a set of minimal synth recordings, captured live with in-studio performance. these pieces are a tribute to the golden era of electronic music that mainly emerged in europe between 1978-1984 and is often described as minimal electronics, synthpop, synthwave etc. sinister melodies, shadows and frost making up a haunting, dystopian sonic environment. drum machines driving step sequencers and mono-synths, hand played polyphonic synthesizers, all enveloped by the industrial sound of the spring reverb. he only feels night within.

this is raw, fear-inducing uk warehouse at its finest, and a big step forward for the developing new jack techno genre

subwax excursions proudly presents a brand new album from orlando voorn!

directly from the music box of chicago and with the blessing of ron hardy we are proud to introduce you the next record coming out on artistika. chicago based artist gene hunt is came back with another stunning and explosive release on the italian artistika recordings. since the late 80s, as now, the fresh mix of vocal-imprinted chicago-house and roughly soulful techno is that characterize in major way hunts sound. after several releases on djax, hybrid, mc projects, step 2 house, svek or rush hour, he brings us 4 classical house tunes on the new artistika release. >i am from the old school. i have seen many eras of house change over the years and i know what the people want< (cit. gene hunt). vinyl only!

ever since stephen sharp and roc jiménez de cisneros embarked on the deconstructive process they refer to as rave synthesis, the goal was to come up with odd relatives of well established sounds in techno culture by constantly messing with the original recipes, expanding the tropes, and hinting at novel paths for contemporary psychedelia. almost three years after the influential rave slime, their fifth long player takes the idea one step further.

dont wanna go to ep features three deep and warmly textured productions. the title track is a creeper with its spoken vocal and popping synth work. take one step back matches smooth rhodes keys with sumptuous acoustic guitar and goosebump-inducing vocal. final cut honey bomb steps up the tempo and increases the funk. twisted electric riffs and echoing chimes working brilliantly together to create a dancefloor gem.

after a long wait slowpitch proudly returns with the third vinyl of its imprint, the label once again demonstrates great skills in collecting new collaborations and for being a good platform for emerging artists. mass digital and curly project have provided this new 4 tracks ep which includes also two great remix from denis yahsin and mirco violi, the result is a quality deep house and house pack that signs definitely an important step forward into the path of this label and its artists.

the latest offering from san franciscos icee hot label finds the young imprint officially welcoming another artist to its gradually expanding roster. that said, contakt isnt exactly a stranger. the michigan-reared, new york-based producer is one of the founders and resident djs at brooklyns turrbotax® party, which has long been a sort of sister party to icee hot. contakt has previously released music for respected outposts like local action, grizzly, and dutty artz, but nobody else and tessera 04 find him taking an important step forward as an artist, delivering tunes that are richer and more really realized than anything from his past. particularly on nobody else, contakts flair for big-room melody remains intact, but he takes notes from classic kms, filling out the songs cresting synths with a full-bodied bassline, a hooky vocal sample and a sturdy rhythmic underpinning. tessera 04 goes deeper, channeling maurizio while delving headlong into a dense cloud of synths and maintaining a steady sense of forward momentum. on the flipside, icee hot resident ghosts on tape continues his recent hot streak, infusing nobody else with punchy drumwork and a potent rave sensibility. detroit legend robert hood then rounds out the release, transforming tessera 04 into a pulsing and purring slice of heady analog techno.

