new lp by arp frique & erik (keysie) ritfeld

nebulos first appearance on the parisian imprint. a thoughtful, unsettling, and melodically entrancing concept piece that continues to set nebulo apart in an abstract world of his own.

luc who? marianni? this reclusive french composer paved the underground music history with a handful of mind-blowing lps but still managed to surprisingly fall under the radar. even the experts seem to have forgotten about him when there were clues all over the place! it is true luc marianni didnt belong to no family but his own, with his constant work-in-progress through the gathering of friends and the odd random musical chance meeting.
it is therefore with great pleasure that we offer for the first time in decades the scarce remaining stock of original copies from his first and last vinyls, hoping to turn some heads along the release of the remix ep on ddd records: ddd-lmr-t01 with remixes of jared wlison (detroit), dam mantle (glasgow) and nukubus (rotterdam).

symphonic music

remaster / reissue

180g vinyl, mastered at half speed, 350g heavy cardboard o sleeve w. uv coating, obi, sticker. for fans of jazz-funk, soul jazz, spaced out sounds,fusion, deep solos, belgian magic, montreux jazz festival, soft machine, weather report, epic suites for the mind travelers, cognac by the fireplace. first ever release of the first ever live performance and recording by marc moulin’s placebo available on 180g vinyl mastered at half speed.

pleiade hex 6 is comprised of mostly instrumental suites that are narrative in nature. cyclical patterns are central to the compositions: exploring harmony and counterpoint as they ebb & are reincarnated, shadows cast by silences and textures, and the perpetual return to the heart/core.
loosely inspired by medieval canons/rounds and baroque structures, the album hovers between ambient/electronic experimentations and semi-classical traditions.

part 1/3! several shades of the same color is patricias first album for spectral sound, produced in conjunction with his own label active cultures.

this grouping of audio recordings is for aural use only. any emotional content perceived herein is borne of its listener, and is in no way intended by its author. any sounds resembling speech are not intended to convey meaning. several shades of the same color is patricia s first album for spectral sound — produced in conjunction with his own label active cultures. tips for listeners: consider the moment in which you exist, pay attention to how these sounds evoke physiological (rather than cognitive) responses. listeners may find themselves deriving immense physical pleasure from exposure to these sounds. inability to achieve such pleasure is likely attributable to over-analysis of the aforementioned audio content — or to improper amplification. each of shades three lps features suites of tracks that, considered alone, comprise their own distinct, unique worlds. disc one opens with -i know the face, but not the name,- an unabashedly plaintive trip through classic electro rhythms, flip it over for -the words are only sounds,- a haunting affair for synthesizer and voice. disc two s -the electric eye is upon me- swirls endlessly, while -shiba inu dub- is cut for the floor and coy as its namesake. disc three s jackin -feel your body- will cause you to do just that, -german friendship- sounds like d.a.f. on dissociatives. any emotional associations incurred while listening come at the listener s discretion. furthermore, the identity of the author and/or their passions regarding the recordings herein shall bear no weight on the listener s experience. this body of work is not intended to generate ideas, rather, its goal is to produce physical sensations in the listener.

22 years ago saw the release of goldie’s debut album ‘timeless’ which truly changed the face of drum’n’bass, hardcore and jungle. the seminal record featured the iconic track ‘inner city life’ - the vocals for which were performed by the late diane charlemagne. in 2011, the guardian described the release of ‘timeless’ as one of the -50 key events in the history of dance music-. mobo award-winning songwriter, dj, producer, visual artist and actor goldie (mbe) will release a new double album ‘the journey man’ on june 16th, all written and produced by goldie. collaborators on ‘the journey man’ album include vocalist and songwriter natalie duncan, terri walker, tyler lee daly, natalie williams, jose james, naomi pryor as well as goldie’s wife, mika wassenaar price. goldie is also one of only a handful of artists ever to co-write with david bowie – on the track ‘truth’ from the drum‘n’bass pioneer’s second album, ‘saturnz return’ released in 1998. the album also featured distinguished collaborators such as noel gallagher and krs-one. goldie will be performing an exclusive, sold-out set of shows at london’s esteemed venue ronnie scott’s on 24th and 25th of february, where he will be performing with the heritage ensemble along with ‘the journey man’ vocalists terri walker, tyler lee daly and natalie duncan.
the triple vinyl release includes a download code for the full album plus 12 bonus instrumental cuts - “the instra suites”.

