supported by tornado wallace (delusions of grandeur), pete herbert (reverso 68/dance disorder)... when jay shepheard launched retrofit in early 2010, deep house with a splash of disco was on the menu. six releases later and the quality of music hasnt faltered once. jays own work has always been the main focus on all five releases but for retrofit 6, rudys midnight machine, (who is in fact robin lee of faze action) takes to the stage alongside an appearance from shepheard (as ee_ef_ex) on remixing duties. >ecstatic love glow< kicks off the ep, diving head first into the disco and synth heavy realm that we expect from retrofit (and, for that matter, from mr lee), whose house outputs with faze action as far back as 97 speak for themselves. the intro of tip tapping hats and congas leads into a penetrating bass guitar, a riff that goes on to be cleverly mirrored by keyboards and later, by what sounds like a scratchy lakland guitar. wooden hats, sirens and a plethora of cosmic elements boogie their way around until the tracks dominant synth parades in and takes over the arrangement, striking a dramatic and smug pose at the close of each stab. the second track of >east side good living< sticks with its predecessors groove, cosmic sirens, electronic whistles and metallic drum taps yet again highlighting rudys modern disco sound

trickle down ep includes the title track and remixes of top selections from the album including a remix of >trickle down< by new yorks finest hercules & love affair, a remix of >human, unfortunately< by jori hulkkonen (turbo, fcomm) and >farewell, welfare< by siyoung (plastic little, secluasis). the ep also includes the originals >nightfall< and >trickle down< for your listening pleasure. lo fi ballads by jori hulkkonen that are sure to captivate.

a collaberation between chilean marcello vak and belgian dirk de groote who lives in chile. >amor mio< is a smooth tech house track with influences of the oldskool house track from raze >break for love<, this is gonna give a lot of people out there a very groovy summer feeling!

0-visionen are kristofer ulfves and olof liliengren, two friends with a shared love of the organic sounds and the art of using analogue gear live. warm melodic electronica is blended with the harsher digital sound of murky techno into a something truely unique. 0-visionen have performed live numerous times at swedish electronica festivals and clubs ever since 2007 and now their new ep >noll< is here to set new standards. noll contains tracks that vary from analogue sequences to shuffled idm style beats with that special 0-visionen spice.

first vinyl release for sonora records. after a number of digital releases, arrives at this moment always interesting for a young label. the original track is signed by two artists making their debut on vinyl, matthew lima and alberto pellicioli. they show a very refined tech-house track, with something reminiscent of tribal rhythms, sound deep and mysterious. everything seems to run very slowly. but with something relaxing and visionary that leaves the listener wrapped or those who dance in a storm of love. the remix by francesco bonora (etichetta nera, frequenza limited, plastic city, etc.) creates even more peace of mind. done well both in rhythm and in the deep atmosphere. its a beautiful walk through a sea of positive energy. valeria karter gives a touch of eccentric and intriguing woman. with a voice sample and a bass line that seems to create a sexy momnet. sounds clean and just groove, to move all that women can enjoy... played and supported by marco carola, ralf, soukie & windish, larry peters, franco bianco and more. first vinyl release for sonora records. after a number of digital releases, arrives at this moment always interesting for a young label. the original track is signed by two artists making their debut on vinyl, matthew lima and alberto pellicioli. they show a very refined tech-house track, with something reminiscent of tribal rhythms, sound deep and mysterious. everything seems to run very slowly. but with something relaxing and visionary that leaves the listener wrapped or those who dance in a storm of love. the remix by francesco bonora (etichetta nera , frequenza limited, plastic city, etc.) creates even more peace of mind. done well both in rhythm and in the deep atmosphere. its a beautiful walk through a sea of positive energy. valeria karter gives a touch of eccentric and intriguing woman. with a voice sample and a bass line that seems to create a sexy momnet. sounds clean and just groove, to move all that women can enjoy..

