* no order* is a&#8203,,,,,, * deeply emotional and darkly &#8203,,,,,,atmospheric track*. billboard only three releases in and kidnap kids birds that fly is proving to be one of the most prominent uk labels with knockout releases so far coming from kidnap kid himself and bristolian applebottom. keeping the standard sky high, this next offering comes as an epic double hitter from us native amtrac. caleb cornett aka amtrac has been pushing his creative limits as a producer, dj, musician and vocalist since 2008. through this release he skillfully creates feelings of elation and euphoria sharply contrasted with a moody and melancholic ambience. he explains how ‘no order’ is like a movie score for the club, diving deeper with it’s dark atmosphere. big ups to kidnap kid. i love the direction he’s taking with the label musically and aesthetically.” raised in kentucky but now based in la, multi-talented artist &#8203,,,,,,amtrac can electrify an audience with his moving live performance and his driving, funk-filled dj sets. he recently released ‘those days’ featuring vocals from stevie wonder & marvin gaye on legendary uk label toolroom records followed by the &#8203,,,,,,‘lost in motion’ ep, which really gave a snapshot of where he is at musically. never content to settle, amtrac’s musical mood and influences change with each passing season. his ambition and curiosity keep him locked on the edge, always happy to experiment with new techniques and sounds.

man of war is a significant sonic progression for the band. opening track gaia sets the tone for the release perfectly. heavy, brooding bass and glitchy, synth stabs create an imposing sonic backdrop for tom’s menacing vocal to hang on. lead and title track man of war is driven by its propulsive beats and more washes of bass and eerie electronic touches. fall crocus finds the band in contemplative mood. a heavy, regretful air hangs over the track and brings to mind the work of international superstar and mercury prize winner james blake, who the band has toured with, as well as mount kimbie and ghostpoet previously. final original cut cosmos pink is perhaps the album’s most touching effort. cloud boat have always been a band capable of inducing sincere emotion and this release is no different, taking the listener on a powerful, cathartic journey through life’s big issues. remix wise, the release features offerings from phaeleh and la – 4a. each act brings its own distinguishable flavour to man of war. phaeleh’s version features his trademark, cinematic, take on house electronics and is a typically atmospheric effort, while la – 4a takes cloud boat in a modern techno direction.

with jungle, grime (forthcoming), 90s rnb (forthcoming) and even red snapper’s ‘96 classic prince blimey all getting the skrs redux recently, runcometest ep is a time-capsule. 8-bit basslines echo from distant battles with space invaders while sure-footed dub samples glare at sound system history through vaseline smeared lenses. returning to more grounded dubwise sensibilities (by their standards), runcometest builds a bridge between the collective’s 2014 nocorner cassette (rootprinciple) and the recently re-surfaced sci-fi/western clash dancehallshowdown (self-released on ics library recordings last year).

its not always about super rares, we got to cover those lp tracks as well. how this never made it onto a 45 ill never know. michael henderson s brilliant let love enter has always been an underground classic and is about to get a fire lit under it once again, simply the finest brazilian influenced soul jazz fusion. michael s bass playing, vocals and production are all over modern american black music, having played for miles davis. norman connors, marvin gaye, stevie wonder to name just a few, his influence is huge right through the industry as well being a million selling artist himself. you can still here his bass sampled in many a hip-hop track to this day.

for its 4th release, the other planet presents karl lumont & ray kandinski. pioneers of the modern world with a touch of lo-fi and dance.
on the a, karl lumont is an explorer. this ep is inspired by nature and is the result of his wanderings at dusk. from cloudy mountains to sunny paradises, his path is built on curiosities.
for the b, escape your endless scrolling of the internet to embrace life through dance music and jazzy vibes. explore your city with full speed with this side by ray kandinski.

this october will see canada’s mathew jonson join forces with visionquest co-founder ryan crosson for a two track ep in the shape of ‘robots of dawn’.
canada’s mathew jonson has quite the impressive career under his belt having co-founded the revered wagon repair label and heading up itiswhatitis recordings as well as performing under his own name and various guises such as cobblestone jazz, the modern deep left quarted, and his new project units & measurements alongside hreno and the mole. here we see the synth aficionado joining forces with visionquest’s very own ryan crosson, who’s carved out an equally impressive career to date and will soon drop his second long player alongside cesar merveille focused on intricately musicality and an intriguing approach to electronic music via the visionquest imprint.
as you’d expect from such a pairing this collaboration packs a bunch, opening with ‘tempelhof’ named after the now defunct airport in berlin and laid out over thirteen minutes of gradually unfolding and retracting acid swells, resonant synth whirrs, mind bending arpeggios and dynamic, baroquely evolving rhythms.
title track ‘robots of dawn’, featuring added help from cesar merveille and new upstart artist isis, captures an old school electro feel via an 808 drum workout, vocoded vocal murmurs and funk-infused wandering bass lines whilst modulating synths spiral through the depths of the composition.

