a true lynchpin of the detroit underground. sharif laffrey has been producing music & djing internationally for over 20 years. sharifs participation in detroits early rave scene during the early 1990s led him to music, djing & organizing underground loft parties. sharif became part of detroits submerge squad as he worked & lived in its storied 2030 grand river avenue headquarters working for mike banks as an operative for underground resistance & submerge. and dance is the debut release on laffreys own record label special forces. a workout of a jam that along its 14 minute long route undergoes transformations. cryptic spoken vocals and sound for dance.

uneven paths: deviant pop from europe, 1980-1991 is the second multiple artist compilation on music from memory and is compiled by record connoisseur raphael top-secret and label man jamie tiller. the compilation brings together twenty one tracks from across the continent, exploring the more unusual and unexpected sides of pop music produced during that period.

what if music had no beginning, no end? can music exist for itself or of itself, without structure constraining it, defining it? can music be non-linear, non-narrative, simply experiential, existential? the second full-length album on mysteries of the deep, musica enterrada from portland’s william selman, neither answers these questions nor supposes them. but in listening, one can’t help but wonder: what if i disappeared into this record forever? in another time and place, william selman was known as warmdesk, an alias through which he issued a series of sharply precise minimal techno records. in recent past, selman shifted gears, shedding the dynamics of tension and release that characterized his previous alias output. under his own name, selman began releasing process-oriented, freeform experimental music on cassette-focused outlets like digitalis and hausu mountain. now comes musica enterrada, a diaphanous, weightless musical vision not unlike the theoretical square root of grm and popol vuhs early electronic forays. split into six tracks across two sides of vinyl, musica enterrada bubbles, churns, drifts, and dozes. dulcet tones pile up gently like waves on shore. patterns repeat and reconfigure, as if heard from different angles. rhythms appear, shift the frame, then disappear, into the ether whence they came. play musica enterrada on repeat. and if you disappear into it, fret not you have drifted into solace.

in their fifth release, dc label partial magic welcomes four friends and producers from the knoxville, tennessee based collective teknox. alex falk opens the record with an upbeat slammer, looping cocky vocal samples over brash, noisy textures sure to please those familiar with his sound. second on the a side, saint thomas ledoux follows with an introspective track perfect for building or releasing dancefloor tension. on the b side, nikki nair brings back the raunch with a cheeky breaks-and-bleeps acid track. dialectic sines closes out the record with an ethereal cut backed by a hypnotic, tropical electro-techno groove.

don’t sleep on this, as a record crammed to a brim with such insanely tight and varied material doesn’t hit the shops often. printed on a customary 180g elusive wax and limited to a measly 300 copies it won’t stay on the shelves for long and might just cause a riot! andrey burtaev is somewhat of a gleaming, speeding meteor that is about to hit our planet big and elusive records are proud to welcome him back for his second effort for the label. right from the start of the “move on dub” we are teleported to the heart of the deepest rainforest. the humid hallucinatory mist of the opening bars subversively flows into hooks laced with explosive jitters and locked-in, dubbed up tech-house beats. the jive comes in and reasserts the reggae roots so central to andrey’s music. the track is so dense with fresh ideas – it leaves you with that rare feeling of ‘not enough’.

after a more than well-received first release, interstate records is back with a shimmering and diverse ep. featuring two original cuts by the label heads dial tone on the a-side, plus two outstanding remixes on the flipside, the record serves as a fitting successor to the label’s thriving start.

vinyl 1 of planet rhythm’s legendary “sixty” compilation from 2007.

the canadian producer has built an impressive discography in recent years with a stream of quality releases via labels such as clone s royal oak imprint, spring theory, lone s magicwire and most recently his -hope you re well- ep on ninja tune s technicolour imprint. pitchfork were quick to acknowledge his unique production style and innate ability to balance the openness and experimental qualities of the back room and the hooks and sonics of the main room describing previous single is it dry? as -a rarity: peak-time techno that won t rot your brain or insult your intelligence, with appeal from the basement to the big leagues-. following recent excursions channeling the big room sound, he returns with a sleeker, more refined ep. -for this record i pushed myself to keep things more minimal than usual, in a relative sense.- he explains. -focusing on repetition in melody, rhythm and harmony, putting a lot of trust in my initial ideas and letting them play out. it was harder to stop than to add more.- the resulting five tracks span upbeat opener napoletana - -a rough and ready duet between a mfb 522 drum machine and juno 106-, through the swirling improvised piano loops of last day - recorded in an hour just before he packed up his gear at the studio of fellow montreal residents braids and moved it all home, to the bumpy 2-step of less and less .

