30+ minutes of life affirming ambient and drone coming from zen zsigo, otherwise known for his work under the cremation lily alias and as one of the spearheads of the current uk tape scene, where he has been mixing things up for 7 years via his strange rules label. winter orbit was inspired by science fiction and its relation to modern life, recorded in 2015 using a mix of both modern and archaic equipment it was later released on belgian tape label audio. visuals. atmosphere. on an initial run of 33 tapes. winter orbit is now newly presented via an expanded re-issue, chronicling the original material, re-issued on one side (fragments in hologram snow) while showcasing new material (for artifice rose) which was created in response to the initial release by zsigo in 2017. as usual, remastered and cut @ dubplates and mastering, berlin and pressed at record industry, holland to ensure optimum listening quality.

marcel vogels latest on lumberjacks in hell welcomes the mighty leftfield nyc mc sensational to flow over his learned disco house grooves. sensational sounds right at home on if you like, and vogel gives him a slightly freaked groove to riff on that works just fine. brown curls taps up khalil anthony, one of the finest uk house vocalists in operation right now, and patchworks remixes it into a dreamy disco funk jam for the boogie brothers and sisters to shake it to. alma negra gets busy with if you like, creating a tumbling afro-centric re-rub par excellence, and then tim jules comes on board with an instrumental version that nudges into tightly wound funk territory.

uk talent josh butler has made a rapid ascension since he burst onto the scene in 2013, winning coveted awards from beatport and dj mag. he now brings his production prowess to hot creations, delivering a club ready two-parter for his debut ep on the label. title track anonymous is made for low ceiling, sweaty basements with its deep, growling bass and select vocal cuts. doesn’t work swiftly follows suit, delivering another dose of rolling, after-hours goodness. a mainstay in the industry, having released on labels such as cuttin headz, relief and desolat, andrea oliva steps up for the remix of anonymous with an acidic bassline and lively breakdown that diffuses into a carnival of synths. since emerging on the scene back in 2013 with his debut got a feeling on mta records, josh butler has firmly established himself as a musical force to be reckoned with. releases followed on coveted labels such as kaoz theory, rejected and cajual. in 2016, butler also launched his own highly regarded imprint, origins

since 2011, smoke machine have been running a successful and well-established podcast series. now, after 8 years, they have ventured into the offline realm and will release their first ep. the record features tracks by blind observatory, dorisburg and agnois. these artists have regularly played smoke machine parties and their larger event organik festival and are in line with the smoke machine sound.

sami baha is a turkish producer based in south east london. his music was introduced to the world via his 2016 ep “mavericks” (planet mu), recorded while he was moving from istanbul to london where he’s now been living the last 3 years. sami got into producing through being a rapper himself, working with local rappers in turkey and producing beats for them, before setting his sights outside the country.
while his first record was focused around a more familiar trap based hiphop sound, “free for all” expands its range into more unfamiliar territory and also brings his production into focus by featuring a number of mcs from all corners of the globe: uk drill squad 67’s dimzy, stockholm’s yung lean and chicago rapper and singer dj nate (aka flexxbabii) who’s previously recorded on planet mu as a footwork producer. the record also features the rowdy sing-song of egyptian mcs dawsha and abanob from cairo whom sami met while on tour in egypt.

we have waited 3 years to release the sound we want to inspire with, but we now have the modula records first release coming out soon on vinyl only. mr001 comes in the form of a various artists ep featuring the very best producers around right now, maksy, mehlor, steve butcher & ross mccormack. this 4 track ep takes you on a deep and minimal journey with guaranteed grooves.

originally released in 2012, now back as expanded reissue with 2 bonus tracks: “95 and beyond” and the ivvvo remix of “inside you”.