the reality is a relative concept, and our life is made up of fantasy and illusion. our music is the key of our thoughts, and our sound can help us to discover it. nothing is real express our vision in a period where information is false and manipulated most of the time. alberto iovine and alessandro fumagalli aka modular project announce the launch of their new label, in partnership with rebirth records. born and raised between como and milan, alberto and alessandro quickly shared their love for electronic music and the great passion for vintage synths and drum machines. they started to produce together in 2012 and released on labels like off, moodmusic and perpetualis music before joining rebirth in 2017 with their remix of the blond:ish classic wizard of love. the label s third release is a special ep from modular project. alphaville is an hypnotic journey through shades of indie electronica, new wave and their signature sounds, while another glimpse is a beautiful emotional slow workout. the package comes with two strong remixes from nuno dos santos and fairmont. amsterdam dj and producer nuno dos santos reworked alphaville adding a darker and trippy touch, while jake fairley aka fairmont, key force in the canadian electronic music scene, gave another glimpse a beautiful deeper and atmospheric appeal. a strong third release for nothing is real.

having spent seven years in his adopted home of london steadily crafting a hazy, ambiguous identity that fuses ambient onto drone and techno, tom hang (aka lobster theremin boss jimmy asquith) finally steps up to the plate with “to be held in a non position” - a melded one-take lp that explores extended themes of isolation, loneliness, personal loss, disconnection and reconnection with reality and (self)-identity.
through his long-lost label tidy bedroom - on which “to be held in a non position” will be released - tom hang engages in a more introspective path, exploring sonic territories that find an echo with dislocated past experiences, pushing physical and psychic boundaries to get at the crux of intimacy.

clinically excellent by salik from going good records brixton with a superiourly consistent, bass heavy, strict & steady (dub) stepper molding deep, dark & atmospheric strings pending between dub step and the sounds of d&b. backed by dj sotofett s off-kilter & de-syncronized excursion surging through acidic & 3d sonic landscapes.

r&s proudly presents brand new signing felix manuel aka djrum. djrum is a perennially acclaimed underground artist, since his first release in 2010 whos quietly built a list of fans that reads like a whos who of contemporary dance music. as an artist, djrum has formed a reputation for his unique fusion of a range of genres ranging from jazz, hip hop and dubstep to ambient and techno. his music swells with oceanic bass laded beats, cavernous atmospherics and deeply emotive melodies. an accomplished dj his compositional approach feels like a natural collage of his influences which has seen him release for the likes of the zenker brothers ilian tape imprint as well as the influential 2nd drop label, plus remixes for ninja tune and domino. felix now steps up to the plate at r&s with one of his most visionary releases to date. deeply meditative melodies twist and turn through stuttering rhythms and pulsing low bass, hypnotic pads and woozy atmospherics. manuels music somehow manages to retains the urgency and dynamic pressure of the dance floor with the intimacy and elegant detailing of the best headphone music. a natural fit for r&s, there is a full length djrum album in the pipeline in 2018 - looks like its going to be an exciting year ahead.

another top notch bokhari outing! stephen is a scotsman but sounds like he is from detroit - he was also on bk013 where he shared an ep with hiver and provided us with the excellent theme from sapl.this time he s on his own. early 90s uk electronica and of course, the inescapable detroit blueprint run deep through this one, the unmistakably chewy, tangible heft of analogue sonics married perfectly with emotive melodies. a welcome whiff of azymuth era kenny larkin clings to the whole ep, while cologne collective noorden regular ikpathua lays out a spacious and deeply atmospheric rendition too...

