soul/funk/jazz

bouncey and wiggly trance vibes from dj life.

includes an exclusive vinyl only track, >skeletal<

inits music has the rare quality of transforming bleakness into a soothing experience. in the duos new ep, wildcard, this mechanism is more intense than ever. and that might be because of the particular circumstances that surrounded its inception. two years ago, nadia dalo and benedikt frey decided to move from darmstadt to berlin. adjusting to a rough area of a big city when coming from a quiet town necessarily brings a change of perspective. for nadia and benedikt, that meant experiencing the city life as outsiders while trying to figure out what they wanted from it.wildcard is the sonic result of this process, and proof that changes always bring growth. recorded in their new home studio during winter, the six tracks on the ep are as haunting as their previous lp for hivern, but with a rawer approach and enhanced power. take cover and solver, an approximation to the kind of moody psych-techno they display in their live-shows and two of the most dance floor oriented tracks init have recorded to date. but its the title track which best expresses the mindset of this work. with its skeletal rattle and undulating synths, wildcard feels as desolate as a berlin street in a winter night, but possesses the kind of focus that turns uncertainty into hope. in a similar way, cuts such as copycat or half baked perfectly capture the sort of estrangement -daunting yet hopeful- that comes when moving into a new place, with its slow tempos mirroring the cautious pace of a foreigner and the intoxicated atmospheres calmly distilling the essence of a new environment. nadia and benedikt describe this new habitat as small kids on big bikes, eating dry instant noodles, playing with whats to find on the streets, static aircraft traffic closely over our heads and constant running engines. listening to the music that arose from it, its obvious that, once again, they&# 39,ve been able to overturn apparently hostile elements into a place were youd want to stay forever

bjarki returns to &#1090,,,,&#1088,,,,&#1080,,,,&#1087,,,, with another ep brandishing five restructured doses of idm from another galaxy. using marching kick drums as a basis, oli gumm takes references from techno, gabber and trance and morphs them into something far less easy to categorise. ‘oli gumm 2-2’ switches frantically between glistening synth cascades and bouncing kicks. ‘fork2-2’ is a subdued excursion through ominous, trance-inducing strings and skeletal percussion. opening the b side, ‘7 filakaramellur lion bar’ spirals through warped vocals and acoustic contortions, followed by ‘hatann satann’, a high speed voyage through a demonic parallel universe. closing off the ep, ‘sleikjó’ uses rolling drums to circle around a pit of sparse sonic oddities.

in 2017, benedikt frey released his breathtaking debut album with the esp institute, artificial, and now as we finally come up for air, we’re more than proud to offer an eclectic collection of remixes that’s nothing short of essential. side a leads with h for hysteria remixed by a beloved hero, nicolas chaix a.k.a. i:cube, one of the most prolific and respected electronic artists paris has to offer. his touch is considered and elegant, imbuing the track with a tasteful 303+808 backbone to support an array of patiently floating melodies and angelic vocal samples. following this, tolouse low trax of du&#776,,,,,sseldorf’s infamous salon des amateurs remixes the same track, stripping instrumentation down to a skeletal palette of bass guitar and stabbing percussive punctuations, chopped up inna minimalist stylee that has become his beat-making signature. side b leads with a remix by another du&#776,,,,,sseldorfer, dj normal 4, whose re-imagination of private crimes takes us for an even more menacing ride, half-timing the tempo and skillfully rolling out a barrage of jungle snares from rave days of yore. closing the release is the most aggressive remix of them all, a bonafide techno beatdown of the same track by dalo, the co-producing artist to whose haunting vocals lace the original version. her dark vision opens with sparse industrial drums that blossom into a driving assault of raw machinery, definitely not for the faint-of-heart. an all-around solid release here, fun for all the family... more than just the tip!

delsins reissue arm once again looks to the revered back catalogue of lost trax for a second 12 that picks out the best of the anonymous collectives work. the ep features five cuts taken from two highly sought after eps released on tabernacle records in 2011 and 2012. the eye opens things up with punchy drum programming and the sort of sci-fi effects and synths that immediately take you to a future intergalactic world. its a weighty but emotional opener, while pulp is more twisted and urgent, with warped synth sounds and busy, bristling drums and perc all building pressure throughout. the forest resets the mood with mystic synths and mysterious atmospheres that mix ambient beauty with suggestive skeletal beats. b01 then canes through the cosmos on a detroit electro tip with slithers of synth, swollen pads and crisp hits and dominion rounds things out in hurried fashion. the restless electro drums pound away as prickly snares and cymbals, blurts of machine noise and sweeping pads all wrestle for attention and keep you on your toes. this is high octane electro and techno designed with metallic precision but oozing plenty of human feelings.

