oldskool techno classic von oliver lieb mit remixes von ectomorph & adam x

post punk / wave

gabrielle roth’s dance meditation soundtrack from 1996 available on vinyl for the first time. audiophile pressing - cut at 45rpm, pressed on heavyweight double vinyl.

small great things is a new label from luca olivotto of endless music and its first release sees the berlin-based artist deliver an ep of modern takes on classic deep house sounds. the small great things ep kicks off with an eponymous cut with steadily unfurling pads leading to a breakdown of light, uplifting melodies while rooted to the floor with a jacking rhythm track and bottom end. sometime ibadan and b-pitch producer dos serves up a remix of -small great things- under his given name, francesco mami, where the italian producer turns in a warm but propellant version with loose, rattling rhythms and saturated stabs creating a nifty, rounded piece. on the b-side olivotto opens with -swipe out-, a gloriously detailed track that balances slick synths and gritty bass perfectly, allowing a beautiful vocal to shine through. we are treated to a stirring song on closing track -dont blame me-, where soaring detroit influenced synth pads and staccato melodies combine to create the perfect foil to the vocals. named to celebrate the little things in life, small great things is a label to firmly keep an eye on.

12inch black vinyl in single sleeve with 3mm spine printed.

limited red repress! only a few copies. 001 is from the label boss himself and features the stripped, staccato sounds of the title track and the stealthy purring acid of isolation. the labels first remix selection sees andre look to argentina and two of the countries finest musical exports, jonas kopp and pfirter. both take terminus into tougher territory where kopp twists the piercing note of the original and pfirter assaults us with his blistering drum work.

2019 repress - this year kevin saunderson, ann saunderson and paris grey, collectively known as the legendary band inner city, release >future<, their first entirely new material since parting company in 2001, written and produced in collaboration with another detroit legend, namely kenny larkin. the track marks a welcome return for a group that combined the tough, futuristic grooves of the detroit scene with the vocal energy of r&b and gospel and helped to define the period in which house and techno moved from underground phenomena to top 10 material, paving the way for hundreds of dance hits to come. >future< is devastatingly catchy and highly emotional, exhibiting all the soulful flavours and qualities you would expect from these celebrated producers and singers. masterfully re-edited by carl craig this track ascends to a higher place whilst kenny larkin is on remix duties, beautifully reworking the original into a techno infused monster with intoxicating staccato vocals.

k.a.c.z.m.a.r.e.k”, from the title to the sounds, is intended to be a more personal project for paul ritch – indelibly closer to the confluences of sounds that he hears embodying the spirit of kaczmarek. he drives the mind’s eye deep into the inner-ear with the album’s spacious opening tracks, only to leave your head bobbing with the extraterrestrial rhythms that emerge as the main body of the album. moody and foreboding, loaded with the scattered, staccato and broken beats, more ovular than linear in composition and ranging from vaporous-ambience to hyperventilating grooves, the nine tracks on this album defy categorisation. the “k.a.c.z.m.a.r.e.k” album will give the listener a deep well to return to. the vinyl release will be a fittingly rare issue – only 100 numbered copies are going out, while digital releases will run parallel. keeping with the dark and cryptic theme of the first releases russian artist, sasha sime, is back for his third kczmrk cover design

new yorks avision makes his debut on ben sims hardgroove imprint with culture, an ep comprising four memorable and kinetic techno cuts and including an edit from sims himself. having previously cropped up on mark brooms beard man imprint, avision (real name anthony cardinale) has a knack for turning in gritty grooves that draw on earthy, discoid constructs and thats exactly what we have here with culture. from the eponymous opener throughout, staccato stabs characterise and propel the tracks in different ways whether via rolling, almost-there disco loops, gleefully abrasive call and response rhythms or, in the case of sims edit of jux, nifty vocal sample interplay. true to hardgroove form, culture is a release crafted for the dancefloor and delivers with exacting precision.

