the second part of vuosi. shuffless gives us again two timeless pieces of their highly appreciated diversity. another trip into the deeper cosmos of northern electronic.

in liquid sky and reak, nautiluss puts his skillful use of percussive elements into action, completed by playful synth lines and thus creating heavy bass vibes which won’t let you keep your feet still. however, there’s no such thing as a comfort-zone for him! inky, surely the hidden gem on this ep, shows a different side of his production skills: starting like a 4/4 warehouse banger, it gets a full on twist a&#768,,,, la nautiluss. an energetic ending to his first release on seilscheibenpfeiler...

reinier zonneveld s filth on acid label comes ready with a first ever album only 18 months after launching. in that time it has released music from big names like carl cox, gabriel ananda, bart skils, pig&dan, emmanuel top, coyu and many more, and this standout full length comes from mees salomé. it explores melodic and immersive techno, is entitled big thoughts like elephants and has 12 tracks that really journey into many different moods and grooves and the whole thing plays out with a real sense of musicianship that leaves an indelible mark.

vast, expansive and introspective works utilising place-specific found sound on this second cremation lily lp for alter. contemplating mortality, illness and the perennial bleakness of british winter in a seaside town we find zen zsigo experimenting with piano, violin, synthesiser and walkman tape players. layering field recordings of the hastings shoreline atop druggy, stretched out 303 basslines and snippets of spoken word there seems to be an overarching thematic of memory and reflection at play. from vignettes of crumbling glass and bittersweet drones through to sprawling, semi-rhythmical pieces (‘as a sea creature...’) it seems as if zsigo is trawling the coast for fragments of its former glory. the end result of his study manages to echo the work of yoran, leyland kirby and even jacob kirkegaard yet the rare moments where he lays bare his own vocal narrative seemingly transforms in england now, underwater into sonic diary territory. mixing salt-water soaked cassette loops with haunting, minimalist piano motifs and warped recordings of crashing waves and bird noise an intense atmosphere of ballards drowned world is evoked through sound.

straight out montpellier france, comes this double vinyl feast of deep, organic electronic sound. becoming is james s. taylor (swayzak uk) and cedrick eymenier (fr). this is their debut release exploring their interest in long tracks that change almost imperceptibly - subtle earworms for domestic and public enjoyment. slacker house is thus defined by this anglo french duo.

vinyl only! international man of mystery todh teri is back on his mission of sneaking in acid tinged bollywood cuts at clubs & festivals globally (by sneaking into the record bags of unsuspecting djs & selectors worldwide). with volume 4 of deep in india, he presents 4 new flavours with which he further cements these intentions. first up, a big slice of caribbean sunshine thats straight out of the silver screen, which guarantees to energise dance floors of all sizes. next up - an updated classic disco anthem, for the spanish hustlin / bell bottom peddlin disco freak inside of you. followed by oodles of dance floor intrigue & mystery, with a rolling acid stomper thats best suited for dark warehouses & basements. and finally, a slow burning slice of acid funk, chugging away on a bed of layered 303 basslines & suspense. with 4 new edits of various contrasts, deep in india volume 4 aims to be ‘that freaky record in your record bag this season.

francis harris exceptional run of releases for his own labels scissors & thread and kingdoms now extends to this perfectly formed ep for hafendisko, which sees him rework some of hfn musics finest moments of the last two years. harris, the brooklynite whose feel for subtlety and space seems to infuse all his work, takes on three of the hamburg labels cannon - kicked off with kasper bjorkes cloud 9, featuring urdur. here harris deconstructs the original and reforms it into a some quite removed from its origins - shuffling drum machines bring about a kraftwerkesque feel, before beautiful tones and atmospheres reveal themselves. the track seems to develop along two paths simultaneously, somehow creating a truly affecting piece of leftfield electronica. null + voids huge dave gahan-featuring-track where i wait has been heavily remixed over the past months, but also gets the harris treatment. completely flipped form the original, this is a haunting remix with tough and funky underbelly, utilizing gahans vocals only sparingly. danish alt-pop trio ticktock have their single hatefuck refixed also, and harris zones in on the glitchy vibe and adds layers of claustrophobic depth to the production.

look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. oasis is a distillation of moments in nature translated into techno. label boss emmanuel delivers a full-length 4 cut ep that explores the nature of field recordings manipulated into the sonic language.

