* sheffield-based subaltern resident taiko returns to the imprint with a stunning selection of four distinctively grimy pieces of sub-bass science, proving once again his original take on the 140 bass realm. a. trenches introducing his unique style once again with a fresh twist, taiko delivers relentless earth-shattering bass waves in ‘trenches’, which graces the a side of the release. bells, strings and dark synths set the mood for a precisely executed wall of bass, complimented by subtle vocal work. b1. raid dramatic orchestral strings and horns set the stage for the grim reaper that is ‘raid’ - leading into a dark and roaring synth that accentuates the laid back bass-line. sure to shake every system it is unleashed on, the track keeps evolving and luring the listener ever deeper into a maze of darkness. you can run but you can’t hide… b2. mana pool ‘mana pool’ adds a more psychedelic and subtle edge to the release. synth loaded parts play in exchange with carefully laid out harmonic synth lines complementing the tasteful bass-lines, while remaining the raw edge of the release.

rq’s debut lp for blu mar ten music, ‘solid ground’, occupies a darkly dreamlike hinterland, located somewhere between the retro-futurism of photek and alice coltrane’s jazz psychedelia. fragmented, distant beats, rippling modal patterns and restrained astral basslines provide rhythmic and harmonic anchors to a constellation of timbres and textures.

falk records will be releasing ‘spaces’ from icelandic experimental producer aaiieenn this august. aaiieenn is the solo project of electronic musician hallmar gauti halldórsson. halldórsson first came to music though being a mover and shaker in iceland’s punk and hardcore scene where he was the “harsh noise guy” with local band distill the world. with aaiieenn however, halldórsson moved away from the guitars and screaming to a fully electronic world of experimental synth music and gorging on the mathematical possibilities and expanses of arpeggio/sequencer driven ambient music. ‘calab-yau’ and ‘continuous property 1’ drip shards of pure crystalline sound into deep crevasses as harmonic droplets ping of gleaming surfaces coated with spongiform bass. the light and effervescent ‘euclidean’ evokes classic ambient works aphex twin, while ‘manifold’ is more direct with a muscular and sturdy bassline. spaces closes with the fluttering and lush ambient sounds of ‘zariksi’ that are carried into the skies by a pulsing and gliding techno beat.

the flamboyant and off-kilter title track from rones latest album, mirapolis is one of the last solo tracks that the producer composed in the spring of 2017: its one of the rare tracks on the album for which i thought about the live performance. while putting the final touches to it in the studio, i imagined myself at festivals via memories of previous tours. i wanted to record a festive track, which completely stands by its funfair vibe. with this new four-track ep (including three remixes), combined with a new video by aurélie castex, rone extends the carnival of electronic cultures of his latest musical citadel to the dancefloor – and our screens. johannes brecht, shadow craftsman of the hamburg label diyanamics studios, offers a refined reading throbbing with cerebral pulsations. appropriating the main theme in a subtle way, coated with multiple harmonic layers, his textures alternate white noise with organic basses that builds up to a delightfully classical cello outro. german-based figurehead of the south american scene, comeme label boss and founding member of the late closer music project, matias aguayo, has never ceased throughout his career to set off little revolutions on the planet of demanding dancefloors. playful and wild, aguayo sweeps in with a ritornello of chiptune sounds and orchestral arrangements, washing it over with a huge wave of analog synthesizers that destroys everything in its path. french techno scene boss laurent garnier embraces the original piece in all its meticulousness and its psychedelic lifeblood. a hypnotic and mischievous loop infiltrates itself without warning into the reptilian cells of the listeners brain.