you’d think that following “melodies of love” would be an impossible task. not so, if you happen to be genius brit-funk pioneers john rocca and andy stennett. on their more understated - yet, pound for pound, stronger - second record, pink rhythm stretched out to create a 4 track ep of richly melodic, exquisite beauty. in the process, they trumped their most well-known release.
cruising on a funk-fuelled journey from the swaggering title track, via the blue-eyed soul of “trust me”, to the stabbing staccato synth heat of “more and more” and back again (“india” dub) this ep has essential seared onto its substantial grooves.

clandestine boogie are back, enlisting omsk s sunner soul to provide the goods for their third release. the title track voyager 84 sets the scene perfectly drawing you in with dreamy swelling synths, fizzing hats, and chunky hits alongside choice lo-fi vocal snippets & cosmic top lines - smooth as you like! kim and buran then steer things on a funkier flex with their take on voyager 84 . staccato guitars laid over the top of a heavy bassline, succulent pads and spacey keys provide an intergalactic disco journey with you strapped in the front seat. on the flip side sunner soul team up with fellow russian producer, scruscru. spring mood picks up the tempo working bouncing arps and wobbly synths behind a thumping rhythm - a killer slice of disco tinged house as we move into those sunshine months. closing out the e.p. it s peak time, boogie laden, blissful goodness in the form of joy . funk-fueled guitar licks, an instantly catchy melody and the perfect amount of effects to enhance those build ups and break downs lay the foundations for a sure fire summer hit!

lord of the isles four-track “infras” ep, on the barcelona imprint lone romantic, demonstrates macdonald’s continued mastery of tone and timbre, mood and groove. the title track kicks off by intertwining stringed synthtopia with an acidic staccato grounded in a rich low-end pulse. “w5 alpha” continues the all-enveloping warmth of “infras” base layer with a deliciously disparate palate of sounds, driven by a celestial arpeggio and a dusty collage of breaks. the b-side sets the listener loose in a garden of synthetic vines that pierce the long-decay smothering of bass with “q-bit”, a track that maintains equal kinship with the bouncing exploration of a dance floor as with the cool tones and discrete resolutions of an henri rousseau painting. “three times eleven” reads as a tribute to macdonald’s early fascination with john carpenter and vangelis soundtracks, combining emotive synth arpeggios and cyborg vocal washes in a fly-by depiction of an eerie and beautiful sonic landscape.

im lauf der letzten vier jahre hat sich hayden payne alias phase fatale einen ruf als erneuerer von techno erarbeitet – sowohl hinsichtlich des breiten spektrums dystopischer electronics in seinen dj-sets, als auch wegen seines tiefen wissens von synthese und sounddesign in seinen produktionen. nach releases auf labels wie jealous god debu&#776,,,,,,,,tierte payne 2017 mit der ep anubis auf unterton. seitdem u&#776,,,,,,,,bernahm der new yorker club residencies in seiner wahlheimat berlin (berghain) und seinem – quasi – zweitwohnsitz tiflis (khidi), vero&#776,,,,,,,,ffentlichte sein debu&#776,,,,,,,,talbum redeemer auf hospital productions und startete außerdem sein eigenes label bite mit einer kollaborativen ep seiner selbst mit silent servant. seine erste o-ton, reverse fall, atmet einen frischen, reinen geist von techno – weder nostalgisch noch futuristisch, eher anarchisch und beila&#776,,,,,,,,ufig visiona&#776,,,,,,,,r. phase fatale erweitert mit dieser 12- die klangliche variation und musikalische narrative seines bisherigen schaffens als producer ebenso wie er die bandbreite seiner dj und live-sets spiegelt. gleichzeitig verschiebt er die genreparameter von techno vorwa&#776,,,,,,,,rts: ihm geht es musikalisch weniger um ‚ha&#776,,,,,,,,rter‘, sondern um dichtere atmospha&#776,,,,,,,,ren und basslastige grooves einerseits, um einen bissigen, markanten und scharfkantigen sound andererseits. auf reverse fall gibt es von film(musik) – namentlich carpenter und argento – informierte stellen: markant-melodio&#776,,,,,,,,se, bedrohliche synth-arpeggios, staccato-hi-hats, du&#776,,,,,,,,stere sechzehntelsequenzen, knackige snares und schnalzende peitschenschla&#776,,,,,,,,ge, noisige drones und dro&#776,,,,,,,,hnende pads. zwei stu&#776,,,,,,,,cke wie gemacht fu&#776,,,,,,,,r halsbrecherische hochgeschwindigkeitsfahrten auf der na&#776,,,,,,,,chtlichen u&#776,,,,,,,,berholspur („reverse fall“, „blackbox“), zwei abgebremste stu&#776,,,,,,,,cke fu&#776,,,,,,,,r die horrorszenarien danach („incision“, „empty whip“). musik, karosserie, ko&#776,,,,,,,,rper und kopf verma&#776,,,,,,,,hlend – hier inspiriert von j.g. ballards verkehrstodfetisch crash, dort a&#776,,,,,,,,sthetisch im geiste dirk skrebers um stahlpfeiler gewickelt. eine abfahrt u&#776,,,,,,,,ber das gesamte frequenzspektrum, mit frontalcrash in einer schroffen klangwand.

