>the mark of a great dj is one who knows that hip-hop came from disco. that is the truth of the matter...<

from the word go, >its all true< has a spring in its step as opening track >itchy fingers< features lofty bpms in a range never explored on record by the group before and then, just as suddenly, the band shift gears to the sparse, brooding >playtime<. from the confident stomp of >you ll improve me< and the sophisticated pop of >a truly happy ending< to the epic album closer of >banana ripple<, >its all true< is by far the junior boys most accomplished album to date.

the yearly summit of keiji haino, jim o rourke and oren ambarchi continues with imikuzushi, which finds the group extending the power-trio strategies of last years highly praised in a flash everything comes together as one there is no need for a subject (bt05) and bringing to them a newly sustained intensity. for this performance, haino limits himself to electric guitar and vocals, forming complex networks of slashing rhythm work, noise squall and chromatic shredding, moving at times to near-silent passages of howled vocals and isolated, hanging guitar strums. the tendency towards driving free-rock which surfaced on moments of the trios last release is cemented here, with o rourkes fuzzed-out, non-linear bass riffing moving the music into almost garage-rock areas, combining with ambarchis drums to form a bedrock of hypnotic, metronomic pounding which transforms itself effortlessly into passages of flowing free-time. like all of hainos best work, the trio transcends any rock genre exercise to enter a non-idiomatic zone of ritual intensity, creating a music formed purely out of instrumental and group-mind possibility. presented as four unedited excerpts salvaged from an epic show that lasted well over three hours, the sometimes raw nature of the recording only adds to its directness and harshly emotive quality. francis plagne, melbourne, nov, 2011 released as a 6 panel digipak cd and as a limited edition double lp in a lavish gatefold with printed inner sleeves. design by stephen o malley with high quality live shots by ujin matsuo and stunning images by tokyo based photographer and sound artist shunichiro okad

please allow us the pleasure of introducing axel willner s loops of your heart. hailing from sweden, the man behind this record alone needs no introduction, as he is already well known in the electronic music scene for his project the field. loops of your heart reflects axel¼s experience in germany, where during his lengthy stays, his mantra-like arpeggiators contributed to the first manifestation of the sound of cologne tape, a group that formed while he was staying there. you can also hear this on the much sought after debut render, which came out on magazine last year. only a foreshadow for what was to about to come, willner has been living in berlin and letting his creativity go crazy. with an arsenal of special synthesizers and guitars he has put together and never ending nights . after touring worldwide with the field for the last 10 years, and never ending nights is like coming home again. you can hear german children speaking outside his studio in berlin (on the track neukšlln ) and it is not only the track titles which tell of things that have come to an end and or are about to happen. the old german musical tradition of letting yourself go (holger czukay, you, anima, cluster, you name it) is in the air, and willner breathes it. his highly personal approach to music and composition leads to nothing less then a matchless album that embodies beginning anew

the best of toolroom records 2011 brings you a selection of this years biggest toolroom releases, from label boss mark knight, tiesto, fedde le grand, funkagenda, michael woods & many more. from miami to ibiza, amsterdam to london, every track has taken over the worlds greatest dancefloors and been essential in the biggest djs sets.

uk collection from the 60s soul legends. smokey robinson and the miracles are one of the greatest vocal groups of all time. they made some of the most important popular music of the 60s and early 70s, that sounds as fresh today as when they were first recorded. this 20-track collection contains some of the groups most loved moments such as the tracks of my tears, the tears of a clown and i second that emotion. this collection takes the listener on a journey through the vocal groups back catalog of albums, taking in many of their best loved tracks.

diese exzellente mix-compilation sorgt fźr den perfekten einstieg ins neue jahr! die 60 neuesten clubtracks & -mixes aus house/electro (cd1), dubstep/bassmusik (cd2) und trance/progressive (cd3) bringen den puls ordentlich auf wallung. mit dabei sind alle protagonisten der drei genres: von calvin harris źber skrillex bis armin van buuren! inkl. einem exklusiven track von laidback luke!

