the long now is a duo featuring richard norris and finnur bjarnason, with special guests. they mix piano, voice, string section and electronics with the sound of the icelandic breeze. the music sits within the post ambient, electronic, contemporary classical genre, with a strong sense of landscape, mood and melody. richard norris one half of the grid, alongside soft cells dave ball, one half of beyond the wizards sleeve with erol alkan… richard norris has a thing about working as a duo.

mood hut is very pleased to present a new record by ian wyatt, performing under the name local artist. hes one of the co-founders of mood hut, and you may remember him from his music on the proibito and rhythm section record labels. you may also have checked out his releases under the moniker slow riffs, including the gong bath 12inch from 2015. this wonderful record can be played at any time of the day or night and is also a great thing to play in the home or in the club. drums, bass, keyboards, as well as other sounds and outboard effects (including delay) are all present. the artwork was done by logan sturrock and local artist.

another very special ep on al zanders a to z label teaming up this time with vocalist sheyi, for a one-off foray into broken beat territory. the story of its inspiration begins with a trip to notting hill record & tape exchange... after asking for some broken beat, the assistant ventured a withering opinion that -won t be monotonous enough, try the house music section instead- turns out it was phil asher of co-op fame - who, after establishing a genuine desire for said genre - sold al a bunch of west london music which became the influence for this ep. allowing sheyi to shine over a bare bones, syncopated rhythm track on the title cut and an equally stripped down satisfy al amps up the groove, with the g.i.t dub, which was made for ig culture s radio show. limited run on these - don t snooze !

4th tilly jam with four deep disco / house slammer
folks, here is tilly jam number four, served by till von sein with a striking can’t stop, won’t stop attitude. as if the first three fourtrackers were just heating things up, he’s firing out another ensemble of four to bring serious exercise to the floor. “say say say”, the opening title track of this ep checks many trademarks its originator is known and praised for. an explicitly soulful affair, even flexing some g-funk muscles here and there. crackling vinyl noise in the background, warm and thick bass footing, a bassline doing the filterhouse-routine and a sample heavy arrangement that even gets a boost-up after half of its running time. then there is “shadrach”. go do some exegesis if interested where that name stems from. we can assure you, this jazz-infused build-up including nervous hi-hat patterns, a boldly bass groove, a frenzy drum-solo, inciting chants and a horn section scaling things up, stems directly from peaktime heaven. and on b1, “impala” is taking up the thread of this rather outgoing vibe, tvs is going for with this set of tunes. find an energetic beat providing the ground work for filtered adlibs that kinda nail what comes to mind when this track gets mixed in. “whoo-hoo-hoo” – that’s right. just add some subtle percussive lining and let a saxophone take over and you’ll have another trigger for floor-ecstasy at hand. cooling things off a little bit it’s “baden powell dr” as closing cut. tilly is winding up the melancholy-meter on this one, reversing elements and by adding pianochords and synth-pads, infusing an overall mood of wind-whistling summertime-sadness

gaetano battista has been popping up intermittently for some time now, most notably under his own name on boe recordings back in 2013. now he s adopted the name mental vibe construction for this turn on chez damier s courtesy of balance, bringing his most forthright dancefloor cuts to date. guru is a muscular, punchy slice of house music executed with a midwestern toughness and lashing of synthetic soul. lifestyle is equally enchanting in its melodic qualities without skimping on the rhythm section, while lee theory takes things deeper and funkier. chi soul touches on uplifting techno tones in its illustrious synth patterns, but it s still got a house heartbeat pumping away at the centre.

its a captivating encounter when a producer of relative anonymity bursts onto the scene with an exciting and engaging release, that you re drawn back to again and again, wondering how you ve never heard of them before. porto producer pedro, & washington dc vocalist jenna camille have achieved exactly that with this first release on the mighty wolf music recordings. the influences from jazz though to soul, rnb & broken beat are weaved deep within this record. you re drawn in from the off with an intro of stripped back pianos behind an emotional spoken word monologue from jenna, before it opens up into a beatsy, rnb infused groove. having pulled you in float hits you with a richness of synth textures, layers of broken beats and dreamy chords alongside jennas float mantra hypnotising you deeper and deeper. reaching the last section of the track though you re woken from that hypnotic groove with a switch to a raw and energetic breakbeat sure to get any crowd moving. keep it h 2000 , the final track on the a side, has a real flavour of fatima to it emanating from jenna s blissful vocals - laid over the top of sustained rhodes, weighty synth lines and dynamic drums. flip it over and there s a tougher intensity to future dance (it ll be ok) , coupling rhythmic stabs with jazzy chord progressions, laced behind a groove that wouldn t be out of place lighting up the floor at a co-op night. to close out the e.p. you re given a sensory overload through jenna s staggered, overlaid vocals panned to come at you from every angle its the perfect outro to both stun you and leave you wanting more. and if this extremely well-polished, first key release is a sign of things to come, pedros name will be becoming a lot more familiar in years to come. support from afronaught (bugz in the attic), bradley zero, henry wu, lefto, atjazz & osunlade