hailing from italy, different ways is the new label run by atimpuri. the first release is signed by one of the most influent duos of the italian dance scene, tengrams. “fractured textures” is a mini album composed of 6 tracks which are an excursion of tengrams talent when it comes to electronic music. once again, the duo managed to express their art combining tracks of different styles into a unique journey. a not to be missed record for your collection!

the masterful trio of timo mass, basti grub and eric volta showcase their combined musical muscle on the latest release forthcoming on supreme berlin imprint, mobilee. with an impressive remix package featuring rodriguez jr. and tiefschwarz. over two years in the making, ‚we were riding high‘ is a lucid after-hours track with an uplifting and catchy vocal hook that unfolds and develops fluidly. the alternative edit utilises dark synths and drums, retaining the positivity that make this track perfect for the last summer month. this record is the result of eric volta making the demo at an after-party at his studio. he then showed this to timo mass who in turn showed it to basti grub who loved the track so much, they were inspired to develop it. two time grammy nominated timo maas has an extensive musical background, spanning over thirty years. he’s worked with some of the world’s biggest stars including madonna, depeche mode and fatboy slim. basti grub heads up his own label, höhenregler, and is known for his exotic, african-influenced productions. he’s released on some premium labels including cocoon, get physical, desolate and cr2. born in london but very well traveled, eric volta shot into the spotlight with love your illusion and since releases on dirtybird, visionquest, four:twenty recordings among others.

back with another pair of his heavy-hitting hardspace mixes, len faki hands two mighty club-weapons. aimed at no less than unleashing havoc on the floor is the edit of frantic drum-roll-fest lazer beam. already quite a force to be reckoned with, faki manages to beef-up the mix even more, adding rumbling bass-weight and injecting some extra steam to make it roll out until the end. on the flip side there‘s the hypnotic groove of space taxi. captivating and enveloping, this mix alters the original signature bass in order to shift gears into what feals like full forward there‘s no escaping this one! as with all releases of lf rmx, the proceeds of this record will be forwarded to the berlin organization straßenkinder e.v. to be used in actions against child poverty.

for its third release interstate records welcomes dold. throughout releases on polegroup, mindtrip or his very own imprint arsenik, the swedish producer has shaped a distinctive sound - raw, minimalistic yet warm and energetic. for ins003 he delivers two tracks. while the title track, “version”, demonstrates dold’s darker side, “rise and fall” bears a more hopeful tone. although the vibes are different, both tracks are driven by the same raw 909 - infused drums that have made dold one of the hottest swedish talents in the first place. as in previous releases, the two originals are accompanied by two remixes on the b-side. the first one comes from virgo and soma records protege slv. while focusing on the synth of the title track, smacking percussions and dark tribal sounds add a more punchy and energetic vibe to the original. klockworks affiliate newa, however, laid eyes on the pads and strings. through carrying “version” into slightly more playful and spheric worlds the georgian delivers an ideal closing to this records.

first time on vinyl reissue (previously cd only) of mark van hoens 1998 masterpiece presented on a deluxe 2lp. playing with time perfectly showcases the lush and deep environments that can only arise from van hoen (locust, scala, seefeel). melody maker called it a mesh of loveliness. the sunday telegraph described it as the perfect, spacey chill-out album, and the sunday times had this to say: a sound that at its best has a positively spiritual quality about it. other accolades include sleazenation - at the cutting edge computer music a melange of jerky, cut-up sounds, stretched out ambience... that owes more to far-eastern music than to steve reich. and lastly, hifi world felt the sound scape is so deep and diverse that its accessible to anybody into laidback beats and soothing, beautiful noise. contains a side long bonus track best described as a modal eno-style classical ambient piece that was originally intended as a hidden track at the end of the original 1999 cd release.

monsieur-du-jour, chevals, graces us with his presence for an ep of exquisitely produced edits. la bouteille opens things up with a rhythmic workout combined with filtered melodies that erupt into a summery piano driven jam. under your command then comes in with the classic golden era disco feel, tied together with a shuffling beat. flip it over and fairy tales takes you into 80s boogie territory with those squelchy synths & irresistible vocals. closing out the ep chevals brings out the peak time, slap bass, disco stomper in croisades, complete with sultry sax licks, sure to do damage to any dancefloor its set before.

