birthed from deep within london s burgeoning jazz resurgence, native dancer have been setting levels across the capital s live scene (and beyond) over the past two years. five individual artists who together set out to create a music that speaks from the heart and denies none of their influences in a genre twisting mashup of styles with elements of pop, soul, electro-funk, jazz, rock and dance music. submit records release native dancer s eps vol. i & ii on 12- vinyl with gatefold sleeve. limited to 500 copies, the release features an eric lau remix of big blue and a digital exclusive remix of in clouds by slugabed. already having received airplay from gilles peterson, marcia carr, support from alexander nut (eglo records) and afropunk - native dancer are one of london s most promising musical prospects, and submit001 sees their remarkable duo of eps pressed to wax for the very first time.

aficionado enjoyed a storming start to 2017, serving up a pair of sell out eps from either end of the balearic shoreline - now they re back with one more for good measure. teaming up with the mancunian fashion house for a second season, this sonic selection pack is softer than velvet, smoother than silk and more durable than moonboots p.e. kit.

nycs finest dj spinna comes through on local talk with an epic release that might surprise those of you expecting a more traditional soulful house workout ! this time spinna went out of his comfort zone with a deep warehouse journey that works equally well in dark european house clubs or at the shelter in nyc. tb or not tb got that perfect blend of space darkness, analogue synths and that old school house thump. initially it s quite raw and simplistic but the true magic of this track begins halfway in (be patient!). if there ever was a journey track, this is the one! but we re not done, on the flip spinna also comes through with a warm and melodic deep house jam destined for those very last small hours. oh btw...that analogue bassline got that extra. thang!

a new my rules release from the always on-point justin van der volgen featuring two previously unreleased remixes that showcase his varied and unique style. the a-side sees him take both the original and spencer parker remixes found on the the 2016 shit robot single lose control and through editing, blending and layering of fx concocts one serious bomb of a mega mix. think classic dj bootleg remixes on legendary labels like razormaid, disconet and hot tracks. the b-side is an altogether different affair where justin dispenses with all of the original music and only keeps the vocal from felix dickinson s 2014 acid jam burning flame. what comes out the other end sounds like lee perry and murk made a tune once they got back from a sleazy ny after hours. early plays and support from gerd janson, john talabot, tim sweeney. vinyl only.

welcome to gully records second miscreant missive. brighton-based badman etch stepping up and coming incorrect with the chopped beats to make you screw. to be released on clear hand-numbered 7” vinyl as was deemed appropriate. “synapse cluster” is a proper slo-mo headbanger for the downtempo grunge-hop fan. deadly dankness. “labyrinthian contours” takes you on a journey of 3 stages. during the 3rd - time is reinvented. natch. this 7” single is a beautiful piece of work incorporating psychedelic art and cosmic numerology. look out for his full length double vinyl release on gully later this year.

vinyl only, ahead of their collaborative album later this year, pier bucci and oskar szafraniec present their first sampler titled tipico latino featuring a remix by el_txef_a. emerging in the mid 00 s, chilean producer pier bucci first appeared on cadenza with a release alongside luciano himself before dropping multiple releases on crosstown rebels, including his acclaimed album familia . since then he s appeared on get physical and rawax, not to mention launching maruca music - a platform for his own music featuring heavyweight remixers such as baby ford and thomas melchior. szafraniec has been producing under different monikers since 13 years old, releasing two solo albums, recording alongside a guy called gerald in 2012/2013, and touring as a live performer. as oskar szafraniec his production debut was a collaboration alongside ricardo villalobos two years ago, but since then he s appeared on murge recordings and cyclo, as well as collaborating with pier bucci on rawax, who oskar met whilst touring japan tipico latino features gloomy spanish vocals as intricate elements are brought in and out of the mix across its nearly nine-minute duration. subtle throbs and echoing effects are blended with metallic percussion and deep synths for a wistful and mesmerising aesthetic. forbidden colours founder el_txef_a, whose remix talents have been recruited by permanent vacation, galaktika, akbal and culprit, reimagines the original providing a drawn out intro before exploding into a frenzy of crashing cymbals, animated acid and serene vocal moans.