more classic, ghetto chi-town business from the dm vaults here - 2-bit project s (aka larry thompson of lnr fame!) bump that pussy ep is another hot, collectible entry into the dm catalogue. this special, enhanced 2017 repress version features all the og cuts (except 1 short skit) and boasts 2, yes 2!, exclusive extended edits from uk man of mystery and all round house digger extraordinaire jonny rock. if you know jr s steez then you know he knows exactly what is up with the underground. he s neatly extended the 2-bit originals (which were originally very short tracks!) and teased the funk outta the right crevices for all us lucky folks. if you like that raw, rugged, chicago, minimal fonk that dance mania are known for, you ll love this one. a killer, solid and in-demand ep. one for the headz. massive record, pure power all the way through and an essential weapon for the record bag! fully, legit reissue done with the permission and assistance of dance mania records and mr. parris mitchell, chicago usa.

the last essential outing of 2017 for the play it say it label is from legendary dj and producer harry romero. globally acclaimed and recognised star harry romero has been a driving force in the scene since the 90s. he’s released on such seminal labels as sex mania, power music and strictly rhythm, but also contemporary imprints like ovum and defected. never far from the dance charts and an inductee into pete tong s hall of fame, harry’s own bambossa records is another fine chapter in his definitive story. here he shows off his current sound across three fresh tracks. opening up the ep is the arresting ‘mother earth,’ a percussive and tribal number with pinging kicks and loose hits all encouraging you to cut shapes. bright synths rise up through the mix to bring some tension and drama and crowds are certain to react with hands in the air. the masterfully mangled ‘lesson on swing’ is a vibrant brew of skewed synths and surging bass, vocal yelps and wonky chords that will freak out any floor. it’s another robust and full fat tune from the studio of harry romero. last of all is ‘scatter’, a high-pressure tune with characteristically big drums and fat bass all overlaid with vocal effects that build the intensity. hooky little synth motifs and metallic percussion all add to the steaminess and ensure this a huge anthem in the making. this is a top trio of tunes that are imbued with all the knowledge and know how of a real house legend

man power returned to his northern home for one last waltz. this is their joint offering for the esp institute. on side a, man power welcomes us with tistish, stepping slightly out of his comfort zone and employing a boxy breakbeat to create a dose movement. this contrasts his signature fatty bassline and together they establish a ground on which to stack layers of atonal square and sawtooth waves. about halfway through he introduces a massively seductive string lead and for the remainder of the ride this palette of sounds coalesce in dark orchestral beauty. on side b, man power’s cohorts last waltz deliver nee shitteru, a true stomper of a track complete with in-your-face toms and off-time percussion patterns, an intense driving acid line, and aggressive shamanic chanting. throw in some crash cymbals, sci-fi sound effects and a smattering of gamelan and it amounts to an overwhelmingly chaotic and psychedelic trip. these two songs will have you speaking in tongues.

you go through your collection
and discover a gem you forgot about
you hear a track that transports you back
to a moment in time
you stumble across a track
you didn’t know you loved

the dub i lost is a compilation mixed and compiled by zepher in saint, founder of tribe records. and from it come 2 separate vinyl releases tribev10 and tribev11 that see house music royalty join tribe mainstays to create house music dubs, drenched in soul and rich in organic instrumentation.
tribev10 features tracks by teddy douglas, timmy regisford & arnold jarvis remixed by the legendary ron trent and danny krivit.

you go through your collection
and discover a gem you forgot about
you hear a track that transports you back
to a moment in time
you stumble across a track
you didn’t know you loved

the dub i lost is a compilation mixed and compiled by zepherin saint, founder of tribe records. and from it come 2 separate vinyl releases – tribev10 and tribev11 – that see house music royalty join tribe mainstays to create house music dubs, drenched in soul and rich in organic instrumentation.
tribev11 features tracks by sai & ribatone, alex finkin/vanina and oral deep remixed by the legendary larry heard and zepherin saint and oral deep respectively.

less thought, more direction and purpose, less catering, more expression. this was saviles mantra as he sculpted his compersion ep for mike simonettis 2mr and its a mantra we should all subscribe to. its come about through his introspective analysis during the creation of his most succinct and starkest exploration date

super rhythm trax boss jerome hill is back on the label with 3 otherworldly tracks cut loud for maximum dancefloor devastation. beginning with the wistful acid pump of back & forth moving through to the alien jacking of weird language and leaving you wide eyed in the grip of close encounters.

