rhythms that trigger curious sensations and emotions ever familiar to his variegated, extreme, yet essentially organic output.

comeme writes a new chapter of its own history, introducing a new artwork, a new logotype and new music starting with these three various artists eps. we have decided to call it solidarity forever as a motivator for our everyday actions, and as a reminder of why we are doing what we do. these 12inches will introduce artists new to the label, new collaborations and new approaches from co&#769,,,meme members already familiar to you. volume one will feature tracks by matias aguayo, katerina, daniel maloso x red axes and gladkazuka, you will be able to hear heavy modern latin riddims, technotic melancholia, lysergic disco fantasy and post internet underground funk - utopian music against dystopian times. and this is only the beginning.

it also gave us a beguiling lp that keeps on giving, exciting and inspiring over a year later. proof can be found in these three superlative remixes. subversive berlin duo otto take the lead with a warm, arabic twist on the album opener bonnie says by lifting the groove with a little organ-squeezing spring while maintain its faraway haze and mystique. accurately hyped romanian-also-in-berlin borusiade follows with an overwhelming floor-ready update on have i told you. already a familiar face with the label, she weaves a chasm-like new-wave narrative that sucks you deep into the mix and galvanises the pundit attention shes getting right now. finally mannequin records founder alessandro adriani joins the party with a tunnelling twist on the somnambulant aesthetic of valium. flipping the dreams for a much darker 3am reality, it will leave your dancefloor pining for more. dont worry, theres plenty more to come. dischi autunno are only just warming up.

making his debut on the label, spanish producer kuo climax is welcomed to the hot creations fold. a solid two track release that has already been heating up dancefloors across the globe, the talented artist showcases his distinct style and proves why he is hotly tipped for 2018. the ep opens up with whyte, a pulsating track with a warped bassline and oozing synths. two and a half minutes deep it disperses into a breakbeat-esque breakdown that dives back into the familiar 4/4 beat. title track nacrem is a smooth roller with an underpinning bass and intergalactic vocal stabs. the ep highlights the spanish producer’s ability to bring balance to his output, providing music perfectly attuned for the floor. born in malaga and now residing in barcelona, kuo climax has released on respected labels such as knee deep in sound, solid grooves and viva music. 2018 will see the producer launch his own vinyl-only imprint, lfofl, that aims to recognise the progress in technology without losing the essence of true dance music.

returning with renewed force after henning baer’s unbreakable debut lp, manhigh’s sixth release comes from a name already well-known in techno circles. sciahri is the italian producer whose luminous 2014 debut on the celebrated ilian tape’s itx experimental series immediately announced his presence, followed by another on the label and two eps for the highly-rated black opal offshoot of opal tapes by 2016. he was simultaneously occupied with his ambient-leaning unknot duo with emanuele porcinai, better known as wsr on samuel kerridge’s contort label. 2017 saw the launch of his sublunar imprint and a tripartite release from him featuring a more streamlined sound than the craggy broken-beat style familiar from ilian tape. sciahri’s manhigh ep opens with ‘demur’, showcasing his most dour, industrial sounds, scraping metallic highs against the unrelenting impacts of reverberating kicks and subbass drone. ‘forbidden’ holds its forces more in reserve, the cycling, mechanical soundscape maintaining a spacious, ambient aspect, worked against a broken rhythm more implied than explicitly stated. returning to full intensity for ‘reliance’, he tightly coils the core elements around deftly-deployed percussion and a militaristic, pounding rhythm in the bass and kicks. henning baer’s reinterpretation of ‘demur’ saves little from the original apart from its overriding tension, instead adding a layer of nearly-tonal pads and an unremitting acidic bass throb pushing forwards inexorably.

lybes dimem is a project by visual artist and musician lukas rehm. with elaborate beat structures and the use of error, the music plays with cognitive phenomena and abstraction while maintaining an emotional refuge. lybes dimem is presented in formats ranging from spatial sound experiences to synesthetic shows complementing the auditive layers with visualizations of realtime data, computer graphics and moving image. lukas rehms installative art, and compositions have been internationally presented and awarded with multiple emerging arts prices. syncleft chronem is the first album released by lybes dimem in both digital and vinyl for-mat and accompanied by a moving image artwork. the title reflects the projects interest in the potential of difference, cognitive frictions and exertion: sync variability in the processing of auditive and visual signals, syncleft the synaptic cleft, which is a crucial empty spa- ce in biological neural networks, chronem the chroneme as a theoretical unit to measure the time of an articulated sound. mathematically clean sounds juxtapose patterns and transitions familiar from the realm of organic acoustics. multi-layered noise textures ex- plore the simulated space. a tem- porary continuity is provided by percussive and melodic elements, right until the next escalation, eventually awaiting a concluding resolution. the visual language explores different phenomena and techniques of cognition inspired by the rhetorics of big science (computer graphics, discontinuity of material, pop cultural references).

