paramour is a freshly born french music label based between toulouse and berlin. its first release has been produced by various artists we like and we invited to play at our parties. on this record, you will find a talented melting pot of minimal, rhythmic, mental and trippy music. 300 copies // vinyl only

“den heliga Ån” (the sacred river) is the debut album of ambient wizard and techno connoisseur aos. the album is themed around the river helge Å that runs through the town of Åhus in the southern parts of sweden. the town in which aos grew up. the music reflects both a deep love of the river and the nature that surrounds it and has a melancholic feel of a time passed by.
on the course of this album aos invites us to take the journey on the river with him: from the sweeping electronic gestures of timelessness in tiden upphör vid mölleholmen, via the melodic pings that can be heard throughout graften, and the ritualistic electronics at play in jag eldar vass vid kavrö until the blissful mellowness of vår i biflödena – where spring has arrived, and both the river and the music are filled with a calm melancholy, yet joyful in its celebration of a winter that is ending.
this debut album collects six tracks of soft techno, ambient atmospheres and field recordings with a close attention to details, harmonics and electronics.

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

a uk techno powerhouse returns to bass culture for their 55th release, bringing the ruckus with four deadly cuts that combine killer beats with powerful bass and a high level of production, as you might expect from d julz s respected label. ben sims appears under his ron bacardi alias with a follow up to 2015 s debut release, rock your body/first effort . much like the first ep, sims new release is fired up and ready to deliver its potent energy to the dance floors of the world.on the a side we re met with windy city , which kicks things off in frenetic style, its slamming beats colliding with the layers of analogue to produce a rather chaotic start to proceedings. this is followed by ready for action a tough, bouncing cut featuring a delectable female vocal which really sets things off nicely.the flipside continues in a similar vein as one left in the chamber brings a smooth vibe, though with the emphasis still on the percussive side of things. sims flexes his production muscles across all four tracks here, injecting the music with his years of experience on the road and in the studio. the last track is a beats mix of ready for action , highlighting the focus on beats, beats and more beats, adding an extra touch to an already powerful track. this is music par excellence from an artist who is a consummate professional, enjoy!

cute swedish pop from 1984. a gothenburg secret. passed from music for dreams kenneth bager to cantomas phil mison to rogue cat sounds dean and ben. pop that rocks a cool, faux-reggae lilt with bluesman licks and harmonica hooks. cute like other sought after rogue cat favourites. terry crawford s gunfighter. or romie singh sdancing to forget. martin caine s snowbird city. its lyrics asupercalifragilisticexpialidocious-like nursery rhyme front, framing bad girl playground reminiscences.

really swing goes wider with a new 12- series, head honcho quiroga delivers three track dedicated to magician and eminence of misdirection dariel fitzkee and italian master composer alessandro alessandroni.

cup and balls the title track is an elegant disco cut blending latin bass, guitar and percussion, creating an emotional texture in its rhythm and serenity that became an astonishing future jazz tune with a leading bassline.

on the flip side ciao fischio an homage to maestro alessandroni drowning lush rhodes melodies over funky breaks and intricate bassline, while citta di mare is voyage through eighties atmosphere that became a soulful and sensous tune full of heavenly piano licks and warmth synth leads.

as the buzz surrounding her latest single you gotta be continues to spread, uk soul artist, soulful emma louise s.e.l celebrates with a vinyl release of this flanked by her new single. having recently featured on talkradios, badass women s hour with a wonderful accapella and interview, soulful emma louise s cover of des ree s wonderfully uplifting song you gotta be resonates with authentic old skool hip hop and 90s soul characteristics and is a must for vinyl lovers everywhere. making the vinyl release even more special is the flipside s beautiful new recreated version of dexter wansels classic the sweetest pain, s.e.l s forthcoming new single, which updates the expansive soulful musical message for todays dance floors. produced by quantize record s own gary hudgins, this s.e.l double header marks another milestone in s.e.l s on going journey with her first vinyl release. record store day is something really special and i m so excited to be part of it with the new release. its always an amazing day as you connect with fellow music lovers and friends as well as getting the chance to pick up some of the most collectable and distinguished vinyl releases s.e.l

another powerful double 12” from the current noir music catalogue. techno prime-timers as its best.

