just like his secrets ep of last year, this latest instalment in detbois catalogue, entitled ‘ice cold, merges elements of drum and bass, jungle, bass music, techno and more in exquisite fashion, quite simply like nobody else has done before. the 3 track ep consists of pure breakbeat pleasure, with ‘blood drops leading the charge, a classy piece that elegantly rolls and seamlessly interchanges through various phases. its without doubt some of detbois most distinguished work yet, and were delighted that its opening the metalheadz account for 2018.

to differentiate between his solo dance-oriented work to the darker tones, kaczmarek aka paul ritch launched his new album titled iiiiiiiiiiiiii on october 30th on his fresh imprint kczmrk. kczmrk is definitely a more personal project for paul, helping him define a newly found darker and more genuine taste to produce electronic music, which would even the most demanding audience left surprised. kaczmareks immersive sounds on his debut album were highly supported by respected artists of the underground scene such as sterac, vril, lewis fautzi, vsk and djedjotronic, who will contribute reworks that will come out in a remix ep in february 2018. the 12inch is gently introduced with a sophisticated remix of iiiii by techno pioneer sterac aka steve rachmad, continuing with vril’s remix of iiiiiiiiii who delivers beautiful ambient tones in a euphoric travel of sound. the b side begins with emerging talent lewis fautzi and his iiiis remix in a deep and hypnotic cut, followed by the curtesy of vsk and djedjotronics remixes of iiiiiiiii. vsk sticks to the dark and hard forms of techno with glimmer of deeper and industrial sounds while djedjotronic enrich kaczmareks dark techno tones with some futuristic idm.

recorded while gerald was in jamaica working on a project with lee perry in 1980. the master tapes of the four tracks that were recorded at the harry j sessions were only recently discovered. utopia was the only track that had been given a final mix back in the day. it was released on 7- on the black star liner later in the year and then reissued on partial records in 2014. the other tracks were never mixed until early 2017 when this task was undertaken by dougie wardrop. as well as mixing jerusalem (gerald did a later version of this tune for rej forte s jah works label in the early 1990s), working for the dollar and constant spring , it was decided that utopia should also enjoy a fresh mix.

more brazilian inspired, feel good vibes from the barefoot beats crew. first up is berlin based dance machine eddie c who digs deep and drops a swinging bahian tinged groove, which is guaranteed to get you dancing on the tables! while over on the flip, rio based producers balako capture the vibe of those hedonistic carnival nights in their city when the night air is bursting and burning with excitement and anticipation. log off whatever you were doing and go barefoot instead!

a quartet of heavy reworks. reginald omas mamode iv truly does what he does best, bringing a percussive, low-slung funk to one of the most ethereal and beautiful pieces of soul on the album, sunshine. glenn astro, elevates bossa b to a jostling, bouncing shuffler that eventually turns around and heads skyward with uplifting chords and irresistible bass. deoke heads into the darker regions of the original for his hugely loved remix of bossa b. the bass on this one is ridiculous and has caused damage to a couple of sound systems were aware of (genuinely). finally the ever exceptional mr beatnick simply took the stereo track for kalimba 2 and edited it into a mind-opening dub. handling bass and harmonics as only he can, a true highlight of this high quality remix package.

with the fifth ep, solid rotation returns to the various artist output and releases depot ii. a pureremix workout with four killer tracks.on the a-side you can find a remix of lekandes as we walked through fields by benedikt frey, which will take you on a mind bending, percussive techno-trip. if you dont turn the disc, another remix is ready for the play-button. panthera krause leaves the knobsbehindwith a playful, dreamy version of vokodes wiek. on the b-side,jonas friedlich is waiting for you. he was not able to keep the handsoff two tracks. glowe and wiek by vokode were turned into a rhythmically changing,chaos mash-up,which will letyou stepforever. the final trackcomes from westlake & hayter. asmashing electro reinterpretation of lekandes as we walked through fields.

aktion mutante (violet poison and unhuman) is a synth-punk project recalling the ‘80s minimal-wave melancholic vibes with new school ebm/ cyber-punk noise cuts. the realistic mutation of the human body into a surreal and ascetic mind setting of an apocalyptic contemporary society. a live force with analogue machines. aktion mutante’s alchemy of splintered synth-punk, bloody ebm and haunting wave injects right into the veins and spreads quickly through the body. the duo of violet poison (veleno viola) and unhuman (liber null) couldnt be more suited for each other. after meeting at liber null’s duality event in 2015, the two artists clicked immediately and were able to record some material in italy during the winter of 2016. the result is this suburb 12inch which is composed of six tracks and was mixed by aconito records, london and mastered by andrea merlini, utrecht.