after the sell-out success of boogie cafes black series we bring you the remixes. on the a, original house master dj nature gets admin s flute loops and takes it peak time for the dancefloor serious nature business. flip it over and get loose to admin s remix of bossa by chezz. taking this deep soulful track and giving it his jazzy trademark swing. early support from neil diablo , alfresco disco, melon bomb djs, dave harvey, noel watson

g. markus returns with two fresh edits after his first g-edits release sold out and enjoyed heavy support from all sorts of discjockeys. 70s soul/disco is the flavour here with a legendary diva getting the treatment, with one big peak-time banger and a slo-mo chugger for good measure. danvers helps thickens things up in the bass department with some live electric bass on both tracks. getting love from: karizma, atjazz, nuno dos santos, coco cole, waze & odyseey, huxley, droog, roger sanchez, severino, black loops, mj cole, doorly, piek, golf clap, terry farley, voyeur, fred everything, inland knights, moodymanc, sinden, jamie trench, rob da bank, michel de hey, moon boots, harri, lrusse, edwin oosterwal, lars behrenroth, speaking minds, bill brewster, kiko navarro, blakkat / shaboom, sacha robotti, psycatron, bodhi

ron dj skull maney is a legend. nrg music dropped in 1991 on chicago s saber label and cemented his rep as one to watch over the coming years. one of chicago s new wave of producers with a fierce style and original sound. the original press of nrg music was super lo-fi and that suited maney s sound. his blend of jacking box jams, deep pads, porno samples and nasty ass acid lines all complement each other on what is one of the era s most unique ep s. those who know recognise that skull s music over the years has always been essential listening material and this, his first ep, is a heavyweight signifier of what was to come! across 6 tracks we get a surprising cache of styles, from the sleazed out redlight action of nasty girl to the driving, demented minimalism of the raft it s all here, plain as day, one for the heads, the connoisseurs and the freaks. the real deal! reissued and remastered with the full permission of trax/saber records we have another gem from the annals of chicago house history for 2017. do not sleep!

nice price deal !!! we ve taken iko iko by loverde (a resident dj at san franciscos legendary club troccadero transfer) and given it 2 treatments. one with the love (the vocals left in) and the other a tripped out space odyssey which has been making waves on the hmd dancefloor. on the flip we ve reworked a hidden gem from queens hot space album to give the perfect end of th... finest disco re edits!!

the new erasure album on limited orange vinyl with download code included.

the new erasure album on black vinyl with download code included.

it’s been a long time coming. after raygun, conscious mind, void vip, stolen desire and a host of other guest appearances over the years, it was about time spirit delivered his first full solo release and it has certainly been worth the wait!
‘international’ has already been causing some severe destruction in the hands of those dj’s fortunate enough to have early access. an unrelenting frenzy of thunderous bass, seesaw amen fills, cavernous reverberating drums and hypnotic pads spiralling towards it’s intense surging apex. creeping synths, stripped-down militant rhythms and stealth subs provide the perfect vision for the title track, ‘stalker’ before ‘look out’ completes the journey with a brooding bass overload, surrounded in huge atmospherics and mystical echoing vocals.

mondo is proud to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the castlevania franchise with the premiere vinyl release of the original soundtrack to the 1989 famicom / nintendo entertainment system sequel: dracula’s curse. featuring both the nes and famicom versions of all 28 bmg tracks from the game spread across two 12” 180 gram lps.

an atmospheric japanese travelogue, taking in some underbelly tourist spots on the way.

this is the 3rd release on riot radio records, an independent techno label based in scotland. ingen is an edinburgh based producer who s sound is one of harsh complex poly-rhythms and soundscapes that crosses over into the darker realms of techno. over the years he s appeared on many respected labels and also works regularly on projects with some of the worlds techno elite. for those lucky enough to see him battering out his stunning live sets, playing alongside such lumineries as surgeon, whitehouse and the advent, these humbled few know exactly what extremes ingen is capable of reaching to crush your senses into submission. on this release, along with the original version of haste makes waste , there are remixes of this beast of track by lag, martyn hare, paul birken, duellist and the riot remix (ingeneered by taser), each one taking the original composition down a different track. the ingeneers have spoken.

