nice price deal !!! the brstl label reaches its tenth release with a return to where it started with a 12 inch from october & borai. the label was set up by rhythmic theory, chris farrell and shanti celeste in 2011 from the idle hands record shop as a means to showcase the finest house and techno being produced in their city, bristol. octobers * head 4 phuture* is a nod to the acid pioneers without resorting to revivalism. instead a heady groove is teased out over several minutes, perfect dj gear. october & borai * too high the future* is a heady stoned house groove, from bristols highest producers – with some weighty sub to propel things along.

for brstls first release of 2015 label boss shanti celeste steps up with two impeccable dance floor cuts. the last year has seen growing attention being paid to shanti celestes djing and production. with two sell out 12 inches for idle hands and brstl, plus a well received ra podcast and a packed dj schedule she is set to be big in 2015. here she presents two tracks, *moods* is a bubbling, warm spirited house jam and *lumi* is a heads down techno stomper. another great release on brstl.

outboxx return to brstl two years on from their first release on the label, tougher and more dance floor focused. although primarily known for deeper house sounds for labels such as futureboogie, they have never been afraid to experiment as exemplified on their debut lp for idle hands. here they turn their attention to deep techno, with two stripped back cuts that retain the warmth of their other productions. sequential circles drills down on a singular, angular riff whilst neatly deployed percusiion hits at just the right moments. moon loop whirls round on a deep spacey groove in keeping with its title. another strong release from the bristol focused brstl label.

idle hands affiliate brstl continues their exhibit of bristol born house and techno. following the success of samuels *numberuma* and with previous releases from shanti celeste, october & borai and outboxx, the next instalment: *eyes wide shut / voyeuristic distress* comes courtesy of good friend rhythmic theory. in keeping with the labels ethos, brstl007 relies on the astute manipulation of its limited elements and is two cuts of tough and direct techno.

bristol music has always stood strongest as an alternative to the lowest common denominator, and so it is with brstl as the label continues to provide a platform to previously undiscovered talent in the underbelly of the citys flourishing house scene. following lauded debuts from shanti celeste and jay l, the sixth installment in the series turns to another unknown in the shape of samuel. as with other releases on brstl, 006 is made up of two distinct halves. on the a-side, >numberuma< delivers machine driven house of a rugged and charming nature. the drums switch up with playful intent but largely centre around a forward-charging 4/4 pulse with a faint hint of tropical flavour rubbed into the groove. meanwhile the limber lead keys speak of sunnier days through a cracked lens while the accompanying chord swells intone an equally uplifting and nostalgic message. while from the outset the track may be wrought from simple ingredients, the dynamic interplay between the different elements belies the producers years. on the flip, >groove therapy< opts for a more esoteric approach made up of long, dreamy lead-ins full of distant pads and delicate percussion and transitions as smooth as silk. indeed this track makes a smart foil to >numberuma<, choosing to snake its way into the subconscious through delicate melodic content and an undulating beat rather than rambunctious rhythm. slow-release filters draw that aforementioned pad in before sending it out to sea once more, and all the while the stripped back drums tick out a hypnotic chant. once again a pair of unique tracks loaded with character prove brstl to be an essential outpost for the most creative 4/4 music emanating from the west country.

for its fifth release, brstl continues on its mission to unearth fresh and exciting artists from bristols electronic music scene, this time showcasing the debut release from idle hands employee shanti celeste. regular clubgoers in the city will have almost certainly heard her display her penchant for heavily swung rhythms in her dj sets, and her 12-inch for brstl manages to distil this passion into two elegantly produced house music groovers. recently unveiled on outboxxs podcast for resident advisor, the soulful new jersey-esque skip of >need your lovin< (baby) takes up the a-side, its gliding rhodes chords and playful melodies being propelled by a tough and irresistably funky beat that kerri himself would be proud of. over on the flipside, >result!< offers up a more heads-down vibe, channelling those swung beats into an upbuilding, synth-smeared house jam.

third in the series of 12 inches dedicated to house and techno emanating from bristol. following on from october & borai and outboxx we present the debut 12 inch from bristol newcomer rhythmic theory.

hailing from bristol, uk, borai is the progeny of the 90s jungle scene and has spent the last fifteen years careening his musical curiosity through every tile of the dance floor. borai s early years were occupied by bristol s many record shops as an employee and fan of the culture. while drenching himself in the expansiveness of electronic music history at work, he picked up djing to bestow his love for jungle, house and dancehall in the area s clubs. an obsession with hardware led borai to craft a slew of his own productions and releases on tasteful nudes, cahoots records, and brstl. with dark of the sun , borai is making his debut on the global cultural beacon halocyan records. the record will mark the 8th installment of the label s originary technicity series, which exemplifies techne in electronic music. dark of the sun is led by the rolling percussion of on the horizon , which feeds into the deep, grinding steam engine that is dark of the sun and followed by the transcendent bounce of wetware. the tracks are pressed on halocyan s signature 12inch cyan viny.