incl incl. remixes by ricarco villalobos & dorian paic aka doric
klas henrik lindblad better known as sasse or freestyle man has been a friend of our label for many years and also released together with dorian for our raum musik compilation in 2005. soul sounds without any doubt still is one of his absolute masterpieces and he was never willing to do anything with it and just let it rest in peace until the idea came up to re release it for our label. usually we are not licensing or re releasing anything but sasse and especially this track of him definitely deserve it. as it is also our 20 years anniversary we got one of our key artists on board that has been playing the track again a lot recently and that also immediately liked the idea of remixing this track and this is the result now. we are happy to present you the original track of sasse plus two remixes by our dear friend ricardo villalobos and label head dorian paic together. enjoy !

b from e, an uncommon name but surely soon to be know. this young danish/mexican talent has already released a successful ep on copenhagen underground posse, but now heads for 2018 with a rock solid 3 track ep at traxx underground! b from e delivers a classic and very melodic house sound, in a fusion of us garage and soulful deep house. he is pointing for the stars and ready to spread love, all over the world!

brame & hamo are back with the third release on their eponymous imprint. trants and club orange effortlessly upheld the berlin based duos reputation for dancefloor ready hits, with the latter selling out in one day. picking up where the others left off, limewire ep is a nod to their early influences channelling house, techno, trance and breakbeat. over three tracks, brame & hamo brandish the party starting spirit they are rapidly becoming known for. broken beats feature heavily alongside subtle acid licks, uplifting harmonies and sweltering synth lines. parade rain is a peak time house roller with pulsing bass, meditative pads and airy pipes that polish it off to make a fine rendition to early 90’s house. sports complex the darkest of the ep, builds an intense energy with a heavy hitting 808, shuttering reflections, a driving 303 line topped off with a trance-inducing melody that makes this into a big room bomb. the title track is a breakbeat workout honing a classy piano riff complimented with emotional synths, strings and more acid lines, a fruit for clarity. finally tuff city kids aka gerd janson & lauer round it up with a club ready interpretation of their title track, adding more drum layers, a jittering bassline and a simple but effective melody to finish it off. limewire ep finds the duo exploring a range of influences, expertly referencing various styles whilst still weighing in the sound that is now unmistakably theirs.

12inch with printed deluxe sleeve, affetto played by bufiman at his dekmantel set for boiler room, incl. gerd janson remix
good news, kids: now you can play a different kitjen record every day of the week, because just as last summer, we have some hot dutch jams coming your way for kitjen 007: utrecht s own stijn sadée, who has been making moves in the dutch scene for a while and runs the infamous club sauvage night, brings us three mystically exotic joints that showcase his manifold sources of inspiration and will bang your gong this summer. none other than hessen s love doctor gerd janson stops by to seal the deal by turning -affetto- into a 12 minute dancefloor journey. pack light!

jb edits the edit project of sydney, australia based house dj & producer jerk boy. he’s now turned his focus to vinyl only dance floor edits of all his favourite boogie, balearic, funk, soul & disco tunes cut, sampled, tried and tested for lower lights, bright nights and the ultimate dance floor jiggathon.

giovanni damico keeps amazing things coming and takes it with this release on the mighty label kalakuta soul records to the next level. joining forces with the mighty gabriele spagnuolo and francesco di domenico on guitars and saxophone, the italian boogie doctor brings to life three filthy stompers inspired by amazing artists from the african continent who have shaped what we now call (dance) music. to felas people is one of three stompers delivered for this joint teaming up with mr. villy odili - lead singer of the amazing nigerian band villy and the extreme volumes - whos precise lyrics and drifty voice joins forces with a charging afrobeat rhythm hailing from giovanni damicos bad ass laboratory. afro stomp and baba on the other side come with the most furious drums and bassline one could ever imagine accompanied by a celestial instrumentation that hits the mind, the soul and the hips.

