this is amsterdam based musique exotique’s launch realised in the form of a seducitive solid white, blue & purple 12” record that includes a free digital download (printed on the label) as well as wonderful cover art by the infamous japanese twins, hamadaraka.
dutch artists machinegewehr and ayden vice team up to bring that timeless retro italo vibe with moroder inspired bass arpeggiation, mysterious vocals and epic pads.
on the b side, san francisco based dutch artist, yobkiss, offers up a masterful remix taking the track into darker electro territory. his offering includes beautifully haunting japanese vocals by the producer’s long time collaborator yuko araki for exceptional exotiqueness.

label owner kenny dahl is back to eclectic limited. after 2 years of exploration in the furrow land, this vinyl is on the launch pad towards new galaxies with 3 solid and powerful techno tracks and a heavy and great remix by japanese artist a. mochi.

till today fumio itabashi is a vital part of the japanese jazz culture as a live performer and film score composer. those who want to see how he makes love with his piano should check the world wide web for the french documentary jazzed out, that captured his unique way of playing in one episode. but as music is always firstly for the ears, and not for the eyes, this little letter in-front of you would rather like to recommend to play the “watarase” recordings loud to get hooked by the highly infectious piano gems that have been recorded at nippon columbia 1st studio in tokyo on 12th and 13th of octo-ber 1981. they will haunt you. they will come for good. and they will force you to be a good friend with the repeat button – whatever medium you chose to surrender to the piano jazz music of fumio itabashi.

third release of studio mule’s new project with miyako koda aka dip in the pool. following the cover versions of ohnuki taeko’s carnaval & mariah’s shinzo no tobira, we made the new version of japanese pop ambient classic “face to face by yumi murata”. extended edit on a side is full of the respect for the original version and ambient version on b side is simply emotional. the first album of studio mule is coming in the beg of next year. stay tuned.

new york city label and party jack dept. enters a new era with their first vinyl release. volvox (discwoman) and john barera (elsewhere) have tapped the mysterious japanese producer hoshina anniversary who has provided 4 party-ready tracks that are laser focused to get bodies moving. acid, techno and electro are all represented in this high energy ep which touches upon elements of classic dance music with a decidedly modern feel.

umx is back with another cracking release, this time with artists from the usa and japan. this ep is filled with 4 strong electro tracks with a lot low bass, beware not to blow your speakers. get it while you can cause this a 150 copy limited edition!

perhaps cpu’s deepest foray into techno, osaka-based artist yuri urano’s ‘autline’ e.p. draws parallels with the machine-like incremental builds of sweet exorcist / richard h kirk. plenty of variation with minimal down-tempo through to fierce industrial techno. urano’s industrial sound is gaining a lot of attention in the japanese techno scene and this e.p. will only galvanise her reputation.

toothpaste records launches with the eponymous debut album from synth pop solo artist tentenko. the former member of the notorious japanese punk idol group bis has featured on dozens of collaborative and solo releases in her homeland but this is her first international release. the lp will be the inaugural release on toothpaste records and is released simultaneously in japan on alegori. pressing on transparent pink vinyl.

ftwr recordings welcomes paris-based producer guillermo jamas for his debut album. a mesmerizing journey through minimal, house and techno with 8 originals + three additional tracks to download inside. comes with the finest artwork by camila martinez

beautiful 1 lp edition with 140g vinyl, stoughton tip-on sleeve, liner notes (english & japanese) by chee shimizu, sticker official reissue of diggers favorite colored music available on vinyl and cd or the first time since 1981.

label soviett presents new vinyl release plastinka 2. the release includes deep house track from japanese producer satoshi fumi and three tracks from russian producers: balearic house track from ivan starzev disco house track from iner and beach disco track from evneniy svalov.

japanese artist - tominori hosoya has been releasing on a good deal of underground deep house / techno vinyl labels such as deepartsounds, mixx records and minuendo recordings, though this will be his first album on his own th pressing imprint which is only 5 releases deep but is already a firm favourite for the likes of titonton duvante, keith worthy, hiroshi watanabe & jimpster

vox populi field works vol.ii is the second part of a broader project entitled ‘field works’, in which the label travels to different locations in the world in order to collect sounds, eventually creating an archive of some of the finest and humblest musical traditions. inspired by academic methods proper to ethnomusicology and ethnography, this project’s aim is to showcase the diversity of our human cultural heritage, which is threatened by accelerated globalization and homogenization of the worldwide musical spectrum.
this record is the result of a twenty-day trip to japan. led by anthropologist and label founder fred scharf and his vox populi records crew, this is the second instalment on the ‘field works’ series. this 12’’ vinyl release is a collection of field recordings, jam sessions, studio recordings, street soundscapes, religious rituals, fighting championships and wedding ceremonies, all of which were remixed and reinterpreted by japan blues, tim karbon, hiroaki oba & shizka (aka inoue shirabe), delivering tracks whose core represents a wide array of traditional japanese sounds.

