10 years after blu and exile released their magnum opus below the heavens, the california duo have reunited to release 14 tracks from the original 2007 sessions. in the beginning: before the heavens contains previously heard songs and unreleased gems – the best of the best chosen from over 40 songs in the vault. their third collaboration follows 2012s give me my flowers while i can still smell them, and is slated for an october release. in the beginning: before the heavens is made of up songs that are raw and untouched, keeping the authenticity of blu and exile’s creativity at the time. the album has guest appearances from familiar names like dr. oop, donel smokes, aloe blacc, and blame one. while soul provider, another day, and party of two appeared on blus lifted ep, the majority of these songs showcase blu rapping at his peak, maintaining his underground attitude as he dishes on reaching star status (constellations), getting radio play (on the radio), or opposing views in a problem-ridden world (youre gonna die someday). exile, meanwhile, builds a golden hip-hop era feel with head-nodding samples and dj scratches.

name kicks off his side effects ep with the title track, a deep chugging workout that wouldn t have been out of place on jamie thinness seminal deephouse label season back in the 90s. there s more classy deephouse on offer with clos des trams , a lush affair based on a deceptively simple bassline and samplework that would do st. germain proud. flip over for nobody , a fine slice of moody basement beatdown, and finally vibraphone bowed , a peaktime stomper with todd terry-esque beats and kevin yost-like xylophone lines.

it all started in march 2016 when attek and guy johnson met each other at their school in utrecht (nl). they immediately started working together on some house projects, it was the beginning of a great friendship. when mentor and friend dj caspa sended over some oldskool vinyl which he recorded from his magical collection, things really took off. with deep characteristic pads, uplifting drums, soft chords and warm smootchy vocals, attek and guy johnson went all out with this warm ep. strctr is proud to introduce another beautiful piece of art, mastered once again by the house legend dj steaw.

vinyl lp plus download code.

remastered reissue of the self-titled enterprise album from 1977.

shlomo takes a step away from his own taapion records to return to delsin for his second full ep for the label. the parisian producer serves up two of his modern techno jams, a lush ambient piece plus a slamming rework by tommy four seven. up first is in absentia: tome 2, a follow up track to his last ep on the label. it is another cold techno cut with turbulent drums down low and icy, slithering hi hats up top all backed by synths that light up the track from behind with a heavenly glow. tbilisian cure is a more abrasive affair with blistered synth lines and scurrying electronics running through the fast and brutal drums. lali then flips the script and offers an ambient excursion with watery synths forming celestial puddles in the sky. it s a zoned out soundtrack that s the perfect comedown. finishing off the ep, 47 label boss tommy four seven flips this one into a weightless techno groove that rocks back and forth on the drums as sweeping chords leave you feeling suspended in mid air. plenty of ground is covered in this one, and all with equally compelling results.

topping off 2017, scrub a dub has signed two hot new producers with some fresh soundsystem weapons. unity sessions sound system resident somah delivers a spacious dub with whiplashing synths, while jsm comes with a gritty percussion lead piece entitled “king of kings”, rough and tough. these tracks are already gaining support from vivek, coki, bukez finest, mungo’s hi fi and many more. with only 500 copies pressed, here’s one 12- not to sleep on.

in recent years the clamour for the funkier side of aor, blue eyed soul, funky rock or any other description you d care to imagine has reached heightened places. the hardest diggers have been endlessly searching for breezy, soulful and rock-infused r&b gems hidden away in the recesses of the major and independent label archives. miamis cat records one such independent, and an off shoot of the hugely successful tk disco empire had made its mark since the early 70s with stellar sides from little beaver, george & gwen mccrae, raw soul express and many more

integral 042 sees the return of the invincible dawn wall. picking up from where they left off with the amazing twin falls ep, we are now championing their latest and greatest problems ep. a continuation of the mistical journey through their enigmatic world via 4 new heavy weight anthems, these new dw beats are already on hot rotation with support from the likes of andy c and friction awarding it his friction fire tune of the week on radio 1.

bcee & villem’s vanguard project returns for it’s fifth instalment in the series.
u mk me feel has been getting a hammering from dj’s from etherwood to friction and encompasses that classic ravey feel that the vanguard project do so well.
think about rolls out effortlessly with classic rolling vibes that just ooze class.
flipping the script, the vanguard project showcase just how versatile they can be with ‘fused’. probably the heaviest track they have unleashed to date, this is a bass heavy peak time beast of a track.
rounding things off, spearhead resident mc tempza steps up on vocal duties for recharge.
support from friction, high contrast, ltj bukem, fabio, london elektricity, rockwell, etherwood, technimatic and a whole load more...