do you love elegant, sophisticated music with a feeling, as much as raw, gutsy, hard-hitting music? guessing that you do penniman records takes great pride in introducing you to the excitements, because their music fits into both categories. they are an all natural free-of-additives-and-preservatives r&b / soul band. a band with both feet solidly planted on memphis and detroit, and with a heartbeat which is pure chicago. to put it simply, the excitements are what the doctor ordered: six dynamite musicians intent on bringing out the very best from koko jean davis extraordinary voice, a voice which will either break your heart or astonish your ears, whatever koko fancies the most. the excitements career is truly awesome. their first gig took place in july 2010, and a month after that the band embarked on the first of their three recording sessions, their first spanish tour and a series of concerts all across europe. very few groups can boast of enjoying such a critical success, selling so many 45s and capturing such a loyal following in so short a time. their splendid first album, -the excitements- available on vinyl and cd - has been produced by the great mike mariconda - the only living man with a direct connection between his ears and his crotch. hearing is believing, and koko and her partners are bound to mesmerize with numbers such as nathaniel mayer s -from now on-, barbara stephens s -wait a minute- and little richard s -never let you go-, a track which will go straight to your heart. you may call them old-fashioned. a classic sound, if you wish. one thing is clear: the good stuff is here to stay. stop reading, listen to the excitements and hear for yourself.

with the summer on the horizon everybody is yearning to achieve the ultimate beach body just in time for their holidays and as always ministry of sound are at hand to help you get fit fast. we return with a brand new edition of running trax that has over 3 hours of music on 3 stimulating mixes specially designed to motivate you while you run, featuring some of your our favourite club anthems and brand new exclusive remixes. this will include the first exclusive comp usage of the monster buzz track from dj fresh -louder- along with examples 1 smash hit -cytkm- as well as massive top 10 tunes from chris brown, katy b, dizzee rascal, alex gaudino ft. kelly rowland and many more to get your pulse racing. whether you re preparing for a marathon, on the 6am jog or listening whilst on the treadmill this is guaranteed to be your perfect fitness companion, keeping you company while you work your way to the perfect body. set the pace with running trax 3!

allein die juengsten erfolge von keri hilson sprechen fuer sich: ihre single -i like- machte letztes jahr dem titel alle ehre, sie hielt sich drei wochen lang auf platz 1 in deutschland (sowie ein vierteljahr in den top-10). mehr noch: gold gabs schon nach vier wochen, -i like- lief auch im radio rauf und runter und entpuppte sich schlie§lich sogar als einer der zehn groe§ten hits des jahres 2010. nun also die fortsetzung: -like- buttons werden dieser tage wieder etliche angeklickt werden, denn keri legt mit -pretty girl rock- ihre neueste single vor und knuepft damit nahtlos an die erfolge von 2010 an. mit -pretty girl rock-, der ersten auskopplung ihres kommenden no boys allowed-albums, wendet sich die in atlanta geborene r&b-ueberfliegerin, die in den letzten jahren diverse hits fuer superstars wie z.b. britney, ciara, ludacris, kelly rowland, mary j. blige und usher geschrieben hat, ganz klar an ihre weiblichen fans: mehr selbstbewusstsein Ð so lautet die botschaft, die hilson ueber dem von ne-yo und chuck harmony produzierten midtempo-track artikuliert. eine message, die in anderen teilen der welt bereits angekommen ist: platz 4 in den us-amerikanischen r&b-charts (24 in den billboard-charts), und auch bei der britischen bbc wurde die r&b-hymne schon als -lovely single- gefeiert. 2007 hatte keri hilson als vokalgast auf timbalands -the way i are- single einen mega-hit gelandet. zwei jahre spaeter ging ihr debuetalbum -in a perfect world- in die top-5 der billboard-charts und wurde auf anhieb fuer zwei grammys nominiert. no boys allowed, der zweite longplayer der 28-jaehrigen, erscheint anfang juli.