tinnie house records present gratitude, the album by rafa kao and cam harris. question? what do you need to know when two deck magicians from brazil and aotearoa meld and mix up aroha and gratidao? answer: aurally that you ll experience an eight track kaleidoscope of unmissable, deep, dope, eclectic, techy, musical bliss, with a wee acidic twist and then some.. because just when you thought you were fully immersed in one tune on that dance floor, dink, blink and you ll totally be transmuted somewhere else with the next chink. whatever you do, as winter flicks autumn out the door? dont be the one who forgets to add this album to your non-chilled and lead me to the club warmers.

experimental cinema sonics, electroacoustic research practice and shadowy wind instruments come together to form this unique interpretation of the mythical city of gold. utilising rare, half forgotten soviet era synthesisers vladimir karpov creates immersive soundscapes under the name xyr. the formanta mini keytar and the alisa 1377 lend karpovs music strange, seldom heard atmospheres which the st. petersburg native then combines with field recordings, toy percussion and wood flute to further build upon his utopian narratives. part concept album, part nod to popol vuh, his attempt to channel the thematics of the ancient tale of the muisca people through his modest home studio left a lasting impression on us here at 12th isle and were proud to present a selection of the tracks on vinyl for the very first time. originally confined to just 25 cassette tapes, for this edition we have assembled some of the most inspiring tracks from the sessions as well as the bonus closing piece aguirre song. immediately engaging, sincerely heartfelt and strikingly original, these are recordings we have returned to time and time again. limited edition lp comes housed in screenprinted sleeve. el dorado recorded april-august 2014, originally released via illuminated paths (march 2015).

after a five-year hiatus, tartelet mainstay james braun returns with the ep tearjerker, announcing his debut album for 2018. jb (james braun) has been part of the label since its conception in 2007 and has contributed immensely to its development. over the years, his sound has continuously morphed – from cheeky tech house, to emotional detroit-inspired house escapades – always reflecting his originality and worthy musicianship. the tearjerker ep is a testament to jb s musical journey. rooted in classic u.s. house and techno, the ep delivers elaborate melodies not found in earlier productions. the tracks were all produced at the newly opened panalama studio in copenhagen, which jb runs alongside lasse walentin.

10inch in full color tip on sleeve. musicians make albums. but in this case its different. the four tracks on this ten inch release were created in between. its an intermediate piece that sits between two albums, reflecting on a series of special moments and special evolutions of black flower.

limited edition of 500 handnumbered copies on 180 gram vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

great heavyweight 2lp-set featuring the best tracks from the 1972 to 1975 period including the group s signature track -gamma ray-. birth control is among the longest running german bands and were formed wayback in 1968 in berlin. the group had several line-up changes over the years and fused krautrock with progressive rock and the blues rock genre, with percussive keyboards & synthesizer effects an unique sound was created.

the energy that johnny cash and the tennessee three captured on the legendary “johnny cash at folsom prison” movlp274 record can probably never be duplicated. that being said, “hello, i’m johnny cash” comes very close.
this forgotten album is arguably one of the five best albums in the cash discography. it is fueled by superb original cash songs and well executed covers. it contains “see ruby fall” (co-written with roy orbison) and one of his best 70s hits, “blistered”. the lean, minimalist instrumentation of the tennessee three ensures the album with great rhythm, leaving johnny cash’s voice as affective as ever. the album itself reached no. 1 on the country charts and no. 6 on the pop charts.
pressing on 180 gram audiophile vinyl.

piero umiliani writes music for the rai tv documentary produced by gigi martello and lionello torossi for fremantle italiana in 1964 titled “il dono del nilo-, directed by corrado sofia, with whom the florentine musician will collaborate several times for television tuning. originally printed by cam on lp and 7&#8243,,,,,,, “the gift of the nile / arab market “, both very rare and sought after, contain exotic flavors and world-easy listening. these sessions were recorded made in rome in september of 1964 with the orchestra directed by umiliani himself and the participation of singer tawfik yussr. available for the first time since it’s original release, this limited edition vinyl reissue is limited to 700 hand-numbered copies on orange & gold coloured vinyl.