silicone soul welcome the return of old friend justin robertson as he brings his much loved deadstock 33s project back to darkroom dubs. last spotted on the label only a matter of weeks ago with infinite interchange on the darkroom dubs presents summer love collection, here he builds on the momentum with two more singular missions deep into the timeless analogue abyss. whats more, they come covered with a print of one of justins very own hand-drawn pieces. dr. spectro on the frontier marks the start of this new deadstock trip. celebrating the lesser spotted dc super villain who could control people’s emotions with a brazen line or two of sinewy acid what starts off dark and gnarly gradually unfolds into a much more emotional narrative. watch out for the harmonic riff that rekindles feels of raving fields and a salvo of chords towards the climax that genuinely will control your emotions. the music is madness (to those who cannot hear it), meanwhile, is more than just a poetic title. already a summer anthem at a love from outer space, it s a roomy, cosmic affair that’s laced with layers of trippy textures and chugs at a cool 120. its one of justin’s classic signature smouldering sessions, what ostensibly seems forlorn and introspective is actually coded with deep hope and positivity. youd be mad not to hear it. youd be mad not to stay tuned too. for the first time in darkroom dubs history, this release and all this years vinyl dispatches will be released digitally as part of an end of year compilation, tales from underground vol. 1 and will also feature an exclusive silicone soul remix of rigopolar & cannibal inks thousand years before. and to round the year off? the long-awaited new single from silicone soul themselves.

the sheep s fall ep is the latest result of dahraxt s freaky mind keeping that path of harmonic doughty techno rhythm with 90s nostalgia, already shown through previous releases on his own imprints jtseries and picnic34. the release seeps a clear message: the most dangerous thing in life is an incompetent that has been given the chance to rule the world.

after last years excellent discoveries from volume 1, another batch of lost and unreleased dutch (cassette) material is coming back to the future. for this sequel we dug deep into the dutch lowlands and again found some independent music thats still relevant today. in the process we met even more amazing musicians and heard great stories from a distant-not-so-distant past. expect a wide palette of diy and experimental sounds by artists from groningen, zwolle, arnhem, the hague, rotterdam, tilburg and deurne. volume 2 will also feature a beautifully designed inlay with liner notes in dutch and english. mastered by wouter brandenburg, designed by steele bonus and compiled by mark van de maat.

cabaret du ciel was an electronic research project based on atmospheric ambient and harmonic textures. luigi morosin explores electric guitar soundscapes while andrea desiderà, fascinated by synthesizers, navigates into melancholic notes. eu based label manufactured by late-night rec. melodic, cold, pop, hybride sentimento diffuses music for atmospheres. the ethereal side of synthesizer sound.

deep, rootical lovers b/w thirteen minutes of blissed-out disco reggae (w/ download code)
deep, rootical lovers, darkly seething with one-step-at-a-time hurt and steely, vengeful self-esteem. hypnotic, stripped and desolate, with implacable drums and bass, dubwise from the start, the production is classic, unmistakable wackies, featuring fabian cooke’s scattered, abrupt organ stabs and minimal guitar-work, ras menelik’s masterful nyabinghi drumming, and harmonic commiseration by sugar minott and the love joys (with a strangled sob at intervals). over six minutes, the extended mix is different to the love power lp, and the additional dub, released here for the first time, is unmissable for its extra rawness and dubbed-out emptiness. plus thirteen minutes of blissed-out disco reggae on the flip: two contrasting dubs of the giorgio moroder/irene cara/flashdance cut from love power, both previously unreleased and a bit sick.

darand land presents a new perspective of deep house where focal points converge and give way to layers of harmonic tension and emotion supported by nuanced drum grooves. in his words, it is a nod to early 90s urban house with postmodern anglings. mastered by jose rico.

aussteiger is a berlin based german dj / producer. he runs the dub disco label in berlin and dj’s around the world. zusammenkunft is his debut album released on copenhagen’s music for dreams. once upon a time a golden boy came back from the shadows. rumors were told that he once left the big city in a time where the music scene and clubs were dominated by cold music and average beats. he left behind civilisation, living withdrawn in the woody mountains of a covert place. from there on people talked about him as aussteiger. connected to the nature and deeply rooted in the harmonic essence, aussteiger became a part of the great whole. in a full moon illuminated clear night while experimenting with various unique herbs he accidentally found a recipe to create warm and ravishing music. he firmly believes that music is his infinite source to gather strength and positive energy after years of strengthening himself and shaping vibrant sounds aussteiger decided to share his delightful music with the world. he returned from his retreat in order to enchant the music lovers all over the world with his feel good approach and supernatural sounds. coming back to the city, he also co-founded the awesome dub disco label with his buddy serj nosé.