here we are releasing the second album of cologne born producer thyladomid who is familiar to many through his work on hamburg label diynamic which has lead him to perform around the world, together with artists such as: adriatique, solomun, kollektiv turmstraße, hosh, david august, stimming, and many more. more then 30 minutes playing time, 6 tracks and artwork by florian kramer offer a lot to discover. pressing on transparent vinyl.

detroit love are proud to present the inaugural release on their newly founded eponymous imprint – a collaborative venture from planet e and !k7 which aims to capture the essence of carl craig’s superb event series of the same name. detroit love mixed by stacey pullen is a sixteen track journey that exemplifies the diversity of the city, as well as the essence of the parties, championing both lesser known artists and familiar faces into a 74 minute mix.

julian sanza and andre espeut, are two very familiar names in the scene. julian, who hails from argentinian/cuban roots and andre with his french/caribbean heritage, come together to merge electronic dance, modern funk, soul and boogie, creating their own unique melting pot of goodness! there s something distinctly anthemic about perfect system . low slung, synthed up funk, with a house tinge driven by those sweet soulful vocal harmonies - sure to get stuck in your head for days. opolopo opens up the e.p. adding his trademark disco remix magic touch to the original - upping the tempo, laying a shuffling beat behind, pumping up the bassline and getting spiritual on the keys. on the flip the situation remix channels the inner improv funk, keeping the vocals to choice snippets before the sare havlicek dub rounds the e.p. off reworking the bass synth to the point where it exudes the sleaze. this is the first in a series of collaborations between these two… keep those eyes peeled!

since the early 1990s, keyboard player jessica lauren has been a familiar part of london s alternative music scene. jessica s keyboard skills have augmented the live performances and studio recordings of world renowned artists such as jean carne, tom browne, dexter wansel and james mason, japan s united future organisation, and uk soul diva juliet roberts. her previous freestyle album jessica lauren four (2012) highlighted jessica s minimalist approach, something rare and refreshing in the jazz world: she instills her compositions and playing with a refined sense of space which makes her music as much about what she doesn t play as what she does.

in the 5th installment of our various ep series, we continue our journey through both international and georgian soundscapes. put the needle on the a side, and you’ll find yourself in a melodic electro labyrinth. the journey goes on with the hypnotizing grandezza of a big room. the a-side closes with a spaced out sketch, deeply dedicated to rave reminiscences. what happens when electronic music resonates with eastern territories? flip the record to find out. distorted kicks and dirty drums, like ruins of an empire long gone, clash with house samples. our second georgian artist keeps it dirty: intertwined melodies tell fairy tales of landscapes both familiar and foreign.

psychick visions from a dystopic parallax, closely mapped and cognate to the occupied plane we recognise but littered with nuanced distortions, twisting certainty just past the assured facade of familiar... for its inaugural release mirror zone unveils a repressing of an overlooked ep from uk artist memphis way back when in 1994. we re delivered complex, mystic rhythms nodding to the likes of pwog, paradise 3001 and sabres of paradise, the unique breakbeat-tweaked, tribal-trance epitiomising early 90s output from labels like kk, go bang!, dream and esp records.

limited box edition, incl
2lp + 7 inch
a2 poster
12 inch lp mit instrumental tracks
10 inch vinyl mit 3 excl. tracks
cd
like all dj koze records, knock knock exists outside of trend and influence. in fact, it s a step further beyond: absolutely every single thing here, from grooves to voices to handclaps, is otherworldly and unique. which is not to say it is utterly alien abstraction, mind. there is still disco, there is still soul, there is still techno, there is still hip hop, there is still psychedelia – there are even wafts of easy listening, lost crackly thriftstore record memories and... sort of... indie rock – but though it may sound familiar, it never does what your brain thinks it s going to do.

fromtheoldtothenew was originally released in 1996 and is the second full length on peacefrog from steve ‘stasis’ pickton. growing up as a teenager in east london, break-dancing and writing graffiti with b12’s mike golding, steve pickton’s musical education moved along a familiar path, from hip-hop to electro and onto techno. schooling himself in music theory and purchasing a sampler pickton set about making his own music.