• 3d!t aka ed giles and queaver (formerly of queaver and versis) both step up with a split ep for horror boogies fourth release !
• a timely re-issue from this great label – watch out for backstock !

first pressing in dark red vinyl! in remarkably short time, van bonn has developed a well-deserved reputation as a forward-thinking dub music producer. he is tying up electronic listening music with dance music structures for the german label telrae and trapez since 2011, but his newest invention van bonn01 is another step forward. van bonn records now for the first time provides him with a platform, that is his own. it is a sound laboratory pushing his ideas as well as giving him the possibility to feature like minded people. the first edition on vinyl, comes in dark red with a nice artwork. gradient (cph dub) shows a new side with van bonn, expressing a certain form of industrial & romantic privacy in a very radical way. his epic 12 minute track explores the time and space continuum in ways of symmetry. this is a perfect extension of what we know from various dub techno productions of the past. rich filtered delays balanced with a monotony of a mighty & distant beat, makes it an hypnotic piece of music. gradient in its original version is the more hardish and forceful..companion of the a-side, being more raw an direct. van bonn uses here a lot of fx sounds to build a bubble which perfectly embeds the stomping machine liked beat. the >do not resist the beat< owner milton bradley and artist on prologue (and more) has delivered a remix of >gradient< in his genuine style avoiding commercialism and creating his own atmospheric, claustrophobic, cinematic style of techno. listen here to his remix for van bonn.

a collection of previously unreleased cuts from his early hip hop days (2003-8). some big bad sample tracks with chunky hip hop beats. two rap remixes of mf doom and supastition and two cuts more in the vein of cut chemist or ruckus roboticus full of movie samples.

championsound continue to blaze a trail, showcasing some of the hottest new talent to emerge from irelands vibrant music scene!! following hot on the heels of the premiere release on champion sound in 2013 , next in line comes the work of prolific northern irish producer, t-polar, whose previous releases on acroplane, saigon recordings, morris audio, !kaboogie records and rebirth garnered the support of everyone from mary anne hobbs to 2562 to boddika. in keeping with his previous output and adding to what must surely be irelands deepest discography in electronic music (dating back to 2004), t-polar (aka gary spence) releases feetwork, an ep which hop-scotches genres, roughened up by the searing properties of hoover bass, teamed with tough, rolling kicks, nods to leftfield house and vintage rave, and peppered with skittering two-step grit. the remix in the pack comes from the increasingly ubiquitous unknown whose youtube uploads and remixes have been setting the internet alight with speculation.

one of the most interesting artists in the field of music releases his long-awaited lp debut. its titel
* times*
is appropriately chosen, though indeed it seems to be timeless.

in the great tradition of count ossie, four new grounation furies - hypnotic, thunderous, urgent, mystical - with dubwise repeta, funde and bass drums embedding the light of saba veterans gorgeous trombone classicism.
the opener is a rocking kumina rhythm, with ring-the-alarm metal percussion and exhortatory brass, free the people swirls some apocalyptic reasoning into the foggy, thumping mix. universe in crisis is another emergency call, chuffing headlong down the grooves ... before the beautiful, anthemic chant takes a step back from the fire, closing with a sense of thankful, spiritual reconciliation, the expert drumming and lyrical bone-work in full effect.

debut vinyl release of new russian label based in moscow, hosted by agcp (a guy called phone) also more known in russia as sasha partyphone. focused on producing young russians (and ex ussr republics) underground artists, who was inspired by 70s, 80s and 90s. also concentrate on producing not only basic dance music, but and music for the different moments of live with the funky, old school and different other influences as well. rush inside (which sounds like russian side) - is a compilation of deep, funky, groovy, new disco sounds by unknowns underground producers from moscow and st. petersburg. the first step in attempt to present a part of contemporary russian electronic scene.

the detroit threads record store has survived in one incarnation or another for more than16 years. in this time personal relationships have formed with music makers of every circle over the common bond of vinyl sound. it was a logical step to give back to this community a product that reflects the many faces that make up the store. a store that has been and will continue to be a hub for the exchange of ideas, kept alive by like minded people who still believe in the independent detroit spirit. this spirit shines upon the unique artists that move to their own beat, and never compromise their vision. detroit threads gives a voice to these artists that should be heard. nospectical is walter wasack, jennifer paull, and chistopher mcnamara. they are a team of detroit sound artists that lean into e.d.m. on the minimal tip. their comfort zone is inside of a sounds cape near the sphere of unconsciousness. nospectical is a cool dark breeze that is alive with a pulse. they tread into strangeness and let it come together to form a neurotic world. nospectical works to broaden the view and redefine the depth of detroit techno. detroit threads is proud to support this cause.

