limited edition of 100 only on 180g vinyl. riso printed artwork

incl. bruce, k-lone, rhythmic theory and glances!! tip!

new idle hands 2021 output. tip!

next idle hands masterpiece. tip!

great idle hands experimental/electronic ep

200 copies only, vinyl only release

melbourne’s idle minds workshop team up with rider shafique.

hardly limited ! be quick..

more electronica on idle hand by daisy moon

dan habarnam returns to chris farrell s label with a follow up to last years acclaimed draw your pattern 12inch. picking up where that left off major blinks delves deeper into sub heavy techno with superb sound design and depth. on the flip the source transfixes with its eerie pads and broken drums. another strong release from this label and another chapter in this unique romanian artist s story.

adventurous club music from konduku.

bassheavy minimal house

strategy returns to chris farrells idle hands label for the first time since his seeds of paradise lp, and his first record of the year following releases for nite owls diner and zam zams sister label khaliphonic in 2018. here he turns in a bassy house number by the name of tropical storm, one for those sloppy grins in the summer months. the most requested track id on shanti celeste’s dekmantel mix, here it finally sees the light of day.

new label from etienne starts with a double header by himself

crunchy, understated breakbeat

diving bird is a series of 12inches on idle hands from cornish artist andy mac the third in the series sees mac draw on highlife and dub influences the a side leads off with sketch 3 a rough hewn house track with live elements. dancehall style does what it says on the tin in a concise manner. on the b side acido s dreesen and pst remix longships from diving bird 1 into a hypnotic and subtley subby track with a dub techno feel

kicking off 2019 for idle hands comes a release from k-lone, boss of the wisdom teeth label alongside facta. two tracks in a classic ih style. dub and garage influences to the fore, broken house vibes.

pistol pete with 3 serious house groovers for idle hands.

house influenced frameworks

following two previous excursions into degraded tape loops, fuzzed-out ambience and bittersweet moments of tenderness, o$vmv$m return to idle hands to complete a trilogy of lps with 12 vignettes from the underbelly of the bristol scene

idle hands first release of 2018 comes from dan habarnam, a producer who made his name with releases skirting round the edges of dnb on exit and cylon. in the last few years he has turned his hand to techno with two 12inches on hs own selectie label that found favour with ben ufo amongst others. here are on idle049 we present two tracks of his latest work, hard hitting broken techno with maximum dancefloor potential.

idle hands continues its quest to support new talent coming out of bristol with a fresh 12inch from local beatsmith crump. up to this point, he s been quietly slipping out razor sharp reduced house cuts on various artist releases for extended play and banoffee pies, but it s high time he had a 12inch of his to truly showcase his sound. the two tracks on this single tap into a consistent thread on idle, fusing the minimal sensibilities of contemporary european house music with a swung, dub-weighted presence fit for soundsystem consumption in the fair city we call home. much like previous releases from leif, christian jay and matt karmil, this is a demonstration of stripped down music loaded with swagger. -ice & spheres- pivots around an ear-snagging 2-step shuffle that cuts through any mix, but there s scores of subtlety woven in between the drums to reward the attentive listener. snatches of vocal, distant field recordings, low-blowing synth licks and other unidentifiable sonic matter lurk quietly in the mix to cast a spell on the sleep-deprived twitcher and warm-up head-nodder alike. sporting a brighter disposition thanks to the sheen of its chords, -mechanisms- provides a different vibe on the flip. the beat throws down with a rugged nod to west london broken styles while still tapping into that aforementioned continental 4/4 sensibility, injecting a refreshing variation into the densely populated minimal house landscape while maintaining the meditative qualities that keep the genre close to our hearts

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.

we ve been closely watching the rise of a sagittariun ever since he first popped up with his consistently excellent elastic dreams label back in 2011. what started out as an anonymous project has since been revealed as the handiwork of nick harris, a long time champion of the bristol house and techno scene since before most of us were even hitting the dance. his music has been flying out with a no nonsense approach self-released, minimal promo, just cracking club-ready 12inches that tap into the fierce-but-fun spirit of detroit techno and albums loaded with smokers delights to appease his west country roots.

for the past two decades, ivan smagghe has perfected the art of making spaced-out clubbers dance, has ridden a fine line and run his label les disques de la mort. rupert cross is a london-based composer who has worked with michael finissy and julian anderson as well as writing music for television and theatre. before/after ma, an album which sat on the fringes of experimental music passed through an industrial particle accelerator. s&c give you the tracks codenamed timothy dalton (according to ivan, the laser sound in the track reminded us of flash gordon). neither pop, nor psychedelic, nor ambient, nor house, nor techno, nor post punk nor even new wave are spared, but none are singled out. to nurture this proto-album, the duo also called upon the talents of tim felton, the outstanding guitarist from the cult band broadcast.

