whilst on a balinese surf safari searching for a secret spot where pink dolphins populate the line-up, the hands would be my guide. i’d been warned he had recently been busted trying to purchase human flesh on the black market. bombing through the jungle, the hands hit play and the truck was bathed in gothic berlin toilet techno. holy shit, said i,what is this? the hands said, the hands. but what else was i to expect from an austrian/balinese techno cannibal? —dj harvey

hot on the heels of skarn division s successful launch in december of 2016 and its inaugural, well-received four-tracker skarn which featured an original track and 3 remixes from positive centre, plukkk and yuuki sakai, italy-based label founder and author of the original work federico amoroso has made an indisputably wise decision and commissioned 5 more remixes to be produced by the stellar representatives of high quality techno discipline. needless to say, when you bring together the heavy-hitting and well-established takaaki itoh, stingrays, lucindo and paul birken who have it for a principle to bar no holds when it comes to production, you can expect a rather strong output, but even dj surgeles, who is normally known for contemplative, leisurely-paced deep space vibes has turned quite mean and put forth a kind of stomper that has the potential to wreck some serious havoc on the dancefloor full of action-ready technoheads.

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.

nadia struiwigh is an electronic music dj & producer from rotterdam, netherlands. sitting somewhere between biosphere and boards of canada, struiwigh s refined downtempo electronica takes you on a journey full of synthesized soundscapes that flirt with ambient techno. awash with melody and warm electronics, lenticular is an expertly crafted piece from an artist who has found her sound and is now effortlessly outputting inspiring compositions. reminiscent of warps artificial intelligence series, this is electronic listening music for quiet nights and club drowsy dawns. both tracks are taken from her forthcoming album of the same name.

dusky present the latest 17 steps release with the cold heart ep, a four track package that cements their ability to craft a unique range of house and techno soundscapes. having spent last year releasing their outer lp, as well as delivering their second acclaimed essential mix and touring a new live show, the cold heart ep sees the prolific duo return to their roots in textured house and techno with four powerful dj tools. with a nod to vintage new york house through a carefully sourced vocal sample, lead track cold heart is a blissed out, atmospheric house epic that blends crisp percussion, soulful hooks, washing pads and a hypnotic lead organ melody. a favourite from the duos recent dj sets, psychic life coach shuffles with dubby grooves, skippy drums and ethereal vocal cut-ups, before bowed offers a high energy dose of cosmic disco and ravey techno flavours, rounding things off, closing track balfour betty is built around warm, swirling synth textures that meet at the intersection of detroit techno and vintage progressive trance.

with releases from lerosa, andy mac and piezo already under our belts, idle hands strides towards the summer with a transmission from a kindred spirit across the pond. area, sometimes known as m50, has been flying the flag for forward thinking electronic music in chicago for a long time. his radio shows on wnur have a distinctive quality one step to the side of the music his hometown is best known for, while his label kimochi sound has released incredible music from the likes of benjamin brunn, strategy and many more besides. as a producer area has been equally prolific since first emerging in 2007. from ethereal sound and steadfast to untilmyheartstops and sequencias, his various approaches to rhythm and texture are all bound together by a meditative quality that feels like a perfect fit for idle. on this single, both sides of the 12- continue the theme of dusty, dusky 4/4 area is most widely known for, locking on to a house groove while sporting the abstract atmosphere of techno. -rlgl- is an understated, emotional heater that uses looped up fragments as a counterpoint to the more lilting strings and static that bed the track. notice takes a more overtly melancholic approach with its lingering, heavily processed keys that drift in between a tough set of drums. theres a punch to the track that will translate beautifully to a big system, even as the melodics spell out a more intimate listening experience.

a rare collaborative statement of laurine frost and g76 on tablon s ten inches series. swinging jazz, funk and adventurous techno utopia in a gentle conversation of sounds. a unique soundscape that stands far way from the actual trends. obvious trademarks of frost s unusual drums and wacky structures give birth to two peerless compositions with florin gojnea s floating micro-house visions. sweet cake for silent rebel

154 s cult 2004 album strike is being re-issued on the producer s own nwaq/ape label on heavyweight 180g vinyl. mixing up ambient, techno and abstract designs into deep, sci-fi influenced soundtracks, it still sounds as fresh and unique today as it did back then, and remains an expensive and in demand record on discogs as well as an important album that has influenced many producers since.