ecuadorian carlohs passion for music began at an early age, learning the art of turntablism from his father and uncle, both of whom were djs. heavily influenced by the native instruments of his country and the folk music of the andes mountains, his knowledge of modern and traditional is reflected in the latest release on hot creations. the ep opens up with title track sound pump. alien-like noises float amongst the powerful, thudding drums before descending into a crescendo of hurried synths that are smashed into outer space by that classic jackin beat. this is swiftly followed by the dark and looming bassline of its like before, littered with twinkling, cosmic synths it’s works a treat! claiming he wants to rescue the sound of classic house, the talented producer has forged a musical style that strikes the perfect balance between old and new. describing himself as a pioneer of the musical genre andes house, carloh has previously released records on desolat, baumsounds and im a house gangster.

seekers new album, this time 2 x 12 inch records , plus one special 7 inch included in the first 200 copies. all tracks were recorded in tape in 2017 somewhere in europe.

terrence parker presents real love ep. this classic release never came out officially! only some limited white label copies were done thru serious grooves in 1994. as a bonus, terrence also included here an new version of -real love-. don t sleep on this!

were super excited to present the latest artist to join the dirt crew stable, french producer sekou babe. he ticked all the right boxes for us with this beautiful debut ep foresight prevents blindness which explores his fresh and vibey outlook on house with sideways glances to smokey jazz, breaks and garage. the a-side lines up three varied tunes. perspectives of the youth and soukoun step in quickly with lively breakbeat rhythms. the first boasting warm soul vocals and steady bass groove, the second a melancholic yet uplifting back and forth between vintage piano and warbling rhodes. treize zero zero trois is a deep and dreamy house jam. cinematic elements infused with punchy percussion and 80s sonic touches add up to good times all round. on the b, our good friend nachtbraker does what he does best, flipping treize zero zero trois bringing the deep, dubby amsterdam vibrations. his version is lush, textural and slightly fruity, with surging synths, tropical percussion and a stomping kick. sekou babe rounds things off with the extravagant crown collection, showing us yet another colour in his musical spectrum. its trip hop meets detroit where warped strings introduce shuffling drums before the track begins to build layering subtle arpeggios, smooth pads, crash hits and a buoyant melody. sekou babe would like to add that all tracks were written and produced by b.b. at 7e republique studio and says thanks to peter, ghizlene, mohammed and florian, you beautiful souls.

jasen lovelands prescriptions are strong and may not be suitable for all patients inquiring. these formulations were created in assistance from bmg, silent servant, and a new and improved mix by patrick russell, phd. a full dose of all four medications should not be administered without the help of a certified professional. for more information please feel free to call the acid camp hotline at 1-800-ami-high.

the self-titled four track ep consists of ideas, sketches and field recordings collected over the years, which were then forged into actual songs that reflect on existence and its abysses. borderline girlfriend draws inspiration from everyday psychological downward spirals and transforms them into raw techno.

boris bunnik is no stranger in the world of electronic music. he released several albums and ep’s under a variety of monikers since 2007 on labels like delsin, shipwrec, frustrated funk and his own transcendent imprint. fauxpas musik welcomes him for a new project called severnaya.
originally hailing from the island of terschelling, the most northern and remote part of the netherlands he now made a piece of music dedicated to this special place. severnaya means north in russian and refers to the bright frozen landscapes of the northern archipels. boris often plays with the influences and elements of ambient in his music. if we have to believe the man himself, polar skies is his most personal sound trajectory to come from his mind. drum programming is scarce and what remains is a lush and profound listening experience floating on scapes and melodies. we clearly hear his roots and intentions represented in the airy, tranquil sound design of this new album project. things sound spacious, and life is at ease in these melancholic compositions. crispy crackling percussions and icey pads place you in the midst of a resonant arctic landscape. you can hear influences drawn from producers like biosphere, pub, brian eno but we also hear more contemporary influences from modern day film composition but most of all we here boris his own signature. the tracks were composed over a couple of years (2015-2017) in a more contemplative mindset. at some point this selection formed a consistent piece of music and as a result you hear his most personal and fragile works to date. fauxpas musik is proud to release this new project in 2018. written and produced by boris bunnik aka conforce at the pasadenaoceanlab studios special thanks to family, friends and fauxpas musik for their support. this release comes in 180g vinyl and a hot foil stamping on the cover. vinyl tastes better...