the whiskey pickle crew turn their attention to a new partnership from steve cobby and laurie welton, the former being known for decades of djing, label management and producing alongside the likes of stephen mallinder for throne of blood. here the emphasis, as expected with whiskey pickle, is on disco with a slight leaning to the left. -absolute- is a bubbling jam laden with illustrious threads of melody, cosmic in nature but still rooted thanks to a rock solid rhythm section. -limoncello- is a more introspective affair that works with minor chords and a more intricate set of drums, but don t be fooled the groove is very much still intact. new york duo whatever/whatever bring a tougher dynamic to -absolute,- dialing in some beefy beats and amping up the synth touches for a surefire house heater. played by

the very first release of 2018 from eureka!, is the well known parisian sampling master s3a (sampling as an art) with his perfect definition between underground quality emotional house music and dancefloor efficiency. he released from lazare house records, hold youth, concrete music, local talk, phonogramme and faces and with his background culture based on a solid knowledge of house music, soul, funk made him one of the most promising house artist of the french scene. mountain charr contains 3 tracks in completely different styles. doop doop is definitely a sound of s3a, with characteristic vocal cut up by adding powerful horn section and melodic piano loop. emotional m1 is classic yet warm and cosy low deep groove track that is playable regardless of a time or place, from lounge to dancefloor. to complete the package we have denials , a more down tempo offering, but its melody is fascinating and yes, sexy. this ep definitely brings you his predominant sense of sampling.

get your rda of focus, 3 of your 5 a day right here.
z lovecraft opens a channel into his musical universe with three diverse cuts pinned by mellow breaks, nintendo sequencers and crystal chords. nicely pressurized with springy ambience. known to treat data overloads and warp connection burnout from peckham to hyrule.
a rhythm section family member and no bad days console controller, z lovecraft steps out on the inaugural guru meditation disc.
broken beat. lounge. dub techno. &#120452,&#120445,&#120440,&#120451,&#120456, &#9835,•*¨*•.¸¸&#9834,

warsaw based duo private press join rekids special projects this july with four deep techno cuts entitled ‘zero sum ep’. hailing from poland, adam brocki and jan wóycicki make up private press – a project that’s released sought after cuts on labels like technosoul and indigo aera. the duo is also known by the name raw feelings, however many will be familiar with brocki’s newborn jr. alias, which has dropped releases on rhythm section, echovolt, dopeness galore and les yeux orange. ‘miracle man sets the tone with delayed resonant synths accompanied by crunchy and distorted snares before ‘becomes the prime’ opts for a lo-fi sound with filtered synth blips and enigmatic vocal slices. on the flip side ‘tooms’ delivers heavily reverberated horn-like stabs, modulated synth lines and an underpinning bass that rumbles throughout as ‘clan’ offers a fast paced cut with high pitched whistling that echoes alongside a thumping kick drum and organic percussion to bring the package to a close..

vive la musique brings you an official reissue and rework of the unique and highly sought after zouk track tabala mouv . the song is is the standout composition from the ultra-rare tabala series, released on vinyl in the mid 80s. after many months of searching, label head aroop roy managed to track down songwriter and producer, maurice agad, to the caribbean island of martinique. the 12inch includes the original track and two brand new versions, making a special package that many are touting as one of the soundtracks of the summer. in the original, detroit-esque keys and a balearic beat captivate you from the opening bars and uplifting vocals and a euphoric horn section combine to transport you to an idyllic paradise. aroop roy steps up the tempo and flips the groove for a trademark rework that will have universal appeal to house, disco and tropical music fans. the release is made complete with a subtle extended edit from truccy. the package is presented with beautiful full cover artwork, limited to the first pressing, which is likely to go very quickly.