folge 17 der vom label und internetradio rinse initiierten compilationreihe praesentiert einen mix von elijah & skilliam mit den besten grime-tracks aus dem englischen dance-underground 2011. die beiden djs, label-, club- und blogbetreiber (butterz) haben sich in ihrem mix vor allem auf instrumentale tracks konzentriert, darunter -take off- von faze miyake (dem wohl besten instrumentalen grime-track des jahres), wollten aber auf stimmen wie die von p money, blacks sowie trim and wiley nicht ganz verzichten. mit den 27 tracks schaffen die beiden einen reinen grime-mix, aehnlich wie in ihren shows auf rinse fm, mit den angesagtesten tracks aus der britischen grime-szene, darunter einige exklusive dubplates.

while the tempos may vary from one track to the next, from chillout to dubstep to chilled drum & bass, the uniting thread is the deeply melancholy sounds from the icey synths to the hazy voices of longing. includes their stunning single hide your tears because we are in heaven.

for the first time in 30 years throbbing gristle are now back on their own original industrial records label. to mark the occasion we are pleased to announce the rerelease of tgs first five albums on vinyl & cd. each album has been restored and remastered specifically for each format by chris carter from 24bit baked tape digital transfers of the original first generation analogue master tapes. each of the cd special-editions are presented in a gatefold sleeve featuring restored and remastered cover artworks and an integrated 8-page booklet (the booklets feature different artworks and content to the vinyl editions). while the cd releases feature the same track count and running order as the vinyl editions each cd special-edition also includes an exclusive bonus cd containing content from the year of the albums original release. this additional content includes tg live tracks and remastered singles. the greatest hits cd special-edition also includes two previously unreleased throbbing gristle mixes from the 1980s.

demissions is the album every in-the-know electronica fan has been anxiously awaiting for the last ten years. phoenecia, the duo who put experimental electronic music on the map in the us with their soul oddity releases, their infamous schematic label, their early releases on warp and their brilliant albums brownout & echelon mall, are back with new album destined to be as ageless & influential as any of their previous contributions. what strikes the listener at first is how seamlessly the songs throughout the album integrate acoustic percussion with electronics, most notably on the twelve-minute epic first track two-part invention for bodhran & computer.

2011 five track mini album from the norwegian quartet. 22 combine the mathematical and full-on progressive insanity of the mars volta, muse and refused with a keen pop sensibility and strong desire to experiment.

this, the second album from crookers features savage skulls, hudson mohawke, his majesty andre, surkin, bobmo, lazy antz, style of eye, keith & supabeatz, wax motif and neoteric, on the boards and sidesteps the pop/rave collabs that clutter this planet.

quentin dupieux alias mr. oizo, französischer musiker und filmemacher, wurde mit seiner gelben plüschfigur “flat eric” und seinem track “flat beat” weltweit bekannt.

ralph myerz is with no doubt one of the most active music personas of the norwegian music scene. it was the year of 1997 when ralph asked for people to play percussion with him during a party in bergen, norway. the jack herren band showed up through a combination of mutual contacts and high-school friendship. supposedly a one-time-event, they had so much fun playing together that they decided to form a band, and ralph myerz & the jack herren band was formed. the band released a 7inch and a 12inch on the telle records that were followed by great reviews from magazines and dj around europe, including dimitri from paris who included the track nikita on one of his playboy mansion compilations.

excellent mix cd! 20 years tresor !! mike huckaby with a stunning mix work.

aardvarck returns with his third full length album for eat concrete records. anti concept showcases a taste for deep ambient and minimalstic soundscapes, dub, detroit techno and bass heavy beats, mixed into a perfect flow. as the title suggests anti concept leaves aside musical genres and focuses on atmosphere rather than style. on anti concept aardvarck carefully and patiently builds his own world of sound, adding layers and complexity with each track.tip!