prolific dutch producer roel funcken has established himself an agile, meticulous sonic craftsman whose output has consistently been as accessible as it has innovative. most recently, he opened for flying lotus and tipper during his last us tour. as half of the group funckarma, he has recorded for esteemed labels including skam, ad noiseam, arcola (warp), isophlux, marguerita, and others. for mercury retrograde, his first release on schematic, funken taps into textures reminiscent of the mid 90s drum n base sub genre tech step, the lush downtempo of bristol, and hans zimmer’s soundtrack work. this latest release adds to the ever evolving, rich, and inspired catalog of funcken.

lovers of minimalist electro and techno will find much to engage with here. inspired by mathematical studies of pattern recognition and the concept of infinite dimensions, ekman produces sharp, precise beats over dark, trippy atmospheres that step and change creating a lattice of cold structured sound. limited to 200 copies on white vinyl.

myk derill (knotweed, reform, etc.) is one of the most interesting dub-techno artists! here he offers two great tracks of high quality and class. never hard but never soft. the release is completed by a fantastic remix signed by markus suckut (figure spc, sckt,etc.)his remix is a clear reference to the atmosphere of the past, with his usual class! another good step for fluxus records.

the new vinyl release by stefan gubatz features unreleased new dance floor versions of his tracks >byte and scratch< and >offshore< (which had originally appeared as electronic versions on cd) which appear now exclusively for the first time on the telrae vinyl 10 inch series as reworks. >byte and scratch rework< generates a subtle form of urgency which slowly step by step takes possession of yours and does not loose its grip till the very end. stefan has reworked the original for the club, has kept many details in the process of the sound shaping while on the other hand has changed the arrangement and dominance of key sounds very skillfully. he has transferred a piece of electronica into an intense piece of dub techno. >offshore rework< is the counterpart of >byte and scratch rework< being much more ease and repetitive... more in the fashion of some of stefans 10 releases on telrae before

young belgian producer locked groove (aka tim van de meutter) cements an increasingly central role in the hotflush family fold with the release of the two part heritage ep. since his debut on the label, tim has propagated what he himself has termed 100% house and techno, combining elements of the big room, the deep and moody and straight up four-to-the-floor both into the space of a single track, and across the length of an ep. taking a marked step on from last years rooted and keep it simple eps, heritage pursues a joining of musical dots between and beyond classic house and techno, from the kerri chandler-esque house of *wear it well* through the epic landscaping of *lost* to *dream within a dream* blade runner beach party. in this collection, the young producer delivers two sets of three outstanding, genre-straddling tracks that further help to bolster hotflushs legacy as one of the most forward-thinking labels operating in 2013.

the next release on uk imprint lnuk sees london producer boxwork step up for his debut full release, a self-titled 4 track ep

the small, exquisitely formed take records maintain their reputation for tracks that elegantly live their life on the peripheries of house and techno with this release from one of the labels co-owners, rick grant, and a fine cabal of remixers. the west london-based producers original mix adopts the full widescreen effect, cascading deep bass throbs and a trembling metallic clatter across a ponderous 2-step click. consequences reworking wires in some heavy-ass sub-bass transmissions and a rapid-fire hi-hat rhythm, before jack dixons late-night submission takes a clockwork 4/4 tempo and bolts a springy, low-slung bassline to it, accompanied by layers of velvety synth patterns. crossing is an ep of uniformly consistent quality, where texture and atmosphere take the spotlight.

eight tracks from one of the worlds leading up and coming producers on two 12 inches in a picture sleeve. initially coming from a background in the musically raucous worlds of 2 step and garage, synkro has, over time, developed a sound that is altogether more introspective, more emotive and more emotionally complex. stepping up here with his second release on legendary apollo records, synkro delivers eight tracks that - while retaining some of the stutter and swing of garage, are far more rooted in the textural world of ambient music for which apollo is famed.

