tapping into the strong current of quality electronic music coming out of sweden, the latest bass culture shines a light on two talents working out of the stockholm underground who have created their own imprint on the european house and techno scene. the pajala sunrise e.p marks the first release that mr tophat and art alfie have issued away from their shared base camps of junk yard connections and karlovak, two labels that showcase the pair’s commitment to pushing 4/4 dance music forwards wherever they can. energy lies at the heart of the sound that oscar and rudolf (to give them their real names) conjure up, both in the urgent pulse of their full-bodied drum arrangements and the spiritual lilt of their melodic content.

the latest compilation by cultures of soul gathers together little known boogie, electrofunk and j-pop released in japan between 1981 and 1988. strong compilatin!

mindshakes family first approach takes center stage for its latest release, forward part ii (mindshake 015). with an emphasis on showcasing new talent, label owner and respected dj / producer paco osuna has surrounded himself with three new artist label premieres from newcomers dokser, lorenzo bartoletti and the junkies. with the second release in the forward series, mindshake continues to deliver on its promise to develop the most innovative of artists while providing the world with a first-class experience in contemporary electronic music culture

in spring of 2006, jackpot began to fester in a stockholm apartment. without fresh air or natural light, the group developed its uniquely mutant strain of italo disco mixed with early 80s body music aided only by the sickly blue rays of late night tv. while the jackhammer rhythms of their music were proliferating in stockholm, jackpot dove into the deepest recesses of the electronic dance music psyche for the most primal of all rhythmic impulses - their own unmistakable sound - the sound of western culture falling apart in a blaze of shudders and hiccups. as late night sci fi reruns colored the room, jackpot also picked and chose amongst the psychotic debris of previous eras - the movies of kenneth anger, the music of suicide, velvet underground and bruce haack, the words of william s burroughs. and then they added the junkiest element of all - themselves. after two critically acclaimed records, the third chapter of the jackpot saga is about to be told. its called greased lightning (also features remix work from such talents as in flagranti and rory phillips). you hear that beat? thats them knocking on your door.