house / techno / minimal

remixes from steve parker, mental resonance and marco bruno.

soundscapes, samples, drones sound and more... listen

part 2 of the advents dorian blue series comes with 3 tracks and 13 loops

in his long career as a pioneer of sound, the advent has become a legend in every sense of the word. back with a new offering for our revamping of thema recordings, dorian blue is the sound of an artist who truly hasn t lost their stride. never afraid to bend around genres and cliches, he throws the whole of dance music history into a blender. as he is known for, the advent breathes new life into different versions of his tracks, with back-splitting electro to 909 workouts that will leave your feet throbbing for more. we here at thema are honored to work with such a master to help get us in touch with our roots. play it loud, play it fast.

gabriella vergilov returns to the label s vinyl arm with a set of distinctive hardware techno reuminations to send shivers down your spine. termosfera strides in confidently with a grinding mechanical synth hook that subtly shifts around the 4/4 drum pattern like all the best wormhole techno should. siempre loco is a sparser affair that focuses on space and poise, using minimal ingredients for maximum effect. boring shit bucks against the suggestion of its title to fire off a set of rhythmical cycles that feel indebted to the vast outer reaches of space. detroit hero t-1000 runs with this idea and pings the track into a particularly funky star system somewhere very far away from planet earth.

oozing, oozing soul, oozing feel, oozing the essence of rhythm and the body. this is what elbee bad is about. a native new yorker who has long since transplanted himself in berlin, elbee bad aka the prince of dance is back on thema recordings with a masterclass mini album that will resonate for years to come. crossing dimensions- is more than just a record, it is a philosophy on turntablism and what it means to be engaged in this culture. sitting comfortably on the shelf next to artists like mr. g, moodymann, and dj sprinkles, elbee recalls this genuine house feeling while adding a spice that could only be summoned out of his creative nuance. from the anthemic knowledge of request monster to the bass blistering sonnets of crossing dimensions, elbee showcases the sound of an artist who is deeply in touch with himself, the crowd, and the history of this music. no filler, no bullshit, just truth, love, and house.

we had a little pause on our release schedule, but without further delay we present with pleasure the next bomb by our good friend, dj spider! thema 46 was hatched from someone so deeply ingrained in the underground that he barely needs an introduction. from his ra label of the month featured imprint plan b recordings, to his thoroughly played productions on labels such as rekids, killekill and the trilogy tapes, dj spider has been a mainstay on the murkiest, most disorderly dance floors for years. his sound is characterized by disjointed elements lurching around in a off-kilter yet magnetic way that forces you to move in ways you didn t know you could. from the hell scorched, pitch bent echoes of the final revolution to the lo-fi groove antics of distress signal, dj spider proves once again that no one can do it as perfectly weird as he can. text by: nathan levenson

repress - keeping up the urgent pace set by the strength in numbers collection, thema now turns to a modern master of the jakbeat, d’marc cantu. hailing from ann arbor on the fringes of detroit, cantu has worked for more than a decade developing a sound that carries the torch from the box jam originators of techno and house music. his first appearances were alongside the mighty tadd mullinix (better known as james t. cotton) with their 2 am/fm project, before bringing traxx into the fold for the x2 venture. as a solo artist cantu has shored up on labels as highly regarded as crème organization, m>o>s, nation and desire, bringing a rich, full-bodied sound laden with powerful synth hooks, crafty drum programming and a live, jammed-out delivery that overflows with imagination. given his adventurous tendencies and punchy midwestern finish, cantu is a perfect fit on thema and the six tracks that make up this record show a great deal of the diversity the man is capable of, from dancefloor burners to atmospheric introspections

new years deal - 10 years of thema is not a milestone we take lightly, and we have absolutely no intention of slowing down. in fact we will be celebrating with a string of releases commemorating this accomplishment starting with this ep and going through to our 50th release with an all star line up ready for battle. sometimes there is a sound that lifts you so high you can’t possibly come down. its the kind of sound that many strive for, but few can ever reach. uk mainstay aubrey has been hitting this pinnacle for years through his releases on renowned imprints such as metroplex, ostgut ton, and skudge, as well as his very own solid groove records. * the reflection* ep comes as no exception. as only a dj and producer of his stature can do, aubrey goes above and beyond to take the listener through a spectrum of moods that culminate in a rounded and complex experience. from the uplifting, fast paced pads in *peligro 45* to the disorienting rhythmic voodoo of * roger doger* and peak energy drive of * train to the fire* there is a sense of direction and otherworldly ambiance that will take any dance floor to the place it needs to be