cynosure presents the fifth installment in the focal point compilation series. this time with a focus on various studio collaborations with mike shannon, featuring recorded sessions from mathew jonson to ricardo villalobos. a diverse selection of works ranging from a smooth 100 bpm house with the mole & hreno to a rolling deep techno at 127bpm with matt & mark thibideau. mike pulls a few gems out of the recording vault to share on a stunning triple vinyl gatefold package.

the gooiland elektro compilation “unruhe” is a showcase of contemporary acid techno… spacey and trippy in the hands of zarkoff and distorted and freaked out by roberto auser… but also rather industrial when done by foql or pushed to the extreme by the untitled… this is acid as it should sound… edgy and daring tracks for illuminated heads instead of easy and boring sounds suitable for the masses… and as with all gooiland elektro releases this one is equally intense on the dance floor as with headphone playback.

while she may be based in berlin now, shanti celeste has deep roots within idle hands. from working behind the counter when the shop first opened to playing the label parties and co-running the neighbouring brstl label, shanti s contributions to the bristol house music scene have been ever-increasing as she has grown as an artist. having put out our her second ever 12inch,days like this, back in 2014, it gives us great pleasure to welcome her back as an internationally respected producer with a relentless gig schedule and a rich back catalogue of warm, heartfelt dance music that kicks where it counts. shanti s stylistic palette may have broadened over the past four years, but she s also retained a natural, unpretentious quality in her tracks that can span all manner of grooves and tempos. make time certainly chimes with her earliest house productions, but it s also offset by a wistful, meditative maturity. swooping pads, distant vocal threads and delicate fragments of breakbeat flirting in an aqueous soundscape whatever city shes based in now, this is surely deep house infused with a quintessential bristol ruffness. -thoughts- meanwhile speaks more to the artistic development shanti has undergone over the past few years, bearing the influence of melodic techno, electro and broken beat while striking a unique chord in the process. it s a hypnotic, alluring track that eschews basic dancefloor demands in favour of a more intimate headspace shaped out by snaking, polyrhythmic synth lines. both make time and thoughts stretch out over extended running times all the better for losing yourself in the heady atmosphere shanti has created on her very welcome return to idle hands.

wild is the most complete musical work by nuage up to date. following a thought-out plan from beginning to finish, with a real introduction, development, and conclusion, the album is influenced foremost by the sun, sea and tropics. the music slowly evolves from warm and uplifting songs towards colder and more mysterious realms. . taking a full year to finish the album, including the entire change of season from summer to winter, memories of trips to mexico, the mountains, and the seaside fade away and are replaced by days at home and in the studio in cold st. petersburg. at the same time the music itself goes through a very personal development from outgoing moments to parts of personal reflection. without adding too much weight or philosophy to the music, the album is an easy and natural listening experience that explores contrasting and at times contradicting themes between summer and winter, cold and warm, introverted and extroverted and many layers in between, while also harmonizing the musical past, present and future of nuage.

limitiert und remastered: fünf nachpressungen vergriffener studio one bestseller. willkommen bei studio one, der university of reggae. mit studio one scorcher, studio one groups, studio one soul 2, studio one kings und sound dimension mojo rocksteady bringt das londoner label soul jazz fünf, ursprünglich zwischen 2002 und 2007 erschienene platten neu heraus.

clear marbled vinyl written, produced, arranged and engineered by joseph longo iii | pal joey music aka earth people. new york finest joseph longo iii (aka pal joey / earth people) presents an excursions into deep & soulful house, downbeats and electronica.

