catherine and gerald o-connell s work as lives of angels quietly and subtly helped to define a whole generation of post-punkers for the greater part of the 1980s. much like other luminaries of the scene at the time, the couple have remained in the shadows of time, highly praised by the collectors but barely ever cited by the mainstream, and if that s not punk then we don t know what is. dark entries are doing the honours of course, and the imprint have managed to license a whole bag of previously released and unreleased material, the former from a bunch of dusty cassettes which are now going for gold on the second-hand market. this was the era of the drum machine, and these 11 tunes are all carried by that unmistakable analogue swing, at times harsh and leaning into something tech-minded, and at other times playful and quirky, a tendency which defined this outfit and the time in which they operated. what a record, this is another dark entries monster

polish beatmaker pawel strzelczyk has been slinging out all manner of beats as teilete since 2010, largely on the u know me label, but now he brings his dynamic technicolour sound to father & son to surely catapult his skills to a wider audience. there s a rich musicality at work throughout magnetic soul/magnetic tree, as blues samples, rich orchestration, dubstep rhythms, juke patterns and soulful vocals all swirl around in a highly accomplished blender. the attention to detail is remarkable and the production is pristine, but for all the daring ideas and studio skill this is also an incredibly immediate listen that draws you in from the start.

udacha just gets better and better with every release, branching out into ever more exciting shapes and styles beyond their house and techno foundations. on this album from indoor plants, wild fourth world visions collide with hardware processes in a dazzling display of transcendental music for those who like their thought-provoking tunes to pack a punch. the likes of -targitaus- deconstruct club music conventions in a quest for new rhythmic purpose, and yet the soundsystem pressure is expertly sculpted out of the daring shape of the music. elsewhere there s surrealism in abundance, as on the wonderfully weird -hunch-, and that s just scratching the surface of this truly essential lp.

we’re excited to announce the first in a series of rare nigerian releases we’re putting out with the help of uchenna ikonne. sjob movement’s friendship train was the second lp by the group and one which saw the group rise to new heights. it’s a masterpiece of african music with it’s fluid afro beat grooves and spaced out moog synthesizer sounds.

record kicks presents a new limited edition 45 vinyl by uk rock steady/soul/dub combo pama international feat 2 super soulful cuts. on the a side the new single wake up flipped by i crid till i stopped on the b side. in their first 10 years pama int l recorded 9 albums, 3 bbcradio 1 maida vale sessions, won the rebel playlist on bbc6, and became the first new act to sign to trojan records in 30 years. their collective nature saw them work with members of the specials, madness, steel pulse, style council, galliano, kasabian, mad professor, toots & the maytals, jimmy cliff to name a few. wacth out, the 45 is limited to 500 copies worldwide.

alemayehu eshete is considered the golden voice of ethopia. since his first hit single seul in 1961 he has become the father figure of the soulful stream of ethopian music. in ethiopia no other musician adapted the newest trends from the us soul scene as consequently as alemayehu did. with this new 7- he continues his soulful approach on ethopian music. his funky classic alteleyeshegnem is here re-interpretated by the philophon house band in an even funkier way than the original. a tough beat is crisscrossed by mystic harmonies and a pumping bassline. temar ledje points out the sweet side of master alemayehu. this is another classic tune that comes dosed with a rejuvenating cure by the philophon production team. just listen! the cooperation between alemayehu eshete and philophon was initiated by listros e.v. berlin with support by the federal cultural foundation of germany.

vor knapp drei monaten ?berraschte der londoner musiker laucan mit seiner ersten ep -up tomorrow- - einer wundervollen mischung aus folk-psychedelia und sparsam eingesetzter electronica. laurence galpin, so der b?rgerliche name des k?nstlers, erh§lt f?r das album -framespersecond- nun die musikalische unterst?tzung von andrew phillips, der parallel bei dem label nina tune das musikalische projekt grasscut unterh§lt. -framespersecond- kombiniert das verhaltene tempo der songs, mit dem falsett-gesang von laurence und dem cello-spiel von jude tedaldi. zwischen indie-pop und modernem songwriter-folk angesiedelt, empfiehlt sich dieses beachtliche deb?t!

mana all nite #4 contains personal favourites, killer edits and tracks from across 3 decades. (a1 previously released on klang elektronik in 1999). this selection is a fine roundup of what’s been shaking manamana aka map.ache & sevensol over the past 10 years of dj-ing & hanging out together.