after the release on french label basse resolution and after a couple of years since his last ep on bosconi, having released with the -under the line- track one of the highlights of our latest 10 years compilation and as bss together with his mates fabio della torre and mass prod, rufus is back on bosconi with a new four tracker record which goes on a new direction compared to the past music he did. -ritual chants- was mainly recorded in the abandoned industrial area of milan called bovisa and probably for this reason the release sounds all around a bit sci fi, cinematic and especially gothic. all begins with the raw techno jam of -fast rituals- where structured mellow and dreamy synth lines combine with the dusty, aggressive and driving rhythmical transportation of its drum section. fast rituals is one of those electronic pieces which tells you a story from the beginning till the end, so please pay attention to it. -sapere sparare- looks calmer but actually has the more mental and psychotic feeling of the whole record, driven by an intoxicating and fat bass line, rough jazzy beats and a lot of twisted out fm synths goodness whose times are punctuated twice by the warning female vocal theme of the track. -last shot #5- instead is a jacked out, hypnotic and darker broken house track dense of pumping low ends and subtle but glorious synth riffs properly made for the late hours and totally in the vein of a baby ford - minimal man production.-tenebre- closes up the ep with its horror movie atmosphere, drilling drones here and there, big bouncy bass lines, reverberated snares, drama strings and a dominant sinister melody which slightly reminds of some old dbx track.

ground is an osaka native, but his soul is truly that of a nomad, traversing the planet, befriending the kindred spirits found in humans, animals and plants. he is exceptionally receptive to the beauty in all that surrounds him—the incidental music of a busy city street, the orchestrated chaos of a scrambling radio, the syncopated grace of a migrating flock of birds, the simplicity of an isolated hand clap—and as his map continuously unfolds, he accumulates a vast catalogue of visceral tools to complex musically recount his experiences. sunizm is a cross section of the artist’s process—an array of complex microcosms overlapping to comprise a thematic whole—gathering field recordings, found instrumentation, jagged electronics, and synthesized chanting, to be woven into a dense narrative that appears both obsessively constructed and divinely improvised. with each consecutive track, the artist gradually constructs hypnotic patterns that 1-up the mind as it struggles to break free from a seduction of loops, steadily intensifying until reaching an apex of sound collage so cerebral that the listener might consider a post-album shower. but alas, the fourth quarter releases a bit of pressure, our gobs still lay smacked but there is a warm confidence as the psychedelic trial delivers us home to nod out. dear humans, animals and plants, ground and the esp institute present, sunizm.

this 3 track ep from the legendary lee perry brings together new and unreleased tracks recorded at mad professor s ariwa studio in south london. the ep kicks of with this is the upsetter, which sees lee chanting and philosophising over a rollicking bass, underpinned by understated guitar and perfectly placed hats, and continues to the straight up dub, lion share dub . and on the flipside is the title track, game of the throne , with brass section and backing vocals belting out soul fire, with lee offering his words to selassie. mastered by the legendary noel summerville, artwork by henry dubroot alderson and g.s-l studio.

ground is an osaka native, but his soul is truly that of a nomad, traversing the planet, befriending kindred spirits found in humans, animals and plants. he is exceptionally receptive to the beauty in everything that surrounds him the incidental music of a city street, the orchestral chaos of a scrambling radio, the syncopated grace of migrating birds, the simplicity of an isolated hand clap—and as his roadmap continuously unfolds, he accumulates a vast catalogue of visceral tools to musically recount his experiences. sunizm is a cross section of the artist’s process—an array of complex microcosms overlapping to comprise a thematic whole—gathering field recordings, found instruments, jagged electronics, synthesized chanting, and weaving all into a dense narrative that appears obsessively constructed yet divinely improvised. logos is the first of two singles surrounding the album and is complimented with a monster remix by bartellow (a fellow esp artist, collaborator and good friend of ground) as well as a secret weapon b-side entitled discopazzle, which is exclusive to this single release. attention all humans, animals and plants, ground and the esp institute present, sunizm.

1 copy per customer!! everybody s favourite parisian party fiends are back, polishing up another batch of patchy pound bin finds and not-on-discogs delights for your next summer soirée. putting their orange-eagle eyes to good use, the lyo crew have trawled the crates of europe and beyond for this sunkissed set, working the scalpel to the max to pack the dancefloor in arms aloft ecstasy. our party starts with the kwaito groove of -avidiyo--, a killer bit of late 80 s afro-action boasting synth marimba, alien bass blasts and life affirming vocal chants. not only is this cut moving in the ants-in-your-pants/dancing-like-a-madman sense, but its sting-on-safari emotion and clarinet solo could bring a tear to a glass eye. cartwheeling between aspirational jazz-funk and afro-cosmic, yanga mbiwaa makes its way to the heart of the party like a bewildered parisian at an ivorian wedding. as tumbling toms rumble like thunder on the serengeti, an oddball exotica chant encourages the nearby wildlife to shake a tail-feather to the club tropicana guitars and buzzing synthbass. at last you have something to keep quantum jump s lone ranger company! last but not least comes autoradio , a very well mannered monsieur living the french highlife by the sea and sun of the mediterranean coast. effervescent afrobeat guitars and swooning sax dance over a rolling rhythm section of buoyant bass and 80s percussion, while a spoken vocal drawls in your direction and the girls ask if you re ok. it s only when the pinging, ringing, madly modulated bass breakdown bounds through your surroundings that you ll wonder who slipped what in your drink...