12inch with printed deluxe sleeve. daniel punctures the game with a slow growing three track set of dub influenced house curiousities. so happy to get this one out the door before the summer. we think the nts radio mix from april is popping and a nice way to get into the mindset being this record.

indira paganotto returns with her third pooledmusic ep, featuring a pair of remixes from label boss ian pooley. having made her debut in 2012 aged just 19, indira has spent the intervening years honing her sound and exploring new approaches to music. currently based in madrid, paganotto s father was a dj in goa, where she spent a significant portion of her upbringing. having grown up with her father s collection of trance, acid & psychedelic rock records, paganotto s eclectic musical education has informed her music s individuality. her 2014 solo ep time out man blended these inspirations into a pair of evocative house grooves. this development continues with kashmir & savannah, both of which find the 24-year-old producer in confident form. ian pooley provides a pair of his own trademark dancefloor-focused dubs to complete a package that confirms paganotto as a new talent in the ascendancy.

as owner and curator of the exotic dance records label , j. albert has released a steady handful of projects on his brooklyn based imprint , as well as showcasing new music from deejay xanax and person of interest . add to that, recent releases on the 1080p label and black opal, and j. albert is fast making a mark on the scene for his raw and undiluted deep fusion of house, techno and jazzy vibes. his debut ep for hypercolour opens up with dont hide it a bumpin and jazzy flavoured house cut, resplendent with rolling snare drums and warm stabs, a sampled double bass riff and choppy vocal refrains xtra sauce is another stellar house track, fans of the ron trent/prescription chicago sound will instantly find an affection here with the rolling drums and soft keys, all pushed along at an energetic pace, whilst vista finds j. albert in more playful mode, carving out a 10 minute jackin underground house vibe that cuts raw and hypnotising.

next up on aus music is the return of label boss will saul working alongside long term label favourite komon. together the duo line up harmonise - a smouldering single that comes backed up with an almighty pair of remixes from osgut ton mainstay nick höppner and analogue aficionados juju & jordash. the title track kicks things off with glowing, interweaved synths and a pattering tom line. vocal snippets and trippy delays suffuse a purposeful bass tone before the 101 dub version rolls out with punchy drums and a sharp, darting acid line. berghain regular nick höppner then does what he does best with his remix in building a rich, hypnotic groove that steadily develops with intricacy and depth. dekmantel and golf channel regulars juju & jordash then drive a warped, rumbling synth line through spacey atmospherics rounding off another fine addition to the catalogue.

brassica is a trusted staple in the field of outboard house and techno, from time served on labels as esteemed as dissident and civil music through to more recent outings on feel my bicep and others. here the uk producer has been snapped up by vivod for four tracks of deep analogue house and electro to warm the cockles a treat. coco diaz is a tightly wound jam that hinges on a broken beat, while splash opens out into a blissful melancholic reverie. nothing to say amps up the sleaze and the acid a treat before blue function heads into more trippy soundtrack territory

most of the releases on imogen recordings to date have been from label boss ilija rudman, but this time around the disco house operation is turning to a relatively fresh proposition ourra. the alias of one simon tappenden, this time is the first dedicated release for ourra and he comes out swinging with the sultry slap-bass inflected title track boosted by a classic vocal turn from robert owens. rudman meanwhile weighs in heavy with no less than three remixes of the track on the b side, with the radiophonic mix standing out thanks to its stripped down effectiveness.

the sadly departed jaki liebezeit was the kind of drummer whose influence will be continually recognised over the decades to come. best known for his work in can, there are also many more sides to this singular sticksman, and emotional rescue has chosen to shine a light on his post-can period living in stollwerck. on the a side of this 7inch curio is the sound of phantom band with linear johnson & the protons. rush rush has a spiky new wave bent to it, but still liebezeit s drumming stands out. the b side drums off chaos need little explanation its the sound of one of the all-time drumming greats letting rip in a ferocious blast of percussive abandon.

coming out of the audio plants fraternity, ukranian drum & bass artist pageant brings a bright and breezy musicality to the scene on this expansive debut album. the beats come through clear and punchy while the instrumentation takes its lead from ltj bukem s smoother moments to results in a very palatable kind of liquid drum & bass. this is as feel good as the genre can get, and with its wide scope for natural and synthetic sound sources it never tires on the ears. whether it s the soaring vocal of elena aki on space song or the expressive guitar trills on taxi driver, there s always something catchy to draw your ear in to pageant s smooth as silk soundworld.

