silverlining dubs series continues with another ep of three rareities and the previously unrleased -the 119 year wait.

people must jams limited collectors cuts offshoot launches with a stunning edits suite from the ever on-demand albion !!
earth
the african king showing out with some full on sleazy afro disco glory.
water
riviera walk - the sun of year 1979 is setting alongside promenade des anglais, where we will spend all the night in the continental discotheque.
fire
fire dance - a boogie funk burner so tight it transcends the dance floor straight to mars in a ufo.
wind
midnite magic - proto-house cruiser that sounds like patrick cowley blasting through red light district with the sirens on.
limited 180gm pressed vinyl.

ellum audio welcome a new name to their ranks for the label’s first ep of 2017. that man is barcelona based raxon and he serves up a brace of brilliant tracks that prove he is a fast rising star. before now, egyptian born raxon has been based in dubai, where he was resident at the audio tonic events. he has released on label including nm2 and tronic and has a release coming soon on diynamic.

hailing from brazil and since moved to toronto get weird welcomes hauy. music crafted to be played in the clubs or the deserts, these three tracks chart an important journey for hauy. each a part of his recent journey and growth. amanita is a magic mushroom (amanita muscaria) that took him to a place where he felt no longer with the living. a place of truth where he would no longer lie to himself. after finding his truth and coming back to the land of the living, he decided to express the feelings of his journey through his music. he further pondered what it all meant. the initial darkness of the trip and its aftermath, gave way to a more positive light. as he felt more and more positive, another song floated in to his mind. your way to paradise is the sunrise after the darkness. blue moon wasnt originally a part of this musical journey but now seems relevant to represent how he felt before the experience, as a part of his full circle, completing a personal expedition and exploration to our latest release

following their much-acclaimed surprise debut album vermont from 2014, motor city drum ensembles danilo plessow and innervisions marcus worgull reunite for more synth daydreaming on the suitably titled ii. the new outing continues where the first full-length left off, strolling further down the luminous and undulating path that the duo turned into, influenced in equal measures by kosmische, krautrock, minimal wave and synth soundtracks.

the most powerful non-chemical flashbacks are induced by memories of adolescence—the time of your frst kiss, frst spliff, and those sounds that irrevocably alter the course of your life. calvin valentine’s “eugene” captures the intensity of those feelings. released on eyrst, it is a love story to the artist’s oregon hometown, replete with swooning strings, angelic melodies, extraterrestrial talkboxes, and evocative nostalgia. it’s rap, it’s r&b, it’s soul. it’s one of those indefnable albums that allows you to understand why genre is obsolete. it’s music—a timeless project from an artist who is acutely aware of how much time has elapsed. on eugene, valentine managed to do one of the most difficult things in music: write affecting love songs without coming off sappy, conveying the madness that sweeps you during the frst ?ush of teenage romance without losing a hip-hop edge. valentine’s eugene is a stark declaration of a singular talent. it’s the work of an artist fercely aware of what made him, who he is, what he loves, and where he’s going. this is an album about growing older and falling in love with different things but never forgetting those memories, never forgetting the place you’ll always call home.
the vinyl release includes a download code and a fold-out poster.

nice price deal !!! based on an old sketch for a track that was lost for 20 years and then suddenly resurfaced on an old dat tape when he moved his studio, latest offering from per martinsen aka mental overdrive takes us into a universe where big pianos and bright sunshine is the order of the day. to make things even more summery and relaxed he teamed up with fellow norwegian disco connoisseur rune lindbaek for a joint remix, and while in the studio they had a swift visit from chanteuse anneli drecker - recently known for her position as front vocalist for röyksopp - who added her soothing voice to the mix to transport you even further into balearic bliss. finally this release also introduces the bright new talent of boska, delivering his more uptempo remix duties to complete this essential package to kick off the summer season.

