daniel avery returns to phantasy for a 4-track limited edition 12inch vinyl ep, slow fade, featuring the title track and first single from his much-anticipated sophomore lp, upcoming in april via phantasy. a prelude to the lps sonic exploration of the twilight world of a personal, transient life spent between clubs, hotel rooms, airports and home, slow fade captures the expanded foundations of averys sonic palette. arresting club moments linger under the surface, but the focus is on the smudged ambience that underpin averys grasp on rave euphoria. as a re-entry into a broader musical universe, slow fade is immediately compelling, combining neo-acid, feedback loops and pure atmosphere at a patient but restrained pace. meanwhile, after dark alters this aesthetic to its raw, pensive elements, stripping avery’s distinctive drums completely, revealing a meditative, ambient fog. radius announces itself with industrial intent, before unfolding seamlessly into a wistful electronic hymn, the perfect soundtrack to brooding london skies, and eventually evolving into slow-motion motorik. closing the ep, fever dream finds avery at club tempo, but in a somewhat agitated state, on this occasion focusing on a paranoid rhythm that emerges clean from eerie, even paranoid territory. close your eyes, press repeat.

pater noster presents their fifth release, aposynthesis by overloper, a side project of ekman.
the a-side brims with tension both contemplative and active. ‘hope you’re close’ is a deep burner, with heavy, pounding bass and an entrancing hook ascending to space. this then escalates into the urgency of ‘aposynthesis (need more sisa)’, in which a driving, rolling rhythm is juxtaposed with an old school, dutch-style rave synth.
the b-side encircles around acid. on one hand, it is coyly playful with ‘carpe noctem’ turning cavernous in innsyter’s dark interpolation of the other.

maurizio cattelan and photographer pierpaolo ferrari’s renegade art publication toilet paper returns to the vinyl factory to team up with nike lab, releasing four propulsive club tracks from across the world, united under the title fast forward. toilet papers latest visual treat appears as a hyper-real gatefold, featuring new music by dj tennis and sebra cruz (italy), t&p a.k.a. tim sweeney and lauer (usa/germany), fantastic man (australia), and kiwi (uk). curated by nomadic online broadcaster automat radio (who rolled into london last year for a party with phonica records), the selection is aimed at showcasing the contemporary dance scenes of each producer’s respective country. toilet paper’s latest visual treat appears as a hyper-real gatefold, featuring new music by dj tennis feat. sebra cruz (italy), t&p a.k.a. tim sweeney and lauer (usa/germany), fantastic man (australia), and kiwi (uk). curated by nomadic online broadcaster automat radio (who rolled into london last year for a party with phonica records), the selection is aimed at showcasing the contemporary dance scenes of each producers respective country. limited to 1.000 copies, you can order your copy of fast forward here and see the stunning artwork in more detail below.

if youre familiar with public release’s sibling, face, a series of parties, you’ll already know that jee day, né dennis mcnany, has been in the bay area label’s orbit for some time as half of the dfa act museum of love, he joined the inner circle years ago. here, with amot herga laxy, he makes his bold debut on public release itself. the single begins with “crocodile tears,” an abstract, impressionistic tapestry of african rhythms, meditative synth washes, vangelis-esque horns and pads. it recedes and jee day plunges deeper into the jungle with communication masterbation, a propulsive number built around a psychedelic, droney bass that’s wrapped with gritty, distorted effects and layers of topline keyboard licks stacked high. a raw club track cut from transcendentalist cloth thatll lift you off the dance floor. the b-side is a dub of communication masterbation, with an emphasis being placed on pulling out, unraveling, extending the rhythmic elements and emphasizing the electronic veil the piece is shrouded in. a trancey, menacing sprawl that could be an extended sonic youth live jam if they swapped their stringed instruments for roland and korg gear and dusted the whole thing in an unknown psychoactive slime.

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

finishing off the year in a flurry, the second release of the newly minted tiercel label by uk born, berlin-based bnjmn sees the producer venture into murkier, deeper waters.