eshu, the production collective and record label from nijmegen are back with their next offering. their 12th release is a various artists release that features blm, joburg and steven siwalette alongside label members ivano tetelepta and jocelyn abell. it comes on the heels of teteleptas absorbing dub techno album, senang, and is another high class offering. nijmegen based siwalette is first, previously contributed to the label as part of sys. his stragglers is a sparse but atmospheric track with industrial drones and slowly turning drums taking you through a desolate factory late at night. his second offering is alien encounter which is just as it sounds - a spooky, unsettling bit of cinematic sound design with menacing bass and icy pads all growing in loudness until they eventually consume your mind. lastly on the a-side, uk producer and fear of flying label boss blm lays down a skeletal groove thats embellished with beautiful, yawning synths. scattered little details and fx making this a cavernous piece that encourages your mind to wander and get lost. on the flip, jocelyn abell and ivano tetelepta cook up a heavyweight, mid tempo bit of dub techno with sharp hits and rolling kicks lulling you into a trance. last of all, the emerging j?burg picks up the pace with a perfectly chiselled bit of rock solid dub with looping drums and icy hi hats sinking you deep into its midst. this is an excellent ep that packs in a range of fascinating sounds for both the home and the club.

guttural, pained screams from beyond converge with mangled corrosive rhythms on the sophomore ep from dint for horo. ‘hooker’ convenes an impromptu post punk band out of undead skeletal pulses and spits a frustrated barb to anyone in earshot. ’shovel’ slams nails in relentlessly with an excruciating vocal refrain grinding over the band of zombies undulating bass riff, decaying as it loops. ’skewer’ drags the undead to the dance-floor with a primitive rhythm that rises and ducks, wringing out the intensity with macabre vocal commands reaching through a wall of distortion.

guttural, pained screams from beyond converge with mangled corrosive rhythms on the sophomore ep from dint for horo. ‘hooker’ convenes an impromptu post punk band out of undead skeletal pulses and spits a frustrated barb to anyone in earshot. ’shovel’ slams nails in relentlessly with an excruciating vocal refrain grinding over the band of zombies undulating bass riff, decaying as it loops. ’skewer’ drags the undead to the dance-floor with a primitive rhythm that rises and ducks, wringing out the intensity with macabre vocal commands reaching through a wall of distortion. on remix duties, ontal turn shovel into a peak time industrial techno weapon, while anfs grinds skewer into a jagged amen experiment, and codex empire fuses shovel and skewer into an anthemic sludge. oake wraps up the experience by taking hooker into another realm, convening another band of tortured souls stuck in purgatory, wrecking the rhythms with adrenaline-fuelled pitch black energy.

dark, dread-infused and ready to test even the toughest of sound systems, here compa delivers three twisted, distorted and deadly electronic experiments. removing all but the most crucial elements, compa combines crushing sub-bass with skeletal percussion and chilling atmospheres to show yet again through his signature sound how less is always more. compa has received dj support from the likes of mala, toddla t, chase & status, mary-anne hobbs, youngsta, mistajam, david rodigan, shades (alix perez and eprom) hatcha, om unit and plastician among others.

lp theres been an air of hypnagogic mystery surrounding acid tests sublabel avenue 66 from the start. joey andersons oblique, prince-inspired incantation above the cherry moon set the tone for a label thats sound that has found beauty in the furthest recesses of the dance floor, in the murkiest decay of kick drums and rave stabs. fitting then, that the first album on the imprint comes from trux, an artist who has chosen to reveal nearly nothing about themselves. following a cult classic mini-lp for office recordings, orbiter bears out the anonymous producer as a master of liminal, conceptual dance music. orbiters ten tracks have a vaporous, shape-shifting quality, threatening to topple over into full-on kick drum bliss or vanish into ambience. opener, with it, moves from heady ambient rush to skeletal piano, while blinko and roys garage spell out a hazy memoriam for the uk continuum. forlorn pianos ring out amongst the field recordings, excitable toms and jungle bass all softened in the enveloping gauze. orbiter positions trux as an unknown auteur who puts evocative world of tone and echo into dizzying motion, content to watch from the wings. track list with it orbiter blinko roys garage third glow in my world my row odd u agoma

the second release from de grey introduces the debut 12inch from yorkshire native jack angle week-end, opening proceedings, with skeletal kicks and jacked percussion combining to maximize damage on the dancefloor. 6pnhhpe follows up with brooding acid and sub bass pressure. on the flip, stabilizer lightens the mood with lush synths whilst seita rounds things off with playful melodies juxtaposed with an industrial framework.

