kampana delivers once again with a pair of dance floor gems that will please lovers of funk, disco and gospel alike. on the a-side, aroop roy means serious business with reason to dance. driven by an outrageous slap bass, infectious horn stabs and a limb-shaking vocal refrain, its no surprise that this has been the secret weapon of his recent sets around the world. on the flip, detroit native peter croce, fresh from the huge success of his razor-n-tape ep, comes in equally strong, with the gospel-fuelled disco cut just like heaven. the track builds patiently, lingering on a raw disco groove, honing in on a powerful brass section and spirit-lifting vocals, and eventually climaxing with epic strings and thunderous piano.

remora, an alias of maroje t, one of the main forces in new york electro, returns to kraftjerkz with raw, distorted drums, deep filters, and a profound mood adapted to the dancefloor.

man power his raw electronic sound, organic flourishes and diverse selection make him a perfect match for dgtl, both on stage as well as on the imprint. next to releasing a steady flow of records on established labels like esp institute, optimo trax, correspondant and hivern discs, man power is running his own shop as well: me me me. this gives him an outlet to release music by both friends and himself. for his release on dgtl records he created a three-track ep called apologue ep, that showcases just two of different sides of his multi-faceted musical scope. the a-side features two firm, acid influenced tracks. the first of these two, the duelist, is an emotive house record, with a soundscape of piano melodies, synths and syncopated percussion laid on top of an acid bassline. el mago del tiempo features heavy hitting kicks combined with a sharp synth pattern. it has a long build up that keeps evolving throughout the entire composition. halfway through, the track breaks in to a raw and fierce rhythm accompanied by yearning, drawn-out synth pads. on the flipside, put your hands on the car (and get ready to die) brings back memories of a long gone past with nods to balearic pop, ebm, and the soundtrack work of stewart copeland, james horner, and jan hammer. this multi layered production has a warm and analogue sounding feel to it that rounds off a 3 dimensional release.

new flesh records 19 ever wonder what would happen at the first minuts of an alien in-vasion? answer can be found on geometric vision, the debut ep of hungarian electro don norwell on french new flesh records. real name balazs semsei, norwell has turned out a steady stream of releases on labels like dalmatia daniel, pinkman, chabu recor-dings, seagrave and his own farberwechsel imprint until now, always coming on strong with a personal artistic vision plus a sense of drama. across four craftily cuts on umwelts label, he revisits his own dystopian universe made of sonic frequencies fused into rich atmosphere with a strong array of emotions. from the haunting opener geometric vision to the explosive final conversation patterns, nor-well signs one of his best release to date. fascinating synth melodies supported by raw drums and insane electro textures compose this must have 12inch and an essential addition to the new flesh catalog. heavy electro darkness for serious heads, this is a soulful ep full of depth, impossible to ignore!

manik returns to fresh meat with an ep written with us in mind. after successfully completing his second full-length for ovum, the nyc native has created music inspired by chicago s gritty roots. the 4 tracks speak to the raw, dark, basement vibe that so many of us grew up with.

the young and talented french producer, labeuz, joins the ondule recs team for a first deep and groovy ep. raw and smooth at the same time, comme tié belle nicole ep will let yourself be carried away in the classy universe of this very promising producer.

our next record comes from south african producer bluesoil. a low-key artist whose output is definitely quality over quantity.
this 4 tracker takes influence from classic garage grooves, soulful, deep and funky house all delivered with an impeccably raw vibe.
old school charm with a modern twist.

filigrane mixture betwenn techno, dub, acid and spaced out elements. odd even head honcho andre kronert performs a mesmerizing balancing act between two worlds. on the one side, there is the raw energy and explosive power of his ecstatic, repetitive rhythms. on the other side his style is characterized by subtle build-ups, filigree sound textures and the warmth of analogue synthesis. outstanding coverprint. shrinked and dj friendly 140g pressing. cut by cgb at dubplates and mastering. artwork by markus suckut and cover picture by salar kheradpejouh. manufactured by matter of fact.