the berlin based gel abril kicks off his new closed circuits label in a full form presenting a strong record by talented polish artist oskar szafraniec, a crafted producer, known by his latest 12” on rawax with ricardo villalobos, eps on murge recordings, cyclo or collaborations with pier bucci. for the debut release on closed circuits, oskar has collaborated with the swedish very addictive duo and has delivered his best work to date, a music piece called “borderline”, filled with lush vocals and hypnotic pads that kicks the label with a proper bang.
on the a side - the label boss himself, gel abril, turning “borderline” into a burner, with his very own distinctive groove and effected vocals, surely to be one of the main tracks for 2018! on the flip side, already mentioned original mix of “borderline” and another collaboration by oskar, this time with legendary chilean master pier bucci, bringing minimalistic experimental goodness, perfect for those special after hour moments we all love. gel abril said: “listening to borderline for the first time it just blew my mind and gave me that goosebumps feeling you rarely get with most of music out there these days, i felt very inspired remixing such an magnificent vocal, it is one for the books!”

15th release of the strong barba records! and its fbk who s back featuring a remix by none other than claude young - a detroit heavy-weight who s been particularly selective with his output. kevin s previous record for barba, a 2016 twelve titled -screaming her name-, also featured a remixes by terrence dixon and plural. between then and now kevin managed to put out a track for -the cast project- va and a solo ep for radio slave s rekids imprint.

arkityp, the imprint solely dedicated to archie hamilton and rossko s collaborations, returns in 2018 with its sophomore release - 3 for a tenner ep, landing in all good record stores march 19. born out of marathon sessions in hamilton s london based studios, the duo would road-test the outcomes of these endeavours, letting the dancefloors adjudicate the ep s final tracklist, one that elaborates further on the theme of aktp001 - growing up clubbing in the uk s capital. delving deep into the cross-pollinations between minimal, dub techno and tech house, this three tracker celebrates the attitude and energy within england s club culture, a culture that has profoundly impacted the perspective of both label bosses and their production style.

a glorious live disco workout harking back to the spirit of new yorks heyday when love and inclusivity ruled the dancefloor. featuring additional remix by rahaan. you need this in your life! you know that feeling when you hear a killer melody and it just sticks in your head and makes you wanna dance? call it disco, call it what you want, this song is packed with soul, emotion and a righteous hook, boasting a stunning vocal performance from us singer angela gooden and comes armed with heavy percussion, funky bass, and some serious rhodes. as part of a three track vinyl package on madrid label lovemonk, new york/madrid dj, producer and vinyl vendor oli stewart, better known as casbah 73, goes back-to-boogie-basics on the lead track, along with a b side re-fix by chicago s don of the disco edit, dj rahaan, and a full-on percussion jam instrumental cut. love saves the day is a joyous tribute to open-minded and inclusive clubs past and present with a sly nod to the seminal new york institutions like the loft and the paradise garage. but this record isn t some banal exercise in faithful reproduction, rather a exhuberant slice of soul-disco that reignites the spirit of these underground nightclubs, lofts and warehouses. casbah 73 has handpicked key musicians from around the globe and threaded all these together for a smack-you-on-the-lips belter, reverberating with positivity love really is the message. rahaan s on-the-spot offer to remix love saves the day came about after a chance meeting with casbah 73 in madrid. a couple of days were spent checking out records and drinking wine oli is one of europe s leading disco, soul and jazz vinyl dealers when he played rahaan an early demo. the rest, as they say, is history

wonderful 70s work from tom ze! the record’s a bit more straightforward than some of his other records from the decade, and has a number of tracks with a samba sound at the base – but there’s more than enough fantastic material to keep the record fresh, and tom’s writing is as great as ever. there’s a vocal group that sings with ze on many of the tracks on the record – but they also seem to sometimes act as a greek chorus, in response to breakaway vocal passages that are dominated by ze. includes the excellent baroque funky number “dor e dor”, plus the tracks “sonho colorido de um pintor”, “a baba”, “o sandalo”, “a briga do edificio italia com o hilton hotel”, and “happy end”. pressing on 180 gram vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

oni-ki s universe is expanding, is yours? (this record was produced during the summer 2017 s flooding of berlin)