new music for heads and feet from nummer.

cues002 continues the series with two dense tracks that fearlessly steer through deep waves of sound, continually rising and falling in timbre and intensity. with its furious drum arrangement gaining momentum, cues002 a takes an unexpected turn as a dazzling pad sound emerges and sets off an unsettling euphoria. grounded by a pounding kick drum, cues002 b meanders through a disembodied soundscape, allowing only a washed out ride cymbal to add a sense of familiarity.

legendary nitsa club from barcelona comes back releasing new music fifteen years after their first venture with nitsa recordings. the new label is called nitsa traxx. the essence is not to focus in a particular sound, but try to cover all the range of styles you can usually listen to in this acclaimed club. besides that, the main idea is pretty simple: the a side includes the original track and the b side comes with a remix. first release comes from valencian producer daniel kyo. after releases in drumpoet and bordello a parigi, on this occasion kyo dives into deep techno with a nostalgic hint to ebm. “nacht drei” sounds like one of those tracks from the infamous ruta del bacalao, but with a very nowadays production. sharp and hypnotic, but with a certain sense of epic humor. valencia style. on the flip, marc piñol remixes the original track and makes it sound blurry, obsessive, fast and mental. inspired by his legendary warmups in nitsa club, expect nothing more and nothing less that a simple but not-so-simple mixing tool with a personal touch. one of those long tracks for djs who just love to make lingering transitions to flip out the crowd. nitsa traxx will come back very soon with new music from people related to the club. family and friends. look forward to some surprises for the upcoming releases!

all djs and producers around have at least one secret weapon to play. this series curated by marvin & guy is the equation that joins together very special edits from very special artists. it will be out in three volumes in different colours: first black, second grey and third white.
the equation series are being released exclusively on vinyl, a limited edition of 300 copies, no digital formats will be released, and distributed by kompakt. with equation 3 the a-team is back once again and they have changed players for this third and last half. this time they bring along the madrileño who mixes movie trailers as well as house classics, the frenchie living in the big apple who once started his career rocking the piano at the conservatory, the german who makes compilations of weirdo 80ies jams in his spare time and the irish guy living in the land of the round butts nowadays, but once ruled the nyc disco scene fully on his own.

so low is an occasional night in glasgow run by iona fortune, jd twitch, katie shambles and becky marshall. so low is strictly for creatures of the night and plays music that could perhaps be described by the words dark waves / cold waves / minimal synthesis / maximal industrial / lo-nrg / forgotten flemish goth bands, teutonic apocalyptic beats +++ it is now also a label, administered by optimo music. after debuting with happy meals “full ashram devotional ceremony” album, here is the first 12” release, “now & then”, a various artists 4-track ep featuring two tracks from now and two from then.
the 12” comes housed in a bespoke hand printed fold out poster sleeve inserted into a plastic sleeve with screen printed text on the plastic, designed and created by katie shambles. due to the extremely labour intensive nature of the sleeve design this will be a strictly limited edition of 300 copies.

greetings fellow lovers of abstract truth. how s living in a dystopian now working out for you? here s hoping a new birdscare release can help take the edge off... it s by zu dobson. and who s zu dobson? i honestly wish i could tell you. she approached me at an a.l.f.o.s. gathering of the faithful and gave me a cd of her work with nothing on it but a po address written on it. after corresponding by letter for a while we agreed that -apple knife- and -wisdom of rumi- would be the first release (of hopefullly many). i only met ms. dobson fleetingly and she has no on-line presence so her identity is vague even to me. so next time you re on the dancefloor that young woman dancing next to you could well be zu dobson. fondant regards... andrew weatherall

sometimes amongst all the music that we hear every day, something comes along so unique and brilliant that its captivates your mind and soul and refuses to let go. that was exactly what happened when we first heard dokta - the ex-studio engineer with the freshest take on electronic music we have heard for a long time. fusing a fully analog working method & live instrumentation with a breathtakingly unique arrangement style, dokta combines all his experience working with some of the best in the business and transcends it into one hypnotic stream of genre defying mastery. for his first ep on 20/20 we are fortunate enough to have remixes from fabric resident jay clarke, and a collaborative contribution from seth troxler and bas ibellini. it is a major milestone for 20/20 to finally have a seth troxler production on the label. he has been a great inspiration for us and hugely supportive of our output over the years. seth went into the studio with good friend bas and came out with a remix worthy of dokta s long abstract arrangements. we hope you enjoy, and with an album in the pipeline for later this year we promise there is a lot more to come