ever heard of the belgian plastikman? alpha303 is the one! his love for acid, electro, ambient music and passion for hardware results in stunning dark tracks called pump it, daydreamer and hypnose that gives people like josh wink even goosebumps! accompanied by a brilliant stripped jeroen search remix, this first vinyl release from orbis records will be the start of a must-have record collection of this belgian underground label. supported & played by: jamie behan, exium, grovskopa, ed davenport, markus suckut, joton, eric cloutier, coefficient, ben woollard, fran hartnett, kr!z, franco cangelli, tomaz, ...

the number one 1992 album which garnered six grammy awards

downwards sidestep expectations again with this glorious limited 10inch vinyl release from tropic of cancer. two beautifully dark compositions that remind slightly of angelo badalamenti in >twin peaks< mode, or maybe reservoir dogs, if it had been filmed with a huge cavern as the soundstage. processed guitar and drones wash swampily over a simple drumbox beat, as eerie snatches of melody float in and out. as badalamenti himself said of his own work, >my (musical) world is a little bit dark... a little bit off-center. i think of it as tragically beautiful. that is how i would describe what i love best: tragically beautiful.< seems to sum this release up quite nicely too...

out hear audio is back with another far out offering for the modern dancefloor. the second release for the label this year following the killer yambee! – chemical love/natural off

holy grail alert!! possibly the most sought after cosmic disco lp in the galaxy!!! black hole was a brazil only release with four superlong tracks, themed around heroes and movies. the 4 super killer tracks are bursting with dope space sirens, arpeggio synths and spaced out sound effects. all thrillers, no fillers, here is a chance to get the epic i feel love styled me and my superfriends track so sought after by collectors. ultra limited press, sleep and weep!!!

we met fred ventura in 2006 over emails sent to italians do it better headquarters. he was one of the first people from europe to start writing the label prior to after darks release. it took us a few months to realize that this was fred ventura, the cult italo legend from milan. like a true gentleman, he had never bothered to mention it. since the early 1980s fred ventura has released numerous singles in europe & toured the world extensively as a solo artist. last year, johnny was in bologna on tour with desire & fred came out to the show to drink champagne & bring us some copies of the reissued tapes of fred’s early post punk group state of art. the lightbulb lit up & we asked him if he had any home recordings of his solo work. months later, he sent us 83 tracks of cassette recordings between 1982 & 1987. they had been sitting upstairs in a dusty box at his parents house in italy for the last 25 years. these tracks have only been heard by a handful of his closest friends. we were completely floored & honored! finding a beautiful treasure completely untouched & preserved is so rare. the songs are raw & honest written by a romantic with a love for an anthemic chorus & a drum machine running through his veins. think early minimal depeche mode with an italian heart. ornew order covering madonna produced moroder. yes, its that good. here we have the first official italians do it better release of these songs on a 4 song 12inch ep. this vinyl only release is a teaser for the >dont give up< 18 track lp out in a couple of months. so in the meantime, slip on those gucci loafers, rev up the alfa romeo and head down to the discotheque because life is too short

manila fine vinyls is the label project created by edo arengi (shadow sync) back in 2010 to bring out that soulful side of techno we all love. unlike some freaks you can hear around nowadays, the manila fine vinyls productions have their roots in the original detroit sound: no frills, no virtual mockeries, just the full and deep analog sound that goes straight to your heart. music is a matter of substance, not of decorations! this second release includes two brand new tunes produced at the barricade, edos studio located in the heart of berlin. more feelings, with its electric piano chords and the moog bass line, is a well balanced blend of a fat groove and sweet azmospheres. techno with a little touch romanticism! i want to believe, a deeper tune built around a powerful, hypnotising sh-101 line with a delightful slide, is opened by touching string chords and grows as the various percussive elements are added creating a thicker rhythmic texture. its unsophisticated music, its the original spirit of techno.

zwei rastlose grenzgänger frönen dem pop: das furiose süddeutsche duo pollyester veröffentlicht sein debütalbum earthly powers und experimentiert mit spacigen hooklines in der krautdisco. mit ihren weltweit gefeierten eps auf ihrem eigenen imprint love in c minor und permanent vacation haben sich polina lapkovskaja alias polly und manuel da coll alias yossarian bereits als zeitgenössisches produzentenduo voller Überraschungen einen namen gemacht.