gem club is an exclusive society: two people, a piano, and a cello. vocalist christopher barnes sings in a quivering whisper, and these minimal accompaniments assure that their sound never becomes louder than a hush. but the massachusetts duo s debut ep, acid and everything, showed just how much emotional intensity you could pack into compositions so spare, and how much could be suggested with so little. everything on breakers, their first full-length, sounds frozen over: icy, quiet, austere. you know that eerie feeling when you find yourself alone in a huge public place that s usually crowded-- maybe a shopping mall or a playing field- but at that moment is totally empty? this record sounds like a sustained version of that feeling. -i heard the party- juxtaposes echoing piano chords and a general sense of unease (-no one could have told you / your body would fail you-) with the refrain -i heard the partys here- floating across the track like the sound of dried up laughter. the word -party- feels so out of place in a song so pensive and lonely that there s something jarring about the experience. the feeling crops up repeatedly on breakers: a sense of slow-motion detachment, a suggestion that there were signs of life here once, but you ve arrived a couple of hours- or maybe a couple of weeks- too late.

-wir sind am leben-. ein statement voller mut und zuversicht. das lied, das gleichzeitig auch titelsong des neuen rosenstolz albums ist, ist eine hymne an die wiederauferstehung der band, vor allem aber an den glauben an sich selbst und an das, was rosens

its a love story: stil vor talent have long been mad about niconŽ and sascha braemer so that the recent past has seen some very memorable releases by the two producers. now its about time they join forces to release a whole album together. while sascha braemer only recently caused waves with his źber-track people, nicone is a long-established pillar of top-class electronic music.

byetone s new record symeta opens with a combined track - a transit - since topas and telegramm could be seen as one single piece. both tracks convey the atmosphere of a live session rather than the character of a studio production. the tracks are quite long and deal with repetition, layers of sounds, density and energy, more than melodic and engineering finesse. the whole album follows this approach, as it was fashioned within the context of live performances during the last two years. neuschnee Ð the third track Ð has an obviously reduced tempo, creating a wide landscape of sound with an intimate aura, which works as a counter draft to the other tracks of the record. with opal, the tempo speeds up again, a polyrhythmic phrase whirls around a straight beat, filters are turned, all that evokes the impression of early-90s minimal techno. byetone is basically interested in remembering, in a way to preserve, in citing rock/pop styles, without getting stuck in the past, whereas non of the tracks really fit into a specific genre. seen from this perspective, helix opens the final, more rocky block of the album. here, the tracks are offensive and rude and sound like a band in a rehearsal room. this part peaks with black peace in a high speed heavy metal session. finally, golden elegy closes symeta and a band-like situation occurs. the track ends with a wired lament, presented by jan kummer in the tenor of chemnitz, hometown of both artists. in former gdr-times, they started their musical activity with the brilliant-dilettantish ag geige, together with frank bretschneider (komet). symeta , the title of the album, appears mysterious. this synthetic word arouses associations with symmetry, synthesis or (meta-)structures. it doesn t stand for a definite object, there isn t any solution, and that is the reason why the title has been chosen. byetone s music tries to create such associations without really fulfilling these expectations. in this sense, symeta consequently follows death of a typographer (r-n92), the well received predecessor.

the torino scale ... is a way of gauging the potential damage that may occur in the event of an impact from asteroids or other objects from space... excellent 11 track modern electronic album !!

wer die ueber 15 jahre dauernde karriere von dj shadow verfolgt hat, der wei§: ein albumtitel wie the less you know, the better ist bei ihm nicht ohne grund gewaehlt. dj shadow hat fuer sein kommendes werk nicht nur etliche samples aus seiner ueber 60.000 lps umfassenden sammlung, sondern obendrein auch drei fiktionale wortfuehrer herbeizitiert: ein als cartoonfigur gezeichnetes mobiltelefon, ein tablet und ein laptop. shadow feiert damit jedoch keineswegs unser digitales zeitalter, im gegenteil, er kritisiert mit seinen gadget-comicfiguren und deren kommentaren den zynischen grundton, der im digitalen zeitalter vorherrscht, den uebersaettigten miesmacher-tonfall, der gewisserma§en schon zur netiquette gehoert. auf the less you know, the better existieren satte beats, vereinzelte gitarren, klassische hiphop-banger und wunderschoene melodien nebeneinander. zu den highlights zaehlen unter anderem -scale it back- feat. little dragon, -stay the course- feat. talib kweli & posdnous (de la soul), -warning call- feat. tom vek oder auch der folk-track -sad and lonely-.

