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.”

2017 saw the first two stunning instalments of lone aka matt cutlers ambivert tools series - breezy atmospheric house, stacked with floor ready trax, inspired by his red hot magic wire imprint. it also saw him present an inspired instalment for the venerable dj kicks series. (mixmag number 2 compilation 2017) now freshening up for 2018, volume 3 finds lone in vintage form - temples reconciles his love of heavy breakbeats with the nagging euphoric melodies, tracer thin synth lines and angular bass for which he is so beloved. hyper seconds once again displays cutlers ability to channel the grooves of classic us house with a banging rhythm track and glistening gated arpeggios contrast perfectly for a rugged peak time bliss out. with this latest instalment of ambivert tools its fair to say that cutler has proved himself one of the most consistent delivers of quality dancefloor tackle that perfectly balances the need for radiant melody harmony with tough grooves and psychedelic experimentation.

exclusive edition imprint, very different from the general style of the tochnotechno label but still in a techno acid way and includes 4 names of the biggest producers coming from eastern europe. we are calling it -acid era- in present days so why don’t we put out something provocative. we are excited about tripmastaz debut on the label who has absolute support by josh wink, dj sneak, ricardo villalobos and many more... oleg mass real techno star of fachwerk berlin and koett, rhythm composer and genius from south of russia who makes the most underground and cool party xoxo. yulia niko is dropping last track of her album she has done in 2016 at brooklyn before moving to berlin.

cosmic garden (from cosmic rhythm fame...) new on our royal oak series. 4 tracks of smooth bleepy house that only italians do right. deep, timeless, all analog produced tracks for that pleasure moment.

fantasy life was a one-off italo disco studio project that consisted of various producers, songwriters, and vocalists from turin, italy. the line-up included lorenzo avico, maurizio camoletto and sergio bergamin. they recorded their only single ?over and over? at minirec studio in 1985 with mixing engineer gigi guerrieri. it was released that same year by thick record a sublabel of il discotto productions and became one of the most coveted italo disco 12?s. ?over and over? is a parable that describes the story of a girl growing up, comparing her life to the changes of the moon. signature linn drum and simmons drums create the driving rhythm track that hauntingly sways back and forth. the vocal version has a nearly two minute extended instrumental break in the middle of the song heightening the dramatic pace. on the b-side is a dub version with extended instrumental breaks, bass lines and occasional vocals. both songs are remastered for vinyl by george horn at fantasy studios in berkeley. the vinyl is housed in the original jacket featuring a painting by andrea franzoso and includes a double sided postcard with lyrics and notes.

the 1st of 3 eps that make up will long’s new album “long trax 2”. as much as is said of our current times being new lows, where things have changed for the worse and we’re unsure of the future, it’s worth returning to study the past to understand how steadily low we remain. “nothing’s changed”, says a younger barack obama in a sample for the opening track. “long trax 2” is the second album from will long after his 2016 “long trax” debut on comatonse recordings. the album presents as an ongoing criticism of cultural stasis, conveyed via minimal synthesizers, sampler, and rhythm machine. dancefloors are widely perceived by the masses as safe zones, but few can imagine how to apply notions of safety and equality to other aspects of society. we shouldn’t need clubs to hide from our fears and differences in the outside world. looking ahead, we should look not so optimistically upon what we have accomplished, but with urgency and empathy upon what we haven’t.

the 2nd of 3 eps that make up will long’s new album “long trax 2”. as much as is said of our current times being new lows, where things have changed for the worse and we’re unsure of the future, it’s worth returning to study the past to understand how steadily low we remain. “nothing’s changed”, says a younger barack obama in a sample for the opening track. “long trax 2” is the second album from will long after his 2016 “long trax” debut on comatonse recordings. the album presents as an ongoing criticism of cultural stasis, conveyed via minimal synthesizers, sampler, and rhythm machine. dancefloors are widely perceived by the masses as safe zones, but few can imagine how to apply notions of safety and equality to other aspects of society. we shouldn’t need clubs to hide from our fears and differences in the outside world. looking ahead, we should look not so optimistically upon what we have accomplished, but with urgency and empathy upon what we haven’t.