a new ep from amsterdam based producer daniel jacques, titled last jaar, will follow up the exclusive ep from mysterious japanese producer shinichi atobe from 2016. last jaar will be released on jacques’ own jadac recordings record label and on this ep, he is bridging the gap between house, techno and r&b music.

steppas records presents ‘osaka steppas’ vol. 3, the third in a series of releases showcasing the japanese underground dub movement. this edition features osaka producers hiroshi and roots masashi in collaboration with spanish producer ojah and well-respected uk singer rudey lee. the osaka steppas’ raw and unrelenting sound developed in the subterranean clubs of osaka, a port city famous for its counterculture night life. inspired not only by the sounds of jamaica, but also drawing inspiration from uk and european soundsystem culture with enough bassweight to test even the toughest of soundsystems. presented in a beautifully designed full colour sleeve inspired by the works of the legendary ukiyo-e woodblock artist, hokusai. this release is not to be missed. side a features an earth rocker riddim from ojah & hiroshi, with conscious lyrics sung by the legendary rudey lee. side b features a much sought after dubplate from osaka producer roots masashi, a deep, dark & mystical steppa.

japanese newcomer -jtt- unveils their debut vinyl on their own label yu-zen-. jtt consists of two guys, takayuki hosoda and dj java. most of their tracks are deep and micro house and nudisco music. -tone river- is one of the typical masterpieces of their tracks. it has a tense and dreamy atmosphere. it s a very simple but enough to be addicted one. -lotus root- has a mystical atmosphere. your brain can feel good unique sound effect sense. you will be into it. mastering by kuniyuki takahashi. according to his careful work these tracks have a high level of completeness.

cold busted’s acclaimed iwymi series makes the jump to vinyl with a four song iwymi intnl 7” (it’s what you make it international)” focusing on japanese beatmakers. curated by es-k and vitamin d, the single aims to expose a quartet of worthy producers from the land of the rising sun to turntables worldwide. en tokyo’s pigeondust launches the wax with his smooth and sexy “bboy blue,” filled with glistening keys and guitar chops over intricate rhythms. the lilting “inheritance” comes next via utsunomiya’s axion117 (collective resonance), easing the listener into a quiet storm mentality. the mesmerizing vibes continue as tokyobased beat-slinger bugseed drops the dreamy “mindless” straight to the platter. tajima hal (hermit city recordings) closes out the single in style with “all day,” featuring cut-up beats, looped guitar and vocals, and an otherworldly flavor. the iwymi intnl: japan 7” is a prime sampler of the innovative sounds coming from japan’s instrumental hip-hop scene.

free your mind and float away, you’re now entering the mode of the growing bin. hamburg’s centre for audio enlightenment is back with another sublime sensory experience, this time from the land of the rising sun. . keen to get another stamp on his passport, basso reached out to japanese duo singu, two open minded cats who just love to jam. marrying kiyo’s free drumming with keta ra’s melodic mastery of keyboard and guitar, the two-piece fuse free jazz, post-rock, kosmische and ambient into immersive and esoteric improvisations. free from any compositional concerns, the hiroshima outfit trade in energy, emotion and expression

crazy 12 track library music style album on this ace italian label. all based around bumping live rhythms triggering an obscure japanese drum synth module recorded in 2018. it was november 2017 when i received a call from an old friend, hi fabrizio, i found a rare japanese drum machine, you should come and see it before i put this on ebay. i went to check it out and immediately realized it had more potential than just drum sounds generation, it was able to produce quirky and creepy sounds if triggered by any sound source. so i bought it and brought in the studio, where me and alex were laying down new beats and ideas. it took just three days of jams to get the skeleton of this record done: i programmed the module to receive alex s drum hits and the device started creating synth lines, almost as it was speaking its own language.i ve found a soul in this machine, and i wanted to bring it to life in these tracks, a mix of arranged compositions and improvised jams. no root keys, no grids, no clicks, everything came out in an instinctive and natural way as far as we know it s the first time this synthesizer/drum machine is been used in this improper and new way.

since so many european labels have been reissuing lost and obscure 1980s japanese ambient albums of late, it was probably inevitable that at least one label would put together a compilation paying tribute to the sound. it turns out that jazzy couscous has won the race with kumo no moko, a superb double album that does a terrific job in putting japan s 80s ambient scene in context. as you d expect, the majority of the tracks feature either dreamy electronic sounds or a mixture of acoustic and electronic instrumentation, with nods to jazz coming thick and fast. there are naturally a couple of fairly well-known names on show, but for the most part the compilers have done a terrific job in highlight lesser-known tracks from unsung heroes.