known in the record collecting world as an incredibly rare album with just a handful of known copies, we present for the first time the full length album reissue of the two sisters from bagdad album as performed by la vice & co.

the studio and label digital b of producer bobby digital dixon became the ruling production house in the musical revolution that swept through jamaica from the mid-80s onwards with a lethal selection of dancehall weapons and chartbusting reggae hits. x-tra wicked gathers many of his bestever productions from those heady times when specialist stores were awash with 7-inch singles, freshly arrived from jamaica, and reggae music was once more on the rise. this great double 2lp-set presents 24 selected tracks in a double wide vinyl jacket, with just the top hits from the two bobby digital reggae anthology releases, the 2cd+dvd set x-tra wicked and the 3cd-set of -serious times- and has liner notes written by reggae expert john masouri.

this split lp compiles the output of two closely related bands from, as suggested by the title, the hot, humid and (at the time) socially isolated city of brisbane, australia – an unlikely location for synth-pop and new wave music during the 1980s. prod & the moonbaby were a high school duo experimenting with tape loops, cheap electronics and primitive sampling.. the result is certainly lo-fi, light-hearted and naive, but also charming and the music belies the young age of the musicians. ash in october was in many ways a logical progression of prod & the moonbaby and shared some of the same personnel, but also added some new wave influence through extra instrumentation and more serious, considered lyrics. most of these tracks have never been heard before outside a handful of self-distributed tapes and this compilation was compiled over several years by the artists in collaboration with hysteric and nick mariano (crispy nuggets).

uk techno veteran kirk degiorgio takes on the future/past guise once more for an exquisite 4 tracker on the belgian de:tuned label. kirk struck gold during a recent dig through some of his old dat tapes and unearthed 2 previously unreleased gems: a finished version of his widely acclaimed 90s classic “hyperspace” described by kirk as the real hyperspace and “cosmos”, a rough uptempo percussive workout, proper crunch future/past sound.
the dat tapes also revealed a couple of tracks that were only ever released on cd: “try 2004 funk mix 2” (from the historic 1993 “applied rhythmic technology” compilation) and “locator” (from the sublime “objets d’art 92-95” compilation). the cds have become rare and wanted items, and so kirk and de:tuned decided to finally press these tracks on wax.
all tracks were mastered straight off the original dat tapes by matt colton to guarantee that extra crisp sound quality. this release will be available on 180 gr vinyl.

behind the sstrom moniker hides one half of shxcxchcxsh and a long-time activist of sweden s experimental techno scene. having fallen in love with simple melodies and catchy arpeggios when being a member of bitpop/synth band slagsmalsklubben, he transferred these sensibilities further into his other projects. sstrom s excellent 2016 debut for semantica records was an excellent exercise in lush aquatic techno with breezy and lush atmospheres. the new ep -vitriol- is informed by the personal experience of the producer, which adds additional warmth and emotional weight to the record. the release brings back memories of earth pigments his father used when painting things in their house, the colours created were usually dark toned with some pastel lightness. this juxtaposition is felt throughout the record, which balances between cinematic futurist moods, steel-wool smoothness and subtle physicality due to its textured nature. the title track kicks-off with detroitish synth loops wrapped in dense lo-fi soundscapes, while -sienna- increases the tension by introducing more expansive melodic appeal intertwined with intensity of feather-like 4/4 rhythmics. -umbra- brings some shadowy sonic undertones immersed into a sea of crackle with melodies constantly resurfacing. the closing -ockra- bursts with more groovy patterns, yet retaining the same elegant warmth, which seems to be the signature element of this ep. while listening to all these tracks you feel like touching some alien surfaces with utmost sensitiveness with surreal landscapes stretching out in your imagination. this is carefully crafted introvert music, yet having some elegant dancefloor appeal.