the 3rd of 3 eps that make up will long’s new album “long trax 2”. as much as is said of our current times being new lows, where things have changed for the worse and we’re unsure of the future, it’s worth returning to study the past to understand how steadily low we remain. “nothing’s changed”, says a younger barack obama in a sample for the opening track. “long trax 2” is the second album from will long after his 2016 “long trax” debut on comatonse recordings. the album presents as an ongoing criticism of cultural stasis, conveyed via minimal synthesizers, sampler, and rhythm machine. dancefloors are widely perceived by the masses as safe zones, but few can imagine how to apply notions of safety and equality to other aspects of society. we shouldn’t need clubs to hide from our fears and differences in the outside world. looking ahead, we should look not so optimistically upon what we have accomplished, but with urgency and empathy upon what we haven’t.

legs 11 was formed when sigmund floyd, of palace of pleasure fame, joined forces with torstein dyrnes from the now defunct playstation duo tøyen, and mysterious bedroom musician nils tveten. during a karaoke-fuelled haze in the seedy parts of oslo, they discovered a shared love of synth pop, post-punk, new wave and house music. drawing on these influences, the band has created a diverse musical universe, ranging from dark repetitive guitar driven tracks, via infectious pop gems, to deep yet melodic dancefloor-orientated grooves. in 2017 they were joined by multi-instrumentalist audun severin eftevåg, who also brought a new instrument into the band: the saxophone! the “another wave” album is hand-picked tracks from their latest works, focusing on a more dancier approach. the house and nu-dance influences of today is mixed with heavy influences from 90’s uk indie-dance acts like the shamen and the madchester scene, and hints of new wave from the 80’s.

celebrating the 100th release on tectonic, the label turns to riko dan for 6 cuts of uncompromising vocal mayhem featuring rhythm tracks from joker, mumdance, walton, ziro and label boss pinch. * riko dan takes centre stage for this ep, bringing his characteristic lyrical style, bringing his dancehall and grime styles together across a serious of hard-hitting tectonic rhythms. * the whole ep has been mixed-down by joker for added sonic power. the 12 inch is cut onto 180g heavyweight vinyl, packaged in a matt-finish, printed sleeve. * tough beats. tough vocals. hard food ep. tectonic 100

re-release: released in 1993, the technology ep appeared on the start of a re-establishment of electro music and a beginning for the direct beat label. that would be a constant reminder of where to see aux88 material come to light. -technology- carried the aux88 brand onto radio, mainstream club and dance parties...become a sought after 12- by a band that proclaimed its sound as electro/techno . the techno bass mix is the original track, (now for the first time available) rhythm mix is a different animal on its own... within the track you can hear the growth of what would become the sound of emerging aliases in years to come and the use of distinct voices/vocals. with both versions from the original studio recordings in 1993, listeners will be treated to a major bonus point in the birth of the aux quadrant of projects to come. designed for a well-deserved space on the global dance floor.

guttural, pained screams from beyond converge with mangled corrosive rhythms on the sophomore ep from dint for horo. ‘hooker’ convenes an impromptu post punk band out of undead skeletal pulses and spits a frustrated barb to anyone in earshot. ’shovel’ slams nails in relentlessly with an excruciating vocal refrain grinding over the band of zombies undulating bass riff, decaying as it loops. ’skewer’ drags the undead to the dance-floor with a primitive rhythm that rises and ducks, wringing out the intensity with macabre vocal commands reaching through a wall of distortion.

guttural, pained screams from beyond converge with mangled corrosive rhythms on the sophomore ep from dint for horo. ‘hooker’ convenes an impromptu post punk band out of undead skeletal pulses and spits a frustrated barb to anyone in earshot. ’shovel’ slams nails in relentlessly with an excruciating vocal refrain grinding over the band of zombies undulating bass riff, decaying as it loops. ’skewer’ drags the undead to the dance-floor with a primitive rhythm that rises and ducks, wringing out the intensity with macabre vocal commands reaching through a wall of distortion. on remix duties, ontal turn shovel into a peak time industrial techno weapon, while anfs grinds skewer into a jagged amen experiment, and codex empire fuses shovel and skewer into an anthemic sludge. oake wraps up the experience by taking hooker into another realm, convening another band of tortured souls stuck in purgatory, wrecking the rhythms with adrenaline-fuelled pitch black energy.