following the hypnotic ‘what’s in your head’ ep in 2016, archie hamilton returns to moscow records with his first solo ep on the imprint since the release last year. since finishing 2016 with a place in ra s top 100 djs poll, he’s been touring the world, had a summer residency at amnesia and released another massive ep on fuse. an integral part of the stellar ascent of the brand, and founder at tastemaker label initiatives moscow records, moss co. and arkityp, he is an artist very much in control of his rise. the record opens with confusion, an out and out anthem which has been tearing up dance floors across the globe all summer. a trademark bassline drives the track forward as stabs build, tight percussion cuts through and a repeating vocal enters. then when the track drops it shifts the mood completely, causing any dance floor to bump uncontrollably. dos equis is something different altogether. minimalistic percussion and a tight sub lay the foundations for a funky bass guitar line. warming pads meet rhodes keys and out of nowhere a beautifully subtle vocal line appears. as the track breaks down, a mind bending synth line takes the listener out of their state of reflection. the title track on the flip is a classic piece of groovy hamilton weaponry. a positive mood that bounces along to a whispering voice in the background. the track develops as lush chords permeate the groove, soaking the dance floor in the last of the summer sun to create a euphoric crescendo.

so, after a little break we’re back with a new release. this time we’re joined by the multi-talented production powerhouse that is swarm intelligence (aka simon hayes). landing heavy with four bruising techno cuts that each find their own unique way of taking your head off, ear017 is a bumpy journey through darker club flavours. ‘flatlands’ opens things up, reminiscent of the type of marching, granite-heavy brum techno of old – this is minimal in construction but maximum in its impact. move forward to ‘ground up’ where demonic, dissonant keys take the lead above a rattling midrange that sounds like a corrugated roof ready to fly off. opting for cleaner, elastic drum patterns on ‘tingla’, hayes swaps tense for dense, with a loud take on steppy techno, that’ll please fans of some of blawan’s earlier work. ‘skitz’ starts out an a more dub tip with a wailing, paranoia inducing hook and snaking rhythms, eventually joined by more hard-hitting broken kicks, leading us comfortably into oblivion.

on their debut album, celephaïs takes the listener on a trip into the distant lands of the mind. the album contains six long tracks, each of which tell a different story. think of opium induced daydreaming, celephaïs is here to hold hands so you feel safe enough to delve deeper into dissociation. the presented advanced synthesizer works display earthly undertones of dirt, hypnotizing noises, drumming sounds of distant rituals as well as ringing crystals. comes with a special artwork as insert.
written and produced by ian martin and jeroen holthuis.

idle hands continues its quest to support new talent coming out of bristol with a fresh 12inch from local beatsmith crump. up to this point, he s been quietly slipping out razor sharp reduced house cuts on various artist releases for extended play and banoffee pies, but it s high time he had a 12inch of his to truly showcase his sound. the two tracks on this single tap into a consistent thread on idle, fusing the minimal sensibilities of contemporary european house music with a swung, dub-weighted presence fit for soundsystem consumption in the fair city we call home. much like previous releases from leif, christian jay and matt karmil, this is a demonstration of stripped down music loaded with swagger. -ice & spheres- pivots around an ear-snagging 2-step shuffle that cuts through any mix, but there s scores of subtlety woven in between the drums to reward the attentive listener. snatches of vocal, distant field recordings, low-blowing synth licks and other unidentifiable sonic matter lurk quietly in the mix to cast a spell on the sleep-deprived twitcher and warm-up head-nodder alike. sporting a brighter disposition thanks to the sheen of its chords, -mechanisms- provides a different vibe on the flip. the beat throws down with a rugged nod to west london broken styles while still tapping into that aforementioned continental 4/4 sensibility, injecting a refreshing variation into the densely populated minimal house landscape while maintaining the meditative qualities that keep the genre close to our hearts

originally released through the beastie boys french fan club, the in sound from way out! is a collection of the group s funky instrumentals from check your head and ill communication, with a couple of new tracks thrown in. the beasties have a flair for loose, gritty funk and soul-jazz, and the stuttering, greasy keyboards of money mark give the music an extra edge -- he helps make the music sound as authentic as anything from the early 70s. pressed on 180g vinyl.

die ultimative rhino vinyl compilation! Über 28 tracks der northern soul all nighter anthems bieten große hits zu einem günstigen preis. qualitäts-klassiker von atlantic, atco, loma, reprise und warner brothers. mit dabei: chuck wood, tami lynn, the coasters, archie bell & the drells.

the industry of dance music can be as soul-crushing as any other. those thrills and spills of late, loud nights come with a best-before expiry date, after which even the most seasoned selector-producer-scenemaker begins to wrinkle their nose. to have experienced it all over 15+ years and seek to see it unfold again through fresh eyes, what sort of lunatic would willingly put themselves through that? v would. so its a new character, but who was the mysterious v in a past life? make your own conclusions. a little digging will lead you toward the origin story, but sometimes the pleasure comes from the unknowing. opt to enjoy the silence. silence, however, is not the focal point for v. in fact, this new form is a way to discard baggage and revitalise the process of music making.