fully sonic, percussive & heavily dubbed skeletal tribal-acid-techno with hints of industry as well as digital insects fills dj sotofett’s a-side. juxtaposing rumble and lightness the drone landscapes of vera dvale features merel laine on vocals travelling through the mix & narration of the b-side’s entire 13 min. rather than flabbergasting this split 12” presents the core wania sound!

deep sound channel delve deeper into the waters of eshu. following releases from arc# and tom liem comes j&l, the team of jocelyn abell and tom liem, with a storm of emotions. brooding, menacing, the tumult of uneven tides introduces. steady thuds support flows of warmth, flows countered by piercing coldness in a track that is as absorbing as it is haunting. a sea of veritable tranquillity descends for lunar tides. soften, staggered basslines are punctuated with crisp skeletal cymbal. new textures come to the surface for the autumnal currents of ocean tides. churning chords reflect night skies, shifting percussion floating amidst the jetsam.

almost a year has passed since the ghost of serena butler made its appearance on the realms of eerie - techno oddball marco shuttle’s label. now s/he and other beings gave birth to a new continuum, bene tleilax, where serena’s second ep, “from the cloud to our bodies”, has been conceived.
dub visions and found sound sculptures float over a maelstrom of skeletal techno remains, together with delicate melodies and vocal swarms from a realm where nothing is so sacred that it cannot be reengineered and transformed. this is a release which seizes alienation as impetus to generate new worlds while remaining still counter-trend to certain dark souls in modern electronic music. another biomechanical effort which sounds like the perfect nexus of fluid hopes and unparalleled roles.

warehouse find on this classic canadian label

a-side fully hypnotic, frontal, skeletal & static live drum track with dubbed vocoder throughout the whole side. helsinki s jesse duo with a special non-album track from their album sessions produced by dj sotofett (upcoming lp on keys of life). on the flip lns collaborates with dj sotofett for a shimmering and pad warming ambient track kept coherent by liquid driplets of echoed synths at the beginning and later the tickering & harmonic arpeggios.

bereits im letzten jahr veröffentlichte parlophone records mit »five years (1969–1973)« und »who can i be now? (1974–1976)« zwei boxen, die david bowies studio- und livealben aus den besagten jahren versammeln. fünf dieser longplayer erscheinen nun auch einzeln, und zwar als cd und lp (180 gramm vinyl im klappcover). mit dabei ist unter anderem die 2016 gemasterte version von »diamond dogs«.

following his acclaimed scars of intransigence album of 2014, emile facey (plant43) is back on terra shipwrec. on skeletal rhythm supports strings and bass intertwine, link and disappear. facey performs audio alchemy, transforming cold chords into organic warmth, transfiguring electrical impulses into palpable emotion. frigid currents flow through bright bars, ephemeral percussion snap at heels of soaring keys as plant 43 draws you deeper and deeper into the bare and beautiful brilliance of grid connection.

following on from the acclaimed “talk from home”, suzanne kraft returns to melody as truth with a second full release, “what you get for being young”. recorded in amsterdam over the course of may 2016, “what you get for being young” offers a full immersion into kraft’s ever-evolving world. a milky tip! . lush, digital manipulated synths spread across cold surfaces, metallic drums dance around skeletal song structures. whilst echoes of “talk from home” remain, they are but faint echoes, as kraft’s recent exploration into sound-design and digital manipulation confidently posits “what you get for being young” as an entirely new chapter in the artist’s growing narrative

following on from march s shlømo remix package featuring donato dozzy, bambounou, shlømo and label boss kennedy smith, bright sound s second release of 2016 will new a brand new ep from sweden s andreas tilliander. with his releases on his own repeatle imprint and his tm404 alias s hardware-driven techno featuring on skudge white and kontra-musik, tilliander is among sweden s most versatile talents working right now. his arrival on bright sounds is of a piece with bsrx 004, last year s reissue of fellow swede henrik johansson s 1997 ep as smyglyssna. as with johansson s record, tilliander s stettin libau ep explores slower tempo techno, locating the moments of space and energy in between its rhythmic structures. this search is most keenly observed in knapp ledsyn , with its ever-shifting sonic landscape melting away at various points to reveal its unusual, skeletal beats and hidden melodic details, while the ep title track and nybliven lots apply that approach to what might at first be a traditional dub techno template, yet still offering further small moments of off-beat character. completing the release is a detox operation remix of knapp ledsyn from nonplace records chief burnt friedman, in which the german veteran strips things down to a gentle patter of drums overlaid with suggestive flashes of the original s rich atmospheric elements.