the uk based label will offer up several releases throughout 2018 and yama music 001 perfectly sets the tone of what’s to follow. taking the lead here is ‘margaret made me do it’ which lays down woozy synth tones and modulating glitches alongside a snaking sub bass groove, shuffled minimalistic percussion and an amalgamation of contemplative spoken word vocal cuts to create a tripped-out opening to the record. ‘ddderlooon party’ follows and retains a similar aesthetic with swinging drums and ethereal atmospherics at its core whilst hypnotic, billowing synths ebb and flow dynamically across the composition, again creating something raw yet refined. then lastly to round out the package ‘moon boots’ tips the focus over to a more straight percussive groove and stirs in vacillating low-end pulses, murky, evolving stabs and mind-bending electronic blips.

rhythm section intl continues its quest to unearth the rawest new talent with this stellar debut from glaswegian duo ‘string theory’. opening up with the majestic ‘dirty high’ we’re treated to a symphony of modular synthesis, swelling strings and the bounciest drums we’ve heard in a long time. rarely has house music been so fun yet so musical. live bass-tip toes over an ocean of synth stabs and piano chords to create an anthemnic track that’s sure to be the soundtrack to long summer nights and early mornings…. we don’t know where the rs crew keep finding these gems, but long may it continue. string theory tick so many boxes we just can’t wait to hear more...

second instalment by music mania reprise gives belgian 80s synth classic crocodile tears a new life. music mania is proud to present the next instalment in their reprise series. following the highly sought after classic elle et moi (mmr001), comes the blissful belgian synth pop anthem ‘crocodile tears’ (mmr002). the track was one of the first singles of kuruki, the minimal wave project spearheaded by ghent-based musician gerry d haeyer and alain bureau (sally joy). in an age of electronic sequenced experimentation, the band managed to find a distinctive sound that easily puts them between the likes of telex. the original ep such a liar was released in 1981 and clearly echoes the new wave of its time. the scenes described by vocalist sally joy as well as the melancholic keys of the main track crocodile tears breathe tristesse. nevertheless, it has a playful sound full of catchy synths. a dualism between such beauty and melancholy: this track was undeniably made in belgium in the eighties, but should also appeal to lovers of italo disco. be aware: for their second reprise music mania managed to include an exclusive instrumental version of this belgitude. even more synths for your listening pleasure.

these four edits are imbuing you with uplifting and lovely vibes but also a fragrant and sensuous melancholy. a looking back to old times and its optimistic, forward-tending spirit.

after a long hiatus, lux rec is ready with its next release. veil of light and sleep forever, both from zürich, share the two sides of lxrc32. music for broken, estranged, regretful times. shipwrecked and completely obliterated. this is the first part of a series of three, called unsung and defeated, which focuses on local musicians delving in the darkest possible corners of electronic music.

47015 is vsk s second solo ep on 47, after last year s debut 47011. it s the label s 7th solo release following headless horseman s 47014 earlier this year. the 12- vinyl and digital download drop on 20th april. multiverse wastes no time and states its intentions like a snarled warning of up-tempo complex drumming. the density and rush of first evidence continues the broken-beat dancefloor battery. eternal (chaotic) inflation visits the oceanic and half-time territories of dnb-paced jagged rhythm. and the final drive of occam s razor slows its drums to a stepping hallucination.

with el tunel / proceso, marc pinol and hugo capablanca aced their blend of industrial, acid, techno and new beat in an ep that remains one of the most celebrated moments in the hivern catalogue. now, the evasive duo return to set the bar even higher. four years might seem quite a lot of time, but for c.p.i. it was the necessary period to get rid of expectations and let space for something new to emerge. studio sessions in places like berlin, barcelona, and belgrade brought together an amalgam of voices, spontaneous liasons, mutations and surprising movements that finally crystallised in the four cuts that conform meine hand. masa y poder and sendero luminoso are two sides of the same coin. under all the layers, both ride exactly the same rhythm. two completely different paths that share a common starting point. one builds tension on the dancefloor. the other one tries to fool the threat in the mist. with its unrelenting acid bassline and lethargic vocals, meine hand feels like some kind of love from above, yet another unexplainable conclusion. ninos de belgrado are, in fact, the children of belgrade. high on drugs. an impending sense of doom. longing for wasted years or perhaps an external threat lurking, who knows. silkscrened cover letterpressed at lanacronica. design by arnau pi.