...comes with an inlay
umeko ando (1932-2004) was a folk singer from japan. she was a representative of the ainu culture on the hokkaido island in the north of japan. “ihunke” is her first album which was recorded with the ainu musician and dub producer oki kano in 2000. it was released on cd in japan only and is finally available on vinyl (2lp + linernotes, dl included). “ihunke” is following last year’s single “iuta upopo” pingipung 58, incl. m.rux remix which had been received with overwhelming enthusiasm and was quickly sold out. the 16 ainu songs on “ihunke” are delicate, natural gems. they are built on oki kano’s tonkori patterns (a 5-string harp), over which umeko ando develops her repetitive, mantric vocals, often in a call-response manner. oki kano is one of very few professional tonkori players who performs worldwide with his oki dub ainu band. the songs possess a mystical energy – when crows call accurately with ando’s brittle voice in the first song, it seems like natural powers join in with her music. her voice sounds like animals of the sky and the forest. oki kano: “it was a lot of fun to record with umeko ando. many ainu hesitate to break from tradition - if umeko hadn’t been so flexible to work with the younger generation and recording technology, this album would never have happened. our sessions were intense, and we were proud and happy about making such beautiful music.” upcoming in autumn: remixes of “ihunke” by tolouse lowtrax, m.rux, dj ground, el buho mark peters, gama, andi otto, and dreems. historical background: only recently (in 2008) have the ainu officially been acknowledged as indigenous people who are culturally independent from japan. this record is an example of how their music has been passed on through generations in the underground ainu communities while it was oppressed by the japanese hegemony. it deserves a huge audience. follow kompakt

it is said that every generation casts its mind back to a previous era in times of crisis, the resources that will allow us to decode the questions of our moment may lie in the myths of another era. le renard bleu, the new musical and cinematic collaboration between lafawndah and composer midori takada, and filmmakers partel oliva, takes a cross- generational echo as ground zero for recovering a crucial myth for uncertain times: the blue fox. as transmitted by takada, the fox appears in both ancient senegalese and japanese folktales as the trickster archetype, belonging both to the heavens and to the earth, the fox is the agent of chaotic good, shaking the world up when its energy has become stagnant. above all else, the fox is famous for its cunning nature.

a true japanese jazz holy grail album, this 1975 album was made solely as a business card for an influential businessman and only a few hundred were known to be pressed. the quartet comprises a group of students who never shared a stage with each other and only formed for this one album yet the album sounds as if they ve been playing together for decades. deep modal jazz, frenetic, fizzy and energetic, these five tracks are some of the most coveted and sought after songs from the japanese jazz golden age

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.

what do you get when you cross a frenchman, a dane, two irishmen and a swede? the debut various artists compilation from kyoku records, of course. gathering the producers who make up their whole discography thus far, the melbourne-based imprint are welcoming back dorsi plantar, sune, long island sound and ethyene (alongside folamour and marc bianco). translating from japanese to a befitting -dancing birds-, the odoru tori ep is revitalizing the elegant origami series for one last spin. the orizuru, hachidori, oumu and hakucho, that is, the paper crane, the hummingbird, the parrot and the swan are bringing the handmade array to a suitable conclusion. on the a side, the scandinavian connection is responsible for bringing some summer heat. dorsi plantar sheds his usual wistfulness for a slightly moodier, more functional track with -senorita lolita-, although still incorporating some of that playful sampling he s now come to be known for. -californicate- from sune takes a more laidback approach and channels the breezy and carefree atmosphere of the coastal golden state. on the flip side, long island sound follow the same recipe that made -delusions- such a big hit with the intricate sampling and eloquent arrangement of -ease in-. to top things off, ethyene, with the help of folamour and marc bianco, close out the record with a groovy, vocal number that sees them employ their signature french touch formula to great effect on the simply titled -good-.