new years deal - a1 - luc marianni - six synthetic suites (anno stamm remix) berlin producer anstam’s remix of six synthetic suites is quite a trip. the producer has crafted a dubbed-out version, almost sub aquatic in its sound design, structured around a murky but driving techno beat on which he layers marianni’s sounds. exotic instruments, unusual timbres, daring melodies and even slapped bass: the contrast between these sounds and stamm’s grayscale groove is powerful. a2 vril - synthetic suite giegling artist vril uses samples from marianni’s six synthetic suites released in 1986 to produce this lovely slab of dub techno. carefully crafted, this track is all about soft edges, with a kind of blurry and hazy vibe that permeates it. a sense of motion is conveyed by the sparse but efficient rhythmic section, with chords and melodic elements giving the impression of floating. with much more contrast and complexity than it might seem at first listen, this is beyond your usual dub techno cut. b1 luc marianni - six synthetic suites (margaret dygas remix) also based in berlin, margaret dygas’ own remix of six synthetic suites is a deconstructed affair, built around a half step groove, ready to be used creatively in dj sets. somewhere between an ambient excursion and a more rhythmic jam, the producer uses a sparse palette of hallucinogenic, dizzying sounds with a dash of eerie darkness that gives this version a melancholic, unsettling nature. words by edouard isar.

ambient power duo anjous sophomore statement continues in the vein of their 2014 debut, unfurling a full hour of mesmeric synthetic drift and veiled melodic undertow. comprised of mark nelson (of pioneering post-rock experimentalists labradford and pan american) and robert donne (of labradford, aix em klemm, cristal), the group work largely in long-form suites of sound, alternately spacious and dense. the new lps six pieces embrace flux and ambiguity: drones swell and shudder, hushed currents of noise glitch and dissolve, atmospheres congeal and liquify. as with the participants prior projects, anjou evoke a shadowed, mysterious mood, variously melancholy and transcendent. the album is an accumulation of craftsmanship and experience, blurred forms traced in light and fog.

a real treat for any fans of tangerine dream, innovative communication or mike oldfield, paladin brings us the contemporary sound of visionary uk synth-prog music via berlin-based label per musica ad astra on his album unknown zones . epic tracks dominate the record in true 1970s tradition, containing suites of music that elevate, transcend and transport the listener in his mind s eye to faraway exotic realms of musical dreamscapes hitherto unimagined. comes with free space insert and copies are limited!

arm watches fingers, glamour muscle, sohla, epsilondemos, wuh oh, le thug, bugatti, sweet dieter, happy meals, chow main, bessa, ikotu, hi & saberhagen, moto.

tyler friedman returns to kontra-musik with a series of immersive wax maelstroms, adorned with the mind-melting artwork of rafaela drazic. every track on ccc: bb: bbb: jj is a controlled experiment in lysergic dance music, an examination of how far you can warp the constitutive elements of techno without loosing it s essential spine. the result is four evolutionary techno suites full of movement and life that make your brain move just as vigorously as your body. as the personal work of a composer creating soundtracks for artist projects - most notably as a long-term collaborator of the otolith group, the filmmaker collective spearheaded by pioneering afrofuturist theorist kodwo eshun - ccc: bb: bbb: jj sums up everything kontra-musik is about: dancefloor celebrations challenging the boundaries of expectation and genre.

one of these things is not like the others. put veteran producer and general madman eddie ruscha (aka secret circuit, laughing light of plenty, dadamunchamunky) in a studio with the spritely whipper-snapper diego herrera (aka suzanne kraft & 1/3 pharaohs) and your results will be nothing less than an epic jam. as the name blasé suggests, their laxadasical style and confident panache is abundant. the duo ease into their productions with a cool hand and an open mind, letting the moment take them somewhere foreign to bask in surreal surroundings, but not without documenting the trip.

my favorite robot serves up another unique and uncompromising release from pink skull, this time in the form of an exclusive vinyl release, months ahead of its digital companion. energetic analogue forms that are simultaneously playful and moody define the sound of their latest full length huitlacoche.