pontiac streator, maxine & cleo, tito fuego & eva 00 team up on this warm, nocturnal 12” of chicago inspired house sounds.
streator’s “mystic side dept.” grabs the needle first with a bumping garage cut ready for the floor. a2 “run like hell”, from philly’s maxine & cleo, is a hazy, stuttering acid tip. the philly head’s second appearance on the imprint alos sees him with some company, bringing friend from hometown kansas city along for the ride - tito fuego.
his track “out to morales” delivers on the flip. a stomping dance number that consistently evolves with a fluctuating, never tiring synth. eva 00 closes out the ep with “i guess it’s inspiring” - a glittering melody punctuated with a deep erratic bass line that keeps true to the parisian’s roots.

copenhagen-based trio silent riders recently wowed us with their immersive neo-gothic full length album debut on music for dreams. now they are back with a remixed package aimed directly for the darkest of dancefloors. together with some top notch remixers, they are re-visiting their stand out track -i see you- as well as -shadows-, another cut off their self-titled album

limited edition of 100 copies worldwide. the limited edition comes with an extra one-sided disc filled with eight locked grooves. each one lands fully formed and are trippy mental workouts.warped percussive loops, blissed out and high tempo house, dark drones, mills style minimalism and more.

following 2016’s ‘for perfect beings’, s olbricht, makes a welcome return to lobster theremin with his ‘purpleblue’ ep, a four-track excursion that weaves in and out of machine driven techno and shimmering ambient gestures.
what at first seems like a departure from his trademark skewed and sludgy sound is quickly realised as a shifting and ever evolving journey through the outer limits of electronic music.

here at plastique recordings we have pressed up some very limited promos of 2 dance floor cuts of the collaboration between legendary synth outfit soft cell’s dave ball with hifi sean jamming out an electro nyc danceteria style number ultratheque a homage to glasgow’s first ever laser disco day version & night version both exclusive to this vinyl.

killer ron allen and hayden andre release!! originally released in 1991, and the first release on their soon to be cult imprint strobe, metamorphasis is a strong statement of intent, across six tracks allen and andre lay down a plethora of styles ranging from the deepest house sounds to more warehouse leaning bleep style tracks, deep sub bass, dreamy washing pads and taut drum programming are all the order of the day here and boy are we all the better off for it! this is essential stuff for all house and techno lovers out there, the real deal indeed! essential!

following his self titled lp, illa j sometimes known as “john regal” (born october 13.1986 in detroit, michigan) is a singer, songwriter, rapper, producer, multi instrumentalist. he takes us on a trip to his hometown detroit with his third solo album home. his last lp successfully took illa j out of his brother and hiphop legend j dilla‘s shadow to show he is in his own lane. yet, yancey still felt as though he was in a box labeled rapper. teaming up with producer calvin valentine, who entirely produced the album, home is illa j‘s first album to properly showcase the full extent of his vocal range to put him in the singer-songwriter conversation. the listener can feel the soulfulness of this lp through illa j‘s singing and valentines‘ smooth production.

eat x changers comes back to you with our new release, introducing young and gifted canadian producer ferness. matthew joined the beat x crew following what has become a classical path to the producers of the labels. after joining the forum in 2015, he shared a collab with frakktale on speed luanda which got our attention with its deep, broken and melodic structure. today we can proudly introduce you to his first release - internet/dreams/deception – which will take you in a soft and beautiful daydream tinted with a 80 s grain. you ll be guided all along of this trip by a strong and powerful rhythmic, full of house, broken beats & bass influence. beat x changers at its best

ltd 1 per customer - as one of chicago s most mysterious and revered characters, the story of gemini, aka spencer kincy has become something of a myth in recent years – blazing a trail throughout the 90s, prolifically releasing over 200 tracks from 1994 to 1999, spencer s music had shades innovation and soul few of his peers could match. then, suddenly, at the peak of his career, he disappeared from view. gemini s unique combination of chicago groove, detroit strings and spacey effects have rightly ensured on the north star as a sought after classic of the era. the ep was the second of gemini s two 12- for peacefrog which was closely followed by his peacefrog long-player in and out of fog and lights (re-press coming soon). lush transcending deep house for the conersiour.

beth ditto’s solo debut album on 12 inch vinyl with download code included.