5 juicy tracks from the french rhythm genious puzupuzu, produced in a pure house way. first vinyl release for this kid.

session victims new label adventure pen & paper sets its sails with the boys first original track since their 2017 album listen to your heart. puzzle builds an intense groove from an array of mechanical and organic percussion and chunky 12 bit chordstabs over a haunted pad and noise backdrop. closing the a side, vril takes the tune far out into deserted wasteland, steering his drumloops over chilly soundscapes towards a lynchesque string horizon. with not one but two versions, iron curtis claims the flip all for himself and, well, excels, excels twice. b1 hits with everything a breakbeat can hit you with and it brings that exact kind of bassline along. euphoric retro arps flush everything into enigmatic breakdowns to bring it back out and further. mr curtis finally brings the record into classy house territory with his passagen mix, embedding the original in between a heavily bouncing rhythm and an irresistible string section. vital sales points: - new label by the infamous session victim - smashing remixes by vril (dystopian, giegling) and iron curtis (hudd traxx, frank music) extensive global promo + tour - vinyl only

here come the james hunter six! ser ving yet another delicious dish of what you wish with the premier single off their upcoming lp, whatever it takes (dap-051). and ill be a monkeys uncle ifjames hasn’t delivered two of his most compelling sides to date on this one. i dont wanna be without you is a graduate level course in the three rs of r&b: rhythm, rhyme, and romance. a sultr y rumba sets the mood, as hunter swaggers in donning his finest voice like a crisp tuxedo, complete with ruffled vibrato and rhyming cuff-links and proceeds to lay on an absolute hear t-stealin, deal-sealin, panty-peelin gem. on the flip, i got eyes loosens the collar and brings the metronome mark up a few clicks for a punchy tightened-up workout, edged-up with vibes and street corner backgrounds. bring your talcum powder and a change of clothes cause its another jaw-droppin showstopper by that finger poppin pond-hopper, james hunter

the sandy beaches of new south wales, australia, give way to dusty beats of aussie producer shinji in this funky seven inch single on cold busted. taken from his forthcoming album in colour (coming in april 2018), this single features two retro-tastic tracks that will send the beatheads swinging across the floor. “second wind” opens up with heavy rhodes piano chords accompanied by a crucial rhythm and streetwise horns. evoking the soundtrack to a tv detective series from the ‘70s, the cut unloads serious action in a 45-slinger’s dj set. flip the record for “grand mash,” which begins in the hip hop zone before soundtracking a movie scene of the pimp-mobile once again in pursuit. groovy horns, tough beats, and a way-cool-for-school spoken interlude move this one to the top of the crate-digging charts. shinji strongly delivers the goods, queuing things up nicely for his sure-to-be essential long-player.

swedish wonderkid ebende debuts on aniara with two fresh cuts full of life & rhythm. remix on the flip by aniara boss fabian bruhn!

after the successful solaris vinyl on this tracks we keep the rhythm grooving with our fresh innovative views on the donna summer/giorgio moroder hit from the 70s. this remixes on the tom tom club version from 2000 give a splendid atmosphere on the visionary tunes that mark the beginning of the disco house area. some funky tech house mixes flourishing in its disco beats round up this record in a minimalistic electronic approach. our fabulous artists show once again their magnetic skills and vitalize the plutonic waves with its magnificent love rhymes of the hot original hitsong. we recover this pearl with a unique approach to bring back a special tune into our time. the release with its saturated colourful sounds zooms the meaning of love into present times and generates a new vision from the past.

yoruba records is proud to welcome back toto chiavetta with our latest release, nagnu jubo (remixes). this follow up to the debut album, impermanence, includes remixes by osunlade as well as new and unreleased work from toto himself. kicking off proceedings is the yoruba soul mix of nagnu jubo, a deep and smooth groove rich in personality. the warm chords reel you in as the underlying rhythm engages and inspires. the yoruba soul dub retains the warmth of the original without the track’s signature chant. this is followed by a new, previously unreleased, version of minds. originally appearing on impermanence, this version is decidedly more floor focused. a 303-style bassline keeps this moving right along as percussive elements add texture and drive to this forward thinking dance tune. finally, closing out this release is hunters, a track which showcases totos dark and techy side. this expressive tune is ripe with emotion and will have discerning listeners locked in introspection while their feet do work on the floors below them.