500, 12inch 180g, hand stamped, individually numbered records, single press only. tusk s old pal cyclonix follows up his horn wax record with a full release on the main label. justin strauss & bryan mette provide a whatever/whatever remix

feat. the og mix & cajmere, johnny fiasco remixes
-introducing basic vision, a new imprint releasing a vinyl series of rare classics from the legendary back to basics club. selected and compiled by the man who played the first ever record at the club, original resident dj ralph lawson, on this release joined by long term resident tristan da cunha on selection duties. all the tracks are cut to vinyl from the original master recordings and given enough time on high quality vinyl to ensure clean, loud pressings with original artwork by the godfather of punk design - jamie reid. the artwork spans across 4 records, which collected together will make the compete picture. basic vision 003 heavily features the birthplace of house, chicago, with a selection of rare cuts that always move the dance-floor. the highly sought after og freak mix of cassio ware - i wanna see you dance rocks the spot on the a side. this is the original black house version and not the remixes or re-edits that can be found. mark grant and cajmere only made one record together as the chicago connection and it was a true bomb. mint copies go for l75 but cajmere s remix is included here and cut loud from the original master recording.

discos capablanca return with a record from the mysterious detroit-based sharif laffrey (we know little more than his place of birth, and that he likes to ride his bike and warm weather) who brings the heat on the turn it up 12 inch. recorded in detroit in the late 80s and released on a cassette tape compilation in 1988, the original *turn it up* is a long forgotten gem from the period that electro was beginning to morph and mutate into nascent forms of techno. excavated by hugo capablancas label, the track is presented in an edited version that stays true to the original and complemented by an acid dub not dub version that implements plenty of deranged 303 action.

his first ep «a crack in the eyes» won over 5 million listeners and opened the door to collaborations with kraak & smaak, parcels, and zimmer. after going through various formations as a musician, but also by many projects managed as a record engineer, fhin lifts the veil on a universe oscillating between pop, trip-hop and future music.

keepsakes, charlton and myler join 138 in cvlt as the third installment to their txtrl imprint. aukland based producer keepsakes opens up the record with bricks of joy a soothing yet crunchy tune with an undisputed bounce while dutch producer charlton heads into quick hypnosis with reggie smoker on the b side irish mad man myler delivers a relentless jungle belter opulence 138 closes the record with i just called to c if u care

>this life< has been a title paolo rocco has been saving for the right moment. as his first ep on his own label, this record brings us back to the early morning after hour 90s rave days. inspired by 909 drum grooves, deep warm pads, and melancholic vox chops, this is paolos definition of house music. with his a2 >doors open< being a perfect opening track, jack wickham and okain remixes complimenting his originals, this record is already going down as timeless.

the second intergraded is a four tracker from hi & saberhaegen, the brainchild of two producer/djs from scotland and ireland respectively. they first met midland at a gig at sneaky petes in edinburgh where they booked him to play at the club (where they also hold a residency). having previously played their music on anthony naples proibito and huntleys and palmers he was keen to hear what else they had been working on. what followed was selection of tracks that ended up being distilled down to the light on leaves ep. without relying on superlatives and detailed track by track descriptions, its an amazing record that reveals itself with every listen and one we are really proud to have on the label.

some memories leave us with silence. how are we supposed to talk about sensations that words can t catch? this record is rafael s feature film debut.

black plastic magic from secret circuit, roza terenzi, tmo, furious frank, dj haus and phran, brought to you by pelvis. the second edition in a series, this incarnation brings together rhythm trax and freaked out jams to juice your blends. pelvis are a multifaceted leisure system celebrating dance, music, film and spatial design through their parties, clothing, record label and other projects. coital embellishers, tailors of state, gland enhancers, dance party linux a black economy enterprise, forever slippery and uncatchable.

