death to techno is a new, futuristic ep of >the white screen<, ever before into a world of ruff beats, dark electronics and analog effects. musical producer dori sadovnik, the sound genius from red axes, produced this ep at garzen studios, diving together with the whites into a new world of unknown pleasures and sins. a mind and body bender between techno rhythms and broken rock n roll tapes, between the dancefloor and a campfire, between darkness and light - the new recordings are asking big questions about past and future, vintage and electro, about the screen and about the white. death to techno, the main track that opens the record, is also treated in a wildly remix version of the red axes pair. the cover of the album hellenic plasticine party was created by multidisciplinary artist oren fisher, who has been accompanying the band since its inception. produced by: dori sadovnik musicians: stav ben shahar, drums noa ayali, chello liat raz, vocals nimrod goldfarb, contra bas shay landa organs

mysticisms eyes summer luv dancin’ as new-not-new deep dean emerges from the antipodean well to offer sunrise anthems for the me generation. a man of mystery, but too tight to be a total new-jack-wack. releases on a who’s who confirm the tight-tight-tight production matches the swing brimming of technique, confidence and factor one, fun. undiluted vibe alives, we ride ocean groove, with the original setting us afloat, teasing the monkey, bassline for open skies and warm hearts. you feel good? the drums club, the hats fly high and that’s all you need...

volume 4 -sound of the summer ep - from tropical disco edits crew brings in the summertime with 4 expertly crafted cuts, each perfectly tailored for the discerning disco dance floor. tropical disco edits are pleased to present their latest member of the family, moodena who premieres on the label with his summer groove -strawberry jam- a jazzy disco fusion with tinges of george benson, sure to sweeten up any dance floor. tropical disco edits boss sartorial comes in with two jazz funk rollers in -feel it- and -electric lane-, with both tracks having his signature sound that just makes you wont to shake your booty! finally, -got you the floor- sees simon kennedy team up with sartorial to produce a classic groovin tropical disco track - a real favourite with in the tropical disco family! dj support: eli soul clap, aaron razor n tape, chez damier, marshall jefferson, faze action, dj spen, get down edits

drum & bass’s number one italian stallion maztek on prspct with a huge 2 track vinyl! when it comes to badass quality drum & bass maztek is for sure italy’s flag ship artist who puts that spaghetti western pizza munching ex roman empire on the map. two banging tracks delivering his hardest most brutal work to date. this records has no b side. all killer no filler and aa all the way! all hail maztek!

time flies, doesn’t it? it sure does when you suddenly wake up to celebrate your 10th vinyl release as a small label, which is the case with us. but as we’re all about quality over quantity, our latest 12” offering comes with a superb collage of fresh music by the one and only radicall. having made his mark as one of the most consistent producers, known for his trademark combination of strong, dynamic drum programming and soft and booming basslines, radicall keeps on delivering top-quality music with each next release. and this 12” single is no exception to the said rule. the playful, happy-go-lucky “touch” is a bit of a nod to the old-school/rave/early jungle/footwork/you-name-it style given its complex drum pattern and an array of acid-style synthetic samples and tinges of vocal here and there, but sticking to modern-day standards nonetheless. the flipside comes with “build me up” remixed by bungle, who surely knows how to make good things just as good as they are, but yet a bit different. and here we have the brazilian powerhouse reshaping radicall’s work to make it a bit lighter and upbeat, but still retaining some elements of rawness mixed perfectly with traces of nostalgia. an excellent job, breathing a new life into the original piece - a darker-shaded straight-to-the-point roller, which you can get as a digital bonus added to the release. so here it is - the tenth vinyl item in our catalogue, featuring names you simply can’t go wrong with. what better way to celebrate the occasion?