3byk debuts with a release of a strong and uncompromising techno.
a1 track is a 12 min passage through distorted acid lines and a heavy bass groove
b1 has a powerful flow and a heavy but funky rhythm
b2 is a drunk synth over a strong drum pattern

after solemnly closing out the spc-series in 2016, jeroen search hands in his second ep of the year for figure. carrying his signature style, these tunes embody the live-recording feel he is known for, perfectly executed and arranged in clean-cut layers. both tracks on the a-side feature big and beefy beats, their generous sub-range creating ample space for the juxtaposing elements to effectively slice through, whether it be the penetrating bleeps of deduced or the piercing rides on interval. things get bumpy on the flip when the rugged but undeniable groove of steady pulse firmly stands its ground against repeated onslaughts of flailing percussion. the jolty rhythms and tinkling loops of endless circles may seem like it being the odd one out, but unexpectedly merge into an intricate mesh of sounds, making for a most memorable closer to this jam-packed ep.

no doubt tom ellis has been one of our favorite producers for over 12 years. sharing music with him is always a blast whether its at a party, a festival or getting a hand on its latest tracks. this double ep gets you in a particular mood. through these 8 tracks tom shares an intimate experience and brillantly merges house, jazz, minimal techno, plus a touch of acid and ambient. experience deep and mindful music you only get a chance to enjoy once in a while.

milan based collective just this return with two va releases to continue their broken promises series. with the aim of documenting the progression of cultural movements, the label have pursued underground material since 2010. broken promises part 3 and part 4 are due for release on 1st december and 8th december respectively, and each feature four new tracks channelling refined techno with minimalist, ambient sentiments. hunter/game open part 3 with distance, a meditative journey through ambient textures using expansive synths and vast acoustics. next, architectural brandishes 808 drums for a tense workout on electric soul. on the b-side, label co-owner pisetzky explores the darker side of minimal on anterial, whilst altman plays with moody bass and ricocheting percussion on shapes. part 4 opens with a shuffling rhythmic framework on inlands aechmea, followed by zona, a pointillist groove by ben gibson, aka one half of the collaborative project dyad. on my flowers kundal, a cyclical melody wanders through eerie acoustics whilst hiver navigates a broken beat framework with glitchy distortions and dub echoes on stellar parallax landing

a diverse techno e.p, each track suitable for a specific time, place & audience.
everything’s possible, nothing has to be, probably best describes the current selection. while artik brutally transforms the industrial into the techno format, chris moss acid and spaceinvasion ride the 303. the former combines analog-synths with repetitive peaktime-techno, while spaceinvasion interprets this through a sluggish, yet no less brutal, flow. lastly, lucindo scatters nuances of trance. rave!

fleisch is thrilled to present the debut of stockholm’s dissoci&#333,,,, modus tr&#257,,,,ns, aka dmt, featuring four cuts of some of the purest, unadulterated acid ever to hit the streets since orange sunshine. in the words of terence mckenna himself, sampled in the opening title track, “dmt is the strongest hallucinogen there is…”, and dmt certainly hold true to their name as a pair of 303s weave a mind-altering journey through multiple dimensions of being. driven and dirty techno beats form the rhythmic foundation while esoteric vocal samples lead the proceedings through the tibetan book of the dead in “origin/destination” and “bardo th&#333,,,,dol”, and onward into the metaphysical mantra of “trans dimensional”.

the prolific mc, producer and musician oddisee’s new album ‘the iceberg’ is a plea for humanity to dig deeper in search of understanding and common ground. his third release in just 12 months, ‘the iceberg’ is a distillation of stereotypical tropes in hip-hop and beyond, 12 tracks about money, sex, politics, race and religion that appear superficial until his multi-dimensional lyrics unfurl to expose the complexities of individuality and identity: how we see ourselves and how others see us. deeply soulful, and shot through with jazz, go-go, gospel, thick r&b and hard beats, the album is a timely, poetic statement.
lead single “things” acts as a mission statement for the album, a deep dance groove with lightning-quick lyrics about “things” he’s going through. says oddisee, “we all go through the trials & tribulations of life. why is it we feel the need to individualize our shared experiences? if only we could see our concerns as others do, maybe they wouldn’t be so serious.”