1976 the brothers were an emerging disco soul septet whose blistering arrangements and ferocious playing had earned them a cult following and a major label deal. little did they know that only a few years after the release of brothers theme that it would be a huge record on the dance-floors of nycs paradise garage and chicagos music box with both larry levan and ron hardy hammering the record behind the controls every night. the playing of the group paired with the production prowess of the legendary producer, writer and arranger warren schatz (frankie valli, dolly parton, vickie sue robinson and more) combined to make a fairly heady brew of disco, orchestral overtures and bombast that just ignites. proper disco music in it s purest form, still doing damage today! often sought after by the deepest of disco heads on a white label promo 12inch this rare ep now sees a fully legit reissue, made in conjunction with above board distribution and rca is sourced from their vaults using original materials and remastered and repressed to the highest standard for 2018 and featuring all original 1976 rca label artwork.

‘rekanan 1 / rekanan 2’ is the debut vinyl release of indonesian music producer rmp. the a side was originally released as ‘rekanan 1’ back in july 2016 as a digital-only version to launch divisi62 - a jakarta based sound and visual arts label initiated by a group of musicians and designers.
this vinyl version has ‘rekanan 2’ on the b side - a continued development of similar ideas and themes that highlights the perpetual exchange and crossover points of asian and african heritage. both the graphics and music were conceived by using samples and fragments from a wide range of sources.

clocking in at 11 minutes, this is a radical deconstruction of the track bint el khandaq that appears on the mashrou leila album ibn el leil. lost souls of saturn tease out the underlying emotion and yearning present in the original and take the listener on a beguiling, symphonic ambient journey that calls to mind wolfgang voigts much loved gas project, or the shimmering imaginary landscapes of brian eno. renowned for their rousing, sensual electro-pop mashrou leilas songs touch on political freedom, lgbt rights, race, religion and modern arabic identity. lost souls of saturn were approached by the band to reinterpret the original track and the stunning results fit perfectly as their debut release on r&s. this is the next step in the evolution of seth troxler and phil moffas lost souls of saturn project. look out for an album on r&s in 2018.

nicholas returns to church with a six track mini lp. correspondant welcome berlin duo hinode having established themselves with a string of well received cuts on their own science fiction imprint, they were spotted by chance by label boss jennifer cardini on a recent record-shopping jaunt. with a raw, no-rules sense of machine funk running through everything they create, they’re the perfect match for correspondant and make their label debut with four numerical delights. i lights the analog fire with raw sleaze and off-beat mischief. unkempt and wily, it sets the tone for the entire ep: ii writhes snake-like with its slinky kicks and purring textures, iii slurs with bass groans and shakes with paranoid, alien melodies while iv closes with much more of a tunnelling, sense-blurring experience. total machine harmony, unbounded synthetic creativity, made to mix and wholly outer-planetary. hinode and correspondant are a match made in the stars.

the fourth release on trevor jacksons pre- label is by skull. a visceral journey into experimental noise and no wave avant grade beatscapes the last skull release snapz appeared on jacksons own output recordings label in 1999. a seminal collection of tracks that had previously featured on the first two legendary mo wax headz compilations (also featuring autechre, beastie boys, air, and dj shadow) as well as tracks that had also appeared on kevin the bug martins notorious macro dub infection albums during the mid 90s. reactionary sonic statements aimed at the coffee table world of trip hop, fuelled by his dissatisfaction and dissillustionment with hip hop of the time, trevor pushed himself into uncomfortable and far more extreme areas than he had before, areas he felt unable to explore with his underdog productions, which were mainly being utilised for major label remixes at the time. influenced as much by the industrial pioneers, post punk and new wave of the past as the burgeoning post rock scene in the mid 90s, this new set of previously unreleased recordings originally produced between 1996-2000 are equally as intense and visceral as the early releases. dusty samples, raw beats, tape loops, and primitive effects combine to sound as relevant now as when they were initially created.

part four in alden tyrell s latest project: vorm variaties , a 5 release series consisting of tracks recorded in the last 2 years. the vorm variaties tracks were a style excercise for tyrell, flexing his producermuscle while health issues forced him to stop touring. initially he had no intention to release these tracks but we consider them to good not to put out, infact we were almost forced to start these series because of them! all tracks selected are variations on classic techno forms, using classic style ingredients and the 909. all 5 variaties are different in style, yet all homogenous, all with alden tyrell s sound signature... on point production skills and stripped down arrangements.