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

the fourth release on trevor jacksons pre- label is by skull. a visceral journey into experimental noise and no wave avant grade beatscapes the last skull release snapz appeared on jacksons own output recordings label in 1999. a seminal collection of tracks that had previously featured on the first two legendary mo wax headz compilations (also featuring autechre, beastie boys, air, and dj shadow) as well as tracks that had also appeared on kevin the bug martins notorious macro dub infection albums during the mid 90s. reactionary sonic statements aimed at the coffee table world of trip hop, fuelled by his dissatisfaction and dissillustionment with hip hop of the time, trevor pushed himself into uncomfortable and far more extreme areas than he had before, areas he felt unable to explore with his underdog productions, which were mainly being utilised for major label remixes at the time. influenced as much by the industrial pioneers, post punk and new wave of the past as the burgeoning post rock scene in the mid 90s, this new set of previously unreleased recordings originally produced between 1996-2000 are equally as intense and visceral as the early releases. dusty samples, raw beats, tape loops, and primitive effects combine to sound as relevant now as when they were initially created.

edition of 75 black tapes with riso print (download code included)... olfactory nerve is a recent moniker of thessaloniki-based artist photis houliaras, whos been actively conducting experiments and releasing albums on tape under his mysterious guise le fonte son. influenced primarily by synth electronic music and psychedelic mysticism, the greek electronic composer is injecting new ideas into something in the ballpark of the unknown rarities from the underground cassette scene. orfeo, his first album for details sound, offers a diverse range of original and magnetic output with a naive experimental heart.

the mighty dungeon meat s marauders into the finest club cuts continues with their first offering of 2017 and their first various artist e.p on the label. a collection of dance floor dynamite set to detonate as soon as the needle hits the groove. here we see the boys recruiting some new beat bandits with ron obvious and per hammar and also reviving one of the og dungeon masters blunt instruments. each one bringing the the heat with their prime cuts of meat, making this one hefty slab of wax that is a sure fire winner for those dark strobe lit rave chambers. as with all dungeon meat release these are tried and tested for maximum ass-assination.

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

la vie d artiste music are delighted to present the very first release of the label sunshine in heaven , brand new ep by sebb junior. based in south spain, sebb junior is a french dj producer who has been into house music since 2013 but quickly built a solid reputation with quality releases on large music, salted music, papa records, madhouse and his own imprint frigo vide records. as a new label and for the first release, la vie d artiste music wanted to showcase and perpetuate the art of sampling the old fashion way. sebb delivered here the perfect illustration of the concept with sunshine in heaven ep , a sample based disco house record with soulful vibes and high caliber production skills on display.

monologues vinyl-only series returns with another four juicy cuts. amsterdam s mischievous melon steps back into his je dàvu guise for a haunting, soul-infused workout on dream of cream , bristol boys lrusse & kraymon pull off a stunner on the colourful, intergalactic house of tropical clown , kerri chandler s madhouse records signings voyeur provide a heady, jazz-licked roller on orchid and monologues regular danvers slows the tempo for the chugging funk of ain t over . something for all the family.

not late in returning to bror records, dj lily showcases new stylistic variations, on the a-side, bringing ambience into an emotive yet heavy state with “kärlek” featuring camilla on the whispers. on the b-side lily further deviates by laying down two focused techno tracks with assertive arrangements: the playful and hard hitting “///////// (forward)” and the dystopian “(backward)” for the peak hours.

the echelon is conceived in total secrecy. embedded deep in the contemporary landscape, its sole purpose is to function as an anonymous observer, translating its findings into music and movement. part three is based on diversity in communication.

supported matthias mayer, tensnake, matthias kaden, alex niggemann

kuf create emotion-laden dialogues across layers of time and dimensions of sound. voices recorded in private are chopped up and brought out center-stage to sing with beats hammered out right here and now. glowing synths push forward. basslines rise to grab the melodic role of a track while a vowel is truncated and locked into a grid, driving the rhythm. voices move within the frame of a sample, performed by hands pushing keys, guided by the ear, immersed in a trio sessions deep flow… a vortex of quirky hands, responsive ears and glowing circuits. since thomas a. edison first recorded the human voice in 1877, the recording arts have changed music forever. musicians have explored the endless possibilities of bouncing their input onto layers of tape, off the walls of an echo chamber or the circuitry of electronic helpers - technology that modulates, spatializes, shifts, divides or multiplies the work of human hands and mouths. an era of sampling offered a cubistic analysis of the recorded past and djs took dancers onto intricately fractured time travels. this is the historic foundation that kuf keep probing.