2012er deluxe lp edition des 1990er debuts auf silbernem vinyl mit neuem artwork! die schwedisch amerikanische arbeitsgemeinschaft von talisman war eine der wenigen bastionen ehrlichen melodic rocks, die es mit großartigen alben auch in den 90er jahren schaffte, die vom grunge und dem kollektiven abgesang der großen musiksender errichteten windmühlen des kontra- hard rock stimmungsbarometers zu bekämpfen. talisman waren herausragend und trotz ihrer großen klasse so unaufdringlich, extravagant und eigenständig. genau deshalb war die von marcel jacob gegründete band seit beginn ihrer tage in der lage ein großes spektrum an musikliebhabern von rock bis metal, von prog bis funk zu begeistern. mit einem ausnahmesänger und songwriter wie jeff scott soto (mit dem er gemeinsam das 85er malmsteen album marching out eingespielt hatte und der fast zeitgleich mit eyes für aufsehen im genre sorgte) in seinen reihen, standen jacob und seinem neuen baby in bereits den späten 80ern alle türen der kreativität offen, und spätestens im jahre 1990, als talisman ihr großartiges debüt mit und um den jahrhunderthit i’ll be waiting veröffentlichten, strahlte die band als einer der hellsten sterne am melodic rock firmament. (darkscene)

tough, noisy, industrial leaning techno stepper

blend architect is a techno producer out of japan in the lineage of dj nobu or ken ishii. uncloud - his very first release - is composed by 2 movements with 2 variations each. cloud 1.1 sets the initial atmosphere for 1.2 to jump in and offer a more tense body that will play deeply with our intellect and physicality. an apparent minimal universe but full of subtle details. cloud 2.1 opens the b side with a futuristic high voltage cut. finally, cloud 2.2 brings the time back to present tense and the dance continues!

over the last fifty years few musicians or performers have created as monumental and uncompromising a body of work as that of keiji haino. through a vast number of recordings and performances haino has staked out a ground all his own creating a language of unparalleled intensity that defies any simple classification. for all this, his 1981 debut album watashi dake? has remained enigmatic. originally released in a small edition by the legendary pinakotheca label, the album was heard by only a select few in japan and far fewer overseas. original vinyl copies became impossibly rare and highly sought after the world over. watashi dake? presents a haunting vision stark vocals, whispered and screamed, punctuate dark silences. intricate and sharp guitar figures interweave, repeat and stretch, trance-like, emerging from dark recesses. written and composed on the spot haino’s vision is one of deep spiritual depths that distantly evokes 1920s blues and medieval music yet is unlike anything ever committed to record before or since. coupled with starkly minimal packaging featuring the now iconic cover photographs by legendary photog rapher gin satoh, the album is a startling and fully realized artistic statement.

absolutely essential record right here - the underground solution aka the s man aka the legendary roger sanchez is a name that you should all be familiar with by now, and his 1990 anthem luv dancin is an nyc deep house benchmark. that s right, this originally came out in 1990. that s a heck of a long time ago. thing is, this record, when played at the right time will still cause maximum damage in the club. riffing on disco classic is it all over my face and with elements of the bottle interspersed with a deep, rolling garage bassline and dreamy keys and pads sanchez crafted a solid gold cut, a timeless piece of dance music that still inspires today and is often imitated yet obviously never bettered! the flipside cuts deep in my mind and afterthought are also sublime exercises in the deepness, the s man s trademark eerie pads, bleeps and dope drum programming evident throughout, making these tracks huge hits from nyc to sheffield and beyond! this whole ep is flawless and if you dig the deeper side of this stuff then you re in for a treat - now s your chance to bag a bonafide, hands down classic record! luv dancin has been skilfully remastered from all original master sources and fully licensed and reissued officially for 2017.

omer joins the love on the rocks family with a massive underground smash, the not-so-well-kept secret rework thats been doing the rounds recently among a handful of trusted djs, inducing hands-in-the-air hysteria and clocking up more than a few plays in clubs from robert johnson to panorama bar. finally it lands here as the title track of the ep, perfectly tooled for any poolside dance party. phew! finding just enough room for another huge jam to share the same side, omer moves effortlessly into his trademark late night melancholic trip territory with high hopes, leading in with snapping percussion before giving way to a fierce bassline, swirling layers of melody and synths that resonate with warmth and emotion. rounding out the proceedings, back and forth pulses with electric energy from the word go, quickly pulling you into its distinctly neon after-dark atmospherics, with a forboding hook that twists around itself amid spiralling tension, and on into euphoria. you and me to the party, you and me all night. you and me to the party,you and me all night.