having established itself with innovative releases from the likes of lucy, blawan and roots in heaven, the experimental zehnin label now looks to paleman for four more fierce tracks. now often releasing on his own plmn label, this classically and jazz trained artist has previously won plenty of fans and plaudits for heavyweight rollers on labels like swamp 81, 81 and school records. emerging from the ashes of dubstep to come up with his own deep techno sound, he is a rinse fm regular with his experimental show ‘trenches and mirrors this exploration with tracks full of texture, modular synthesis and visceral percussion. opener ‘2068 is a dark and foreboding bit of economical techno. monolithic kicks set a forceful groove below as they rock back and forth, and factory floor sounds, scurrying little sonic details and rattling hits all peel off the groove as it powers on

soul jazz records are releasing this new 10th anniversary 2017 edition of their classic album ‘dancehall – the rise of jamaican dancehall culture’. this long-out-of-print collection is now available as a triple-vinyl edition with download code included.

berlin-based american producer p.leone returns to spencer parker s work them records with arguably his biggest offering to date, featuring two standout cuts entitled the el dorado ep . upon being discovered by spencer parker, p.leone dropped his first two releases on work them records in 2016. since then he has continued to rise, launching e-missions alongside caiazzo last year before kickstarting 2018 with a four-track techno release on rekids. he now returns to parker s renowned imprint with arguably his biggest offering to date. with its looping vocals and robust drums, el dorado (bump yo ass off mix) is a monster of a track designed to throw dancefloors into absolute revelry. on the flip, dancing to get you back features crystalline synths, purring bass and a medley of breakbeat percussion. dj support: ben sims i like them amen cut, thx! laurent garnier - good house/brea

montréal native marie davidson’s unique form of synth pop has become an undeniable force in modern music, and until now her 2013 debut has only been available through digital download and limited edition cassette. on april 13, 2018 marie davidson’s newly re-mastered self-titled ep will be available for the first time on pink colored vinyl with foil stamped deluxe packaging and download code included. her debut chronicles the development of davidson before her three critically acclaimed full-length lps, high profile press coverage and headlining slots at international festivals.

r.o.s.h. aka roshan chauhan, is already a name to watch, with “will i make the turn?” landing as his third release in a little over a year, having previously released via drumz for eternity and rosh. raised in an indian household in herefordshire the producer and dj is now expanding his ever-growing discography on negative space ma. r.o.s.h.’s latest release takes a darker turn as he morphs woozy memories of his nighttime rituals, from club to car to home as streetlights flicker overhead reliving acceleration though bpm on punchy a-side, “will i make the turn?”. while on the b-side cut “sorry... i can’t”, r.o.s.h. delivers an infectious melancholic ode to the realities of seeing someone you are close to suffer from depression.

camea&#700,,,,s latest release on her imprint neverwhere pays homage to her hometown seattle&#700,,,,s original underground rave warehouse, naf studios, where she went dancing in the late 90s and began her journey that ultimately landed her in berlin. also where nirvanna&#700,,,,s “smells like teen spirit” video was filmed (and ironically now a catholic publishing house), the hedonistic venue is legendary to those who picked up rave flyers scattered on the streets of seattle and took a chance on an emerging new electronic music scene. both originals reflect the raw warehouse vibe of this era, and matrixxman and markus suckut have weighed in with heavy remixes. markus puts his signature on the naf 97 original with a deep space atmospheric techno banger, and matrixxman reworks the original 303 recordings in jack u, sending it into another dimension - and even further.