a classic slice of philadelphia funk from peoples choice, officially remastered and reissued for 2018. here we go again is a definitive, feel-good disco stomper combining a full frontal bassline, infectious keys and staccato guitar licks that effortlessly build and build throughout the track. cries of here we go again ring out at it s peak epitomising the feeling that this groove could last forever. keeping up that perpetual good time groove the b side houses the mighty jam, jam, jam (all night long). a track doused in the funk, from the rugged vocals to the addictive hooks, it ll worm it s way into your head for weeks.

they dont get much more anthemic than idris muhammad s could heaven ever be like this and who better to rework it than edit royalty, late nite tuff guy. subtle in his touches yet incorporating a more dj friendly, dancefloor orientated beat and tension building intro which teases elements of this classic, before that instantly recognisable bass riff and staccato guitar chords come into play. that subtlety is key when it comes to handling a record as epic as this, elements are accentuated and looped, delicate effects are woven in, but the soul and feeling of idris music is lovingly maintained by lntg. and for the purists out there, the flip houses the original mix so you ve got two paths to heaven to choose from.

toby tobias has a lengthy history of disturbing the peace. this is his second offering for the esp institute. on side a, second stimulus stirs shimmering staccato chords, roaming pipes and detuned robotic sighs into quite the disorienting stew—the loose arrangement remaining fragmented over 9 minutes of touch-and-go 808 programming, picking up a pseudo bassline assembled from sub toms, introducing a gritty break loop and eventually blissing out into oblivion. with side bs synchro surfer, toby plays with the notion of suspense by gently teasing a muted kick and percussion rhythm under washes of white noise, bleeps and sirens that are tape-dubbed and which, over time, begin a dialogue with each other, as if the machines have declared mutiny on the garage. toby continues to stretch his limits with his output for the esp institute, possibly headed toward a full-fledged devolution of conventional dance music. these two songs may have you arrested for public nuisance.

the goldie award winning producer / dj debuts on alpha pup with a four track ep on orange & black splatter vinyl. across 15 hours to la, holly uses otherworldly synth tones, dissonant staccato, heavy low end, and frenzied digital drum-work, providing a synthetic journey where technicality and style meet at a unique crossroads.