after the acclaim of time travelers im made of stars lp last year, followed by two successful eps on his chronicles diary imprint, michele pinna brings his time traveler moniker back with remix report ii + chapter ix ep featuring powerful remixes by three key names in european and us techno. the ep opens with the veteran visionary dave clarke who delivers a complex industrial version of interstellar made of deeply distorted tones and punk influences. detroit techno militia take over with their reinterpretation of b-29 where a groovy and energetic atmosphere is set from the start, adding a vigorous touch to the track. brian sanhajis raw techno roots are showcased in alpha, with pulsing and dense beats yet precise cuts, turning the track into serious dancefloor material. time traveler is closing up the ep with hammering beats and distorted riffs and three menacing tracks in line with his dystopian sci-fi vision.

highly sought after rarities wanted by the followers of the king of acid: armando! back in the early 90s armando played these raw cuts from tape on his tales from the trackside dj mix causing a frenzy on discogs! a very gherkin jackin style. first time on one sided 12 inch vinyl! dont sleep!

three raw, tough, cutting originals from a brooklyn borough brother only known as trey. all tracky and dynamic, blunt and deliberate, and most definitely made for clubs that exist on the fringes, in the seedier, stranger corners of the world. to be played during the small hours of the night. comes packaged in a special graph paper-print inner sleeve.

the self-titled four track ep consists of ideas, sketches and field recordings collected over the years, which were then forged into actual songs that reflect on existence and its abysses. borderline girlfriend draws inspiration from everyday psychological downward spirals and transforms them into raw techno.

dixon avenue basement jams feel extremely honoured and stupidly excited to finally be able to announce this! after his first three eps on the label, the much talked about debut album from glasgows big miz is ready to drop on dixon avenue basement jams! from start to finish build/destroy really showcases his effortless feel for the weird funk. from the tweaked out organ solos on hammond groove and the live bass jam of straight thru cru to the straight up brain rattler of gear tension. this is big miz at his undiluted best and cements the fact that he is one of the uks most exciting raw talents. 2018 move aside, the big man has already owned ya.

fist & shout is the debut release from glasgow band leatherette - currently now known as total leatherette - and the first to be released on domestic exile. recorded at the now infamous green door studios, the album is a raw, visceral interpretation of instrumental post-punk, no wave, drone and industrial, complete with a fully immersive and foreboding gothic atmosphere.

villa Åbo in the alternative solo project of swedish musician and producer jan svensson, who has been making electronic music for the better part of 30 years as the artist behind such aliases as frak, studio ss and alvars orkestra. svensson also runs legendary swedish dance and experimental music label börft, the product of a mutual appreciation for severed heads and terse tapes. as villa Åbo he released two records in 1997 on börft and remained inactive for 17 years until the dutch label bio rhythm coaxed him into revisiting the project and released a double 12&#8243,, in 2014. jan has since followed with a steady stream of 12” singles for kontra-musik, noise in my head and radio lundberg.
“magnetic moves” is villa Åbo’s debut album, originally released in an limited edition of 65 hand-numbered cassettes by funeral fog in 2016.
clocking in at over 46 minutes, this first-ever vinyl edition spreads the 8 ragged techno tracks across four sides for maximum loudness. some songs are aggressively potent, with cyclical synth riffs and razor-sharp acid lines riding a heavy, funk-fuelled techno groove. others tracks are more fluid, vintage underground resistance or derrick may with killer drum machine workouts that come in handy as dj tools. all songs have been remastered by george horn at fantasy studios in berkeley. the record is housed in a custom made jacket designed by eloise leigh, featuring a photograph of jan’s mother’s house, the meaning behind “villa Åbo”. each copy includes a double-sided postcard with notes.