primitive trust is the coming together of two experienced musical minds. in one corner is will saul of the influential aus music empire, and in the other is tom mangan, aka tee mango, the producer who started millionhands record and clothing label. the pair met many moons ago and reconnected recently at a festival in morocco. they bonded over music, lunch and shared family travails - and as they both now live in somerset decided a little local studio collaboration seemed all but essential. between them, these consumate country gentlemen have seen plenty a musical styles come and go, so decided their best route forward would be to make music to please themselves. to that end, they holed themselves up in tee mangos woodshed studio with the following ground rules: they would make music only with the gear they had (mpc 2000, ableton, roland 101, juno, fender rhodes, various fx pedals) they would trust their instincts and go with first feelings they would embrace the joy of randomness if in doubt they would ask what would carl do? with that, you have the simple but effective mo of primitive trust. these sessions have resulted in a series of three eps to be released over the course of four months. each ep will feature 2 or 3 original tracks and one fresh remix, with unique artwork and an illustration by all-around visual auteur geoff mcfetridge. using the building blocks of house, and classic techno primitive trust can do zoned out and romantic, as much as driving and heady, but with an ease that comes from experience, years in the making. while tipping their proverbial hats to the past they also look to the future with their sound, mixing samples, wigged out synthwork and propulsive rhythms to create something honest and heartfelt that will stand the test of time

the new joey negro album produced with love is now available across all formats but as the double cd contained 20 tracks it wasnt possible to fit everything onto the 3lp version so the space time ep is a new vinyl ep containing some of these tracks that weren t ready in time to make it on to the vinyl lp. first up is distorting space time, a drawn out dubby, jazzy, spacey track that suggests a heavy arthur russell influence, one that is already a firm favourite of gilles peterson, louie vega and françois kevorkian i recognise is a jazzy boogie track with kaidi taitum on keys full of spacey effects and features sacha williamson on vocals. dancing into the stars features london s best disco party starters horse meat disco on co-production duties and angela johnson on vocals. this is the unreleased extended mix that comes in at over 10 minutes and is a full on dan hartman style modern disco production. completing the package is the black loops remix of wont let go who takes linda clifford s vocals and a killer bassline into deep house territory.

on the a side - fresh aus das legalize lambada vaterland, the ex-yu! we bring you two white magic truffles one a jazz-funk original number courtesy of anelidi and the other a bangin-disco-stomper edited by lule. for the b side 2 more precious black truffles, dug out by our wild boars on their recent trips to the motherland - africa. our main man mikeburns delivers a mental-afro-hand-raiser while albion caters a deep-teeth-clencher. recognize and legalize!

ahead of a full-length album coming on glitterbox recordings, the king of disco re-edits dr packer presents four of his versions of soulful dancefloor favourites old and new, giving a flavour of what’s to come from the lp. different strokes kicks off with a re-rub of the mk-produced latrece i want to thank you, itself a house cover of alicia myers soul classic from 1981. dr packer pulls back on the tempo, making way for keyboards that echo the vocal melody and enhanced percussion. next, he remixes still in love by shuya okino, a contemporary nu-disco classic with gorgeous string instrumentation and a tight guitar riff. in true dr packer style, his version has plenty of extra funk, fleshing out the bassline to suit a dynamic disco set. a remix of atfcs bad habit is next, again given the effortlessly laidback, groove-laden dr packer treatment. finally its soul rebels ill be good, a vocal house classic from the mid-noughties, reinterpreted masterfully for todays glitterbox dancefloor

for the 9th release, 89:ghost are proud to present an ep from berlin-based japanese producer & dj, tomoki tamura, founder of the legendary holic nights and of course the holic trax label. included on the quiet air gun ep are 4 dense, weighty trax of tt s moody and slightly weird but definitely dance music, something that drew your friend and humble label boss to approach the man, as we like moody and slightly weird around here. make no mistake though, these are tunes for the feet as well as the heart & mind. pressed onto wholesome 180gm black vinyl, shout out to todd for the dope art, unai and of course tt. peas - nail x

nice price deal !!! having put out releases to mini acclaim on esteemed labels such as dfa, dissident distribution, astro lab, their own the walls have ears imprint, cage & aviary are now set to spread their wings with a brand new spanking release for tiny sticks and its a winner in every way! two very individualistic tracks that ooze charm & personality. on the flip nycs brennan green runs with the acid theme in the original and turns in a pure analogue master class. amazing! dj support from: james murphy, joe hot chip, mark e, cosmo vitelli, roy dank, inflagranti, toby tobias, lexx, azari & iii, peoples popular front, etc etc...

