die größten hits aus thomas gottschalks 68er show im zdf. das doppel-vinyl erscheint im klappcover

following previous appearances on station shiva and discos pandemicos, estrato aurora makes his first appearance on bliq with some advanced deep techno immersions that match the profile of the label perfectly. ursus dolinensis takes a slow ride into submission, placing all the emphasis on the low end and using subtle background frequencies to shape out the atmosphere. lunanosorex takes a particularly tripped out approach to electro, while glyphodon adds a little industrial bite into the machine funk framework without losing that steely atmosphere that makes the whole ep so appealing. leonids remix of ursus dolnensis is the perfect complementary addition to the ep the dolly and sistrum artist adds his own rugged deep techno machinations to the track to deadly, understated effect.

if there s one thing wolf music know a thing or two about, it s house music. so its no surprise then that they ve decided to reissue a golden 2003 deep house nugget in the form of brs (british rhythm services) spring dom. reissued from the original dat tapes spring dom is one of those timeless records that even 15 years on sounds as soulful as it did when it first hit the racks. echoed sweeping stabs, chunky drum loops and powerful synth flurries alongside those mesmerising vocal refrains, all tied together with a driving bassline - this is deep, deep goodness of the highest degree. reworking spring dom for the present day, wolf mainstay medlar provides a rave tinged remix, chopping the vocals and reworking the synth lines to give it a peak time, dancefloor demeanour. the flip houses the other two tracks from the original 03 release - clubtronic with it s ukg flavoured beat, m1 pads and jazzy free flowing melodies and miss you combining a bumping groove, dynamic bass melody and stirring rhodes chords. a much-welcomed reissue package from the wolf camp and a chance to own this house treasure without feeding the sharks.

new years deal - dresden s lockertmatik starts his engines for the first time on shtum and delivers a string of tracks that seem to come from a not so far away dystopian future. here are four tracks that are unpretentious but elaborate, effective but not overambitious. -break the chains- sets the bars in terms of dark techno bliss for both basements and bigger dancefloors. on -message from the underdog- lockertmatik shows off his knack for acidic perfection while -jaku- gets the jazz treatment. finally, -313 - 0351- is all about building tension without losing one bit of impact on the dancefloor. the artwork comes courtesy of carl-johannes schulze.

with newcomer toersh as the first release, the team of zissou records establish their uplifting yet down to earth approach to the world of underground dance music. discover your element with their tienes fuego? ep - spicy-firy thai take away, silky-flowing laid on coco, rich & earthy magic johnson and cheerful-breezy cant let you go. uncover the raw emotion under all that tamped, dusty patina of the dancefloor and hand out happy smiles without expecting anything in return.#

after a few years on hiatus, one electronica has gone all out in with a heavy debut 4 tracker from new member thought camera. the young belfast born producer who has been very busy in the studio putting together an arsenal of electronic weapons has also enjoyed an increase in popularity and profile in the local scene due to his hard work and commitment to the cause. with such a strong release about to drop in the next few weeks and with more unreleased material on its way this guy is worth keeping an eye on as a rising talent. without using too many bullshit analogies – this is release is simply dancefloor bliss and a djs dream that will be keep at the front of a record box for years to come and could be a favourite among various styles. the title track astral pilot comes in strong with spatial glitchy electronic chatter and tubular echoes that are pretty damn haunting. headspace comes in on a2 which is the antithesis of serenity and meditation that the name suggests. this acidic jack track is upbeat and laden with bass bleeding all over the place. flip it over and you have lifeforms on the b1 which is the most technical track on the release which ebbs and flows between solemn and sombre leaving you emotionally twisted yet intrigued this is one to look out for! obsession which aptly depicts this track a stalker in the night, haunting, imposing, friday 13th shit. not for the faint hearted.