dj monchan from nyc drops 3 edits for stilove4music and its the bomb!

in late 2017, thomas gandey and danny mclewin - known from the popular disco-influenced electronic music collective psychemagik - emerged from their studio in bordeaux, france, claiming to have produced an extended musical arrangement, both entitled, and containing the sounds of, the shakuhachi. furthermore, they insisted, for the purposes of this production, and a further album of related arrangements to be released subsequently in conjunction with the successful german record label kompakt, they should be referred to henceforth as ghost vision. shortly thereafter, the audio recordings described by gandey and mclewin came into the possession of noted los angeles degenerate, dj and nymphomaniac citation needed dirty dave, who was quick to relay the hallucinatory qualities of the duo’s productions to fellow dj and trusted hallucinogenic expert paramida, of esteemed german musical imprint love on the rocks. paramida, recognising the innate quality of the sounds presented to her, decided that such recordings warranted immediate release through her audio distribution channel, and not without remixes. quite without thinking of the origins of the instrument which had given the recording its particular sonic distinguishment, and of course, its title, she enlisted the help of two musicians named alex - one from tokyo, and one from kyoto. both alex from tokyo - teaming up with his colleagues isao kumano & kenichi takagi as tokyo black star, known for their prior releases on popular german label innervisions - and his counterpart, alex from kyoto, better known as al kassian, rising tamagotchi on paramidas love on the rocks imprint, and his own label, planet sundae - turned in striking reinterpretations of gandey and mclewin’s composition.

vibraphone records continues to deepen its contemporary repertoire by inviting andrew soul into the fold with a vocal contribution from house music legend robert owens. slipping into darkness is a beautifully rendered deep house gem with expressive piano work, rubbery bass synth tones, but in some ways the minimalism of vincent floyd s remix gives owens vocals a chance to take centre stage. as you are is a crooked, broken beat exploration on the fringes of deep house, and owens voice sounds resplendent in the more experimental surroundings before nick anthony simoncino comes on board with a 90s flavoured, darkside remix of the highest order.

sound warrior records founded by jenifa mayanja & dakini 9 aims to balance the playing field for female producers and exclusively release their music. sw006 warrior formulation is rooted in soul-stirring house with its heart arching towards the future. lady fingers returns with an engrossing slice of dub house. the north carolina artist/dj was recently a featured dj at moog fest. jenifa mayanja bumako records, shows up with a broken ambient house break. on the flip side sound warrior teams with well known berlin underground heroines mint berlin the female only booking agency. representing mint berlin is co-founder ena lind who has been pushing boundaries in the electronic music scene in berlin for over a decade. lady blacktronika comes with a soul house soaker. she has made quite a splash with her labels sound black and sound keymstry in the process earning the title first lady of beatdown.

jerome derradji received a call by one of chicagos most renowned record dealer. it went like this: hey jerome, ive got all these reel to reel tapes of chicago house stuff. you want to take a look? less than 24 hours later, more than 160 reels were purchased and safely hauled back to the still music office and jerome got to work. in fact, these reels - that were lost for more than 20 years - contain some incredible stuff that we’ll be releasing in the years to come but right now its time to jack! around 50 of these tapes are dj mixes that were broadcasted on wgci and wbmx in the mid to late eighties mostly with the hot mix 5. so jerome decided to start a series of cassettes titled jack to share the absolute greatness of these mixes (and to raise enough funds to finance the transfer and licensing of the more crazy stuff thats in the stack of reels) here is our first series with mixes from frankie knuckles, steve silk hurley, chicago mystery - devastating daryl and a few unknown mixes that were too essential to skip. these mixes were played on the radio only once and were lost until today. this series is an absolute window back to the heydays of chicago house music. all the mixes were professionally transferred and remastered to the best of our abilities

jerome derradji received a call by one of chicago’s most renowned record dealer. it went like this: hey jerome, i’ve got all these reel to reel tapes of chicago house stuff. you want to take a look? less than 24 hours later, more than 160 reels were purchased and safely hauled back to the still music office and jerome got to work. in fact, these reels - that were lost for more than 20 years - contain some incredible stuff that we’ll be releasing in the years to come but right now its time to jack! around 50 of these tapes are dj mixes that were broadcasted on wgci and wbmx in the mid to late eighties mostly with the hot mix 5. so jerome decided to start a series of cassettes titled jack to share the absolute greatness of these mixes (and to raise enough funds to finance the transfer and licensing of the more crazy stuff thats in the stack of reels) here is our first series with mixes from frankie knuckles, steve silk hurley, chicago mystery - devastating daryl and a few unknown mixes that were too essential to skip. these mixes were played on the radio only once and were lost until today. this series is an absolute window back to the heydays of chicago house music. all the mixes were professionally transferred and remastered to the best of our abilities.

