limited copies - 2 vinyls for the price of one.

we are not where we live, but the valley we built enjoyment through suffering. beauty in chaos. african ghost valley apply these principles to create their heavy doomsday electronics pulled in from the black bunker a d.i.y space under a multi-story car-park. separated from any scene on the surface, the record was put together by european / canadian duo childle grangier and gabriel ghebrezghi a partnership formed in the heat of heavily improvised recording sessions, where the pair would thrash out their versions of power electronics, industrial waste drops and rhythmic dub rumble to the cities homeless. keeping these raw fnal cuts away from any studio trickery, the microphone would be left on to archive feld recordings and wayward audio drops, capturing the hum and lifeblood of the bunker and the wheezing lungs of the dense concrete that surrounded them. titling this work colony, the album is a open-ended and multi-edged tool for agv to explore, allowing the listener to interpret the work as they see ft, bringing to mind images of corroded space settlements and the darkest recess of human history. you decide.

following the intense sonic exploration of his work with christopher jarman as dot product, adam winchester steps out on his own with a bold new body of work, his first under his own name, that further expands on his ideas about non-conformist sound generation.

darkmatter inc. is an overlay network that can only be accessed with a specific mindset, configuration, or authorization, often using non-standard communications protocols and ports.
hoary is one of the top secret places deliberately hidden by the big g coming to the surface as readable information.

we here at french press lounge are very pleased to share our latest release by florida-born, california based producer and professor neoprene with a debut 12” titled “possibility spaces”.
propelled by pure state aesthetics, spatial theoretics and a fondness of ferns, neoprene (amongst several other musical monikers and permutations) has been crafting and perfecting outer-world electronics since 2011 through their highly slept-upon digital and cassette label ashtar communications. “possibility spaces” is their debut 12”, a collection of cherry picked tracks created in chicago during their barista residency of 2015 - heavy points of dark matter gliding across a delicate, semi-permeable surface of unidentified experience. where others simply trawl the tropes of a rave culture gone by, neoprene bends into the best assets of house, hardcore and breaks and pulls up through a dense fog of floral new age ambience, creating a one-of-a-kind approach to expository techno.

russell haswell returns to diagonal with a new five-track mini-album called respondent. not quite an ep nor long enough for a full album, this record marks a significant shift in direction for haswell, who collaborates with a vocalist, sue tompkins, for the first time in a career defined by its unorthodoxy that now stretches some 27 years.

“remains”, magda ter’s sophomore album, has been created over the past two years changing its shape several times. it is a compromise between static, experimental background music and soothing techno glimpses with some samples of acoustic instruments. as a result, the album has contemplative colours, although hidden beneath the surface of seemingly uninvolved sounds.
due to this fact ter’s music cannot be pigeonholed. one can even say that “remains” leaves the audience with a huge amount of space for their own feelings and interpretations of the individual sequences, while simultaneously dropping some vague cues. thus, we are dealing with one of the most intriguing electronic polish releases in recent years.

this is an exploded drawing, unlocked from time: nhk yx koyxen walks at any speed and on any surface he desires to trance-scend. his “parallel tempo ep” takes a mindful plunge into layers of rigorously murmuring gestures. as speed and size are streched and bent, the planes engage in parallel movement. artist and producer nhk yx koyxen has been unveiling his unique vocabulary through a continuous stream of sound for many years. performing on electronic music’s timeless dna, he offers those who step in a resonating space, in which loose objects are bound to embrace each other.

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.

rumours believes that the only way to harmony is by allowing yourself to be extreme in every way. after listening to megamix for the first time, the origin of the name reveals itself after every track you hear. rumours are hannah vandenbussche and jonas boermans (both active at monami), birds-singer pieter-jan cools and brutus drummer stefanie mannaerts. they joined forces a few years ago to produce something they call sjamaanhop. a self-invented term that best can be defined as an enchanting combination of techno and trip hop. it’s as if the knife and crystal castles suddenly found the ideal pool partners in four tet and nosaj thing. where rumours is known for their dark, fast paced and heartfelt live sets, they show they ve got more to them in their first studio album. influences from every corner creep into the songs, which makes it a quiet unusual, but balanced album. a mishmash of melancholy (every cry for help needs a saving anthem), a certain tint of sadness and that one urgent place in our hearts that we call desire. for the visual aspect of the album, the spanish party island ibiza was an obvious choice for the band. the destination was not only a refuge, it was a place where hope and grief can exist together.
the vinyl lp includes a download code.