a few days ago james blake premiered a new track, a collaboration with bon iver called >fall creek boys choir<, and now its been announced that the track will be included in an upcoming ep from blake called enough thunder.
we now also know that the ep is due out october 10 on atlas and will feature blakes cover of joni mitchells >a case of you<, as well as four other new tracks from the electronic singer-songwriter wunderkind.

raise the curtain once more on a very special orchestral performance. how could highgrade records better celebrate its 100th release than with twelve tracks from the highgrade disharmonic orchestra? the creative combo featuring both label bosses tom clark and todd bodine, alongside philip bader, daniel dreier and dale, began over a year ago with the intention of celebrating the tenth birthday of the berlin label. and the resulting gift: a musical experiment. the five artists have bundled their creativity together into a symphony unparalleled in the techno scene. every performance is like a jam session: all five laptops are interconnected, so each of the artists has the opportunity to react to the others and modify each track as desired. thus, new arrangements are created and constantly re-interpreted. drum machines and synthesizers are also in play, to further stretch the improvisational possibilities. no wonder then, that the 100th release follows in this creative vein. the highgrade disharmonic orchestra, with multilayer, kiddnaps us away into vastly different musical worlds: from deep influences and custom recorded vocals to an array of technoid sounds and effects. then back to groovy, swinging beats reminiscent of a balmy summer evening on the beach. therefore the record is something of a rollercoaster ride, where we never know what might be waiting behind the next curve. typically highgrade

leng records follows up last years out of town album with a selection of remixes and re-works of tracks taken from cantomas second long player ! out of town fused a wide variety of sounds and styles resulting in a beautiful, otherworldly album that moved effortlessly between blissful flamenco, shimmering, slo-mo nu disco, dubbed-out tango and haunting, ethereal soundscapes. the remixers were hand picked by cantoma aka phil mison due to their unique approach to music and their complementary production styles and the result is an album bursting with downtempo and dancefloor led remixes.

2011 release. their first new album in more than three years, hysterical marks a major milestone in the continuing evolution of clap your hands say yeah. born out of an intensely collaborative process in which songs were constructed, dismantled, and then rebuilt anew, the album finds the band their most confident and creative, expertly expanding upon its already distinctive sound. from the chrome-plated licks of maniac and the title track to the sheets of eddying synths and emotive motorik pulsebeats of into your alien arms and ketamine and ecstasy, the band delivers up sonically provocative pop music that is simultaneously jubilant, mesmeric, and altogether infectious. hysterical reveals clap your hands say yeah to be a wholly developed band in full command of their unique artistic gifts. this long play version pressed on 180 gram vinyl also includes a download card.

ex-harry pussy guitarist bill orcutt s 2009 side a new way to pay old debts was an instant classic for those attuned to his brand of stomach-scrapingly raw, hoary blues improvisation. few could have expected the album to be subsequently issued on cd by editions mego, but the more you thought about it the more it made sense - though all-acoustic, orcutt s music is every bit as extreme, violent and threshold-testing as that of, say, florian hecker, russell haswell or mika vainio. as if to prove it wasn t a token gesture towards eclecticism, mego boss peter rehberg has signed a brand new album from orcutt, and what an album it is. for the most part it s in that visceral, coruscating style that he s best known for, all finger-bleeding fretboard assaults that manage to sound at once virtuoso and completely out-of-control, reaching a psychotic climax on the visible bosom: but there are some more reflective passages too, hell, the title track might even be the most chilled thing he s ever recorded. the album was cut at d+m in berlin, which really teases every last drop of blood, sweat and tears out of the recording, which took place at orcutt s home studio in san francisco in spring of 2011. brutal, bludgeoning but incurably romantic, how the thing sings demands your steadfast attention. mind-blowing.