connan mockasins new album *caramel* - excpect nothing but yet another prome example of shocking great weird ness, a total standout in todays pop!
the vinyl lp includes downloadcode and a 12x12 inch full-color insert.

a compilation of classic elvis presley songs on 180 gram vinyl.

features a download card with the studio & live album mp3

2023 repress - pablos eye is the science of studio pressure, when engineer becomes artist. appropriating left and right as well as front and back, pablos eye uses the mixing desk to examine and exhaust the possibilities of moments. pablos eye is a record of that examination and exhaustion, but it is also a record of its own inner space. by means of depth placement, psychoacoustics and spatial fug, pablo’s eye is experienced in the deeper reaches of the body, bypassing the conscious part of the mind entirely. . pablos eye is the turning of recorded music inside out to show its seams. it interrogates a song, stripping down the body of the song to reveal its bones. pablo’s eye is in the interstices of music, it plugs the gaps, fills the holes. pablo’s eye seeks out the concealed mechanisms, it is a songs hidden agenda. for this compilation, it was decided to present the softer air-beatings of pablos eye. more than anything, pablos eye is a temporary atmosphere, like a taste or a dream.

mihigh steps up for tlr006 and in mihighs true fashion brings his usual dark flavour to trapped ldn. mihigh is known for his head bending, dark, trippy erie minimal style and he has once again delivered with this evil 2 track ep. mirrors is a mix of driving minimal and dark atmospheric sounds which gives you a great after party style of track but could also be blended into a maintime set. mutual contemplation is our personal favourite which can be used as both a tool, a warm up track or an after party track. its crazy trippy leading synth keeps you entertained throughout the whole track and sounds like it was created to mess up anyones mind while at a party. we are super happy to have mihigh in the trapped family as he has been one of our favourites at various festivals we have seen him

joris biesmans tve imprint returns for its third installment, this time featuring it’s eponymous founder front, center and recording under his own name. led by a forward-thinking electro remix from the ever-versatile man power, its another firm display of synth-led versatility, brimming with confidence and charisma. angry baby is an irresistible pressure-pot of stomping house, as playful as it’s name and as demanding as its imaginary infant protagonist, with a truly hypnotic, elastic breakdown proving irresistible in a club context man powers aforementioned remix is less loopy, more analog, with his well-tooled production technique pushing the records texture into altogether more cosmic and overwhelming territory, led by wailing synthesis. back to biesmans for b2, and a more acidic, almost unnerving vision unfolds throughout connecting the dots which does just that, linking futurist, michigan influences with a more floor-focused, european aesthetic.

lena willikens is the kind of artist whos only capable of following one path her own. in many ways, shes the archetypal selector, an unpredictable dj who often eschews all notions of genre in favor of what she describes as different temperatures, different time zones, different moods and a healthy portion of chaos. although her methods have certainly proven effective on the dancefloor, willikens also refuses to be bound by its traditional limitations.

the ninth release on the dsr-c series comes from rhine. a new name with his roots in atmospheric techno steps up for his first solo ep.the ninth release on the dsr-c series comes from rhine. a new name with his roots in atmospheric techno steps up for his first solo ep. de storm opens the account with a loose collage of textured drums and scuffed-up synths. it makes for a bubbly groove that journeys far off into the night while de bron is more rooted underground, with cavernous echo chambers run through by supple bass synths and icy hi hat trails. spooky and haunting, its a track to send shivers down your spine. last of all, het meer is a watery affair, with aqueous drips and drops, radiant pads and then more tightly coiled drums brushing up against one another to make for something atmospheric but also nicely driven. all three tracks are characterised by a rather tender and reflective mood that makes them all the more unique.