* friske joins the dust audio revolution in the form of the destruction ep . the assassin comes with 3 tracks of pure undiluted drum & bass cuts. fresh of the back of his critically acclaimed metalheadz ep he doesn’t slow down with the clinical drums and unrelenting bass… seek this out now, if not it will defiantly search you out, lock on to its target and cause destruction. * the ep’s title track “destruction” rolls from start to finish with clever intricate bass play that sneaks, weaves and hisses like a cobra snake. the almighty drop hits you and the vocal snippet “destruction” aptly describes what this killer is going to do on many a dancefloor, this rib cage rattler is designed to sit in any dj’s selection who wants to boost intensity and create a certain mood. * on the flip friske drops “artikal” into the equation. this vibing half stepping chunk of goodness has all the classic friske trademarks, atmospheric intro, little vocal’s that have been twisted into different territories. the bass and mid ranges juxtaposition for space but work in tandem for the common good.

basement jaxx and gearbox records present the valve mastered sevens 7” 45rpm single includes free download code.
no.1 in the valve mastered sevens series.
collectable, unique, supreme quality - this ever expanding series of carefully curated 7”s takes in cult heroes, underground gems, future stars - a true treasure trove of delights to explore in gearbox’s homage to the humble 45. expect direct-to-disc cuts, groundbreaking recording techniques, one-off collaborations.... all connected in one significant way: the purity, warmth and luxuriousness of an all-valve signal chain.

the reverend eddie bones is the esteemed american composer, pianist and instrument builder cooper-moore’s collaboration with the songwriter and artist ed pettersen. these two fresh interpretations of gospel songs are both featured in the new norwegian tv thriller pilot “the green jersey” which is directed by Øystein karlsen, the cult director of dag, lilliehammer, and was recently broadcast twice in norway.
no.2 in the valve mastered sevens series.
collectable, unique, supreme quality - this ever expanding series of carefully curated 7-s takes in cult heroes, underground gems, future stars - a true treasure trove of delights to explore in gearbox’s homage to the humble 45. expect direct-to-disc cuts, groundbreaking recording techniques, one-off collaborations.... all connected in one significant way: the purity, warmth and luxuriousness of an all-valve signal chain.
these valve mastered recordings feature gearbox’s vintage decca valve mixer in association with their haeco scully lathe with westrex ra1700 series amps, westrex 3diia cutting head, and telefunken u73b tube limiter.

7th storey projects is pleased to welcome back the myor massiv head honcho for his 3rd release on our label. earlier this year, coco bryce travelled to tokyo and osaka for a small series of gigs. thoroughly impressed by his experiences there, upon returning home, he immediately took to crafting a slew of jungle and hip hop tracks, heavily influenced by everything he d seen, heard, felt and tasted in the land of the rising sun. the ep kicks off with its title track, ayakashi. dark, fierce and mysterious like the mythical creatures it was named after, it builds up slowly, utilizing a combination of chopped up japanese percussion, haunting flutes and hot pants breaks, before switching to full on amen assault mode halfway through the tune. shinjuku is one of tokyos most well known wards, and also the place where coco found the records from which the samples were sourced to construct this number: a turntablism beat/scratch album, and a compilation of traditional work songs, this particular one originating from the gold mines of the island of hokkaido. on the b1 track, kaguya, he takes a more gentle approach: sweet, yet melancholic, like the miyazaki movie of the same name. the ep is rounded off with hotaru, which borrows from an entirely different source of inspiration, namely dj krush s abstract take on boom bap hip hop. shards of mid-90s mo wax are blended with anime samples, making for a solid two and a half minutes of golden era-esque head nodding.

jaunt records is celebrating 10 years of active service in fine style with this series of various artist 12inches. the air installment features four beat scientists presenting diverse musings on deep diving techno, kicking off with the hypnotic, cyclical meandering rivers by kaelan. jc meanwhile spices things up with the breakbeat roughness of the jaunt track before basic soul unit lays the smack down with the bruising broken techno of escape velocity. blackhall & bookless finish the ep off with the big room dub-out of spirit, a churning beast of a techno track that still maintains the meditative qualities of the other tracks.