somewhere between center parcs in nottingham and the white sandy perfection of formentera reside two men dedicated to the art of horizontal dancing. their mums call them ampo and timm (funny names, those notts lads), though we know them by their collective name of coyote. in their minds eye, it is still 1986 and there are leathery looking germans with alarming posing pouches dancing to simply red records on the shimmering terrace at ku club while down the road alfredo is building his legendary reputation at amnesia. apart from the clued-up few, most of the brits are billeted in san antonio where the beers are cheap and the sunburn is plentiful. coyotes music, despite being produced in the east midlands conjures up a world of sun, sea and 80s glamour, while still sounding very much like today.

das zodiak free arts lab, auch bekannt als zodiak club, war eine temporäre gleichwohl sehr einflussreiche location für experimentelle live musik ende der 1960er. von kreuzberger künstlern 1967 im damaligen west berlin gegründet, war das zodiak free arts lab für eine weile ein wahres paradies für musiker, denn das laboratorium war ausgestattet mit instrumenten, verstärkern und lautsprechern, mit denen jeder ganz nach lust und laune spielen und experimentieren durfte.
vier jahrzehnte später hatte argy die idee, das konzept des clubs wieder zu beleben. argy ist einer der wenigen produzenten, die dieser tage einen völlig eigenen dance music sound kreieren, wie man an solch großartigen eps wie >love dose< (auf pokerflat inc. erschienen) hören kann oder bei seinen remixen für ibadan und defected und natürlich auch bei all den anderen vielzähligen projekten, in die er involviert ist. anschließend an den zodiak club der 60er hat argy für einen kurzen zeitraum seine eigenen privaten räumlichkeiten in berlin geöffnet um mit kollegen und freunden zu jamen. argy konzentrierte sich jedoch nicht nur auf musik-experimente, sondern lud seine gäste ein mit ihm gemeinsam an einer reihe von happenings teilzunehmen, wie zum beispiel an live musik sessions, abendessen, der gemeinsamen erfahrung der vielen facetten von schönheit, konversationen und allerlei anderen bizarren oder exzentrischen erlebnissen.

the bearfunk bandwagon just keeps rolling! not content with providing some of the best moments in leftfield dance we again head back to italy so clap rules can show us their >golden hands<.
clap rules is the new pseudonym of fabrizio mammarella, andrea gabriele and max leggieri: who in their own words >make experiments with dance music<. after well received ep’s for labels like tiny sticks & dissident and remixes for dfa artist michoacan, new yorks in flagranti and french electronic music pioneer etienne de crecy. they have caught the attention of djs and music lovers from many different scenes. with a deep love for vintage equipment and recording techniques they mix this up with a fresh modern approach to concoct electronic music with no boundaries, which in itself is what bearfunk is all about, so this marriage was made in heaven.

our japanese dear friend hidenobu ito is definitely overwhelming and it seems almost comically out of place. from alien hydraulics to percussive steel fractals he allows to take shape within the realm of impossibility. so, what follows next on numbolic records is a stunning lesson in subtle buildup of sound design. theres a feeling of constant movement and shaky energy that means his music never quite stands still. highly resonant and rapidly-panning drum hits act like flickering fluorescent lights. the result is a heavily abstracted layering and perhaps our most sonically release to date. every sound, no matter how tiny, is endlessly tweaked and picked apart. the 12 inch ep is rounded off with 2 prickly re-interpretations. dualism turns up the fog with a super-deep captivating and yet lovingly version. while ditch comes up with a characteristic throbbing dirty techno rework. another 4 smashing tracks by hidenobu ito are added digitally as well as two bonus remixes. kai provides a dance floor-approved version and the hungarian newcomer as we said made a cartoon spaceship to the moon. big pulsating bass kicks will drive you in that particular head-space, but before accidentally killing someone in love, we suggest go get this record instead and start dance! be numbolic!