the estonian master of dubstep and techno margus löve, who has operated so far under the monikers l-ow and 1derl&, has changed his creative direction into curvier areas and is presenting his fresh act exit safe mode as a proof. cool and ghastly darkness is still hoofing at your heels and ominous concrete thunder brings the skeletal techno to a new fertile ground. seeming coldness is concealing a hot-blooded pulse and a stealthily transporting psychedely. a dangerously alluring adventure has begun and it s calling for an exit from the numbing comfort zone.

• a new series of 12 inches from krihl begins. the uk duo deliver muscular, skeletal house and techno fuelled with hardcore sensibilities.
• dj support: radio slave, dusky, laurent garnier, breach, tiga, truncate ...

master c & j (carl bias & jesse jones) along with vocalist liz torres are counted among the most influencial artists to rise out of the mid/late eighties chicago house music scene. known for their singularly darkly sensuous and skeletal sound, their tracks captured and defined the late night, underground dancefloor experience rhythm, sweat, sex. originally released in 1987, face it is a deep moody chicago house all time classic. containing all 3 original mixes, face it has been re released and re mastered for 2015 on conjunction with trax records.

one-take ambient instrumental travels, composed in strict committee by the trio of kevin blagg, william suran, and dante carfagna. recorded spontaneously in rural arkansas, bulging sub-woofers lope through fissures of skeletal banjo and pitched down pedal steel, while delicately arranged basins of synth and guitar reverberate, providing a steady stream of granular epiphanies. utterly faded, yet still possessing crystalline clarity, these twelve songs continually attain summits rarely reached within the span of four-minute transmissions.

where to now? records are proud to present beatrice dillons follow up release to the widely well received * blues dances*. this three track 12 inch sees beatrice step things up a gear in terms of intricacy, experimenting wildly to add to her already astute palette of timbre and rhythm. face a leads the record with the unmistakable skronk of saxophone cutting and jamming over the skeletal pulse of beatrices signature dubbed out techno landscape. initially the inclusion of saxophone acts as an aural abstraction or diversion to extract a little freedom from the pumping cavern of dark dub techno atmosphere punctuated with the mechanical juddering saw-bass, but as the piece develops and we become deep into the groove the inclusion of wild sax snorts trips us up and become the focus itself as new levels of complex melodic and rhythmic detail become apparent within this otherwise structurally obedient space. taking its cues from rabih beaini, miles davis * big fun* era, dresvn and keith hudson, undoubtably face a is a compelling, complex trip… heads down but arms flailing. face b continues the theme but takes the listener far deeper into the cavern. here the concern is more the effects of space within song, a moment where beatrice allows herself to move away from the floor to find a little more room for playful experimentation. the saxophone is further treated with a plethora of effects to compliment the array of dub signals that scatter and skip around the basin. the record closes with sonnier (walk in the light) which strangely somehow manages to feel jazzier in its components, even in comparison to a pair of tracks riffing on a manipulated free-jazz sax part. it sounds strangely unsure of its world, adding to this whole loosely slung, loping feel which somehow fits amongst the stern, brooding, and efficient synth play. beatrice masterfully manages to create a piece here that grows in intensity without ever increasing in pace or texture, every drop is intended to stir the listener a little more than the last. theres a sense throughout all the pieces of having rhythm imposed or even inflicted upon the listener but this is certainly not a conflict of ideas… there is optimism, harmony and above all - wild groove nestled within beatrices world of mutant shuffle.

san franciscos very own pagan anarchist acid rave sons dj spun and jonah sharp team up with skate punk legend ray stevens ii and liquid liquid / fist of facts sal principato for their sophomore release on golf channel. a short sharp shot to the head, its hot is a fast & vibrant piece that evokes bygone, punk, no wave, genreless days - and at a fair clip at that. the bonus beats strip it down to the skeletal for some voodoo business while the columbus hotel mix is a version that sounds like nothing else you will hear this year. industrial techno tribal goth dub vibes for 2075 and beyond!