next up on nang it is time for a slice of spot-on male vocal house and disco. liverpool based thomas lang made some fine albums in the 80s and 90s with john murphy (who went on to carve a highly successful career in movie tracks) and david hughes. somewhere in between that and a string of recent albums (“torch songs” and “the german alphabet”) he also managed to buy one of the finest recording studios in north west england, parr street studios (the “abbey road of the north”). we are pleased here at nang to see a new avenue turned in tom’s life, his first foray into the dance world. “scared” was written with late liverpool songwriter john uriel quite some time ago. it first emerged as a b-side to tom’s comeback single “august day” in 2011. here at nang we always loved the smooth and sophisticated vocal and melody. when tom suggested some remixes we were on board.

anyone who has followed the dj sets of adam beyer or dutch ally bart skils, would be familiar with the stirring vocal and thundering impact of your mind . while the track begun as a tool, the reactions when tested out were so momentous they decided to turn it into a full track. together they teamed up to add more percussion, snares and a rolling acid line to complete its transformation. the result? one of 2018 s most powerful techno weapons highlighting time warp, awakenings and ultra music festival, to name just a few.

(clear 10 inch vinyl) the second release to be pressed into totems slabs of 10-inch vinyl is from techno impresario luke slaters l.b. dub corp moniker. slater has been operating as a pioneer, with a full deck of aliases, throughout the genres many corners since the days when techno was a newborn phenomenon. the stripped back sounds of l.b. dub corps last releases on the imprint have resounded naturally within the psychotropic space carved out by stroboscopic artefacts.

topia records uncovers the work of alex kassian the kyoto born berlin based producer and dj whose work as opal sunn and al kassian has been turning heads and shifting feet in recent times. over the last decade kassian hosted word of mouth dances in london and berlin where he gained a reputation as one of europe s most promising artists. kassian s recent output has been primarily composing scores for contemporary dance and theatre in berlin, an approach he brings here to this 6 track ep hidden tropics . kassian inspired by other utopia records artists such as lars bartkuhn and vangelis katsoulis delves deeper into his compositional scope for a sound that joins the dots between ambient, world music to spiritual house in parts inspired by his homeland of japan as heard on bells of ukyo and the 80 s sakamoto-esque olson waters . the title track is a breakthrough in contemporary house music, sure to be picked up on by the tastemakers from new york to johannesburg to berlin to amsterdam to tokyo and beyond. cover image of tsuwaono sagimai by makoto furukawa, shimane, japan.

another very special ep on al zanders a to z label teaming up this time with vocalist sheyi, for a one-off foray into broken beat territory. the story of its inspiration begins with a trip to notting hill record & tape exchange... after asking for some broken beat, the assistant ventured a withering opinion that -won t be monotonous enough, try the house music section instead- turns out it was phil asher of co-op fame - who, after establishing a genuine desire for said genre - sold al a bunch of west london music which became the influence for this ep. allowing sheyi to shine over a bare bones, syncopated rhythm track on the title cut and an equally stripped down satisfy al amps up the groove, with the g.i.t dub, which was made for ig culture s radio show. limited run on these - don t snooze !

brazilian boogie merchants barefoot beats treat us to two very distinctive but equally refreshing flavours on yet another highly collectable 10 inch record. first up they welcome nyc dj & music collector jacques renault on board to exchange the loft for the beach bar as he drops a heavy slice of funk inspired boogie bliss that s perfect for the beach party. on the flip, selvagem s trepanado transforms the party sound by dipping into a more synth driven and edgy 80s influenced brazilian warehouse party vibe that builds to a break so tropical you can actually feel the sunrise coming. tudo bem! vamos!

the secret gem of space disco vibes, ichisan will be releasing his new ep via kanto records. first track of the ep, megla (the fog) is some sort of an instrument showcase by the slovenian producer, who used his analog synthesizers deftly to accompany the funk-house strumming of his bass and electric guitars, both played by the artist himself. veter (the wind) is a five-minute-long journey into the depths of unique and captivating musical mind of ichisan, daring to be simple yet invoking majestic feelings. third and fourth track of the ep, planica and yassa are more dancefloor oriented tunes that beam with positivity and energy, both have the potential to become anthems of the summer and beyond. arranged, recorder and mixed in ichisans own studio in ljubljana, the ep megla is brimmed with phenomenal beats that would not disappoint even the pickiest ears.

