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.

the inimitable cc:disco! has partnered with hyped underground label soothsayer to curate the first in a collaborative series of compilations entitled first light. soothsayer presents first light: volume 1 compiled by cc:disco! is due for release in february 2018 digitally and on vinyl. australias reigning champion of tasteful electronic music, cc:disco! has procured exclusive tracks from emerging and undiscovered artists across genres such as boogie, balearic, funk, disco and house with each sound piquing her interest, culminating in a finished product that would undeniably slot into a cc:disco! set. her mission statement? less chin stroking, more dancing. it captures what cc:disco! is all about: the dancefloor. the very first taste of first light comes in the form of a salty and sweet track called really want that by jace xl. premiered via resident advisor, cc:disco! explains: i remember the first time i heard jace sing in a bar, at first i thought a dj was playing then i looked up see jace singing his guts out. he blew me away! jaces voice is amazing and to me, a huge part of whats going on in australian music, so its with open arms we welcome him to first light. staub comes back on wax for a third episode. following the no name policy from the parties which started 5 years ago in it is time again for unknown artist to shine. this new ep sees the shy producer appearing on 4 tracks of pristine techno. a1 is an atmospheric trip while a2 is more brutal, on the b side it is going weirder and darker. we think unknown artist tries to craft interesting techno cuts and that he loves variety. that it is the idea behind staub since its beginnings, it does not matter whether you are a newcomer or lady gaga, what matters is the quality of the music. this is what was again aimed with this third record.

the inimitable cc:disco! has partnered with hyped underground label soothsayer to curate the first in a collaborative series of compilations entitled first light. soothsayer presents first light: volume 1 compiled by cc:disco! is due for release in february 2018 on vinyl

ess o ess (aka chris stoker and jamie blanco) return to not an animal to further indulge in the organic house territories previously mined for the previous releases. the duo have an uncanny nack for deftly balancing the rockier end of disco with the authenticity of early house, and never more so than on -secret place. the original bounces and struts in a pleasingly groove laden hypnotic fashion, while the dub version turns down the guitars and turns up the synthesisers for a more heads-down dance floor excursion. on remix detail kuniyuki takahashi makes his 1st appearance on the label. on the vinyl you ll find an interpretation which can be best be described as pitched-down balearic-techno, which clicks, clacks and folds upon itself, drowning in waves of reverbed drama-drums at a deceptively low tempo. kuniyuki also provides a second remix as a digital exclusive, mildly pulling back on the pomp of the vinyl version, but replacing it with a spacious pathos, complete with backwards guitars that reminiscent of an electronic within without you era beatles. angaphora make their naar debut with their own wildly stirring remix of the lead track, which evokes the golden era of 80s melodic pop music to bewildering success, laden with digitised emotion, singing ebow guitar, and not a kick drum in site.