this is tier’s first release and we just started levelling different stages with our friends ion ludwig and direkt. that being said, tier it’s a music label showcasing talent. in this journey we want to take everybody who fits in the same sound and shares same ideas as ours

echocord sub-label echo echo continues this july with orbite’s ‘interstellar’ ep, a threetracker from the berlin- based producer. orbite is a brand new project founded in berlin, germany with a nod towards the raw, dubby sounds often heard across the clubs in the city, and where better to inaugurate things than the recently launched sub-label of copenhagen’s echocord, one of the leading imprints in the realms of dub techno, home to pioneering acts like rod modell/deepchord, pole and fluxion who have paved the way for orbite’s own twist on the genre. the ethereal pad textures of ‘skylar’ lead on the package, deftly evolving alongside bubbling synth tones, swelling chords and shuffled percussion to create a create dynamically unfolding six and a half minute cut. ‘moment’ follows, edging things further into dubbed-out territories with heavily delayed dub echoes and mesmeric spoken word poetry intertwining to create a, hypnotic beatless soundscape. ‘organi’ closes the record with emotive, billowing pads, warm bell like tones and vocal murmurs running alongside swinging shakers and stripped-back micro-house percussion.

keeping up the pace rolling nicely into our third release of 2018 we welcome onto etg yet more italian techno precision, this time from francesco profeti and pietro franchini aka hertz collision. responsible for a myriad of very stand out tracks such as “lost” and “all going” they have been remixed by the likes of kwartz and appeared on labels such as frozen border and dynamic reflection.
it’s been a pleasure putting the release together with the guys, receiving tracks and agreeing on artwork. as with every etg this release shows the full spectrum of their talent and their own individual take on techno. as ever it’s double a side. also special mention to programma 101 who features on track aa3.

a great collection of classic roots recordings from the mid-70’s for the singer who came close in challenging bob marley & dennis brown for reggae’s crown. all re-mastered recordings available as 23-track 2lp-set in a gatefold sleeve, with in-depth sleeve notes by noel hawkes. the release is supported by several summer festival appearances.

the hague s dazion (who previously released a 12- on mfm s second circle imprint), with a 2 tracker for safe trip.

after a couple of sparking, floor-oriented releases by uk luminary henry wu and head honcho pablo valentino, mcde recordings continues its explorations of dance music spectrum with a brand new offering, right on time for the summer. . now batting is nomadic beatsmith hugo lx, who develops a new chapter in his multi-faceted discography with this 5 track opus, ranging from classic house to disco flavored jams, detouring through the ambiant and jazz fields, always with a certain eastern vibe to it. with great help from his regular contributors on bass, keys and horns, he delivers a soundscape that aims to be vibrant, powerful, yet sensual and most of all, prove to be timeless

after a hiatus in 2017, city fly records return with a superb ep from label co-owner & serious sample digger, the last trip to gandahar. with previous sell out releases on better listen, kolour ltd and his sublime disco infused nugget r136a1 also on city fly. gandy’s releases have gained support from the likes of giorgio moroder, larry heard and bbc radio 6music. the ep brings an abundance of dancefloor dynamite which includes a collaboration with the ever talented erik rico, who has previously worked alongside artists as diverse as ron trent, dj spinna, q-tip and hip hop monarch tupac shakur. man of the moment byron the aquarius also steps up with a beautifully deep remix of higher! in a full ‘body & soul’ style.

limited to 250 copies, next up in tartelet’s limited-edition series is renaissance man n.o.t.e. with “night frames” – a compilation of barrel-aged sounds for the warm nights ahead. n.o.t.e. is a new project by an already established artist who might be of swiss or italian origin, depending on who’s asking. a seasoned sailor of musical waters, he enjoys jazz piano, fine wine and silk linens. though none of that matters. the first release under his new name could be described as a mini concept album where different routes are explored, bringing n.o.t.e.’s musical diversity and capabilities to light. starting with “falsa laudis,” n.o.t.e. takes the listener back to the 80s with clear references to italian boogie and jazz-funk of that era. the track is warm, fat and sparkly, and best enjoyed with a cocktail in hand. following this is the title track “night frames” – a bruk-jazz escapade not shy of elaborate rhodes solos and filthy funk. the b-side opener moves further south: “obaleyako” is fueled by tropical energy, mixing african percussions with soft piano chords. it’s weird, mysterious and red hot! last but not least, n.o.t.e takes on the finest deep house sound with “en route,” where endless layered melodies and percussion form the farewell. this is an ultra limited-edition release of 250 copies (strictly no repress!), written and produced by n.o.t.e. and mixed at panalama studios in copenhagen on the neve 5088 shelford console for good measure. enjoy!