2x 12 inch album + 7inch + download voucher !!
like all dj koze records, knock knock exists outside of trend and influence. in fact, it s a step further beyond: absolutely every single thing here, from grooves to voices to handclaps, is otherworldly and unique. which is not to say it is utterly alien abstraction, mind. there is still disco, there is still soul, there is still techno, there is still hip hop, there is still psychedelia – there are even wafts of easy listening, lost crackly thriftstore record memories and... sort of... indie rock – but though it may sound familiar, it never does what your brain thinks it s going to do.

keita sano returns to lets play house with another album, the physical iteration of which we are presenting as two separately-packed 12-inch eps. first is kubo, a sharp and cutting collection of four house ditties that are equal parts eccentrically off-kilter and warmly welcoming, esoterically out there and remarkably familiar, in a way only sano can pull off.

losoul returns to action with his first long player in almost ten years, and delivers a stunning collection of compositions for the hypercolour released island time. otherwise known as peter kremeier, the german producer has mesmerized us for many years with his organic and emotive house music, largely released on the influential playhouse label, but of late has seen him release singles for karat and tardis records, as well as his very own another picture label. fans of losoul wont be disappointed, as a diverse yet utterly familiar sound aesthetic pours out over the albums seven tracks in his own inimitable style. the jazzy broken beats of gold tooth shine with their micro-sample chops, whilst mean time is a dense and dubby slow stomp, teasing the drums with space echo and injecting sparse bass work where it matters. inventive, spongy house grooves are delivered on boppin lower and square down smoother whilst the album closer, lava in you is a master class in ambient sonics and shimmering keys over a lo-fi swinging groove. its been over 20 years since losouls signature single open door, and the german producer continues to pour out honest and rewarding music.

two seminal cuts from norman whitfields standout project, the undisputed truth. remastered and reissued on 180g vinyl. if youre not familiar with you+me=love, well that bass synth intro will have you hooked from the off. sandman on the b side is a funk bomb nestled on the smokin l, must have!

“world building” is a blissful and introspective mission into melancholy that wanders over terrain both familiar and unknown. bright and sparse melodies shimmer over icy landscapes, hewn with a careful composition and attention to the most minute detail. ghostly voices swell into symphonic chorus while an analogue rhythm section keeps an almost human-like groove. arguably his most complete work to date, “world building” is a satisfying listening experience with a strong narrative - an auditory tale of an epic journey with warmth and depth from one of europe’s most exciting producers. pressing on green marbled double vinyl.

dj seinfeld presents an immersive ep exploring the balance between fragility and force. ‘sakura ep’ is the third and most dynamic offering from deep sea frequency. four tracks draw from a multitude of influences, breaks, electro, dub and trance elements band together with a familiar lo-fidelity approach where distortion acts as an instrument of its own. ‘sakura’ is a subaquatic dose of old school electro with swollen bass and fuzzy harmonics. title track ‘segrada’ brandishes swirling melodies with layers of detail, followed by ‘belvedere’ which uses looped breaks and a sub-driven bassline to build animated funk. ‘battery’ closes things out with a nod to detroit, and a full on drum workout which plays with delicate melodic inflections over a cavernous low end.

to those familiar with the output of cologne-based imprint firm from back in the early ‘00s, the name of geiger, alias nass, shall undoubtedly ring a bell. herald of an hedonistic melange of funk-soaked electro pop and guitar-riddled synth music, sitting somewhere close to acts like ween and junior boys, alexander geiger is about to break a eight-year hiatus with the drop of his debut album under the newly-founded moniker of fahrland. a release that both encompasses a healthy dose of the discoid tropes from the firm era but also aspires to split with a segment of it, geared towards exploring further undisclosed fringes of his shape-shifting sound universe, ‘mixtape vol.1’ is the fruit of a decisive move from the sleepless berlin to the peaceful countryside landscapes of fahrland – a lushly forested area near potsdam which you’ll have understood played an essential role in geiger’s longed-for return. the vinyl lp includes a download code.

