following on from their hard hitting previous release quarantine , east london s phil passera & chieka ononye deliver their 4th release as payfone on new york s golf channel recordings. a side catholic central emerges from a dark street corner to bloom into a moody synth and bass heavy rhythm, before colliding with a disco riff that could have easily been borrowed from the master tapes of late 1970 s atlanta outfit brick. featuring the vocal style of argentinian pia gonzalez antar, who in confession recalls the dark dynamic of a relationship with a previous lover many years her senior. the room shaking b side comes courtesy of d marc cantu s haze mix that delivers a pounding late night electronic soul voyage. cantu has been releasing genre defying records since the late 2000 s, and performs as one third of jakbeat super group x2 alongside traxx & jtc.  golf channel every time !

the world just got a little bit warmer again with this upcoming debut album of dmarc cantu. after several releases on creme jak, m>o>s>, nation as well as collaborations as 2amfm and saturn v there finally is a full length showcase of this chicago natives extraordinary talents.

the explosive initiation of one electronicas -1210- series comes from ann harbours d marc cantu. the series will consist of one twelve inch and one ten inch vinyl. no mp3 s as per with one electronica and its main aims are to give the artist freedom to do what ever he or she wishes! the extensive palate of sounds available on this pack range from slower ambience influenced grooves, outright -jak-, industrial grit pursuing to intense, pace-ridden, electronic mayhem, as heard in microdots

when it hits there is no escaping this deeeeeep creepy crawly mind meld. it engulfs you, then sucks you into a womblike state, only to spit you back out onto the dancefloor where youll be jakking your ass off!

love notes from brooklyn offers up this platter from a very exciting new brooklyn artist, subtenant. as it says on the tin, the artisanal acid ep is heavy on the 303 squelches and emotional content. each track has a unique pairing of soul and heavy acid funk. evergeen soul is the clear lead track here, using a female snippet to keep this otherwise tough little number dancefloor friendly. this track is then reworked by detroit underground darling, d marc cantu, who pitches things up into funky rave territory. the flip side sees the title track feature the most soulful chords on the entire record, and then on the b2 the artist himself takes to the mic on know how it feels. this whole ep feels live and direct from the brooklyn underground.

finally a full ep by d marc cantu (1/2 of 2am/fm and under other aliases involved in collabos with traxx). technically its the follow up to his cult hit no control (creme jak 02, today a highly sought after 12inch) and in good h-h-h-house fashion this ep contains a ball busting jtc remix of this anthem. but the centre piece must be the title track one of the most emo-simplo jak trax weve ever heard here at the office. starting out simple enough with a single finger synth line (like the musings of a retarded secretary), it mutates into a big wailing distorted saxophone (or a mating whale, who knows?), this puppy will fill your room and throw everybody into an instant k-hole. hey, if that dont sound appealing check the soundclips for proof, its pure liberation... nay rebirth! more floor destroying crazyness on the flipside, but were all out of steam describing it. jak jak jak

for over 18 years, spectral sound, the dance music imprint of ghostly international, has thrived at the forefront of techno and house. it has been a source of support for numerous djs and producers during that time, from matthew dear and benoit & sergio to avalon emerson and hieroglyphic being. now, spectral brings the past alongside the present with its latest release, a compilation that offers a vibrant cross-section of the current moment in underground dance music. despite the wide-ranging selections on spectral 139, a throughline of classic style and infectious energy emerges from the up-and-coming and established artists alike. rising talents such as minimal violence, russell e.l. butler, and earth trax x newborn jr. bring unique perspectives to their hardware-centric productions. veteran producers bring their own edge as well: d marc cantu blows the roof off with the outsized funk of regularly people, and nigil caenaans januarys end, a low-key detroit classic from the late 90s, closes spectral 139 with a whirlwind of manic rhythms and sedate synths. gunnar haslam opens the tracklist with his acidic mindbender, versione antica. and ghostly regulars like tadd mullinix, who drops a lush jtc remix of his new x-altera alias, and matrixxman, who collaborates with riccardo limiti on the cavernous inferno, tie everything back to the label s roots. the double 12 compilation, as well as each individual single, features original work by los angeles-based artist nina hartmann. her designs have appeared on releases from labels such as ascetic house and big love, and the pieces for spectral 139 continue to develop her cryptic aesthetic. the marriage of hartmanns striking, high-contrast symbols with such bold dance music speaks to a collection that aims to stand out.

banlieue records starts the year 2017 with the release of blasphema eternal, the imprints sixth record, which will in fact be the only va release of the year as the label will focus on artist eps. it features five very different cuts that somehow fit perfectly together under banlieues common thread: a timeless feel, tracks that are full of detail but often understated, a breath of fresh air ready to lift up bodies and minds on the dance floor and anywhere else. first comes a club-ready dubbed out track by duo nummer, then a rather ambient tune reminiscent of idms finest moments by michigans own dmarc cantu. on the flipside, a machine funk track of an electro persuasion by label boss benoit b, followed by uptempo dance floor abstraction by mir and some lo-fi jackbeat deepness courtesy of wulffius featuring lyrics in french by jack tezam. limited to 300 vinyl copies.

tight remix set from the mos camp... tip! after delivering his standout debut full length sketches on mos recordings earlier it the year, aroy dee now gets the remix treatment. the fine talents carefully chosen by aroy dee because their music inspired him, r-a-g, d marc cantu, paul du lac and cliff lothar, revisit three different cuts from his album and serve up compelling results.

death in vegas main man and drone founder richard fearless delivers an epic dance track.

azimuth ep showcases this producers fresh take on electronic music across a range of tempos. dmarc cantu remixes the eps most dancefloor-friendly track, azimuth, lending it a deeper and more brooding edge. alis is the new project from italo-bulgarian londoner, sabina plamenova (formerly subeena). this new pseudonym reflects a more personal and vocal-lead endeavour, in her own words, not just a music about music approach but also an outlet for her own personality. a big name for 2013 and beyond.