super deep african / new age / minimalistic / ambient crossover from cabo verde - not the typical record, a beautiful listening experience check! originally conceived as a book of 6 poems that developed into a record released independently in 1986, universo da ilha sits at the cross-section of many different genres. connecting contemporary new age and ambient minimalist movements with traditional west african and cape verdean elements from the past (griot voices, djembe rhythms, melancholic morna), vasco constructed his own universe where, in spite of the isolation of the island at the time, he transcended barriers and created a global record that was ahead of its time vasco used his own synths and drum machines, and with the help of a small group of friends (tey gonçalves on percussion, neney’s amazing griot voice, luis morais on sax and flute), he recorded this not-balearic-but-atlantic ambient odyssey on a 16-channel peavey mixer directly to an akai tape recorder without overdubs.

argot records was born in 2006 in riccione (italy) from the stable relationship and friendship of the two musicians and djs pepe and giaga. they created it to make their music more freely, without impositions, with an own identity, fascinated on every kind of test.

hailing from barcelona, the 12tree crew fire up their own in-house label hot piroski with a sterling opening round that s already garnering support from the likes of pete herbert, crazy p, psychemagik and more. the original track on the a side, -sugamomma,- is a well-rounded, full-fat dancefloor burner that should sit comfortably with fans of hot natured et al, given an extra boost with a sample of a young stevie wonder. on the flip, afrobeat classic n gwode by aleke kanonu gets a respectful edit that injects just the right amount of extra groove without diluting the loose, infectious soul of the original

nigh/tmare’s most recent ep, entitled “hypnagogia” on thrènes records, is the perfect example of the artist’s uncompromising attitude. the integral work on this project is the perfect sublimation of experimental overtones, rugged beats, and techno punch, making for a candid, outstanding, and diverse approach with a lot of edge.

john cougar mellencamp’s greatest hits on double vinyl with download code included.

voiski embarks on the third expedition into the cosmic lands .a collection of singular and utopian ambient, electronica and techno tracks illustrated by spectacular picture of layla kerley and bruno compagnet. cosmic adventure is an honest portrayal without fabrication or pretense. too often electronic music is subjected to the damaging opinions of others and categorized in a movement or a trend, choking the freshness out of the sound. cosmic adventure provides a platform of creative energy, a unique platform for unique artists who search nothing except discovering new landscapes and inspiration.

back in 1995 while living on the west coast, at the peak of the rave experience, dj spun and dhyan moller recorded a bunch of live tracks, without any sequencer, all direct to cassettes. spun aka jason drummond, reached out last spring after rediscovering all the cassettes and asked us if wed be interested in releasing some of the tunes. jason shipped us the cassettes and after a good transferring session, we decided we had to release all the tracks under a 3lp set. this stuff is fire. we still love dj spun and dhyan moller!

we are proud to present the first ever vinyl issue of jon krocker’s debut album ‘monolog’ originally released on cassette in 1983. the 12 instrumental tracks are stark and minimal, at times anxious but overall space orientated and flexible. all songs are remastered for vinyl by george horn at fantasy studios in berkeley. each copy includes an 8-page newsprint zine featuring ephemera, press clippings, photos and liner notes by jon.

brand new label based in florence comes with an astonishing second release. this time they bring the sound from the talented the cyclist. a very distinct sounds, psychedelic synth warbles meet the jacking electro beats. exploring what the talented irish producer can do with different beats overladen with those warm synth tones that we can t really live without.

2018 feiert das britische electronic-duo future sound of london sein 30-jähriges bestehen. mit from the archives vol.9 erblicken weitere unveröffentlichte tracks aus ihren umfangreichen archiven erstmals das licht der welt, die den zeitraum der frühen 1990er bis heute umspannen. progressiv-elektronische experimente aus den tiefen des fsol-katalogs.

the flamboyant and off-kilter title track from rones latest album, mirapolis is one of the last solo tracks that the producer composed in the spring of 2017: its one of the rare tracks on the album for which i thought about the live performance. while putting the final touches to it in the studio, i imagined myself at festivals via memories of previous tours. i wanted to record a festive track, which completely stands by its funfair vibe. with this new four-track ep (including three remixes), combined with a new video by aurélie castex, rone extends the carnival of electronic cultures of his latest musical citadel to the dancefloor – and our screens. johannes brecht, shadow craftsman of the hamburg label diyanamics studios, offers a refined reading throbbing with cerebral pulsations. appropriating the main theme in a subtle way, coated with multiple harmonic layers, his textures alternate white noise with organic basses that builds up to a delightfully classical cello outro. german-based figurehead of the south american scene, comeme label boss and founding member of the late closer music project, matias aguayo, has never ceased throughout his career to set off little revolutions on the planet of demanding dancefloors. playful and wild, aguayo sweeps in with a ritornello of chiptune sounds and orchestral arrangements, washing it over with a huge wave of analog synthesizers that destroys everything in its path. french techno scene boss laurent garnier embraces the original piece in all its meticulousness and its psychedelic lifeblood. a hypnotic and mischievous loop infiltrates itself without warning into the reptilian cells of the listeners brain.

