since efficient space excavated andy rantzens mind-bending will i dream? the rest of the world has become better acquainted with the darker & dubbier side of one of australias rave superstars. were excited to present a selection of tracks from andys incredibly diverse oeuvre, 6 songs that sit somewhere between 80s digital reggae, 90s rave and the horizon of our accelerating future. lifting the veil speeds up snappy drum programming and a thundering bassline to breakneck speeds, pitting them against sombre chords and strings, perfectly capturing the reflective headspace of a night drive through babylon. cosmic vibrations harks back to the development of fully computerised rhythms emanating from jammy and tubbys waterhouse studios, by way of erskineville. in the same vein, bedtime for boo boo sees andy joined on the boards by sydney dub technician sheriff lindo, creating a dynamic digi-dub number that is sure to come alive on any soundsystem worth its weight - a heady showcase for two of australia’s finest reggae talents. flip the disc to find move it, the most concentrated dose of the jungle vibes that permeate the ep. rantzen channels the headrush sonics, breakneck drums and euphoria of d n bs heydey, nailing the red-eyed early am atmosphere of a sydney warehouse ca. 95 - and its just as likely to cap off the night of many a secret inner west location to come. magic lantern marries a dreamy synthesizer melody with a wicked, subby bassline. if there was a dancehall scene in ferngully, this wouldve been the soundtrack, with enough low end to really rattle the treetops. on closer dub generator, a slightly-creepy mechanized voice urges you to “leave your worries at the door come and join your friends upon the floor - an introduction to the dancefloor or an induction into some sinister cult? whatever the message, the dub chords and massive bassline lull you into the headspace where these words take hold. all songs recorded at masking tapes, liquid blue and 1/66 enmore rd, 1997-2000.

elegant universe a full-length album by matthew hayes and joel trigg is a must listen for fans of the celestial jazz sound of ecm. their soft, seductive duets are incredibly inviting, in a way that seems to encompass and enliven the space around you. unsurprisingly, itd be sure to add warmth to cold winter commutes, and dull the edge of even the fiercest hangovers. the wintry downtime is a tour de force of the duos sense of restraint and the importance placed on individual sounds that swell together and drift apart with organic ease. on light through edinburgh leaves, the sounds themselves seem so three-dimensional, ringing out like ripples on a lake. its hard not to be captivated by such beautifully formed music.

following on from angophora s beautiful long player, ken oath is back with another full length lp from low flung. friends of the label will note that this is his third release for ken oath, and it s a fittingly mature and expansive statement for a debut lp. perhaps mature is the wrong word here, as all his brilliant ideas are backed up by a sense of whimsy that betrays his playful side. the music strikes a balance between styles and spaces that could perfectly soundtrack moments at home, in the club, and in the liminal spaces between. danny s efforts at writing dance music still contain the idiosyncratic approaches of his ambient works: the deadly deep subs and endless echo spirals on -rising damp- sounds like someone trying to piece together a drum & bass track after an off-hand conversation about the genre. he s transmuted the propulsive energy of jungle into something no less dynamic, full of stops and starts and sonic pressure but flush with space. -tarp climber- is at heart a rollicking digi-dub. the more ambient moments of the lp are equally captivating - the glassy tones of -frozen coat- sound like a space-age ensemble soundtracking a floating lounge on a suite of glass instruments, while -ocean grove- blends field recordings and dreamy synthesizer melodies to create an uncanny sense of place that unroots you from wherever you re listening. there s a heavy emphasis on danny s collaborators as well - the cold emotion duo is reprised on the spacey ‘hills hoist’. closer -bacchus marsh- is a collaboration with prophets, a cross-state ensemble that defy any easy categorisation. the music here flirts with jazz and minimalism but with a dubwise production aesthetic to produce something that recalls khan jamal s visionary -drum dance to the motherland- in spirit and practice, but this whole album sounds as otherworldly and one-of-a-kind as the aforementioned lp.