tmpz002 of temporize records is an ep from glasgow affiliate dam-ru, drawing on themes of gnosticism, occultism, cosmology and automatism, dam-ru displays his attempts at transcendence through sound, and delves deep into the subconscious, to a world within worlds.
he crafts complex yet warm, organic electronic music that flirts with ambient, dub and experimental sounds. with “too many voices”, his debut ep, he explores a far eastern, mystical theme in producing 4 tracks that wouldn’t feel out of place in an epic film score.

repress! the impression one gets of django django is of a band laying down the first, meticulously measured borders on some vast map of a world that only they are privy to. correspondent to that, each track is like its own nation of harmonies, rhythms and textures. >we didnt put much conscious thought into making it sound like an album - we thought wed let any similarities between the songs come out by themselves,< explains tommy.

ali renaults cestrian alias is responsible for some proper gutter-dwelling electro business that has come to light on bunker records, mnx recordings and more besides. theres no let up with this new slab, presented to the underworld by vivod and unknown to the unknown as a joint release. napoli keeps the pressure wound up to a breakneck pace while -secret language places the emphasis on devilish synth tones. purge attempts something akin to a more melodic, mellow mood splattered with acidic bleeps, and then krapton fictor whips out some truly crafty android boogie loaded with short circuits aplenty. umberto swoops in at the last minute to remix napoli into a relentless, storming techno brute with brains to match the brawn.

mechanical thoughts ltd is back with the fourth vinyl release. this time the label´s owner alhek organizes a very special various artists, featuring tracks by d. carbone, sirio gry j, paal and alhek itself. mechanical thoughts drive us, as usual, into a dystopic future, in which humans and machines intoxicate each other and the world as well.

this 3 track ep can be called a classy kann record that puts the never lost house feel into a contemporary dance robe. once again the label boss duo convincing with a signature record.

cin cin, the label from fort romeau and ali tillett present their first release of 2018 and the 10th in the catalogue so far. lauer starts the year off on the right foot with two prime time slices of that signature lauer power™? sound he’s known for from his releases on running back, permanent vacation and as one half of tuff city kids with gerd janson. on the flip the golden filter follow up an excellent long player on optimo music with 2 deep technoid excursions. “blackspray” pairs whispered vocals with warehouse shaking kicks while “aya” injects a little slinkiness into the proceedings. sure to be enjoyed by discerning disk jockeys of all stripes the world over!

blind jack embarks on another journey around secret cities, this time we drop into wuppertal, capital of bergisches land in germany. famous for the space-age schwebebahn and the lego brücke. we invite mr. mauke colkin to the team and he dishes out some seriously deep dreaminess that would happily get you around the schwebebahn in a day-dreaming trance. also featuring the divine vocals of fellow wuppertal resident maria basel.

hemingway s debut ep on cosmic resonance records is a musical memoir. the sounds you’ll hear are drawn from projects created as far back as 2011 and as recently as 2017. the music has evolved over the years, from yacht-funk playfulness to the exploration of cosmic jazz. one constant throughout, though, has been a reverence and love for the dance floor and dance music culture. to bring this broad spectrum of musical creativity together, hemingway enlisted the help of his longtime friend (and now label-mate), chris evans, to weave improvised guitar unicorns (guitarnicorns) throughout. the result is an album that fuses jazz, funk, disco, balearica, pysch-rock and amazonian spirituality into a cosmically resonant vibe.