knox is the band brainchild of brother-sister duo nic and eliza coolidge. hailing from boston and new york, the siblings released their second ep, here, on december 3rd, and it is a big step forward for the band. formed less than two years ago, in march 2011, knox finds themselves working with the likes of john tejada and kuxxan suum on this release, and the outcome is stunning. here is five-song set full of ice and echoes. it runs as close to the third rail of impersonation, but flies away so quickly that knox sounds contextual and perfectly fresh. the influences from james blake is clear: the swooping, bomber bass and half-timey compressed dub beats, here could also easily be an inventive b-side to the latest how to dress well album. but, with the limited scale, interspersed remixes and foundling status in the scene, i would say it is likely a more impressive feat. the ep as a whole is desolate. expansive spaces filled with cold little beats and vocal washes, exploring in the course of five songs an icescape aesthetic with a sense of place usually reserved for full-length albums. the remixes blend so seamlessly that i didnt even realize they were during my first, casual listen.

brand new from mindset records, biome steps up with a surprising release considering his strong affiliation with the dungeon step sound, here we see him unleash 3 techno influenced tracks on indigos manchester based label, a new angle for biome and on the strength of this release i’m sure well see many more productions from him on this tip.

for this ep its all about removing reliance on computers and unleashing pure vibes. taking a step back into the past franck roger adopts a raw approach with his latest ep on real tone. removing the comfort of working via sequencers, franck instills more of a live feeling with the love is always two-tracker.

the fifth skylevel is completely homemade and is bound to save the world once again. four tracks, coming in at four different altitudes, but we dont get into a detailed description this time. click the snippets or better give it a spin at the store. one for dj sneak, one for soundstream, one for eddie c and one more for the road.

culprits last release of 2012 represents an emphatic statement of creative intent from another young production team whose star is in the rapid ascendancy. swiss duo adriatiques culprit debut, ‘face to face ep feels like a first confident step toward what may become one of the labels defining artistic relationships in the new year.

niche n bump is a new label from london, started by one of the crew behind the wifey club nights. their stated aim is to make records that djs will play forever, not just a few weeks, and they are taking an emphatic step towards that goal with an inaugural release by the timeless spatial.
the record begins a new phase for spatial, where intuition and chance take over, with whirlpools of echo sucking in disco vocals and reggae samples.

fear of flying unleash their first ever lp with dutchman ivano tetelepta undertaking the honours. the 8 tracks on the vinyl are a step away from the traditional straight up 4/4 route that fof usually tread, feeling that for an lp to make a splash in the modern era it has to be more about the flow of tracks as a whole, rather than just a double pack of straight up house beats. there has to be a splash more emotion and feeling with the emphasis on mood. yet that isnt to say there arent club worthy tracks, far from it. the glorious twisted 120 and deep tech funk 119 are custom made for the dancefloor and are exclusive to the vinyl release

third release for traumprinz (aka prince of denmark) on this excellent giegling sublabel.

dusty baron aka latecomer may be a recent arrival on the scene, but he plays like a true veteran. a mysterious export from the around same eastern latitudes as label boss vakula, his music, much like vs, sounds just as rooted in the post soviet russian landscape as it is in the post industrial north america which gave rise to all the soul and machine funk that is the driving inspiration for so many of todays roots conscious electronic artists. vakula takes the controls on side a with dubwise and exotic production skills whilst side b showcases the barons heavy heavy chops, with drum programming as deft as his keys work, and a sound which is equal parts earthly and heavenly. sides c & d (on bonus 7inch) see v step up to offer two takes on >follow shot<, continuing the theme of techno tinged jazz cosmism. a noble introduction, by way of collaboration, to the dusty baron and his sound, and yet another installment in lelekas continuing contribution to the musical space time continuum.