still steamin from his turner street sound collaboration, midnight tenderness serves up a dreamy first solo offering with a fire-cracker of a four-tracker for sydneys ken oath records. the opener refresco is a bleary eyed house number with gently propulsive 707 cowbells and shaker rhythms over smooth pads & an infectiously jazzy bassline. the four to the floor mould is quickly broken as the ep progresses - terme is a midtempo electro track that retains all of the dreaminess of refresco while punching in some swish drum programming. flipping the record over, bevanda is a sweaty miasma of sub-bass, fm flutes and birdlike synth leads that could soundtrack an imaginary club located in the middle of queenslands tropical rainforests. the eps closer, hydra, pushes the tempo way down and introduces some smooth guitar licks, courtesy of riffin rory as well as some lithe flute play. the end result is a sleazy new jack swing jam that works as well for warm-up as it does for cooling down. if youre tired of buying boring club 12inches, look no further! this one will be as comfortable coming through your home stereo as it will be in the club

following the adelaide electro sounds of furious franks magic mountain ep, ken oath returns with an eye-opening survey of modern ambient music along australias coast. breathing space is the intermingling of organic and synthetic textures lyrical birdsong and field recordings that evoke the immense natural beauty of australia alongside blissful pads and synthesizers that echo the calming waves from lazy days spent by the beach. with contributions from ken oath alumni donalds house and angophoras max santilli alongside 9 other hand-picked australian artists, these meditations on antipod

on the first long player release on ken oath records, we are proud as punch to step away from the dancefloor entirely and bring you a deep journey into the alfresco inspirations of life in the australian bush. sydneys angophora (max santilli and jacob fugar) present scenes, where resting pulses and humid atmospherics frame gentle percussion, warm synth work and tasteful guitar licks that take a note from the balearic handbook but remain clear in their appreciation and respect for the sounds and colours of australian nature. music best listened with the ancient ochres of the australian outback in view. so seamlessly will the sonic palette of scenes fit your surroundings, youll begin to question whether or not these gentle surroundings are being emitted from the wax spinning on your plate or eucalypts whirring in the wind around you

on 005 ken turns away from the light and invites you into the dark with adelaide’s furious frank, who dishes up a selection of psychedelic burners and formidable squelch. on this release frank pays tribute to the many mushroom picking spots in the surrounding hills of his hometown, and does them justice with an assortment of broken beats, affected drum flourishes and paranoid synths. over the course of the 5-tracker, frank presents sounds for the frayed final edges of a night out dancing, where shadows start to play tricks on the mind and each remaining track poses more questions than answers. none typify this nervous energy more so than a2 “dangerous dancer”, with it’s smoked out electro punctuated by a wailing 303 intended for dancers that may have gone too far, but are willing to take the next step.

these ones keep floors moving! championing an inimitable groove, the possé present three club ready tracks on their season s greetings ep, combining the know-how of house with the energy and spontaneity of a live band set up. recorded at the legendary citisound and rec studios in sydney, the tracks on ken004 each deliver different perceptions of the up-tempo house beat they’re quickly becoming known for. the title track is probably the heaviest delivery from the label to date, highlighted by the iconic drip of the tb-303. cheeky guitar licks and 808 rhythms jump in and out of the tracks on the ep, keeping it fresh on the live tip.

caravan’s coarsica ep is a gorgeous six-tracker of wandering drum machines and shiny synths, washed with the burnt umbers and viridescent hues of the australian outback. computer-funk with a green thumb. as the track-listing suggests, coarsica is a tribute to subtle and compelling beauty of australia’s native flora, as if costa georgiadis and dâm-funk got away from the big smoke for a weekend and spent the whole time by the river cooking this bad boy up. like the rugged and stoic banksia, or the regal flindersia, each track on the coarsica ep provides a dappled shade under which the weary dancer can rest in these hot summer months.
support from: tako (music from memory/redlight records), touch sensitive, ben fester

sydney based imprint ken oath records lands with its official debut, a 100% australian va sampling the earthly delights of the country’s temperate south-eastern corner. ken oath hits the ground running with four slices of sun soaked house music from dj riggles, underground city loops, donald’s house and low flung. shuffling snares, lo-fi grooves, balearic rhythms and dreamy synths are all enclosed within.