italian producer morkebla presents his new “inner maze walkthrough” ep on fuselab. drippy rhythms, haunted industrial touch, subtly discomforting though balanced textures - a good blend of ambient electronica and nowadays meta divings into one’s mind corners. there is also a collaboration with infinity frequencies and a remix by perfume advert on a 12” with printed cover by theresa baumgartner.

inspired by the wild world of competitive pen spinning, vancouver producer big zen unleashes his breakout ep key3, the second release on planet euphorique. named after a prolific spinner who introduced a rare move the tipped sonic , the record brings 360degree four-to-the-floor revolutionary realness. with shimmering, elated melodic highs sending you into a lucid trance, the chunky bumping basslines demand your feet back to the dance floor. four big tracks for the ravers and pen spinners alike, key3 is the gateway to cloud 9.

restive plaggona debuts in snts’ label sacred court with a six-track ep.

for russian electronic music, mikhail chekalin is not only a major character, who has affected the scene’s establishment and development, but also a kind of symbolic figure. his music has been praised by many in the west - from journalists and critics of all kinds to frank zappa and karlheinz stockhausen, while in moscow chekalin’s name was excluded from the official cultural agenda for a long time: he was accused of propaganda of foreign pro-western aesthetics and up until the end of the 80’s wasn’t allowed to release his works or travel abroad. this, however, didn’t interfere with him recording dozens of innovative electronic compositions and contributing greatly to the development of unofficial soviet art in general - for example, providing sound design for the famous exhibitions of twenty moscow artists on malaya gruzinskaya or arranging the first audiovisual performances on a specially constructed light organ.
however, just like all great artists, mikhail himself prefers to focus not on personal achievements, but on creativity. i don’t have a biography - only a discography - this quote of the author may become an entry point of sorts into the compilation presented. this archival collection of works recorded within the period from 1978 to 1987 are chekalin’s multigenre experiments ranging from spatial music (in essence, ambient’s precursor) to more contemporary synthesizer and post-symphonic compositions.

hand-numbered clear mint vinyl lp in spray-painted sleeve. limited to 200 copies (comes in different coloured sleeve, we cannot guarantee which one you will receive). a lucid, dynamic, atmospheric trip through consciousness, incorporating an incredible range of texture, tone, and three-dimensional space. this is a glimpse into the most emotive, most personal of dead fader s extensive work. there are delicate moments of introspection, furtive agitation, and exuberance, all tightly interwoven into a singular, enthralling whole.

arcane patterns is a vinyl & digital label that encompasses kinetic body music by translating sacred codes, mathematical polyrhythms and dooming moods, catering to both the club and the home listener. shaped by the emancipatory energies of the hardcore/punk scene in their youth, berlin & mainz-based duo aphtc (aka kl.ne & cr&#926,,sc) now immerse themselves in the realms of bass-heavy club music, sonic fiction and syncopated hyperstition. limited to 300 copies with unique artwork which quotes the late great mark fisher, this 12- meticulously executes the modern-day uk techno/bass sound design with clean tensity and dread. don t sleep. the 12inch &#8243,,when grounds shift&#8246,, by the duo aphtc is a visceral trip into a sonic fiction, in which everything is out of balance. rhythms take over your sensory system in order to resonate in a new way and your muscles are tricked by spontaneous desires. while the intricate breakbeat on &#8243,,when grounds are shifting (the otolith is obsolete)&#8246,, create a dialogue with the genderless vocals samples, counterpointed by sudden strikes of visceral subbass, the jungle inspired b side &#8243,,gravity s pitfalls&#8246,, starts with clusters of atonal clouds peaking in a trembling bass drop followed by polymetric drum patterns that sketch spaces of radical autonomy. inspired by the intriguing aesthetics of the hardcore continuum and the sonic language of noise and bassmusic, this idiosyncratic record takes a great step forward to shape a colourful future.

autarkic makes up part of an unspoken alliance from telaviv, which is currently altering the state of contemporary house and techno music. heavy dreamer, the artists first, four track outing on life and death, showcases much of what this bold movement is about, all while pushing it forward into progress. ever present tones of kraut and punk rock flow throughout the ep, beginning with some things to keep, a pumping, warehouse floor filler. autarkic steps up to the mic, often re-amping and distorting his vocal delivery, placing it alongside finely programmed keyboard riffs, tough drums and further psychedelia. realistic guru, the trippiest of the lot, is tailor made for an early morning dj tennis afterparty excursion. slowing down the pace on powerhouse, autarkic hints at moments of bauhaus and tones on tails doom and dance pop, while offering up a digital only, stripped down, bonus version. the title track stands as a testament to this new wave of artists, coming from the shores of israels mediterranean coastline. bass, drums and guitar are recorded through bespoke boxes and presented through the lens of modernist club culture.