jungle/breakcore legends deformer are back with another horror infused release: “the living dead deformed”. deformer is known for putting the shock into electronic music and pushing the horror experience to another level. during their shows they cut off limbs and intestines are thrown into the audience while the extreme music turns the crowd into raging freaks. “the living dead deformed” pays hommage to one of the biggest horrorfilm classics of all time: “night of the living dead” (1968) and its creators.
the record was produced before the unfortunate passing of george a. romero. out of respect, deformer chose put out the record as a non-profit, limited edition, numbered by hand, green coloured vinyl release. the amazing cover art is created by legendary visual artist graham humphreys (a nightmare on elm street, the evil dead, poltergeist).
“the living dead deformed” is dark, menacing and will again turn parties into moshpits. they won’t stay deaf!

with every album project comes a proper remix pack. marco bailey has invited some of his most respected colleagues in modern day techno to come up with an interpretation of two of temper’s toughest cuts.
“planet mad” is being reworked by marcel fengler and andre kronert. fengler’s rework is an adventurous take on the original and has a strong emphasis on rhythm. without loosing with the original idea, fengler builds the rhythm section into a wash of bold drums and rich percussion. andre kronert’s take on “planet mad” pushes the track s idea into a different direction. kronert yet again proves to be a craftsman when it comes to textures and builds. while the recognizable bass sound of the original keeps thumping, atypical bits of fx are added to build on an unusual but very soothing atmosphere.
for the b side, “naga” is being reshaped by croatian master of electronics petar dundov and rotterdam based fast riser, koen hoets. petar dundov comes up with an esoteric take on “naga”. whilst respecting the form of the original, dundov goes one notch deeper with his wide array dub elements and feral hat sounds. koen hoets delivers a more demure take on “naga”. whilst the rhythm section might not be suitable for all club situations, this is adventurous techno at its best. noteworthy fx and soul touching strings that float throughout.
materia009 - temper reworks part one ep will be available from all specialized retailers starting january 26.

weve been huge fans of tims work since the release of his first self-titled ep on astrolab. his analogue sound has been described as both death mulch and rare gloom. for his second work for love twelve, he continues the journey into dark spaces with four more deep synth freakers from his fish island school of synthesis studio. after releases on esteemed labels including emotional response, world unknown, bird scarer, hoga nord, rotters golf club (as the asphodells with andrew weatherall) and his own label crimes of the future which he runs with scott fraser, his debut album where is the champion? was released earlier in the year to critical acclaim. tim will continue to push forward and we feel privileged to see him return for a wfl round two.

re-release! black truffle is honoured to present the premier recordings of two recent works by legendary american experimental composer alvin lucier. a friend and contemporary of pioneers like robert ashley, david behrman, gordon mumma, and christian wolff, lucier has been crafting elegant explorations of the behavior of sound in physical space since the 1960s. lucier is perhaps best known for i am sitting in a room (1970), in which he repeatedly re-recorded his own speaking voice being played back into a room until the room’s resonant frequencies entirely obscure the spoken text. beginning in the early 1970s, he has written a remarkable catalogue of instrumental works that focus on phenomena produced by the interference between closely tuned pitches, such as audible beating, often using pure electronic tones produced by oscillators in combination with single instruments.

row goes back to a collecting of field recordings that hirsch took for oerol, an annual theatre festival taking place on the west frisian island of terschelling / nl. the recording was taken aboard the arad, a lifeboat of the dutch rowing team roeiteam ter- schelling recreatie during a training exercise on 25 april 2011. the course stretched from the harbour of west-terschelling out into the wadden sea and back again. the focus is on the coxswain’s commands which resemble a funk singer’s ones and which make the team become one body working their way through the waters.

yellow clear vinyl - 200 copies
* the past is never dead. its not even past. often the reverie rolled on deep into the night, an unflagging, unredundant product of the raconteurial mind.* a few years ago the last 12inch on kristofferson kristofferson. 2017, continuation of the story. rising sun indulges in reminiscences with full of breakbeats, deep house and ambient.