wonderwheel is happy to welcome in montreal based producer & don dada poirier for his first release on the label, the be alright ep. moving away from the traditional dancehall, dub and soca sounds he s become known for, poirier delivers a 4 track of afro-house influenced dancefloor firestarters. sowia heads to south east africa with it s floating guitar hooks, big bassline, and vocals in portugese from canadian-moçambican singer samito. ginobili goes into deeper territory with four to the floor drums, heavily chopped percussion, and a hypnotizing distorted mbira line, while camera continues the tropical vibe with a nod to semba with its driving guitar lines, staccato synth lines and thumping drums. antilles trax rounds it out as the extended instrumental version of sowia

it s always an event when jacob korn fires up his custom-made studio set up to create another exciting house record. in fact, ep3 is a tasteful four-tracker that more than lives up on its two predecessors. -the happening- builds on funky drum patterns before rising into a break that feels like taking a bucket full of water to the chest. another burning dance floor affair is -holiday- with its percussion-driven beats and heavy staccato style synths, in all its caribbean glory. -goodbye- is driven by an irresistible sample and string combination while -thru the eyes- is riding on a cheerful drum foundation and killer sample. dancefloor heaven. as she did for ep1 and ep2 the new record is again illustrated by anna jaszpataki from dresden.

camisole records is delighted to annonce the reissue of serge bulot sought after lp « les legendes de broceliande ». composed equally with synthesizers, organic instruments and percussions in 1980-1981 this album navigates between ambient, leftfield and electronic jazz. from the mesmerizing -euryale- to the contemplative -Échos- each pieces of this album evocates differents stories and legends of britany.the result is a collection of captivating and ethereal tracks making it the perfect soundscape of the mythical french forest of broceliande.

shdw002 arrives with a pumping kick and a gorgeous guitar loop. as the filter opens, the landscape widens – laidback percussion, then soothing strings, before a powerful hit of bass and vocals, and we’re off. two tail’s ‘willie has a hunch’, grooves along blissfully, before a spoken word sample comes to twist the meaning and flip the mood. ‘you’ve got me’, is an appropriate title for a harry parsons track where a percussive groove, staccato horns, and those handclaps grip the listener and never relinquish control the result being a thoroughly enjoyable 6 minutes of communal dancefloor goodness.
tribal percussion ushers in side b, as alex wooley begins to build ‘walkin’ away’ around a yearning and disheartened vocal sample. despite the free-flowing instrumentation, the vocals maintain a subtle air of melancholy, which anchor this track in raw, remorseful emotion. mr lover lover concludes proceedings with a confident swagger. ‘i would (like to get to know)’ flips brandy’s ‘i wanna be down’ into an enticing dancefloor shaker - the perfect closer.

having reached double digits on its release roster, amsterdam-based techno label format presents its 11th release. and it’s a three-piece ensemble by label honcho juan sanchez himself.
fr011 delivers three techno bombs that perfectly reflect the format sound. things kick off with despite the..., which combines deep grooves to staccato bass pulses designed for peak-time moments. spanish dj/producer aiken delivers a superb remix that is propelled by a nasty industrial groove and coated in dark atmospheres. closing the release is the sinister in the dark, which is as deep as it is trippy...
format second 2017 release is another prime example of the label’s coveted sound.

ed davenport continues his full-spectrum techno experiments as inland with an elegant new ep on counterchange entitled coriolis. the title track coriolis is a moody 10 minute voyage with a morphing synth array at its core - bright, detuned stabs are layered upon tough rhythmic foundations. the jagged metallic lead builds, unearthing harmonic bleep accents and syncopated fx swells, before folding in on itself leaving the effective tribal drum section to ride on. d10d3 plows forward with an urgent staccato sequence, segueing into italo-horror filter sweeps and noise-laden moments of drama. finally tsereteli is a more reduced modern dub study, continuing ed s long running fascination with tranced-out time stretching and after-hours vibes. the 9th release on the label, the record features cover art by uk artist guy archard and is pressed on 180g vinyl.