ah! kosmos – das ist ein beständiges wunder, in dem wir hier mittendrin stecken. beim hören ihrer tracks bleibt immer wieder nur stauen. den soundtrack zu love & awe spielt seit einem halben jahrzehnt basak günak, sound-designerin, produzentin und multi-instrumentalistin aus istanbul. auch auf ihrem zweiten album „beautiful swamp“ verbindet sie elastische bis hart knisternde percussions mit melodischen soundlandschaften. dabei gehören der universalismus der musik und persönlicher freiheit untrennbar zusammen: tief im gewebe ihrer tracks aus downbeat und deep house, aus türkischen klangtraditionen und exotischen revieren stecken auch Ängste, glück und düsternis: günaks musik fängt auf, was sie in ihrem leben zwischen istanbul und berlin verarbeitet und überwindet. den hörenden bleiben so nicht nur soundscapes zu erkunden, sondern vielschichtige, emotionale kosmen, die mit jeder neuen klangschicht ihre widerhaken ins hirn schlagen.

emerging from the rubble, few expected palaceer lazaro (aka ishmael butterfly butler formerly of digable planets) to gain such notoriety with shabazz palaces. unparalleled by any musical act, shabazz palaces constantly pushes the limits of funk, hip-hop, jazz, and world music, straying away from typical song structures in favor of more creative endeavors. in 2010, seattle publication, the stranger, honored the group with the first ever music genius award. shabazz palaces dont have to tear up the block, they energize the scene without breaking a sweat, states larry mizell, jr. of the stranger. this revolutionary debut is now available for the first time ever on limited edition clear vinyl.

they say we are a product of our environment, you are what you eat and you reap what you sow. but what happens when you can no longer dig the earth and your food is toxic? amselcom has forever been near the forefront of change, exposing new ideas and giving insight through music and creativity. our goal was always to bring the world closer by removing barriers and letting sounds and rhythm demonstrate humanity’s true, loving nature. that is why a transformation has taken place and with this latest release we hope to give back and contribute without the shallow, meaningless compensation that feeds the music industry. geplantes nichtstun demonstrates this concept perfectly, by saying it is time to remove ourselves from the machine and make our own way, in our own time. these tracks look to offer introspective that can only be found after eliminating barriers like money and fame. taking time for idleness lets us forget about the things that try and control our lives, a necessary respite in a time of increasing global noise. tracks like opak offer the perfect accompaniment to a quiet time of soulful reflection and mario wagner’s wonderful control room image brings us the idea of self direction and taking charge of your own destiny… one rest at a time.

psp-dancer : the name says it all. this song is about electronic music between past and present, hyper funky, a glitter ball full with memories between flared pants and hedonism and yet straight forward for the year 2018. that s no surprise as for decades it would have been hard to imagine the rhine-main house and techno scene without frankfurt bedrocks pauli steinbach, sascha dive and patrick kunkel, not least because of their cocoon affinity. patrick kunkel and pauli steinbach take out the acid disco hammer full with endorphine acceleration towards dance floor. deep vibes recordingsimpresarios sascha dive and pauli steinbach form a disco reverb mix with a house-like depth between wild pitch and balearics, with kinky disco elements shimmering through again and again. try to take it high

the northern soul’s classiest rarities series has showcased high quality soul dance records from the 60s to the early 70s, beloved of collectors and dancers who have had their fill of the “top 500”.