electronic emergencies kicks off 2018 with its 20th release. on the kosmostrator on venus ep, bosnian dj and producer borgie has rocketed himself into deep, deep space, far beyond planet italo. the sound of the four tracks on borgie s second ep for electronic emergencies is deep, has dark edges and is extremely danceable. ruud lekx did a brilliant mastering job and meinhard spoor designed the extraordinary cover.

alan abrahams aka portable aka bodycode is an artist very much defined by his past and his journey from south africa to paris via berlin and lisbon has seen him develop into a critically acclaimed producer, singer and video artist working with some of the biggest players in house and techno. part of his constant drive to evolve and challenge himself, this autumn abrahams launches new project ranger, teaming up with london label waella s choice for the debut release. the five tracks on portable presents ranger are a delicate mélange of jazz , soul and electronic and one of abraham s most explicit nods to his south african roots. on the a-side, the ep makes a steady start with bazokonwaba accompanied by a lullaby from south african a capella group korus, hailing from the small township of mbekweni in the western cape. they also feature heavily on the ep s most exuberant moment in nomaliso - already a favourite in esa s recent boiler room - and the more languid b-side opener indaba with a choir of cowbells all harmonizing in unison. reset and vessel provide a self-reflective conclusion to the ep, holding their own as instrumentals with cameroonian bass player stan on bass and parisian saxophonist chisneg lending a hand on the latter. early support from tama sumo, lakuti, gilles peterson, rinse fm, esa, stamp the wax, dimensions recordings

it s been a while since marcello giordani last release. now the man who powerfully relaunch the italo sound in 2008 with the acclaimed blog italo deviance is back on the scene after 2 years of hard work and research into the deepest and obscure italo sound. this 6 tracks lp travel through again into the unique sound of the early 80 s italo disco built with spacey analog sounds, some cheesy atmospheres and a touch of primitive trance chords. marcello s taste is very clear and specific when we speak about electronic disco and this lp is totally inspired by artists like farina/rago, sangy, alexander robotnick, alessandro novaga, doris norton and also from his experience collecting and playing this shit during the last 20 years.
if you want to give a name to the style of this lp, call it -organic italo-.

the numero groups dive into the deep end of americas private press continues. having battled the witches and wizards of darkscorch, the outlaws of cosmic americana, and traveled alongside ladies from the canyon and their lonesome heroes, its time to take it easy. with pop musics volume knob adjusted for deflation in the early 70s, softness begat smoothness. crewmen arrived from the worlds of jazz, folk, rock, and soul, all peddling a product that was sincere, leisurely, and lofty. a sound that was buoyant, crisp, defined. sometimes classified as west coast and, later, yacht rock the compass points of our private yacht expedition are the blue-eyed harmonies of hall and oates, the cocaine-dusted fender rhodes of michael mcdonald, and the combover strums of james taylor. here, at the glassy apex of rocks softer side, 20 strong swimmers are gathered together. an album for both relaxation and reflection, where listeners can enjoy the present, a cool breeze, and a taste of the good life.

aux88 bass magnetic re-issue 1993-2018. back by popular demand, the same unique spirits that brought forth the sound of detroit streets and turned it into the futuristic soundscape known as techno-bass , the original members have collaborated to re-issue their catalog 25+ years later. starting with their 1st double pack lp, bass magnetic (considered to be a mesh of influences between miami bass and detroit techno), aux88 established themselves in an effort to stay true to their roots in the streets and the clubs creating their own genre into a global dance culture. after the release and production of their own documentary ( aux88-portrait of an electronic band ), the group celebrates its now classic recordings. harkening back to its first days on cassette tape to revive a future generation of vinyl aficionados. aux88 s bass magnetic = classic detroit electro.

special edition , with poster
the ambientist hurled oneself into adventures with his own 90 s interpretation of ambient, leftfield, breakbeat and uk electronica.
for fans of traumprinz or rising sun

beautiful melodic driving techno by hiver. especially the title track stands out with a killer remix from jp enfant that adds some bottom weight and masculanity to the original! the italian pair of giuseppe albrizio and sergio caio recently released on belgium s curle label, and this ep confirms their talent. three original tracks ranging from driving techno to electro-tinged broken beat territory, with watery sound design, liquid keys and icy hi hats getting you into a trance. nice!!