having recently appeared on bosconi records and altzmusica, daisuke kondo is a producer on the rise at present. this outing on vibraphone adds fuel to that particular fire with four distinctive cuts that push to the outer edges of house music without losing sight of the groove. -hold on to love- is, on the surface, an upbeat, disco-infused house jam, but there s a certain trippy approach kondo takes in the processing department that edges the music into a different head space. -life- meanwhile gets gritty and bass heavy at one end of the frequency range, and airy and melodic at the other. -feelin blue- gets even dustier and scratchier with its sample treatment, and then -fallen star- lays down some unflinching machine beats with wonky, distant piano licks.

following two sought after, sold out 45s on the label, kevin hendrick’s m i d d e x project releases it’s debut lp for mid-february and right from the off this is no everyday minimal synth project. 10 brutally sharp, icily industrial, analogue synth blasts which tip their hat to those hugely influential days in the late 70s where across the uk, tiny pockets of forward thinking, electronic experimentalists were creating groundbreaking, analogue electronic music, under the radar from almost all, unknowing at the time of course about their impact even to this day. limited edition of 300 numbered copies.

m-twelve is a new collaboration between tortured and electrix label owner, billy nasty and nick dunton of surface records, 65d mavericks fame and more recently, poverty is violence label. taking their name, m-twelve, from the iconic fred perry t-shirt, the pair decided to combine forces based on a love of techno and electro, their strong friendship and many late night conversations in the back rooms of various nightclubs. they started recording together last year and the ‘apocalypse in paradise ep’ is the first signs of their monthly meetings at what’s been dubbed, “dunton abbey studios”. the ep features their two original cuts of beautifully crafted emotional electro, the warm and glittering ‘all the things’ and ‘time spent’ with it’s deep narrative and tough machine groove. in addition, remixes of ‘time spent’ come from sync 24 (scand / cultivated electronics) who delivers an energetically fuelled reworking and electro veterans, transparent sound with a stripped and stomping acidic version. billy and nick have also just started work on remixes for tracks by london modular alliance and mr velcro fastener, so expect to hear more of their m-twelve work over the coming months.

1 pair of slipmats, made out of a smooth but strong material, unique matte surface, far more resistant to dust and other particles, extra thin and provide optimum feel for djs, comes in pairs packaged inside a sleeve

1 pair of slipmats, made out of a smooth but strong material, unique matte surface, far more resistant to dust and other particles, extra thin and provide optimum feel for djs, comes in pairs packaged inside a sleeve

1 pair of slipmats, made out of a smooth but strong material, unique matte surface, far more resistant to dust and other particles, extra thin and provide optimum feel for djs, comes in pairs packaged inside a sleeve

1 pair of slipmats, made out of a smooth but strong material, unique matte surface, far more resistant to dust and other particles, extra thin and provide optimum feel for djs, comes in pairs packaged inside a sleeve

1 pair of slipmats, made out of a smooth but strong material, unique matte surface, far more resistant to dust and other particles, extra thin and provide optimum feel for djs, comes in pairs packaged inside a sleeve

1 pair of slipmats, made out of a smooth but strong material, unique matte surface, far more resistant to dust and other particles, extra thin and provide optimum feel for djs, comes in pairs packaged inside a sleeve

daniel avery returns to phantasy for a 4-track limited edition 12inch vinyl ep, slow fade, featuring the title track and first single from his much-anticipated sophomore lp, upcoming in april via phantasy. a prelude to the lps sonic exploration of the twilight world of a personal, transient life spent between clubs, hotel rooms, airports and home, slow fade captures the expanded foundations of averys sonic palette. arresting club moments linger under the surface, but the focus is on the smudged ambience that underpin averys grasp on rave euphoria. as a re-entry into a broader musical universe, slow fade is immediately compelling, combining neo-acid, feedback loops and pure atmosphere at a patient but restrained pace. meanwhile, after dark alters this aesthetic to its raw, pensive elements, stripping avery’s distinctive drums completely, revealing a meditative, ambient fog. radius announces itself with industrial intent, before unfolding seamlessly into a wistful electronic hymn, the perfect soundtrack to brooding london skies, and eventually evolving into slow-motion motorik. closing the ep, fever dream finds avery at club tempo, but in a somewhat agitated state, on this occasion focusing on a paranoid rhythm that emerges clean from eerie, even paranoid territory. close your eyes, press repeat.