a year from its inception, artesian sounds proudly presents ars002: a debut ep from emre can swim introducing his unique brand of dubby, atmospheric low-bpm house music.
envisioned as a visit to a distant island, the ep opens with ‘another shake’, greeting you as you come ashore with a warm and tranquil mood. with ‘golfclap’, you venture deeper into the mainland, the rainforest thickens and tribal dance ensues. flip the record and things wind back down with hazy after-hours groover ‘slide in deep’. finally, aleksandir makes it a family affair and joins the expedition with a remix, packed with juno melodies and and rhodes-tinged broken beats.

following the success of recent novamute releases by charlotte de witte and anna, nicolas has delivered a stellar techno ep. will appeal to fans of ricardo villalobos, len faki, ben sims, jay lumen, charlotte de witte, anna, chris liebing limited edition 12inch vinyl part 1 of a 2 ep series. bougaïeff returns to novamute with permutation djinn inspired by greg egans sci-fi novel permutation city. a follow up ep will be released later this year. following the success of recent novamute releases by charlotte de witte and anna, nicolas has delivered a stellar techno ep. bougaieffs interpretation on permutation djinn attempts to translate the stages of egans novel into music while respecting the constraints of making club friendly tracks. the opener woke up as a copy is an expansive track with blade runneresque metallic reverberations. panic time tryout is a peak time cut, fostering the futurist atmosphere with an unsettling melody. little djinn is the most frenetic of the tracks whilst no escape takes it back to peak time with resounding drums and drills.

vibronics and cross club prague team up to bring you a new project that celebrates women in reggae & dub. “woman on a mission” is a new release featuring 8 female vocalists on 8 brand new vibronics tracks. the album presents time-honoured vibronics associates, boney l (recording for the first time in 10 years), nia songbird, vanya o and saraléne , alongside first time collaborations with trilla jenna, nanci correia, nish wadada & sis i-leen. each track vocal track effortlessly glides into an extend dub mix that showcases the sonic skills that vibronics is known for. 10% of the profits of the album support the women’s charity womankind - transforming the lives of women & girls worldwide.

2018 repress , with the debut release selling out in a matter of days and a repress already flying off the shelves, rhythm section international present their second offering in the form of a remix ep, with reworks of al dobson jr. by polish rising stars ptaki and manchester mainstay ruf dug. eschewing the typical notions of a remix package, rhythm section international offers up 2 new tracks that didn’t appear on rye lane volume one, accompanied by 2 strikingly imaginative remixes. on the a side the polish duo of jaromir kami&#324,ski & bartosz kruczynski take al dobson jr’s tribal tom-tom rhythm and extend it into a sprawling disco epic, adding catchy keys and sensuous vocals that aim to tease the most reluctant of movers onto the dance-floor. ruf dug’s rework, named “ ruffy’s 3am canavan’s special” takes inspiration from one of many hazy late night sessions at the infamous peckham pool hall that is home to rhythm section. ruf dug, a rhythm section favourite and huge admirer of dobson’s beats, takes the gentle guitar strokes of the original and morphs them into metallic stabs, layered over an aggressive squelchy bass sound and sharp phasing hi-hats. this mantra is built upon in an effortless style typical of the mancunian producer and is as catchy as it is hypnotic.

mark kavuma’s debut album.

max essa - lanterns is a brand-new artist album from the japanese based producer & dj and his first release on copenhagens music for dreams label. tranquility, alone in a taxi riding through empty streets, neon fades into sunrise. a refuge from the disorientating energy of the night. the sleeper train to izumo. an okinawan beach at dusk.

gaunt re-emerges after his fantastic mmrh ep on beneath’s mistry imprint, with four tracks of stark, layered audio exploring areas of leftfield techno and club music, as well as pushing out into more abstract and experimental forms.