for fans of metrolux, russian torrent versions, delsin, black venison. this 4 track ep has artists with decades of experience that packs a punch of contemporary techno and has plenty of different textures to build any set. owen-jay, half of revered label/artist gauss ltd. (battibatti, metrolux, uq) launches with a tough, raw hypnotic driver of crushed filter distorted patterns. next molegrip, collab between brian james (battibatti, metrolux) and caspian rabone (polaris, battibatti) keep the groove with classic techno and dub atmospherics. on the flip sees unknown artist cmnt deliver some arpeggiated lazyness before cyan341 (rednetic, uncharted audio) polishes off the ep with a tight beat supported with an elegant ambient foundation.

berlin based algorythm announces behind the clouds ep on neptune records. the ep is the second to come from neptune records with his debut santos express marking the inception of the label. opener a1 how i bust that a** up is a raw stomping house banger rich with giddy profanities rolling throughout. switching production styles alogrythm takes a more gentle approach enveloping bubbling aquatic techno with depth charged house on pearls . big beat repeat is a self-explanatory ear-worm and title track behind the clouds rounds the ep nicely with cascading synths nodding to the likes of crash course in science.

super heavyweight chicago heat from 1994 on steve poindexter s muzique label! this one s only for the headstrong, hard, jacking, minimal and raw. pure chi-town ghetto style! you have dj deeon, dj milton, mike dunn and armando all collaborating to bring you the -nothing stopping ep- so you know this is some serious dance-floor searing business indeed. it s all here, the stripped back, manic drum programming, the sexual innuendo laden vocals and that insane chicago energy that makes records like this so special. there was definitely something in the water in lake michigan! this essential ghetto house 4 tracker has been re-mastered, re-pressed and re-released for 2018 with all original muzique records artwork intact and with full permission from mr.steve poindexter, chicago usa

daniel avery returns to phantasy for a 4-track limited edition 12inch vinyl ep, slow fade, featuring the title track and first single from his much-anticipated sophomore lp, upcoming in april via phantasy. a prelude to the lps sonic exploration of the twilight world of a personal, transient life spent between clubs, hotel rooms, airports and home, slow fade captures the expanded foundations of averys sonic palette. arresting club moments linger under the surface, but the focus is on the smudged ambience that underpin averys grasp on rave euphoria. as a re-entry into a broader musical universe, slow fade is immediately compelling, combining neo-acid, feedback loops and pure atmosphere at a patient but restrained pace. meanwhile, after dark alters this aesthetic to its raw, pensive elements, stripping avery’s distinctive drums completely, revealing a meditative, ambient fog. radius announces itself with industrial intent, before unfolding seamlessly into a wistful electronic hymn, the perfect soundtrack to brooding london skies, and eventually evolving into slow-motion motorik. closing the ep, fever dream finds avery at club tempo, but in a somewhat agitated state, on this occasion focusing on a paranoid rhythm that emerges clean from eerie, even paranoid territory. close your eyes, press repeat.

rekids launch re-issue label entitled r-time records with four timeless tracks from sir lord comixx. having established a handful of renowned imprints such as rekids, pyramids of mars, cabin fever and the double r, matt edwards new venture aims to shine a light on classic tracks that didn t always get the recognition they deserve. amoon sir lord comixx and i go back a long way and we met through our friend justin isonoe in the early 90s,” says matt edwards. “i was still living in catford and would regularly drive over to justin s studio where he d play me all this crazy, otherworldly music from amoon and it blew my mind i was completely captivated by his unique take on techno. at the time i had no idea that we grew up in the same neighbourhood and amoon was living just around the corner so, of course, we hooked up and in 1996 i released an ep from him including one of his classics ur my omen on my hard up label.” composed of four tracks from separate releases, retroactive (part one) inaugurates with 1 4 the groove from sir lord comixx s danceteria ep on ugly music. produced in 96, the track s raw aesthetic features sharp percussion, heady melodies and a compelling groove. meanwhile, enemax - which appeared on 1a records demonstrates throbbing synths and shuffling drums. originally produced under his a.moon moniker in 98, funk box is the most robust track on the package with its thudding kicks and assortment of meandering sounds, before the azid jazz provides a deep and funky finale.