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.

with releases from lerosa, andy mac and piezo already under our belts, idle hands strides towards the summer with a transmission from a kindred spirit across the pond. area, sometimes known as m50, has been flying the flag for forward thinking electronic music in chicago for a long time. his radio shows on wnur have a distinctive quality one step to the side of the music his hometown is best known for, while his label kimochi sound has released incredible music from the likes of benjamin brunn, strategy and many more besides. as a producer area has been equally prolific since first emerging in 2007. from ethereal sound and steadfast to untilmyheartstops and sequencias, his various approaches to rhythm and texture are all bound together by a meditative quality that feels like a perfect fit for idle. on this single, both sides of the 12- continue the theme of dusty, dusky 4/4 area is most widely known for, locking on to a house groove while sporting the abstract atmosphere of techno. -rlgl- is an understated, emotional heater that uses looped up fragments as a counterpoint to the more lilting strings and static that bed the track. notice takes a more overtly melancholic approach with its lingering, heavily processed keys that drift in between a tough set of drums. theres a punch to the track that will translate beautifully to a big system, even as the melodics spell out a more intimate listening experience.

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.

bleed release a second ep of the year in the form of a third solo outing for label head volte-face, who also records alongside daniel avery as rote. recently featuring on semantica s latest nonnative compilation, you bury me sees volte-face further refining his hypnotic, atmospheric approach to techno. the a1, shirime , is dark and trippy, with a brooding atmosphere throughout. iori s remix on the a2 recontextualises the core elements of the original track with a broken-beat. the b1, you bury me , features a grindingly anthemic synth-line and marries it to a gothic ambience. dead cat on the dinner table rounds off the ep, an unapologetically straightforward beat underpinning some outrageous and unpredictable sounds. early support from dj nobu, svreca, daniel avery, tripeo and etapp kyle.

following the first chapter of andy mac sdiving birdseries, idle hands welcomes italian producer piezo into the fold with an ep that harks back to the smoky, dubwise ambience of some of the label s earliest releases. luca mucci was a bristol resident for a few years before returning to his native milan, carving out an identity for his piezo alias with a slew of dubstep-focused eps on labels such as artikal music and subaltern. while on an idle hands skirmish stateside and playing on ny radio, one of the kelly twins dropped lume and remarked on how idle it sounded, sparking the process that led to this record. you can sense a link the early kowton records on ep opener opeq, all monochromatic textures and taut, slow-stalking rhythms, but here those facets are interspersed with a unique melodic elegance that offsets the moody immersion of the track, eventually blooming out into an effervescent slice of slow-motion house music. novemiluano meanwhile displays muccis capabilities in handling broken beats, exercising a devastating restraint without compromising on presence or energy in crafting a stunning piece of meditative soundsystem music. pushing that foundational dub principle of space and minimalism even further, lume closes the record out in stunning style with an intimate, glacial stepper that champions minute detail as much as looming gaps in the sound. with a peppering of micro sampling atop a deathly bassweight march, its a finely pointed arrow aimed right at the heart of idle hands, and we couldn t be happier to be releasing it.