this limited edition record store day release offers a much desired vinyl issue of a special collaboration between betty wright & the roots. only on cd since it’s initial release in 2011, “betty wright: the movie” is considered among betty’s best albums after having not had a new release in nearly ten years. there is so much good music here expansion have spread over a double lp at a time demand for such quality releases on vinyl is at a highpoint. the lead single was “grapes on the vine” featuring lil wayne, other guests on the album including snoop dogg and joss stone. betty has co-written most of the songs, her voice still at its finest after a 50 year career while triple grammy award winners the roots add a magic touch to this incredible project. there will only be 1000 pressings of the album.

first ever vinyl release of this iconic critically acclaimed soul album from 2014 for rsd 2018. this record is one of the most significant and award winning soul albums of the 21st century. the album is presented as a double vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, limited to 750 copies. the album draws on the spirit of donny hathaway and marvin gaye along with influences from stevie wonder and many of the soul and jazz greats, but jarrod has created his own identity. the twelve self-penned songs have meaningful lyrics and a spirituality which is uncommon in contemporary music, making it a future classic. it has been one of the bestselling independent soul albums in the last decade. jarrod lawson has performed many times in the uk supporting the album at many venues including ronnie scott’s, jazz café and at shepherds bush empire as part of the london jazz festival, building up a large fan base. jarrod also recorded a session for gilles peterson’s bbc6 which increased his profile.

nice price deal !!! dario dattis & morrisson presents right now. transport recordings is proud to present its new limited edition release, right now, courtesy of swiss italian producer dario dattis and san franciscos rising star morrisson. dario, keeping with his unique style of house production, blends deep dark tracky elements spiced with tasty piano parts while morrisson delivers a vibrant vocal performance, presenting a modern and soulful song.

2018 is going to see the bond between khidja & malka tuti strengthen, with the romanian duo bringing forward their eclectic, cross-genre approach to electronic music in the shape of 2 full releases as well as several remixes tba. -plot- & -am i really here- are two dance-floor bangers, not hiding behind fashions and hype, the duo is pushing forward on both tracks, each with its own idea and story to tell. this one continues malka tuti’s 12” dance series perfectly, with both tracks being pressed on 45rpm and getting each its own side.

it’s been a while since the deadly russian twins gancher & ruin released on prspct but they are back on board. and this monster ep is filled with everything we love about these guys. its heavy, raving and 110% awesome. all hail gancher & ruin! including download code.

stockholm-based label maraton is back with its second release. the ep includes two originals by soundscape master parallax deep. on the b side youll find a hypnotizing rework by romanian producer stoi. vinyl only release

the mysterious scaarlet is back with a vapourous ep lurking into light and darkness. not good opens the a side with a desperate electronica mood. feel the tension until drums propel you into apocalypse. um pushes you slowly toward the dancefloor. syncopated breakbeats, cut up grooves and a wavy bassline thrive you to embrace the cinematic ambiance. essai nouvo is not just a deep atmospheric broken techno sound. its an awaited glide into nothingness. all tracks mastered by pole at scape mastering in berlin.

after the success of its 5th release, hund records is back again to show qualities of its owners and resident djs, this time with a collaboration between andrea biana and giacomo panni. two groovy originals in the limbo between the wam-up and the dancefloor mood accompanied and completed with a massive french house remix from the master chris carrier where you can hear his typical style and a swinging groove rework from our other residents and owners dubfluss to make this release a must have in the bag for every occasion. artwork concept as usual by uokytoky. already supported by raresh, sonja moonear, rich nxt, doubtingthomas, javier carballo, barac, fabe, janeret, sakro, seb zito, yaya and many more.

a dream come true, jochem peteri a.k.a. newworldaquarium a.k.a. 154 blesses our 12x12 series (already home to releases by kara-lis coverdale, beatrice dillon, raime, dj sprinkles & snd and v/vm) with his first new release in 14 years. his “strike” album under this alias remains unsurpassed in its field today, influencing everyone from actress to lee gamble and huerco s over the past decade and more, and it’s fair to say that this new lp beautifully lives up to that classic high water mark.