berlin producer kevin de vries has emerged as one of the capitals most hotly tipped newcomers since his track eternity appeared on adam beyer’s drumcode label in 2016. besides such luminaries as beyer, sven väth and richie hawtin, tale of us have also recognised his talent, paying de vries the compliment of featuring his track path to immortality on their fabric 97 cd this year. if thats not enough theyve also given kevin a place of honour on their very own afterlife label compilation in the form of magoa. which brings us to the matter in hand. de vries debut for cocoon is characterised by significantly higher levels of impulsive energy without ever losing sight of his instinctive feel for harmony.

our brand new series systematic soundscapes is for fans of club music made with highgrade and original synth sounds and without many times used vocal or sound sound samples. all tracks come along with fresh and unheard vibes. for the first volume which was compiled by marc romboy, sascha braemer celebrates his label debut with the moving butterflies, followed by high energy rhythms by spirit catcher from belgium who have already produced many tracks on the label. roy rosenfeld contributes distorted reality, which is in the best tradition of his music released on kx and systematic, straight, powerful and touching. and also thyladomid has his debut with devils dance, musical stuff as we know it from the label.

east leipzig theory™ is a electronic music label and a registered product of the east leipzig entertainment group e.l.e.g. which was established in 1991. all rights reserved - offences against the rights will be systematically pursued and penalised by e.l.e.g.
the second dimension ep is the first release of the label and contains four hybrid jams which are between the legacy of dutch west coast, & 90s house. main influences are the hacker, old vitalic, legowelt and bicep. all tracks are made for the floor and dj-friendly - but the last track “sehnsucht” which means “desire” is a refreshing ambient drifter with broken hard-hitting drums and also for easy listeing.
8factor is a german music project from leipzig - he is producing electronic music for 8 years without making official releases. tommy tricker was a former alias which was used for lo-fi boombap instrumentals. one of his most famous instrumantals is called “kommunistische tummulte” which was released on red tape. he is also a big fan of propellerheads software “reason”. most of his tracks contains self-programmed malstrom-synth-textures or processed samples.

noamm is the electronic equivalent of a honed switchblade. with surgical precision the bass agenda alumnus incises keys, cuts chords, pierces percussion and razors through rhythms. it is this slicing sound that the greek artist brings to his debut 12 for shipwrec. seven tracks of machined melodies and frigid fire make up psychoanalysis. the ep is brimming with calculated fury and clinical rage. from the coursing cruelty of ruhestimmung and the menacing dance macabre to the future world coldness of das schwarze korps, noamm is direct and straight to the point with his hard hitting style and no-nonsense approach. few respites are to be found on this 12, into the abyss of changing subconsious being the only refuge from the arctic winds and audio blasts that scour this record. frosted ferocity from start to finish from this exciting musician.

take a step back for sbt003, a va compilation of hot club-ready lo-fi house jams. hand-stamped white labels as usual encased in brown manilla sleeves. the shoe changed, the vibe stayed. step back trax - handle with care.

lockjaw introduces his upcoming lp “human research” with the release of the “human research sampler ep” on locked concept. a longtime curator of adroit, technical drum & bass through his locked concept imprint, lockjaw now steps to the foreground, revealing four tracks from his forthcoming album that exemplify a continued dedication to this guiding principle, whilst displaying his expert abilities across an eclectic array of tracks that give a tantalizing taste of what is to come from the full lp.

farrago created a name for himself in this short time taking back the real roots of techno and rave and putting them in a new context... we said new, not different. this is his 3rd record on the label, and this time he goes beyond the idea of reminiscing the past, “hard light” shows how the rave can be alive in everyone of us, and absolutely not changing the formula he gives us this beautiful feeling of being back in the past, while you dig in a record shop and you find something that hits you, in our past was that record that gave us memories. in this case the work of this record is almost double, the record itself reminisces the past, but gives good hope for the future of genuine rave music without compromises.