a wild electro / trash techno ep with full of heart and emotional feelings. its wild when it comes to the rhythm section, classic electro but also real punshing 4/4 beat. emotional when it comes to the melodies - so so sweet!!

spanish label night shift welcome belgian duo chasse to drop some seriously classy dancefloor jams for those who really know how to move. pilot is an effervescent cut that places musicality at the front of the mix, all nimble keys and live drum funk of the highest order. dig him is an uplifting disco workout that loops it up in all the right places, and oh franck pumps the rhythm section a little more to head towards the house heads. in your stride is an unabashed reworking of boogie nights that takes on a dreamy quality as it chops the original into a fresh configuration.

this mirror-like musical progression starts with lots of dynamics and harmonies which then continue with a more sonically tranquil section while heading towards a dynamic ending, thus completing the symmetry and binding both parts in a seamless album.

nu york groove sessions drops a hot collection of 10 rare boogie funk, disco and classics taking it back to essence of the sound of new york. there’s a definitive cross section of flavors giving you a look into the late 70’s and early 80’s ny club scene. repressed and back in stock!

the follow up to shawns timespan album for pittsburgh tracks is the next planet over an ep featuring four new tracks from pittsburghs synth maestro. the ep opens with works on paper, which is like a cross section of shawns acclaimed improvised live techno sets. the collection continues with last light on and switching rails two deep, driving synth numbers that are the product of shawns interaction with the beautiful surroundings of pittsburgh and its midwestern grit. finishing the ep is one more sometime a rare downtempo excursion propelled by synth bass and lush atmospherics. the follow up to shawns timespan album for pittsburgh tracks is the next planet over an ep featuring four new tracks from pittsburghs synth maestro. the ep opens with works on paper, which is like a cross section of shawns acclaimed improvised live techno sets. the collection continues with last light on and switching rails two deep, driving synth numbers that are the product of shawns interaction with the beautiful surroundings of pittsburgh and its midwestern grit. finishing the ep is one more sometime a rare downtempo excursion propelled by synth bass and lush atmospherics.

after being in the reggae band the heavymanners (parted in 2009) led by takeshi heavy akimoto, and participating as a supporting member of dry&heavy after which the band reunited with the original rhythm section, sahara (keyboard/programming) and ohkuma, who worked as the drummer of soul dimension, started the dub unit undefined. it is no exaggeration to say they have pushed the variously formatted term of dub to the far shore experimentally and furthermore, liberated the definition of dub to undefined. their debut 7inch vinyl released in march last year from their own label newdubhall is being well received even overseas and in the spring of 2018, this 10inch vinyl new culture days will be out, which will be their second release.

the new label instereo recordings comes courtesy of dj dan, a us heavyweight who has been in the game since the 90s. while instereo has existed in digital form for some time, this new incarnation of the label brings dans full-fat sound to vinyl, and it kicks off in style with an instantly recognisable, purple tinted edit of a perennial dancefloor funk classic entitled squissh. this is an unreservedly big room record, as in your area also ably demonstrates with its immaculately produced hooks and punchy rhythm section. dan teams up with ido on that sound, whipping up a disco-funk influenced frenzy, and then he tackles scotty boy s silky smooth hey mr dj and turns it into a peak time belter.

a project 18 months in the making, marcel fengler presents a imf10, a three part compilation series detailing the past, present and future of his label index marcel fengler. part 2 focuses on the warmer and more soulful side of imf and features an outstanding array of artists making their debut for the label, all of which have a strong personal meaning to fengler. there’s fjaak, the exciting berlin trio he admires for their authentic identity and honest sound, a special shed remix of the enigmatic vril whose timeless productions continue to strike a chord with him, good friend eric cloutier who he has long wanted to get involved in imf and of course long-time label champion thomas hessler. viennas arthur robert a new face marcel discovered after he sent him tracks over facebook contributes a beautiful shimmering work to the compilation. highlighting this section of the project is the first azur track marcels new side project. he explains: ive always liked to be diverse with my music, but i also do’t want to confuse people. this is the reason why i decided to give my melodic side its own identity. my music under the marcel fengler name will go back to its roots and be more raw and rough in production terms. the final digital package will be complemented by a dj mix from thomas hessler comprised of tracks from imf10. stay tuned for parts 3 to follow, which includes originals and remixes by marcel fengler, sebastian kramer (aka redshape), luke slater, peter van hoesen and more.