keeping up the urgent pace set by the strength in numbers collection, thema now turns to a modern master of the jakbeat, d’marc cantu. hailing from ann arbor on the fringes of detroit, cantu has worked for more than a decade developing a sound that carries the torch from the box jam originators of techno and house music. his first appearances were alongside the mighty tadd mullinix (better known as james t. cotton) with their 2 am/fm project, before bringing traxx into the fold for the x2 venture. as a solo artist cantu has shored up on labels as highly regarded as crème organization, m>o>s, nation and desire, bringing a rich, full-bodied sound laden with powerful synth hooks, crafty drum programming and a live, jammed-out delivery that overflows with imagination. given his adventurous tendencies and punchy midwestern finish, cantu is a perfect fit on thema and the six tracks that make up this record show a great deal of the diversity the man is capable of, from dancefloor burners to atmospheric introspections.

following up his appearance on part 4 of our strength in numbers compilation, we are ecstatic to present some fresh material from no other than dj slip. a name that has been on the tongue of anyone entrenched in the us techno scene since the early 90’s, dj slip has entranced audiences for years with his brilliantly bizarre take on sonics. remix duties this time around come from berghain resident dj and all around musical powerhouse, answer code request.

rounding off the vinyl series that accompanies themas label-defining strength in numbers compilation, part 4 downsizes from 12 inch to 7 inch to present two distinctive jams that show some of the farthest reaches of the new york imprints sound. laurine frost may be best known as part of the nonconformist house and techno scene of europe through releases on perspectiv, sharingtones and nervmusic, but on this special creation for thema he makes the perfect tribute to the city that gave rise to the label, with a little help from the racy diatribe of amiri baraka on “your house”. by way of a truly special finale for the series, minneapolis maverick dj slip graces the label with an all-too rare appearance, taking an altogether more primal approach on “x7” that channels his years spent conjuring up next level techno for missile, music man and more into a taut and punchy electro excursion infected with tricked out effects and seductive sci-fi noir atmospherics. it’s the perfect example of the freaky fringes thema has comfortably reached to over the course of the last forty releases.

all bets are off with the third vinyl sampler from themas strength in numbers compilation, as the wide-reaching nature of the nyc label truly reveals itself with four varied and striking diversions into critical house music. pressing on translucent, neon green coloured vinyl.

the second vinyl release to be taken from thema’s strength in numbers compilation finds the brooklyn label drawing on four master craftsmen of subliminal house music with equal amounts of soul and surprise in their arsenal. stealthy operator earl stine delivers get the curb, which balances the perfect amount of percussive energy and dreamlike synths, impeccably demonstrating the considerable body of work he has turned out under a more familiar name for smallville records, mule musiq and pampa in the past. pressing on transparent vinyl.

the first installment in the vinyl edition of the thema compilation strength in numbers finds the new york label reaching into its deepest corners to deliver four psychoactive cuts for the most discerning of djs and dancers alike to lose themselves in. norm talley has been a mainstay of the detroit electronic music scene since the mid 90s, and the sublime, pad-enriched tones of *space talk* perfectly sum up the mysterious soul he has made his name on. damien k. sahri shares the a side with talley, and despite being a newer talent previously seen on little helpers and adltd, his slender and immersive everything joint stands up to comparison with the caliber on this record. pressing on white colored & black marbled vinyl.

themas latest 12 inch welcomes back an esteemed and prolific deep house artist, christopher rau, with another fellow member of the thema extended family, detroits norm talley, on remix duties. choosing to go only by his surname, rau crafts a sexy, undulating track entitled > lost in brooklyn< that marks his second release on the label from the same big apple borough. thema is known for its quality take on dance music, marked by decades of experience and careful listening, this release is of the same elevated calibre that we have come to expect from the internationally renowned label. its layered, complex, and completely essential

suburb return to our shores here at thema with a new clutch of tracks drenched in their trademark swirling soul and assured groove. embracing earnest vocals and a hand-played ethic in their music, thema038 cements the fact that these two are rising in the ranks of adventurous deep house producers.