mechanical thoughts ltd is back with the fourth vinyl release. this time the label´s owner alhek organizes a very special various artists, featuring tracks by d. carbone, sirio gry j, paal and alhek itself. mechanical thoughts drive us, as usual, into a dystopic future, in which humans and machines intoxicate each other and the world as well.

january 26th sees dj deep, setaoc mass and akirahawks take control for the first of three drops on parker s own work them records imprint. following months will see two further 12s surface with radio slave, fettburger, italojohnson, rising sun, nic fanciulli and tijana t versions. released on the berlin-based label earlier this year, different shapes and sizes comprised three eps which displayed a variety of parker s house and techno directions. subsequently, cuts from the ep have become summer staples for the likes of ryan elliott, the black madonna, honey soundsystem and midland. on ep01, parisian legend dj deep continues an amazing run of form this year with two subtle but powerful versions of shape fascination while homopatik and buttons resident akirahawks moulds riff shapes into an off-kilter disco creeper. work them records and figure artist setaoc mass closes the ep with a strident interpretation of shape fascination

tracy island announces episode 2 of the 10 piece concept series with the unlimited. this time the musical transmission comes from beach wizards, the secondary alias of the well renowned collective seahawks, offering their interpretation of island mentality. the release opens with the ever growing mood of the diamond sea - 18 minutes of building disco strings and stabs, rolling bongos and percussion, and intermittent ambience with an a side offering a true listening experience. dont you wanna get off. get out the city they called. the b side starts and ends with the lulling sound of midnight waves in a downbeat balearic boogie of rain chimes and head nodding subs. between these tides interjects lucky dips on the b2, with melodies from an aquatic saxophone from below the surface.

deep sound channel delve deeper into the waters of eshu. following releases from arc# and tom liem comes j&l, the team of jocelyn abell and tom liem, with a storm of emotions. brooding, menacing, the tumult of uneven tides introduces. steady thuds support flows of warmth, flows countered by piercing coldness in a track that is as absorbing as it is haunting. a sea of veritable tranquillity descends for lunar tides. soften, staggered basslines are punctuated with crisp skeletal cymbal. new textures come to the surface for the autumnal currents of ocean tides. churning chords reflect night skies, shifting percussion floating amidst the jetsam.

fresh after his storming powerline ep on extrapolation records, lancashire based brandon vare delivers 2 more mighty tracks for jelly roll soul. with the a side, moonlighting he brings some relief from the 2017s darkness. with it’s glistening synth lines and warm chords, it delivers a sense of hope in a time of need. dug out from his archives, the track is now over 5 years old but now its time has come! the flip side yattering is its ugly, dark shadow. its conflicted inner life slowly reveals itself from under a razor sharp bassline, burbling to the surface as it breaks out in a full on panic attack

the world outside resonants metallic. its activity humming calm harmonics. i am in stasis. liquified. receiving alien signals. unseen universes translated into sound. notes bend like light reflected in a curved, hard surface. sine waves as my sinews stretch

... one day he found a great, reddish slab of stone on the side of the road. it shone. could he transfer the very same color onto himself? he searched and found a rough surface which he used to scrub the stone hunk until there was a pile of crimson powder. mixing it with water, he coloured his body with the shinning red. standing there painted, he began to sing. as he sang, the stone slab on which he stood opened and swallowed him up. even today, on passing this stone, they say one can still hear the song of the enchanted. from below the surface of amsterdam s underground, depth over distance will release its first ep of spaced out grooves conjured by eversines. four jams covering the spectrum of deep electronic music ranging from slow building anthems (pyramids) and acid fuelled dubs (transition portal and vultures) to the celestial closing pads of the other side signifying the first stop on this journey.

reverie is the first single from flying horseman’s upcoming new studio album rooms / ruins, due for release january 26. coming from such a multifaceted album – featuring several surprising twists and turns – this is a decidedly minimalist track. but don’t be fooled: beneath reverie’s calm surface lurks a vibrating darkness that might just haunt you in the near future.