word of advice to funk lovers, there is not a minute to lose. get on board of the big hustle’s spaceship. before we take off, let s do a little history. the band was founded in 2014 by bass player and composer sébastien levanneur and its aim is to bring together 70 s old school funk with the hippest actual sound laced with influences spanning from steely dan and headhunters, to snarky puppy and soulive. with mighty horn players, a rock and funky rhythm section, the big hustle s music has a very large variety of soundscapes. the first destination takes us to the washington, d.c. area with “turn up”. the groove is clearly go-go music flavored with the trademark sound of cowbells and of course it reminds us of zapp by the use of the talk box on lead vocals, performed here by saad el garrab. and don t miss out shaun martin (snarky puppy, erykah badu, kirk franklin amongst others) as a very special guest performing the talk box solo! second stop is “a curse, a blessing”. it’s an instrumental very much in the freddie hubbard vein during his cti years. the last leg of the a side ends with an instrumental interlude titled “flying donut”. double tribute to jay dee and flying lotus, the music is a simple hip hop loop based on samples. the b side takes us back into the past with two brilliant covers, involving rod temperton the late great british songwriter who scored some of michael jackson s biggest hits. now the idea for this b side is to do the opposite approach from the a side. taking 70 s and 80 s original music and make them travel into time to 2018. we first land with a heatwave song named “the star of a story” from their 1976 central heating album. track 2 is a herbie hancock song named “gettin to the good part” from his 1982 lite me up lp. this time traveler ep journey ends with an interlude. called “gimme dat”, the song deals with the need of new music, new sound. again, this blend of deep rooted funk laced with a contemporary edge is to be consumed without moderation. and do not forget that e.p. also stands for extended pleasure.

it s been a little while since we last heard from donnell knox, but he s back in action finally on his regular haunt sonic mind with some of that evergreen us techno tackle that he s forged a long and winding career out of. -no time- is steeped in the smoky pads of the motor city, with a rugged rhythm section and errant bleeps thrown in to seal the deal. -rat race- takes things in a more housey direction, but there s still a certain mysticism that reaches beyond the average club banger. -sick mind- continues the theme, but ties more knots in the programming to make for another essential slice of techno, and then -repetition- finishes the job with a razor sharp slice of sky-scraping hardware science.

rhyw is alex tsiridis aka one half of cassegrain. on this, his solo debut for arcing seas, his smoul-dering alien techno sound manifesto continues to thrive over three unique tracks. the morphing, deconstructed acid of unpunishable - a molten statement of lusty intent - strikes first in a heady, hazy pummelling of doom-funk. ‘vertisol pushes crisp and dry snaking percussion through an anechoic chamber, the bass end neatly warming at first then burning hard through your mid section. an icy cold shot of ‘aqua velva is the final offering - a pushing sub-level trip through rhyws private domain - where tingling rushes of bass and static charges wash over us leaving a sinful residue. arcing seas is an anagram of cassegrain. it started out as a secret alias, releasing a couple eps on our circula sound. the secret was less well kept after the duo appeared at berghain under this name. a year later, after deciding to start a label, it finally made sense to bring the two together

american soulstress phyllis hyman gets two of her much loved anthems officially reissued on 180g vinyl. you know how to love me is a 7 and a half minute lesson in love. its got that full bodied production of this golden era layering strings seamlessly with a busty brass section and a flute line that even the most hardened can t help but smile at. couple this with phyllis sultry yet powerful vocals bolstered by a backing group containing, amongst others, the mighty gwen guthrie. on the flip, living inside your lov hits you with a soul jam, heavy on the funk complete with hands in the air chorus. just as perfect to close out a set, as it is to warm up the floor. two essential tracks for any soul & disco aficionado!

austrian imprint luv shack records is opening up yet another chapter in 2018 by welcoming irish house and techno aficionado and misfit resident andrew johnston aka moodtrax and his own-brand of super warm and brooding sound to their stable. the perfect illusion ep opens up with never can get away, a steamy & dreamy cut that sucks you right in to its lair of thick pads and trancy sequences, which are contrasted by a carefully programmed synth bassline and a stomping house beat. the title track immediately evokes early chicago warehouse jam feelings, with bass sequence, detuned chords and classic drum patterns all oozing of old analogue roland machines. the meticulously arranged percussions section and a set of eerie strings and pads make this one definitely stand out from the crowd. running number starts as a no-nonsense house track, carried by a beefy unisono bassline and a 16th note heavy drum pattern, yet it transcends into 80s territory with the help of a deeply emotional chord progression that might just make you forget you re in a club. berlin duo longhair give running number the luvremix treatment, really digging deep into that chord progression and building a melody and synth-bell infused italo-house track around it that should make this years festival crowd weep and rejoice alike.