cgi records is extremely proud to be presenting the new ep from oakland via-bermuda based artist russell e.l. butler. i m dropping out of life are 4 cuts of essentialist dance music that can provide an ecstatic escape from the drudges of professional life for all who so rightly seek it. as russell himself elaborates, the title has been on my mind a lot, since i almost lost my life in the ghost ship fire and watched as many of my friends lost theirs. i came up with the title several months ago, in fact 2 of the tracks were shopped in a producer s group that johnny (nackt) and chelsea (cherushii) were a part of, both of whom i lost in the fire. this release is about a commitment to life. the life that i refer to dropping out of, is a life where dreams are put on hold, where concessions are made in order to just survive. but that comes at a cost, one that is far too great for me to pay at this point. i wrote this poem, it ll come as an insert with the record.

the coeo boys need no introduction anymore. their two last singles made it into the sets of so many djs. they are among the emerging artists of that new german scene of kids that make house music inspired by old jazz and funk records. the boys are mad about rare vinyl. and they love to make music with a positive spirit. yes, there is something sunny in their tracks. something that instantly makes you want to move. we heard so many mixtapes that started with a coeo track. makes sense: they are perfect to set a vibe. a good mood. but if you know that the coeo boys work in a studio over the roofs of munich, with a fantastic view over the lights of the city, with a great vibe where you see all the glammy colors of the light in the night then you understand why coeos music sounds as it sounds

none of that run-of-the-mill grind, but a heady cocktail, where the best psychedelic elements from 1960’s san francisco meet mississippi blues in a garage, with serious intentions. the phat bass lines and the funky and rich drumming build a house, where fiery and earthy slide will take no prisoners. the cherry on the cake comes by courtesy of honey b’s singing. think of updated memphis minnie and you’re close. she hails from finland.

the maverick maestro from the bay dave aju is back with his circus family here with an incredible new release. based on stripped-down hardware sessions rocking just a roland tr-909 and sh-101, aju once again proves that no sound set need be limited in itself and along with the addition of one microphone for his inimitable soulful voice, creates one of his strongest and most imaginative releases to date, the 10101 ep. a multiple homage to the 101 freeway that spans his native golden state and the numeric classic analog boxes used vs digital binary to process them, the four rich tracks offer the best of both worlds and cover all the bases of mr ajus musical multiverse. low dive starts things on a deep heads-down dance floor tip where rising synth lines soar over a blast of shuffling drums and percussion for a rocksolid djs delight. always never comes next with pure aju magic, equal parts song and track, an ear worm of a chorus, and full of sunny west coast electro influences all the way through. on the flip sides may very well be one of ajus most intense transmissions ever, with a sublime and seemingly endless build-up of dark pads, driving, shifting rhythms, and voodoo vocals that will detonate many a peak-hour sound system guaranteed. aju then tastefully finishes with the cool psychedelic mid-tempo bump of tell her why which harks back to his hip-hop roots and wraps up the vibe and elements of the whole ep perfectly. welcome back with a bang brother aju!

underground quality boss jus ed is beginning 2017 in fine fettle, with transition his first album since 2014 heading up a spate of vinyl releases. the triple-vinyl set is full of evocative, immaculately produced deep house treats, from the alton miller style intricacy of the loop 222 bodin strasse and shuffling, yearning the day prince died, to the rich bass and dancing drum machine hits of medellin my new grooveland (inspired, apparently, by a recent trip to colombia), and the low-slung, motor city grooves of sci-fi connection. best of all, though, is the rushing positivity of spring is near, where intertwining synth lines bubble away over a fizzing, techno-influenced rhythm track.

the record opens up with the poisonous title-track “two scorpios”, where sharp analogue leads lean on a relentless disco-funk groove, thrusting us out straight against the sweaty walls of the chicago’s muzic box. the airy and enchanting spirals of “solenoid” create a detachment for a sonic trip through circling arpeggios and sparkles. on the flip side, we reconnect abyssy to the “young soulomon” of early 90’s by a warm and robotics dusty house. the mood turns definitely more freaky with “slomo kid”: sampling divertissement with a punkish flavour and emphatic rhythmics, it is the perfect tune to shake down the whole ball of wax.