to those familiar with the output of cologne-based imprint firm from back in the early ‘00s, the name of geiger, alias nass, shall undoubtedly ring a bell. herald of an hedonistic melange of funk-soaked electro pop and guitar-riddled synth music, sitting somewhere close to acts like ween and junior boys, alexander geiger is about to break a eight-year hiatus with the drop of his debut album under the newly-founded moniker of fahrland. a release that both encompasses a healthy dose of the discoid tropes from the firm era but also aspires to split with a segment of it, geared towards exploring further undisclosed fringes of his shape-shifting sound universe, ‘mixtape vol.1’ is the fruit of a decisive move from the sleepless berlin to the peaceful countryside landscapes of fahrland – a lushly forested area near potsdam which you’ll have understood played an essential role in geiger’s longed-for return. this limited edition bundle includes the vinyl lp plus mc and download code.

after an inaugural, top-rated release by kouslin and his friends, the le chatroom familia remain on top of their release schedule with this successive record, featuring some familiar faces from the uk music scene. the team have compiled another hefty va, containing three bass-heavy tracks close to the 130bpm mark that definitely resonate at le chatroom’s signature frequency. with their first release having received support from a wide range of artists, from marcus nasty to huxley to bristol s livity sound gang, and with glowing write-ups in djmag, when we dip and cone mag, this second excursion is destined to be a highly successful follow-up.
dj support: lee gamble, peverelist, kowton, moxie, marcus nasty, jus now, simo cell, murder he wrote, lurka, silas and snare.

in their fifth release, dc label partial magic welcomes four friends and producers from the knoxville, tennessee based collective teknox. alex falk opens the record with an upbeat slammer, looping cocky vocal samples over brash, noisy textures sure to please those familiar with his sound. second on the a side, saint thomas ledoux follows with an introspective track perfect for building or releasing dancefloor tension. on the b side, nikki nair brings back the raunch with a cheeky breaks-and-bleeps acid track. dialectic sines closes out the record with an ethereal cut backed by a hypnotic, tropical electro-techno groove.

daniel schwerdel aka acid lab has been a familiar face on lossless music and dope plates over the last few years. turning heads with his tracks “ancestors” and “tundra”, dan has laid the ground work for a bigger project, a solo album. “a matter of time” is a stunning 10 track breakbeat odyssey which sees dan draw on influences from the past as well as futuristic visions which combine to form a body of work that perfectly fits the dope plates ethos. pressing on black & clear mixed vinyl.

inspired by classical music and the film scores of sci-fi and horror classics such as terminator, videodrome and phantasm, and those of electronic pioneers tangerine dream and vangelis, comes ‘earth loop’ - the debut album from william young aka moon gangs. the album casts ambient analogue synth loops alongside cinematic drones, resulting in an evocative, nostalgic soundworld that’s as invigorating as it is foreboding.

another va from luke eargoggles stilleben records that keeps on releasing the purest electronic music. jensen interceptor and obergman are two familiar names in the electro game but on this 12- hiltipop and t-error will also show their vision and style.. and it is reckless!!

the fourth installment in john osborns dred records series will be from fellow uk producer harsh puri who goes under the moniker reformed society. dred 004 consists of six tracks in total three that will appear on the vinyl release, followed by another three that will be digital-only exclusives. harsh puri aka reformed society debuted in 2015 with this being his sixth consecutive release in order. harshs productions caught johns eye, or rather ear, after being sent to him last year and resulted in this release of six solid prime time deep house stompers. packaged in an understated matte white sleeve with a black and white picture of brahma (the four headed hindu god of creation) handstamped on each cover by the label owner himself, this being a continuation of the human skull dred logo. one life opens the dimensions ep and is the track given to label boss john osborn for deconstructing and remoulding into his own specific vision each release will contain a rework from osborn. if you are familiar with johns previous work you will immediately recognize his characteristic resonating percussion, the tune being a deep house sci-fi storm expedition driven by a full luscious kick covering the tracks of chords from unsettled pads. the eps title track has ambient sonic rays flowing through it, being aptly named dimensions it is also the records warmest adventure, distorted percussion juggles sparse subaqueous melodic moments, and from here we go into the 12inches final moment, chasing titanoid. reformed society goes in with full yet silent force on this one. a warped bassline co-creates the groove with a particularly bouncy beat with sharp strings piercing though.