ultra tight & rare soul / funk stylings from mississippis natural high outfit. originally released in 1979 on the chimneyville label, an obscure soul imprint operating as part of the miami malaco label family tree. this one has it all lush strings and orchestration, tight as rhythm section, amazing songwriting and everything else in-between. amazing that this group only cut one lp and a handful of singles. the talent on display here is truly of another level and one wonders how such an album came to be. either way, this is an amazing set of rarest of rare grooves and the lp has been a heavily coveted item by the rare record cognoscenti in the past. this is a 100% legit repress, made in conjunction with the rights holders and remastered to the highest possible standard, a truly essential record for fans of quality underground soul & funk. now s your chance to bag a copy for a decent price! quality all around

the pendletons return with their latest ep, funk forever, a jazz flavored boogie affair with soul inspired song-writing that evokes old school vibes while still staying fresh and current. horn lines, yamaha dx7 keys and snapping hip hop inspired drum programming topped by sweet singing with heartfelt themes, the group carves out a bold new sound on these 5 solid tracks. featuring elive, potatohead people and ishtar. the pendletons are a long-standing boogie-funk and modern soul project of e da boss (of myron and e on stone s throw) and trailer limon. the group emerged with their very first release in 2010, a 7inch inch of coming down/waiting on you on the slept on record label, which set the tone for the group to emerge it instantly became a cult classic receiving constant play at nights like sweater funk and funkmosphere, and fetching for serious sums among collectors. most recently, in 2016, they released the ep gotta get out. the title track caught the ear of renowned dj gilles peterson, who liked it enough to release it on his brownswood bubbler compilation. in 2018 the group is hitting the ground running with a brand new ep out this spring, and a full-length album to follow later later in the year on the renowned bastard jazz label. now armed with a horn section, a vast array of accomplished jazz and funk contributors, and a knack for quality song-writing, the pendletons sound has shaped into something fresh and unique, setting it apart from the legions of imitators.

xor gate is the brainchild of heinrich mueller, one half of drexciya and dopplereffekt.
silver colour print sleeve.
in linguistic or electronic logic, the xor gate designates a device, digital or grammatical, which outputs a value only when two di ering inputs are fed into it. this can be summed up with the formula “one or the other but not neither, nor both.” a conic section is a shape created as a plane intersects a cone. this can result in di erent figures such as a circle, an ellipse, a parabola or a hyperbola. conic sections is here composed of eight themes, or shapes, over which waveform and synthesis entirely merge with human emotions. the line is blurred. these eight themes are intertwined, forming one long musical string. the line is forever blurred. conic sections was commissioned by artcenter south florida in miami, for the an image exhibit

“world building” is a blissful and introspective mission into melancholy that wanders over terrain both familiar and unknown. bright and sparse melodies shimmer over icy landscapes, hewn with a careful composition and attention to the most minute detail. ghostly voices swell into symphonic chorus while an analogue rhythm section keeps an almost human-like groove. arguably his most complete work to date, “world building” is a satisfying listening experience with a strong narrative - an auditory tale of an epic journey with warmth and depth from one of europe’s most exciting producers. pressing on green marbled double vinyl.

reaching its 15th release, amphia sees the return of cezar lazar’s double ep, intuitively called “archetypes”. known for his innovative approach both behind the decks and productions, cezar’s creative alter-ego enacts a variable puzzle with hard-edged sonic pieces laid out over five tracks, each with their own distinct acoustic palette. side a holds “equtime”. this side-long track envelops a stripped-down melody with perforated rhythmical pads, fleshed out with disconnected threads of vocals. side b is dedicated entirely to “badgervox”. displaying a weighty bass section alongside the shuffled percussion work, its intricate melody is integrated smoothly creating a unique soundscape. “thicken court” holds the first half of side c. sharp in its composition, it holds an assorted percussion ensemble and a collection of fizzy waveforms. they complement a thunder-like bass protagonist that holds the center stage. we continue with “boe dark”, where textures and sharp tones grow in layers upon layers creating tension. the apex is reached when modular timbres are hindered by sparse piano patterns, completing this electro-acoustic scenery. on the flipside, “wedmar” holds the key to our puzzle with its accurate four-to-the-floor feat. with a series of programmed overlapping organ vibes, the sound feels both piercing and intense, creating a sort of sensory impairment. “archetypes” displays cezar lazar s gentle subtleties and fluency in different dialects of idm.
(text by: bianca iulia)