a forthcoming masterpiece of a new artist! - with traces of burning spear and culture in his voice, spiritual s original songs share with buzz artists like chronixx, protoje and alborosie the aims and destiny of reggaes new roots re-generation. production credits are a seal of quality, as there is the main producer clifton -specialist- dillon (producer for alborosie, shabba ranks in the 90ies, world hit by omi and many more) alongside bobby -digital- dixon, who also mixed a good part of the album. the main recording took place at digital b, plus some at anchor, tuff gong and oufah recording studios, with a big credit list of finest musicians, both veteran or new generation of the jamaican scene appearing and with the final mastering touch by kevin metcalfe. additonally iba mahr and droop lion (from the new gladiators) appear as guests for fine combination tunes. -awakening- is an album which might stand alongside classic reggae 70s albums like natty dread (bob marley & the wailers), marcus garvey (burning spear), two sevens clash (culture) and the right time (mighty diamonds) and is available with a new artist introduction price level!

brazillian-born daniela caldellas returns to hotflush recordings with misantropicalia, a three track ep, with each one showing different facets of her influences, further enriching her identity as terr. picking up where last aprils burn the past ep left off, terr continues to develop what is becoming her retro-futurist signature. the unmistakable footprint of electro, as well as a palpable nostalgia for the early 80s, is present throughout. the title track perhaps even betrays a whiff of italo or hi-nrg with its moroder-esque bass and silky guitar licks, before moving into pure body-popping, linoleum dancefloor territory on the b-side. outrun is an invitation to do the robot worm best heard on a portable ghetto blaster, while dont look around rounds off the 12inch in galvanizing style with hints of electroclash in fractured, fleeting vocals and beats of the fat variety. misantropicalia shows terr with her influences on her sleeve, and her gaze fixed firmly forwards

the new album from alicia keys as 12 inch vinyl lp in gatefold sleeve.

idle hands is proud to present our first 12” of 2017 from lerosa, a four-tracker beamed across the irish sea to bristol. the ‘subcouture’ ep sees the esteemed producer operating at the intersection of dubby electro and deep house, taking in the sub-heavy frequencies bristol is known for, whilst retaining an agile and sleek simplicity. ‘maryelen’ is a tight, yet pastoral electro track where dreamy pads contrast against tough, cutting drum programming. ‘line bass’ is a tumbling and bouncy number, that doffs its cap to reggae disco and features vibrant synths peppering the mix. ‘scruffy’ takes on a slower and more playful mood, featuring light licks of acid and off kilter keys. ‘subcouture’ is a subtle dubbed out house cut with a hint of shuffle.

marc antona has been always in the pursuit of new expressions within music as he has continually demonstrated with his work. following the jazz-infused adventures of the rattle snaps ep, he finally returns to his own turf to lay down another crucial exploration of beat science. hanging gardens is a masterclass in immersive programming, fusing the natural feel of live drums with crisp electronic tones that hover in a spacious mix. its the perfect angle at which to appreciate the subtlety of sound design that goes into every inch of marc antonas productions, teasing elements in and out of the mix so gracefully, its hard to tell where the joints are. the haunting touches of chords and lingering pad are deployed with poise, the intricate percussion progressively rising and falling throughout to create a truly immersive sonic journey. where the a side deals with angular rhythms and a shape-shifting atmosphere, unrestricted takes the sound palette of organic and electronic elements and feeds them into a rolling, technominded focus. the tribal thrum of the beat fills out an in-the room-ambience while the psychoactive synth flurries speak out the pulse of the machines. its a combination that makes unrestricted as intimate as it is exotic. in combining these disparate feelings within his tracks, antona once again brings a human feel to the technology, pushing the music into exciting new realms in the process.