eleased by butter sessions and noise in my head who are also known for their offshoot efficient space, sky girl is enriched with artwork from perks and mini mutant misha hollenbach and appropriately elegant sleeve notes courtesy of ivan smagghe. australian import 2lp, released by butter sessions and noise in my head who are also known for their offshoot efficient space (sky girl, etc) - all exclusive tracks! scratching the surface of australia’s independent electronic massive, butter sessions and noise in my head finally compile the second volume of domestic documents. featuring all exclusive tracks, perth godfather ewan jansen joins new wa blood phil stroud and senate, respectively making hectic percussion tracks and hell bent techno, as newcastle transplant roman nails emerges with his squelching one take tape experiments. meanwhile in melbourne, fia fiell’s ambient mind maze and butter sessions alumni booshank target the cerebral cortex, hotrod goes full turbo and live/dj wingmen miris and norachi share the same side of their vinyl debuts (alongside the freakishly underrated colours of infinity aka kloke). kangaroo skull and cale sexton fly the flag for temporal cast, the latter on a calming club collab with sleep d. liner notes from ivan smagghe and artwork from misha hollenbach (perks and mini) features many rarities reissued for the first time ever

following a live debut at berghain and standout shows at de school and institut fuer zukunft, daniel martin-mccormick returns as relaxer with the fourth installment in the projects eponymous ep series. jamie lee takes over the a-side harrowing screams are framed by strobing chords and a deadly groove. simultaneously euphoric, agonizing and cathartic, jamie lee was written as the climax of relaxers live set and is a prime example of the artists uniquely feral techno. drawing equally on punk confrontations and more haunting emotional explorations, jamie lee is a lacerating and visceral descent. on the b-side, unwind oozes from the speakers, a miasmic cut that builds on the white knuckle tension of jamie lee. a lone synth figure worms its way through pulsating 3d drones, shimmering dissonances and hiccuping drums, rocking out into a quasi catatonic infinity. finally regime change gently floats on the surface of a trash-filled sea, a fading, smog choked reverie.

parallel people are proud to announce the release of ppl001, the 12” debut from the collective’s very own winters.
after simmering gently below the surface of the melbourne music scene for just enough minutes now, winters finally comes up for air with “sometimes for you but mostly just because” -- four tracks of elevated jazz/house/soul landscapes, with rhodes, synthesizers, and live percussion illustrating shifts between joy, melancholy, and cautious optimism.

for kontra-musik white label s 10th release we give you none other than nuel. the italian producer is closely connected to the aquaplano label run by donato dozzy a natural source of collaboration as they speak the same language, not least in the musical sense. nuel has perfected this dreamlike and seductive speech and it was irresistible for kontra-musik. on the surface nuel s tracks might seem abstract and mathematical, but there s really an abundance of movement and groove in his music. mechanical yet sensual, there s subtle erotic current running through the whole release: it s like a marvin gaye record for robots that just want to get it on.

ptwiggs brings the surrealist violence for brand spanking sydney imprint deep seeded. taking an erratic hairpin turn after dsr001s off-piste techno, purge comes off like a tragicomic thriller, swerving between saccharine sensitivity and brutal ultra-violence in the blink of an eye. shit is rough in ptwiggs towers, dishing out relentless tyson jabs to the head on day of wrath with holly herndons inverted poltergeist drifting about between the blows, while lara dies seems to execute your favourite video game character a trillion times per second just for laffs. but it s not all blood and guts rendered in vivid hd. coil-axis twinning of demonic and angelic energies course through yyyy and drift below the surface of the more berserk pieces. not for the faint of heart but life s probs beaten the feeling out of you at this point anyway.