anyone who’s followed maurice aymard’s galaktika label over the years will be all too aware of the imprint’s leaning toward eclectic sounds. it’s an ethos that mirrored in the work of aymard himself and regardless of whether he’s turning his hand to tech house sounds or more straight-up techno jams, his is a way of working that’s endeared him to many over the years. his latest is a case in point. the 75th chapter in the galaktika discography, the into the night ep serves up an array of sounds that are enticing as they are upbeat and intriguing. getting us underway is the sounds of the title track. an unfurling beast of a track that’s loaded with dramatic tension throughout, it’s an eerie cut that’s characterised by its clever bells and some incessant percussion. a full on track that’s not to be handled lightly, it’s repetitive nature and sporadic vocal charms is indicative of levon vincent at his best. ‘shinning’, a more progressive cut, follows after. another track that’s notable for the suspense that lingers throughout, it serves up a nice stylistic alternative to what’s arrived before. aymard then goes all out on the frankly astounding sounds of ‘rage’. a propulsive gem of the type that sees the producer greatly rewarded for trying something that bit different, it’s a special sort of track that takes on various tones throughout but always stays captivating. seeing us out soon after is eduardo de la calle’s remix of the latter. the cadenza man is well versed in all things deep and dextrous, and his interpretation serves up a fitting example of his talents. although it starts on a melodic tip, it too soon brings the listener on a thoroughly captivating but unexpected journey. much like the rest of this ep, de la calle’s remix is full of surprises from the off.

kvest is a dj/producer from bosnia and herzegovina, who has previously released only digital ep s. now, his first vinyl release comes in a form of pure minimal deep techno sound. this ep includes 2 original mixes in which the synth sounds are diffused through light movement and gentle variation, as well as two awesome remixes. one of the remixes is by a young dutch producer kevin arnemann, who runs his own label taped artifact, and has performed in big techno festivals such as ade and awakenings. another remix comes from the owner of kin-ben label, the human & assets. this is the 7th vinyl release on the label.

queeste emerges with the nocturnal sounds of haron s wandelaar, an album exploring his long-term interest in music s talent for inducing and affecting dreams, successfully turning listening into an act of transport, leaving you in the midst of falling asleep, at a junction of dislocation, hazily arriving in a liminal world. in wandelaar we hear haron s playful reaction against the confines of dance music, gathering energy from his estrangement from the scene and using it as a means to reorder and interrogate sound. the modest piano takes centre stage, allowing each solo note to becoming fertile and full, suspended and considered, guided by the principles of minimal composers such as john cage and ryuichi sakamoto. haron delicately translates sparse chords into a cinematic narrative of ascension, conjuring up a moony landscape, grey and desolate from afar, intricately detailed on approach. haron s wandelaar is available 6 july 2018 on lp. the vinyl release includes an art print by fallon does, who is also responsible for the graphic design of wandelaar. all tracks written and produced by haron aumaj, mastered by wouter for brandenburg mastering. words by jo kali.