5 years since midnight shift’s first release in 2012, the label assembles a collective of artists, most of them are in advance of their full eps releasing later. representing the sounds of the label is this manual of secret moves, up in the sleeves. the mystic motley crew also comprises the alternate sides of familiar faces — amato (the hacker), terry lamborgini (marco bernardi), innyster (seixlack), hodge in a new formation with gramrcy, and an electro moniker from an undisclosed artist: thermocline. from abstract acrobatics to the abrasive and the ultimate gob smack to the floor — the midnight manual.

les adventures de president bongo is a unique work that will reveal itself over the next seven years, give or take, in the form of 24 lp s. what is a groove? it is something that goes on and on, not changing much seemingly, like the growth rings exposed when you cut and fell a tree. it is no coincidence that tree rings resemble the spiral track of a record: they re both grooves of a sort.

a groove is a routine, a life lived. it may not always seem like much – a cup of bitter coffee, another day spent under the flickering fluorescent lights of an office, an overly long queue at the check-out of a suffocating supermarket. but it is also the scent of slightly burnt meat and birch by a gently flowing stream under a pink sunset, a silver fog clearing without notice to expose a starry sky and its familiar twinkling constellations, an impenetrable smile on a crowded morning train. it is the pattern exposed on the tree stump. a proper groove has ups and downs, it has drama. a good groove is a good story, a transmission into the future.

four tracks of ny-flavoured boogie and house goodness - quality is the key word from copenhagen based music for dreams and here is another home run. willie graff splits his year between dj residencies in new york and ibiza. in this new outing with studio partner darren eboli, the influence is, as the title suggests, clearly ny-based. over only four tracks, the pair manage to craft a stunningly comprehensive exploration of the essential elements of dance music. opening track -love flight- staggers into a lush string-driven groove that recalls the glory of metro area meets wally badarou vibes. minimal yet playful, it lounges somewhere in the depths of the house tradition, calling on familiar sounds while throwing in odd details along the way (harmonicas?). it takes both skill, devotion and a sense of humor to pull this track off, making for a strong opening. -moon tan- lingers on a metallic hook that drags you into a plethora of percussion followed by a rubbery soft baseline. dubby key work would suggest this was a new wave band jamming at compass point, while the icy chill of the xylophone transports you into 80s italo territory. -second sun- pulls out the bag of boogie tricks, relying on a firm but humble baseline and smattering drum machine claps. nile rodgers-style guitar licks guide us onwards into a well-orchestrated jam that builds up and breaks down with perfect timing while dreamy chords reach for the sky. -first light- keeps the groove tight while dipping over towards more balearic temperatures. steeped in a watery atmosphere and gentle organic percussion, it focuses in on a trance-inducing arpeggio that lulls you in to the swaying badarou-style synth swirls that intercept it.

aka rjd2 ! ... digital download card included

sis, the alias of burak sar, returns once again to crosstown rebels. following on from releases such 2012s round pen, 2015s sombra india and last years the blindside, the german-born producer heavily influenced by his turkish roots- presents us with this tribal triple-threat. sis explains that it was sending his first ever demo tape to crosstown rebels in 2004 that initiated his relationship with the label and tells us to expect some rolling dance floor breakers. karmir nur gets the ep underway. sensual strings abound with a heady, tribal chant that lulls you into a state of hypnosis. tima rolls along, building slowly as the layers pull you in deeper still towards those familiar strings. dandini brings back the tribal chanting. the vocals are backed by mesmeric drums, perfect for an intoxicating, dance floor procession. burak sar has released a number of records on renowned imprints such as get physical music, mobilee and cocoon recordings as well as running his own successful label, cocolino records.

fuzzed out and psychedelic covers of rare and classic tracks performed by san francisco’s monophonics. monophonics are back with a six-song ep that fuses the complimentary and explosive soul, rock and funk influences, proving themselves to be the rightful inheritors of the bay area’s impressive psychedelic soul sound. mirrors is comprised entirely of cover tunes, except that i doubt you’ve ever heard of half the deeply funky and soulful originals that inspired these soulful, tastefully produced, and timeless monophonics treatments. “we wanted to do a couple songs that were more familiar to people and then shine some light on groups we’re big into,” lead singer, keyboardist and co-producer kelly finnigan explains. it takes a lot of guts to cover your favorite songs, your van jams, that song you play as a shot of inspiration to break-up a marathon studio session. “not only are these great songs, but these are artists that we listen to and are influenced by.”

r.kitt is not a man of half measures. his approach to making tracks is all about an obsession with the philosophy of a dancefloor and how to communicate that in a musical moment. the result is tingle, a fully realised four track ep, showcasing unique slices of soulful house, progressive yet warmly familiar.