(tripeo remix) the first installment of balans records in 2018 brings the talented female parisian, dj and producer, hemka, to the dutch label.opening the ep, 707 collision rushes in with subtly shifting groove repetition, suspenseful melodies and echoes of detroit. the atmospheric nocturnal rounds keeps the fast-paced rhythm with added sci-fi flavor - peak time techno at its best! the first installment of balans records in 2018 brings the talented female parisian, dj and producer, hemka, to the dutch label. opening the ep, ’707 collision’ rushes in with subtly shifting groove repetition, suspenseful melodies and echoes of detroit. the atmospheric ’nocturnal rounds’ keeps the fast-paced rhythm with added sci-fi flavor - peak time techno at its best! on the flip side balans records boss, tripeo, offers his own interpretation to the title track and following in that groove he works his magic to ecstatic, infectious effect in a playful, funky mood. ’707 collision (tripeo beatless tool)’ on the other hand is swapping the pressure for something much lighter, a sublime journey to the deepside.

lagaffe tales co-founder jónbjörn drops four tracks on icelands falk records beat driven sub-label, falk disks. since 2008 falk (fuck art lets kill) has become a creative hub for icelandic and international artists involved in experimental and electronic music, spanning noise rock through to power electronics, underground hip-hop to diy techno and electro. 2017 saw falk continue with releases from icelandic hip-hop producer lord pusswhip, techno/electro producer thizone and canadian industrial techno musician /&#991,,,/huren/&#991,,,/. berlin based icelandic producer jónbjörn, known for curating reykjavík record label lagaffe tales – one of the main pillars in the icelandic house scene – now joins falks’ club focused sub-imprint with a robust four tracker. moving away from the deep house sound hes renowned for towards a darker and leaner night time aesthetic, amsiak inaugurates the release with an infectious electro groove as gurgling pings and acidic clangs and drones are liberally dropped throughout the track. aspekte is a spacious track with blown-out bass sounds that morph and glide across a tempered, slow burning planar rhythm. on the flip, jonbjörn goes for a harder techno sound influenced by his relocation to berlin. sunnudagskaffi is a bendy, 4/4 roller that contains hidden grooves below the basslines and the acid pings that wouldnt be out of place on a livity sound release. meanwhile, holy b is pure warehouse creeper techno, complete with machinic tones and the atmospherics of sweat and grime on dungeon brick walls.

fresh from his lets roll ep on radio slaves rekids, hopeworks curator lo shea further cements his status as a true innovator of the uk underground with the iterations ep on duskys 17 steps. leading the charge, iterations is 8 dark twisted minutes of tripped-out melodic techno that will sweat the walls of warehouses from london to tokyo drawing a lineage from the omen, atomic jam and the orbit through to berghain, de school and hopeworks itself. on the remix, stockholm’s peder mannerfelt takes it down an industrial rabbit hole of terror-core synths, rave sirens and sonic paranoia. across rest of ep, lo shea flexes his sonic diversity with ornithurae offering an intruiging mix of bruising bass, twitchy layer loaded percussion and sinister soundscapes - somewhere between d&b don dillinja circa 96, early claude von stroke, radioactive man and fellow sheffield legend oris jay. dark, soulful and ravey, higher closes things off with a uniquely uk hybrid that traces lines through militant tresor-heyday techno, vintage strictly rhythm diva house and hardcore vibes.

-funky country- sammelt obskure und unterschätzte country-funk, blue-eyed-soul und andere schwungvolle rhythm & blues kuriositäten aus den sechzigern und siebzigern. die stücke auf diesem album sind so gut wie die von berühmten künstlern wie little richar

theory of movement is a collaboration between two die hard electronic music enthusiasts, dan piu and grant, who came together by there shared passion. this 3xlp is the sum of all these year spent collecting records, recording and performing.
over a triple lp they paint a clear vision of their taste and style.

sudd records make the leap to vinyl with the help of detroit champ gari romalis. abstraxx (linear mix) kicks off the record in a heady fog of undulating pads, the smoke positively drifting out of the speaker cones over a simple, deep-as-you-like drum pattern. dark ryda (sunset mix) gets a little more funk in its rhythm, but the same mellow mood prevails, almost reaching dub techno levels in its atmospheric chord swells. heat (bout that life mix) takes things out of the darkness and into a lighter frame of mind, but romalis is still firmly in the deep end of the deep house pool with this final cut on the record.

in a career spanning over 20 years, todd sines has released music on some of 89:ghosts favourite labels, such as peace frog (we heart you, .xtrak!!), planet e, 7th city and rawax. we are very proud to present internal dialogue, with all it s spasmic hardware rhythm, blurred horizon waves and bleeping, snapping, machineyfied funk. we hope you enjoy twitching to these trax as much as we do. peace. 89g x

lüüd discs is back on wax with the misunderstood ep by luvless, specific & powerful deep house from germany, strictly timed to the rhythm of your heart so that the wind that breathes in the aubrac can establish contact with the loved one.