with »redsuperstructure«, robert lippok created a new foundation for his musical endeavors. now – 7 years later – this system properly comes to life on »applied autonomy«. the title of the new album is a clear indicator as to what the berlin-based producer has been up to during the last couple of years, both on a conceptual level as well as how he molds his ideas into tracks. »applied autonomy« orchestrates a certain state of frantic standstill, which occurs once a structure is set. has this state been reached, the artist is free to focus on other equally important aspects, balancing the various shades, pushing ideas even further to really make them shine and blossom in their self-declared autonomy. the more light one lets in, the more layers become visible. layers are key when it comes to understanding »applied autonomy«. big chunks of the material with which the album has been produced derive from sketches specifically made for a club performance. rather than meticulously devising each and every detail, lippok focussed instead on recording as many fragments as possible in a short period of time, elements which he could later combine and layer on stage. based on this material and his experience experimenting with it in a live environment, the album slowly began to shape. an album culminating in a collaboration with klara lewis, with whom lippok spent 2 days at the ems studios in stockholm, approaching the idea of autonomy from yet another angle. during the session, both musicians played and performed simultaneously, yet not explicitly together, lost in their own thoughts and ideas, only subconsciously taking in what the other one was coming up with. the result is »samtal«, 14 minutes of a constantly evolving state of poise, magically connecting all the dots lippok had already defined as »applied autonomy«. the artwork for »applied autonomy« has been created by the berlin-based argentinian artist luca gutierrez. over the last couple of years, he has made a name for himself with his spectacular av performances.

following his celebrated fusion (broadcast mix) 12inch, will dimaggio returns to future times with debut lp, at ease. recorded 2016-17 at the now-illustrious fairview ave spot alongside roommates dj python, anthony naples, and the exotic dance crew, at ease is equal parts dizzy street beats and live keyboard action.

from northern italy, the maestro beppe loda is continuing his beppe loda cuts series with his newest edit release. obscure disco rock explores rare tracks that blur the line between disco and rock from 70 s and 80 s italy.

2018 repress - and here is mh017, an untitled ep by neo image. this one has been percolating for a while now in the hard drives of the hut, with tracks seeing play on the misty flyways and byways from bilbao to burnaby, saunas to squash courts. choose your own adventure with a variety of moods and grooves spread over 5 tunes.

available again! soul jazz records new 2018 edition of their long out of print classic first “deutsche elektronische musik – experimental german rock and electronic music 1972-83” is ‘a near-definitive guide to some of the world’s most extraordinary music’ (the guardian).
featuring a stunning line-up of groups including cluster, can, faust, popol vuh, neu!, amon düül, harmonia, la düsseldorf and tangerine dream as well as a host of lesser known groups such as kollectiv, ibliss, between and many more. this new edition is fully re-mastered and features all the original artwork and tracks.
the vinyl edition is made up of two separate volume heavyweight loud gatefold double albums (now + free download codes) featuring all sleevenotes and text.

available again! soul jazz records new 2018 edition of their long out of print classic first “deutsche elektronische musik – experimental german rock and electronic music 1972-83” is ‘a near-definitive guide to some of the world’s most extraordinary music’ (the guardian).
featuring a stunning line-up of groups including cluster, can, faust, popol vuh, neu!, amon düül, harmonia, la düsseldorf and tangerine dream as well as a host of lesser known groups such as kollectiv, ibliss, between and many more. this new edition is fully re-mastered and features all the original artwork and tracks.
the vinyl edition is made up of two separate volume heavyweight loud gatefold double albums (now + free download codes) featuring all sleevenotes and text.

sagmen co-founders andre salmon and aert prog team up for a solid single, featuring remixes from matteo rosolare & jojo angel, mr jefferson, as well as aert himself. individually, ecuadorian salmon has appeared on leftroom, repopulate mars, hottrax and get physical, while parisian aert prog has had output on anima somnis, laboratory records and popof’s form. launching sagmen at the end of 2017, both producers have appeared on separate releases on the label so far, however the founders now come together for a collaborative release, blending both their sounds together. ‘sagmen’ opens the release with shuffling kicks and claps whilst alarming drones and bumpy rhythms creep throughout, before daylight robbery records boss matteo rosolare teams up with greece’s jojo angel version comes bouncing in, littered with crisp percussion and shaky hums. twisted fusion and resonance records producer mr. jefferson’s take on the track rolls in after, full of thunderous tones and clanking beats. these carve the way for aert prog’s remix, which strips everything back, twisting it into moody roller.