attention: the case has a broken corner. ltd 180 copies - incl dl code , this cassette collects some of these stills, or better said freeze frames. freeze frames that become almost landscapes that one can enter or not, listen closely to or use as mere background ambience. wilson went in and untied the knot, yet while investigating the situation, posing more questions. this is as open-ended a release can get, so captiously simple. i met andrew wilson, (aka berko, art wilson, andras), a few months ago in tokyo where we were both to perform on a sort of balearic ambient variety show in the heart of shibuya. at some point andrew was telling me about his interest in youtube videos of truck accidents, animals attacking people and bloopers. with creating one-shot samples of these sort of popular fringe finds he started creating long-form drones of harmonic beauty, without being overtly and subjectively emotional. wilson presented some of these pieces on said night in tokyo, in a dandyesque manner all dressed in white, sitting behind a small restaurant table

the frankonia ep is the result of the collaboration between nils weimann and martin glowacz, which started many years ago. side a serves two different, powerful tracks. frankonia comes with warm atmospheres and spaces. driven by the interaction of bass and synth lines, wrapped in some subtile delayed textures. lower has a rollin bass structure, combined with smashing vocals and surrounded by resonating marbles. side b belongs paul agripa’s interpretation of frankonia. he’s also known as a part of ragrip and comoji. the remix takes you on a 13 minutes trip, carried by a harmonic baseline, extended spaces and melodies. play it loud! early support by cezar, sedee, vlad arapasu.

dimensional people is by it’s nature a collaborative album. originally premiering as a spatial composition using object-based mixing technology playing with the possibilities of sonic design (4d sound) and collective musicianship, the recording expands upon these ideas. dimensional people expresses itself as a dynamic 50-piece orchestra, telling a story in sound. mouse on mars offer sound as a means to encourage open-minded societies, aided by cutting-edge technology including their own mominstruments music software or a spatial mixing technique called object based mixing, with which a spatial version of the work was created. it is a conceptual puzzle composed around one harmonic spectrum within one rhythmic scheme, mostly in the tempo of 145bpm (inspired by chicago footwork, so the dance ?oor is not entirely absent). looking ahead, dimensional people will also be realized through installation, presenting the work as an immersive listening experience, as well as performance.

transcendent records is proud to present a new immersive cinematic techno release by a french producer who goes under the name of ersatz olfolks. some might already know him from previous releases on singular records and cheap. for a producer with only two records behind him we think he already has a bright voice within the overcrowded musical techno landscape. heliopolis is the city of the sun and was the theological center of the greatest sun temple of pharaonic times. the sunrays bring brightness but we also find ourselves in the darkest ominous shades of an eclipse. we were instantly captivated by his contra dictionary sound that is filled with subtle harmonic distortions and sophisticated melodic and evolving modular patterns. heliopolis ep is a careful selection of works recorded during live sessions. this is our definition of techno! pressing of 300 copies in special silver sleeve.

zeta reticula a.k.a. umek drops a dose of razor sharp electro, built in collaboration with mysterious co-producer helga neuer. having released records under the electro-driven moniker for the past 18 years, zeta reticula continues to develop his unique soundscapes of harmonic electro bliss, cinematic chords and powerful, dynamic bass. from the a-side’s anthemic title track and moodier journey of luminsferatu, to the trippy realms of mimic to appear and cromat, i am mensch truly encapsulates the sound of zeta reticula, and carefully blends inspiration from past, present and future electro domains.