sprechen sie rhythm? its time for a new dance. welcome to the wonderful weird of talking drums an unsafe space for poorly executed dance moves, misjudged vibes and narcotic bravery. semi-cosmic, way wonky and oozing grooves, this is music for the fringe class. the party starts with a tripped out tribute to an italian inspiration. c60 lato a sees the crew pluck a couple of killers off a well worn cosmic tape, leave them out in the sun a little too long then stick them back together with an experimental blend of uhu and fufu. springy bass, spangled brass and mangled electronics make for a motherlode of funk, fried just long enough to make the walls melt. bendy.... over on the b-side the crew come through with a little bath-salt boogie, pitched down and loved up for all the slow dancers and romancers out there. strutting like a stoned fox, get serious wraps rubber-limbed bass around propulsive percussion, gets hooky with the horns then slaps you silly with its x-rated synth-smut. pinched from the pound bin and taped over a ch 5 classic, this disco drooler will loosen up even the stickiest floors. freshly dressed and pressed to impress, the drums are talking

debut single breakthrough introduced the insanely catchy but deeply soulful blend of synths and groove, but here on the album that is explored to the fullest with longer breakdowns and more expansive, experimental solos. pocket 5 displays the, possibly unexpected, influences of broken beat and almost combative rhythm playing - particularly in the complex guitar and keys breakdown where koor and o keefe layer conflicting time signatures and battle to ride it out to the heavy drum return.

weekend loving from jennifer lara is a perfect blend of boogie funk, roots reggae and lovers rock. produced by black solidarity records in 1985, this album is a masterpiece from the studio one princess. recorded at tuff gong and music mountain studios in jamaica, the rhythm tracks are played by some of the best musicians from the island in the sun: lincoln style scott (drum), errol flabba holt (bass), robbye lyn (piano & synthetiser), dean frazer & ronald nambo robinson (horns). this reissue was carefully remastered from black solidarity master tape, now presented as a double lp 45 rpm dj friendly edition. the original limonious artwork was reloaded and a bonus track was added to complete the set: ’in my time’, an obscure slow synth groove, full of hope and melancholy. jennifer lara was first taken to studio one in 1969 by keyboardist richard ace, who was a session musician. she never left the studio one family and became resident harmonist. she added backing vocals to the songs of some of the camp’s biggest names, including delroy wilson, freddie mcgregor, dennis brown and sugar minott. in 1974, jennifer lara recorded her debut album with coxsone dodd at studio one in brentford road. the results of the sessions appeared on studio one presents jennifer lara, which was an instant success. jennifer lara was one of clement coxsone dodds protégés. one year after coxsone passed, she died at the kingston public hospital. she is survived by two children, daughter ika and son cheka. jennifer lara was a very likeable person, got on with everyone. she was involved in many benefit concerts to help to poor and the needy in jamaica. may your soul rest in peace, we love you jennifer.

joel forsberg is releasing his debut 12 sista chansen on the resopal label. an idiosyncratic mixture of yearning romance and hedonistic folly. joels tracks are blessed with a rhythm that suits his approach to dance music, not so much churning out floor fodder as creating timeless classics on his own terms. sista chansen ep offers lots of magical moments to unearth or discover.

deep club resident dj and head strobe controller lone dancer marks our label s 4th entry with his first solo 12- on vinyl. after finishing two quality tape albums in 2017 already for jacktone and always human tapes, -house is a tunnel- arrives packed with 4 club-ready jagged tekno bangers and one cut for the chillout room. side a - communication: the title track is a sure-fire party starter centered around a thick kickdrum and a repeating synth rhythm laced with weird percussion and synth stabs trickling through the texture. next, -po12-3- combines crisp claps, hats, and a central synth theme that calls for an intergalactic rave. -colony dwelling- kicks off the transportation side, taking our extraterrestrial dancers to a new dimension steeped in fog juice and flangers. -floor- has a chill intro until it launches into a gritty track that throws broken kickdrums and distorted synths in every direction. finally, -night rain- puts the party to rest utilizng soft pads while hinting at moments from the night before. overall, -house is a tunnel- is a fitting dance-centric conglomeration of lone dancer s unique style of jacking techno, broken beats, and spaced out tracks that has set him apart in 2017. —ryan scannura

the new toy tonics ep features four remixes of kapote - tracks. new and exclusive works by fyi chris (rhythm section intl), marvin & guy (life & death), art alfie (studio barnhus) and french newcomer real j.