ltd 100 copies - taking it back to the old school and manufactured in the space of 5 week, this handmade nugget of black crack beat the previous release and all it s issues. dr spaventi once again provides the expert mastering to some artisanal yorkshire electronics from northern powerhouse. the full range of frequencies have been lovingly captured and set for eternity into nice and solid, hand pressed plastic before being bound in gorgeously minimal white paper -inners-. adding individual nuance to each and every record, is a stylised image of the visionary york philanthropist, joseph rowntree. details of which tracks are which are lovingly incorporated into this image using a black ink to stand against mr rowntree s brilliance. the hand screened label, uses the latest in dual pizza/kitchen table printing technology™ with a tried and tested lounge floor drying system to ensure any moisture is gone before the vinyl is shipped, so that transport weight can be kept to a minimum and savings passed on to you.

the comeback of the growing bins favourite private german jazz funk gem. spring is in the air and groove is in the heart for hamburgs most loveable record label. following the freak beat festival of wolf and wandts instrumentalmusik comes a release thats been in the pipeline since the organic imprint first took root the first reissue of the beautiful senora. beguiling and brilliant, this private press princess makes you want to dance, dream and do cartwheels, then breaks your heart when you realise youll never meet her a rare beauty indeed. so its time to let basso play cupid and introduce you to the love of your life

taking melodies from various sources, the artist built the record with a common orientation contrasted by various asperities for each track. merging electronic strengths with complex aspects of original instruments, the record might be taken as a contrast that would satisfy both dancers and musical seekers with the objective to keep the mr godot risin.

first release of label la casa tropical, two south african nuggets. especially smile is a sought after tune by satari. the flip might even be better. tip! synth heavy south african disco boogie from the mid 80s. first issued near the end of the synth-pop era that gave boom to the local record industry, this release takes the b-sides off the mysterious groups first 2 singles recorded at johannesburgs legendary satbel and ovation studio. combining live instruments and an embrace of the electronic gear that was already standard in all studios city wide, the newly formed supergroup was able to create a unique sound at a time the word disco was starting to be associated with a different emerging movement.

famous for their matching, colourful suits and always-happy smiles, beyaz kelebekler (white butterflies) were a mixed-gender turkish band very popular during the 70s. they released one album plus numerous 45s in turkey and other countries like holland and italy. in 1976 during the last day of their european tour, just after one gig in cologne, beyaz kelebekler visited a studio of a friend which was still in construction. they decided to record a few songs, just for fun and for testing the new studio equipment. it was a very basic, one take recording, using an 8-channel mixer, a few mics and a reel-to reel tape machine. the result was an amazing example of anatolian psych-funk, featuring wah-fuzz guitar, flute, heavy drums, joyous male / female vocals. unreleased until now, here is the first ever release of these surprising recordings, rescued from the only surviving cassette tape.

lagaffe tales starts 2018 with an anticipated collaboration with the icelandic artist ilo that has been some years in the making. with an amazing track record and fantastic edits over the years we are honoured to finally have had the chance to release him. take you to love consists of two tracks, (a1) take you to love and (b1) miracles that each have their own side. due to the length of the tracks they have the ability to draw the attention in and take the listener on a ride through ilo s soundscape.

sha d underground trax comes forward with his first private pressed release, hailing from birmingham with a passion for basslines and vocals, the scalpel ep aims to deliver just that with a mix of electro, freestyle & boogie cut up, chopped and reworked focusing on the drums and raw basslines while bringing the silky vocals to the fore and removing all the cheese, for those of you who buy records looking for the dub versions or step pettibone remixes this is the perfect record for you, built by the dance floor for the dance floor, late night low slung sleaze business.

coldgeists music on unknown bodies is an intimate reinterpretation of coldwave, techno and dark ambient codes, uttered with strength, guts, and an underlying romantic soul. inspired by nocturnal runs of bosozoku bikers clans, who stem from this japanese subculture of the late seventies , coldgeist has created a series of soundscapes and songs that evoke speeding through foggy nights and fluorescent lights. haunting repetitions and stiffness of the rhythms as a metaphor of mechanical gestures, of bodies turned into units of consumption, stranded from the life and passion they crave. the frustration of a youth that only finds relief in extreme experiences, danger, and the sexual tension of speed and crashes. with analog and digital instruments, field recordings but also his own voice and songs, coldgeist has bred a truly unique record.