nice price deal !!! nofitstate is the new label project from simon baker and geddes. having been a hugely successful london based party over the past few years the duo have now branched out to present their take on contemporary house music. the inaugural release kicks off with mr baker in solo mode with the arpy ep, a highly energetic affair with simons sharp production nous in fully effect, arpy 1 features a killer synth lead whilst arpy 2 keeps the vibe deeper, negating the synth in favour of an emphasis on groove. skudge provide the remix on the flip, intertwining elements of the original mixes in their now signature sound.

northern soul anthems features 26 classic northern soul tracks pressed on 2x 180g heavyweight black vinyl. housed in gatefold sleeve with original photography from filmmaker elaine constantine. defining northern soul anthems from judy street, al green, sue lynne, chairmen of the board, the vibrations, little richard, the charmaines, willie kendrick, gloria edwards + more.

comprised of vancouver producers and multi-instrumentalists nick wisdom and astrological, canadian duo potatohead people boast a number of noteworthy accolades thanks to a their signature sound drawing influences from 90 s boom-bap, future soul, classic jazz, deep house and boogie/funk. beginning with a series of ep s, including their landmark -kosmichemusik- ep, potatohead people s productions quickly made their way to artists like illa j who tapped the duo to produce his now critically acclaimed self-titled album, as well as producers like kaytranada (who co-produced illa j s -strippers- with the pair). supporters such as soulection, nightmares on wax, pomo, dj spinna, big boi, and phife dawg have also played formidable roles in championing the sound of potatohead people worldwide.

brought together by their mutual love for meditative music, onemind were born. the self-titled onemind album project blurs the gap between jungle, dub and electronica, with each production detailed enough that new sounds are discovered on every listen, something that the duo have stated they feel is missing from modern electronic dance music. the music created under this moniker consists of an array of ideas influenced by a melting pot of creative freedom, which onemind are now ready to share in the form of a 8-track album preceded by a 2-track sampler.

brought together by their mutual love for meditative music, onemind were born. the self-titled onemind album project blurs the gap between jungle, dub and electronica, with each production detailed enough that new sounds are discovered on every listen, something that the duo have stated they feel is missing from modern electronic dance music. the music created under this moniker consists of an array of ideas influenced by a melting pot of creative freedom, which onemind are now ready to share in the form of a 17-track album preceded by a 2-track sampler.

bossmusik returns with adam stromstedt for their seventh release. the swede, now residing in australia, is known for his eclectic track selection and production. on the a-side, two dance floors rollers combine groove and warm synths to create perfect soundtracks for the coming summer months. the b side showcases a more experimental side to adam s production. intermittent vocals combine with percussion driven rhythms for an easy going micro house trip.

the aesthetics of this ep is related to the universe electro / idm early 90 s by a choice of very precise synthesizer. p6, sh- 101, tb-303, tr-808 and to coordinate the whole an rs7000 which comes to rhythm this refusal of modernity. foreign sequence digs into the techniques of the past to find the answers, he shows his know-how here and uses it to express a multitude of emotions between nostalgia and optimism.

chicago s finest dj rahaan has teamed up with the now legendary liverpool disco festival for an ultra-dope double 12inch offering of legit, fully licensed and fully flipped remixes and re-edits from the west end vaults. sounds like disco heaven, right? in order to be let loose in the vaults you really need to know your stuff and we all agree that rahaan ra knows his stuff! this dream collabo sees him (respectfully) touching some of the jams that made west end the dance music powerhouse that is today. that s right, we re talking rarities, foundation tracks, the cornerstones of modern club music. these are wonderfully executed and brand spanking new versions of classics, who says you can t have your cake and eat it too ? well, brenda taylor actually, and that is only one of the joints on this special release alongside mahogany s boogie anthem ride on the rhythm , chuck davis spirit of sunshine and billy nichols give your body up to the music . spread across 2 hefty slabs of beautifully mastered wax we get to enjoy rahaan s reworks in all their uninterrupted glory, just as the disco gods intended. truly a match made in heaven, you will not want to miss out on this essential, extra-fresh west end / rahaan / liverpool disco festival release!