sold out on pre-sale 100 copies only. comes on blue transparent vinyl. mastered by helmut erler at dubplates & mastering, berlin. the next releases on eotrax will round off a busy 2018 for the label and set out an exciting proposition for a future way of working and releasing music. in what will be an ongoing, curated collaboration series artists will be invited to make work together for the label, without restrictions on genre, style or aesthetics. an open environment of collaboration and experimentation which will then be released by the label. to launch this series label head eomac teams up with four different artists over four slabs of vinyl, to be released sequentially over four months. the collaborations are improvised and composed, wild and emotive, unexpected and expected and all of them resulting in music that would never have been made by either artist individually. first up is a two-tracker from techno powerhouse and self confessed noisician paula temple and eomac. on the a-side the synth heavy gestirn takes inspiration from autechres classic eutow, driving forward with a broken beat while celestial melodic lines reach skyward to unknown realms. the b-side introduces a wilder beast, with the ferocious, pummeling techno of kralle

this single is very special for visions recordings as we see a fresh collaboration between alex attias and luman child, two swiss artists reunited for the first time.alex proposed luman child a collaboration after listening to his music. then they met and talked about music , visions, influences, method of work and decided straight away to work together without knowing each other well and pushing them outside their comfort zone. they are both very happy with the resultjalex attias has been in the music for many years producing, remixing many great artists and djing all over the world. at the moment alex is about to release a compilation on bbe records ( lillygood party !) , plus a couple of remixes are on the way and he s also preparing other singles for his label visions .luman child produced in 2017 a killer first album with german label solid ground still available on a neo soul hip hop tip. he reached number 11 in the uk soul charts. as a musician and bass player luman child had a few collaborations with ferry ultra, gogo music and marc mac 4 hero.the project they present here is very organic soulful and musical. this single hold two killer tunes for the listener and the dancers.the a side is a 125 bpm disco jazz funk killer jam with live bass, fender rhodes and vintage keyboards sounds driven by a very funky drum beat and live basseline aimed to the dancefloor and good time party people keeping a smile on your face. its simply groovy and goes on and on for 10 minutes of pure disco pleasure.the b side is a funky number boogie jazz funk inspired by mr ayers vibes and sounds . the rhythm is groovy at 120 bpm and the moog bassline is round and fat. accompanied both track by fender rhodes and dope keyboards sounds, this one will definitely find place in dj boxes for those who play and love soulful music with an open mind. groovy , warm and soulful at his best.

craig christon and bonar bradberry team up as before christ for this essential slice of brooding party fuel, leading in with the trippy, otherworldly tones of barry s k. from the grinding pulse of the analogue bassline to the mystical keys, it s the consummate astral traveler for djs exploring the outer realms of the dancefloor. mushroom project gently rub more spaced out elements into the original, injecting a little light and letting the hits linger for longer in the ample space of their killer version. tuesday club finds before christ turning to a more sharp-edged rhythmic palette without losing the hypnotic qualities of their sound, before mushroom project return to lay down a rubbery 303 bassline that fits right in amongst the raw drum hits and dense fx processing.

eitr is the new brainchild of nachtzeit, the man behind ambient black metal project lustre. representing the first recording of this new adventure, hädanfärden takes us back to the time of the norse gods and the death of balder, masterminded by the ever devious loki. as the waves of mischievous, playful synth wash over our senses we are transported to asgard and any misgivings over the potential of an album without lyrics to tell a story are dispelled. are we now loki or merely observers in his game of trickery and cunning? limited edition of 300 copies on silver coloured vinyl.

full artwork cover edition. recorded and mixed at imw, march 1992. re-issued 2018 by yozmaz. re-mastered and cut by keith at curve pusher, london. many thanks to robin allinson, the music preservation society crew and all the members without whom this wouldnt have been possible.

this first installment in the sonic poem series kicks off with all new compositions by td based upon poe’s short work “the island of the fay”. froese & co.’s musical accompaniment is fittingly dark and ambient without losing the melodic sounds td fans love!

hello leif mueller on shtum. pleased to meet you. especially with such a strong debut release. everything is starting with the no-nonsense-techno track teleshop which is designed for big room pleasures. on wo ist meine playstation 4? things get a little more psychedelic without losing the straightness you need to get lost in the dance tunnel. cairo is a lesson in keeping goose bumps alive with its up and down galloping synth stabs. to cool things down, the stuttgart based producer drops nightcleaner, a quietly starting ambient affair that evolves into a little acid monster.