the ecstatic sounds of a fruit machine spewing out winnings or a computer game bleeping a player upwards to the next level chirp and bleep all over ‘true beauty (and other things), a jubilant and chaotic tape from philadelphia’s nah aka michul kuun. his first release under new alias michul kuun, the seven track album lurches between church bells, angsty video game chimes and battered drums (kunn pummelled drums in punk band 1994! in the past). there are flashes of mutated house and techno (“threes, threes, threes” and “written house”) as panicky, stammery rhythm structures are built up, battered down then kicked around. “taking station” seems like it’s going to be the most mellow, almost melodic jam, then rounds off with a solid minute of air horn, before exiting on what sounds like a motorbike through a swooshing traffic for jittery finisher, “follow thruu”. - claire sawers, for wire magazine

few artforms are as apt to describing the fervour and tumult of human emotions as music is. songs transport us to real and imaginary places, living someone else s experiences as our own, connecting with thoughts and feelings through melodies, rhythm and words. as a producer working primarily with the tools of traditional hip-hop – samplers, records, synthesizers onra has distinguished himself over the past decade as one of the best of his generation, capable of creating vivid music that sparks the mind of the listener and brings them along to uniquely detailed spaces, both real and imagined

here come the james hunter six! serving yet another delicious dish of what you wish with the premier single off their upcoming lp, whatever it takes (dap-051). and i’ll be a monkey’s uncle if james hasn’t delivered two of his most compelling sides to date on this one. “i don’t wanna be without you” is a graduate level course in the three r’s of r&b: rhythm, rhyme, and romance. a sultry rumba sets the mood, as hunter swaggers in – donning his finest voice like a crisp tuxedo, complete with ruffled vibrato and rhyming cuff-links – and proceeds to lay on an absolute heart-stealin‘, deal-sealin’, panty-peelin‘ gem. on the flip, “i got eyes” loosens the collar and brings the metro- nome mark up a few clicks for a punchy tightened-up workout, edged-up with vibes and street corner backgrounds.

vol. 8 with more stunning jungle

tough, jacking, rhythm & groove focused pure techno workouts

parisian producer brice groulier has built a reputation as one of the new guard of techno artists to watch closely with consistently high quality sub aquatic, rhythm shifting techno for labels like semantica, midgar, planet rhythm, and modularz. while looking for music that integrated with our grey area releases, we found ourselves blending more von grall tunes than any other artist, so a horo release was requested. what originally began as a 4 track ep bloomed into an 8 track debut album that sees von grall expand his style beyond the muscular but hazy rhythmic mist he has become known for. the title track infinitum opens the lp like a contemplative bubble. hyper density and inside are pensive, evocative jogs, while emerald city and disturbance ramp up the energy and will be the most favoured floor tunes from infinitum. antonym allegory combines the von grall rhythmic bounce with an emotive pad that will echo in your mind long after listening. motel closes the lp with a quirky, almost joyful flow. infinitum wanders confidently into new ground for von grall and cements him as a versatile and singular voice in techno.

the third installment from barcelona’s nitsa club record label digs into uncharted territories. if the first release was a strong and balanced mixture between ebm and minimal techno and the second one paid a heartfelt and honest homage to detroit electronic heroes, sau poler’s ‘orchestron’ decides to draw a line between emotional melodies and techno rhythms while keeping a strong peak time momentum. young producer from badalona who already released on labels like atomnation, modern obscure music and lo recordings, sau knows how to build a banger with soul without being too cheesy. with an insane pulsating baseline, some high pitched synth swirls and a crispy rhythm that resembles a krautrock drum machine, ‘orchestron’ will be played a lot during the next months.
on the b-side there’s a remix from estrato aurora. 50% of lontano, legendary electronic band during the early 00’s in valencia, jaime romero takes away the cheerful playful disco that made him famous to a psychedelic and obsessive deep techno.

this sought-after rarity presents a blend of ambient, new-age, 60s inspired folk music. the melancholic lyrics of singer-songwriter suzanne menzel are transformed by danish new-age pioneer, klaus schonnings, futuristic soundscape. schonning, not only produced goodbyes and beginnings, menzel also credits him as giving her the artistic courage to self-release her first and only album. goodbyes and beginnings sits at the cross-section of many genres. menzels voice is as timeless as her heartfelt, somber lyrics. while schonnings synthesizer, organ and rhythm computers offer a playful contrast. the beautiful tension between them creates a fresh, unique sound and makes goodbyes and beginnings hard to categorize even today.