cold recordings is very proud to include berlin based producer phon.o as part of it’s growing roster by means of this immaculate ep. across the 3 tracks, phon.o demonstrates his ability to combine uk- bass influences with techno sensibilities, ultimately crafting cutting edge music for the dancefloor.
‘clu5t3r’ opens the ep with a swinging 132bpm rhythm that sits somewhere in between classic uk-funky and a cracking shed/heads high techno anthem. the repeating riff that circles and cycles, sweeps through the frequency spectrum, energising and purposeful. versatile and effective, this is a track to come back to time and time again.
flip the plate and there’s another couple of gems. ‘v3r5u5’ continues on from where ‘clu5t3r’ left off, progressing the mood into a more ethereal space, building layers of pads and texture as the track developes, rising and ramping up, before pulling back and dropping into a rolling rhythm. closing up the ep is ‘h4ndcuff3d’, which takes the mood into a more dramatic backdrop. chilling pads swell up from the ground like mist in a graveyard, while the broken rhythm sets pace, creating a moody ambiance for those moments when you want to take a dancefloor into mystical, other-worldly territories. dramatic and energising!

luiz mendes jr or junior mendes was a ubiquitous figure in the brazilian soul / funk scene of the 70s and early 80s, contributing to compositions for bands such as banda black rio, tim maia, sandra de sa and many more. this, his only solo album has remained off the map (unless you re a collector of rare brazilian vinyl). despite his huge contribution to brazilian music the lp has remained unissued until now, 35 years after its recording.

nothing like an edit is from an obscure acid jazz track that made its rounds in the underground disco scene in chicago. played by veterans like sadar, lee collins & ron trent at clubs like slicks & the b-side café. don t cha wanna get down is a rare groove monster chopped from a funk 45 and kicks off with tights drums, bass licks and crazy synths coupled with some sick brass stabs and a touch of vocals that keeps it all in check and make you wanna get down, get down. played by: rahaan, theo parrish, ron trent, marcellus pittman, jamie 3:26, kai alce , zernell & soul clap.

as one of fuse s original residents, rich nxt played a major part in the brand s evolution, helping take it from that sunday morning afters to being one of the most respected event brands and labels on the planet ever since the age of 10, rich nxt has been involved in creating his own music. thanks to his early training as both a drummer and keyboardist, nxt has an inherent musicianship fully apparent in his sound and style of production. taking influence from the london rave scene of the early 90s spanning drum n bass and jungle and later the minimal and tech-house scenes of europe, nxt s output found a platform on the now world-class fuse london label (launched in 2011). a core artist for the label, with five solo eps and a collaboration alongside seb zito, rich nxt has been integral to fuse s trademark sound with his debut ep bristle and quixotic ep two of the labels defining moments. nxt and zito s chemistry in the studio is clear with a further two collaborations on fuse sister label infuse. alongside his own productions, nxt s remix catalogue includes seb zito s never with enzo siragusa and his original breakthrough remix of jon maker s seeker , which was championed by tini and many other leading djs in the minimal house scene. by the end of 2016, a residency at amnesia ibiza with hyte x fuse alongside dates at off week in barcelona and several stand out events on fuse s 8th birthday tour including an epic after hours set at berlin s hoppetosse proved nxt is on top of his game. nxt also launched his own imprint nxt records that year, another platform for his own consistently quality output. several releases down the line, nxt s distinctive style layered with intricate percussion, obscure synths and ethereal pads combined with punchy snares and atmospheric vocals is marking out the producer and label as a prime source for djs and vinyl lovers. 2017 sees the launch of a second vinyl only imprint what nxt, a home for musical discoveries that end up buried deep in his own record bag. featuring both emerging talent and established artists from the uk and beyond, what nxt? all roads lead to the rave.

maciej banasik has been releasing plenty of music as mb as well as docetism since 2012, but this release on silent season marks the first time the prolific artist s music has been committed to wax. in true silent season style the mood is consistently haunting, leading in with the foggy pulse of dentario enneaphyllidis fagetum i before the second part of the piece heads off into pure swelling drone. querco pinetum i is a different kind of droning techno that comes loaded with cinematic poise, but it makes for a natural partner to the a side. the second part of that piece drifts into calming field recordings of birds and shapeless synth swells of a truly majestic nature.