the mabon dawud republic, hungary s first all-star progressive afrobeat ensemble started as the fela kuti tribute band for the very first felabration event in budapest, organised by the band itself and joined by fela s original egypt 80 band member, keyboard player and singer dele sosimi. given the member s love for afrobeat, the jamming soon evolved into a project of their own songs. their republic is a place filled with the soul-warming vibes of a 15 piece orchestra, a place for dancers, a place to escape from the outside world and enjoy the magic that is unfolding on stage. the mabon dawud feeling is delivered to you by professional musicians who are also members of other well known hungarian underground acts, such as: the qualitons, soulclap budapest, sena live band, etc. budabeats records is proud to release their first ever record on 7- vinyl single with two heavy afrobeat cuts.

radio slave enlists two heavyweights remixes from dixon and underground resistance, who reimagine ‘trans’ - the twisted, bass-driven cut on radio slave’s excellent inaugural album. first up, innervisions co-founder dixon offers an inspired retouch containing an amalgamation of cosmic synth arpeggios, each one unfolding in a unique way as the track develops, supported by a prominent vacillating bassline. on the flip, detroit techno pioneers underground resistance provide a ‘hamtramck’ remix features crunchy modulated synths and heavily delayed vocal slices that duck in and out before funk influenced guitar licks resonate alongside a plethora of dark effects.

the second outing from lisbon based percebes mu&#769,,sica comes from ka§par, a respected portuguese author who consistently releases on many revered deeper dance music imprints. the “epicurismo” ep is a fresh and well humored record, conceived as an homage to the greek philosopher epicurus, who widely professed a personal mantra for happiness.

phil gerus is a natural musical talent who oozes sound from every pore. fusing together cassette pop, disco, soul, r&b and funk, his sounds are effortless but hugely emotive and have come out on labels like sonar kolkektiv, manmakemusic (george fitzgerald’s label), futureboogie and true romance. growing up in moscow, phil studied classical piano and was heavily influenced by his parents’ music tastes, including jazz records of oscar peterson, bill evans, and keith jarrett, it is these classy vibes that permeate his own creations. phil has played around the world at leading clubs like japan’s dommune, studio 80 (amsterdam), mojo club (hamburg) and various hotspots in europe and russia. phil is also a regular guest on radio shows around the planet and is considered as an artist on the rise.

yasha is 28 year old joe gillick, who grew up immersed in the sounds of ukg & grime on the streets of south london. he founded orphan in 2015 with his friends sage redman and billy meddleton. the three began throwing bi-monthly parties in deptford, their aim was to feature the unsung heroes, the seminal artists that weren’t often regulars in the crowded london club circuit.

wolves bay is a state of mind. an inspiration. a fantasy. frequencies & sound waves bringing us back to the core of our art form. music for the sake of it, without compromise, feeding the trance. the man & the machines speaking free & creating their own dimension. who, where & how all this was made is irrelevant. it is all about love & self-expression. going back to the basement. to the sweat. to the sound.

after years of successful parties it s time for the tropical animals team to move on to the next phase. this time, it is whitesquare (2020vision freerange rec) who will have his music pressed on wax for the brand new florence-based label. the artist delivers in light ep, which includes three mesmerising exclusive tracks:limitation, an incessant vortex with acid nuances, following velvet room, a romantic melody driven by lush textures at the end, we find pressing point,a climax of primordial rhythms and synths. spirals of sounds, uncontaminated electronic atmospheres and emotions that intersect memories lost in time. deep deep down, far far in.

for our first anniversary as a label, we have prepared a compilation of tracks by our closest associates, collaborators and some randomly found favourites, who might also make future appearances on our imprint.

with 2018 marking a quarter of a century for positiva being at the summit of the dance industry, the label have enlisted the work of both paul morrell, and latroit, to sprinkle modern magic on the timeless record. british producer and xxl resident dj paul morrell laces his own mix with euphoric, high-tempo chords and a floorfilling breakdown, a stark contrast to the deeper, gritty interpretation offered by 2018 grammy award winning american producer and composer, latroit, who added: - as the rush comes was obviously one of the stand-out tracks of the decade, and it was amazing to get my hands on that vocal. i ve also known dave dresden (one third of motorcycle) for years before this came out and it was great to reconnect and finally work with him creatively after all this time. the vinyl features 3 remixes of as the rush comes by latroit, paul morrell and dash berlin.