the dark knight of eerily appealing techno - headless horseman - is back with a vengeance. this time, he has chosen to recruit the elektron octatrack, analog rytm, overbridge and machinedrum uw in order to pursue his modern-day arcane craft. his three tracks on this, the latest elektron grammofon release, will have you dancing headless into the heady future.

following the success of our recent reissues of classic tracks from the vaults team-jalapeno decided to start 2018 strong with another 7inch release of two certified bangers from our very own breaks legends skeewiff. our dear label co-founders and creative minds whose four skeewiff albums set the agenda for the jalapeno funk machine that you know and love alex rizzo and elliot ireland have never been found wanting. these guys are the godfathers of the lounge and breaks scenes, they put the fun into funk, and if rumours are to be believed they could mix before they could walk! from the very first opening horns salvo on mexican flyer you know this track means business. a driving bassline and in-your-face drums provide the backdrop for all sorts of sonic madness with dj cuts, horn solos and breaks galore. it s a bona-fide fiesta that fits neatly in your 45s bag. with this little number in the arsenal the only worry that the djs will have is the stampede to the dancefloor. over on the flipside delta dawn sees the guys get a little help from a famously little lady with one of the most recognisable voices in country music. but make no mistake this is no barn dance… breaks, bass and a healthy dose of hammond wizardry inject the funk into proceedings to complete this 7inch club weapon of mass destruction. it s a double act that s up there with the best of them and a must have for fans of jalapeno and high quality party music

before his debut studio full-length, dubbyman racked up a remarkable discography of dance singles and remixes. he has been away for a little while, but his new 10-tracker album is the perfect tool for him to make his anticipated return. -deep is dead- is a fascinating mix of organic and synthetic, past and present, smoothness and eclectic, darkness and brightness. the spanish producer has veered away from those dub-heavy and dark atmospheric deep stylings, and instead has ventured into much classic house and musically territory. almost all songs are soaked in warm chords, dreamy leads and gripping melodies. dubbyman also offers an immense and stunning roster of credits and guest musicians such as kuniyuki takahashi, leo gunn and george btp aka allstarr motomusic, just to mention a few.

the impossibility was inspired by the destruction of the planet earth by the human race, the early works of jg ballard, tarkovsky s stalker, conspiracy theories, and places where the rules of time and space are brought into question.

after the success of his recent comeback ep entitled exiles ep, the icelandic artist cold shows us that he is here to stay and ready to make his mark in the international techno scene. dub safari offers us intricate soundscapes and otherwordly chords which are impeccably assembled into five minimal techno masterpieces. a side starts with a dreamy voyage where ethereal pads seamingly blend with punctuating kick and a acid bassline. second cut gives us a darker experience. a pulsating groove where chords and percussions offer an interesting sonic playfulness. b-side offers three minimalistic techno tracks ready for both the dancefloor as well as for dancefloor within your mind. thule records is considered by many to be a pioneers in the field of dub-influenced techno music and was a starting point for many of iceland s most renowned electronic musicians

master of minimal wave sonics alessandro parisi has spread his full-bodied synth wares around such esteemed labels as slow motion, charlois, giallo disco, lux rec and more besides, and now he slides up to vivod with an ep of noirish fantasies you ll be hard pushed to resist. -crossfire- is the more uptempo cut, but -ravens- paints a more vivid picture of retro-fetishistic club music in dangerous places. -praying sages- goes all out on the soundtrack vibe, but not before it s been remixed by mick wills, who casually threads a driving techno undercarriage into the track to create a strangely transcendental slab of cathedral-ready body music.

bliq continues its quest to mine the deepest shades of techno with this release from iakovos, who had previously appeared on the label as lowjac and in the formidable duo deemonlover. this is sharply focused mind music layered with subtle detail and rich textures perfectly honed for hazy hours at the far reaches of the party. -singers- melds hypnotic pads with gossamer-light threads of breakbeat and warm synth pulses, while -evil flower- pushes a tougher rhythmic agenda without losing the ethereal atmosphere. -adidas people- rides on a surging kick drum pattern, but leaves ample room for a distant drone, and then -hackney tower- heads into edgier territory with all manner of obtuse angles and unnerving sound effects pivoting around the insistent drum core of the track.