london band tomaga are back with their fourth release under the hands in the dark banner: memory in vivo exposure. the 12inch ep consists of four original tracks and yet another new musical evolution for the duo. whilst they still use complex layering and harmonic polyrhythms in developing their original approach, this time the sonic tales they have shared are much more cinematic and dreamlike. these visions are locked up into emotionally charged loops to convey the sensation of a dream in which half remembered things become new zones of feeling.

magnetik north is live drum electronics. drum performances are fed through processors, samplers and sequencers to produce layers of rhythmic patterns that interact with each other. other instruments are melted into different textures so that only the harmonic content remains. this is a new project from ian tregoning, engineer and producer for artists as diverse as yello and fela kuti. now working with jaki liebezeit, the legendary drummer from can, to add his endless evolving rhythms. jaki s in a world of his own as he balances technical brilliance with subtle restraint. recording started in the summer 2006 in an old jazz studio in the south of ko&#776,,,,ln. jaki arrived with a minimal drum kit including customised cymbals, a snare and a huge gretsch floor-tom from the can days. all of jaki s performances are complete takes with no drop-ins, loops or edits. the backing tracks for evolver were recorded without using key changes. each song features one key which is held continuously while other instruments and effects are blended with the key. drums (also tuned to the same key) were added last which is another unusual technique. as jaki says they re often overlooked as tuned instruments in their own right . the finished results are a minimal blend of industrial and classical. like listening to a raga in an earthquake.

2018 repress - standard cover ... us born and meanwhile in berlin residing kevin mchugh aka ambivalent presents his cocoon recordings single debut. ambivalence seems to the be the musical direction here. daylights is a sheer technomonster, musclepacked and full of dark detroit flavour but the used vocal samples and the harmonic synthstrings cant hide the magic touch of daylights. although the massive techno bassline is the star of this track we are sure it will find its way into the sets of many house djs, too. in contrast to that “swung out” appears way more like pure techno and cannot be filed as house at all. we are hypnotized by the shuffled rim shots and hi hats and ambivalent drives this one straight through the dub universe. techno is the destination and the dark vibe of swung out makes it a perfect after hour weapon.

queen (extended)- is ten walls s first release for memento records. this 8 tracks album on double vinyl is a vivid depiction of the lithuanian artist top-notch production skills, his wise use of subtle melodies and harmonic progressions, as well as his pointed dancefloor instinct.

drivetrain (detroit, usa) – -one love- ...we begin with derrick thompson s techno/house fusion of melodic stabs gliding over the effortless motion of a thunderous bass line, cemented by a magnetic vocal chant dj roach (detroit, usa) – -the heads- ...new to soiree, the detroit hometown veteran introduces an aggressive labor of dirty, high-tech mechanics, with an endless campaign of twisted frequency assaults rennie foster (vancouver, canada) – -infrastructure- ...electronic pulses penetrate from the start paving the way for a high voltage excursion through peaks and valleys of a relentless robotic tribute to detroit nicolas franken (liege, belgium) – -pied bot- ... atmospheric in cadence, this deep-tech debut cycles from harmonic euphoria to a dark percussive ensemble, orbiting in a balanced rhythm symmetry

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.

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.

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.

cosmic handshakes sees the pairing of 2 extremely talented detroit natives - blair french & todd modes - who take elements of disco, techno, jazz, house, afrobeat, latin music, dub and electronics and filter them through their own unique view of dance music. steeped in soul, live instrumentation, sampling and analogous alchemical studio processes, french & modes give us an exhilarating and fresh take on the deepest smoked out, after hours sounds of the city of detroit. in the mist is the duo s second release, following on from 2013 s the delicate details , released on the m1 sessions imprint. the last 2-3 years has seen the pair individually release music on a plethora of varied and esteemed global labels such as fit sounds, claremont 56, rocksteady discos and more. we at gghq are very excited to finally share with the world what we feel is hands down one of our favourite releases yet. a compelling body of work from front to back, the tracks on in the mist work perfectly as a self contained home listener, or as we ve found, just as well on a darkened dancefloor, leaving the choice up to you, the listener.