for over a decade now - first in paris, then montreal, and now in berlin - la fraicheur has been brewing her own deep blend of electronic beats. making a name for herself with her signature sound of powerful and emotionally charged techno sets. the queer feminist activist is a marathon dj who can go on for countless hours, running the gamut from classics, to new songs released only two hours before.
“self fulfilling prophecy”, la fraicheur’s debut lp recorded between underground resistance studios in detroit and her home studio in berlin, will be released early this summer on infiné, in the middle of her international tour through europe and south america.

release number two on the recently birthed flat white records, is a 5 track piece of genius from felipe gordon, the man who s hot on everybody s lips at the moment. not only does he run nomada records, the colombian has previously had releases with the likes of church, toy tonics, quintessentials and secret crunch. he has now teamed up with flat white records to bring you an ep that proves that felipe is definitely one to watch!

ron trent meets skymark! two masterminds at work. the organic meets the electronic - musician meets machine. pressed loud for optimum dj play. summer is happening... big tip! . ron trent takes on the mighty skymark original, and elevates the listener to a whole other place like only he can. trent treats us to one of his deepest, dubbiest jams in recent years - embracing the strength of the song while interweaving his own rhythm throughout. the original track, here on the flip, featured on skymark s 2015 wave from the nucleus lp- a beautiful song from the sun-kissed swiss musician and producer who resided in rio de janeiro for many years, and now in barcelona. a real meeting of minds. both artists express their love for the deep and organic, incorporating brazilian sounds, gospel, disco, jazz and soul in their music. their similaraly detailed approach and ideologies blend perfectly on this 12” release.

* to celebrate the second anniversary of khemia records we are pleased to welcome back in aeternam vale, the legendary french artist who inaugurated the imprint on a split ep with bronze teeth in march 2016. * this is the first single-artist ep produced by the label, initiating a new series that will run parallel to the v/a editions. * the tracks ‘dave’ and ‘circles’ form an elliptical conundrum composed of various references including kubrick’s alchemical allegory 2001 a space odyssey, (sampled in french) with it’s existential narrative of a schizophrenic artificial intelligence lurking in the shadows. the deus ex machina wondering if mankind is still useful to machines, or perhaps even dangerous to them? the infamous seveso chemical disaster at the pharmaceutical laboratory icmesa caused by human error, the glowing blood-red sphere of hal 9000, the all-seeing eye of the sentient super-computer and the circular composition of the toxic compound 2.3,7.8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (tcdd), released into the atmosphere at seveso. with this cryptic feedback loop, laurent prot is suggesting that the new technologies we are developing now, for use in our near future could result in catastrophe when human control is lost to the self-learning of ai. the homicidal consequences of a machine take-over find visual form in the bleak, dystopian aesthetic of evelyn bencicova’s cover artwork.

psychedlic electronica on this new fututibile release (sublabel from periodica). icio omeghas psyco cruise is a collection of songs and private recordings made between 1984 and 1991 in his studio on the island of stromboli. icio omegha, formerly known as maurizio aghemo, is a guitarist, a sitarist and keyboard player who was a member of a world music band active in the late 70s (uco, universal condition orchestra). maurizio today is a record collector and painter who runs his art gallery in stromboli where he exhibits his works. currently engaged in the assembly of a modular system, he continues to produce experimental music on the island. over the years, he has explored various musical genres, from ethnic music with an indian flavor, up to the typical electronic digressions of the mid 80s. the only available source of these recordings are original cassette tapes from which futuribile made this selection. a small selection with pieces that best describe his artistic career. the audio was cleaned, re-mastered and edited to make the best possible presentation of these unique recordings of icio omegha who is finaly able to share them with the public. recommended!!!