following on from last years hugely popular soul clap social experiment compilation, electronic music heavyweights art department step into the driving seat to compile and mix the latest installment in no.19 musics album series. this is a outstanding taster in the form of the vinyl sampler featuring original material from my favorite robot & art department themselves…

this will be a special eclipse release. one of the most valued and respectable dub techno artists atheus decides to stop producing dub techno tracks to explore the most introspective soundscapes of ambient and drone music, and this will be his final step into dub techno music. he needs no introduction, a bunch of stunning tracks speak for himself. his inspired music has been released on labels such as styrax and million of moments , probably one of the best dub techno producers alongside deepchord and fluxion in the basic channel legacy. the record consists in two original tracks and one remix. the title track das ende its a proto-dub painting where rhythm patterns are made by a mixture of pulsating bass frequencies, reverberated hi-hats, delayed stabs and weird effected voices. a well done mix of sounds brings the dub style forward to unconventional and more experimental paths. hypno chamber its a typical atheus dub track with all the elements in the right place. deep fat sub-bass and delayed chords textures worked together properly as always with taste and skills. a special release remixed by the special and talented young producer decoside. he worked the main theme das ende exploring the deepest side of his incredible skill in shaping sounds...

echer has been around for quite a while, producing under duffstep & duffdisco to great acclaim he has decided to step out of the limelight and into the shadows. more than a metaphorical manoeuvre, he has already made a name for himself as a manipulator of a cheeky sample and a producer not afraid to add some bombast to the often-linear world of dance music.

making all the right moves with previous form on aus, needwant and tusk wax, ejeca is well tapped into the revivalist house zeitgeist with these hale and hearty jams for waze & odyssey. solid inner city chords and crisp, bright drums abound on side a, with >night rays< sure to inflict some damage with its fulsome square wave bassline. on the flipside, >never forge< ups the tempo for a cut that dresses like tech house but moves like 2-step. waze & odyssey themselves bring a smoother, deeper vibe to bear on their remix of >riddim<, pulling the melodic content right back to subtle flecks for a greater dramatic impact.

haling from asuncion, lpzs ariel soler, javier rodriguez and jorge carron have spent the past 4 years gradually putting paraguay on the dance music map. for whats proving to be their watershed year, may saw the trio release the well-circulated >1983< ep via the body work imprint, shortly before delivering an era-themed mix for the fashion rag, dazed & confused. now, following on from a recent collaboration with hyperdubs lv, the south americans make their debut on the long serving loungin recordings. >the benedict & grace ep< combines two purpose-made productions specifically crafted to align with the west london imprints heritage for house at the deeper end of the spectrum. cloaked in hardware reverb, a-side >benedict< takes deep house to the doors of driving dub-techno, while >grace< represents a refined garage roller, more respective of loungins output in the early-2000s. over on the flip, rotterdams increasingly revered bruk-step lynchpin c.o.n.e converts grace into an industrious slab of mechanical grime, before the porto-based trikk applies his low-end house sensibilities to benedict by stripping it down into a slab of deep yet futuristic minimalism.

a special collection of all the limited records released over the years on sushitech inside a solid carton box designed by kerry roper. the box include 5 x 10inch clear marbled records with some new and exclusive mixes! limited to 400 copies vinyl only!!

the rogue cat swings into town yet again for this, the fourth time. in the guise of mislead-back-room-bass-bellowing miscreants, and in-keeping with their ethos of anything-goes-as-long-as-it-blows, rcs step up to the plate with another oddball belter of an e.p. in this excursion, warehouse-warlord the rhythm odyssey teams up with deep house botherer benny upsetter for a dirty and dishevelled dance floor detonation.

if you thought pittsburgh track authoritys production prowess stopped with techno and house, you were wrong. here the trio dives into luminous, pulse quickening 2-step on the title track and booty bumping, aquamarine electro.