classic disco cuts

disco classics , back on vinyl

the kid is back... august darnell a.k.a. kid creole returns in style with his first studio album in over 10 years this autumn, i wake up screaming, an epic comeback recorded for strut at kid creoles sweden hq and mixed by brennan green (chinatown records).
in anticipation of this all-new creolian odyssey, strut unleash the opening single, i do believe, a trippy disco stream of consciousness straight from the mind of darnell touching on greek mythology and other fantastical snapshots. alongside the original album with its unmistakeable double harmonies and infectious slap bass groove, the 12 inch features some mouth-watering mixes: brennan green draws on some todd terry techniques for a hypnotic dub, san francisco dj collective 40 thieves (responsible for dance anthem >dont turn it off< on permanent vacation) take the track into chugging electro funk territory, and nu disco pioneers faze action deliver a smacking 4x4 version with an anthemic piano line. the digital release features extra tracks - the faze action dub and the original radio edit of the track co-produced by august darnell and andy butler (of hercules & love affair) and mixed by brennan green.

classic disco cuts

limited edition high quality re-release on blue vinyl of this classic 1983 album by the art of noise.

we are all very excited about presenting the new catalogue for apparel music limited. we decided to offer our fans an alternative point of view to complete our distribution package. kisk, this time with the help of gennaro mastrantonio, is developing a new concept designed for a bigger dance hall. whereas apparel music covers the daytime, warm-up and after-party side, apparel music limited represents the night in all its different shades. we have chosen francesco gemelli to set our experimental work in motion. francescos classic vocal house music takes us back in time, as if disco music never died and the 90s still had something to say.. the aggressive, uncompromising rhythm of spin my mind melts into the love sounds of she loves the 80s, as if travelling back in time were not enough, as if modern times were in the past and the past was hic et nunc, here and now. ughl revamps the visuals in a deep house version of she loves the 80s, turning it into a very up-to-date track, while gennaro gives spin my mind just the right trajectory for limited edition.

now into their seventh year, horse meat disco have continued to lead the way with packed residencies at their hq at the eagle in london s vauxhall, lux in lisbon and tape in berlin. inspired by the music and inclusive ethos of new york’s club scene during the 70s and 80s, the collective have garnered a unique reputation for amazing parties and unmatchable sets, the quartet of djs each mixing their own quality blend of disco juice. during 2011, as well as playing their annual uk festival dates at glastonbury and lovebox, they will be spreading the love to some of the world s leading festivals including vivid in sydney, electric elephant, bestival and san francisco s pride.

part one of two, featuring remixes by plaid for various artists.

second double vinyl from the reproduction compilation with remixes by playgroup aka trevor jackson.

the eighth release of >lets get lost< which is started by mule musiq and force of natures kza. this release is our favorite portuguese artist johnwaynes again. a side is dj friendly edit of famous cosmic classic >pili pili<. b1 is beatdown house remix of garage classic >funky sensation<. if you like the production of mcde or dj nature,you will love this song. b2 >slyadub< is modern reggae house

berkane sol present the vinyl debut of erra. erra comes bursting through your speakers with a riot of tuff drums and sweet melody – its like the sound of someone who has rinsed their console so much that its gone way beyond high scores and into a full on system meltdown. >stax< starts out with a dreamy intro which leads into the rudest of wake up calls – a proper peak-time jackin synth stab married to a smartly evolved bassline, all driven by concussive garage flavoured rhythms. >jookup< on the flip again demonstrates erras irresistible talent for blending blissful keys with hectic dancefloor moments, this time really bringing the sickly grime synths to the front, with some cute but disembodied vocals punctuating the action. the 12 inch follows up erras popular l2s digital release >cake music<, and neatly shows off this young producers rapid development. these tracks have been getting love from people such as: al tourettes (applepips), mary anne hobbs, brackles (rinse fm), n type (wheel and deal), dj flight (1 xtra), spamchop (wigflex), 2562 (tectonic), shortstuff (ramp), cardopusher (hyperdub), martyn (3024), martin kemp (blunted robots), elgato (hessle audio), selector dub u (hotflush), skipple (sub fm), west norwood cassette library (teal), king thing (fortified) ...