one of the most coveted unreleased low rider / soul ballads. a huge tune, up there with darling dears (google that shit). only released on a japanese compilation 20 odd years ago without the bands consent (and with some of the channels missing) we bring you the full unreleased version for the first time. this is a big one for people who know the score.
if that’s not enough, we found this rather good unreleased disco gospel number on the master tapes of their private press lp sessions (also coming soon) but we had to give the ballad to the a side, roll the windows down and blast it.

currently the rediscovery of long forgotten japanese electronic, jazz and new age music is at a peak like never before. but although many re-issues already flood the record stores around the world: the large, diverse musical culture of japan still got some gems in store that are really missing.

fruit merchant is back. this time offering up some fresh talent in the form of ‘native cruise’. with one previous release under his belt this year on yam 004 va, this marks stoke on trent’s finest first full length foray onto wax.
fruit merchant is super proud to offer up native cruise ~ calypso spring ep.

julius is finally back on his own home smallville with along the coast- its the first solo 12 since his mesmerizing flocking behaviour album in 2014. after remixes for telfort and lerosa recently, a 12 together with moomin on his closer label and some smallpeople material last year plus a surprising non-electronic album with his band-project tonight will be fine (together with abdeslam hammouda) on japanese label mule musiq, julius is now back on his own imprint, delivering 3 deep cuts for the dancefloor. next to running the smallville record-store and -label, julius started his own club-night and accompanied stamp-label down by the lake (catalogue number 03 is out now) in freiburg, plus hosting the smallville & friends thursday at legendary golden pudel club in hamburg every month as a smallpeople residency together with just von ahlefeld. they also put out record no. 5 on smallville-offshoot fuck reality recently. watch out for more good things to come this summer.. as always along the coast comes with a full cover artwork by stefan marx. all tracks are written, produced and mixed by julius steinhoff mastering & vinyl cut by helmut erler, dubplates & mastering artwork by stefan marx distributed by wordandsound

over the course of the last decade, black pepper label boss jose manuel has proved to be one of electronic music s finest contemporary alchemists, conjuring percussive, intoxicating and otherworldly musical treats for such labels as tusk wax, kinfolk, kill the dj, optimo trax and music for dreams. the genius of manuel s productions lies in the italian s ability to conjure cracking cosmic compositions out of a diverse range of global rhythms, instruments and influences. rarely has this been more evident than on his debut release for nunorthernsoul, a four-track serving of dancefloor mysticism that puts mind-altering rhythms and saucer-eyed instrumentation front and centre. track, for example, the light and dreamy wrapped sumptuous balearic synthesizer chords and melodies around gentle hand percussion and drifting zambian vocals on the sublime journey in lusaka followed by the feverish, trance-inducing african rhythms, delay-laden chants, psychedelic acid lines and jangling jew s harp motifs of intense opener journey in lusanda , a ritualistic afro-cosmic onslaught ripe for peak-time plays. if the ep opener is all about being flat on your back and staring skywards, the follow up is all about druggy, heads down sweatiness! manuel s deep love of indian music is explored on journey in mumbai , where exotic sitar lines, fluttering clarinets and echoing, densely layered female vocals rise above a thick, tabla-fired groove. it s naturally hugely evocative and atmospheric - a fine dose of emotion-rich spirituality capable of inducing hallucinations in the straightest of listeners. to complete the ep, our hero travels even further east for journey in osaka , a fittingly percussive exploration of japanese music s past and present that also includes audible nods towards the poly-rhythmic drums of west africa. it s a superb combination of traditional instrumentation, 21st century electronics, heavyweight rhythms and mood-enhancing melodic flourishes. like the rest of the journeys in...ep, it s both hugely alluring and impeccably produced

back to some old school classic summer vibes with japanese yusuke yamamoto.

third release by japanese artist kosei fukuda from his own platform. great atmospheric sound scape with japanese precision. minimalistic experimental idm techno. including one digital bonus.

mysterious japanese newcomer neem unveils his debut vinyl on japanese imprint aura music. the title track delivers some mechanical beats topped with delicate layers of samples and electronics. on the flip “forge” meanwhile is more abstract and spooky as strange voice murmurs on industrial background. “mustard-colored jacket” is a “basic channel” rooted minimal piece features some dub samples on heavy bass.