slow town s 17th release from melbournes luis cl is an ode to analogue jams. the cran town ep shows what luis cl (one half of the zanzibar chanel duo and co-founder of ruff records) is know for: dirty but groovy drum arrangements, analogue synths and dreamy melodies and his kind of lo-fi and blurry mixdowns with definitely some detroit influences. the three tracks were recorded in one take during his studio sessions.

reissue! ae recordings is the infamous sublabel of thule records, which was responsible for some of the finest techno releases from iceland in the early 2000s. this collaboration between two titans of the icelandic electronic music scene, thor & yagya, was one of the pedestals of the thule musik dynasty. originally released in 1998, it still stands the test of time even ages gracefully like a good red wine, where the the harsh tannins of its youth gradually give way to a softer mouthfeel. ooger deliveres finely crafted techno with glacial atmosphere a blend thule records has long time ago perfected. the phuture isn t what it used to be the phuture is cow. ae recordings/thule records is considered by many to be a pioneers in the field of dub-influenced techno music and was a starting point for many of iceland s most renowned electronic musicians.

having been rinsed by the likes of dixon over the summer, were very happy to finally release auntie flos remix of oumou sangare! its complimented by a brand new original by the man himself on the flip, desert island.

surely no other orchestra can claim the dancefloor kudos of these guys - the salsoul orchestra. theyve literally played on, shaped, crafted and executed numerous classics since their inception in 1975. as salsoul records in-house band they were quite literally, instrumental, in the personality and sound of one of dance musics most famous and respected labels.

the original, the inspirational, the bombastic, the never bettered, the one. don t make me wait is all of the above and so much more. classic to the core. huge earth shattering record right here. ok, so the scoop, for the uninitiated is this - the peech boys were larry levan s group, we re talking early 80 s nyc here, 1982 to be precise, around the height of the paradise garage as larry was making the transition from superstar dj to producer. he brought a sparse, dubbed out, narcotic late night feel to the overall sound of this record. this was a short-lived project, but the influence is still felt today, the peech boys dna is inside the veins of modern dance music, as is larry s. there is no underestimating what an impact this record had. 7+ minutes of electronic bliss, trailblazing stuff, and don t get us started on the dub. do yourself a favour, buy this classic if you don t own it already, you ll keep coming back to it time and time again. guaranteed. this essential 12inch is repressed here in it s original 1979 glory, an essential classic that has stood the test of time for the last 30+ years & is now available again, remastered & repressed for 2017 in conjunction with west end records, nyc.

oh so you thought that was it with relo1? -funny idea but we wont ever hear from those goofy guys again.- you were so wrong. we spent 7 months in the studio and pulled another 3 pointer out of the hat with a bat. relo2 is here from the rebound lounge label and production project brought to you by dj dog(aka dj fett burger) & double dancer.

returning to metalheadz for the first time since 2010 were delighted to have seba grace the label with his ‘node 46 ep. the magical combo of seba & robert manos head up the release with the swedish producer also providing us with the dark and relentless title track on the other side. two tracks typical of sebas incredibly unique style, one that hes so consistently built his reputation around.

urpa i musell, the new barcelona-based record label, feels very fortunate to announce its second release, the first ever vinyl reissue of mr. wollogallu, the collaboration album between carlos maria trindade andnuno canavarro originally released in portugal on união lisboa, produções audiovisuais lda. in 1991 the collaboration began when the manager antónio cunha, a mutual friend of both musicians, brought the two together for a performance. afterwards they decided to embark on mr. wollogallu. they had never worked together before, although their careers had parallels between them. both were part of the 80s portuguese pop-rock scene: carlos maria trindade had played with corpo diplomático and heróis do mar, while nuno canavarro played in street kids and delfins. moreover, individually, carlos maria had released the single princesa / em campo aberto (vimúsica, 1982), and nuno had done the lp plux quba (ama romanta, 1988), now recognized worldwide for its uniqueness.