trevor jacksons second release on his unreleased archive recordings label pre is a heady collection of subterranean minimalist synth jams, blissful technicolour textures, somber distorted drones and expansive cosmic soundscapes. recorded during 2010-2014 with a limited analog vintage hardware set up elka sythex, roland jupiter 6, roland 808, roland chorus echo, bel bd80 delay & tape, these solo recordings were created at unearthly hours as lengthy improvised compositions and cathartic personal experiments. heavily manipulated using classic effects units, harmonic layers slowly evolve, arpeggiated melodies mutate, discordant drum machines and fractured voices merge elegantly into noise. design your dreams is jackson at his best, uncompromising and considered, progressive and unique.

growing up in the bustling port city of busan and running his own record shop there from the late 70s, kim byoung duk had a front-row seat to the finest in foreign record imports and a taste for the psychedelic that naturally evolved into spiritual, ambient and avant-garde sounds. his growing interest in tao philosophy and the meditative music that accompanied it provided a fertile environment for his audio imagination. unhampered by limited access to musical gear, he made use of a wide assortment of self- sourced pots of various sizes and curvature, cymbals, wooden sculpted flutes and percussion tools—each chosen for its unique harmonic vibration—to create an entirely new and unique body of work. experiment no. x retraces the oeuvre of kim byoung duk, assembling tracks from experiment no. 2, pot concerto and new trilogy, illustrating a meditative journey from the freeness of the tao sound, in the borders of ambient music and the avant-garde, to later groove-oriented jams which introduce rhythmic elements to the palate. this fully licensed release is the first collection of kim byoung duk ,s music, remastered from the original tapes and including for the first time on vinyl songs from the very scarce cd new morning. includes four-page booklet with photographs and an interview from kim ,s personal archives

design default makes a contemplative debut lp blending ambient soundscapes with electronica & jazz hints. entitled dawn chorus, the record sounds like a reflexion on awakening to new feelings and ideas as well as reminiscing and looking at those that came in the past. the lp opens in a playful and harmonious way with bells play, bringing forward the idea of awakening. the rest of the record designs a world in which slow unfurling soundscapes with heavy bass like the forest or two mirrors consistently stand alongside glitchy atmospheres like the distorted ecce or the celestial escale. tracks like peaks and notes or wood caving put the accent on harmonic and textural content. overall, the record is rooted in a cosmic almost new age ambient tradition, but focuses more on the idea of renewal than vagrancy and languishing. if ecstasy and euphory do not describe the feeling here, darkness doesnt either. the result is a balanced, mature and diverse lp, bringing many beautiful sonic atmospheres to life, and telling a journey of wonder of openness.

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

much may have changed over a two-decade period, but drumcode s commitment to releasing the scene s most cutting-edge and refined techno remains resolute. 2017 has already seen releases from adam beyer vs pig&dan, alan fitzpatrick, ilario alicante, julian jeweil, as well as a debut album from layton giordani. the label continues push forwards, bringing fail-safe, club-ready music to the techno community. perennial pushers of the techno envelope, dense & pika are renowned for their standout studio output that seems to constantly conjure up a particularly unique take on their distinct sound, d&p have rather outdone themselves in 2017. kicking off the year with a selection of back catalogue remixes from the likes of danny daze, scuba, slam and yotam avni that illustrated the high esteem in which d&p are held by their peers right across the spectrum, from heritage acts to current headliners and cutting edge talent, the duo have gone on to drop bomb after bomb after bomb. their universally lauded remix of tiga s louder than a bomb was the first of a run of chart topping cuts, with a remix of me & her s wild rage on jamie jones hottrax imprint and their own casino single both challenging the norm of what techno sounds like in the here and now. cooked up with a more melodic vibe and fusing elements of house and techno, dense & pika s latest outing on drumcode offers something different compared to their previous work. there is still that vintage feel to each of the tracks with analogue sounds and arrangements born and developed from experimental studio jams. indeed, suki heavily utilizes the distinct harmonic tones of the dave smith prophet 8 keyboard. while little sun - a staple of d&p performances over the last three months - delivers a more classic drumcode sound. lanky closes out the release with an infectious slab of wonderfully wonked-out raw funk