there are tracks that only deploy their full meaning when pumping through the speakers of a dark club. to give shelter to the latter, hivern kick starts a new series of vinyl-only splits dedicated to club-ready cuts by artists in our orbit. to launch the series, we count with both a well-known hivern stalwart and a new addition to the label. side a is dedicated to cel avall , a track that has been hidden in marc pinol s vaults for way too many years. with it s slow pace and direct but hypnotic feel, it sounds as if one of the pioneers of the first wave of chicago house had spent a night dancing to danielle baldelli at the cosmic club. in the b-side, aurora 2 , by norwegian producer charlotte bendiks, also has something of the rawness and minimalism of the first chicago sound. a perpetually fresh energy that, combined with her nonchalant vocal phrasings, provides the track with her distinctive blend of darkness, sensuality and cheekiness. the visual concept of the series has been developed by london based design studio dr.me

we are proud to present sare s fourth album softmachine. it is a ten track synthesizer epic which takes us through multiple musical flavors of electronica, italo, dancefloor, disco and smooth soul pop. all threads are neatly bound up and unified by the common principles of smooth electronics, solid melody and slick song-writing. the album opens with the intro track and scene setter, dreamachine. it is a dystopian synth algorithm which is one part aural mindscape, one part electronic opus and one part sci-fi soundtrack. a perfect scene setter. everybody freak out bursts open the flood gates with a tide of funky swing, brash disco swagger and catchy lead lines. softmachine shows sare s finely honed song writing prowess with its lazy grooves, 80s sparkling synths and meandering robotized main vocal line. next the dancefloor calls with a peak-time disco vocal groover like you wanna do. it features a vocal from vaarka delivering a fine performance. multi-layered guitars, perky bass guitar and a pulsing groove power this track along. here comes that sound carries on the dancefloor vocal vein with its 4-4 beats, driving bass and sweet strings sitting perfectly alongside a multi vocalled chorused vocal from barbara grabar, kristina strasek and vanja dizdarevic. on the flipside things open with riot, sawtoothy synth waves and darting keyboard lines lead the way in this sci-fi sound track with a core of antagonism at its core. science of the beat follows with its stabby synth bass, rolling stabs and vocodered main lines. music and lies layers in sweet synth pads, melancholy meanderings and just a touch of forlorn sadness into its melodies. to round things off no chance to dance digs deep into the chic vibes with its percussive chop-guitar, on-the-beat bass guitar and swinging hand-clap disco beats. the album closes with the painfully optimistic perpetual rise, a metropolis meets vangelis like analog synthesizer masterclass

after numerous eps through the years, we are pleased to announce the debut lp from one of the cornerstone s of the l.i.e.s. label, terekke. we asked the man himself for some words regarding his album as to do it justice best. suffice to say we couldn t be more pleased this is happening as it stands as a truly special record for all of us. download card included

after a 10 year silence, the frequencies of radio mars are back on the line with a mini lp from the enigmatic the observer. the release features 6 tracks serving up a space journey oscillating between cinematic interludes, irresistible electro rhythm bass lines, and cosmic arpeggios. you will feel like you are traveling through an unexplored landscape, lost far and away, deep in the galaxy.

shipwrec is delighted to welcome an electro pioneer into the fold. larry mccormick has been at the coal face of machine music for two decades, carving razor sharp cuts under his exzakt alias whilst spearheading future funk on his exemplary monotone records. intelectro exemplifies twenty years of experience, twenty years of music production and twenty years of talent. banger does exactly what it says, a crunching work that breaks with millisecond-perfect precision before deeper layers are unfurled. vibes feels like three compositions combined. from its spacious intro the track dives into acid chords before resurfacing in refined warmth. vintage grooves open rocker with some extra muscle added through heavy kicks as samples circle to an ever tighter noose. styles shift and strafe across the quartet leaving the lines of set expectations to blur and ultimately disappear. ride low is the final proof of this, understated percussion leading to sky soaring sytnhlines and free flowing harmonies. a 12 that melds disparate sounds with frightening ease, an artist bridging electro past, present and future.