with france’s long-fallow club scene back in international resurgence as paris storms back into fighting form, europe now has found a new source for yet-unheard music. it was a long time brewing, but names like concrete, katapult, zadig, and society of silence, have begun to appear in the international clubbing circuit, and the growth is not limited to the capital. further south in lyon, a city quickly gaining its own renown for busy club parties booking bigger names, there exists a smaller circle of energetic operators whose name is also spreading rapidly and whose recent accomplishments include nuites sonores, boilerroom and more.

oskar offermann and his frequent collaborator and label mate edward are two of the brightest rising stars in contemporary deep house music. as head of the esteemed white imprint, offermann has an envious catalog spread across his own label, aim, and japans storied mule musiq, edward has mostly confined his releases to white apart from a single drop on the mysterious giegling, and some outstanding remixes on other powerhouse labels. since their appearance in 2007, the pair of berliners has only one collaboration record between them in spite of a close association, large individual discographies, and frequent pairings behind the decks. it is thus with great ceremony that thema announces their north american vinyl debut with the four-track ep, verses.

killer remixes from lucy , donor/ truss , and monster original 1998 classic

he has been in the game for 15 years now, and throughout ark has proven he is not one to spread himself thinly. leading up to 2010Æs arkuarium on thema, he had released a string of collaborations that wandered enthusiastically and whose experimentalism culminated on that record. apart from a few celebrated remixes since then, ark has been busy in the studio crafting a new batch of focused heat, mostly alongside his brother pit spector, himself a respected producer and dj known from associations with circus company and minibar. as we finish exploring a heavier sound with our well received re:vision series, the sophisticated deep house tracks on ark and pit spectors new call of the horns ep announce a new direction for the artists and a direction we seek to illuminate as we define the different shades of the spectrum at thema.

we have made no secret of our love for terrence dixon here at thema. after his thema debut with >the parkhurst<, a record that helped to reignite his career, we have seen the legendary figure move on to even bigger things, and we helped the cause even more just recently with his >the return< ep as population one on our chronicle sublabel. his resurgence has reminded us what always drew us and many others to his work from the beginning, and it is thus with immense pride that we announce minimalism re:vision, featuring remixes of terrence dixons groundbreaking minimalism part 1 from 1995.

re:vision series restarts with steve poindexters timeless classic >computer madness<. we are very honored and excited to be able to re-release this beast of a track! it is hard to imagine that this was really created over 2 decades ago. so the task at hand was to find the right contemporaries to revise this masterpiece, we didnt have to look far to find the man for the job: function is an old friend here at thema, and things got even better when he brought in jerome sydenham to co-produce the second treatment. it is thus with great pride we announce our re:vision of computer madness, featuring two resolutely modern reinterpretations of poindexters classic.

after ushering in a raft of releases from top talent over the last year that turned quite a few heads, we over here at thema thought it was time to assert our own opinions a bit more forcefully. we certainly appreciate all the support we garnered from the detroit drops courtesy of norm and terrence, and sliding over to the smallville end of the spectrum with rau and suburb certainly didnt lose the thread either. sometimes its easy to build a vibe on the backs of others rather than on simple merit though… with that in mind we have taken our own path since then, and the recent successes from beaner and laurine frost stand alone as the accolades keep rolling in. continuing on our outbound trajectory, we present the solo vinyl debut of gathaspar, the mysterious polish producer who has been making noise mostly in berlin and to the east.

laurine frosts long overdue second ep for thema is upon us in all its dark, oblique splendor. 2009s thematique showed the mysterious hungarian producers deft sound design and uncanny programming married with a wide breadth of musical tastes and unpredictable choices of composition. it seems that these attribute have only sharpened and are now driving a much more groove-focused approach. so enjoy this, yet another left turn from thema. we are proud to bring you the best from those artists working beyond the well-worn paths of electronic dance music and we are glad laurine could come back to guide us just a little farther off that path.
pressing on transparent vinyl.