1997. drexciya dont have no phone. theyre too busy to do your remix. mad mikes response was short and to the point, enough to put off some, but not vincent koreman. addicted from an early age, the dutch producer dug deeper and deeper into the mythology and mystery of james stinson and gerald donald. the sounds, images and ideas conjured up by the detroit electro duo pulled koreman in, his fascination growing ever more intense as the underwater dwellers sonically prospered. fast forward twenty years and that fascination has not diluted one drop, in fact the aquatic dream of the wavejumpers is the inspiration for recolonization. these tracks would have never had existed, says koreman, if it wasnt for stinson and donald creating that great, energetic, abstract electronic music and coupled it with an original vision on the african diaspora, art and culture. this music is an homage to th e enigma of drexciya, a tribute to the machine marine men who pioneered electro and a vision. drvg cvltvre continues that vision, one of an underwater race that has reconquered earth, overcoming big business, corporate greed and water pollution to reclaim the surface from man. forget mankind. our time is over, recolonization is here.

london based disco outfit faze action team up with celebrated anglo/brazilian artist, nina miranda for proto house crossover. faze action have always managed to take different musical traditions and blend them to create sounds that are somehow familiar whilst simultaneously containing the unexpected. last year s mangwana, featured long time faze action collaborator, zeke manyika, singing in his native zimbabwean shona over faze action s infectious disco production. this time, british/brazilian singer, artist and all round creative force de majeur, nina miranda, takes things further with her invitation to vamos pintar or let s paint, in portuguese. on the surface there is the familiar faze action restyled proto house but it soon becomes apparent that the brothers have appropriated more than just a brazilian vocal. punchy 808 drums and fizzy synths are infused with brazilian caixa and pandaro as if they had always been designed to co-exist. the remixes come from the illustrious max essa, whose british born/tokyo resident background chimes well with the international nature of this latest offering. his slo-mo bubble dub simmers with mediterranean sun that reclines into romantic piano flourishes and dubbed out vocals, whilst the extended dub manages to draw out the original elements at their original tempo. faze action s own paradise 90 dub closes the package by keeping close to the original arrangement with added economy and plenty of dub delay of course.

auf seinem zweiten houndstooth-album take, inspiriert von einer skandinavien-reise, erstellt der londoner produzent guy andrews, bekannt für düstere und brodelnde atmosphären, klangstrukturen und pulsierende rhythmen im spannungsfeld zwischen energie und zurückhaltung, und erkundet so den raum, in dem wir uns bewegen. auf zwei tracks begleitet in die deutsch-türkische singer/songwriterin aus münchen, alev lenz. guy andrews diskografie wesit weitere releases auf hemlock, erased tapes und hotflush auf, zu seinen fans gehören massive attack, bonobo, mary anne hobbs, ulrich schnauss und max cooper.

* the production duo behind the rave-new world sounds of turbo mitzi and big slug (feat. riko dan) have been busy in the studio recently and return to form with 2 killer cuts designed to shock out the dancefloor. * ’control’ picks up the tempo from the duos previous cuts, rolling at 140 beats per minute, in it’s apocalyptic form. powerful pads create the tension before sub-heavy kicks and cybernetic snares come pounding and chopping in, building up the mood before a radioactively charged reese-bassline emerges, rising to the surface, unleashing its terror. this is a stone-cold banger. * strobe light’ returns to the more familiar 128bpm tempo that the pair have previously worked with. taking a quite unique approach, ‘strobe light’ builds evermore, moving into the light, layering percussion up as an intoxicating drone of swirling strings swells and swells - entrancing and empowering in equal measures. this is a highly versatile dj tool that also makes for an engrossing listen from start to finish. refined dancefloor ear candy. dj support: mary ann-hobbs. modeselector, daniel avery.

meraki have entrusted the ultra talented alan castro to bring to the surface their debut release. three original works littered with meandering syths and clever overtones that induce feelings of emotion and are sure to hit hard in the club including a remix from type x on the b side to round off a quality 4-track ep.

ocean parkway, the new sublabel from brooklyn s names you can trust, continues into the deep with a future dance sureshot! prince of queens aka felipe quiroz normally lends his talented musicianship on keys and bass to the live ensembles of combo chimbita and maku soundsystem, but behind the closed doors of his bunker studio a new sector of blissfully solo, machine-made electronic rhythms are steadily bubbling to the surface. call it techno as imagined by a tropicalista, as the vintage analog tones of classic house are twisted by a kaleidoscope of influences both caribbean and chicagoan. from the wavy beachside vibes of the ep s opening number, to the deep, evolving arrangements of the scene over and the end scene, on to the jazz-chord-fueled robotic timbale rhythms of thank you friends, and finally forward to the future-tropical polyrhythmic sequencing of winter islander, it s an impressive range of style and skills on display from this talented and up and coming producer