the past few years have seen berlins frag maddin release material on waze & odysseys w&o street tracks, rough recordings and egg londons what came first as well as offering up a remix on roog & dennis quins ep for madhouse where her returns to here for a full ep featuring remixes from fellow berlin based acts black loops and kevin over. taking the lead on the package is the zauberflo&#776,te with its skippy hi-hats, hooky organ licks, hypnotic rhodes melodies and vocal cuts all further fuelled by a snaking sub-bass groove to create a slice of authentic house for one of the leading labels of the genre. black loops turns in a remix of the zauberflo&#776,te next, stripping things back to a deeper, more refined feel with spiraling, filtered elements of the original wandering around swinging 909 drums to create a groove-drive counterpart to the original. focus opens the latter half of the package, the second original from frag maddin which employs chugging square wave bass tones and dynamically evolving drums alongside tension building strings and choppy stabs before keving over closes the package with his gritty take on focus, featuring crunchy drums, dusty chords and cleverly arranged string and key samples.

2020 repress >>> back in march 2003 claro intelecto announced his arrival in the electronic world with his peace of mind ep on ai records. now, a decade later, delsin, the label on which he released his latest lp, is re-releasing it in all its glory.

for its fifth release, third try introduces maude sphinx, a mysterious new project from a producer who will remain nameless. screen printed by hand / 500 ex only!

san francisco in the late 1960. the hotbed of psychedelic and rock culture. the dead, joplin, jefferson airplane and a host of others all gaining mainstream acceptance for their acid tinged work. but the city and the surrounding bay area had so much more going for them. a liberal political outlook and a large african american and latino population, meant that musical and cultural reference points were wider and more easily assimilated there than (almost) anywhere else in the united states. two of the biggest groups to emerge from this scene were santana and sly and the family stone, with their melting pots of sound that took in jazz, soul, rock and latin influence. for a while they were two of the biggest acts in the united states and scores of local bands tried to follow in their footsteps. they were hard acts to follow and very few got to the stage of making a 45, never mind a whole lp. one of the best to do just that were leon’s creation, whose debut lp “this is the beginning” acid jazz are reissuing here. a native of san francisco leon patillo led the group, whose multi racial line-up echoed that of his heroes on the local scene. self contained and gigging locally they made their debut album at the tiny studio 10 who also custom pressed the album in extremely limited numbers the music is a perfect blend of acid soul, mixed with hippie sentiments that will get you dancing on the uptempo numbers such as the title track, ‘back roads’ – with its glorious harmonies and the soaring ‘power’. more thoughtful numbers such as ‘until you were gone’ or ‘love’ will touch your soul. so impressed was carlos santana that he eventually asked leon to join his band.

following lo sheas industrial iterations ep, duskys 17 steps welcomes the mysterious polymod to the label family with a three track ep of club tools that draw on classic acid house and techno influences. hooked with a vintage 88 piano loop and tightly sprung bassline, opener no other has been ever present in dusky’s sets since the autumn - already inspiring multiple posts in a certain well-known facebook id group, as well as causing one eager id hunter to tweet dusky with home played piano videos of the main loop. for all its catchiness, though, it maintains an understated approach that plays on dynamics and contrast - a driving club tool. taking a darker route but maintaining the intensity, tx goes for the jugular with a looping surge of acid and rolling electro rhythms. completing the trio is the spacious pg1000 that joins the dots between 90s ambient, proto-house and detroit machine music at its most dreamy.

“yuxtaposición” is a recently unearthed treasure recorded by a tight italian trio in miami during the early seventies. until now, this music has only been heard in office backgrounds, tv commercials and movie soundtracks. but the perseverance of an admirer brought about its first-ever release on the italian schema label. imagine hearing a 1972-era cal tjader quartet without cal tjader and you get an idea of what to expect. it’s slightly latin, lightly funky and truly enjoyable. “yuxtaposición” offers enough to interest a jazz listener. but the sounds heard in these 35 minutes are really better appreciated as mood music. lead man, cabildo, composer of all ten tunes here, has a knack for writing jazzy little hooks that launch his tasty, well-crafted keyboard solos. often alternating fender rhodes and piano within the same song, his playing maintains a hypnotic command that recalls bob james’ cti style. electric bassist bobby fares and percussionist max ronnie make subtle, supportive contributions that serve only to enhance cabildo’s sound. there’s a funny thing about yuxtaposición too. it’s kind of like developing an addiction. you may not pay much attention to it at first. but before you know it, you’re hooked. you need to hear it to be satisfied. a very nice surprise.