local talk broadens the palette further with new music by melbourne producer prequel. the a side plays host to freedom, a jazzy, undulating, mixed-up house sound that epitomises the spirit of prequel in one track. it s loose and swinging beat infused with hip-shaking bass, heavily percussive piano riffs and crunchy claps only quieten to make way for an unidentified vocal, who politely thanks you for listening and hopes you have a great time while you are here. it sits perfectly in peak-time territory as it does on a late night afterhours tip. on the flip is the ever evolving lefty . a track that starts off playful & dreamy and features some truly lovely keyboard work. after settling into the groove it takes a sudden and sharp left turn and enters a harder acid focused workout. percussive elements weave definitively in and out of the bass line as detroit influenced vocal cries echo throughout the background. this is the type of track you ll be sure to hear blasting out of speaker stacks on all open-minded dance floors around the globe. another accomplished and celebratory affair from prequel, it comes highly recommended.

blind delon debuted back in 2016 with -edouard ep-. after a sold out and a lot of love and great acceptance of specialized press the french duo presents 4 new remixes of the main track -edouard- signed by kareem, synths versus me, i hate models and violet poison. -edouard remixed- will be presented on 12&#8243,, ep format and produced in a one-off truly limited edition of 300 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality solid black vinyl. all tracks have been specially mastered and remastered for long cut vinyl by eric van wonterghem.

the dark side mixes is a compilation of new official mixes by dj dark side (marcelo carreira) of 4 cold and post-punk super classics, including venerated cuts by eleven pond, silence gift, mecano and parade ground remixed and remastered for this occasion.... it arrives presented on 12&#8243,,, ep format and produced in a one-off truly limited edition of 300 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality solid black vinyl. all tracks have been specially remastered for long cut vinyl by eric van wonterghem.

dj aakmael is a producer weve been loving for many years and were proud to be presenting you with his freerange debut. the us artist has had consistent releases dating back to 2004 and has graced the discographies of many a fine label including uzuri, earthrumental, kolour ltd, his own unxpozd entertainment and most recently the hotly tipped uk label church. here on his daydreeming ep were treated to four original tracks of real house music produced by a true original of the underground. kicking off we have daydreeming with muscular beats laying the foundation for some widescreen orchestral strings and off-kilter and subtly deranged torchsong vocals. rimbaudian steps up for the remix following what for us, is one of the tracks of 2016, werka 8 from his meda fury release. the swedish producer brings a very fresh approach with a loopy and hypnotic techno edge which draws you in with its repeating vocal and trippy sinewave melodies. flipping over we have basement 2 which drops the tempo slightly for a more heads down detroit-inspired jam. a simple three note synth repeats throughout while moody pads bring the deep heat resulting in a track that you could get lost in for days. beacot road closes the ep in fine style with introspective filtered piano chords providing the magic on this simple, stripped back track, the whole thing sounding somehow blunted like its being beamed through a thick haze of ganja smoke. enjoy, and please show your support for dj aakmael!

pretty great sounds from the legendary antonio carlos jobim – an album cut a bit later than his bossa years, but with a darkly sophisticated sound that’s pretty darn compelling! the album features larger orchestrations by claus ogerman, and in a way, it’s similar to the jobim album on decca from 1973 (aka maita pere) – in that it’s got all the simple elements of jobim’s earlier bossa scoring, flushed out into moodier orchestral forms that we’d rank right up there with the modernist work of gil evans or duke ellington. a few cuts have a breezier sparer sound, and you’ll hear english versions of some older bossa tunes. titles include -dreamer-, -canta mais-, -olha maria-, -wave-, -two kites-, -this happy madness-, -song of the sabia-, -estrada do sol-, -voce vai ver-, -off key-, and -triste-.

b.k.r is the techno project of simon baker, presenting four dancefloor fillers on duskys 17 steps. the ep starts with bubble & squeak, a collaboration with jamie jones which is a groovy number flecked with gentle synths. fly is a techno track, where dark and broody tones push through a continuum of crashing percussions. dis is punchy, energetic and bold, and das rounds off the release, with b.k.r skillfully playing with layers of percussion and a serene melody.

happa kicks off the year with the third 12 on his pt5 imprint and the first of several releases planned for the mercurial leeds producer in 2017. lead track “bum trance” pitches futurist drexciya synth optimism against frantic metallic drum programming adding another level to happas increasingly diverse production armoury. intense punk techno monster hallunciations first appeared in 2015 on various mix tapes and radio shows and now appears in its full release to complete the 12inch

this is the second release from london duo dark circles on their own dc trax label. the first release was given play on radio 1 s george fitzgerald show and supported by the likes of erol alkan, skream, justin robertson and eric duncan. dc trax 2 sees the first release given the remix treatment by an armoury of heavyweight remixers. phantasy records kamera provides a tuff techno work out of y, emperor machine takes inpiration from his old bizarre inc guise and making use of his old mpc, takes march back to the 90 s raves. the package is finished off by lord of the isles tripping out the well in 2 strong remixes. this will be a limited vinyl release in february which has already earned a play on 2manydjs beats 1 radio show 2x2 .