if youre familiar with public release’s sibling, face, a series of parties, you’ll already know that jee day, né dennis mcnany, has been in the bay area label’s orbit for some time as half of the dfa act museum of love, he joined the inner circle years ago. here, with amot herga laxy, he makes his bold debut on public release itself. the single begins with “crocodile tears,” an abstract, impressionistic tapestry of african rhythms, meditative synth washes, vangelis-esque horns and pads. it recedes and jee day plunges deeper into the jungle with communication masterbation, a propulsive number built around a psychedelic, droney bass that’s wrapped with gritty, distorted effects and layers of topline keyboard licks stacked high. a raw club track cut from transcendentalist cloth thatll lift you off the dance floor. the b-side is a dub of communication masterbation, with an emphasis being placed on pulling out, unraveling, extending the rhythmic elements and emphasizing the electronic veil the piece is shrouded in. a trancey, menacing sprawl that could be an extended sonic youth live jam if they swapped their stringed instruments for roland and korg gear and dusted the whole thing in an unknown psychoactive slime.

nicholas returns to church with a six track mini lp. correspondant welcome berlin duo hinode having established themselves with a string of well received cuts on their own science fiction imprint, they were spotted by chance by label boss jennifer cardini on a recent record-shopping jaunt. with a raw, no-rules sense of machine funk running through everything they create, they’re the perfect match for correspondant and make their label debut with four numerical delights. i lights the analog fire with raw sleaze and off-beat mischief. unkempt and wily, it sets the tone for the entire ep: ii writhes snake-like with its slinky kicks and purring textures, iii slurs with bass groans and shakes with paranoid, alien melodies while iv closes with much more of a tunnelling, sense-blurring experience. total machine harmony, unbounded synthetic creativity, made to mix and wholly outer-planetary. hinode and correspondant are a match made in the stars.

instant chapter is an associative label established by 4 former hellyum s collective members. it has been created in order to put forward raw, instant and free productions. this project aims at bringing isolated electronic music producers out of the shadow so that their work can come to an end and be released. instant chapter thrives on its members diversified horizons. therefore, the label doesn t have any limitation in terms of genres or formats, and every chapter that will compound its history will aspire in exploring one of the many faces indie music can represent.

the fourth release on trevor jacksons pre- label is by skull. a visceral journey into experimental noise and no wave avant grade beatscapes the last skull release snapz appeared on jacksons own output recordings label in 1999. a seminal collection of tracks that had previously featured on the first two legendary mo wax headz compilations (also featuring autechre, beastie boys, air, and dj shadow) as well as tracks that had also appeared on kevin the bug martins notorious macro dub infection albums during the mid 90s. reactionary sonic statements aimed at the coffee table world of trip hop, fuelled by his dissatisfaction and dissillustionment with hip hop of the time, trevor pushed himself into uncomfortable and far more extreme areas than he had before, areas he felt unable to explore with his underdog productions, which were mainly being utilised for major label remixes at the time. influenced as much by the industrial pioneers, post punk and new wave of the past as the burgeoning post rock scene in the mid 90s, this new set of previously unreleased recordings originally produced between 1996-2000 are equally as intense and visceral as the early releases. dusty samples, raw beats, tape loops, and primitive effects combine to sound as relevant now as when they were initially created.

the unlikelihood of being alive warrants expression. in the increasingly digital universe we are tangibly intertwined yet phenomenally disconnected. this creation of soundscapes defines dream-like iterations of a post-internet reality and is uncanny in its ability to quintessentially emulate potential futuristic states of being. it induces the uniqueness and highly emotive aspects of undefined existences. it is raw and purposeful. potatoheadz is a melbourne/berlin based, diy label created by nipuna jayasekera, leon wan & sam sedgwick. it is dedicated to the dispersion of local and international music focused on innovative artistry. unknown data set is their first record and third release featuring the music of various artists. 400 copies!