intergalactic, retro-futurist broken beat-ish track by legendary drum&bass producer seba teaming up with o persson under the east bound moniker. daniel savio follows with a laid-back spacey synth journey, spiced with a 70ies sci-fi flavor, yet with a modern approach. the b-side meanwhile takes off with a dark, yet progressive techno groover by young talent bonaca, ending with daniel araya s analogue-rich bomb, with a body-music type of vibe. operating under the radar, but romb records have so far been pushing an immensely diverse, yet cohesive soundscape of quality underground electronic music. the thirteenth release is no different, neatly summing up the label s genre-defying philosophy, presenting a four track collage of electronic mastery. that s how you do it!

the idea of purity is always recurring when talking about techno. although purism has long been relegated to a mere excuse for fear, when understood not as vindication of a certain dogma, but as a way of approaching creative expression, purity is, as a matter of a fact, inseparable from the genre. after all, techno is something like the pursuit of transcendence - either visceral, cerebral or spiritual - through the strictly necessary means only. the search of the truest forms by just outlining them. all of this brings us to the story of uniformity , orbe s first release for hivern. the 12 comes wrapped in a screen printed sleeve with design by arnau pi.

dark entries present -a tape-, a double lpof early work by helena hauff, a dj and record producer based in hamburg, germany. at university she studied fine art, physics, and systematic music science. she previously was a resident at hamburg s golden pudel club, where she hosted a night called birds and other instruments. as a selector she weaves energetically between electro, new wave, and ebm. her music, often recorded live in one take, has a raw intensity to it. she debuted with an ep on werkdiscs back in 2013 followed by records for lux_rec and bunker sublabel panzerkreuz as well as two collaborative eps for pan, produced under the name black sites with fellow pudel resident f#x. ‘a tape’ is a compilation of helena’s earliest recordings from 2011 and 2014, originally released on limited cassette by handmade birds in 2015. clocking in at over 50 minutes, this collection spans hauff’s musical universe, from jacking acid-techno to krautish zone-outs and scuzzy feedback interludes. it’s tempting to consider it helena’s debut album, but she views these tracks as mostly forgotten sketches left on the cutting room floor. it a gripping collection of deep, sinister analog synth sequences, industrial dissonance, and heavy percussion. her equipment set up was a roland alpha juno 2, juno 60, tb-303, tr-707 and tr-808. both of the discs end with hauff stepping outside of the intentionally stiff, robotic rhythms, instead showing her skill at crafting less conventional electronic sounds. all songs have been mastered by james plotkin with vinyl eq and lacquer cut by george horn at fantasy studios in berkeley. the record is housed in a custom made jacket designed by eloise leigh, featuring a checkered graphic and black lines, highlighted by yellow and green for maximum visual tension. each copy includes a double-sided postcard with notes.

detroit s burden bros have long been looked upon with immense respect within contemporary dance music. having been in operation since 1990 with their 430 west imprint they have long encapsulated the forward thinking vibe of detroit techno with their output over the last 20+ years, gaining praise from their motor city peers as well as fans worldwide. having had success in the mainstream and an enduring underground presence they are well versed in the art of music. point blank , released on 430 west in 1996, feature some of the brothers deeper, more subdued, futuristic technoid grooves. not as driving as some of their other releases but retaining that burden groove for sure, forward thinking, intelligent techno from the d, 100%. 4 different versions of 2 tracks feature. each mix tweaking ever so slightly what came before. as usual, the dj s and the dancers are foremost in octave one s mind and this ep will be welcomed by both contingents, always classic, often imitated but never bettered! re-mastered, re-pressed and re-released in conjunction with the burden brothers / 430 west records, detroit usa.

this double-pack cymbolic originally came out in 1995 and found favour with electronic music fans who sought a deeper edge in their music. it s all here, the trademark drum programming, the epic sense that all of the burden bros productions have within them. this is dancefloor music, music for dj s to utilise, tools, but tools with the deepest soul imaginable. listen to terraforming or the symbiont - perfect examples of driving, almost tribal-esque rhythms fused with strings, synth pads and human feeling. cymbolic is for you if you re a fan of detroit techno, but it s also for those who enjoy the deepest electronic sounds. that s not to say it isn t funky though, these tracks will decimate most dance-floors, and therein lies the secret. essential

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!

repress 2017 , a sagittariun arrived in late 2011, fully formed, and with a strong agenda to release musical dispatches from the front line of the constellation. he has indulged in astrological techno, spiritual house music, bass heavy dub rhythms and ambient paths. this his first ep for secretsundaze supplying three original tracks in his trademark style.

munich based producer sven christ releases the sea ep, a jubilant record melding the most groove-laden strands of detroit techno and house. the four tracks for varying dancefloor moments. and combines the warm moving feel of christ s most soulful techno grooves and the diverse innovative production techniques.