7” release mit zwei tracks aus dem selbstbetitelten harlem river drive debütalbum (1971) um die brüder eddie und charlie palmieri, zweier giganten der latin-jazz-fusion. “seeds of life” erscheint erstmals in voller albumlänge auf 7” vinyl.

it s no secret that idle hands is a label built on a foundation of dub. from the earliest releases by pev, kowton and szare through to more recent output from o$vmv$m and christian jay, the influence of bristol s soundsystem heritage looms large in the myriad electronic music threads the label encompasses. sometimes this influence is explicit, other times implied, but the principles of sub heavy, spacious music for both body and mind guide the stylistic arc of the label as a direct result of the label s long time immersion in roots and dub culture.

over the years jim coles has turned his hand to a fair few different styles and made them his own. these days, most know his om unit alias as a significant force in fresh developments within d&b (recently found larking about with alix perez, binga and more in the richie brains project on exit records), but it s not always been that way.

idle hands is proud to present our first 12” of 2017 from lerosa, a four-tracker beamed across the irish sea to bristol. the ‘subcouture’ ep sees the esteemed producer operating at the intersection of dubby electro and deep house, taking in the sub-heavy frequencies bristol is known for, whilst retaining an agile and sleek simplicity. ‘maryelen’ is a tight, yet pastoral electro track where dreamy pads contrast against tough, cutting drum programming. ‘line bass’ is a tumbling and bouncy number, that doffs its cap to reggae disco and features vibrant synths peppering the mix. ‘scruffy’ takes on a slower and more playful mood, featuring light licks of acid and off kilter keys. ‘subcouture’ is a subtle dubbed out house cut with a hint of shuffle.

nice price deal !!! after the blunted murk of their previous self-titled mini-album on idle hands, amos jabu childs and sam neek barrett return to the place where their most fragmented ideas manifest in fleeting glimpses of tracks. theirs is a teasing approach, where all the facets of a fully formed track are condensed down to one or two minutes of distilled excellence.

having previously turned out some refined club tracks for friendly neighbourhood label banoffee pies, christian jay comes to idle hands for his debut solo 12inch. as revealed in our past support of artists such as i.a. bericochea and matt karmil, an appreciation of the finer end of the minimal house and techno spectrum weighs heavy at idle hands hq, and christian embodies everything good about the micro-genre. the stylistic approach on this single is consistent across both tracks, fusing shuffling, 2-step fuelled drum patterns with blissful atmospheric content in a most natural of ways. on 117 this manifests in a more flamboyant end result peppered with playful hi-hat tones and delicate melodic licks, while on contrail the mood is resolutely low-end focused with some choice bass touches in amongst the tightly wound funk of the beat. what makes jay s efforts stand out is their immersive finish, using dexterous doses of dub processing to create a quintessentially bristolian mood while retaining the razor-sharp edges of upfront european minimal. its a tone that speaks to limbering up at the start of the party, or shaking down deep into the morning. that said, we could listen to this all day and night.

this is an official reissue of what am i gonna do for fun by the band pitch (1982 - new york city). this release also includes a fantastic remix or rework by tolouse low trax (toresch, salon des amateurs, düsseldorf). a few words from stuart shape, the producer: feels like it was done by another person. i remember getting the serge synthetiser to stay in tune was always a problem. we were fascinated with the new sampling that were just coming out, and kind of got carried away on the vocals. not sure what i was thinking about with the lyrics, guess maybe trying to figure out what i was supposed to be doing when i wasnt working or playing music unfortunately no other finished tracks from that era have survived. they recorded a lot, but finished and saved very little.

bristol is a tight knit place and there has always been a healthy culture of collaboration in the city, lmye (lend me your ears) are the latet in that tradition. two friends who met, and for a period recorded above the idle hands shop on stokes croft. they made their debut on funkineven’s apron label earlier in 2016 with the ‘cali 76’. here they keep things closer to home with a release on idle hands.
‘manhattan’ is as indebted to ’70s us funk as it is to ’90s uk garage. a house tune that has turned heads on the various mixes it has found itself on over the last year.
over on the flip shanti celeste turns in a brilliant remix, one of her best we think.

this is an album of deeply emotional music. it s not all heartfelt niceties and eye-welling moods though. rhythmic theory did after all come to light (or should that be dark) in the gloomy alleyways of uk soundsystem music begat from dubstep and all that other stuff. -creeper- is on hand to affirm that this is a record still steeped in true, stern moodiness, where a stalking sub line, some metallic percussion and an icy drone can still strike fear more than a thousand angry wobble basslines. it s worth noting how much attention has been given to shorter vignettes. as well as the aforementioned, cryptically titled -interlude-, -work of fiction- and -end (of forever)- both give insights into the places rhythmic theory cares to roam beyond the structure of a long form track. these are places where melancholic or downright ambiguous dispositions interplay with each other, from the synthetic to the earthly, the malevolent to the tender. in the end, even at its most monochromatic, nothing is black and white on rhythmic theory s debut album, and that s just fine with us.