when promoting the release of figure-ground’s ‘ep 5’, released december 2016 it was finally announced that the previously anonymous modular duo were in fact dronelock’s alexander church and boris brenecki from ontal. so now the cat’s out of the bag it seems fitting that figure-ground should have this outing on the dronelock / ontal co-run label, shadow story. add to that a collaboration with one of the uk’s finest electronic artists and figure-ground fan, paul mac and you know you’re set for some beautifully worked productions from this trio of talent. teasing and playing with the hardware throughout the ep, they’ve stayed within the realms of techno to create mind-melting and dance floor devastation across 6 tracks. from ‘virtues values & venom’ itself that opens with gusto, before erratic beat experimentation on ‘eightfold path’, the frenetic ‘digital dialectic’, which also gets a second more staccato outing on version 2, ‘noble habitus’ with its machine-funk to the subterranean ‘nativism’, it’s obviously been an enjoyable ride and that translates to the listener.

incl cd, when promoting the release of figure-ground’s ‘ep 5’, released december 2016 it was finally announced that the previously anonymous modular duo were in fact dronelock’s alexander church and boris brenecki from ontal. so now the cat’s out of the bag it seems fitting that figure-ground should have this outing on the dronelock / ontal co-run label, shadow story. add to that a collaboration with one of the uk’s finest electronic artists and figure-ground fan, paul mac and you know you’re set for some beautifully worked productions from this trio of talent. teasing and playing with the hardware throughout the ep, they’ve stayed within the realms of techno to create mind-melting and dance floor devastation across 6 tracks. from ‘virtues values & venom’ itself that opens with gusto, before erratic beat experimentation on ‘eightfold path’, the frenetic ‘digital dialectic’, which also gets a second more staccato outing on version 2, ‘noble habitus’ with its machine-funk to the subterranean ‘nativism’, it’s obviously been an enjoyable ride and that translates to the listener.

marvin horsch debuts on berlins film with an ep of exquisitely produced, cinematic electronica. the cologne based producer develops the colourful house found on previous work for the dorfjungs la-bel, with three playful compositions that draw as much on jazz and krautrock as more contemporary strains of alternative electronic music. opener omnisession 1 marries a beautifully shifting organ with live drum work before segueing into the glorious softness of sun after rain, a rich synth solo drenched in tape hiss. closer negobebo 2 wraps up the ep an energetic, looping recording replete with staccato drum-machine strikes and warm, wet verbs carrying a spirited lead across its six minute duration. an honest record, open and expertly executed fukushisha is an admirable addition to the film cata-logue.

lake people, the man with a knack for aural subtleties, is spot-on with his first ep for uncanny valley. over the course of four tracks he showcases a quiet different approach compared to the sophisticated house music the leipzig based artist released on labels like permanent vacation or connaisseur recordings. on -break the pattern- he relies heavily on the good old boom tschak-paradigm of electro, without completely giving up his trademark sound. -level msk- combines staccato-type chords with a stuttering beat that stick in your mind. the acidic -september futuristic- with its stoic drumming has almost a krautrock feel to it. on the flipside, the playful -chords in chorus- feels like an early contender for this year s summer anthem with chords and acid lines from heaven. the ep closes with -pull off-, a perfect example for lake people s ability to compose tracks with an emotional depth.

avalon emerson’s latest ep, narcissus in retrograde, explores four different styles that shape her distinct voice as a producer and songwriter, from symphonic showstoppers to broken acid. opener “natural impasse“ ferries massive melodic themes through a network of emotive capillaries that’s underpinned by charging drums, while “dystopian daddy“ dons a theatrical flare with costume-changing arpeggiators and digital brass beef that command attention like a stage-hogging space alien diva lip-syncing for new wig money. the b-side takes a more menacing turn with “why does it hurt“, the outright techno achievement of the record, and the snarling closer “groundwater“. ethereal vocals on the former punctuate kicks and growls that sound like they were pulled from a pedal monster’s electric guitar, and on “groundwater“, a crucible of fucked breaks and acid cut a ravine through a bed of off-staccato hats and a sample swamp.