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

tokyo based dj/producer tsuyoshi ogawa presents -seven samurai-. this vinyl-only label has been founded in 2018 and it is operating in tokyo, japan. it pays tribute to the japanese legendary movie director -akira kurosawa-. this 2nd ep inspired by the movie -the hidden forest-. 1st track himatsuri by tsuyoshi ogawa that recorded using the voice sample of yuki s song from the movie and this song based old japanese poem book -kangin collection- in 1518, the impressive phrase -think it over - how dark this world is - the floating world is no less than a dream - just go crazy - will be brought to us as a universal theme to this day. 2nd track hitomi s temple by paris samurai vida, he recorded using sound of japanese koto, samurai sword and samurai voice to respect japanese traditional manner. it s a japanese satellite like a spiritual space temple, because the track bring you from paris to japan to space. this ep is dedicated to akira kurosawa as a new spiritual soundtrack for the hidden forest.

it’s a 2nd release of studio mule’s new project with miyako koda aka dip in the pool.
following the cover version of ohnuki taeko’s carnaval, we made the new version of japanese new wave classic “shinzo no tibia by mariah” with a new lyrics in japanese (original is in armenian) which is written by miyako koda. yasuaki shimizu kindly gave us the permission to do this.
extended version on a side is full of the respect for the original version and dub version on b side is dark new wave dub version. kuniyuki said the idea of this version came from adrian sherwood’s remix for depeche mode.

super dope 6 tracker by maspykes tableek on this japanese label - comes with mitsu the beats remixes also!

holic trax takes a trip to the far east to celebrate the finest in japanese house music culture with a split 12inch from veteran producer takecha (aka takeshi fukushima) and label boss tomoki tamura. takechas productions roll out like reams of silk, peppered with cheery midi horns but not at the expense of the overall deepness of the tracks. kiara to sarara is especially infectious with its sprightly jazzy demeanour. tamura takes a tougher stance on the b side with the techy tones of taiyo mo nai and then hits up a classic house tone for the subdued but focused prhthemic.

foureal records vinly series in the past release japanese artist only release 2nd release is naohito .his base hokkaido sapporo city he played in the few years &#12300,,,,,horsehead nebula&#12301,,,,,his originality sound emotional and funk this track as a symbol for a label. breaks sounds&#12300,,,,,purple vale&#12301,,,,,and floating sounds house groove&#12300,,,,,menzel&#12301,,,,,.all track is unified an atmosphere 3tracks

japanese producer takeshi wada first released his music from the label onitor back in 2004. he keeps very sensitive touch in his music since the beginning. he started his own wada label in 2014. this is the 5th release from the label.

catalog number-yotsume 002- used as a missing number in long years is released as the 5th work of sasaki hiroaki’s yotsume-music. this “winter ep” is sasaki’s latest release.it includes a remix by stewart walker who is a berlin based producer and based on experience releasing distinguished labels such as force inc, tresor, m_nus. starting from sasaki’s track a1”winter” has a long dubby bass, a pad sound is covering this euphoric minimal work which rhythm comes and goes like a returning wave. it likes snowscape of japanese ink painting. b1”stewart walker snowflake mix” is a reconstructed “winter” landscape and soundscape by stewart walker’s minimalistic approach.the grain of the sound with the three-dimensional feeling scattered on the low-frequency, it conjures images of the snow piling over the white, chill earth.b2”over” shows the another aspect of sasaki’s emotional side. it has a simple but selective rhythm and matter-of-factly composition of piano and pad sound, which makes us feel the end of a long journey. it s quality and brilliant minimal house release is shown how each of these three tracks differ this time. vinyl only.

ikue asazaki is a veteran japanese traditional music singer and yoisura bushi is a traditional music in amami oshima(small southern island). i think yoisura bushi is most emotional music which i have listened in my life. there are not the word to describe how beautiful…. kuniyuki remix is simply amazing,i think it’s his best work.

dutch label field records is back with another special album project, this time from japanese producer ena aka yu asaeda. bridge is an introspective soundtrack for a documentary also called bridge - out this spring - which is about the dejima bridge, a reconstructed symbol of the dutch-japanese trading history in nagasaki, japan. the album finds the producer stepping outside of his usual remit of dark ambient and experimental music, and instead comprises ten shorter tracks that touch on abstract and rhythmic sounds that define the essence of japanese culture. although he has worked with the director before, this is ena s first original sound track and finds him freely inspired by the movie and heading in exciting and unknown directions. hugely atmospheric throughout, there is hypnotic repetition of sounds, strange audio design and a mixture of melancholic moods with more dreamy synths. sometimes gloopy rhythms gently ripple beneath soothing harmonies and at others times a micro-rhythm appears through the constantly shifting and evolving found sound loops. it s a compelling and unusual album that seamlessly mixes human emotions with a mechanical sense of industry.