4th release from the underground-music-xperience, great techno release

hailing from the first wave of american west coast electrofunk that brought us classic from the likes of the egyptian lover and dr. dre, cli-n-tel—a member of the legendary world class wreckin cru—released the song -2030- on unknown dj s label, techno hop, in 1986. more than 30 years later, it has become an essential of the genre and is now celebrated with this overdue rerelease.

fresh from the success of their ‘past / present / future’ release, we march on, with berlin-based italian christopher ledger the man responsible for their label’s 41st release. the ‘percezione and retrospettiva’ ep sees ledger in flying form, as he props up with two dexterous, thoughtfully executed records that speak volume of his ability to craft atmospheric sounds. opening up the release is the sounds of ‘retrospettiva 2’, a future leaning techno jam that again wonderfully fits the brouqade aesthetic. clearly indebted to sci-fi spheres, this one is very much cut from a detroit cloth, with a steely finesse that lurks from the get go. a track that brings the listener on an endless journey, it comes some deep harmonic vibes. all things told, this is an ep of various contrasting sounds, ledger’s debut for brouqade is a stunning example of what can happen when producers think outside the box. the b side consists of ‘percezione attiva’. harmonic, blissful tones abound throughout, made all the more meaningful by a slew of gentle, melancholic piano chords that really pull on the heartstrings. a light and hazy experimental piece, the track forces parallels with other masters of suspense. culminating with a more traditional 4/4 vibe, this unusual turn only enhances the producer’s standing as a man willing to take risks.

astray is the sublabel of away, berlin. away, berlin’s party series and the eponymous vinyl label celebrate the launch of its sublabel astray with the road force ep by discrete circuit. while away with previous contributions from joe claussell, mr. ties, and move d leans more to the housier side of things, astray will take a different path by taking some darker, techno-centered steps. following the idea only to release productions by both label founders, discrete circuit and h4l, as well as unique collaborations which either of them will form with outside artists, astrays second ep will premiere the joint studio work of discrete circuit and dj/producer blind observatory.

ltd 2017 repress ... after a 10 year hiatus, steve o sullivans mosaic label returns under a new guise: mosaic split series. this series will be split between old school artists from mosaic and beyond and artists from the new school. this first release sees mosaic legend jorge zamacona don his urban sombrero for the latest installment in his mosaic efforts series. a deep, trippy, dirty house workout in jorges unique style. in keeping with the whole ethos of this project we have newcomer ben buitendijks offering , > promised land<, on the flip. an ultra-deep dub house/techno track that echoes the mosaic sound of old with a modern twist. melodic and atmospheric, this one deserves to be played from beginning to end.

german techno champ alex cortex hasnt released an album since 2011 s kihon on pomelo, but the prolific and long-serving artist is rarely resting on his laurels. having released just one other ep from lowtec, blundar now presents a new untitled lp from cortex that should satisfy fans of his leftfield approach to techno in all its forms. track 2 is a masterclass in how to work breakbeats into techno without sounding forced or false, while track 4 blooms from delicate ambience to snagging broken beat with the grace you can only find with such a seasoned vet. spanning many moods, tempos and rhythms, this is a perfect demonstration of the many engrossing approaches cortex can attempt and succeed at within the many-sided realm of techno

excellent techno tunes, written & produced by aleksandar grum

uncompromising set of ever forward marching techno bangers - not more, no less.

brokntoys techno series eidetic continues with crystal maze. gijs poortman & marco spaventi form crystal maze, a sporadic project when they both get the time away from their busy solo projects. the project has previously graced the labels of bio rhythm, echovolt & adepth audio. here they present 4 tracks cutting between rolling techno, deep jacking grooves and beatless excursions.

dreamsarenotinside next 12” comes from italy’s alex tea and vivi, with monster 14 min long interpretation from argentina’s franco cinelli. dark dubby techno at its finest. 300 press vinyl only.

the dutch zodiak commune records proudly presents the white cyclus collection. white cyclus is a collection of six releases with underground acid and dark techno tracks from different producers. white cyclus i is released in 2012. after 5 years of silence we are releasing white cyclus ii in june 2017. and white cyclus iii will released in oktober 2017! the silence is broken.

this is the fifth release on eye teeth, the techno sublabel of interdimensional transmissions, by it compatriot alstadt echo. alstadt echo effortlessly blends the avant garde with industrial techno influences into his own deeply austere sound, with grainy textures contrasting perfectly against his broken beat structures. the influences are clear, he has even been honored by one - with multiple tunes included on regis the boys are here mix tape. alstadt echo also runs his own detroit imprint known as modern cathedrals, an ode to the concept of cathedrals of sound, the place where this music belongs.