‘sound of palladio’ is the first in a four part series of limited 12- pressed to 180g coloured vinyl, with a single piece of cover artwork commissioned from italian artist nerog spanning throughout the series. never ready records’ inaugural release sees venetian techno & bass house experimentalist munstac veer between the echoing sub bass chambers and angular staccato momentum of “the cathedral” to the more drawn out drum rolls and flutter of “the theatre”. along the way, east london’s spatial helms a mighty 132 bpm jungle break refix of “the cathedral” whipping up that trademark hectic fervor the infrasonics label boss has previously delivered on the likes of “wncl & stillcold”

red axes s massive waiting for a surprise gets new remixes from heavy hitters audion, moscoman, manfredas and multi culti label-man thomas von party. the jewel in the crown of israels underground music scene, red axes have produced a steady stream of hits on labels like permanent vacation, i m a cliché, crosstown rebels, and the freaky all-inclusive multi culti where they dropped what became, somewhat surprisingly, their biggest hit to date with waiting for a surprise. the dark, stripped down disco bomb had one of the most memorable hooks of the year in singer abraos staccato chorus, a late night voodoo incantation that was always begging to be remixed

staccato computer melodies, elongated elation and frenzied rhythms make up ftds latest offering. from the collaborative minds of justin tripp and brian close, known to many as the georgia creative outlet. the ny based duo set out to free up your mind and take it on a journey.

damien lynch enjoys countryside a drive in the twilight hour. this is his second offering for the esp institute. on side a, brunette opens with a straight-ahead techno thump of hi-hats and a pulsating 16th-note bassline—a subtle playing field composed solely with a rare 1970’s italian machine, the godwin drummaker 32, unearthed from the secret back room of a music shop in rural ireland where it hid among wonderful vintage russian synths and oddball electronics. this elegant track drips with warm and phasing pads, gentle staccato keys and beautifully simple arpeggios that blur every now and then—all affirming damien’s less-is-more ideology. with side b’s forced relax, damien continues to exercise his restraint, arranging his instruments in a band-like fashion, affording each player the sonic space to project their individual qualities whilst supporting an overall dialogue. there is a soft ebb and flow to every machine’s role, whether the swelling of bass or the interplay of percussive keys, but when these characters arrive in one place, the result is a tranquil euphoria. these two songs will accept you for who you truly are.

nice price deal !!! treibstoff / wir producers bring in some quality dancefloor electronics. some deeper and darker beats and 80s tinged staccato

nice price deal !!! featuring vinyl exclusive track! signor andreoni and alessio mereu team up yet again for another solid effort as bunkers! although they have just formed this year, this italian superduo has already released three eps, with their most recent finding itself at the #1 position on richie hawtins chart for september. aside from his work in bunkers, mereu has appeared on a variety of labels like cmyk, harthouse and toys for boys. meanwhile, producer and classically trained guitarist andreoni is known for his releases (both solo and in collaboration with samim) on tuningspork. from the swelling tension of >holding back< that evokes suppressed love, to the staccato onomatopoeia in >please say whoo<, to the swingy and syncopated soul of >back to reality< – its clear that bunkers have mastered the house tradition of tension, buildup and release.

berlins cult techno duo exercise one release their newest 12inch featuring 3 tracks. one track reminiscent of the past, one track gazing at the future and a time defying remix by locked groove.timetrap has always been the dark horse of exercise ones back catalog, so they decided to go back to the original idea of the track and see where they could take it. a few sessions later their ears were happy and timetrap 2016 was born. the staccato groove and eerie hook of the original now live in a much more powerful and demanding surrounding. exactly what they where looking for.