hailing from bristol, uk, borai is the progeny of the 90s jungle scene and has spent the last fifteen years careening his musical curiosity through every tile of the dance floor. borai s early years were occupied by bristol s many record shops as an employee and fan of the culture. while drenching himself in the expansiveness of electronic music history at work, he picked up djing to bestow his love for jungle, house and dancehall in the area s clubs. an obsession with hardware led borai to craft a slew of his own productions and releases on tasteful nudes, cahoots records, and brstl. with dark of the sun , borai is making his debut on the global cultural beacon halocyan records. the record will mark the 8th installment of the label s originary technicity series, which exemplifies techne in electronic music. dark of the sun is led by the rolling percussion of on the horizon , which feeds into the deep, grinding steam engine that is dark of the sun and followed by the transcendent bounce of wetware. the tracks are pressed on halocyan s signature 12inch cyan viny.

a four track vinyl sampler of the new compilation series from crosstown rebels, allow us to introduce spirits. label founder damian lazarus has compiled what he describes as “a fresh psychedelic journey into the mind”, aiming to bring together a collection of new artists from both his imprints. opening up is audiojack’s ‘reverie’, a heavy kick from the start is succeeded by spoken word on the subject of meditation sets the scene appropriately. dubspeeka’s ‘lyssa’ is next up with a sturdy bassline, eerie synths and a haunting melody reminiscent of yesteryear. on the flip and alice rose seduces in ‘another way’ produced by raw district. her voice, similar to that of bjork, perfectly encompasses the heavy bassline and hard-hitting percussion.finally ‘be mine’ by siopis featuring ellbee bad gets straight into the action with hard-hitting reverberated low notes, steadily building up through sentimental vocals and enticing synthesis

legendary los hermanos member santiago salazar’s album ‘aspirations for young xol’ is given a vinyl release courtesy of rekids. a heartfelt dedication to his son isaias, ‘aspirations for young xol’ takes us through the life of a pillar in the electronic music community - santiago salazar. from his formative years spent in california to his connection with detroit and the passing of a childhood friend, the long-player’s tracks signpost the musician’s significant experiences, both positive and negative. this meaningful body of work was released digitally on pastel voids and now rekids release the album on wax. ‘saturated fear’ sets a deep tone for the lp, flanging melodies and echoing claps float through the composition before the album’s title track ‘aspirations for young xol’ offers haunting arpeggios with occasional acidic overtones which are cleverly offset by beautifully designed lead synth transitions. ‘bloodlines’ follows a similar musical vein with delayed bass riffs that are suspended above shimmering hihats and a weighted kick. santiago provides three beatless pieces throughout, which digress into more emotional territory whilst offering brief respite from his heavier drum work. ‘xol’s pain’ combines orchestral strings and swelling synthesisers which build tension with a subtly complex, evolving motif. both ‘dark matter’ and ‘ode to stinson’ use arresting atmospheres, warped arpeggios and ethereal pads which lull the listener into a retrospective mood. an intensity builds in the later tracks, a gritty but powerful low end provides a solid foundation in ‘orange blossom thump”, eventually making way for a hectic and elastic lead synth before ‘pachuco dub’ displays drones that build a dissonant pressure in which the complex tom rhythms and rolling hi hats can grow. ‘sarah rivera’ hypnotises with its delectable chord progressions and complimentary melodies which seem to float above a rigid drum composition to close the album with style

the first release on autodidact is a house flavoured ep by newcomer doyle johnson. on the a-side a small nod to chicago, while the b-side is filled with disco and hiphop influences, ready to keep dancefloors moving. autodidact is the second label roger gerressen is setting up through yydistribution, aiming to release projects from various friends, collabs and people he meets along the way.

helmed by a crew of ex-pats in hong kong craving the musical stimulation of their birthplaces, homesick is a celebration of the nostalgia and passion at the root of all musical experience, as channeled through seriously on-point disco edits. after choice turns from general ludd, marquis hawkes and others, this various artists 12inch brings back former guests in an implied fashion for more of that worldly, adventurous boogie business. apocalypse now simmers with unresolved tension, tart drums and gnarled synth lines, while african temperament lets the percussion tumble in a cavernous space. summer madness is a simmering, drum led version of kc flightt s classic, and then gik gwong zung pings the record off into cosmic synth disco territory for a perfect finishing move.