-you can go on man with spliffs and booze, because a milf got no time to lose!- imagine a world lead by a cult of vengeful milfs. where business, market, money just ate themselves and sex is the only law left. would you survive or give up? surrenders bill

reissue part. 1 is the first release of our new series where we select some of our past tracks, released in the beginning only in digital format on sonntag morgen and now available also on vinyl. enjoy this 4 tracks ep with kwartz, rommek, phara and mental resonance.

coling strange lands on lies.. going to hit hard, this one..tip! collin strange has a long and storied history in the new york city underground music scene of the nineties. from owning a record shop in the east village, to working at distributers, to playing in bands of all sorts, to producing music alone, strange was around at one of the most vibrant (and transitional) times in the l.e.s., just on the cusp of guliani s culture crackdown which choked the life out of the city, forcing many to leave. currently located in seattle, strange has picked up where he left off years ago plugging in the gear and churning out blistering acid cuts with a very d.i.y. edge that brings to mind drop bass network, unit moebius, or free party french acid of old. coming full circle these tracks are completely at home on l.i.e.s. and will undoubtedly thrash any soundsystem in sight. play at maximum volume for total disruption

continuing where subspace transmission 1 left off casionova brings another triple-tracker 12? of synth jams and dancefloor grooves ranging from the merciless bass-driven mecha-disco assault of droids night out to the epic, booming and deep bass box-jam magic touch and with the galloping, mystical and hypnotic necromancer s spell sandwiched in between - for those who like their electro-disco raw and relentless.

the black belt academy is a place where humans become ozelots and follow their musical destiny. this four tracker by real black belters prioleau and manuel fischer reflects the atmosphere and consciousness within the academy. the sounds are raw, true and eternal. everyone is invited to join.

são paulo born producer l_cio, is already an established name in the brazilian underground electronic scene. having previously released on d.o.c. and kompakt records, he delivers a 3 track ep full of energy and dance floor ready cuts.
the a side kicks off with “lua”, where unresting hi hats harmonically blend with a powerful kick and lush pads. a2 is the vocal vox version of “lua” featuring the amazing laura diaz, co-founder of the mamba negra collective in são paulo, brazil. on the flip side we find the track “percussive city”, a throbbing percussive number that is primed and ready to set dance floors on fire.

come with us to a place of solitude where silent winds and barren landscapes have captured the hearts of many admirers but reject their controlling touch. a rejection of life, of death, and everything in between. this place is everything, it is the soul, but yet it is the nothing. a piece of that place has been brought to you once again. to some it will be an adventure but to others it will remind them of the journey taken so long ago to a place where rules did exist, no labels would fit, and no love could be found. frozen and empty but still the soul thrives. we call this place antarctica. where the soul thrives, and only the nothing lives here.

this is feline, suara s vinyl only sub-label. a place where coyu pays tribute to the black gold releasing underground local talent. house or techno, techno and house, always raw, always pure. visually is the feline elegance, reflected in the beauty of the motion and the plasticity of its own forms, like a cheetah floating in the savannah. counterpoint to suara, feline goes deeper searching for the purity of the graphic concept and the honesty of the message. for our third release we have barcelona s artist baldo introducing his unique way of interpreting electronic music plus a superb remix from daniel kyo.

alma negra is a swizz collective that consists of four musically driven friends, the figuiera brothers dersu & diego who s roots are established firmly in their cape verdian heritage, dario with his half and half portuguese/italian mix and finally mario with spanish roots. they are all passionate diggers who love playing music from all over the world, something that s evident in their productions as well. encompassing jazz, african and latin sounds to soul, funk, disco, house and even techno. as far as inspiration goes they mention donald byrd ,fela kuti and theo parrish. their creative output has let them to release on such fine labels as sofrito, highlife and most recently basic fingers. fans of alma negra include gilles peterson, ben ufo, axel boman, dam swindle, africaine 808 and tim sweeney. digger s workout part 2 continues where part 1 left us, proving once again alma negra are on a roll. included is a killer remix from osunlade and his yoruba soul mix of safari is deepness on a new level.