after releasing some cross-eyed dance floor burners on district of corruption, little helpers and bar25, pablo roman alcalá aka beaner brought some seriously sexy bent grooves over to brooklyn for those ever lasting late night benders. his first ep for thema was a dark and tangled ode to the drug-addled prose of author, denis johnson, which was well received by a slew of various deranged djs. this time he returns to stake his place on the dance floor with four deep, fractured after-hours jams. the name mixed doubles is apt, as youll find the pairings of unlikely elements on these tracks aligning nicely… before they are slowly pried apart. of course, thats when things truly get interesting

excellent 4 track vinyl with fantastic deep house. it gets started with >spring loop<, a track that looks to its name both for feeling and production sense. of course that sensuous vocal sample that gets drawn through it wouldnt do the job on its own, but rau knows that too and surrounds it with a warm, humid bassline and his always changing and snapping drums to keep it in the pocket for the whole 5 minutes. even though the groove on the a1 is already heavy for him, he goes deeper yet with >swearing (vinyl version)< that jamaican vocal is something so classic that we wont spoil it here, but the pumping house beat and piano stabs he winds around it give even more poignancy to the lyrical substance… we are pretty sure that by the time he finally echoes the vocal out late in the track there will be some hands in the air for this one

norm talley tackles techno. yes, you heard that right… in spite of 3 tracks on the original transmissions that fell a little closer to what the heads would expect from a very reliable source, it was that first one that everyone begged for more of. we must agree that those 3 minutes were just a little of a tease, so here is the full 9-minute extended cut of “man on the moon” that all of you asked for, and what a trip it is! certainly funky broken-beat techno is a new look for norm, but it’s pretty obvious in all 9 of the minutes here that this is a man from detroit making the music he knows best. there’s a groove and a touch here that speaks of soul and experience… although you may find this one in the crates of some of the new school techno elite, it’s safe to say they couldn’t have made it the way norm talley did. even if you remember part one you may be surprised where he takes it, but we’re even more pleased to say that “earth 2 moon” beats it at its own game. this one made our necks snap and heads turn the very first time.

as one of the founding talents of james ruskins continuing blueprint records empire or richard polson and nick duntons seminal surface records, we at thema dont really think we need to remind you who oliver ho is. since 1996 he has released a steady stream of high quality, stylistically diverse, and highly dependable records on blueprint, his own meta, light and dark imprints, and such leading labels as klang electronik, macro, and poker flat that bridge the gaps between techno, tech-house, and deep exploration and always keep djs like us reaching for them when we need that not-quite-ordinary thing that keeps people moving.
comes on transparent / smokey marbled red vinyl.

hot on the heels of that dope detroit double header here at thema, we were feeling that deep thing, and here we are back again but this time with a plate full of tracks. here we present three tracks from these two young men called suburb on one record along with that remix from our two friends at smallville.

transmissions sends us four intercepted signals from the mothership hovering over the motor city primed for the peak-time dancefloor that range from outer space techno trips to alien hip-shaking deep house. theres no fads here and no so-hip move faking, just quality in its purest form, and that alone can seem alien back on earth in these times…

if you are reading this then you most likely are familiar with the latest addition to the thema stable. it means that you have likely experienced the prescient, monolithic funk of his groundbreaking minimalism series. it may mean that you have witnessed one of his rare, raw and raucous sets of densely layered classic/future techno. we are damn sure it means you have heard, absorbed and been educated by his blistering intoxicating work on germanys tresor label and the legendary metroplex releases as population one or his influential utensil releases. the man in question is, of course, detroits own understated, underrated second wave techno soldier. the master of repetition: terrence dixon!

monsieur guillaume berroyer — the infamous ark — recently underwent a sort of sea change in both his artistic and personal life. anyone following his career with even a passing interest knows of his long resume (collabs with pepe bradock and cabanne, dolibox, mika weill, releases on brif, karat, circus company, perlon…) and has heard tales of the studio fire and the creative energy shift and all of the stories associated with his frenzied live performances and dj gigs. great stories are fun and build mystique, but as most heads know the music more than measures up to the legend. his recent >arkpocalypse now< full-length showed a matured craftsman that is not so much waxing introspective as he is distilling his signature sound into something manageable enough to truly adapt to all of his musical tastes.