the 12th installment in the falling ethics series is an adventurous piece of work. tensal and p.e.a.r.l. team up on this split ep to showcase their production styles which are mainly built around crafty drum loops and buoyant synth experiments.
tensal takes care of the a-side where he takes care of one flaming techno cut for the dancefloor which is followed up by two adventurous pieces of electronica.
p.e.a.r.l. also took care of three cuts on the b-side. the opening track “joy of rapture” is a straight forward demonstration of machine heavy techno. “fall before you” is a deep and soul wrenching cut that showcases p.e.a.r.l.’s more delicate side. “red flame” is a piece of horror reminiscent ambient.

conrad van orton debuts on attic music for the 15th installment of label. “hypersomnia” is a collection of haunting techno tracks that sit on the darker side of the genre’s spectrum without loosing it’s dance floor appeal.
the 4 track spanning record opens up with the title track “hypersomnia” though techno sounds that revolve around a train-like whistle that repeats throughout the track’s poignantbuild. “green eyes” is an intrusive piece of work that closes down the a-side with it’s intense synth works. on the b side we find “iteration”. this growling piece of music has an almost live sounding quality to it. “ending point” is the toughest piece of work of the record which revolves around a fierce bass sound and a potent drum work.

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.

2017 repress on black vinyl incoming!
techno stars collide as truncate and slam come together for the latest gynoid release “drum trax”. side a sees truncate return on the label with 2 original pieces in model 2 and the title track, “drum trax”. both dipped in that truncate signature floor driven minimalist funk and backed with tough percussion for drive. these are surefire dj faves waiting to happen. the flip side sees slam remix “model 2”, not once but twice. the slam remix charts darker and brooding territory, taking you deep into the rabbit hole. then the tenebris dub remix still maintains that mood, but shifts through the energy gears to develop into a dance floor bomb.

the next release on man power’s me me me features two emotive leftfield house cuts from dsc, the newly minted production alias of desert sound colony, aka liam wachs, the man behind the newly launched holding hands record label. wake up, is a sweetly melodic track of pulsing house, with coming round providing a pumping and muscular leftfield techno counterpoint. on remix duties man power invites north east upstart elliot adamson to remix wake up, before his full length ep coming up next on the label. hotly tipped by everyone from jackmaster to jamie jones, elliot is a superstar in the making, and relishes the opportunity to flex his more esoteric muscles with a slice of deconstructed electro that hints at the startling musical breadth, which the young producer is only beginning to reveal. coming round is remixed by none other the legendary rex the dog, who is not only an artist who man power has huge admiration for, but also someone he is pleased to call a good friend. the trust between the two artists shines through, as “rex” provides possibly one of the most unfettered dancefloor tracks of his career.

thomas schumacher is finally back on noir music with another outstanding 2-tracker. over the years me and thomas have become great friends as we click on so many levels and share the same taste in dark, melancholic and emotional music. i have been a big fan of thomas’ music for many years and i am still a great supporter of his productions today so obviously i am honored to release his music on my label again. on these 2 tracks thomas has recorded 2 authentic and raw tracks with a no holding back, zero bulls*** attitude. you can hear the “no formular” approach on both and i love that. we had an honest and creative back and forth a&r process on both tracks before and after testing them in the clubs and this has given both a unique and fresh techno sound. this is thomas schumacher’s natural rhythm.

this is the first release of rise music by the south african born floyd lavine. he invited pablo fierro and david mayer to contribute their remixes. rise music is a platform to showcase and define new african house music. if you want to go fast, travel alone. if you want to go far, travel together. that’s the spirit of rise. it is building musical bridges between africa and the rest of the world. rise is about unity in diversity.

straight outta houston texas, za’s sound is a cauldron of edgy, raw, scourged techno & electro. the hague sound if it was relocated to an intergalactic space station. a human relocation experiment turned dystopian isolated resistance faction.

after years of releasesing tapes and collaborating with artists from seattle and beyond, budget cuts is proud to announce the launch of our vinyl series. decoy’s lake city way ep is a celebration of seattle and life. the material on the ep features four original tracks of vibrant techno, which range from the melodic “glide synth” to the intensely polyrhymic “heavy track”.

hydergine is back on knotweed. he delivers his immediately recognisable style of dub techno, just a bit harder and faster than his usual self. the tracks are full of dreamy textures, ethereal synths, intricate drum-programming and bird-like sounds. this record oozes positive vibrations and will for sure make you fly during the summer!

in your face techno, there is no way of hiding no filters used just raw pure stompy techno!