the coombes debut ep is an astonishingly graceful and multifaceted creature that effortlessly synthesizes psych rock, minimal folk and electronica.the coombe began as a soundtrack collaboration between karen sharkey and samuel de la rosa (led er est) for some animated short films karen was producing while living in queens, ny. after their move to texas in 2012, further experimenting resulted in longer songs, noise suites, and field recordings that later would represent the essence of this ep. born and in part recorded in the desert, the coombe is comprised of six mesmerizing gems that provide a rarefied glimpse into a touching and liquid soundscape. these are songs for the enamored.
limited edition of 300 copies with artwork by giandomenico carpentieri. strongly recommended to fans of five or six, flaming tunes, led er est.

on le rire ep jared wilson (7777 - skudge / detroit) leads the way with a pest chicago-house inspired rework, devilishly and deliciously analog without whittling down to a mere old-school homage, a sort of us-acid-dubstep version of addison groove, with a taste of slacker jak-beat for the nirvana generation! a melodic decomposer, scottish dam mantle (warp - ghostly international / glasgow) deceitfully feigns to mellow with what could at first glance seem like an edit. however deep excavations into the intense choir of >voyage vers l harmonie< leads to a surreal confrontation between a slum village like beat and a post-industrial version of melody nelson. thundery atmospheres, slippery slopes… the best way to pay tribute to luc marianni. famous for his duo as well as his label syncom data, nukubus (bunker / rotterdam) is nonetheless an inspired soloist, as this breathtaking remix once again proves. the 11 minutes long krautrock tunnel leaves many envious of its authenticity and sheer technical virtuosity. this swirling reinterpretation of mariannis work manages to leave the original behind and come into its own. its out of respect for the original work that nukubus requested to be credited only as a remixer. if youve bothered to read the few lines above, please remember it is both easier and wiser to form your own opinion with the vinyl in your own two hands. please note that the distribution of these eps will be accompanied by some very limited original editions of luc mariannis vinyls

support comes from steve bug, shinedoe, karotte, james flavour, gruber & nuernberg, paulo olarte !! highgrade goes east! with homm & popoviciu the berlin-gang grows in the eastern direction - to be specific: romania. their musical..output..of both wasn..t hard to spot, because markus homm and mihai popoviciu made a name for themselves for quite a while. no wonder that their output spreads across several..high-class..labels like dj hell..s international deejay gigolos, pascal feos.. non zero records, as well as the british immigrant and the spanish sub conce label. after their first strike - highgrade digital number 009, this is their first vinyl ep on highgrade. without any doubts they take the chance to demonstrate their most.. appreciated.. skills: on the the titletrack >urban ballroom< they send a massive..house-groove..to a trip, alongside with a swinging bassline, decent melodylines and some springy percussions, combining perfectly funkyness and deepness. >contact< and >wipp< on the flipside are convincing in the same versed way. the former slightly more dubby, the latter comes up with a little more speed. all in all forming an ep cast from the same mould, while the title >urban ballroom< says it all. homm & popoviciu are delivering a new housy shade for the labelsound, which suites highgrade perfectly

bay area dj remixes sf band dem suite, with some off kilter drums and powerful, surging bass. b side has that boom bap steez, perfect for your lounge or downtempo set. featuring dem suites singer and a guest verse from animate objects czar absolute.

to celebrate the 50th release on functional here comes the massive 2 tracker feat spoon wizard and 5th suite. spoon wizards shoe monkey gets a remix treatment by tom real vs the rogue element, who deliver an electro flavoured monster of a track. flip for the funky will white remix of 5th suites una funker

two strong and tasty sound-cakes this vinyl bomb suites your taste.on the a-side its vcm nation , a simpatico funky and twisted minimal track, which welcomes you to the nation of voltage controlled modulation. on the flip side we have this old-school-but-extremly-fresh-sounding track which reminds one of the ralphie rosario tracks back in time

ambient power duo anjous sophomore statement continues in the vein of their 2014 debut, unfurling a full hour of mesmeric synthetic drift and veiled melodic undertow. comprised of mark nelson (of pioneering post-rock experimentalists labradford and pan american) and robert donne (of labradford, aix em klemm, cristal), the group work largely in long-form suites of sound, alternately spacious and dense. the new lps six pieces embrace flux and ambiguity: drones swell and shudder, hushed currents of noise glitch and dissolve, atmospheres congeal and liquify. as with the participants prior projects, anjou evoke a shadowed, mysterious mood, variously melancholy and transcendent. the album is an accumulation of craftsmanship and experience, blurred forms traced in light and fog.