fina records welcome jad & the for a new ep that shows off the australian-born, berlin-based producer’s majestically melodic house sound. a special dub from 6th borough project makes this another essential release. before now jad & the has served up tracks of the year (‘strings that never win’ - mixmag 2017), fronted four piece live act mitzi—who played alongside the likes of nile rodgers—and also produced as jad & the ladyboy, all the while picking up fans like moxie and bradley zero. sonar kollektiv and toy tonics have put out his charming sounds before and this new one is another joyous offering. the feel good ‘2 getha (4 eva mix)’ kicks things of with old school drum breaks and loved-up vocals. big smeared pads, a new age melody and classic bassline line finish it off and carry you away to summery house heaven. ‘twist club’ then drops into lush deep house with a long legged bassline tumbling beneath organic drums. it’s a dreamy and romantic cut before ‘disco hold down’ has live sounding jazz drums, choppy vocals and rough edges that take you to the heart of a vibe-fulled basement party. delusions of grandeur’s 6th borough project serve up a dub that’s more stripped back and built on a big rubber bassline. jacking drums and a more rapturous vocal make it a truly steamy jam.

back in august 2017, 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 well be releasing in the years to come but right now it’s time to jack!

the latest joint on uzuri comes from mark hand, a secret weapon of the uk house underground who has been active for a long time and now seems to be finally getting the props he deserves. his mood on -all caught up- reflects the infectious positivity of his live sets at freerotation, all mellifluous rhodes keys and classic deep house signifiers that seep into your soul. -cobwebs- is just as smooth, although it takes on a more deep-diving tone laden with transcendental chord progressions and a dash of motor city melancholy. that makes patrice scott the perfect choice to remix the track, and he takes a measured approach to simmering the component parts down for a version garnished with gorgeous piano and synth tones.

john talabot and axel boman teamed up in 2017 for their r&s debut the night land where they got to flex their creative muscles over eight tracks of rich synth jams. the two electronic artists have been independently successful in their respective careers, but as pitchfork expressed in their glowing review their collective output doesn’t sound much like eithers work, it doesnt even necessarily reflect the thin, convex sliver where their interests overlap. instead, theyve hit upon something new. this new sound also proved to be a hit with the likes of mojo, phonica, xlr8r, self titled and dj mag all including it their annual best of lists. the artists have now handpicked four artists to create their own vision of the talaboman sound. superpitcher, samo dj and luke slater under his l.b. dub corp alias have all seriously delivered the goods.

radio slave’s colossal ‘the revenge’ track now gets expert remix treatment from klasse wrecks label head luca lozano. luca has also released on the likes of optimo, sex tags ufo and unknown to the unknown and brings a raw, acid tinged sound to his beats. as a performer lozano’s versatile dj sets span between raw house, cosmic disco and dynamic breakbeat selections, which is why he’s become a regular at key clubs across europe and tasteful festivals like houghton. his ‘how bow dis’ remix’ is solid and features wild old school flavours in its huge drum breaks, a monstrous bassline and dark filtered vocals. it bangs for seven superbly heavy minutes with plenty of twists and turns along the way, and will transform any club or warehouse into a writhing, sweaty mass in seconds. on the flip, his ‘how bow dah’’ version is based around elastic drums and rumbling bass while a loose synth line darts about up top. some distant synths bring a sense of serenity to the madness and so despite the physical impact of this one, it also has real emotion to it.

