copenhagen’s echocord colour returns this august with stephen brown’s ‘power factor’ ep, featuring three originals from the uk techno stalwart. scottish producer stephen brown is a name synonymous with techno across the globe having been releasing material since the mid nineties on imprints such as derrick may’s transmat, subject detroit, skudge records, ben sims’ theory and holland’s djax up beats amongst many more. here we see brown join the roster of echocord’s sub-label colour, slotting him in alongside the likes of mike dehnert, nick ho&#776,,,ppner, luke hess and deadbeat in the back- catalogue. up first on the release is ‘sandtext’, a stripped-back dubbed out opening cut fuelled by a robust kick and minute percussive hits running alongside a sturdy sub bass drive and spiralling dub stabs before ‘wet’ takes things even deeper via muted kicks, shuffling shakers and delayed synth chords. ‘back stroke’ then rounds out the release with an amalgamation of airy reverberated stab hits, rumbling low end pulsations and a thunderous kick drum to once again create an understated, hypnotic composition.

scottish producer austin ato has been making waves the last couple of years having had well received releases on futureboogie and phonica white and this year looks to be his best yet! remixes for folamour on classic, balako on greco roman and an ep for man power s label me me me will be dropping in the coming weeks, paving the way for his delusions of grandeur debut double a side ella / putting it in my way.

joe powers is from edinburgh, far outside the network of the grime capital of london. his caffeinated productions as proc fiskal are faster than usual, with many clocking in at 160bpm. ‘the highland mob’, his 2017 debut ep, opened up his music to open-eared footwork and drum’n’bass fans as well as the grime crowd. after following that up with a jungle-inflected ep on cosmic bridge, ‘insula’ switches the feel and intention towards a personal, and melodic music with one foot in grime, infused with often comic, often wistful recorded moments from his environment. he says ‘i wanted to be aware of where the music is coming from, referencing things i’m presently experiencing, like making grime, my radar radio show, phone addiction, alcohol, my surroundings, girls, depression, positivity, being unemployed, being employed and hating it, my friends etc. trying to be true to myself instead of relying on other peoples’ nostalgia, and focusing on now.’ the record is a huge leap in vision, with delicate, pointillist melodies and intricate edits reminiscent of grime producers such as terror danjah. it also resonates with japanese video game music like that recently explored on the ‘diggin in the carts’ compilation. ‘i think i probably make tunes to get out emotions i don’t express in day-to-day life. i used clips of my friends talking, drunk folk, and general scottish life to preserve and represent what my experience is like right now, like a time capsule. social media notification sounds are designed to release serotonin, which is what i’d like my music to do, to make me, and other people happy, and in using these manipulative noises in a positive way, i like to think i’m taking back the power of the manipulation.’ proc fiskal is adventurous and thoughtful as a producer, and at the young age of 21, his debut album is very advanced in its ideas and execution

helrad limited is a scottish-based electronic dance label and has been created by helrad for releasing underground techno tracks. the pivotal aim is to provide and focus the efforts on selecting top quality pieces of production. the first release is produced by the label owner helrad and containing one track and 2 loop based dj tools with dope and atmospheric analog synth sequences. also, three stunning and fantastic remixes produced by some of the best producers in the underground scene. legendary techno veteran and techno maestro steve stoll , who recently produced on nina kravitz ’s golden trip records, delivered a storming and powerful dark, proper techno remix with a tremendous and massive effect on the dance floor arena. stanislav tolkachev ,techno pioneer from ukraine who has recorded on top-notch labels, such as semantica and mord records, handed over an experimental and psychedelic minimalistic dj friendly remix with magnificent modular analog synth sequences which can easily flirt with the crowd’s mind. hans bouffmyhre , sleaze records owner and established artist within the worldwide techno scene deliveres a top class remix with his unmistakable bass drum, in addition to an organic arrangement and epic ethereal pads and chords.

an enticing taste of the upcoming debut album ‘eventual reality’ by the james l’estraunge orchestra. brainchild of scottish producer ricky reid, pianist on both 6th borough project albums and one half of the soul renegades alongside craig smith, the james l’estraunge orchestra is “the band that never was”, lovingly pieced together from a series of late-night studio sessions with some incredibly talented jazz and classical players. best described as jazz arranged with dance music sensibilities, the james l’estraunge orchestra sound is warm and organic, atmospheric and at times somewhat bleak, a perfect reflection of the remote log cabin in which it was created. immediately iconic both musically and lyrically, ‘closer’ is a powerful commentary on today’s self-regarding, materialistic world with a strong message of hope for a better tomorrow. combining lush, live instrumentation and climactic, cinematic composition, closer’s emotive, almost springsteen-like vocals are performed by ricky reid himself. ‘groovin’ you’ covers a classic from harvey mason: a bass led, heavyweight instrumental jazz-dance workout featuring some impressive brass and woodwind solos bolstered by spine- tingling string swells and tight, rolling drums.

it’s time for the procurator! we’re happy to announce our first release from edinburgh born and bred producer proc fiskal - otherwise known as joe powers.
like a scottish relation to the recent faster grime productions lewisham mc novelist has coined ruff sound, proc fiskal ups the energy of the stark cubist rhythms of the early grime of wiley and ruff sqwad by accelerating and retooling them to fit the faster 160bpm grid, engineering a delirious hybrid that also subtly makes explicit the relationship between grime and jungle and happy hardcore.

raw tools returns with four powerful tracks from the vaults of talented scottish producer stephen lopkin, who already made his vinyl debut with a banging 12” on the mighty m>o>s. chicago flavored beats and acid driven grooves bolted onto detroit rhythms and swirling pads of analog goodness. comes with a special illustration by bucharest artist, silviu andrisoi. limited as always.

with his first release for disco bloodbath, london based scottish producer objects of illusion offers a powerful statement of intent. the > private games ep< features four tracks of raw emotional club music that, while there are nods to early chicago and detroit, go beyond mere pastiche and are instead something heartfelt and sublime. a stunning debut from an exciting new talent.

this will be a big one in both techno and disco circles... do not sleep!
subdance is proud to announce their debut ep by the italian techno music legend lory d! last year we already heard some brand new things from lory, when, after 6 years without any new releases, he published two new twelve inches on the scottish label wireblock. æplisskenÆ on subdance is another stroke of genius from the roman as he comes up with two more classic examples of his unmistakable trademark sound, sombre and enigmatic, disturbing and fascinating, euphoric and energetic, powerful and direct! the a sideÆs æbank robberyÆ is a fresh interpretation of the track of the same name from john carpenter s æescape from new yorkÆ soundtrack. lory musically transports carpenterÆs apocalyptic visions of the last days into the new millennium. the brooding bass line and haunting atmospheres push the listener to an otherworldly dimension. this is loryÆs own masterpieceà lory d in technicolor and cinemascope! the b sideÆs ædisso bassÆ aims for the dance floors immediately. a perfect techno-electro track where exploding synthesizer cascades meet fragile melodies and archetypal lory d bass lines, each with a mind of their own. redshape, another techno music legend, is responsible for the mastering of both tracks. amazing stuff!