5 would be the key number for the brand new chateau flight release on versatile. its been 5 years since the last release and it took 5 days to record. nicolas (i:cube) was busy with his own material, i moved to amsterdam 3 years ago and as we like to make music in the same space. it took a bit of time but finally it s here, the dam house ep. i invited nicolas to visit me last winter, not to do music but just for a cool adam hang out. this turned into 5 intense days of fun production in my studio. it was amazing for both of us to witness how our connection remained intact after all those years and the ideas came really quick. the vibes of the tracks all turned out pretty different, it s a true chateau flight kaleidoscope with an epic 10mn techno track sargan, a more house vibe, crazy (dam house mix), a heavy dark funk drive of lo and the ambient crazy(ambient mix). this record would have not been the same without redlight records,to whom this records dedicated. james and abel left their shop open at night just for us and as children in a candy store we went through the racks looking for samples that formed the inspiration for this ep.

aaro dicosta ep is a debut for both the artist himself and the record label elossa records. elossa records is a record label ran by helsinki based dj marc fred. focusing on music with positive power – feel good dance music without strict genre restrictions. aaro dicosta is a long time producer with deep roots in funk, boogie and disco. aaro dicosta ep contains 4 melodic and powerful tracks for early mornings and late night shifts.

for the inaugural release on tilt, faerber presents 070717, a four-track package of spiralling techno due 03.09.2018. as a joint venture from hamburgs renowned pal nightclub and berlin-based dj/producer faerber, tilt will serve as a platform for a range of experimental artists to present their work without restraint. 070717 is a disorienting trip through four swirling cuts, brandishing references to electro, industrial and ambient whilst permeating warmth through vast concrete structures. the title of this first release - a reference to the date of the g20 summit in hamburg last year - represents a period of instability for both the nightclub and faerber, who is a booker and resident dj there. ongoing heavy police presence outside its front doors resulted in a lack of visitors, so much so that the future of the venue became uncertain. despite a series of obstacles linked to the highly controversial political summit, pal continued to throw parties, eventually reaching a point of stability through sheer dedication and a focus on experimental bookings. now, after a slight delay, they are ready to launch their own imprint. 070717 is the soundtrack to resistance against all odds. vital sales points: - first single from faerber (pal) - releases on tilt - extensive global promo by tailored communications - releaseparty at pal on september first.

2018 repress .. emotional rescue and woo once again come together, this time to reissue their masterpiece, the previously cassette-only album into the heart of love. a joyous, uplifting ode to love in all its forms, the trials and tribulations and ultimately the triumphs are all encapsulted in woo s unique soundscapes. of all the myriad of released and unreleased woo recordings, into the heart of love is without a doubt their most complete and cohesive body of work. full of woos quirky analogue dub electronics, there is also a very english sense of folk. with more vocals then their other albums, the structure and softness of mood quintessentially comes from the mother isle.

davey woodward has been a prolific songwriter with his bands the brilliant corners and the experimental pop band. an indie pop legend to some, obscure outsider to most. he approaches his fourth decade making alternative music with the same enthusiasm and single mindedness as he did in the first. having recently finished recording with karen, davey had an idea that he wanted to record an album of songs quickly with people he had never worked with before. davey knew the songs had to sound effortless, in many ways go back to a time when artists like bowie would go into the studio without finished songs or someone like dylan would work the song out while the tape was rolling. he did not want the songs to sound laboured. the winter orphans were born.

having hallmarked their success through their ability to showcase the hottest talents in dance music, whilst being renowned for curating some of the finest compilations over the years, londons finest party collective, future disco now offers a warm welcome to gimbrère to the imprint. the young dutchman steps up to the plate with his heavy weighted disco weapon, a thing, seeing ava regular jordan on the remix duty. kicking things off, gimbrere teases with a series of sweet melodic disco grooves under a booming range of 808 kicks, slowly sweeping off the filters to let the passionate vocal howls let loose and tear through the speakers. coupled with thunderous crashes and well deserved breakdowns, this track is without a doubt some real peak time business from the flying dutchman. on the flipside, jordan lays one down for the early hours, switching up the beat into a trashy hi-hat affair, making room for a wobbly old school bass and synthline to playfully glide along with the sam-ple hooks. two completely different, yet equally as satisfying cuts, rounding off what is yet again an-other quality release from the future disco crew.