having remixed depeche mode and dj hell as well as releasing a new fixmer/mccarthy single with douglas mccarthy (of nitzer ebb), 2017 has already proven to be a productive year for terence fixmer. with the new force ep, the berghain resident follows up on 2016 s beneath the skin ep (o-ton 97), offering four stylistically different but congenial techno scenarios for club use. the record s eponymous track on a1 doesn t think twice: the initial signal horn starts as sudden as the staggered kick drum rhythm, reoccurring throughout the cut s 6-minute playtime while sustained and oppressive screams from a synth, extra multifaceted ebm percussion and synth drones add to the overall sombre atmosphere of ôforceö. the musical vibe distinctly changes with ôsidewalkö which puts more focus on synth melodies û like its predecessor a techno cut per se, but with a stronger accent on hypnotic motifs. on b1 ômelting planetsö emphasises the kick: clocking in slightly slower than the other three tracks û at 122 bpm û the bass drum here sounds extra vivid, ever-present and spot-on, just as if terence was playing the drum kit sitting right next to you. with additional percussion and swirling melodies ômelting planetsö is a lulling, mesmerizing meditation in dub techno. ôstriking patternsö on b2 links to the best moments of force ep s a-side, combining bone-dry bass drum hits and distinctive brazen, banging noises, pulsing synths pads and sizzling surface sounds.

warm fiction proudly announces the label s inaugural record from dublinÆs lerosa. across four tracks written in 2004, ranging from hybridized electro to classically-indebted driving techno, lerosa demonstrates not only a diversity of approaches and sounds, but an attention to subtleties and a patience in letting music develop.

making a splash with rs019 is a newcomer called mallard. discovered by bradley after being front and centre for almost every rs dance since 2016, the south london based producer and multi-instrumentalist makes a serious first impression with his debut ep ‘verte’.
currently studying jazz double-bass at trinity school of music, mallard’s productions demonstrate a keen ear for groove with a level of musicality rarely heard in electronic productions. at just 20 years old, he has already developed a unique sound palette and prodigious production style set to make him a name we will only hear more of in the years to come.
this ep, at once varied in tone and tempo is held together by a strong sonic identity and an overarching artistic vision: from the morphing polyrhythmic percussion of ‘surface’ to the shifting, heady pattern of ‘aquitaine’ via the psychedelic breaks of ‘untitled’ we are taken on quite the trip.

the first clouded vision recordings release of 2017 comes from label owner matt walsh teaming up with stratowerx aka sam russo. the ep is completed with a remix from one of matt’s long-term studio partners, scott fraser, who makes a long awaited debut on the label. the three tracks were recorded over the course of 2016, with the two producers sending parts back and forth via email and the result sees a clear middle ground of minimalistic analogue electro and techno. scott’s surface pressure remix turns the first track “no function” into a dark drexciyan electro brooder, rounding off the ep very nicely indeed.

udacha just gets better and better with every release, branching out into ever more exciting shapes and styles beyond their house and techno foundations. on this album from indoor plants, wild fourth world visions collide with hardware processes in a dazzling display of transcendental music for those who like their thought-provoking tunes to pack a punch. the likes of -targitaus- deconstruct club music conventions in a quest for new rhythmic purpose, and yet the soundsystem pressure is expertly sculpted out of the daring shape of the music. elsewhere there s surrealism in abundance, as on the wonderfully weird -hunch-, and that s just scratching the surface of this truly essential lp.

following releases on detroit underground, nachtstrom schallplatten, planet rhythm and blueprint records, gotshell releases his first ep on atrophic society. the colombian aficionado has been making waves across the world for his uncompromising take on the darker side of techno. his new ep ‘quarkcima’ is no different, with a thick slice of bass-heavy machine music made for late night body moving. ‘quarkcima’ follows a bleepy lead with layers of bass, building to a satisfying and tasteful crescendo, which steers clear of the tropes and uses frequencies to their fullest. it invokes a dark and foreboding atmosphere like a creeping black fog. first on remix duty is xhin, who takes the bleepy synth lead and twists it into a heavy-but-funky robotic jam, stark and cold on the surface but with plenty of heat underneath. jeff derringer takes the reins for the second remix, wielding the original parts masterfully into a dense, bassline-driven triplet groove that takes the vibe up a few notches. finally, label head vohkinne adds punch and percussion to his charged and clanging remix, which rounds out a fierce package in style. ‘quarkcima’ is four cuts of essential techno that will never leave your crate.