after 100hz bosconi is proud to announce another hero from the undergorund uk techno scene joining the family: having previously released on such labels as down low, headspace, 7th sign and his own iridite label, rei loci from glasgow makes his debut on our the florentine imprint with a massive four tracker ep called -holding pattern-.the record starts with deep driving transportation of the detroitish techno and hard-to-find dancefloor weapon -deep blue-, previously released on iridite, here on it s original -unedited- version, followed by the jacked out swing and soulful vibe of the more atmospheric a2 track -horizons-. flipside instead consists in the subliminal acidic pump and sensual mood of -serchin- as b1, while last cut is taken by the ethereal, psychedelic, afterhour jam named -mal-. oldskool, good school

looking back to the beatnik era on the south coast of england.
before package holidays and the rush to benidorm, beatniks ruled the seafronts and b&b’s of the southern beach resorts. beat poets and musicians pedalled alternative viewpoints & delivered fresh melodies to these waterfronts of escapism.
marking another step forward in his sonic evolution, appleblim inaugurates beatnik boulevard with a record that channels his roots in brooding bassweight club music into startling modern compositions. from his groundbreaking work on skull disco to various mutations of house, techno and electro explored via solo and collaborative releases for r&s, aus music and tempa , this 12” finds the berlin-based producer wielding fresh approaches to synthesis in a daring framework that finds physicality in music away from obvious rhythmic tropes.

working with technical limitations, metro skim masters the art of omission showing that what can be left out is just as important as what is included. momentum is achieved with ticking 909 hi-hats and grumbling basslines before being thrown into whole tracks of beat-less techno sequences.

2017 repress! lumiereslanuit (alias lln) is a london-based french label dedicated to creating minimal-techno music and well-crafted products for djs, music producers and casual listeners. at lumiereslanuit we think there are a multitude of approaches to express yourself through electronic music and infinite ways to translate them emotionally, visually, and physically. we strongly believe in the interdependence of arts and that the combination of music and design can lead to new frontiers. >a music label is more than a piece of vinyl, it is an endless exploration that can come from anywhere, anyone,< said edouard and achille.

ltd 70% deal !! after the well received ep s by label owner patrik skoog and craig mcwhinney sample & hold presents 4 tracks from 3 artists on this va ep. rotterdam s radial occupies the full a side on here, one track being a utterly monstrous machine of rhythm, another showing quite a contemplative side to his music making. the flipside goes into an entirely different realm with skoogs slip where we find combined sessions of distorted, roughly drawn out sound sketches beneath continuous streams of paranoid sequences, flowing overhead. the brand new collaboration duo chain marks here their first release under this name with their contribution to the ep and deliver an instantly recognizable, and somehow nostalgic techno sound with their single take improvised track sunstorm.

lemme records is an electronic label that combines exploration of new sounds,cinematic landscapes with abstract and mental techno music. for the 1st lemme release we introduce the french duo charlotte isabelle. hopis is a glance at the various personalities embodied in the duo, the whole being wrapped in an ethnic universe. the guideline of their second ep is to expose repetitive and percussive beats from the stage to the public, bringing the audience in a gloomy world, and keeping on their path after their first release on lucy’s label stroboscopic artefacts.

nice price deal !!! two ultraphat groovy techno / techhouse infected killer tunes !! straight to the floor

nice price deal !!! croon inc. presents his debut release stadtrauschen on resopal. both tracks from the ep are concisely crafted peaktime tracks. full of croon inc s trademark: hypnotic - reduced - deep - modern techno. this definitely is excessive and maximal berlin sound 2010. croon s sheer precision and power will leave dancefloors breathless. with a duration of more than 17 minutes, it is not the longest release ever released by resopal so far, but it is after paul ritch the one with the strongest narrative techno concept beyond the usual tales of the dancefloor. croon inc has worked with labels such as force inc as well as remixing minus and sender duo misc and portugese duo re:axis. this release has been getting amazing feedback from djs including loco dice, laurent garnier, luciano and dj t.

nice price deal !!! ultraphat groovin mini-techno !! specialy for the peak moments.. charted by dave tarrida, jeff milligan, pablo rez

flottant releases cuts right through the misconception that floating and dancing fall at two opposite ends of the same spectrum. from a1, a minimal house cut full of an energetic tension that inevitably resolves into a sentiment of hopeful nostalgia, to a b side which floats far nearer its pulse, with b1 offering a clear feeling of resolution whilst still immersed in spacey elements that groove in a timeless rhythm, and b2 being punctuated by a more techno-driven groove that still flows amidst the floating atmosphere of the entire record, finding closure in a place of unapologetic happiness.