mega hypnotic minimalism. nara records comes with the very first release by sonnen blumen kerne - live oriented trio from the hood. 4 tracker with a bit of raw analog flavour is ideal secret weapon for every part of the night. vinyl only.

matt karmil, pional, marc piñol and dandara shed a new light on slowciety s previous record: guru. guru remixes opens with a mesmerising and brooding interpretation of the self-titled by matt karmil, recalling the raw textures of the uk-producer s lp. pional s remix comes next with a powerful treatment of elephant, once again proving the dancefloor expertise of the madrid-based producer. he delivers the shamanic experience from the original track and pushes it forward with soaring percussive elements & beats layered on a 90 s-esque emotive pad. marc piñol opens the b-side with a groovy remix of guru, described by the man himself as a 122 bpm after party tool. a heady bassline loop, as well as dry & twisted sounds beefed up by karmil s work on the mastering, lead the remix to a hypnotic ride, pure and efficient. last but not least, swiss producer dandara brings his tribal touch to the sensual -utopia-. a slow melodic dancefloor piece which smoothly closes this third record.

freshly launched vinyl label exploring the gradients of techno with a direction to move. 3 raw cuts from producer jamaica suk, san francisco native now based in berlin, featuring a remix from cassegrain.

finder is the newest alias of jeroen liebregts, best known as radial (audio assault / mord) and as part of the duo museum (indigo aera / mdr). for this ep on lowercase life he has provided us with four deep and raw techno cuts with an analog feel. as always available in limited edition vinyl with hand made silkscreen printed covers.
early support by: etapp kyle, marcel dettmann, speedy j, shlomo, ame, abstract division, dave clarke, dustin zahn, artefakt, fabrice lig, jeroen search, 2000 and one, par grindvik, luca agnelli, jonas kopp, dax j, wrong assessment, iron curtis, bleak, rebekah, dvs1

hot creations is home to some of the industrys most valuable players. next year, darius syrossian will make a welcome return to the label with his heavy hitting two-parter, moxy, following on from 2013s whos the douche? ep. kicking off proceedings is moxy. six minutes of pure, raw, industrial bass littered with a smattering of high-hats and a break down that will leave you begging for more. the flip side serves up more peak-time goodness with hi, its me. a driving, throbbing bassline thumps over wobbling synths with a female vocal stating that she does not do vip clubs or bottle service bullshit! darius syrossian has made quite the mark on the industry. he began releasing music in 2009 and his proceeding career has seen him release a slew of dancefloor hits on labels such as viva music, 20/20 vision and get physical music, as well as collaborations with steve lawler, josh butler and sidney charles. hes also held down residencies at some of the world’s most influential clubs and has become an essential part of the ibizan summer seasons.

this one is for people who like the real disco tools. for dudes who love the style of dj harvey, prins thomas or todd terje. for djs that want the girls to dance. toy tonics lead honcho black loops teamed up with italo-spanish dj innocent soul in his berlin studio. do we have to introduce black loops? not really: he started his career on toy tonics three years ago. meanwhile did 5 eps on the label - including his main club hit sex (that was one of the 50 most sold house tracks on beatport in 2016). innocent soul is a young italian living in barcelona where he is a quite established kid in the nightlife scene. vittorio rinaldi his name. he is resident dj at space music garden project and resident for the modular project at city hall. like black loops he is not really innocent. at least if it comes to music. he is a huge lover and collector of disco, afro, black, raw and house music vinyl. you can hear the influences in this ep for sure. rollin. this ep is a bomb.

already supported by kai alce, the revenge, sascha dive, jacques renault, thony (frank & thony), baaz, life recorder, anaxander, eric cloutier, fred berthet, lootbeg, schubert, relatif yann, did virgo, dub striker.. --- modelisme is back with a 3 pure deep raw house tracks ep, singularly cooked by gari romalis, brilliant producer from detroit. gari loves house music, whatever if that sounds deep, raw, vocals, no vocals, drummy, techy, hypno, disco, dub, friendly or unfriendly.. the only point is that must get groove, and gari romalis drives groove. he makes always his tracks as one shot based on, seeking always for right balance, sensible deepness and holding tension. we use to see him on great and famous labels like warm tapes adjustment, isgud, housewax, rawax, bosconi or dockside, developing each time slight different moods and directions. for that occasion, he delivers « mechanic ep » on modelisme, sounding trippy, housy , dubby and solid!

the third edition of the magnum opus series features thee art ov metals, a raw, menacing, post-punk inflected cut, drenched in reverb over an insistent ebm groove from broken english club alongside the pristine cardio bleeps and rave hypnosis of claus fuss’ static ace.