jickow releases his lead and debut single -pig tails- on the well known resopal label. the belgium based producer has been at the heart of the minimal techno movement and is also a revered producer and performer who creates amazing sounds. the original is a funky athmospheric track with wriggling synths executed in jickows darker, more stripped back and abstract edges of the dancefloor. add into the package are two outstanding remixes by matt sassari and timid boy. all in all an essential release for 2018.

the rising london based label is quickly defining his own and unique sound laying down the law with another live jam recorded 4 tracks release by his own boss dothedu. following the success of the first release, senseverse records has came back with lost acids ep, a rough lost minded trip with an unusual sense of refinement. the producer lets the trip s curtain rise with lost acids which takes us to a gloomy hidden place on the edge of the house and techno roots with a banging 909 and crescendo 303 which dives smoothly into the background own producer s voice, colombine acids explores the happier stage of the trip and keeps the sound on the thin line in between the 2 genres with his fat kick and the flying and clashing crashes. the b1 throws us right back deep into the dark with a slowed down and mentally twisted remix by the very well known producer florian kupfer. finally early acids rings down the curtain s trip with some fine classic house music sonorities that lead us to a dreamy and dancy closing.

26 minutes of divine techno. midnight cults, the eagerly awaited sequel to last years cyanure dance features two epic new tracks from i hate models with vocal contributions from zanias and a sleek wave remix from dj varsovie. on the solar side the odyssey begins. it will last forever discharges a barrage of devastating, tensile beats over a swell of ethereal synths recalling the sirens - muses of the underworld, luring sailors to their deaths in a flurry of aggravated arpeggios. on the lunar side walpurgis night opens with a pristine, glacial sonic field, punctuated by the ricochet of beaten metal and drenched in the supernal, disembodied voice of zanias, echoing across vast fissures, pummelling through deep ravines and back out into space. dj varsovie completes the journey with his sensual take on walpurgis night, tempering the original with an insistent pitch black funk and somnambulant new wave vocals.

under cover for many years, this affie yusuf two tracker finally sees the light of day on the acclaimed mindyourhead imprint. comes on a generally deep green, mixed colour marbled 12’’ vinyl. affie yusuf paved the way uk acid house scene and so much more, releasing techno and acid throughout his career. mindyourhead records recognises that sometimes you need to look a little bit into the past to move ahead and has re-launched the label with this vinyl only release. ‘parrot soup’ is a fine example of just how a track title can have absolutely no relevance to the music whatsoever. this is a lovingly constructed example of how to convey images with sound, this music renders images brimming with joy and loss, icy cold chills and the warmth of the first rays of sun on a spring morning. tight, punchy drums with crisp 808 snares and driving toms lovingly complimented with dream-like pad sequences, soul searching strings and lush bassline form a quality crossover track that will appeal to lovers of many styles of techno and house. ‘something special’ is on a different tip, more driving and direct in style with the ‘everybody…’/ ‘something special’ vocal samples put to great use (need to be heard in context!) and that essential marching ‘affie acid’ bassline. the lead follows a similar pattern to the acid but pulls your head in a slightly different direction leaving the listener suitably twisted!! this proper ‘party acid’ has just the right level of balls to destroy a dancefloor without scaring off the faint of heart. lovely work affie!!

lab personnel is a very intriguing collaboration between a number of producers hailing from croatia. members include zarkoff (member of sumerian fleet), neon lies, ikonal many more (total eight members). the tracks were recorded during synth lab 4 improvisational sessions in pisak in 2017. the album is a dense and stormy affair overall with mesmerizing and dark synths. the styles presented drift between genres including acid techno, electro, ebm, and other hybrids. all instrumental, the lp is a brooding journey into diverse techno soundscapes with eight strong tracks that will not disappoint.

a vinyl album containing the dozen solo tracks mary recorded for modern in the 60s and two gospel-soul essentials from the 80s.

breach is back with his second release of the year on his new imprint nkdltd. on nkdltd002 breach delivers a two tracker entitled ‘turtle dance which continues where he left off in quality but stylistically stepping into warmer tones for the summer months. nkdltd001 saw the first release from the amsterdam based producer in three years and with it a return to breachs roots. deep, dark & moody tracks which went on to resonate with a broad selection of artists including benji b who went on to play it numerous times on his seminal bbc radio 1 show.

apollo is proud to welcome paul frick to the fold. frick is a berlin-born music composer primarily known as one part of the group brandt brauer frick. stunningly despite a 20+ year history of making music “second yard botanicals” is his debut album. with bbf keeping frick inspired and busy since 2009, other ideas had piled up until a temporary break allowed him to fully dive into them - “while it took so long until i made my first album, it took about two months once i started.”