kidnap kid’s birds that fly label got off to a flying start with his ow&#8203,,,,,,n release,‘ moments’ feat leo stannard picking up over two million plays and shaking up the spotify / hype machine charts. next up on the imprint is rising uk star apple&#8203,,,,,,bottom with &#8203,,,,,,‘the ride’ ep, an artist that draws many parallels to kidnap kid’s own early career as he barely has made his way out of his teens but already caught the ear of some of the most sought-after labels and radio establishment. annie mac can’t get enough of him and his releases on kerri chandler’s madtech, zed bias’ biasonic and uk powerhouse black butter records have coined him one of the future figureheads of dance music. applebottom has come to be considered a beatmaker able to transverse genres with that rarest of production talents: the consistent ability to make a straight-up club banger, which makes him the perfect follow up for birds that fly. “‘theride’ was quite a diff&#8203,,,,,,erent piece of music for me, ’he explained of the track, ‘i had been thinking about where i d want to release it and i was pretty stuck. but shortly after i d finished it kidnap kid’s first ep on birds that fly came out, and straight away i felt a connection with the sound and a lot of the music i’ve been making recently. it already feels like it has a clear and distinctive sound forming and i can t wait for my music to be part of that.” applebottom hails from the musical mecca of bristol but shares a pioneering view of its style and output. “&#8203,,,,,,i think a lot of people have just gotten too comfortable making the same sounding dance music - and for me that kind of defeats the point, there’s so much variety in it. i feel that particularly for my generation anyway, we’re a lot younger as producers and it’s kind of our job to be that next generation that produces that next sound. we should be striving to make something new and different and build our own vision of what it should be.

the dynamic duo of second storey and appleblim return to r&s for another slice of their off kilter dance floor alchemy second storey & appleblim bring their detroit machine rhythms and sleek electronic grooves back to r&s for the ‘gimme 6’ ep. since their initial forays in 2015 on the label in the form of a trio of eps and a compilation that introduced the world to their unique strain of cyborg funk, the duo have gone on to refine their sound to ever new creative heights. this new ep is the fruit of that hard work - opener, and title track ‘gimme 6’ sees their production grandiosity hit new highs - swooping pads soon give way to slurping twisted bass and mechanistic hi hats before a collapsing breakdown freakout twists the trad techno blueprint into exciting new shapes. ‘levying rooks’ injects a sense of frenetic levity - serrated bass and scudding percussion, while ‘aperture‘ is drenched in swooning pads and fizzing, flanged out hats underpinned by relentless mutant kicks. too often modern electronic club music is all too content to sit heavily within genre boundaries, and ‘rules - ss&a’s gleeful disregard for categorisation and innate sense of melody, harmony and rhythm make their offerings the perfect antidote to the jaded veteran techno fans as well as the gleeful new jacks

remastered 2017 version of the 2002 thump mix with a new version on the flip, played with band and the addition of live instruments.. the legendary german house label needs (not wants) returns after a long hiatus with a new release on the exclusive gold edition that is set up for revisiting their own classics to upgrade them with brand new versions and re-interpretations. walkin thru circles - originally produced by lars & marek bartkuhn - has always been a favourite for many of their fans. the original thump mix is a constantly building mover that is based on a massive beat, hypnotic soundscapes and highly energetic chord hooks, ready for taking off to outer space. for the full expansion lars has gone back to the studio to recompose and re-record the whole thing over again, combining the skills of some excellent session musicians with lots of live instruments, drum & percussion and vocals all played and sung by the producer himself. the result is a complex, epic and fearless jazzfunk odyssey, both musically expansive and heavily grooving at the same time.

fabe has become an integral part of the infuse label, with his square town story ep and ho do ri collaboration picking up various plaudits. as i skipped the gym ep kicks off with shaped like kayla , continuing the producers preference for a mind melting bass line flecks of acid and tripped out vocal snippets add a wigged out feel. who is the drummer jacks things up with swung percussion whilst navigate takes a broken beat direction. vinyl only!