the 20th volume of our flagship eccentric soul series has all the boxes checked: guntoting, skip-tracing record producers, child stars, rip-offs, the worlds greatest bail bondsman, swindles, soaring falsettos, and a dwindling rust-belt cityscape offering mere glimpses of hope before the record industry escaped for the coasts. helmed by the ojays bobby massey, saru was a creative vortex that pulled cuyahoga countys greatest talent in, making a strong case for cleveland to contend with detroit, philly, and memphis as americas soul music’s capital. includes obscure and unknown sides from the out of sights, the elements, pandella kelly, david peoples, sir stanley, the ponderosa twins + 1, ba-roz, bobby dukes, and of course, the o’jays.

the moment every true rap fan has been waiting for! ocean wisdom’s second album, the highly anticipated wizville is on the horizon. showing true signs of progression, ocean wisdom has turned in something nothing short of incredible. with guest appearances from an all star cast, ocean has left no stone unturned, touching upon multiple genres and bringing together some of the biggest legends in the history of the industry. wizville boasts an unrivalled track list including collaborations with the record breaking, genre defining, phenom that is dizzee rascal! the legend himself and arguably one of the greatest rappers of all time, wu tang clan’s own method man! the mercury award winning scene smasher who defined a generation, roots manuva! the grime scene og who birthed a generation of mcs with unmatched skill, p money! the most poignant person with a pen in ukhh, jehst! the ukhh veteran and most respected wordsmith in the game, chester p! the original riddim killa and londons own originator rodney p and the grime scene’s dr dre aka rude kid. to top it off, ocean has also enlisted the musical talents of baquiat, leaf dog, mystry, illinformed, kidkanevil, chemo, pete cannon, muckanicks, pitch 92 & more to produce the album.

chuck cissel, from tulsa, oklahoma, recoded just two albums in 1979 and 1982 respectively, both for arista at the time and reissued together on cd by expansion in 2014. he is best known in disco circles for ‘cisselin’ hot’, but over the last two decades has become renonwned for “don’t tell me you’re sorry” in northern and crossover soul circles. today it is his most sought after record, orignal copies worth £150. the track is also written about in richard searling’s new book “putting the record straight”.

a fully legit 2018 repress of a jazz-funk & boogie classic! nard is bernard wright s bonafide funk masterclass, boasting some truly amazing and heavily sampled cuts including - spinning (used by skee-lo on i wish ) haboglabotribin (used by snoop dogg on g s & hustlers ) as well as some heavy-duty boogie workouts like just chilling out , the master rocker and many more. a truly solid record and one that features boundless flashes of genius writing and playing from bernard and his killer outfit including luminaries such as dave grusin, marcus miller, weldon irvine, patti austin, luther vandross and many more! this one s a keeper and will have you locked in from start to finish, a total groove-fest. originally released on the mighty arista sub-label grp label in 1981 nard has it all, the beats, the wigged out oberheim solos and most importantly - the funk! remastered and repressed with the full involvement of arista / sony bmg by above board distribution for all you boogie freaks. a truly essential album!

2018 repress, standard lp jacket rather than the old school stoughton jacket as on the first edition, no dl card cultures of soul record brings to you an anthology of the music of evans pyramid. this album features all of the officially released singles plus four previously unreleased tracks. 1000 ltd pressing. delux gatefold stoughton paste-on jacket and download card to 4 previously unreleased bonus cuts. huge tip! andre evans was the mastermind behind evans pyramid, a seasoned performer and session player in boston throughout the 70s. full of unique disco and boogie stylings, this release includes all of the rare singles such as never gonna leave you, dip drop, no i wont and i want your body, as well as a recently discovered 45 that features two top-notch disco tracks - dance a thon and rubber band. the album also includes four unissued tracks taken from the original demo tapes. thanks to praise and adulation from gilles peterson, dj kon, the noble brothers and joey negro, as well as other respected djs and collectors around the world, evans pyramid is the undisputed king of boston boogie.