next cocoon floor bomb! cocoon recordings is back with a bang after the winter break, cranking up the pressure once again. what s more, we re seriously pleased that we ve managed to land johannes volk for the new season. johannes has been making us smile with his productions for more than 12 years and considering his 2006 debut appeared on jeff mills axis label, it s easy to guess which direction his cocoon release is going. there are no dreamy minimal sounds or deep house trips this time round, instead you ll find headstrong techno pumping out of the speakers. tears & walls drives forward relentlessly with its meaty kick and metallic open hi-hats setting the pace. energetic and demanding throughout, johannes volk certainly takes no prisoners! -a little story about time and space- follows in its footsteps although the mood here is notably more detroit, taking us back to productions on cult labels like red planet, metroplex or the axis records sound. volk layers the track with more prominent harmonies and hypnotic arpeggios, giving it a subtle yet highly effective trance touch. the warm analog strings in the middle section underline this emotional impact and make a little story about time and space a guaranteed sunrise song for the upcoming spring and summer season, heartwarming and dance floor friendly in equal measures!

hypnotizing nostalgia that dictates the dance floor. with previous releases on rythm section, echovolt and les yeux orange, earth trax & newborn jr. are unapologetically consistent in building a legacy. the maze ep is the fourth collective delivery of the duo, sent off into the world by dopeness galore. while hypnotizing synths dictate the dance floor, it is hard to resist the balearic arrangements of new wave nostalgia. the record elevates through soothingly repetitive ambient dreamscapes, while minimalist entrancement pulls us right back into underground territory. the ep represents a side a. meant for club settings and a more ambient side b. once the vocals on a2 set the tone, we bear witness to what seems to be the true ethos of the maze ep: where theres a will, theres a way

torino label we play the music we love has already made a strong start with some immersive turns by trevor deep jr and rills, and now they provide a platform for italian duo luminer. -indaco- is a charged up dub techno excursion with crisp percussion to propel the classic chord shimmer that course through the centre of the track. -canadian- takes a deeper direction with a crafty tapestry of synth flares and a more understated rhythm section. hiver s reconstruction of -indaco- opts for a crooked electro foundation, nimble acid line and a shapeless swell of pad tones as the key ingredients, and then icelandic techno champ thor whips up a sharp-strutting dub techno variation of -canadian- that sits comfortably with the luminer tracks.

mindblowing afro soul music from ivory coast served up by an obscure artist who only recorded four albums in between 1979 and the beginning of the 80’s. he created an original funky fusion with bété langage. a selection of four amazing tracks recorded in abidjan on two different records label called war records and as records. the music here is a mixture of funk with heavy basslines, traditional percussions, funky guitar riffs, nice horns section and lyrics in beté. the song «demonde» is inspired by harmonies of the famous «dance to the drummer beat» by herman kelly. those two rare records were found by afrobrazilero aka djamel hammadi and never appeared on the vinyl market. it’s almost impossible to have infos about this singer and composer neither the musicians involved in the recording sessions. most of the trace of the recording session were lost by the labels we licensed the tracks with. unique, pressed on a deluxe vinyl, remastered by the carvery, this very funky album is a must have for all the afro funk lovers!

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

tengrams are brothers alessandro and davide, who collectively have a deep and long understanding of dance music. davide is a co-founder of n.o.i.a, one of italy s first electronic live acts to perform and record with drum machines and synthesizers as early as 1978. he was also behind seminal italo outfit klein + m.b.o and proto house hit dirty talk. since then they have released under an array of aliases, have clocked up numerous club hits and this new project brings them back to their electronic roots, with influences like sci-fi movies and old school electro and italo looming large. -devious- is a very breezy and energetic track with a rolling arpeggio and rich keyboards section over a simply but groovy tr-808 pattern. classical italo space disco sound updated to nowadays. -translucent- sounds like a dreamy electro-ballad heavily influenced by kraftwerk. -pop song- keeps the same 80 s electro vibes with simple, wistful melodies and a great funk bass line. -disco dub- is a pretty damn cool early eighties electronica, with a great pumping -robo-funk- linndrum!

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.

a natural homecoming for one of our favourite artists, we are proud to present the second album from zero t on dispatch recordings, little pieces .
neatly forming over the past year, little pieces marries all aspects of the irishman s diverse, accomplished sound, progressing from the elegant piano foray fortune favours to amen strewn tech stepper dying breed , filling all the gaps in between.
collaborations with beta 2 & villem are backed by vocal features from drs, stamina and steo, whose lyrics provided the album s core inspiration on the stunning title track, supported by friction (on bbc radio 1) and dj hype (kiss fm). following his acclaimed 2015 album golden section, zero t continues his thematic, visual imagery, the album artwork reflecting the mosaic of his influences from over the years, carefully reconstructed into a cohesive body of work.
a true demonstration of his artistry, zero t encapsulates everything we love about this genre in little pieces .