embracing his long standing passion for electronic music, the tracks on >stoic< showcase a diverse range of influences and are built to endure. the a-side moves from the mournful, hypnotic opener >bodies<, through the cold mantra of >trials<, to the shuffling trickery of >circles<. side b contains the gothic 2-step beauty of >shards< and the epic, industrial crescendo of >endings<. with an uncompromising vision - and an remarkable live show - to back up these initial offerings, wife is a truly unique talent.

from the fuego department of cómemia comes >de la cabeza< (off your head). que fuego - in buenos aires, when a particular style is particularly flamboyant, they say >que fuego<, be it an evening gown, a staggering dancing step, a good phrase or a precious little make-up smear. all these things are part of the wonderful world of djs pareja, one portrait shot of them and we all want to repeat the word boy (or even better: boy).

alejandro vivanco, chilean producer and dj offers us >energia roja<, an unusual and sensory journey into his minimal, organic techno universe, which takes us far, far away, on a journey to the distant borders of abstract. in the same, insane and twisted vein, >los imaginarios< is an invitation into a land of dreams, a perfect soundtrack to tim burtons alice in wonderland played in slow-motion and a perfect companion to further appreciate this epic journey. two non-conventional tracks which are somewhat reminiscent of productions from berlins perlon records.
last but not least, the remix of >energia roja< by jens bond, one of berlins techno activists that needs no more introduction, this rendition takes us a step closer to the dancefloor with a minimal, deep version of the track that is just perfect for those lush, sexy warm ups.

two of the uks most formidable names in techno step into the ring for a head to head on theory. stephen brown is a man who certainly needs no introduction, and his knack of channeling the best of detroit innovation and adding his own distinct flavours shows no sign of letting up. on >fuego< and >polar< brown takes us further into the jacking zone, his signature lush melodies driving up the rear until they envelope the tracks in a haze of deep and emotive vibrations, but never letting up on the tough rhythms. ben sims is drafted in to remix both tracks, leaving slicing shards of sound and roughing up the beat on his remix of >polar<, before delving into a hard-funk take of >fuego<. big business from two keepers of the true techno flame.

after a well noticed appearance on the dame-music 015 >klub klub elite vol.2< with the track >dam beat for klub david k is back on bloody marys imprint for his own solo ep. >insane dub< ep< unveil a three tracks single from david ks best rhythm and sounds exclusively to dame-music. the man and the machines have done the work. following his huge success on >rue de la plaisance< and not to forget his touch on visionquest >fall winter collection< david has also produced music for labels such as freak n chic, tsuba and the disreputable and widely known cocoon.

water jump ep is the second ep from arguably one of 2012s most exciting new djs and producers. featuring 4 brand new tracks drone logic, water jump, receptionist and a quiet life all illustrating daniels variety as a producer and knowledge of underground club music, referencing the great music of labels such as kompakt and ghostly as well as many sounds originating away from the dancefloor, this is yet another big step forward for avery. drone logic has already had regular plays from the chemical brothers and a certain mr. weatherall who received upfront copies

the layabouts are anything but. 2012 marks leigh darlow and alex paschalis 10th year together and they have never been so in form or demand. their cast iron reputation for quality deep soulful house – house music forged with feeling and real purpose – continues, impressively, to grow.
rhythm master darlow and guitarist cum orchestrator paschali first met in 2001– in home city london – off the back of various projects in the same studio space. in time, their mutual love of expressive house music would lead to cult licks feelin right and the way i feel, sizzling material for kenny dope gonzalez and hot-to-trot remixes of dj spinna, da lata, dj spen and robert owens, and soulsearcher.

the smugglers inn has become a unique testing ground for new artists and productions and many of todays highly rated new school producers benefited from early support on the show as well as behind the scenes a+r advice from daniel when approached by record labels after being featured on the show.with a network of talent to draw from, it seemed a logical step to start a record label so this is the first release from what promises to be an interesting series of eclectic, dancefloor focussed musical endeavours from an all-star international cast.