who doesnt know m.i.k.e. push? the legendary track universal nation won several dance awards, and is recognized as one of the classic dance-records of the trance era until this day. this together we rule the world-12 premieres 4 album tracks to heat up your summer, exclusively on vinyl. or as mike calls it: #backtobasics !

the 2013 album from john mayer on 180 gram vinyl with download code included.

not to be confused with the 80s heavy rock/funk band from the us, this living color track was written, produced and released by tony kalangis on his sophisticated funk label in 1974. kalangis, who sadly passed away in 2017, was a man of many talents who could not only write a great tune but also novels, poems, and film scripts.

during a warehouse dig, delfonic discovered a mysterious release from 2013 by an unknown german artist, filled with moody tracks without breaks in between, which were made in 2008. after searching for months who was behind, oye black is proud to announce the unknown artist martin georgi with 2 mpc bangers from that release cut out, along with a dj friendly edit by delfonic. oa true warehouse find for the lovers!

in 2015, something magical happened. we met a couple of talented young swedes named artur bra&#776,ndstro&#776,m and egil kahlbom who excelled at composing and producing these lighthearted, breezy disco-hued house tracks (or house- hued disco tracks, perhaps) that both fit the aesthetic and character of lph and brought something new into the fold. the result of that first encounter was marathons, a full-length album, their debut to the world, and now, two years later, we re back for the much-anticipated follow-up. rehearsal is a little briefer than its predecessor—it s five tracks—and has a markedly different tone, one that s less about dusty, sun-bleached samples and more about tightly-engineered and delicately-crafted songs. if the first effort was marked by its carefree naivete&#769,, the sophomore effort is, well, something a bit more advanced or, perhaps, rehearsed. what hasn t changed, though, is these guys ability to home in on grooves and coax something trasncednetally hooky, memorable out of them. the five tracks contained here are low-key in attitude but powerful and punchy in approach. they re uniquely juicy, nourishing numbers for mellow hours and fearlessly fun ditties for party hours. lots of love went into the lot of them, and we hope all s you feel when you let them wash over you is that. love

marquis hawkes is an alter ego adopted by long time electronic music producer mark hawkins, founded for his house music focussed activities. hawkins decided it was time for a reboot after being head-hunted by old friends dan monox and kenny wasp, who had just founded dixon avenue basement jams in 2012, particularly as the material differed from what hed previously released.

some crate-digging compilations are often the result of someone hand-picking their choice favourites from another country’s musical history, perhaps unaware or uninvolved with its cultural lineage in the process. on this release - a treasure trove of synth jams, pop, samba boogie, balearic and electro from 1980 & ‘90s brazil - the tracks are picked by millos kaiser, one half of the brazilian duo selvagem, who are at the helm of throwing some of the country’s best dance parties. it’s a rare compilation that offers brazilian music actually picked by a brazilian.
this collection of sixteen tracks doesn’t comprise tracks scoured from deeply in-demand records, the rare sort that sell for eye-watering sums and that collectors spend years tracking down. they are the sort you’d find for a few quid should you come across but, as kaiser says, “the problem is finding them. they aren’t rare because everyone wants a copy but because no one wants them, not even the dealers.”

1 copy per customer!! everybody s favourite parisian party fiends are back, polishing up another batch of patchy pound bin finds and not-on-discogs delights for your next summer soirée. putting their orange-eagle eyes to good use, the lyo crew have trawled the crates of europe and beyond for this sunkissed set, working the scalpel to the max to pack the dancefloor in arms aloft ecstasy. our party starts with the kwaito groove of -avidiyo--, a killer bit of late 80 s afro-action boasting synth marimba, alien bass blasts and life affirming vocal chants. not only is this cut moving in the ants-in-your-pants/dancing-like-a-madman sense, but its sting-on-safari emotion and clarinet solo could bring a tear to a glass eye. cartwheeling between aspirational jazz-funk and afro-cosmic, yanga mbiwaa makes its way to the heart of the party like a bewildered parisian at an ivorian wedding. as tumbling toms rumble like thunder on the serengeti, an oddball exotica chant encourages the nearby wildlife to shake a tail-feather to the club tropicana guitars and buzzing synthbass. at last you have something to keep quantum jump s lone ranger company! last but not least comes autoradio , a very well mannered monsieur living the french highlife by the sea and sun of the mediterranean coast. effervescent afrobeat guitars and swooning sax dance over a rolling rhythm section of buoyant bass and 80s percussion, while a spoken vocal drawls in your direction and the girls ask if you re ok. it s only when the pinging, ringing, madly modulated bass breakdown bounds through your surroundings that you ll wonder who slipped what in your drink...