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.

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.

this is the first vinyl release for genau recordings, a brand new independent techno label born in torino (italy) from the unfamous genau party series. four pure techno tracks signed under the collective artist name genau that put together the experiences of two local artists as gandalf and kessa and the already well known (production wise) duo noizyknobs (also active with their new project exilles). this ep is the result of one year of intense work from these four artists and it s the perfect synthesis of their ways to see techno music.the ep opens with pac-man, a dancefloor killer featuring a strong acid bassline and a paranoid modular synth on it. -genesi is the deepest of all tracks, and it s one of the first productions ever recorded by the genau team. side b features pressing plant, another dancefloor oriented techno track with a solid drums section and a driving bassline, while dont speak is a minimalistic bass orented dark tunnel.

driven by a vicious and visceral soul, the buttshakers are known for their fierce and fiery music. yet after nearly a decade of touring and recording, it was with a different musical vision that they approached sweet rewards, their first collaboration with underdog records. accustomed to the raw, primitive sounds of 60s garage rock and the crude sexuality of premotown soul music, a sound they could have continued to dig into again and again. instead, they decided to take another route: a creative shift, a return to a style of soul music that no longer has to rely on pure energy alone. exceeding the limitations imposed by their tight yet powerful six person lineup, they opened up this studio session to fully accommodate their ideas and concretize their musical ambitions: a larger horn section creates a richer, scintillating sonority, a touch of slide-guitar opens their creative universe to the open spaces of the far west, the organ vacillates between psychedelic drapery and heartfelt gospel tones, all of this supported by the wicked groove of a percussionist driving the beat on. their sultry and soulful frontwoman, ciara thompson, is here for the first time supported by backing vocalist. an occasion for her to indulge in a few call and- response chorales, a reverence to a gospel background instilled in her from her native st louis (missouri), a still vibrant heritage from the city that cradled jazz, blues, country and folk music. ideal for a sound that never lets down yet remains intuitive to the gradual rise of emotion each song demands. with each new listening, sweet rewards reveals something new to the listener: another dimension, a hidden layer.

following a succesfull 2016 with his well received eps golden tides,sunlit forest and one of our fave releases bahia, joe offers up four cuts for pleasure unit. continuing the producers passion for new age , paradasical ambience and dreamy deep house,lead title -jacaranda skies- might be what telephones and met mr heard would of sounded like had they met in rimini circa 91. a dusky atmosphere provides the backdrop to ecstacy inducing chords,an elevated brass sequence and afro percussion driving a tight groove. mangrove dawn is an aural quaalude hit, gentle synth washes fold over each other,while nature sounds buzz through a distant 303. the lost garden opens to a reverb soaked slide guitar and soaring pad section before a jaguar snarl gives way to subtle kick pattern atop m1 chimes and bali bells. skies reprise closes off the ep with a beatless take on the original, the melodies given more space the sonic equivalent of open air swaying under hazy pink skies.

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.

following a red letter release in the form of joe armon-jones & maxwell owin s idiom, yam recordings return with the second installment of their you and music compilation series, this time compiled by yam fam hollick & z lovecraft. kicking things off on the a side is native cruise, a new artist hollick has been working extensively with on no bad days, bringing that signature ‘floaty yet punchy’ sound. it’s a kwaito-esque club jam with pan flutes and percussive loops bringing that energy to the start of the record. will listers sunset over st. petets spire is up next with a hypnotising yet intricate production from the hugely promising talent. will is a dude very much affiliated with yam and, of course, our pals over at balamii radio so it only seemed natural to have him on the record. that melody is a proper ear-worm too! the b side, curated by z lovecraft, is a slightly tougher affair with three tracks representing his taste in soulful sounds and expands on his a&r work for rhythm section international. first up is rouge me&#769,,chaniques prisma ltd a 7-minute psychedelic drum odyssey showcasing the multi instrumentalists many talents and influences, with guitar overdubs and flute ambience taking the dance floor far and beyond. on b2, upcoming break beat talent, lt, takes the helm with gale force. hailing from the peak district, lt makes work of deep vocal pads, 606 touches and a killer bass line. finishing off the compilation is wholemeal musics boy wonder, dear earth, who conjures a charming hip-hop ditty with his delicate assemblage style.