reboot takes another slice from his recent album ‘alive’ out for a walk. this time it’s ‘are you losing my mind?’. first we’re treated to the vinyl version full of everything we loved from the original. a stripped down tech house beat sprinkled with a might vocal hymn and plenty of groove. then ricardo takes over the track with his own very particular style. he’s made two distinct versions, ‘hauswiedermischung’ is first. as he’s known to do, villalobos created a kind of chaos in which the track lives without ever losing the groove and with plenty of little surprises to discover throughout. next is ricardo’s twenty four minute ‘losing my miles’ remix, and here is where he really loosens the grip on the track and lets it wander in and out of coherence, taking it and us along for a special ride that only ricardo can deliver. from beginning to end, you don’t know what to expect but you know it when it comes. get it, press play, and lose your mind.

efde s first release on voyage direct. the label embraces efde, regarding my bleep as arguably his most stunning production yet. some may be familiar with efdes work through his occasional 12inch singles for nordik netrecords and soweso, where he distilled a variety of influences think dreamy, ultra-deep house, the chicago bump of chez damier, and the sci-fi pulse of detroit into tracks that had a distinctive vibe all of their own. here he gets a chance to showcase his trademark sound on a four-track ep for the amsterdam-based label.

“there was a time when techno was written with a k, when the music was presented as a song not as a track. it followed a structure - intro, chorus, bridge... these recordings were naive, spontaneous, and raw, that’s what made some of them timeless. taking inspiration from this period, here is my interpretation. contemporary tekno, with a k.”
oaks is the platform where hector oaks will release his most personal works. cut on 45 and with one track per side, this record has been made for djing.

our first release is born from cordoba to berlin, through rosario, as a split ep. ernesto ferreyra delivers -colour blind-, pulsating and adventurous, takes us to a fascinating trip where you can hear colors. on the other side pedro d alessandro, label owner, and rosario city son deep mariano give us -las vueltas-, a unique groove, melodic and explorative engulf us in a sweet atmosphere. one record, two tracks and three friends is the way castelar discos began.

according to numerology the number five is the most energetic and dynamic of all the single numbers. allow this to be one of your defining expectations when you start listening to * 5 *, the debut album from parisian maestro djebali. the number not only marks the number of years that have passed since his label was conceived, but also represents the months it took to complete his very first long -player. this is an important milestone in any artist’s career, the first time they have the opportunity to create something timeless – a culmination of all of their experiences so far, and a statement about where they are, and where they’re going.

nice price deal !!! limited edition of 300 copies on blue coloured 12 inch - vinyl only, no digital release!
first vinyl only release in a brand-new series of heavily textured, hypnotic and puristic techno by one of italo-americans veterans in this area of expertise. this twelve marks the official launch of the second alter ego from ghettomans stefano patarnello. you might call dj gossip boy the nemesis of his other project son of disorder. where son of disorder is as eclectic as he can get, dj gossip boy is all about niches and purism. all trips are inward journeys through explicit sounddesigns, textures and rhythms. this is the first trip into dj gossip boy world of many yet to come.
support by: r. hawtin, sander kleinberg, dubfire, alex bau, forest people, tom pooks, contemporary vision, dema, tim thaler ...

direct connection between napoli & roma for this one. we welcome our favorite taliban, lksmn. we met him casually in a club in 2014 where he deliberately played all his 45rpm records at 33rpm and the audience had literally insulting him...! for us it was became a proper mate at first sight and first listen. kky burgers & techno, rome, italy.

four titles in four rounds, turn to clear, turn to dark, with thuds, rich without being fat, punchy, liquid, deep and breathless, which could have been played 20 years ago in bristol or the tresor at 8 in the morning. upon first listen, the conductive vital pulsation of the ep evokes the heart of a japanese sword from its conception until its final battle. fable of contents: a1- who are you -the forge. bathed birth by vapours, paced by the blower and the hammer. a2- where are you -the apnoea. setbacks, dissonances, power revealed in the midst of chaos. b1- when are you -hunt. anxiety and chase down the drains. b2- which are you -the assault. tribal. drums, the sword is in the hand of an army in the starting blocks. meditation, calm, total attack. it is a painting on frequencies that gives us this new volume of the japanese craftsman yaporigami, scour your ears before to see it.