one per customer.... jayda g s new record out on freakout cult, in collaboration with mysterious laylay. a wonderful bumpin house vibe track with some dancehall infused spice on the a side. b side a more moody deep underground affair, with words of purple wisdom. essential summer record. with smashing party artwork!

reissue of the polar bear club debut album from 2008. pressing on transparent red vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

an original copy of the brasileira lp by brazilian singer maria rita stumpf has been on top of collectors and music lovers wishlist for the past couple of years, since cântico brasileiro no 3 (kamaiura)- broke out and cast a spell worldwide – from japan to brazil, from norway to south africa, everybody was flabbergasted after they first heard the song, and each and every time they heard it again. for the lucky ones that could listen to her whole album – and get to know other gems such as lamento africano/rictus and a cidade it is clear that it is an ouvre that more people should have access to, not only an elite of listeners and connaisseurs. the good news are that the lp will be available again in its entirety in a new, glossy, loud and clear pressing released through selva discos, a new label run by augusto olivani and millos kaiser (the dj/production duo known as selvagem) in partnership with jd twitch s optimo music. it s a legit reissue overviewed by maria rita stumpf herself, the music being remastered from the remaining dat tape of the original release and artwork faithfully updated by brazilian design studio colletivo, featuring liner notes by the singer/songwriter.

nice price deal !!! s.c.u.m. klingt wie eine zeitgemäße version von joy division gekreuzt mit dem pop appeal von hurts in einer echo kammer. dunkel und majestätisch. oder in den worten des nme: >the cataclysmic pummelling of noise that accompanies them will turn peoples insides out.< >amber hands< wurde wie das gesamte album in london mit produzent ken thomas (bekannt für arbeiten mit david bowie, the cocteau twins etc.) aufgenommen und erscheint mit remixversionen von sonic boom und silver apples und dem exklusiven track >fountains<.

nice price deal !!! the eighth release on their self-titled label sees compound one step out of the darkened lab to take time out from their usual techy experiments and head straight for the raveË a hugely diverse release that has been played across the board by djs such as mista jam, mj cole and brendon moeller. as featured by zero t on his recent fabric live 52 mix pum pum beat gets its peculiar name from the rhythm of the kicks and snares rather than what people seem to think! the highly swung beats and quirky percussion form a backbone for a bassline that is hard to resist. emotional detroit style stabs complete the picture and the breakdown will have your hands in the air! carrying on with the emo vibes of this release, back off sees the duo go right back to their roots with an early uk 2-step garage inspired number. trademark qualifide vocal cut ups and fracture breakbeats come together to form the groove. once again, the breakdown is pure hands in the air.

fur coat launch new label oddity which aims to showcase a darker, more tripped out techno sound. the first release kicks off with their genesis ep, which features two original tracks and a remix by scottish techno veterans slam. the venezuelan duo of sergio munoz and israel sunshine have released on labels like watergate, crosstown rebels, bpitch control and balance. the genesis eps artwork comes courtesy of barcelona based, colombian born artists lina bassiouny and maria paula quiva.

r&s presents a killer ep from romania’s ada kaleh aka iulian cuculea, which follows his stunning alejandro jodorowsky inspired debut lp -dene descris- on his vinyl only imprint ada kaleh românia. like many of the second wave of romanian minimal producers, iulian s music combines propulsive hypnotic rhythms with rich, organic sounds that envelop the listener in an otherworldly atmosphere. -the creation process is a moment of temporary madness for me” iulian explains, -i enjoy working with layers of sounds that intertwine and embrace like a lotus flower. folding and unfolding.” finding fans in the form of countrymen like raresh, petre inspirescu, rhadoo, barac, cezar, priku and internationals like ricardo villalobos, sonja moonear, tini, prins thomas, he’s also dropped critically acclaimed releases and/or remixes for uvar, the rabbit hole, third wave black, supernature as well as his own ada kaleh românia imprint. opener -palatul de cle&#351,,,,,tar- (translated -the glass palace-, received a vinyl only release on his own label in 2014) sets the tone with a mesmeric rhythm track overlaid with a haunting clarinet part and spaced out synth gurgles that combine to enthralling effect. apollo records alumnus laurine frost supplies a trippy, blown out version that blackens the tone of the original into a work of quiet menace. on the flip -devotare- (translated -devotion-, also a vinyl only release on his own label in 2013) strikes a more strident tone, the grooves strut rather than purr - gauzy chord stabs weave between the beats and clunking percussion in a delicate yet complex interplay of elements.