repress - keeping up the urgent pace set by the strength in numbers collection, thema now turns to a modern master of the jakbeat, d’marc cantu. hailing from ann arbor on the fringes of detroit, cantu has worked for more than a decade developing a sound that carries the torch from the box jam originators of techno and house music. his first appearances were alongside the mighty tadd mullinix (better known as james t. cotton) with their 2 am/fm project, before bringing traxx into the fold for the x2 venture. as a solo artist cantu has shored up on labels as highly regarded as crème organization, m>o>s, nation and desire, bringing a rich, full-bodied sound laden with powerful synth hooks, crafty drum programming and a live, jammed-out delivery that overflows with imagination. given his adventurous tendencies and punchy midwestern finish, cantu is a perfect fit on thema and the six tracks that make up this record show a great deal of the diversity the man is capable of, from dancefloor burners to atmospheric introspections

this is the second release from athens isigude records and features 2 fresh, respectful mixes of the track “bar reckless”. the lyrics recall a dialogue between her and a monk whom she met at the bar and asked “what are you doing here old man? this is no place for a saint to be”. on remixing duties we have rising greek producer zaq who takes the greek folk epirotic rhythm deep into a truly aegean balearic beat on the a-side while on the flip side he brings some dubby acidic beats.

louie vega re-ignites the disco classic “dance (disco heat)” by sylvester grammy awarding winning producer & 5 time grammy nominated louie vega continues to send dance floors into a peak hour frenzy with his remixes of disco classics on nervous records. the inspiration to delve into masters from this era began when he started remixing masters from the sam records catalogue, which is owned by nervous records, and with whom louie has a long history going back to nervous early 90’s origins. louie is that unique producer who has had success in multiple genres of music including house, r&b, & freestyle and he has brought that talent to help re-ignite new york disco classics like vicky d’s -this beat is mine- and convertion’s -let’s do it- featuring leroy burgess, as well as charting topping disco hits from john davis & the monster orchestra -bourgie bourgie- & -up jumped the devil-. this time, louie put his focus on a track outside of the sam records catalogue, and one that was an international disco hit that also crossed over to becoming a 1978 pop hit, namely sylvester / dance (disco heat). using elements from the 1978 version and combining them with his own original musical and percussion contributions, along with new vocal performances from renowned singer cindy mizelle, louie has refashioned and reignited this 39 year-old production into a 2018 club anthem.

as ever, the next project on opilec music is one with a rich back story this time paying homage to a very specific disco scene of the early 80s: it finds label boss i-robots turning out one of his brilliant reconstructions, namely of a classic and cult track by one hit wonders ahzz. this track was first released on land of hits, a label run by peter brown (who also wrote -material girl- for madonna) and michael campbell and has now been officially licensed for this reissue by opilec music. the track, new york s movin was huge on the new york disco scene and was played by the likes of david mancuso at the loft, larry levan at the paradise garage and by nicky siano at studio 54, but continued to be a big hit with modern new york tastemakers kenny dope, dj spinna, danny krivit and his body & soul party crew well into the 90s, as well as with stars like motor city drum ensemble and bulljun. i-robots is a notorious producer and record collector with a vast understanding of the history of house and disco and his version combines an original vocal and instrumental version into something really magical. new york s movin (i-robots reconstruction take i) is a jangling, organic and lose limbed disco number with a funky drum line, soul in its bones and plenty of lovably rough percussion, clicks and drums. a retro and impassioned vocal line adds flair to the track at the midpoint just before that groove kicks once more. this version is featured on the new i-robots - reconstructions 2007-2017 10th year anniversary release. new york s movin (i-robots reconstruction take ii) is then just as emotive and outgoing but after the break has more of a focus on funk. this is a huge party starting track filled with feel good vibes and once again proves opilec music work on only the most special projects.