from conrad schnitzler in the 1960s to the pioneers of detroit techno in the 1980s, experimental sonic artists were often inspired by the metallic noises of industrial factories. schnitzler wanted to recreate the sounds he heard in his apprenticeship as a locksmith with musical instruments, and the sons and daughters of the midwestern automobile-industry generation programmed the motown soul into japanese electronic music equipment. with his new piece the metal beat ep, credit 00 wants to get in line with this tradition of transforming factory sounds into music. each of the three tracks reflects on the role of the human being in an industrial environment. the never-ending movement of the machine becomes the rhythm, while the melody embodies our forlorn voices in the vastness of the factory site. the blues played by machines--modern work songs for a post-industrial society!

edition of 300 copies ... many years in the works, ogon batto finally unleashes his album hedoro. a journey into japanese soundtracks and 90s adventure-gaming. ogon batto is bent von bent from antwerp, belgium. besides working as a visual artist around archiving systems and collections, he is also the co-runner of the hare akedod label, together with david edren aka dsr lines. following his debut release, &#332,,,,,,gon batto secretly started working on a second album hedoro, meaning slime or chemical ooze.

joe powers is from edinburgh, far outside the network of the grime capital of london. his caffeinated productions as proc fiskal are faster than usual, with many clocking in at 160bpm. ‘the highland mob’, his 2017 debut ep, opened up his music to open-eared footwork and drum’n’bass fans as well as the grime crowd. after following that up with a jungle-inflected ep on cosmic bridge, ‘insula’ switches the feel and intention towards a personal, and melodic music with one foot in grime, infused with often comic, often wistful recorded moments from his environment. he says ‘i wanted to be aware of where the music is coming from, referencing things i’m presently experiencing, like making grime, my radar radio show, phone addiction, alcohol, my surroundings, girls, depression, positivity, being unemployed, being employed and hating it, my friends etc. trying to be true to myself instead of relying on other peoples’ nostalgia, and focusing on now.’ the record is a huge leap in vision, with delicate, pointillist melodies and intricate edits reminiscent of grime producers such as terror danjah. it also resonates with japanese video game music like that recently explored on the ‘diggin in the carts’ compilation. ‘i think i probably make tunes to get out emotions i don’t express in day-to-day life. i used clips of my friends talking, drunk folk, and general scottish life to preserve and represent what my experience is like right now, like a time capsule. social media notification sounds are designed to release serotonin, which is what i’d like my music to do, to make me, and other people happy, and in using these manipulative noises in a positive way, i like to think i’m taking back the power of the manipulation.’ proc fiskal is adventurous and thoughtful as a producer, and at the young age of 21, his debut album is very advanced in its ideas and execution

sub-heavy, dreamlike ai techno from the mysterious yugen disciple. ‘ibex 2’ is hypnotic techno that would kill in a big-room, ‘luxury flat’ is a pulsating, monotone banger. on the b side ‘pattern recognition’ is a timeless slice of electro finished with the a late night trip on the japanese bullet train with ‘shinkansen blur’ for fans of shinichi atobe, donato dozzy, dj sprinkles, lee gamble, other people place. played by pearson sound on rinse fm kowton/livity sound on nts tony poland on netil radio

following some now cult releases on mutli culti, turbo recordings (with the much-acclaimed “mz”) and his recent lp “lotos land” on japanese imprint endless flight, our favourite east-berlin born child sascha funke is finally coming up with an ep on hippie dance’s sister label your and your hippie friends. “i guess more than one of you have noticed my obsession with sascha funke’s music over the past years since it is an essential part in my dj sets. after the pause he gave his solo work to put his attention into his amazing band project saschienne together with julienne dessagne (aka fantastic twins, also his partner in life), he came back with a really cool ep on kompakt records which i played over and over and left me wanting for more. being close friends gave me the luxury of having access to his material before other people and when i would visit the coolest couple in berlin, sascha would always play me his new tunes in the car while rolling through the city. every time i would ask for those tracks to play them and in the club, people that i would play with would often ask who was behind them, as it happened with tiga one night in cologne, and eventually led to sascha’s music being released on turbo recordings and multi culti the following months. now i finally got the chance and honour to release a sascha funke ep on our own humble label... acatenango. like every time, it all started with me visiting berlin, sascha playing his new material while cruising around on board of his german car, me getting in trance while listening to it, asking for it and playing it right away in my next sets. three super cool tracks, all very different from each other but somehow connected with the inimitable funke touch. powerful yet elegant, hypnotic yet fun, brutal yet sophisticated. sascha funke... he’s a hippie and he’s a friend.” rebolledo