the mutable nature of our lives leads to a constant pursuit of musical incentives. last month we launched a new series on mindtrip aiming to bring together diverse sounds and musical backgrounds under a mutual project. mutable minds edition ii welcomes the very exceptional work from five of our favorite artists out there. the release opens with our head honcho pfirter and his anti-routine that comes with his trademark modular effect and a well-constructed sequence. sleepwalker belongs to mexicos finest techno export aka fixeer who delivered a pounding track with great energy. on the b-side things are getting deeper and more tripped out yet still powerful and intense with the swedish duo kuf & dold and their track mint. mutual minds ii closes with a familiar name that is none other than jonas kopp who returns to mindtrip with a very interesting piece that comprises a narcotic feeling and space stabs. the final outcome of the second mutable minds edition perfectly describes the musical perspective and ethos on mindtrip. hope you enjoy this trip to the fullest. this is mindtrip!

beneath the still waters of lonely sound there lays the ruins of howland abbey, its 3000lb bell still hanging in the belfry, only swayed by the currents of the regular tides across the estuary, over 100 years since it was rang by the order of carthusian monks who lived in the nearby priory. at the turn of the last century during a heavy storm the abbey was plundered by an unknown gang of marauders, as they left on horseback carrying with them all the gold from the abbey the sea defences around lonely sound were breached, flooding the abbey, priory and the surrounding land, the monks ran for dry land as they watched their beloved bell tower disappear beneath the rising waters, unable to chase the thieves, cut off as the water rose around them. some locals say these ransackers were in league with the elements, some say they had just intentionally damaged the sea defences before making their raid. local folk-law claims that the morning bells of the abbey can be heard ring out from beneath the murky waters of the sound every year on the anniversary of the great storm, ringing the peel that was never rung.

there are west coast classics, and then there is music to driveby, the third lp from the group that birthed mc eiht: compton’s most wanted. although the group started in the late ‘80s with multiple mcs (including tha chill and boom bam), by 1992 eiht as pulling the group’s vocal weight – supported by dj mike t on turntables and production – and even producing and co-producing tracks. music to driveby might lack beats-per-minute variety, but to fans that’s not a bad thing. across the board, this is mid-tempo, super deep, funky hip-hop, made for cars creeping along boulevards across the west and south, and it’s about as good as it gets for such purposes. just about filler-free, the album struts intensely and with purpose, as eiht throws tales of cali street life at fans for an hour straight, almost without a break. this solo marathon is given a respite only once, with scarface’s guest spot on “n 2 deep,” an excellent hood roller supported by a soulful guitar lick sampled from lyn collins’ “do your thing.” elsewhere, eiht rolls alone and intensely, on cuts like the classic mash single “hood took me under”, the album’s second single and tim dog attack “who’s fu**ing who?”, the hometown big-up “compton 4 life”, and hustle tales like “jack mode” and “i gots to get over.” after this album, eiht released more classics under his own name, and with similar fan worship. it was the continuation of a legendary career and music to driveby still ranks high on anyone’s “west coast legends” playlist.