the reality is a relative concept, and our life is made up of fantasy and illusion. our music is the key of our thoughts, and our sound can help us to discover it. nothing is real express our vision in a period where information is false and manipulated most of the time. alberto iovine and alessandro fumagalli aka modular project announce the launch of their new label, in partnership with rebirth records. born and raised between como and milan, alberto and alessandro quickly shared their love for electronic music and the great passion for vintage synths and drum machines. they started to produce together in 2012 and released on labels like off, moodmusic and perpetualis music before joining rebirth in 2017 with their remix of the blond:ish classic wizard of love. the label s third release is a special ep from modular project. alphaville is an hypnotic journey through shades of indie electronica, new wave and their signature sounds, while another glimpse is a beautiful emotional slow workout. the package comes with two strong remixes from nuno dos santos and fairmont. amsterdam dj and producer nuno dos santos reworked alphaville adding a darker and trippy touch, while jake fairley aka fairmont, key force in the canadian electronic music scene, gave another glimpse a beautiful deeper and atmospheric appeal. a strong third release for nothing is real.

clinically excellent by salik from going good records brixton with a superiourly consistent, bass heavy, strict & steady (dub) stepper molding deep, dark & atmospheric strings pending between dub step and the sounds of d&b. backed by dj sotofett s off-kilter & de-syncronized excursion surging through acidic & 3d sonic landscapes.

the last essential outing of 2017 for the play it say it label is from legendary dj and producer harry romero. globally acclaimed and recognised star harry romero has been a driving force in the scene since the 90s. he’s released on such seminal labels as sex mania, power music and strictly rhythm, but also contemporary imprints like ovum and defected. never far from the dance charts and an inductee into pete tong s hall of fame, harry’s own bambossa records is another fine chapter in his definitive story. here he shows off his current sound across three fresh tracks. opening up the ep is the arresting ‘mother earth,’ a percussive and tribal number with pinging kicks and loose hits all encouraging you to cut shapes. bright synths rise up through the mix to bring some tension and drama and crowds are certain to react with hands in the air. the masterfully mangled ‘lesson on swing’ is a vibrant brew of skewed synths and surging bass, vocal yelps and wonky chords that will freak out any floor. it’s another robust and full fat tune from the studio of harry romero. last of all is ‘scatter’, a high-pressure tune with characteristically big drums and fat bass all overlaid with vocal effects that build the intensity. hooky little synth motifs and metallic percussion all add to the steaminess and ensure this a huge anthem in the making. this is a top trio of tunes that are imbued with all the knowledge and know how of a real house legend

man power returned to his northern home for one last waltz. this is their joint offering for the esp institute. on side a, man power welcomes us with tistish, stepping slightly out of his comfort zone and employing a boxy breakbeat to create a dose movement. this contrasts his signature fatty bassline and together they establish a ground on which to stack layers of atonal square and sawtooth waves. about halfway through he introduces a massively seductive string lead and for the remainder of the ride this palette of sounds coalesce in dark orchestral beauty. on side b, man power’s cohorts last waltz deliver nee shitteru, a true stomper of a track complete with in-your-face toms and off-time percussion patterns, an intense driving acid line, and aggressive shamanic chanting. throw in some crash cymbals, sci-fi sound effects and a smattering of gamelan and it amounts to an overwhelmingly chaotic and psychedelic trip. these two songs will have you speaking in tongues.

with his debuting ep at takatak records mirek amachi brings a heavy 4-tracker where he combines variuos ambient sounds with deep and tech house in an almost familiar manner.

&#8232,,,,r&s welcome techno icon benjamin damage to the fold with his new montreal ep. one of most acclaimed young techno artists in recent times, benjamin damage is a perfect addition to the r&s roster.
as the first artist modeselektor signed to their hugely influential 50 weapons imprint, damage deployed his trademark heavy artillery beats over bold, blistering riffs and haunting, emotive melodies to devastating effect.
with the closing of 50 weapons, r&s offers a new home. his unique ability to deliver dancefloor destroying mayhem, dark atmospheres and richly textured melodies perfectly encompasses the music that has made the label timeless.

keeping things on a strictly low key tip comes the second release from instinct, serving up nothing but razor-sharp uk garage for those who love the deeper side of el b et al. together kicks proceedings off with a nagging 4x4 bump and some beautifully mellow melodies, while motion heads into slightly moodier territory without losing that crafty beat programming nous. voodoo is a more bugged out jam with some heavy processing and a preference for atmospheric touches throughout. realise keeps the quality up once more, rounding the ep off with yet more future-minded goodness that should get all switched on selectors reaching for these instinct 12inches again and again.