in a short space of time prodigious dutch producer pascal benjamin has built up a catalogue of ear-snagging minimal house confections for labels like welt, norse projekt, algorhythmic and botanic minds. now hes hitting the big time with this 12inch on the mighty slapfunk, and hes packing just the kind of chunky, swinging but ultimately lean jams they love. out of line keeps things focused on the drums, with just some sub bass and microscopic threads of sonic matter in between. to goodto be who? is equally stripped down, but decidedly more wriggly in its make up, and then finest hour kicks off the b-side with some fatter beats and a more prominent bass line. lagrange point finishes the ep off with some subliminal bleeps and tones pinging in between the wafer thin percussive pulses.

once more envisioned and engineered in his native city of detroit, the record finds mgun in more auspicious and domestic circumstances. now firmly a father and a homeowner, axiom allows gonzales to flex his party muscle, while further pushing the elastic boundaries of his notoriously unpredictable and brilliantly raw production style. across twelve tracks, listeners are offered an unpredictable trip into the restlessly experimental snatches of studio time gonzales was afforded away from his then day job at the legendary people s records store. it s there that gonzales absorbed endless releases and rediscoveries passing through the stock, trading the occasional tip with some of detroit s best known producers.

it also gave us a beguiling lp that keeps on giving, exciting and inspiring over a year later. proof can be found in these three superlative remixes. subversive berlin duo otto take the lead with a warm, arabic twist on the album opener bonnie says by lifting the groove with a little organ-squeezing spring while maintain its faraway haze and mystique. accurately hyped romanian-also-in-berlin borusiade follows with an overwhelming floor-ready update on have i told you. already a familiar face with the label, she weaves a chasm-like new-wave narrative that sucks you deep into the mix and galvanises the pundit attention shes getting right now. finally mannequin records founder alessandro adriani joins the party with a tunnelling twist on the somnambulant aesthetic of valium. flipping the dreams for a much darker 3am reality, it will leave your dancefloor pining for more. dont worry, theres plenty more to come. dischi autunno are only just warming up.

hmot aka stas sharifullin is siberian-born, moscow-based musician, curator, educator and multi-disciplinary artist from siberia. using modular synthesizer, field recordings and visual programming languages, hmot collects sounds and organizes them into structures, pushing traditional electronic music genres beyond their comfort zones. “permanent imbalance” is his ep debut on the berlin imprint oqko following a single contribution to the label’s “form_1” compilation. structurally, “permanent imbalance” is disorderly and elusive, it’s a techno record which has undergone a gregor samsaesque metamorphosis. embedded with dizzying polyrhythmics, the discontinuity at the heart of the record might also be its central directive – interrupting the ecstatic clubbing experience in favor of a contradictory reality which is impossible to describe with regular rhythms. boldly submitted to the niche of dance music deviations, “permanent imbalance” also reveals techniques directly derived from early institutional electronics and musique concrete. but where others would pile on the layers, sharifullin keeps it trim. these are just some finishing touches enhancing his rickety and multifaceted soundscapes. subject to constant deviations of its own temporality, this music proves to mirror the crisis in which modernity resides – a state of life out of balance which now appears to be permanent as never before.

now, these tracks do one thing: they are meant for the club and in the club they should stay. a somewhat sweaty enviroment, like 150 people and a good analog soundsystem... something along those lines. the aim is at a real track-y, immediate vibe – without diving too deep to the autistic side of disco edits. just trying to master the ancient art of elevating a piece of music by cutting and pasting.

unless you re too young to know or have been living under a rock for the past twenty years, there s little chance that you haven t come across marc romboy s music in one way or another. the systematic recordings boss has had many irons on the fire since establishing his first imprint, the now defunct le petit prince - gathering an untold number of releases on labels as diverse as ovum, innervisions, rebirth or 20:20 vision in his two decades of intense activity. tracing back to 1994, when he used to rummage through the crates of delirium - the primitive incarnation of kompakt (closed and revived under its new name in 1998), the friendship between romboy and the kompakt family has largely withstood the test of time. after losing touch for a few years, romboy and michael mayer would resume contact during a festival in the south of france - a reunion that eventually led to systematic joining kompakt s distribution catalogue a couple months later.