with the opening track providing an atmospheric techno masterpiece, dubspeeka s production ability shines through with a staccato synth melody providing a unique listening experience. staying true to the melodic techno sound that has propelled dubspeeka to the forefront of the global underground music stage, k354 and k375 showcases his ability to conjure varying sounds with chilling vocal samples and distorted percussion sounding out through each production respectively. with dubspeekas prominence within the techno world flourishing faster than any other artist within the field, unfriended makes yet another decisive point in this eclectic artists career.

fresh from live performances at bonobo’s outlier festival, the quietus stage at the great escape, and supporting max cooper, london-based production virtuoso guy andrews revisits his acclaimed debut album ‘our spaces’. informed by audience reactions at these shows, he takes two of the lp’s standout tracks and reconfigures them for the dancefloor, with devastating results. meanwhile two like-minded artists tackle the album’s lead single ‘in autumn arms’. max cooper crafts a formidable collage of idm textures, with staccato beats punctuating the lilting guitar riff, whilst dj mag’s former ‘best breakthrough producer’ ben pearce takes the track into the main room, turning in an elemental 4/4 floor-burner.

quite a few months have passed since adam port released his last original material on keinemusik. it’s been almost too long. but then again, every expert will confirm, you won’t see a “sonnenfinsternis” every other week. port’s new ep is going under the name of that very astronomical curiosity and accordingly, the like-titled cut on a can only be the result of a rare cosmic constellation. it starts with a spoken word field recording. could it be, someone secretly recorded parts of the internal pre-release labelmeeting? we’ll leave that to your imagination. but then, all solid facts. a forceful beat, decorated with hihat-hiss, stoically pounding synthbass, rattling snare-staccato and space-opening synth-layers. finally, some siren’s wailing, just in case someone didn’t get the immediacy of this material. classy floor substance, that is, with the scarcity value of an eclipse. “working for it”, as the first track on the flipside, is rather going for the deeper realms. this coproduction with jennifer touch, a singer/producer that just moved from leipzig to berlin, is built up on a cosy, warm synth-priming, that touch congenially contrasts with her undercooled wavy vocals. an emotional rollercoaster, if you will.

coming up next on format is a new ep from the label s head honcho juan sanchez including remixes by jeroen search and andre kronert. the diffy ep marks juan s first format ep released under his own name, and it s definitely one that will turn heads on the floor. the original version of diffy and mirage reflect juan s trademarked minimal but hard-as-nails techno sound: staccato kicks, nervously rattling percussions and looped synth pulses make up the fundaments of both tracks, locking in all ingredients for proper techno clubbing.up first on the remix tip is renowned techno veteran jeroen search, whose remix of diffy is a chunky piece of stripped floor funk with subtle hints of detroit techno. following up is a rerub by andre kronert, who drops a beefy slab of mid-tempo techno that s particularly heavy on the dub side of things. 007 does have a license to kill for a reason, you know...

the second ep on unequal has two fearless tracks from cloak. a1 is a peaktime oriented banger with evolving staccato hats and rough machine sounds all over. a2 goes one step further and disturbes with noisy droning synths and a sick low bassline. flip side by anselm tells a raw story in downtempo with crooked melodies and dense hi-hat rhythms.

this promising israeli talent delivers two slow burning tracks oozing with eastern influence and informed by the modern sounds of dance. part of the 84% creativity crew, naduve presents his second release with cocktail d amore in the form of a two track ep which revels in it s dark and seductive energy. -no good news- builds over it s 7-minute run layering mystic vocal synths and coupling them with splashing hats and tight shakers to give just enough beat driven energy to keep a crowd to attention. the flying guitars and staccato synths of a trip in tel aviv slither over half beat percussive structures to give this track a sinister feel ideal for late, late, late nights. wunderkind man power drops a tab on a trip, giving it a fresh take perfect for psychedelically inclined moments.