-wir sind am leben-. ein statement voller mut und zuversicht. das lied, das gleichzeitig auch titelsong des neuen rosenstolz albums ist, ist eine hymne an die wiederauferstehung der band, vor allem aber an den glauben an sich selbst und an das, was rosens

thirty years after they released their first four track ep black roots singles output is finally showcased on -black roots - the reggae singles anthology-. released on september 5th, by bristol archive records in collaboration with nubian records this 16 track album spans the bands creative peak of the 1980s.

16 track set from the great dillinger featuring -cocaine in my brain-, -love is all i bring-, -time so hard-, -hear and deaf-, -king pharaoh was a bald head- and more...

qwazaar & batsauce follow up their masterful style be the king ep (2011, fifth element/galapagos4) with a 14-track juggernaut entitled bat meets blaine. the record is an absolute rarity a series of inspired sessions from a world-class mc & producer team at the height of their respective powers. batsauce provides ambidextrous backdrops that are as multilayered as they are strident, while qwazaar simply astonishes, baring his soul while performing near-impossible lyrical feats. its a record all true heads should cop and that all lab scientists can envy.

uniting the voices of africa, asia, new york & london, through house music.

after spending 6 months of last year holed up writing in his london studio, charlie joined forces with acclaimed producer danton supple (coldplay, doves) to begin recording his debut solo album. the result is an accomplished 12 track record that oozes with vintage warmth and whose luscious melodies and occasional imperfections lend it a vibrant character and earnest charm. lead single -down down down- was rapturously received by charlies fans including fearne cotton who made it record of the week on radio 1.

dicke dj mixe hat die green & blue 2011 zu bieten etwas dubbig von raresh und etwas housig von sascha dive

whilst barlande may be difficlut to classify in genre it has been described as having its roots in flamenco and some ramifications of contemporary classical music. but any attempt to pigeon-hole this album should be ignored beyond deciding what shelf or floor to place it on in a record store. barlande is about creativity and discovery and its story is both fasciniating and inspiring a father, pedro soler, and his son, gaspar claus have created something entirely unique. the opening track insomnio mineral is a gentle begining with sparsely plucked cello before being joined by a gently sweeping flamenco guitar. what takes place from there on in is difficult to describe in words. the language between the cello and guitar become unlike anything i have heard before. the cello comes alive, a voice at times, leaping and striding in near freeform before coming back to join in mutual step and melodic interplay with guitar.

drawing from a rich sonic palette, man without country splice glacial guitar ripples with an eerie synth pulse to create music both complex and all embracing. their debut ep kicks off with king complex, taken from forthcoming album foe and indicative of mwcs ability to morph their source material into anthems when you least expect it, the tracks tinkling keyboard led intro exploding into a euphoric dancefloor chorus. the melody belies a darker sentiment behind the lyrics on king complex -you are a true parasite / and youre the bane of my life- ryan concedes that -they are personal and bitter-. this contrast between melody and lyric is a common theme across their debut long player. the six track ep features a further 3 tracks from foe Ð inflammable heart, ebb & flow and iceberg plus the sei a remix of king complex. xi is exclusive to this ep.