naif 009 is the second in a series of five eps that are released around the release of the dj-mix-cd also named naif which has its release in april 2018 the second strike comes with two superstrong techno tracks: lean forward is a contribution by nihad tule that wil burn the dancefloors. followed by not now, not yet, a scratchy track from the hands of one half of cassegrain: rhyw. side b heads into trippy territories with a heady, sparse but seductive groove by marco shuttle followed by a track from efdemin in a collaboration with his close friend and fellow konrad sprenger (pan) after more then three years of silence as a producer, efdemin a.k.a phillip sollmann returns with a striking hybrid concept that merges the album format with the continuous dj mix format, presenting completely new material in a seamless manner. the cd-mix, named naïf, officially reinstates his label of the same name and is a sprawling tour of inner space featuring 19 distinct tracks from fellow producers along with an additional ten that feature efdemin himself (either as soloist or collaborator). the release condenses his decade-long dj-ing journey and evolution as a producer into a single potent elixir of contemporary techno. naif consists of completely unreleased material from both himself and valued collaborators, all of which will eventually manifest as ep releases: five on his own naif label and two more on curle.

it s been around three years since jpattersson opened up a whole new horizon of formerly unheard possibilities between the worlds of dub and techno. a lot has been happening ever since, and that’s very noticeable on his second album. it still has all the signature elements of jpattersson: there s his dreamy, virtuous trumpet play and his witty vocals, there s his dubby delays and heavyweight beats which often line up in a downbeat rhythm. however, besides his fanfares there s now also many folks, many musical friends who contribute to the vibe of this album. there s a track with berlin mc longfingah, latin-flavoured rhythms from polish reggae and dancehall producer dreadsquad as well as a stylistically wide range of remixes that reflect the symbiotic cooperation and mutual inspiration of these last years.

2018 repress in plain white sleeve.
critical come extremely correct once more with what is bound to be an early summer smash as a certain dub phizix picks up where the almighty marka left off. teaming up with fellow manchester scene stalwart fox proves an inspired choice here which critical just couldnt ignore, so invited him back to drop these two more astonishingly fresh tracks for this, his second outing on the label. simply put, >never been< is baaaaaad man business. a lean, stripped back percussive intro leads us to a breakdown where fox greets us with the sickest of vocal hooks that you will be trying to decipher until the end. when the tribal half-time break drops its time to bounce as the undulating b-line rolls heavy throughout with dub phizix teasing with awesome drumedits and amen shakedowns. riddim! cinematic soundscapes and a solid beats combine on >codec<, a more bass-led slab of equally dance floor drum & bass that retains the dub phizix air of originality with an experimental break the kicks like a mule. another winner without doubt from a very exciting splinter cell coming out of the north of the uk right now.

yagyas rigning album from 2009 is the icelandic producer s most acclaimed dub, techno and minimal masterpiece. due to popular demand, delsin are now re-issuing it across three slabs of vinyl. previously only available as a double pack with eight tracks, the new re-mastered version features all 10 of the tracks from the original cd. gumundsson has been making music for years both solo and as part of the thule musik collective. he is an album specialist who has worked as yagya since 2002 and has put out six albums since then. they come on labels like force inc and sending orbs where rigning was first released and manage to be both absorbing and detailed yet suitable for relaxing background listening. his last two albums, sleepygirls (2014) and stars & dust (2016) appeared on delsin records. rigning is essentially one long track split into movements. it depicts a city sleeping as gentle rain falls and dubbed out grooves zone you out. yagyas style is always patient and slow burning, his grooves are long and drawn out and his pads reach up into the heavens. this whole album in coated in a warm fuzz and is a real comfort on dark, long, cold nights. as insular and melancholic as it is, there is also plenty of beauty in the melodies and delicate keys. from dark and gloomy to more optimistic and meditative, there is a sophistication throughout this always cinematic album that continues to make it stand out nearly a decade after it was first released.