with a career spanning over 20 years worth of djing, production and label work, shlomi aber has gradually cemented his position as one of the scene’s cornerstones. his first outing for figure sees the now barcelona-based artist drawing on his many influences to deliver a tastefully rounded three- tracker. under two worlds grooves sublty aong a funky acid riff, while anthemic synths longilgy recall bygone moments of grandeur. this unique aber-ability, creating a composition that is as elegantly understated as it is undoubtedly epic, also comes through on the record’s b-side. paced only at half-time and drenched in dubby reverb, the weighing beats of ‚rumbles’ engage with delicately shapedhead sounds for some seriously spaced-out head nods. matrix is an tightly woven mesh of machinery insides, which aber nevertheless manages to channel into a fairly straight forward kinetic energy.

one of the current techno scene’s ‘hidden treasures’, bristol based a sagittariun has discretely released a wide breadth of music over the last five years for labels like secretsundaze, hypercolour and his own elastic dreams label. two highly acclaimed albums in “dream ritual” and “elasticity” as well as fifteen eps have appealed to those who like their techno without frontiers, taking in blistering 140bpm techno, breakbeat idm and ambient dub with ease. his second release for hypercolour displays signs of crossover appeal at long last… lead track “vanishing point” has already been receiving early plays from the likes of laurent garnier (dropping it in his recent timewarp germany set), spencer parker and len faki. big pumping beats and spiralling fx fall aside to a lone breakbeat that ushers in one pretty special breakdown section. the childlike keys and fathoms deep synth stabs (straight out of the john carpenter school of fathoms deep synth stabs) have already drawn comparisons to the retro 80s vibes to be heard on the american sci-fi horror series stranger things. it’s a breakdown that takes the listener to an uncharted dimension, bookended by slammin’ beats that acts as a perfect mood changer in any set. watch this one soar! “the pathway” keeps things on an all together straighter tip, an incessant tribal loop weaves and filters around a thunderous kick and shuffling hats, ebbing and flowing all the way in what might be a sagittariun’s most club-centric and stripped back production yet. matrixxman (dekmantel/spectral sound) is on hold to deliver a superb remix, pushing the original down a long dark tunnel for a growling and reverberating techno overhaul

time for a little neck bulging, slimy skin hip-slinking summer fun as a true craftsman steps from the studio shadows: jay shepheard, who’s back with a track that’s so infectious if you licked its back you’d trip for weeks. prepare yourselves for ‘bullfrogging’: wry funk, warmth and humanised technoid soul. taking a vocal texture then processing, harmonising and splicing the spawn out of it, jay’s precision balance of electronic hustle and anthromorphised action has all the hallmarks for a summer anthem. ‘early doors’ follows suit and there’s a massive clue in the title… soft-focused, warm, rolling and laced with textured chimes, it’s definitely tailored for those key transitions between warm-up and second gear. deep, trippy but coded with a hookiness that grabs rather than soothes, once again it’s classic shepheard but with a revitalised 2017 twist. hey, he didn’t lock himself away in the studio for twelve months for nothing, right? neither did jay’s long-time friend and neighbour mark henning, a man who hasn’t taken on a remix since the early 2010s. his return to the remix game is as poignant and powerful as jay’s return to releases as he removes around 70 percent of the frog and maximises the bullishness of the elements, creating a relentless tribal slammer of a version that still retains the warmth and soul of jay’s original. two returns to action, three killer tracks, one label you can always count on as your friend and no frogs harmed during the whole process. we’re pulling out some serious stops here.

five releases strong and a colourful storm is cementing itself as one of the most exciting labels to watch. theyve even managed to surprise us with their most ahem, functional record yet. four demented bleeps n bloops n bassliners with just enough sass, sub and a beautifully complex sound palette to boot. our pick is the specialist. fifth release on australian label a colourful storm - premiered on someones boiler room (we cant remember who) - ricardo villalobo’ favourite artist (surely) - absolute bangers