from the darkest corners of the rca vaults we bring you this super rare and wonderful, tripped out cosmic-psych rarity on 45! from 1977 this double-header is an eastern themed, moog driven oddity from the mysteriously monikered kamel oil company. written by the legendary bob azzam, eddie barclay (founder of barclay records) & greek record company owner antoine flamaritis, mustapha is an exotica soaked orchestral monster with choir vocals and string arrangements that only the big boys could call in. this is a serious left-field nugget from the vaults of one of the biggest majors, one ends up thinking - how did this come about?! . on the flip-side we have petrolo en bruto , which is the real gem here, undoubtedly this one will appeal to fans of the far flung reaches of world music and psych, even those of you who dig the various flavours of funk from around the globe. a truly special and unique record here, often sought after by the deepest of the crate diggers and obscure sound searchers on a promo 45, this rare ep now sees a fully legit reissue. made in conjunction with above board distribution and rca this reissue is sourced from their vaults using original materials and remastered and repressed to the highest standard for 2018 and featuring all original 1977 rca label artwork.

big support by ricardo villalobos ... the noise invaders landed! psynote returns on chiwax #27 with another remarkeble release! 3 years after -walking down the noise ep- franco cinelli is sending us this space monster record!

moss co. kicks off 2018 with the indivisual ep from the supremely talented mariano mateljan. mariano and label boss, archie hamilton have been talking about an ep on moss co. for a number or years, and it is a tribute to both of their perfectionism that it finally lands in all good stores april 6th. made in his home studio in split, the record came together from several analogue jam sessions. aimed squarely at the small hours, the deeply trippy and haunting tracks take influence from the micro house of the 90 labels like cabinet and perlon and producers like schatrax and matthew johnson. the record is a fine example of marianos ever-maturing sound timeless minimalistic house music that will cast a spell over dance floors the world over.

following up his now sold out redef debut (1996 beat tape, vol 1), veteran producer dj spinna returns with another wave of hard hitting instrumentals. entitled, unpicked treats volume 1, the “jigmasta” spinna has prepared the first of an ongoing series of beats that all have a similar story. making tracks for well over 2 decades, this latest project features a small collection of beats that were created with the intention of backing mc’s and vocalists, but were never officially used. rather than archiving the material, dj spinna realized his fan base would appreciate these compositions in instrumental form. after all, he is the same producer who has garnered respect from the likes of j dilla, pete rock, jazzy jeff and yes, the one & only stevie wonder himself. without giving too much of his process away, spinna challenged himself using the latest cutting edge software in tandem with some of his favorite gear from over the years. the end result is a glimpse into the spontaneous execution of top notch creativity. listeners will have an unobstructed view into the ears and mind of the artist. employing several different approaches, unpicked treats volume 1 maintains a consistent vibe throughout it’s 12 songs. whether, you love beat tapes, instrumental music or are entertained by the art of sampling, this record is a commodity. plans for volume 2 are already in progress, but in the meantime, be sure to get acquainted with unpicked treats volume 1 and the genius of dj spinna.

wild oats is happy to present this debut release to you entitled “pure amethyst” from caron miller aka q’uran d’mar aka q’d’ who is another gifted young brother from detroit and our hope is this record adds some thoughtfulness, love and intentionality to your inner world at the beginning of this lunar new year.

as part of the ten-year anniversary dekmantel presents the final record in a ten-part-ep series. split into two parts due to its immensity, the final instalment is a re-issue of tony allens asiko (in a silent mix) originally released in 1999 and remixes by motor city drum ensemble and ricardo villalobos. the first part features a grandiose 29-minute ricardo villalobos version of the afrobeat masters cut. a true collaboration of giants.having been a regular at the festival for several years now, villalobos delivers a remix, one of his longest to date, that only he can produce. allowing the percussion to breathe into a monumental rhythm, villalobos warps the vocals, restructuring the bass and drums into a rolling dub-fusion of techno that is characteristic of his remixes to date, yet still breathtaking in its execution. afrobeat-minimalism, with dub-infused fire, and near psychedelic ambience that perfectly synchs the worlds of tony allen, and ricardo villalobos, two legends who’ve helped re-shape the face of music. highlighting the diversity of sounds that have come to represent the dutch label and festival series, the eps to date have encompassed a range of artists and genres, featuring label favourites, as well as whole bunch of debuting artists. the ep series kicked off in march 2018, and over the course of a year featured the likes of gigi masin, lena willikens, burnt friedman, donato dozzy, the egyptian lover, palms trax, and more.