the best of u2 from 1980-1990 - remastered and pressed on 180 gram double vinyl. housed in a gatefold sleeve

after being absent for a while, glance is returning with a uncompromising authentic record on footjob. it recently has become quieter around the man who used to be a founding member of running back, but for this occasion he went and dug in his archives and came back with some beautiful old tracks, just to compile them in a classic, full of groove second footjob ep. as a bonus he finishes and ends the record with two downbeat sounding songs in reminiscence of his former genre crossing alter ego siro. so this goes out to all the realkeeper, oldschooler und newcats. glance is back on the map.

for russian electronic music, mikhail chekalin is not only a major character, who has affected the scene’s establishment and development, but also a kind of symbolic figure. his music has been praised by many in the west - from journalists and critics of all kinds to frank zappa and karlheinz stockhausen, while in moscow chekalin’s name was excluded from the official cultural agenda for a long time: he was accused of propaganda of foreign pro-western aesthetics and up until the end of the 80’s wasn’t allowed to release his works or travel abroad. this, however, didn’t interfere with him recording dozens of innovative electronic compositions and contributing greatly to the development of unofficial soviet art in general - for example, providing sound design for the famous exhibitions of twenty moscow artists on malaya gruzinskaya or arranging the first audiovisual performances on a specially constructed light organ.
however, just like all great artists, mikhail himself prefers to focus not on personal achievements, but on creativity. i don’t have a biography - only a discography - this quote of the author may become an entry point of sorts into the compilation presented. this archival collection of works recorded within the period from 1978 to 1987 are chekalin’s multigenre experiments ranging from spatial music (in essence, ambient’s precursor) to more contemporary synthesizer and post-symphonic compositions.

the buzz around the first wilson phoenix release was huge - good luck finding a copy of that one! the mysterious techno entity returns for round two and delivers the goods once more with some razor sharp club cuts that smartly straddle vibes without losing their way. -expansion- is a fist-pumping, 90s-indebted techno workout with an urgent stomp at its heart - the pointed motor city stabs and raw 909 drums are a gift for anyone wanting to whip the crowd up. -space being- is a wilder affair with bright and bold synth leads splattered over a sizzling electro beat. -field control- mans the b side with a robotic throwdown that should tickle electro, wave, new beat and house heads as much as techno fiends.

o phase presents two striking, no-nonsense techno cuts for token85. each side of suspended animation delivers the special kind of face melter that manages to remain sincere without being overly self-serious. stroke b favours the sensational approach, with a bright and playful lead playing against a hi-hat frenzy in the breakdown. stroke c is more introverted on surface level, but offers pure chaos instead from its depth.

under cover for many years, this affie yusuf two tracker finally sees the light of day on the acclaimed mindyourhead imprint. comes on a generally deep green, mixed colour marbled 12’’ vinyl. affie yusuf paved the way uk acid house scene and so much more, releasing techno and acid throughout his career. mindyourhead records recognises that sometimes you need to look a little bit into the past to move ahead and has re-launched the label with this vinyl only release. ‘parrot soup’ is a fine example of just how a track title can have absolutely no relevance to the music whatsoever. this is a lovingly constructed example of how to convey images with sound, this music renders images brimming with joy and loss, icy cold chills and the warmth of the first rays of sun on a spring morning. tight, punchy drums with crisp 808 snares and driving toms lovingly complimented with dream-like pad sequences, soul searching strings and lush bassline form a quality crossover track that will appeal to lovers of many styles of techno and house. ‘something special’ is on a different tip, more driving and direct in style with the ‘everybody…’/ ‘something special’ vocal samples put to great use (need to be heard in context!) and that essential marching ‘affie acid’ bassline. the lead follows a similar pattern to the acid but pulls your head in a slightly different direction leaving the listener suitably twisted!! this proper ‘party acid’ has just the right level of balls to destroy a dancefloor without scaring off the faint of heart. lovely work affie!!