its taken over two-decades legendary uk techno label ferox enter their 24th year with a 4 trackerafrom fellow brit kirk degiorgio. beholden looks both to the future with influences from kirk s seminal machine events which he hosts with ben sims, and the illustrious past of deep melodic uk techno which he shares with ferox owner russ gabriel. it continues a resurgence of lush, harmonic techno that once dominated the electronic music scene and which is now findingaa fresh, young audience. expansive chords, delicate melodies and intricate grooves are once again on the cutting edge agenda.

it’s time to re-engage with your inner peace as yovav follows his previous correspondant cameo (’andiamo’ on ‘compilation 05&#8242,, in case you’re wondering) with this sublime exercise in horizontalism. charmingly balmy, harmonic and hypnotic, this is the sound of yovav bathing us in a gilded sonic sunset. well… it’s not called ‘caribbean zen mode’ for nothing, remix-wise we’re in for a treat as tuff city kid gerd janson lays down a delicious hip-swaying balearic version. delicately layered with glistening guitars, chimes, harps and a rolling percussive groove that opens up into a broken swing while the steady kick matches the slinky, sultry bass notes, it comes complete with its own bonus drum groove for added deep mix creativity. inner peace found, zen mode activated.

b-stock! cover with seam split. vinyl unaffected & mint. earth patterns is a new journey into sound by london based australian born musician ben davidson, best known for his disco tinged house singles as ben sun, that were championed by the likes of gerd janson and larry heard. the earth patterns concept presents a more expanded instrumental sound with live rhythm sequencing and synth work, sitting alongside vangelis katsoulis, lars bartkuhn and soichi terada on alex bradleys utopia records. davidson joins the dots between detroit by way of tokyo techno on sunflower to dream ii science deepness on horus rising and some worldly organic rhythms for a modernist and dare we say it utopian sound on after the rain. the analogue sound from his london studio comes through on the gentle and harmonic b-side opener transit pan perhaps the start of a journey beyond the dance floor for the producer. artwork and liner notes by davidson himself, all pressed by bespoke pressing plant the vinyl factory on heavyweight vinyl.

xixa balance ep (apa002) abstract places audio elusive producer xixa delivers the second abstract places audio release. balance is a three-track ep where the co-founder of the label packs a solid techno sound drowned in complex and evolving atmospheres. as first label’s release (clip - gebre, 2016), this is not a 100% club record, we can hear ambient and idm influences, but a1 and b1 are perfect tracks to keep a techno set full of rhythm and tension, and will get its place on any dj record bag. a1 balance is built around a distorted but controlled techno beat. patiently, a wide palette of drones and other-worldly artefacts are growing next to carefully crafted percussive sounds. 1984 opens the b side of the 12”, with a 4 to the floor overdriven bass drum and a reverse reverb announcing its main synth sequence, accompanied by organic hi-hats and clap sounds. a collection of ethereal drones and noises is also used, giving the track a sense of cohesion and gluing its different parts. life inside a snow ball is xixa s personal take on ambient. some of the drones and artefacts from a1 are now mixed with new quasi- harmonic emotional textures and subtle noises emerging from a deep unknown space and forming a complete new sonic experience. balance ep is a very solid second release by abstract places audio that confirms the label sound and philosophy.