pleasure zone welcomes jakob seidensticker, snad & boronas to the family. after receiving so many great tracks from this fabulous trio we ve decided to release two parts - so please watch out for plz024.1 & plz024.2!

much may have changed over a two-decade period, but drumcode s commitment to releasing the scene s most cutting-edge and refined techno remains resolute. 2016 saw releases from heavy hitters such as adam beyer, alan fitzpatrick, dense & pika, sam paganini, joseph capriati and waff, as well as a much coveted moby remix package. the label pushes forwards again in 2017, bringing fail-safe, club-ready music to the techno community

picking up right where ep 1 left off, ep 2 kicks things off with a bang. first up is catz n dogz and yotam avnis for blakkat a high pace burner ideally suited for dance floors from panorama bar to under the leds of watergate and every club in-between. the duo return with the bright version of afterglow for the second cut on ep 2 and aptly titled, it pushes an intense, glitter filled ride to its limits. embarking onto the b-side, o.a. peas from heavy hitter eats everything & lord leopard take a trip down memory lane with a heavily sample based feel good tune that will absolutely demolish dance floors worldwide. rounding out the ep is a final collaboration between catz n dogz and reno wurzbacher with ma people and its by far the smoothest and most laid back tune of the bundle, but never does it let you rest as a mesmerizing groove and lush atmospherics tell a deep, complex tale of late nights and early mornings.

welcome to nightlife. johannes klingebiel’s debut on rss disco’s mireia records. an atmospheric journey. melancholic, yet euphoria-inducing. johannes’ five tracks cast their shadows into the darkness, mirroring patches of light that can be found if you wander out far enough. it’s simultaneously the soundtrack of sweaty dancers losing their sense of time and place and the hopeful feeling of a new day during a drive into the first light in the hazy morning hours. johannes is a studied drummer. he released music on labels like mule musiq, ancient future now and feines tier. he’s also one half of alma & mater and travels constantly with the bands c.a.r. and vimes. oh and he’s a great dj as well. he probably never sleeps. that’s how he manages to capture the magic of nightlife. the vinyl comes in a screen printed sleeve with hand stamped labels and is limited to 300 pieces.

mysterious berlin based label mask preps its debut release titled ‘lemmy’ with four untitled cuts this april. a new series born out of an established german imprint, mask’s enigmatic debut release was produced using a selection of analogue gear including a moog slim phatty, e-mu sp-1200 and nord rack 2x. the a side begins with a track built around a tightly programmed drum loop which subtly builds, laced with mix-slicing hats and sub-low kicks whilst stretched out chords dissipate around a crunchy synth lead. the second production is twisted and dusty, using flanging and reverberated effects to lead towards a distorted breakdown, driven from the depths by gusts of full bodied snares and a growling sub line. on the flip, dulcet tones of a female vocalist join lush melodic chords to cleanse the palette, whilst working within the confines of a subdued yet crisp drum machine groove. the final track then strips things back even further, employing minimalist percussive hits and a warm bass lead, leaving space for its soothing female vocals to do the talking

jacob long s work as earthen sea has already firmly established itself on itals lovers rock label, but here the san francisco-based artist is branching out to a sympathetic ear silent season. much like other artists on the label, long s fusion of heavy atmospherics and submerged techno make for a compelling, immersive listen. at times, such as on -the sky is a sea of darkness-, he opts for a looming set of pads and textures that bear down on the listener. elsewhere, more delicate sounds interact across the frequency range, but what binds the record together is the weight of the ambience long is so adept at crafting. without a thread of a kick drum pulse to be heard throughout, it s another strong step on for earthen sea.

brendon moeller makes a neat fit on vancouver island s finest outpost of dusky avant-techno. moeller has of course turned his hand to many different shades of rhythm over the course of his career, but there s something in his blown out, dub-smoked sound that aligns perfectly with the autumnal introspection of silent season. the results live up to the promise, from the warm but melancholic throb of glow to the oppressive sub pulse of abandon. the hike takes things into more abstract territory, and then yearning rounds the record off on an oblique swinging techno tip trasnmitted from out in the leftfield.