the night is what makes a big city come to life. right after sundown, the hectic buzzing of downtown makes way for adventure playgrounds, bathed in neon light, revealing their countless chances and opportunities. its when youll find the subway spitting out its purpose seeking passengers by the minute. a coming and going of restless people passing through. all it takes is a few hours, before the sunrise makes it all disappear. mental bend captures the magic of that very moment in their dreamy soundtracks. if you close your eyes, you can see blurry pictures passing in slow motion, accompanied by their atmospheric songs. grainy black and white snapshots, fragments of memories lighting up somewhere in the farthest corner of the cortex. one step is the berlin-based indietronica duos visually vivid debut album, released on enfant fenou. mental bend are all about letting go. sissip (voc/synth/bass) and hendrik havekost (beats/production) know how to trust their instincts, crafting their hypnotic signature sound, somewhere in between electronica, ambient and dream pop. before founding the band in 2013, the two were already shaping their skills in all kinds of different formations and styles of music. as soon as they got together, they had a viral mini hit with their song take my hand, praised on various tastemaker blogs and generating over 100.000 likes on soundcloud in no time. the bands first long play record one step is all about important experiences and decisions, small as well as big steps, all a part of making progress, which in the end can even be life changing. it was a step, that recently got mental bend their record deal on mos ferrys sub label enfant fenou.

restive plaggona recently released a brand new studio effort - a full-length album featuring 10 original tracks and a remix from ancestral voices, with a dark and melancholic twist, as the title of the project might imply. connected by a commonality of despair, nostalgia and desolation, restive plaggona elevated these elements into its maturity. at its core, each track has a soul-stirring significance, and is embalmed by titles that fringes on a political dimension.

dm002 showcases 5 dance floor cuts from keita sano, lucretio, alter-d, bioroot, and asymmetrical. this ep was inspired by the video games jet set radio and jsrf. some of the soundtracks for jsr and jsrf were produced by the latch brothers (including mike d from the beastie boys), and features tracks from other great musicians such as cibo matto.
the artwork of this release captures the essence of the video game and the ep within. hazy nights out in the capital, neon lights, high rises and 4:00 am eats.

sterns edits returns after the sell-out success of its debut edition with another two catalogue reworks from ben gomori. this time he turns his attention to burkina faso s much-loved taxi-driver-turned-singer, amadou balaké. balaké ( porcupine in mandinka) is burkina faso s proudest musical export, and in 2013 he recorded his final album before passing away: in conclusion. the record saw him revisit some of his most popular tracks from his remarkable 50-year career, backed by an eight-piece burkinabé band who took the country s traditional sounds and brought them into a contemporary light. gomori retains the essence of the original recordings which were mostly captured in one take and marries them to vigorous afro-house stylings. bar konon mousso (musicien c est pas quelqu un) in which balaké tells of a bar lady being unimpressed by his profession, gets a gentle push towards the modern dancefloor, its wonderful sax lines resplendent. massa kamba is taken for a drive down the more traditional route, with commanding drums bolstering the original grooves and a marvelous triple harmony brass section at its core. balakes freewheeling style suits the hypnotic feel of the edits to a tee. sterns edits is an official collaboration between african music stalwarts sterns music and london s ben gomori.

as huntleys + palmers events has drawn to a close, 2018 will see a big focus in releasing some brilliant new music and introducing some amazing new artists. first up is wheelman straight out of glasgow and fresh off the back of his debut for our studio barnhus buddies. to our shame, it took a kornel kovacs trip to rubadub to bring to our attention a real talent who was under our now the whole time! hed even been to a bunch of our parties and wed never made the connection. righting this wrong, we promptly hit him up for music to include on a clyde built compilation and they were so good, we designated the bulk of these tracks to this release 5 absolute belters!

bastinov returns on his beloved etruria beat after the big success of solar system with a brand new four track ep, wormhole. kicking off with the title track, characterized by a powerful 909 groove and strong synth, were plunged deep within its magical atmosphere. materia follows with its wonderful ambient pad and energetic kick, before were taken on a melodic tangent by the synth driven ‘paradox. closing the ep and rolling out another beautifully crafted 909 groove is the thumping quantum gravity.

the killers’ 2nd album, originally released in 2006, now back on vinyl.

optimo music don’t generally do limited edition releases but when the golden filter did these extra mixes of “end of times”, the a1 track off their recent ep we thought they were too good to remain in the digital domain so have pressed up a small run of 12” singles aimed specifically at djs. the original single version is a future synth classic. these new dub versions take it to the dancefloor and have been tried and tested around the world over the last few months. they are considerably extended, dubbed out and add extra dynamics & ecstatic synth power with hints of the original vocal. there is a slo mo version at 103 bpm and a faster version at 118bpm which means the track should work any time from warm up to peak set. there is also a drone-apella version included too.