arkansas native, lee moore moved to memphis in 1975 with only one goal in mind: to make it big in the music industry and to release music that would be played in new york, l.a and everywhere in between. as a singer and songwriter lee moore spent the 1980s collaborating in memphis with the best of the best session musicians and vocalists from labels like volt and stax records to record and release futuristic boogie, soul, and funk. in his quest for a unique sound, he constantly reinvented himself, creating projects with new aliases and concepts, scraping together studio time, and hustling. even today, moores music sounds ahead of its time.

moto music round off a cracking year with this essential collection of deep diving techno finery from bigeneric, one of marco repetto s many long-lasting aliases. the swiss polymath is a dab hand at wringing illustrious machine soul out of his machines, whether it be crafty, head-snagging rhythms or plush and expressive threads of synth work, and on this double pack you get an abundance of both. with one foot firmly in the heritage of detroit and the other gazing into the stellar orbit of the finest european techno dreamers, this is elegant, thoughtful electronic music of the highest order.

so, after a little break we’re back with a new release. this time we’re joined by the multi-talented production powerhouse that is swarm intelligence (aka simon hayes). landing heavy with four bruising techno cuts that each find their own unique way of taking your head off, ear017 is a bumpy journey through darker club flavours. ‘flatlands’ opens things up, reminiscent of the type of marching, granite-heavy brum techno of old – this is minimal in construction but maximum in its impact. move forward to ‘ground up’ where demonic, dissonant keys take the lead above a rattling midrange that sounds like a corrugated roof ready to fly off. opting for cleaner, elastic drum patterns on ‘tingla’, hayes swaps tense for dense, with a loud take on steppy techno, that’ll please fans of some of blawan’s earlier work. ‘skitz’ starts out an a more dub tip with a wailing, paranoia inducing hook and snaking rhythms, eventually joined by more hard-hitting broken kicks, leading us comfortably into oblivion.

the third release for la freund recordings comes from amsterdam resident beraber. consisting of four strong and diverse tracks and a jazzy, piano-heavy remix by chicago house legend vincent floyd, sun ritual works just as well in the club as it does at home. after working on hiphop and downtempo electronica under different aliases, this ep sees baris akardere venturing into up-tempo territories, marking the debut of his beraber moniker. all tracks were written and produced during the last two years, combining digital instruments like the korg m1 and yamaha dx7 with analog gear like the roland juno-6 and korg ms-10. kicking things off on the a-side is title track sun ritual, a positive and warm tune with lush chords and arpeggiated synths. after a surprising outro, it gets the remix treatment by deep house pioneer vincent floyd, who adds multiple layers to it and delivers a stunning, dreamy eight-minute take on the original. the flipside opens with ugly, a soulful club workout with a deep bassline, rolling drums with crisp hi-hats and a hypnotic melody. next up is introspect, a serious electro-tinged cut with heavy juno chords building up tension as the track evolves. rounding it up nicely, forest rain treats us to an intimate broken-beat affair laced with rhodes chords and field recordings from bali.

marco resmann returns to watergate after a productive stint at the red bull music studios in cape town with two stellar cuts featuring local heroes deep aztec and black soda. tack on a remix from the one and only oliver huntemann and another revision from resmann himself and you have the ‘babylon side ep. teaming up to kick things off, resmann, black soda and deep aztec embrace the cultural sounds of africas organic percussion and vocal prowess to create a tour de force tune perfectly balance between flashing club lights and vast open skies. following suit, ‘abadala sees marco again with deep aztec for a lush ride into deep emotional spaces by applying mesmerizing syncopated rhythms and spellbinding vocals ideal for deeper or more sentimental dance floor moments. up next is techno legend oliver huntemann who, playing after resmann earlier this year at the 15 years of watergate event at warung beach club in brazil enjoyed his set and the two hit it off, so logically he was asked to lend his trademark sound for a revision of ‘babylon side and he twists the original into a heavy techno belter complete with sinister sonics and fever inducing sirens. wrapping things up is marco resmann himself with his own take on ‘babylon sides and delivers a wild and twisted version of gargantuan low end and psychedelic shimmers of the original vocal resulting in a killer tune with a ton of attitude.