odes of the kabatians is a collaborative project from emergent french producers pvnv and amandra, and with their inclusion on the silent season x series they bring a different mood from the consistent dubbed-out nature of many of the releases. varsovie i is a crisp and clear exercise in cyclical techno programming, while varsovie ii throws shades of light and dark into the melting pot to create an arresting modern techno workout. on the flipside varsovie iii takes a more murky turn towards intricate textures and rhythms and then -varkovie iv- blows things open with a broken beat and tender chords, while still retaining that tough production finish that gives the record its grit.

hypnus records regular blndr makes the leap over to silent season as they continue to celebrate their expansive tenth anniversary with a series of unmissable 12inches. dub techno is very much the order of the day on this grip of four tracks from the french producer, with shimmering chords and subterranean rhythms spelling out a perfect recipe for total meditation. -abstraction- is a highlight with its thin slithers of sound ducking and diving between the erratic kicks while partial drifts on a slow-creeping beat that gently buffets the vaporous chords downstream. with whispers of club compatibility tucked into the folds of these heavy-lidded tunes, there are many ways you could find yourself engaging with this 12inch.

some things are heavy and some are not. why is it like this? style for instance seems to have no weight as long its timely and modern. gravity might change, but style endures. it s not how low you go, but where and when you show up. temporarily the peripheric mainstream may attract more likes then the contemporary self-contempt. gravity can be a bigger enemy then yourself. don t let gravity get you down! mix mups new 12 is fighting for a world where gravity is for everyone, regardless of rpm, bpm or bitrate. in this times mix mup and mikrodisko are standing as proud allies together. we shape magic carpets out of black gold! m12 vinyl slices will beat the terrestrial gravity! hover the spoon. over the moon.

fresh off the dusty spools of the sony tc-186 @ discrete tapes hq, toronto, comes a blinding 8-track va for the label’s fourth release. ranging from deep, dubbed out meditations to raging techno trips this diverse v/a exposes the subterranean connections between our disparate sonic landscapes. tracks include a dub-technoid hip-hop monster from label head thought project, raging acidic electro from dj rare and deep sonic mirroring from montreal-based producer nitecc.

o celebrate the 25th anniversary of ugkãs first album, get on down goes the extra mile, presenting it for the first time ever on vinyl. and 2-lp clear vinyl at that, giving the strutting, funky grooves the chance to really stretch out on your system. back in 1992, southern hip-hop was still proving to the world that it could sustain a fan base that was chiefly raised on rap from new york and la. the geto boys and 2 live crew had made strong cases by the earliest 90s, and pimp c and bun b were ready to make their own. most of the trunk-bumping bass comes from drum programs and basic sampling on these tunes in later years they would build their sound into something even fuller and deeper. self-produced with additional work from houston locals bernie bismark and shetoro henderson, the tracks here are minimal, slow and menacing, which matched their lyrical approach quite nicely. you can hear the beginnings of the groups true greatness in these early lyrical workouts ¹ several taken from the regional cassette-only ep the southern way that got them signed to jive with tales of street hustles, relationships and self-reliance in a world stacked against them. they may have been done early-on, but that doesnt mean they arent crucial to ugks legacy cases in point being the three singles: something good, a charismatic update to bill withers use me up, and pocket full of stones (the latter featured on the menace ii society soundtrack). beyond the singles, deeper cuts like iãm so bad, feels like iãm the one whos doin dope and cramping my style made it clear to the world that this crew had the attitude and charisma to make even bigger waves in the years to come.

this release is gifted by a special remix from someone who need no introductions today : chris carrier aka mr georget delivers a dope remix of one of the track that franck already released on home invasion called yabba.. the idea was to give to our favourite remixers (cause we got some good guys coming up aswell) the freedom to choose one of the tracks that they really like from the label.mr georget gave us a deep and hypnotic feeling on this one and we already love it it here, that s why we choosed to press it has a 45 rpm full side to give him the best sound and dynamics. on the other side franck give us 809, a track wich is the result of the sync between the 909 and the 808 together when it comes to speak about drum and some synths delighted by his own secret. bugz is a simple ruff track coming out from the mpc wich we can ear from the drums, and some stabs samples coming thru his vermona filter and passing by some external effects.. in and out its all about the jam here j we hope you will enjoy this new ep has the summer starts soon guys...