mister ho and heap are ambassadors of the river danube. this is their first offering for the esp institute. on side a, collision resistance throws us into the bowels of an underground sex lair with an adrenaline-laden heartbeat for a kick drum, a rough dose of fisting illustrated by the combination of bassline with low-tom and an unrelenting snare that whips us raw into submission. somewhere in between the waves of punishment we can start to audibly pick up tortured moans of endurance and pleasure, but maybe its time we pull our minds from the gutter, wipe the sweat from our brow and flip the record for a reward. with side b’s veils of the beloved, mister ho & heap deliver us via speedboat to the white isle, coasting along to bouncy staccato bass notes and machine bleeps as a euphoric chord progression puts us in an 808 state of mind. the percussion arrangement and phasing string flourishes are introduced through a filter, opening slowly as if coming up for air from a beautiful blue abyss. these two songs are neither too salty nor too sweat

the second chapter of the startup label series starts with the dreamy * oaas*. its gravitating ambient body music picks up right where startup label 1 left off. the sparkling dust of quarry_s has settled, and mutates into a liquid morphing bass drizzle. moving on to ‘found_weaver’ the hazy synths find a more rhythmical form accompanied by a staccato groove. when the record is flipped a new world gets exposed on the track * wolf*. a more consistent and articulate track with a killer groove. startup label 2 explores the musical map of clubland travelling further than the dance floor, not afraid of venturing behind the * here be dragons* signpost.

bad taste recordings hit 2016 in severe kinetic style with a fresh pair of tracks launching the identity of malux, the new neurofunk-focussed moniker of established bass producer skope (inspected). with turbine and fonk the agenda is clear – energetic, funk-fuelled dnb driven by detailed low-frequency design and a boisterous rave vibe.
turbine carries with it a stripped aesthetic, with a percussive pattern driven by the snare and wonky plucked synth work. this is heads-down, bassface material for ravers to get into step to.
fonk on the flip hits a cheeky upbeat tone, switching slickly between bass textures punctuated by staccato sonic fragments.
with support from scene titans such as andy c, the upbeats and radio play from friction on bbc r1 and crissy criss on kiss fm, malux has immediately caught the attention of those who know. bad taste hits the nail on the head again, introducing another name with a big destiny into the halls of dnb.

2016 repress - further heat from gay marvine, brightening up every floor with powerful uplifting dj tools, the essence of the heat of the party. this time we have lost disco classic that just gets you burning, the funk of war given the perfect disco treatment, diana giving it to you like only she could (and later michael would, his exact staccato style), and luv tempo of factory favorites who later had a member who completed her phd in the cultural politics of the house music aesthetic in 1995. serious business for any floor!

this is the second record of the modern house quintet, a french band who makes house music. like the former release, this new one features two house/deep house tracks: * marmande* starts with a lush pad and staccato bassline soon joined by percussions and an organ chord. the second part of the track introduces gradually a flute line plus a powerful open hi-hat. * bellevue* opens with a pad and a filtered rhodes synth supported by a low-fi bassline. that structure evolves step by step until the break introduces strong open hit-hats followed by another flute line.

exploration is back with 3 techno bangers!
* planetary mosaic* comes with slow building synths and a majestic piano, constructed around a heavy stomping bassdrum.
* simplexity* is a stripped down track with spaced out bleeps and a subtle snare staccato attack.
* light module* projects a dystopian environment with jacking synth structures, robot voices and a dramatic atmosphere.

after debuting on rebirth with their new alias easy to remember (inspired by the famous song from st germain of the same name) niro and elia perrone release now on their own unclear label. the ep contains two originals backed by three remixes.royal rumbles obscure synth melody and obsessive pitch changes pave the way to sinister background noises and beats, whereas jazz cowboys free style drumming, syncopated rhythm and xylophones blur the line between house music and free improvisation. minimonos remix of royal rumble brings the kick drum to the fore and adds a staccato bass line coupled with some stop & gos that spice up the vibe of the track. giulio etiopes rendition of jazz cowboys adds some deep pads, flute sounds and a trumpet sample leading into a dreamy break, with def safaris dark rework turning it instead into a galloping percussive tool.