the second and final part to mossas massive album is festine pt.2. the first part was crafted for a more big room, late night feel and for the second slab of wax were going more for the bouncier out-door, summer fun time feel. there were so many moods on this full-length that we were able to craft specific types of eps. to some this may be more of the sound they come to expect to hear from mossa but we know him best, he has flavors upon flavors, which is very obvious on this ep. hes a hard artist to stereotype, exactly why we had to have him on thema. so for this excursion we have a tango-esque dance floor prime time buner-buleria, that will make you slam tequilas like the true lushes we are. on the flip side we have pezzner of freerange and dave aju of circus company delivering some sultry, tangy, funk for the body

we are honored to present to you themas first full length ù and our 20th release ù mossas >festine<. the cd version offers the full range of expressions, with the sexiest, floor-friendly bits featured over 2 separate 12 inches, parts 1 and 2. the first slab is a true dancefloor beast! its not what you would have come to expect from previous mossa material but we sure are glad to feature such a bold body of work ù with 2 power house collaborations with non other than mathias kaden and mike shannon, just to make it that much more delectable!

ltd warehouse find... amazing 2 ep package by ion ludwig!! cornerstones is an ep that will prove to become another successful tool used by many in the international circuit, full of intricate rhythms with a low-end that can knock your glass off the table... on the ace expect some rolling basses - people will find it very hard not to dance to. prepare for the deeper swamplands on the flip side.

so we bring the bang once again with an incredible ep full of brilliant raw energy and intricate groove by an up and coming dutch artist mr. ion ludwig. originally from amsterdam and now residing in berlin, ludwig has made a name for himself with his sharp, unpredictable, but fierce soothing tracks on respected labels such as alphahouse, resopal, stock5 and also his own label quagmire. we asked for tracks that spanned the spectrum and without a doubt ludwig produced an array of tracks that do just that! cornerstones is an ep that will prove to become another successful tool used by many in the international circuit, full of intricate rhythms with a low-end that can knock your glass off the table

thema is bringing it up a notch with an amazing floor stomping ep from mikael stavöstrand featuring big bully. stavöstrand is no stranger in the techno world. originaly from sweden and now residing in berlin, stavöstrand has built an impressive reputation for his well crafted releases on labels such as contexterrior, mos ferry, we are, adjunct and on his own imprint sunset diskos. for this ep stavöstrand teams up with vocal master mr. big bully once again for another hit record! stavöstrands sensual grooves and big bullys uncanny vocals complement one another, allowing for a full range of uses on the dance floor. with a heavy stomper and prime time track to a soulful late afterhours inside track, its ability for interpretation and maliability in various conditions makes >please my pain< an an excellent dj tool not to be missed

unique and strong well rounded ep from one of the leaders of canada’s electronic music community, adam marshall. the title track has been running through the dj circuit for some time now and has been causing some serious damage amongst some of the biggest names. with its sexy metallic cords and infectious rounded crescendo, it builds up to release a true form of energy that will leave any being hungry for more. reminiscent of works released on labels such as get physical, wagon repair, or mobilee. three more tracks between minimal and house packed with heavy funk.

second release on thema is by a trio from rosario, argentina called, fran matjor. we are honored to introduce this new group which consists of jorge savoretti esperanza, telegraph, franco cinelli milnormodern, alphahouse and matias oviedo. together they blend a sound all their own, full of groove, subliminal atmosphere and a low end that will end up shattering champagne glass on dancefloors around the world, which makes the title all the more meaningful >vidrios rotos<. there must be something in the water because of the incredible sound that is being produced in argentina these days. these guys are no strangers to the sound they like to call >tesh<. they are a part of a new breed of young and talented groove setters, with a keen sense of rhythm, atmosphere and glitch on and off the dancefloor. in other words they know how to get into your mind and and shake that soul!

vinyl only!

four cuts from asc on orange marbled vinyl.

circling ragas of resounding power from the beating heart of belgian dronevolk