support from ben ufo, dj tlr, nick hoppner, moxie and all your favourite djs

this is idle033: the sound of an accomplished dancefloor producer stretching out. these aren t straight dance tracks, neither is this a ponderous ambient lp. this is vivid, vital electronic music for modern times. tracks to cut through the monotony of depressingly average house and techno releases. the music shimmers with warmth and humanity, a testament to karmil s personality as well as his skill as a producer. one can sense in the tracks that this a musician who has travelled and absorbed much along the way: long drawn out winter nights in sweden with the studio barnhus crew. years spent in cologne with its distinguished electronic sound, a city which has given so much to the world with kompakt and more. last but not least you can sense karmil s upbringing here in the uk, the roughness and rudeness all added to the mix. idle hands has never been a label to follow trends or to take the easy path. it has strived to keep people guessingand to remain in awe and wonder at new music being produced. inmatt karmil it has found a producer whoembodies this notion.

the last few years has seen parris make a name for himself across a number of scenes, to the extent he is just as likely to be found spinning records for butterz as he is putting records out on berceuse heroique. here at idle hands we first touched base with parris many moons ago when he bought copies of the first release on his soundman chronicles label into our shop. as it is one of our favourite labels we were intrigued to hear what he would come up with as producer himself. needless to say we were impressed. presented here are two tracks that perfectly reflect his sound and our own a nod to techno here, a weighty bass line there, a love of reverb everywhere and all with a view to being played in dark rooms late at night. the 12 inch of burr and blue is idle hands last release of 2015 and we think it rounds off nicely what has been a great year for the label.

following an acclaimed release on ancient monarchy and ahead of his debut for blackest ever black, rhythmic theory returns to idle hands for the third time. ‘future tense’ channels the spirit of era defining mid-90s dnb but twists it with a contemporary techno feel. a contemporary of livity sound and hodge, rhythmic theory’s music sits closely to theirs but with a distinct sound palette all of his own.

idle hands has been broadening its reach both sonically and geographically this year, turning to ambient electronic dub with portland’s strategy, atmospheric broken beat with london-based leif and stripped down house with german producer matt karmil. this latest ep brings the focus back to bristol with o$vmv$m, the latest project to emerge from the young echo milieu. comprised of neek (commonly found bashing out grime and steppers alongside kahn) and amos childs (of jabu and zhou amongst others), the eight track release marks a step into even more experimental territory for idle hands…

as idle hands reaches its 30th release, it gives us great pleasure to welcome rising talent matt karmill to the fold. to date matt has delivered a strong body of work to labels such as beats in space and yume, as well as dropping the cryptically titled - - - - album on popnoname’s pnn label last year. this three track ep marks his first appearance on the idle hands roster after earning his stripes on the shelves of the shop, and he will be following this record up with an album for us later in the year. the hooky leftfield house constructions on play it continue the thread of adventurous releases idle is championing in 2015, following strategy’s seeds of paradise lp and leif’s broken beat excursions. with a balance struck between experimentation and satisfaction, matt has delivered a record that continues the all important tradition of timeless music that the label always strives for.

it gives us great pleasure to welcome london-based producer leif in to the idle hands fold. from his earlier micro house releases alongside tom ellis on their trimsound label through to starting the otherworldly untilmyheartstops imprint alongside tom s brother joe, he has displayed an innate gift for combining crisp, flexible rhythms with serene, dubby melodic content that sits in a comfortable flux between icy and warm, natural and synthesised, funky and floating.

strategy aka paul dickow is back on idle hands for an lp following last years *return from the stars* 12 inch. *seeds of paradise* finds strategy boldly firing experimental electronics and dub back into outer space. like his work for zam zam, kranky and his own community library label, this latest outing from the portland-based producer nestles deftly between roots influence and sci-fi leanings. the result is a glistening 40 minutes of sonic exploration, never simplistic but never obtuse, which will sit happily on the turntables of sofa loungers and adventurous djs alike.