clash lion is a mix of three personalities shall ocin, terr and daniel watts. three artists with different musical backgrounds merging forces to create a truly eclectic and open-minded label. after the success of their first release from maetrik firmly putting this label in the spotlight, it was followed by releases from shall ocin and daniel watts. anna who started 2018 with the acclaimed‘hidden beauties ep on kompakt now comes back with a 3 track ep for clash lion. her debut on the label kicks off with suzi in transe, a roaring synth work drives this track into the deep and dark realms of techno, but with an acid element thrown in for good measure. ethereal yet brooding, impression is a track that grows and grows. its classical piano stab perfectly blends into the mix, keeping its dancefloor ready pace right to the end. 80s flare, break beat focused rhythms and an explosive synth riff. into the void is the most futuristic offbeat techno piece we have heard from anna, and makes for a standout new release with three varied and texturally interesting tracks.

jonah sharp & dj spun pair up as the loose control band to drop a punk-inspired single on rekids with remixes from label founder radio slave and shut boss ryan james ford. having released a large body of work as spacetime continuum (astralwerks) or alongside david moufang as reagenz (workshop), not to mention significant collaborations with the likes of terence mckenna, haruomi hosono and bill laswell, jonah sharp is unquestionably a highly respected producer. his seminal label reflective played an important role in the experimental ambient and techno scene during the ‘90s, whilst as a remixer he’s worked with music by nine inch nails, meat beat manifesto and matthew herbert. meanwhile, jason drummond has long been a commanding force within new yorks electronic music scene, such as running his prestigious warm up music series or his all night rong parties with regulars like dj harvey. hes also been djing and producing as dj spun for two decades, appearing on golf channel recordings as well as his own illustrious imprint rong music, which used to release music collaboratively with dfa. i dont understand sees a raw and uncompromising side to both artists as they layer a cacophony of murky bass, twisted melodies and mind-bending bleeps whilst drummonds turbulent vocals bellow throughout the mix. staying faithful to the original, radio slaves remix incorporates a heady rhythm with its rolling beat as screeching effects join a moody bassline. moving into techno territory, ryan james fords akihabara remix features rattling percussion and crystalline synths whilst his hope remix is built on an intricate drum sequence as soaring pads and echoing keys contrast with the originals piercing vocal.

r&s newcomer karim sahraoui delivers an ep of deep, emotive techno that draws on the rich legacy of detroit while staying relevant for the modern era. sahraoui is a globetrotting seeker of musical truth spending time in malaysia, italy and spain as well as his native france, he recorded in the early 2000s to some acclaim as djinxx, releasing prolifically for delsin, cocoon, f-com bedrock, and ovum amongst others. in 2009 he took a couple of years out from the industry, travelling to malaysia to find himself. in 2011 a chance meeting reconnected sahraoui with derrick may, who he originally met in the late 90s. may was reactivating transmat and persuaded karim to let him release his music, but on the condition it be under his own name. the resulting pair of eternal life eps in 2014 and 2016 marked his rich return to form glorious melodic, contemplative techno in the classic motor city mode. his plenitude ep for r&s builds on similar positive themes - from the percolating arpeggios and mystic melodies of spy of the desert, to the anthemic jazzy techo paen of born again or the aching symphonic build of before the 2nd coming its clear that after decades in the business sahraouis talent is only growing rather than diminishing. i wanted to give it more spirituality, musicality and roots with the choice of the sounds. going back in the past and transcribe everything with visionary fusions, sahraoui explains.

after kicking off the year with releases by wheelman and general ludd, were very pleased to announce that naum gabo completes our recent trilogy of releases from glasgow based artists. alongside ivan smagghe, its no secret that optimo have been a huge influence around these parts and having released ivans smagghe & cross project on belters last year, its a huge honour to work with naum gabo - the production partnership of jonnie wilkes (jg wikes of optimo) and james savage (mastering engineer for optimo music). fittingly enough, naum gabo played live at the first ever optimo related parties we attended at the sub club back in 2005 and jonnies influential and supportive presence has been felt over the years as we started to become more involved in the glasgow scene and as the label developed. so it didnt require much thought to do this release before we had even heard these new naum gabo tracks they are absolute slammers of the highest order! really big release, bringing to our minds the likes of errorsmith. belters is a new club-focussed label brought to you by huntleys + palmers.

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.