a newborn imprint with an obscure name makes the perfect home for kozo to showcase some of his studio work under the ooodjkoz alter ego.
uncle tom’s tune needs all its 13 minutes to develop, with the melodic pattern fading in and out the wobbly baseline, like hiding from the sci fi sounds scattered throughout the track. crafted to please crowds that enjoy to be cooked slowly, milly van illy takes it to a more dynamic pace, stiching the groove beneath the percussions and storing all the energy into the hi hats. as for lady gargara, we’re gratified with a twisted cocktail of chopped voices stuttering on broken drum loops.
uncommon as it may sound, drag and drob ep is here to add some spice to your record collection.

you re alone and you close your eyes. don’t imagine figures of light, make the darkness conscious. it becomes deeper, not eyelids anymore, and then something is around you, but you can’t open your eyes, you’re deep inside them. merge into oneness, not bright above not dark below. something with has no echo. waves and motion, not space and time. if a tree falls in a forest where no one is listening, does it make a sound? there are no signs in the snow. why this dream of something cold? the world is blue at its edges, the colour of that which can never be possessed. blue flames, deep ice, twilight. how do you observe yourself without knowing that you’re looking? the other side of your face. why don’t you let the gap be a gap? i was afraid there was too much space. when you stop focusing the image appears. everything seen at once. turn yourself into a point to get behind the surface. a messenger between two worlds. the hidden meaning behind alchemy: to be born again. you’re not born into this world but out of it. travel by heat, words are too slow. sound knows how to get around edges, wiser than light.

selected advent deal, henrik bergqvist is back on aniara after releases on boss musik and trouble in paradise with some spaced-out house bangers and a revitalizing groove excursion on the flip. have a nice trip!

after the success of most excellent unlimited’s first dj tools collection, a new roster of dance floor masters has convened to open their bag of tricks. theres something for every mood on this eight- track ep, opening appropriately with the one-two disco punch of justin van der volgen’s energetic conga break high in nyc and legendary better days alum bruce forest’s anthemic “street break, with its instantly recognizable brass hook and percussion from brazilian maestro airto moreira. photays j train squeak break builds drama with a minimal afro texture while phil moffa goes the other way with a tribal four-on-the-floor stomper. the flip side continues the diverse directive, as devin dares opening segment demonstrates with a never-issued labelle live session. jex opolis crafts a clever sun palace-esque casio workout and downtown veterans whatever/whatever revisit a much- loved technopop beat before kza takes things out with fitness beats, a sweaty workout that runs through a dozen iconic disco breaks. once again, most excellent breaks, beats & loops lives up to its name with a high-quality collection that proudly extends the lineage of the classic new york city break compilation.

the man known as dj nature holds a long and illustrious list of releases that spans all the way back to the early 90s, when, as nature boy, the bristol born dj and producer was carving out sample heavy house music for labels like ruff disco records and the underworld affiliated tomato label. his relatively modern re-incarnation, as dj nature, has seen singles and two albums come correct on revered labels like golf channel recordings and jazzy sport. following on from futureboogies landmark 50th release, dj nature drops a heavyweight four track ep on the bristol label, each track promising and delivering summertime vibes in abundance. born lifted, with its deft guitar licks and soulful vocal chops over lazy, hazy beats, is a great example of the nature aesthetics that make his tracks so very popular across the house fraternity. my life picks up the pace, deploying granite hard snares and cosmic chords with dusted vocal samples. on the flip, what it isnt packs some jazz chops with its sampled pianos and saxophone riffs over a discordant beat that swings with the best of them, whilst ep closer loving u more again serves up some delicious summertime grooves with the perfect marriage of deep, funky bass and seductive samples.

when phil evans conceived the very first catalogue number for blank state he wore short tight pants, a very wide, washed out aloha shirt and a pair of super big, super dark pilot sunglasses. what followed was the birth of the most wonderful, freakishly weird and trippy four tracks a label could wish for by a close friend and talented young producer.