for the 10th release on soweos we are proud to present… the return of dj w!ld on our beloved label after his amazing >con estrellas< ep. the >dance until i die< ep is typical w!ld style house track that was made to be played out loud. sexy subs and a psychedelic breakdown we have come to know and love of his sound. also included is a remix by label head lauhaus, that brings the title track to a more groovy affair. he keeps the vibe of the original, but gives it a typical amsterdam twist

such an intense, variegated, and singularly saccharin sound can only come from the mind of someone whos in love with life and music. its what puppy love sounds like for our generation. following the paul woolford remix of t. williams and terri walkers heartbeat comes local action 006, the first 12inch release by an amazing new artist from manchester, uk, called damu. after this, hes got material penciled in for blackdowns keysound label and more. the title track, a stand-out from girl units xlr8r podcast last year, is one of the best tunes weve put out yet, full of colour with just the right amount of lushness to it. while a lot of uk dance music right now seems to use colourful synths in an unimaginative way, damus drip, glow and fizz at every turn in the same way that ill blu or funkystepz do. listening to mermaids like diving head-first into a lagoon. after that youve got three more killers: the iron assault of >beat of zen< and the few-more-intense >sequinny<, plus a ‘beat of zen remix by chicago juke titans dj rashad and dj earl. early support comes from lv, girl unit, sinden, brodinski, starkey and more

coming straight off the back of two well-thumbed eps, ruben & ra welcome spanish boogie chronicler rayko to their west london-based retrospective imprint for retro003. ra: >we just had to reach out to rayko after he sent us his edits of dazz bands >let it whip< and >contagious< by the whispers<. over on the flip, madrids finest has given evelyn champagne kings 1982 classic >love come down< a modern rework, plus completing the package ruben & ra have added their version. as is always the case with a retrospective ep, theres a 320k free download and this time its raykos >contagious<. who said the spirit of house music was dead?

the fried tofu crew follow up their excellent first course with another tasty selection! on the a-side sweet soulful voices catch you from the first try on. but dont be hasty, or you will burn your tongue. this is hot and far from being a dessert. after the first impression of sweetness, you will feel the spicy taste coming through. we all love that slight burning on the lips, making you really feel the feel. the first cut on the b-side digs even deeper into sweetness. somehow everything seems to be so lovely, each time this one is played out. its clear that even the ruff guys cant resist the taste of honey. real sweet and spicy, thats how its got to be. things are straightened out on the final cut, which finishes off the meal with a raw funk jam. the extended guitar groove gets back to the basics. sometimes few essential things, combined in the right way, can be all you need. a typical mistake when preparing a meal is to add too many different spices.

next up on tom tragos voyage direct series is maxi mill, a young producer from amsterdam. maxi mill came up under the wings of tom trago, co-producing some of tragos tracks, like >steppin out< or >200 b.c<! >to the next< / >sun rays< is his debut release and showcases his love for raw, dirty and syncopated house music. a hot debut from a producer we will surely hear more of soon. he makes up for another voyage direct banger. the voyage continues

top notch balearic action from mental / zambon getting a lot of plays and support from the likes of ali ooft, rayko, leftside wobble etc

a new disco re-edit from house mannequin in varied edit style. house mannequin ep 4 is the 4th release from >house mannequin< label in berlin. inclusive four summer disco/house tracks, direct to the dance floor and open air situations.

youandewans utterly spellbinding and unutterably lovely >1988< is given the remix treatment by one of the few artists with a delicate enough touch to handle it with the care it deserves. jimpster teases in a beautifully soft synth hook from the outset followed by the heavenly keys of the original before bringing the entire mix together with a gently bubbling bassline. pure summer bliss.