the founders of delirious eyewear and katnip met each other through the exchange of music and fashion. they became close friends and as you d expect this would lead to this unique product you re about to preview. heavy on the downtempo italo disco, dub and soul cuts, once again ldk provides the listener with an exquisite track selection and also found the privilege to introduce a fresh newcomer in the scene called juno on vocals and some hot keys by thomas van dijk. the releaseparty for this album will be in milan with an exclusive liveshow from de kat including the whole band. something to look forward to! tip!

french producer jules etienne reappears with a 3 track ep including a jex opolis remix on barcelona s finest disco imprint apersonal music. jules shows his most elaborated work to date evolving to a more band oriented production filled with plenty of live instruments and vocals as seen on free as a man and dont want to talk about it. on the b side rhythm for the garden part i is a mad ride driven by live percussions and a drum machine. canadian producer jex opolis whos been releasing top stuff through his own good timin label comes on board on the release remixing free as a man. guilty pleasures all around

vinyl only, alex took his first musical steps by studying piano and guitar at the young age of 6. his fascination for the more outlandish, experimental side of each instrument corrupted his lessons and sent him down a modular synths and tape loop composition wormhole. years later alex resurfaced, got himself clean and, through connections made while spending time as a vocal audience member (and sometimes uninvited participant) at lyman woodard, phil ranelin, and other tribe- and motown-linked gigs in cass corridor during the mid-1970s, spent time as a session musician for earth wind and fire, chic, and prince. it was only toward the mid-90s he found himself enthralled by the techno and house sounds of detroit and chicago so he went into the woodshed and came out firing electronic salvos.

as proprietors of the will & ink label, yaleesa hall & malin genie have been maintaining a busy and consistent release schedule of top notch techno sounds, largely releasing their own, well received, productions. the duo appeared on hypercolours 10 years compilation in 2016 with the excellent buchan trap, and weve been blessed to secure a full single release with the on-point pair. the mechanical funk of artin swings with plenty of assured groove, the shuffling hats, dense kicks and dubby stabs that ping pong across this fierce production mark this out as a real killer cut. dario & marco zenker, aka the zenker brothers, take time out from their busy ilian tape operations to remix artin into a brutal yet funky techno goliath. congas perpetually roll forward, with frenetic 909 hats and raw and ready stabs in what may well be one of the zenkers finest remixes to date. the essence of funk continues in hall & malins music, with cahen, a great slab of compelling techno that never slips too far into darkness, instead keeping an ever evolving groove and some abstract drone like synthesis to keep the mood buoyant. wrapping up the release is brown, a track that finishes as urgently as it starts, perhaps with a cap doffed to the purpose maker sounds of a certain jeff mills, but broadening the palette to allow some trippy sound architecture and an effective breakdown mid way through. modern day techno supplied by a duo that will most certainly flourish over the coming months, yaleesa hall & malin deliver the goods aplomb on this hypercolour single.

having crept out of the tape undergrowth and respected haunts like clan destine and always human to earn more civilized recognition on bank records nyc and bliq, strahinja arbutina makes the move to vivod for yet more of that edgy, leftfield techno business that keeps mothers awake at night from worry. the grit, noise and distortion has been faithfully carried through from the cassette-based roots of arbutinas sound, but these tracks are more than ready to do the damage in the dance (where you re less likely to find a tape deck). hold on tight as the likes of way ahead give the sound engineer a fright when they think the system has overloaded.

house music broke through in 1987, at the same time when aids arrived in france with the first contamination peak in gay and drug addict circles. in 1989, the founders of act-up paris knew that both the fight against aids and triumphant house music should be joined together. from 1992 to 1995, the period covered by “120 bpm-, house reached its most beautiful plateau even though techno was becoming dominant. “120 bpm” is a get-together moment through clubbing, this moment where fears are forgotten by dancing with one’s friends, what we called “the chosen family” at act-up. boys and girls dancing in a club where the walls cannot be seen, flooded with simple light. this is their activist recess. arnaud rebotini, composing the soundtrack of robin campillo’s previous film, “eastern boys-, is a recognized dj, a composer and a kind man, which is for me the most important quality. here, his work is marked by restraint of his love for house and after techno. i believe he deliberately withdrew himself in relation to the film’s power and the aids theme

originally a cassette release on wil-ru records in 2011 cn s -the expedition beyond- is a musical narrative that chronicles the astral travels of a star-craft and it s crew through the outer reaches of the galaxy. 10 tracks of cosmic acid funk, drifty nebulous synth-scapes and robo-centric electro (produced by stian gjevik around the same time as his classic -utrecht- release as eod).