cassette !!
the footloose lp by expanding universe is a young musicians attempt to drag himself out of one of life’s little dark holes. 24 year old dutch producer kevin huizing turned to music as a way of providing a much needed sense of positivity in the world. the result is an accomplished mixture of modern electronica, classical and world rhythms all composed by someone firmly outside of their comfort zone. the overwhelming theme that holds these contrasting influences together is emotion and a desire to make things better. natural and heart- felt. poignant and inspirational. it’s a masterclass in transforming a negative situation into one that’s magical and full of hope. melodies that will stay with you for ever and compositions that truly over ow with feeling and vibrancy. the eight tracks combine to form a wonderful journey of intergalactic escapism worthy of any movie soundtrack. taking science fiction as inspiration if each song where its own unique character they would undoubtedly fuse together transforming into one giant laser beam wielding robot destroying negativity and saving life’s across the galaxy. each track is great but together as part of the album they are unstoppable.

repress available! soundway records present a new compilation of twenty rare and mostly unavailable tracks from the slick and sassy world of nigerian pop music and club culture of the early 1980s. comes on triple 12 inch + bonus 7 inch vinyl, download code and 8-page booklet in gatefold sleeve.

exceptional, 15 minute long dancer from beatrice dillon, blessing the 12 x 12 series with a concatenated ‘nuum sidewinder can i change my mind?, where the london-based artist nimbly finds the square roots of jungle, techno, noise and minimalist dance music firmly anchored in steppers’ dub and west african percussive tradition. if you’ve ever been snagged by sotofett, dj krust or shackleton’s devilish dubs, this one’s for you!

where the factory meets the creek... rudolf c, dj sting, pascal and lou karsh all provide hazy, percussive, driving, and dubbed out live jams for this new melbourne based label. proper essential vibes from the sunshine coast.

nancy azzurro comes out of nowhere. well, that’s not entirely true—lovefingers met her about 10 years ago on the beach near her home on the island of sardinia—but in terms of our musical orbit, she is a very private artist, creating only the purest music, straight from the heart. these three gorgeous songs were produced during her young adulthood and would become secret weapons for a handful of djs she’d meet over the following years. still standing the test of time today, they’re now finally seeing a proper release. side-a’s grace invites us into nancy’s world where disco and house collide—the live drums, percussion and bassline hold down a blanket of synth strings and wah-wahs. halfway through this epic enters a piano hook of the highest order, an emotional rush that brings together everything we love on the dancefloor, guaranteed to induce goosebumps. on side-b, she rounds out the release with the dreamlike, percussive and yugo-tinged illustrations & the large, and closes with the title track teen bee, a loopy cowbell-driven dive into the deep, filled with luscious sweeping chords and meandering keys. the esp institute is honoured to close out 2016 (one seriously heavy year) with such a beautiful and cohesive release. thank you and goodnight.

the first release tosch ep is pristine in production and devoid of existing label noise, where powerfully subtle melodies can sit side by side with immersive dance floor heavy electronic music.

two more classic cuts get the re-edit treatment from shield. played by carl cox & nic fanciulli at the space ibiza closing party.

hotmood dropped one of the beatdowns biggest records this past summer. out of no where, in the shops one day, gone the next. highly anticipated volume 2 courtesy of tim zawada’s tugboat edits picks up where vol 1 left off. not a weak track amongst the bunch, diverse selection can turn any mood to hot.