“we are doing this on our own, with not much help from government. i am proud that we are building a movement. it’s like a child that you can see growing and evolving. it’s growing exponentially, but that was the plan… we are standing on the shoulders of giants. i grew up respecting the craft. there was that golden era of reggae music when everyone looked to jamaica. i know the history, i know the impact reggae music can have, and i want to be part of an era that brings it back to that stature” - protoje

hoga nord rekords is finally releasing druk 11000! this 7inch is a collaboration between silverbullit, fontan and the bhutanese group aa yang - ensemble. the project took shape during a mythical trip to bhutan where the swedish composer and multi instrumentalist johan ‘the count’ westman who’s living in the country, hooked the altitude sick scandinavian musicians up with aa yang - ensemble. the local monks then blessed the musicians under mystical ceremonial procedures. with protection from the dragon of thunder, druk 11000 has produced some of the most powerful, loving and life embracing music yet to have been released on hoga nord rekords! the songs springs toward the top of gangkhar puensum, bhutans highest mountain, building a mighty storm, noticeable all the way to the scandinavian woodlands!

to celebrate the 10th vinyl release on lossless music, soul intent delivers 4 cuts on dark and moody drum and bass as only he can. the title track “the tide” sees soul intent collaborate with label regular and dark vibe master paragon. “cypher” hails the first production outing from ben repertoire (from the repertoire label) who happens to also be lossless graphic designer and fellow lover of co-op pickle pork pies. also on the b-side is a solo effort from soul intent called “lose yourself” which demonstrates yet more of his love of that classic headz sound, turning heads whenever it’s played. pressing on solid blue, black, and clear mixed vinyl.

when cities collide iii features lithium parasites which is a project from former ultradyne member alex lugo together with alonzo, who released a great record with wt records last year, on this rotterhague release their combined strength brings out what sounds like dystopian cruising music. watch those crumbled skylines pass by. dj overdose does what dj overdose does.

autodidact is back with an ep by qindek, who offers up three delicate techno tracks with beautiful modular sounds and intricate drum patterns. on the b-side we find the legendary icelandic (dub)techno producer thor (thule records) with a deep but dancefloor-friendly remix.

l_cio is a brazilian artist who brings his own flute playing to his music. he has previously collaborated with the likes of portable on the huge hit ‘surrender’ and is a live act who has held residencies at plenty of key clubs in brazil. he’s also toured all over the world from egg london to robert johnson in frankfurt and released on labels like perlon, soul clap records and d.edge. his eight-track album is an emotive affair with deep house grooves embellished with his own spine tingling instrumentals and flute.

opilec music s eclectic remix series rolls on with another essential package, this time tackling a single from label boss i-robots s law of robotics album back in 2008. adding their own spin to things are red axes and hiroshi watanabe aka kaito after likes of kuniyuki takahashi, djembe monks, danny ocean, los hermanos, gary martin, alexander robotnick, daniele baldelli & marco dionigi have all stepped up previously. isreali duo red axes go first, a pair known for mixing up synths and guitars in exciting new ways on labels like hivern discs, i m a cliche and esp institute amongst others. their excellent version of the track re-works it as a deep and spine tingling house cut. moody chords lull you into a hypnotic and zoned out groove that is finished with some intoxicating spoken words. hiroshi watanabe aka kaito is next, an acclaimed kompakt and transmat artist who makes succulent techno with ambient atmospheres. his brilliant version here is just that, with cosmic chords and slippery rubber beats carrying you away into the night. warm and inviting, it elevates you to the next level over its long length, it is a classy bit of techno that also comes as a stripped back instrumental version.

ascetic limited is shifting gears, focusing on solo eps dedicated to the artists that form the collective. to kick it off they present an ep from renowned milanese techno producer wrong assessment, who throughout his career in techno has proven himself to be one of the most interesting producers coming out of italy. from his collaborative works with the late max_m as overall severity to his solo works as wrong assessment, his tracks are always unique. influences ranging from minimal to hard pounding techno bangers, through house grooves and ambient arrangements, he still is able to transmit his sound and vision with his music.