following a run of local transmissions from a sagittariun, crump, rob smith and atki2, idle hands turns its attention to berlin and the straight-up, no-nonsense techno thrust of johanna knutsson and hans berg. both respected artists and djs in their own right, the pair have been turning out 12inches together for the free spirit society, klasse and crime city disco over the past few years, but most importantly they ve been steering the excellent ufo station recordings as a vessel for their punchy, primal techno tracks. the sound on this ep taps into the pure form of stern, dark dancefloor tackle favoured at idle hands – no extraneous filler, plenty of space in the mix, but equally built with warmth and personality rather than monochrome functionality. if you need further proof, just look to the fact the ep is named after a swedish soap opera from the 90s. the bleeps and bass tones that pulse through -taggen- are so finely crafted they need not skip and dance around the arrangement. the melodic interplay on -klimax- is subtle but ultimately uplifting and optimistic where so much techno concerns itself with oppressive gloom. -bimbo- finds the pair embracing a more psychedelic approach, but even here the modulating effects processes are kept within certain boundaries so as to not dilute the impact on the floor. after all, this is music to dance to, to be felt over a large system (where possible). moving from leftfield bass excursions to minimalist 2-step, uk techno and now onto this much more continental sound, themälarviken ep continues to widen the range of idle hands musical tastes without losing sight of the complete picture.

naoki e-jima s disc shop zero record store in tokyo holds a special place in our hearts. since before idle hands was even established, when rooted records was king, the cosy, liberally stocked shop has served as a sympathetic outpost for bristol s rich culture of soundsystem music. over the years, naoki has championed all the best music to come from our fair city, from smith & mighty through to pinch and pev and on to the output from our own humble label. it s been a vital connection to help our music reach the right heads on the other side of the world, in turn providing a platform for our most treasured artists to gig and further the cause of the music we love. as a thank you for all the support naoki has shown bristol music over the years, idle hands has put together a special tribute 10inch of tracks that chime with his particular musical tastes, shining a light on some complementary gems that might have otherwise never seen the light of day. its also a chance to fill in the missing idle013 catalogue number – fortunately, the number 13 does not represent bad luck in japanese culture. on the a-side, the mighty (pun intended) rob smith takes to a track from outboxx s debut album, originally intended for a remix 12inch that never came to be. in his learned hands, lost soul becomes a shimmering stepper marked out by beautiful cascading arpeggios and of course plenty of fulsome bass, with arresting fragments of vocal drifting in and out of the mix for good measure. rob s status as a true legend of bristol music needs no explanation, but his presence here is furthermore because naoki is such a fan of his music. on the b-side, atki2 makes a welcome return to the label after bringing a classic ray of sunshine to idle hands on the second single we ever put out. as well as being a big release for us, it was apparently huge at disc shop zero, so it feels right to bring the effervescent hes royal to this 10inch release. with a sunny disposition at heart, these two tracks make sense sharing a 10inch, but it s even more fitting that they sit side by side as we doff our caps to a true hero of the global underground. thanks, naoki.

>bussin down< is the first planet mu single from chrissy murderbot, who comes with a style inspired by his chosen city of chicagos juke and footwork scenes. he playfully mixes in elements of other styles of music he loves, such as rnb and dancehall, to create lively mutations with a warm hearted mass appeal that comfortably straddles genres. >bussin down< features chicago footwork supremo dj spinn over some tasty footwork tracks featuring spinns instructional lyrics, over some high speed jazz funk and cracking claps and klaviers. next track >braaain< is a unique amalgam of footwork with the classic early digital sleng teng bassline. the blend works fantastically, as chrissy slides the originals vocal in and out of the mix in a dub style. on the b-side atki2 takes album track >the vibe is so right< featuring vocals from mc zulu and runs it through a lush treatment that mixes detroit washes with tight, laidback, rolling funky house drums, to instant classic effect. on b2, chicago footwork pioneers djs rashad and spinn send the originals vocal into a whirl of complex delays and layered loops over cold drums and hard techno stabs. just the faintest taste of what is in store on the m-bots incredible >womens studies< album due soon on planet mu.

idle hands is a vinyl based label operating out of rooted records in bristol. the focus of the label is on raw and experimental dance floor tracks, in the best traditions of the uk underground. hanuman and atki2 make up monkeysteak, and along with dub boy run the steak house records label. over the past few years they have released 12&#8243,,s on the werk and punch drunk labels as well as recently featuring on toddla t’s fabric mix. here in the west country dub boy runs the bristol’s best bass music night, the acclaimed ruffnek diskotek and has recently been voted one of the cities favourite dj’s, second only to joker. this 12&#8243,, sees the crew delve into house music with satisfyingly bass heavy results. the a side is a chunky deep house track with a feel good carnival vibe. the b side is a unique slice of post-soca dance music, and also includes a remix from the internet’s funkiest man – grievous angel. dj support from martyn, ben ufo, blackdown and 2562.

support from sinden, 2562, toddla t, poirier,baobinga, murderbot, roska, starkey, bok bok, dub boy.... the newly formed steak house records bring some much-needed carnival fire for these winter months, their sights firmly on the trinidad carnival season. label owners atki2 and hanuman take the helm on this release, enlisting the vocal talents of mc zulu on the ep?s standout lead track ?hyped up?. the party continues on the flip, with the psychedelic funky of ?haarlem drift? and the arabic folky heater ?tigris riddim?, already a firm favourite with toddla t. mashing up global riddims and bass heavy genre bending ruffness, they incorporate sounds from bassline to bashment, grime to dubstep to funky to soca and back again