amsterdam based artist nthng continues to have a busy year. following up an album on lobster theremin and ep on transatlantic, he now lands on delsin with three tracks that touch on driving dub-techno and dreamy ambient. oralage opens with upbeat drum programming and gliding hits that make for a smooth flowing groove. distant pads add some spacey atmospheres and the production is effortlessly warm and driving. a souls search takes time out to drift in the cosmos, with waves of muted euphoria washing over you as you sink into clouds of ambient bliss. lastly, turn to gaia is a dubbed out techno roller, with long legged drums looping down low, reverberating chords adding weight and distant bell sounds charting the whole thing in a harmonic glow. it rounds out a super smooth and seductive ep.

great valuepack of 3 somehow underrated releases now bundled together!

fire in the hole! is a warning that an explosive detonation in a confined space is imminent.

about the release: drivetrain (detroit, usa) – “dirty work (ft. goddess stephanie)” …derrick thompson’s organically deep tribal rhythm is the bedrock for melodious chords and the cunning decrees spawned by goddess stephanie. motomitsu (paris, france) – “november” …a dark and haunting symphony, built on an infrastructure rich in keyboards, chorusing under syncopated jabs and hypnotic pulsating motion. jesus gonsev (ciudad real, spain) – “countdown” …an intelligent auditory marriage integrating the essence of an ante meridiem atmosphere with fathomless claviature and precision percussive penetration. oscar holgado (seville, spain) – “the wonderman” …a sonic pilgrimage initiated with harmonic pad structure, advancing through walls of piercing string architecture, closing with a euphoric groove refrain.

latest installment from eleve music is produced by madrid duo uanamani. derk and iterbio have been studying sound and spinning records for many years, and currently uanamani is one of the top local live acts in underground events in madrid. their analog multi-instrumental set up digs classic ambient and deep techno which morphs into a live organism, with tribal touchs from around the world. they join eleve inviting us to dive into their myths. during the journey, expect first class deep techno with bursts of reverberant hihats, syncopated percussions and harmonic wind whistlings, blurring the lines between adventure and mystery. the organic feeling is present through the whole ride with mutating arpeggios that will make the most obscure rituals go hypnotic.

claude debussy (+1918) was one of the most popular and forward thinking composer associated with impressionist music. his innovative and at this time new way to compose music with non traditional scales and chromaticism inspired countless artists from the likes of steve reich, philip glass, miles davis and herbie hancock. remarkable attributes of his music were i.e. the usage of parallel chords, bitonality and many compositions of whole-tone and pentatonic scales and all this surely reminds us on contemporary electronic music where you hardly find limits or boundaries when it comes to traditional, harmonic sounding scale tone music. after studying countless composers of the last centuries marc romboy decided to accept the challenge to edit, remix and reconstruct several works of his favorite french composer, ranging from „la mer“ to -prélude à l après-midi d un faune“. romboy: „one sentence of debussy impressed me a lot when he said that he simply intents to write new sounding music. this is and has been exactly my goal, to create kind of unheard sounds“. on the album romboy performs together with the dortmund philharmonic orchestra, the renowned conductor ingo-martin stadtmüller, the well respected düsseldorf based concert master miki kekenj and sound programmer ali khalaj. the recordings was directed december 12th 2016. it s the first live recording ever released on an album where electronic sounds and classical components were merged in such manner.

fresh from the success of their ‘past / present / future’ release, we march on, with berlin-based italian christopher ledger the man responsible for their label’s 41st release. the ‘percezione and retrospettiva’ ep sees ledger in flying form, as he props up with two dexterous, thoughtfully executed records that speak volume of his ability to craft atmospheric sounds. opening up the release is the sounds of ‘retrospettiva 2’, a future leaning techno jam that again wonderfully fits the brouqade aesthetic. clearly indebted to sci-fi spheres, this one is very much cut from a detroit cloth, with a steely finesse that lurks from the get go. a track that brings the listener on an endless journey, it comes some deep harmonic vibes. all things told, this is an ep of various contrasting sounds, ledger’s debut for brouqade is a stunning example of what can happen when producers think outside the box. the b side consists of ‘percezione attiva’. harmonic, blissful tones abound throughout, made all the more meaningful by a slew of gentle, melancholic piano chords that really pull on the heartstrings. a light and hazy experimental piece, the track forces parallels with other masters of suspense. culminating with a more traditional 4/4 vibe, this unusual turn only enhances the producer’s standing as a man willing to take risks.