much may have changed over a two-decade period, but drumcode s commitment to releasing the scene s most cutting-edge and refined techno remains resolute. 2017 has already seen releases from adam beyer vs pig&dan, alan fitzpatrick, ilario alicante, julian jeweil, as well as a debut album from layton giordani. the label continues push forwards, bringing fail-safe, club-ready music to the techno community. perennial pushers of the techno envelope, dense & pika are renowned for their standout studio output that seems to constantly conjure up a particularly unique take on their distinct sound, d&p have rather outdone themselves in 2017. kicking off the year with a selection of back catalogue remixes from the likes of danny daze, scuba, slam and yotam avni that illustrated the high esteem in which d&p are held by their peers right across the spectrum, from heritage acts to current headliners and cutting edge talent, the duo have gone on to drop bomb after bomb after bomb. their universally lauded remix of tiga s louder than a bomb was the first of a run of chart topping cuts, with a remix of me & her s wild rage on jamie jones hottrax imprint and their own casino single both challenging the norm of what techno sounds like in the here and now. cooked up with a more melodic vibe and fusing elements of house and techno, dense & pika s latest outing on drumcode offers something different compared to their previous work. there is still that vintage feel to each of the tracks with analogue sounds and arrangements born and developed from experimental studio jams. indeed, suki heavily utilizes the distinct harmonic tones of the dave smith prophet 8 keyboard. while little sun - a staple of d&p performances over the last three months - delivers a more classic drumcode sound. lanky closes out the release with an infectious slab of wonderfully wonked-out raw funk

perc trax completes its duo of “bitter music” remix eps with this three tracker that aims directly for the dance floor. opening up proceedings is dax j, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the last few years and who here serves up an irresistible take on “unelected” fueled by the driving energy his productions and sets have become famous for. next up stroboscopic artefacts boss lucy layers shifting textures over popping kick drums for a version of “wax apple” that perfectly blends form and function. lastly matrixxman, himself another of the key break out artists of the last few years, takes control of “rat run” and morphs in into a rolling drum track built on rolling toms and topped off with dubbed out elements of perc’s original mix.

the new zealand - detroit connection. electro empire presents the auckland based duo go nuclear and three new versions of their hit song techno world off their debut ep on bass agenda recordings.
despite the undenieable influence from early detroit electro classics by the likes of model 500, cybotron or aux 88, this well and originally crafted production offers catchy old school vibes with a powerful modern twist. go nuclear!
bringing the remix here is detroit s filthiest (aka dj nasty) - a true detroit talent who has been keeping it real since the nineties, his name alone is a seal of quality.

we are proud to present sare s fourth album softmachine. it is a ten track synthesizer epic which takes us through multiple musical flavors of electronica, italo, dancefloor, disco and smooth soul pop. all threads are neatly bound up and unified by the common principles of smooth electronics, solid melody and slick song-writing. the album opens with the intro track and scene setter, dreamachine. it is a dystopian synth algorithm which is one part aural mindscape, one part electronic opus and one part sci-fi soundtrack. a perfect scene setter. everybody freak out bursts open the flood gates with a tide of funky swing, brash disco swagger and catchy lead lines. softmachine shows sare s finely honed song writing prowess with its lazy grooves, 80s sparkling synths and meandering robotized main vocal line. next the dancefloor calls with a peak-time disco vocal groover like you wanna do. it features a vocal from vaarka delivering a fine performance. multi-layered guitars, perky bass guitar and a pulsing groove power this track along. here comes that sound carries on the dancefloor vocal vein with its 4-4 beats, driving bass and sweet strings sitting perfectly alongside a multi vocalled chorused vocal from barbara grabar, kristina strasek and vanja dizdarevic. on the flipside things open with riot, sawtoothy synth waves and darting keyboard lines lead the way in this sci-fi sound track with a core of antagonism at its core. science of the beat follows with its stabby synth bass, rolling stabs and vocodered main lines. music and lies layers in sweet synth pads, melancholy meanderings and just a touch of forlorn sadness into its melodies. to round things off no chance to dance digs deep into the chic vibes with its percussive chop-guitar, on-the-beat bass guitar and swinging hand-clap disco beats. the album closes with the painfully optimistic perpetual rise, a metropolis meets vangelis like analog synthesizer masterclass

shedbug and rudolf c return to their imprint for the first time since it s debut release. breakbeats from the rainforest meet synths from the sky on this split 12” ready for all types of nightclub environments.