fresh from touring with hugh masekela (the boys doin it), gboyega adelaja goes into the lab to drop heavy keyboard science on his moog and fender rhodes. its joe sample meets the afro funk of blo. with names like jake sollo on guitars, mike odumusu (blo, osibisa) on bass guitar and gasper lawal on percussion. this is a top quality, afro-funk, all-stars affair that shines from the inspired interventions, masterly arrangements to the sublime production.

verdant recordings continues its quest to provide a space for lesser-known artists exploring the deepest pockets of electronic music, not least around the 4/4 axis. next up on the label is the first public appearance from interjection, a london-based artist who has been cooking up an immersive sound for some time. her blissful solitude is a smoky deep house cut that drifts through heavy clouds of pads, while common places drops some brittle electro rhythms into the mix without lifting the veil of ambience. radiating soul has an equally intricate set of rhythms at work, with extra notes of 303 sprinkled over the top, and her nocturnal note finishes the ep off with a shimmering trip out to complement the a1.

conforce returns under his silent harbour guise this august with the ‘noctiluca’ mini lp, a six track collection set for release via copenhagen’s echocord. dutch producer boris bunnik has been releasing material under various guises over the past two decades such as conforce, versalife, hexagon, vernon felicity and of course silent harbour which he revisits here following 2015’s ‘hinterland’ on deep sound channel and the self-tilted inauguration of the project in 2012 on echocord. the beatless drones of ‘riparian’ open the package, perfectly setting the tone with murky bell like chimes, rumbling subs and splashes of white noise before title-track ‘noctiluca’ picks up the pace, tipping the focus over to bubbling dub echoes, glitched out, minute percussion and a sturdy muted kick to keep things driving. ‘dwelling’ is up next, featuring expansive, washed out synth textures, cavernous bass tones and modulating percussion throughout. leading on the b-side of the release is ‘peridinum’, employing classic dub techno tropes with an amalgamation of choppy stab sequences dynamically evolving over off-beat hats and a thunderous kick. ‘fusiformis’ strips things rhythmically whilst keeping the bubbling delays and expansive reverbs at it’s core before closing track ‘pelagia’ brings bright, resonant synth lines, delayed percussive hits and tension building synth bass into the limelight.

echocord’s echo echo sub-label continues with its third releases this august, courtesy of german producer and credo founder alex bau with his ‘zenstory’ ep. germany’s alex bau has been a prominent name on the underground dj circuit on his home turf, and further afield, for three decaces as well as racking up an impressive back catalogue as a recording artists for labels like cocoon, clr, sleaze and of course his very own credo label which has been a platform predominantly for his own material whilst welcoming the likes of kyle geiger, takkyu ishino and electric rescue onto the imprint also. here though we see bau joining the roster of echocord’s fledgling sub-label echo echo with a new four-track ep and taking the lead on the package is ‘clouds’ with pulsating low-end tones, hissing analogue noise and dusty drums samples all flowing in unison with ethereal chords and sweeping pads. ‘contour’ follows, tipping the focus over to bubbling delayed stab hits, fluttering sub bass and evolving white noise bursts throughout. the ‘prelude’ of ‘zenstory’ opens the flip side and as the name would suggest it’s a cinematic build up to the title-track featuring tension-building, expansive atmospherics ahead of the original mix which features a thumping muted kick, stuttering atmospheric echoes and spoken word vocal tucked into the depths of the record.

nathan micay (formerly bwana) steps out under his own name for the first time with a pair of glistening panoramas well-primed for those exultant hours of the early morning. the 12inch opens with first casualty, aka that track played by avalon in her printworks set last year, before heading into deeper territories with beginning ballads on the flip. in nathans words: these are without a doubt the most personal tracks i have written to date. i made them as a sort of exercise in self-therapy during my first few months in berlin. as time has gone on, more meanings have unfolded with each listen. for me, these tracks are a rebuttal to the endless churn of negativity in the news and online. they have become my battle cry in the club, something to mobilize while also offering a chance to escape it all, even briefly.

the fifth instalment of mike dunn’s ‘we r tuesday nights’ series finds the phreaky one digging deeper into the vaults to give you three more killer disco tracks, edited to perfection by the chicago master.