a-side fully hypnotic, frontal, skeletal & static live drum track with dubbed vocoder throughout the whole side. helsinki s jesse duo with a special non-album track from their album sessions produced by dj sotofett (upcoming lp on keys of life). on the flip lns collaborates with dj sotofett for a shimmering and pad warming ambient track kept coherent by liquid driplets of echoed synths at the beginning and later the tickering & harmonic arpeggios.

ed davenport continues his full-spectrum techno experiments as inland with an elegant new ep on counterchange entitled coriolis. the title track coriolis is a moody 10 minute voyage with a morphing synth array at its core - bright, detuned stabs are layered upon tough rhythmic foundations. the jagged metallic lead builds, unearthing harmonic bleep accents and syncopated fx swells, before folding in on itself leaving the effective tribal drum section to ride on. d10d3 plows forward with an urgent staccato sequence, segueing into italo-horror filter sweeps and noise-laden moments of drama. finally tsereteli is a more reduced modern dub study, continuing ed s long running fascination with tranced-out time stretching and after-hours vibes. the 9th release on the label, the record features cover art by uk artist guy archard and is pressed on 180g vinyl.

nice price deal !!! thats an idea! an harmonic melody with a clubby groove...thats it! produced by rodeo drive aka marchesini & farina together with silvia rocca & karim razak, 3 different versions very suitable for all the dancefloors...

limited 2017 repress! deep harmonic chicago house classics from 1995 by strong souls. all tracks produced by raymond (ray-dilla) funnye and kamal (jazzy-k) sharif

reasons marks fort romeaus first full solo release since 2016s secrets & lies on live at robert johnson, having previously released records with ghostly international, running back and his own cin cin imprint. the title track sees the development of the producers interest in playing with the human voice, developing a harmonic and rhythmic hook which builds to a crescendo of wailing synths. c.e.m is a focused dance floor workout built around syncopated sequences which ebb and flow creating a constantly evolving pattern of tension and release. on the final track satellite 2 a pair of beautiful duelling sequences unfurl giving a sense of weightlessness and provide the perfect epilogue to a record that marks the continuing evolution of the producers unique sound.

third chapter by homemadezucchero very own meze is a 4 dimension disengaged statement. wide ambiances wrap mental bass lines and saturated dynamics in a minimalistic melodics drama. tempered by icy harmonic pads and human shreds.

for organ and brass is comprised of two works by the stockholm-based composer ellen arkbro. both works focus on tuning, intonation and harmonic modulation. in previous projects, arkbro composed for early music ensembles, wrote a series of durational pieces utilising synthetic tones and processed guitars, and, most recently, presented a work lasting 26 days at the stockholm concert hall. for organ and brass looks back to arkbro’s studies in just intonation with la monte young, marian zazeela, and their disciple jung hee choi in new york, as well as with kindred spirit marc sabat in berlin.

sydney’s outer time inner space move from record store to record label in 2017 and they’re keeping it local with the first release. in 2016, thomas mcalister aka cop envy, turned in a stunning ep for uk label opal tapes. a percussive excursion through 3am mind melters, thom proved his ability to craft seemingly effortless, yet undeniably entrancing club tools. under new alias sean thomas, thom extends his reach into deeper, harmonic textures. heady melodic inflections float atop peak-time, rolling rhythmic beds in what feels like an ode to the late 90s, limited-capacity club excursions of western australias red ember records, patrice scotts sistrum recordings or the uks phono label early support from: plo man, ben fester, simon caldwell, adi toohey and a load of other selectors that are keeping it deep in twenty seventeen