die orangen, aka aussie producers dreems & kris baha are teaming up for the first time with 2 new unreleased jams under their new alias. slow and atmospheric, yet punching and grooving die orangen managed to meltdown genres into 100bpm 11 minute long trippy trancey bonanza with a substantial amount of jungle psychedelia and heavy drum machines. one day in sheperton is a more drum oriented industrial power house tune. with the diggerido and distorted voices coming in towards its 2nd half. this ep includes, as expected from the malka tuti crew, with awesome remixes by italian maestros fabrizio mamarella (of slow motion records) and alessandro adriani (of mannequin records), oodandatta rain is an ep that throws the listener back to the early days of partying in anjuna beach, when trance was not yet a genre, but a state of mind, and where the tribal element could be found in all sorts of bizzarre contexts and remote corners.

having done such wonderful work alongside wolf muller on the sound of glades album, cass makes a welcome return with an expansive album release on emotional response. the german producer s ambient tendencies blossom here, occasionally meeting with laconic drums as on u but primarily dealing in huge swathes of melody. djs will want to hold out for the dramatic pulse of ann, where a more pronounced drum set makes for one of the album s most club-ready moments. theres a strong variety of tones and moods across youth sessions, from the strafing arpeggios of running to the bliss-out shapeless swirl of prismatic prolog, and this ensures that the album will not dull with repeated listens.

in this age of pre-set play lists and total sharing of music, you more or less get served what you expect to hear. your musical preferences are predictable and you - with little or no effort - get access to music that suits your self-image perfectly and places you in a safe zone.
but what if these babysitting services went on vacation and you’re suddenly left alone in the post-industrial outback? where do you start looking? at first listen you might feel that the songs on loving hell by vox low, released on hoga nord rekords, might not suit your needs in such a cold, harsh existence. but that’s where you’re wrong. vox low’s sound might first appear frightening and cold to you but the tracks on this ep most of all carries with them depth, energy and persistence: the perfect soundtrack to reboot your system to and to get you going straight forward without looking back. this is music for the aftermath of a cathartic experience, music that generates a propulsion that makes you wanna walk on that road forever, music to help you rediscover what punk, rock and electronica really should be about - gut feeling.

last release of the year for the berlin based collective slow life. a great pack of dancefloor killers by the british duo 100 hz, and the usual suspect saverio celestri. the veteran couple formed by lee renacre and james chapman showcase their classic sound with two unreleased tracks from the vaults, and the talented italian dj/producer adds two of his latest productions, where displays his matured understanding of playful but emotional techno.

last year saw casablanca-based cosmo records launch its most ambitious project todate, celebrating five years of cross-cultural collaboration. the three vinyl releasesfeatured producers such as san proper, radiq, pier bucci and dandy jack working with moroccan musicians to create a true fusion between modern electronics and ancient traditions. the purpose of cosmo has always been to find a natural meeting place between thesedistinct musical forms, bringing out the best strengths of each practice through real time spent together in the studio, where each artist can truly understand the other in a shared quest for sonic harmony. as such, this latest release marks a step forward in exploring this idea through a new series entitled cosmo jam. as the title suggests, the focus here is on live improvisation. in late 2014 parisian producers masomenos and vadim svoboda travelled to morocco and set up their equipment at the coda casablanca music center. they were joined by m’hamed el menjra playing bass, abdessamad boussahfa on violin and sanhaji on darbuka, and the ensuing jam sessions between these musicians now make their way on to vinyl. no editing or post-production took place – the music you hear on the record was created entirely in the moment. each track highlights the magic of a different instrument – on “be” menjra’s double bass comes twisting through effects processing and subtle distortion, meeting with a low-slung broken beat groove from the visiting french producers. sanhaji’s thrilling percussive flair on the darbuka flirts perfectly with the crisp programming of drums and bass on the uptempo “kaled” and the more laid-back “petit”. boussahfa’s violin makes for some of the most arresting moments on the release, meeting with intricate minimalist rhythms on “mon” and shining in the heart-rending ambience of “frere”. presented across two 12”s, this collection of six tracks tells a most honest account of how gifted artists from entirely different disciplines can find a common ground and create something truly unique. without any studio trickery to hide behind, this is the concept of cosmo records laid bare, and the results prove it is a concept worth exploring further.