dj assam is back on lehult with three futuristic club cuts on im still in 2 it, balancing pounding functionality and dystopian atmosphere.
shatterdome, cut deep across the whole first side of this record, is a no-prisoners-taken club workout that comes of surprisingly lightheaded with a pushing low-end and dusky athmo-stabs. lola t70 is a late night car chase on cyber-highway, reminiscing thx-1138 leaving everything behind in the classic george lucas sci-fi film: a state of floating acceleration and melancholy. say hi to everyone is signature.

russell haswell returns to diagonal with a new five-track mini-album called respondent. not quite an ep nor long enough for a full album, this record marks a significant shift in direction for haswell, who collaborates with a vocalist, sue tompkins, for the first time in a career defined by its unorthodoxy that now stretches some 27 years.

central to the israeli club scene, deepa & biri have long been defying expectations even within a community they helped construct. serving as resident djs, activists and bookers for tel avivs legendary barzilay club, the pair helped build a transcendent club scene. hugely influential artists such as robert hood, derrick may, rødhad, ben klock and moritz von oswald passed through the club, enjoying legendary crowds and what they could surely sense was a genuine air of anarchy, rebellion and unadulterated rave pleasure. as the duo held down dozens of parties with dozens of djs, there was no ‘eureka moment for their emerging sound, just a steady stream of brilliant, inspiring electronic music, much of which left an indelible imprint on the pair. now based in berlin, for deepa & biri, things are much the same, even if the landscape and the city is different. always rooted in the fertile ground between machines and emotion, on their second full-length lp, ‘dominance, the duo demonstrate their unique grasp of the sensitive, unfolding relationship between man and machine. steadfast in their insistence never to remain in one lane in terms of their sound, ‘dominance flawlessly segues between forcefulness and weightlessness. from beginning to end, this is not a record afraid to show its teeth with an uncompromising, instantly recognisable techno palette that kicks the foundations of any sound system with menace, anger and determination, particularly on tracks such as the dense ‘voltage and pulsing throughout the more industrial flourishes of ‘ecole de nancy and ‘seeking solace.

insane disco cut from 1984 repressed! you d be forgiven for not knowing breaking at the party, the sole single release from nyc outfit joey pastrana & his back of tricks. it was originally released in 1984 on the short lived tropic of buddha records, a label dedicated to latino takes on electro and disco. such is the record s obscurity and cult status amongst collectors that you ll struggle to find original copies for sale for less than l500. this city of dreams reissue presents both of the original mixes (vocal and dub style instrumental), both of which fuse elements of boogie, electro and dub disco in a fabulously eccentric and wonderfully funky way. the synthesizer sounds, in particular, are superb.

more talking all that jazz, more high aiming music by fumio itabashi: mule musiq is ready to release another record by the legendary japanese jazz pianist, born in ashikaga, tochigi in the year 1949. this time his first solo record ever: the heavy jazzing “nature”, which has never been reissued on vinyl since its birth in 1979. it has been recorded at nippon columbia 1st studio, tokyo from march 13 to 15 in the year of its release.

jonny whites art department returns this march with his first solo ep in nearly 3 years, the first of a string of releases planned for 2018. the record features three inventive new tracks, including one produced in association with new york house pioneer toddy terry and vocalist roland clark. in no uncertain terms, this package re-asserts art department as one of contemporary house musics most essential voices.

after a year’s hiatus optimo music disco plates returns with the first of several planned releases.
first up is long time friend phil kieran with an ep made specifically with optimo in mind. it has been tried and tested over recent months and more than ticks all our boxes. we feel confident it will tick yours too.
phil says “the ep was recorded in my house and made up of mostly live percussion performed live by thomas tettey annang. originally from ghana, he moved to belfast some years ago. it just so happens his wife is a close friend of my sisters and that was the first introduction. thomas now runs -releasing rhythms” here in belfast teaching drum classes.
we used a wide selection of traditional african drums that all have their own name, each one has a style and a sound. the rhythms used in this record would stem back to south american rhythms but using african drums. this was a sound and rhythm that influenced early post punk records in new york and still has an influence on dance music today.”