wretch 32, real name jermaine scott, is one of the uks most loved mcs - from the underground up. from his early years in londons flourishing grime scene back in the early 00s, the tottenham-raised lyricist has always stood out from the crowd. his conscious and reflective bars, along with an extremely relaxed flow, made him a firm favourite on the uk hip hop circuit. much like tinie tempah, wretch 32 has proved that british mcs can reach the mainstream without selling their soul to pop. the first fruits of this crossover success were tasted in january 2011, when his single traktor broke into the domestic top five following an appearance on the bbc sound ofÉ list. and his second official single, unorthodox, fared even better, peaking at number two in april. so its clear that much has changed since his debut lp of 2008, wretchrospective - but has public recognition come at the expense of what marked wretch 32 out as such a talent in the first place? not at all - on the opening title-track, the rapper lets the listener know that its the same old wretch at work. over a drum-heavy hip hop beat he sets up the rest of the album well, advising everyone to fasten their seatbelts as he prepares to take them on a ride that they wont forget in a hurry. never be me finds wretch delving into his past, opening up about making certain decisions in life that got him to where he is today. featuring rnb newcomer angel on the hook, the track has an inspirational feel to it - all over another impressive, but this time more grime-influenced, beat. a true standout is anniversary, with alex mills on singing duties - its a love song, minus any cheese. then the album lurches into the electro-infused sanes the new mad - a glimpse into wretchs party lifestyle, with ladies and alcohol at the forefront of his attentions. and closer dont go just might be one of the tracks of the year.

mit traumwandlerischer sicherheit schlŠgt lawrence einen bogen źber 16 jahre gelebter clubgeschichte, ohne dabei das akustische hier und jetzt aus dem auge zu verlieren oder auch nur eine spur in anachronistischer nostalgieseligkeit zu verfallen. stattdessen gehen unter seinen sensiblen hŠnden meilensteine des minimierten deep house wie >forever monna< von chez damier, ron trent und stacey pullen (1995) oder der 99er clubhit >overcome< von thomas melchior/baby ford mit kontemporŠren intensiven detroit-techno-hommagen wie smallpeople & raus >life aquatic<, delano smiths >my life< oder pigons traumhafter >koto<-dubtech-romanze von der 10 jahre dial-compilation auf wunderbare weise zusammen. au§erdem mit dabei sind so bekannte namen wie aril brikha, isolŽe, das ifach collective und robert hood, bevor roman flźgels auf duran durans >save a prayer< basierendes meisterwerk >brian le bon< und das kristalline >oi< von plaids klassikeralbum >not for threes< (warp) den wehmźtigen schlussakkord setzen. lawrences mix atmet hier jedenfalls die gelassenheit eines lichtdurchfluteten sonntagmorgens zwischen modernistischer gro§stadt und waldlichtung und gibt so seinem globalen kźnstlerischen ansatz die passende dimension

dj diamond is 24 year old karlis griffin from the west side of chicago. he has been producing music since the age of 13 and djing since 20, heading the -flight muzik- clique of footwork producers. you might recall his two tracks from our -bangs & works vol.1- footwork compilation of last year. in addition hes also released several mix cds in chicago, but this, his first international album showcases his unique style of footwork music. dj diamond is a unique producer with his own distinct style and an unusual ear for unexpected sonic and rhythmic combinations within the footwork template. often he thoroughly edits samples into tiny trance-inducing, techno-like stabs. combining this with a penchant for neon synths and loose, broken drums (that are often more effect-laden and freeform than those of of his peers) and you have a sound which has an intriguing, deeper, dreamlike feel. the breadth and quality of his production is clear when you listen to this album. take opener -rep yo clique-s woozy drawling synths and tribal tom patterns next to -speakerz n tonguez- with it-s snapping snares, minimal, repetitive voice samples and martial, detailed drum work. then a track like -torture rack- which is like grime in outer space: a minimal bassline and some samples from a computer game, while a bass kick stumbles at half time, swarms of percussive detail giving it drama. its a brilliant exercise in wonky tension. the extraordinary -decoded- comes across like a kind of amalgam of trance and prog rock bombast at 160bpm while -wreckageÕs- high pitch saw noise is like a strange metallic bird-call, over light cymbals, gabba-like kicks and metallic claps. -digimons- harmonic microedits could even be an snd track transported to chicago. finally the albums closer -i choose you- rolls out over a heavily edited and processed soul sample, its drums rolling off at odd angles to almost seasick effect.