hot on the heels of his cold outing earlier this month, bristol bewitcher batu makes his debut on hessle and marks their first release of their 10th year of business. timing is everything -marius ripples with an insistent broken drum pattern that s coded with latent funk and dubspace while of court creates even more room between the drums while maintaining the techno pressure. -noseme- flips for a more subaquatic session where the beats adopt a more relentless rolling formation while the groove develops more of a dubby sensation. finally dont brings us back up the surface with a soft beatless thrust. play safely.

musically and emotionally, superpitcher’s third full-length studio album, the golden ravedays is a one sound autobiography that exhibits the skill, feeling and style that the artist has honed over a period of twenty years, musically, and forty-plus-years, emotionally.

and full-length it is:

the golden ravedays is an epic album of 24 tracks that was released in january 2017 and is stretching over 12 respective chapter albums during a one-year period. the sixth piece of the golden ravedays puzzle will be released on hippie dance in june 2017.

number 6 of the series introduces two further tracks of the sound adventure that superpitcher is taking us on this year. side a features protest song. if music is a way of transporting us to other places, protest song takes us to a desolate, scary and loveless environment, a burnt-down, burnt-out place where the flesh of its former inhabitants is smouldering, void of goodwill and kindness in a cloud of toxic and greedy smoke. it’s all kafka and orwell and suffering - the most twisted and eerie track so far in the golden ravedays saga. what is undeniably clear is an acute sense of regret and loss - a warning that it could have been avoided, had we only listened to our hearts and protested. in the same vein on side b we hear powerful resistance. produced after the paris attacks of 2015 superpitcher outdid himself with this strong message of resistance. where protest song paints a picture of under-worldly doom, resistance’s techno beat and insistent refrain sweeps us to the surface of the muck of hatred and intolerance we’ve politically been dumped in. a voice that seems like a trapped animal is calling out to us. what is it trying to say? is it crying out for help? is that animal all of us? resistance represents hope and encouragement and could be the perfect marching track to any demonstration against negative forces. much needed in this age of bigotry where it seems like time has leaped backwards to a darker side of history. as for the dancefloor – resistance is irresistible!

up from down under, following crucial releases on his own body language imprint, lj shifts gears and steers his intricate sound-world — torn between house and ambient, with larry heard s alien lp coursing through — into deeper, more techno-infused waters. watch out for the centre of time, evoking over its twenty minutes both the arctic vapour of vletrmx21-vintage autechre and the expansiveness of vangelis in full flight. next-level stuff from berceuse heroique.

a fistful of wax is an extension for some very special projects of our beloved deep house skylax records sub – label wax classic. a fistful of wax is back with its fourth volume! this offshoot originally began as an avenue for showing off some of the overflowing great talent we have floating about the wax classic sub-label, but with the growing reception of our previous three releases, it has developed itself into its own uniquely successful imprint. in a time when a lot of the hot records of the moment are made by highly distinguished producers with years of success under their belts, it is easy to forget how much good house music can come out of the underground by relatively fresh names. with afx4, we are only scratching the surface once again, yet we have 5 special tracks from a group of producers who, if not already, will stay on your radar for the foreseeable future.the a side features tracks from erman & abtomat (of série limitée records fame) and kid mark (head honcho of killax recordings). we start off deep with the aptly named how deep can you go , easily the most soothing of the bunch. fantasy 95 takes it up a notch for those who wish to, with classic 90s chords and accompanying bass and horns. over on the flip side, we hear won t get to heaven by californian newcomer, an expresso. being a self confessed new jersey style house addict, this hits in all the right places for those familiar with the sounds of nj legend george lockett jr, aka jerzzey boy. shin continues things with phara , a percussive stormer with one of the hardest hitting leads you will hear for a good while. this one is a sure fire hit! last, but by no means least is rosenhaft s voyager . fans of early uk garage, perk up your ears because this could have easily been a tune you would have heard on your favourite pirate radio station back in 97. if you are still on the fence about the record at this point, you are in the wrong place. this record has it all for lovers of the 90s house sound! whether you are of the deeper persuasion or the more garagey persuasion, the us or the uk side of things, there is something here for almost everyone on a fistful of wax 4.