almost a millennium ago, the italian poet, dante alighieri offered the indelible axiom: “heat cannot be separated from fire, or beauty from the eternal.” in the centuries since, almost every strain of logic has been upended, save for the inextricable connection tethering beauty and timelessness. anenon’s tongue is a beautiful album. that’s an adjective whose meaning has practically been obliterated by hallmark prose and hyperbolic idiocy. but occasionally, a work of art digs deep enough to excavate the underlying meaning that existed in antiquity and figures to persist until we’re soil and dust. this is beauty materialized through the abstract articulation of love, loss, fear, addiction, confidence, longing, hope, and sadness. at its best, the infinite array of human emotions swirled and distilled into sound. sound becomes melody, harmony, and rhythm. the medium happens to be music, but it could really be anything. pure expression. tools mean nothing more and nothing less than palette and color.
limited edition of 500 copies on translucent vinyl,.

the 4th meters album marked their departure from josie records and was released on the reprise label in 1972. cabbage alley once again proved that the meters were one of the finest, rawest funk groups around. hailing from the soggy streets of new orleans, the meters essentially invented the second line groove, influencing funk music like no other artist (ok, aside from a singer by the name of james brown). these cats are essentially one unified rhythm section, with expertly timed drum breaks, bass driven grooves, bluesy chicken scratch guitars and southern singalong choruses.

giovanni damico is back for another round on lumberjacks. the b-side fills some percussion heavy funkdriven excursion into deepness while the a-side is as disco as it gets. again four unmatched tracks from the italian wunderkind.

khalab has arrived onthecorner with ‘zaire’. ‘zaire’ is the beginning of a new narrative for the artist. in this first chapter khalab creates urgent compositions with layers of sound from the past, present and future. ‘zaire’ is underpinned by an intensely pounding heart of other-worldly percussion. the collaged loops frenetically jab in syncopation breaking off when the inherent swing casts its discrete groove to summon the dance. unrelenting waves of synthlines, basslines and rhythm find harmony amongst the melodic chants and distortion.

east man is a new project from anthoney hart and its material predates his previous work as basic rhythm. his unique take on grime reduces the sound to its steely fundamentals, bringing in influences from dancehall, drum and bass and techno to gird the voices of the mcs he works with. his own name for this hardcore continuum mongrel is hi tek.
anthoney struck a friendship with the academic and theorist paul gilroy, who wrote the album introduction below, after starting personal research on representations of working class and mixed race families. he asked paul for some help after coming across his work via stuart hall, paul’s mentor. their discussions and friendship developed, and it dawned on anthoney that his research and the east man album had some synergy, so he asked paul to write a piece conveying that.

drums of passion was the first album released by babatunde olatunji (1927-2003) in 1960. olatunji was a drummer, social activist and musician, born in ajindo, nigeria. in this album he has recaptured some of his early impressions in his drum beats and giving them new zest. the african drum rhythms are not only musical melodies and songs but also ways of communication. for instance, the first track -akiwowo- was the name of a train conductor who shouted his humorous cry against the fading rhythm of the freight train. -baba jinde- is a dance play and the title track -gin-go-lo-ba- was sampled by many contemporary artists (santana and fatboy slim amongst others) and covered in 1979 by latin jazz/percussionist candido for his disco chart smash -jingo-. drums of passion is mainly a danceable album and often cited as one of the first african albums recorded in (then called) stereophonic sound in the united states in 1960. pressing on 180 gram audiophile vinyl.

hobor is part of many groups and formations himself, such as songs for pneumonia or cointel allstars and the event-series fiktion+masse. his solo project is mainly known for extended dj-sets on various ambient-floors in leipzig and his live-sets - which could be described as cautious investigations into micro-sounds - are mainly based on his work with modular synthesizers. his debut-album on ph17 is a minimalistic, conceptual work that focuses on sound as much as on the way electronic music usually plays. all tracks consist of almost independent layers of sound that behave like improvising musicians. they seem to play together but by focusing on one of them you soon realise they’re actually stoically sticking to there own rhythm and repetition and as the tracks play on these layers of sound start to form ever different constellations. no wonder hobor says he took inspiration from improvising bands like the necks. his album is as fascinating and hypnotizing as one of their live-jams. “constellations is released on 50 limited tapes.