lonesome hero is the anonymous, vinyl-only project spawned from a love of technos vinyl purism by a collective of artists growing tired of technos current cult of celebrity. visit lonesomehero.net to read up on the lh philosophy

finally ! the new ep from gopher. this one is a follow up from a bunch of remixes that alex had released over the last few last months for autokratz, etienne de crecy, light year, alb, pacific & sovnger. it gives us a good idea musically of what his album with patrick devin could be about !! some of the reactions about these remixes were >amazing< (boys noize), >brilliant< (groove armada), >absolutely love it< (david, autokratz), >quality !< (spiller), >favorite track !< (reset !), >on adore, ça tue< (soulwax)… ok, >invasion< is electronic music, but above all, thats f… good music ! vintage synths, harmonies, vocoder and other surprises ! who are the invaders? if they are as fresh as they seem, then we welcome them with open arms! >virages< takes us where the mastery of alex is well known. a track more radical, more oriented towards the dance floor. a funk and dirty bass line that drives until the arrival of a big 303 lead. mmmmh, yes !

he s now back with a new 2 track ep, wait & see, that gives a sneak peak into his album that wil be released in october.on the a-side, wait & see, a secret weapon already triggered by agoria on his recent sets. the track opens with a steady but slightly dizzying rhythm pattern that eventually makes way for an androgynous chorus that build and lift your hands in the air with them. on the flipside, -love birds- a night owl, minimal and graceful and which waves its wings of synth arrangements and nocturnal chants till the first shines of the day

played by tini, ricardo villalobos, audiofly, matthias meyer, jimpster, hosh, till von sein, raresh, federico molinari, shlomi aber, eurokai, kruse & nuernberg, p.toile, reto ardour, patlac and many more. the sun can compare! our summer session - listen and feel! baalsaal is in love with this one . mr. rockford inc. delivers an absolut vocalstunner introducing terry lovique armstrong on the mic. follow him and please stay... a1 please stay (who is 121 remix) an hommage to those old strictly days where sweet vocalism ruled. no cheese, no cream. just a driving basement groover to spread love. a2 midnite soul a perfect warm up jazzmoody example by mr. rockford, that really hits the stompfunkin nail. everglades soundtrack it is what we called it to. i think i saw a dinosaur or is it just a dream. b: please stay ( jay haze rmx ) this one does the warehouse of those days interpretation and has it a little darker and edgier. jay who is such a pleasure to have on board drives it gaga till the grande finale enlighten us double xl. the way jay includes the vocs nearly took it to hazy fantazy land.

nice price deal !!! peaktime! this one definitely qualifies as a summer record. a.j. holmes is the self-titled >king of the new electric hi-life<. after moving back to london three years ago the guitarist and dj has played quite a role in the booming afrobeat scene there and formed a new band called >the hackney empire<. for the summer of seven series he contributes two remixes of tracks from the very best and xylitol that are simply made for the summertime love.

dust science is proud to present the second release from dadavistic orchestra, a collaboration between the black dog and 3 former members of fellow electronic pioneers the psychick warriors of gaia. dadavistic orchestras first release, >dokument .01<, showcased the two groups love for dadaism and all that it inspired. dokument .02 continues with this theme. where the first release was a double a-side of ambient electronic drone, dokument .02 is a six track album of beatless but very high impact electronics. each track weighs in at around 11 minutes of evolving, warm, and affecting analogue deepness. endlessly fascinating and continuously stimulating, these pieces are long, and yet highly economical.

nycs munga with a debut ep of quality edits & re-works. dj support from: jkriv / rayko / manmademusic & more…

shack music celebrates its 5 year anniversary with a series of previously deleted or unreleased material and existing catalogue from the vaults with re-edits and remixes for 2011.on this limited 12 inch sampler shack music highlights its success in unearthing rocco of rodamaal fame as a solo artist with his debut release >heartbeat< originally released in 2006 remastered for 2011. a true deep house gem that has found that perfect balance between deep house and the origins of tech house. the 2nd track of the ep features two of the most sought after producers of recent years in demarkus lewis and mr v of sole channel music. the dubstrumental mix of >untitled love affair< sees for the first time the light of day on wax that has seen support from djs as diverse as dinky (musica libre, cocoon), sascha dive to dennis ferrer. rounding off the package on the flip comes from label head soy mustafa with an exclusive appearance to the 5 year comp and this sampler entitled >dub state of mind<. this b-side track is a straight up hidden gem relentless in drums both dubby and groovy with an incessant synth line that automates in and out of the groove thats almost subtle but infectious at the same time…a proper deep summer tune!