no surrender sind eine brandneue hei§e electro/hiphop/indie-rockband aus brooklyn nyc. no surrender haben ihre wurzeln in downtown alternative hiphop, afro-punk und electronica. sie haben sich in der szene einen riesenrespekt durch originelle mischung aus sounds erarbeitet, was auch durch ihre collabs mit dem leadsaenger tunde adebimpe von tv on the radio, radioclit (santigold, m.i.a., bonde do role), antibalas-mitgliedern, oder breakbeat king freq nasty untermauert wird. produziert hat das album ehemalige tricky-saengerin costanza francavilla, die auch afro-punks apollo heights, dj monica sharp und brando lupi & folco peroni ins boot geholt hat. somit steigen no surrender mit -medicine babies- sofort in die topliga der hei§en electronica/hiphop acts aus new york city ein.

15 track european collection includes -22 twos-, -dead presidents ii-, -ride or die-, -friend or foe 98-, plus collaborations with foxy brown, notorious b.i.g., gwen dickey and more...

the number 1 album, incl the singles rehab, im no good, back to black... uk edition (incl 11th track addicted)

you can forgive a band who set out to create something even just a little bit different and get it horrendously wrong, but its tough to have sympathy for a band who shy away from the challenge altogether. such was the case with autokratz on their first album, animal, which, apart from a passable opening track, consisted of a series of bland electronic pastiches Ð dance music that conversely made the listener want to sit and wait it out. that didnt stop the hype building around the duo, though, thanks in no small part to the fact that the album was released through in-vogue french label kitsunŽ music. the confusing positivity surrounding the lp suggesting, perhaps, that style overcomes substance once a record company has received the hipster seal of approval.this time around, however, kitsune has stepped aside, with autokratz releasing the follow-up on their own label, bad life. but has the sense of responsibility that surely comes with this step made them re-evaluate their direction? has it inspired them to inject a much-needed shot of creativity into their work? not a hope. if anything, autokratz descend even further into mediocrity on self help for beginners. once again, their best tunes are loaded towards the front of the album, starting with the lead single, -opposite of love. its far from outstanding, helped in no small part by the terribly contrived lyrics, but does possess a catchy synth melody Ð enough to earn it a place on club playlists, at least. its a similar story with -becoming the wraith, which has peter hook on hand to deliver an overtly new order-esque bassline. beyond that, however, the quality dips dramatically. tracks like -the seventh seal and -r.i.s.e. are typical of the selection on offer, underwhelmingly vapid, derivative tunes which show up a disappointing, but not totally unexpected, scarcity of guile on the part of their creators.where autokratz do excel is as producers Ð a quality evident not only in their own work, but also in their remixes for other artists. unfortunately, this only serves to exacerbate their deficiencies on the other side of the control room desk. ultimately it may mean that, having failed to address the shortcomings of their debut, autokratz will be fated to be filed under -also rans in the annals of music history. thats assuming, of course, that someone out there will actually remember them at all.

heidis-run jackathon parties have been hitting cities internationally since late 2009, now with residencies in london, berlin, paris, miami, manchester and amsterdam Ð jackd house is truly taking a fair slice of the scene. the compilation isnt an add on, a supplement to the nights: its deep grounded sound and thoughtfully crafted line-up backs up the global club-motion that is emerging within heidis control.mix favourites step up as the deep and bassy foundings of deetrons the juggler, funk-told incoming bitch by soul clap and move-strong whiff it yawl from jamie jones. although the first mix this year to really engage in houses history, its freedom status Ð it escapes cliche, avoiding big cheez for serious deep, electronics: heidi keeps the listing real. the especially-recorded vocal drops of house-legend derrick carter also make the record what it is, his infamous chicago-born vox gives residence to what heidis trying to do: resurrect the old school.dancefloor destruction is on pause, the club is still a playground, still moving hard theres just more room to play now, as steve bugs last track titles: jacks back.