while she may be based in berlin now, shanti celeste has deep roots within idle hands. from working behind the counter when the shop first opened to playing the label parties and co-running the neighbouring brstl label, shanti s contributions to the bristol house music scene have been ever-increasing as she has grown as an artist. having put out our her second ever 12inch,days like this, back in 2014, it gives us great pleasure to welcome her back as an internationally respected producer with a relentless gig schedule and a rich back catalogue of warm, heartfelt dance music that kicks where it counts. shanti s stylistic palette may have broadened over the past four years, but she s also retained a natural, unpretentious quality in her tracks that can span all manner of grooves and tempos. make time certainly chimes with her earliest house productions, but it s also offset by a wistful, meditative maturity. swooping pads, distant vocal threads and delicate fragments of breakbeat flirting in an aqueous soundscape whatever city shes based in now, this is surely deep house infused with a quintessential bristol ruffness. -thoughts- meanwhile speaks more to the artistic development shanti has undergone over the past few years, bearing the influence of melodic techno, electro and broken beat while striking a unique chord in the process. it s a hypnotic, alluring track that eschews basic dancefloor demands in favour of a more intimate headspace shaped out by snaking, polyrhythmic synth lines. both make time and thoughts stretch out over extended running times all the better for losing yourself in the heady atmosphere shanti has created on her very welcome return to idle hands.

secretsundaze 18th transmission comes with love from bristol based artist and newcomer shanti celeste. with just a few releases under her belt on the likes of julio bashmores broadwalk, her own label brstl and idle hands (the infamous bristol shop where she also man s the counter a few days a week) she has been quick to impress.

over a handful of singles and an album on bristol labels like immerse, idle hands and brstl, it is now time for jacob martin and matt lambert aka outboxx to make their debut on local talk. sticking close to what they do best, this ep is filled with house music infused with electronic soul.

after appearances on idle hands and brstl, rhythmic theory returns to their own imprint to further explore gritty textures and mysterious moods within house and techno frameworks. where theory001 featured the somewhat soothing, melancholic tones of >echo vibe< and >omega syndrome<, this second installment comes caked in sonic muck and abrasive attitude.its not all dark and foreboding, as the graceful filter-swept key refrain of >siren song< will attest, but it takes a barrage of rasping hats and bludgeoning kicks and toms before such niceties can be foisted upon our ears. while there is an optimistic lilt to the particular notes the melody calls out, in the midst of such machismo percussion it cant help but feel emotionally ambiguous, continuing the tone set out in the first rhythmic theory releases.there is no such confusion over b side cut >genesis< from the apocalyptic boom of the opening kick to the rapid gun fire of the snare this is a track that wants to inflict damage. at the midway point the searing beat melts away as a wash of delay-riddled speech knocks you from your centre of gravity, only for the drums to come whipping back in to pick up the slack. even the sole synth note that rears its head is devoid of compassion, pulsing a creepy, robotic intonation through the clamour.

it has been exciting to watch outboxx take shape over the past two years, chasing their vision for a more meaningful kind of deep house music via jakes intense attention to detail, matts way with the keys and naomis arresting voice. it has been a steady progression, reaching out to select labels but keeping things largely close to home on idle hands, immerse and brstl, while their tracks have developed in ever more confident strides.

from bristol-based producer borai, known for his collaborative releases with dj october on labels such as apple pips, simple records, brstl and never learnt. this is his first solo work via tasteful nudes - a brand new label from chicago

we never forget our roots here at idle hands. for people of a certain age the wild experiments of jungle and dnb remain close to our hearts. whilst scenes, sounds and trends may wax and wane that visceral feeling of chest rattling bass is something we hold on to. rhythmic theory is one producer who like us, never forgot. here we present two tunes deeply indebted to those times. it must be stated though, you will not find any amen breaks or ragga samples here, instead, this up and coming bristol producer transposes the atmospheres and deadly subs to a techno template. *legacy of the lost* and *riveted* follow on from two well received vinyl only release on brstl and his own self titled label. both tracks are immaculately crafted hardware jams that are designed solely with sound system use in mind.

vinyl only !! big with: paul woolford, deetron, tazz, terrence fixmer, brendon moeller, anthony shake shakir, john osborn, chris duckenfield, dj deep, joel alter, nick hoeppner, nyra, cedric maison, eric cloutier, ed davenport, harri, ernie, milton jackson, a sagittariun, jonas kopp, huxley, danny howells,... never learnt follows up the superb nyra >best of< release with this superb two-tracker from october & borai, who have previously teamed up for the shadowing brstl imprint, october as a solo artist is currently winning many a plaudit for his unique take on house and techno, with releases on skudge, simple, applepips and his own taanstafl imprint all causing a stir. in this release, we see two dubbed out, cosmic housers with >level abstain< being a skewed peak time cut and >vital ital rub< heading for the deeper floors. stay tuned…

for the second installment of their mixtape series, hospital records has turned to devonian duo fred v and grafix, who epitomize the label s festival-friendly outlook. they don t disappoint, either, dropping an action-packed mix that shoehorns 32 tracks into an hour of non-stop dancing fun. after kicking off with the guitar laden hip-hop wooziness of cyantific s high water mark and dimension s tear-out beast whiplash, they variously touch on liquid, hospital style disco drum and bass, and harder flavours. happily, they find room to include eight exclusives from a variety of producers, including a previously unheard vip re-work of their own summer smash major happy