2018 repress ,how much do you really know about nina kraviz? shes a russian techno dj, an accomplished producer, one of dance musics breakthrough names of the last five years. true enough, but theres so much more to her story than that. shes one of electronic musics most interesting characters, someone who has stuck to her musical guns since day one, someone who has wide-ranging roots that run deep in the past, yet shes also the embodiment of the future. her signature sound is a raw blend of house and techno with a very acidic feel. if that feels very now, kraviz has a lot to do with it, which is why she was asked to mix the latest instalment of !k7s landmark dj kicks series.

my rules storms into 2018 with the raw machine music project happy family from eric duncan and justin van der volgen. a side downtown wedgeee kicks off with twisted acid lines and drunken arpeggios which build and build until completely going off the rails, then finishing with ethereal pads and metallic percussion. b side bad monks ups the tempo and goes even further into woozy psychedelic territory with thick dizzying drones and a smeared pounding analogue rhythm.

strong raw house - from acid house to disco

ever throughout a long-standing chameleonic career in nightlife colleen martin has been one to challenge expectations and confidently confront boundaries. having established herself now firmly within the techno scene as lady starlight, she continues to do so on her ep for figure, presenting a statement of bold and pounding beats. ‘which one of us is me? showcases a completely intuitive approach to making music, with every track coming together as a direct stream of creativity, channeled straight into the solely analogue hardware. it imbues each composition with a strong sense of immediacy, a quality that only further intensifies the raw energy transmitted. this pure form of expression translates into a record brimming with artistic authenticity - enveloping, moving and deeply impacting.

we are extremely happy to welcome malouane to our roster for this third release. the atmosphere of malouane is unique: raw, melodic and full of details with charm. -long way for the homies- will recall artists like mcde or rick wade, quite in the same vein: jazzy, soul and house. the second, -keep yo mama clean- very catchy too: drums, beautiful basses and small samples interact with each other. these elements work perfectly, because malouane has a real sense of musical arrangement, a real mastery of sampling. -this is supposed to be an outro- is the last track of the original tracks: it is a little slower than the others but a great wealth: a real charm and a true personality emerges from this piece. the multitude of details and, again, the mastery of the sample make it a piece as much club as listening. cody currie has proposed his own vision. the young english producer made a great remix by putting his style and clement’s together. finally, times are ruff also offers their reinterpretation of keep yo mama clean: softer and quite faithful to the atmosphere of this ep, with a small taste of chaos in the cbd, the dutch have done a remarkable job.

on this split ep, two-heads project minimum syndicat is back again with its own special brand of hard acid music, mixing authentic rave influences and modern industrialish techno to reach this state of dark euphoria who became its trademark. this time, their guest is the famous irish producer sunil sharpe, another figure not known to make any compromise... he delivers two severe cuts of techno and electro full of raw energy, with a sinister vibe reflecting the dirty clubs and warehouses where this music is supposed to be played.

blocaus series is back and explores this time the deep side of things guided by the fearless awb lighting the way. the parisian based producer awb is well know to be the owner of taapion records with shlomo and pvnv and also released music on soma records and raw imprint. awb’s sound oscillates between deep / atmospheric techno, with film scoring influence which are reflected in this ep. he delivers 4 fantastic cuts including an outstanding remix by peter van hoesen all on the edge of an amazing melancholic and deep techno style.

after great success of moondance 002, 003 is expected to be no less than great. one of croatia’s finest, ivan komlinovic is back with his brand new 4 tracker including the analog cops splendid remix. straight up underground techno-funk filled with different vibes and mindsets that ivan delivers at moondance 12- is fragment of his arsenal of raw but warm-analog sounding elements. we are honoured to present -ninja’s cross- killer cuts that represents ivan’s unique drift between different techno and house vibes.

first up on the fresh amsterdam-based label late night burners is kurley s debut -feelings ep-. for this young and very talented musician anything goes, as long as it s unique, warm, rhythmic, and raw, and this five tracker perfectly showcases this ethos. from the uplifting, acid-driven title track, we dive straight into -heartbeat-, taking us a level deeper. on the b-side kurley starts off with the stabby, slightly melancholic -long time- while never losing the floor out of sight, preparing us for the vocoder-infused killer -groove all night-. closing off the ep is -tribute-, bringing a more exotic type of heat. in short: a lot to love.

on the a-side label head relative delivers to you -i can t get it-, tight 4/4 stomping raw drums mixed with hypnotic pads and old school vocoder, next track is a -ghetto- 2-step juicy remix by blatta. a3 is a classic deep lo-fi punch house by the napoli based s-dm. b-side welcomes back tengrams and its analogue toys, -another day- is a balanced 808 running pattern song that leaves your mind dreaming. b2 is the newcomer will hofbauer with its moody melodies, easy rhythms and heavy choruses. last track is thunderdub from amazing analog adventures, pure italian gem between used machines and vocal cuts on 110 bpm. first 100 copies comes with original instax polaroid!

dsr 009.5, produced by our main man gari romalis.
under the aka dj scsi, he brings here some raw electro shit from detroit. on 10 inches and limited to 300 copies

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.

us producer d’marc cantu needs little introduction in the world of acid house and techno. since the late 2000s he’s been serving us quality musical output on labels like crème organization, m>o>s recordings, nation, altered moods or spectral sound, just to name a few. as well as his solo productions, he’s also one half of 2am/fm unit, alongside tadd mullinix (jtc / dabrye).
using a selection of hardware tools and analogue machines, his rugged sound draws on house, techno, acid, electro and hip hop and features crafty studio skills, knowing sampling and lovable raw aesthetics, defining his own sound that became known as jakbeat.
his latest offering for little beat different is, well, rather different in comparison to his usual club oriented output. it’s not as focused on straightforward dancefloor bangers, (although they are present here too), but features more experimental pieces, suitable for home listening purposes. totalling almost 38 minutes in length, this project has more of an album feel to it than a 12”.

soul pattern is the name of mac-kee’s new vinyl label. it’s synonymous with the musical focus on different spheres of house, especially raw house and chicago house, in which the art of the dj is rooted since the early 1990s. but anyone who thinks, that the label will be limited by following a pattern like scheme, is very much mistaken! rather soul pattern wants to reinvent itself with every release.

phonica is proud to present the song for mr. lewis , a new record from austin ato! austin ato may be an unfamiliar name to most right now but you will have undoubtedly heard his music before. the man behind the mask colin bailey - has a decade of music production experience under his belt using aliases such as drums of death, frankie dreams and the slumberjack. following on from his recent 12inch on futureboogie, phonica white unveils the fantastic song for mr.lewis ep. when it comes to producing electronic music, colin proves to be a dab hand at a variety of styles. his work as austin ato updates the classic house sound utilising live instruments drums, percussion and keys alongside electronic elements. at the core of song for mr lewis is a moving speech from civil rights activist representative john lewis on gun control in the united states, a message that sadly remains just as important to this day. on the flip, the dub versions strips everything back to the drums, a raw counterpoint to the deeper original, perfect as a dj tool but a powerful bare-bones track in itself. finally, the blissful morning closes the ep in style, with colin laying keys over the top of a dubbed out drum machine and bass loop that could just keep going and going. oh yeah! artwork as always is supplied by the talented pedro carvalho de almeida.

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