the first musical scale on apiafo leans towards raw funk with a sound similar to the famous 70s bands, l orchestre poly rythmo de cotonou and el rego. funk, is the skeletal structure of this record, and provided the opportunity for peter to invite his uncle, roger damawuzan - the famous pioneer of the 70s soul scene – on two tracks. their collaboration on *pas contente* is a highlight on this 100% analog album. apiafo was entirely recorded, mixed and mastered with old tapes and vintage instruments.

limited 2014 repress
few djs and producers have credentials quite like sammy dees. a longtime fixtureof berlins club scene, a cornerstone of the esteemed perlon imprint and a regular djand panorama bar and club der visionaere, his taste and signature style couldhardly be more well-­&#8208,,,,,honed. earlier this year, he created a new platform for hisunique take on house and techno: ultrastretch, a label that hit the ground runningwith a 12-­&#8208,,,,,inch by matthew burton. slick, modern and touched with surrealism, therecord had all of the unique flavor one would expect from a label by sammy, provinghis skills as a selector extend well beyond the dj booth. ultrastretchs second release lives up to the same high standard. much like matthew burton, seuil is a highly imaginative producer whos kept a low profile despite astring of excellent records. based in paris, his lean and funky sound has placed himat the forefront of his citys reemerging party scene. many of his past releases havebeen punchy but subtle, balancing dance floor utility with an ear for restraint. on >oamer< he goes even deeper than usual, crafting a vivid afterhours track out ofhypnotic drums and bleary-­&#8208,,,,,eyed chords—nervous one moment, euphoric the next.like its title suggests, >dark rooms< is a clubbier affair, charging ahead withfragmented vocals and a brisk driving rhythm. this is one to put on as the nightturns serious. for the final track, sammy brings in an old friend: baby ford, one of germanys finest purveyors of skeletal, ultra-­&#8208,,,,,deep electronics. his remix of >oamer< expands on the originals dreamy side, with sanguine chords and abstract imagerylayered over a crisp bass drum. aimed at the dj and the connoisseur, oamer is one of the classiest records of the year so far, from one of its finest new labels.

here it is, the tenth and final chapter in the seaghdha story, as lo shea wraps up a monumental series with a special, limited 12 inch & cd compilation package. first up we get four more new tracks on the wax, its on is an atmospheric, driving house jam complete with melodic guitar effects, which ride the groove and combine with the devilishly deep low end to startling effect. got swagger strips things right back to the bone, a skeletal rhythm framework, those trademark atmospherics and rock solid low end. buchsheff sees us back in familiar lo shea territory, with a powerful warehouse rattler. finally to be sure brings it all home with a cinematic ambient piece. as if that wasnt enough we also have a hand-stamped cd comp, featuring those classic cuts from the earlier part of the series, which are now fetching serious change on the second hand market it is a great package, and a serious send off for what has been a hugely successful & widely supported musical endeavour.

state is the debut from ore, this is techno deftly delivered. four original tracks showcasing an artist ready to make their mark plus remixes from darling farah and jon convex. a debut that stands out - state showcases an artist ready to make their mark. prime-time berghain techno functions are triangulated with detroit in 1987, birmingham in 1997 and london right now. the result is sumptuously textured asymmetric dance music. richly harmonic, expressionist techno that takes in pneumatic hi-tech funk, warehouse-maddening propulsive hydraulic and rarefied low frequency dub chords. complete with laboratory-precise edits, cold, crystalline sampling and skeletal machine effects ore recalls richie hawtins plastikman all the while keeping a rooted afro-rhythmic swing reminiscent of theo parrish with shuffling hi-hats, deep bass and strokes of barely-tamed percussion.

the opener is a traditional jola rhythm, typically fast and energetic, with tuned, talking and kit drums swarming over a kind of skeletal downhome guitar, somewhere between blues and disco. the mboup brothers make a soaring, impassioned plea for an end to division and bloodshed in their casamance homeland. then a more deeply dug-in, spaced-out funk, edgily spun from a serer rhythm, underpinning mbenes reflective song about parental sacrifice. sama yaye, my mother. both with full instrumental versions.

fluxus is danny scrillas first transmission for civil music and the munich based producers second release. following on from 2012s flash powder ep for om units cosmic bridge label, *fluxus* sees scrilla in expected fine form, and takes in four original neck snapping instrumental tracks plus two remixes from japans deep medi member goth-trad and london producer and one to watch deft. on fluxus scrillas productions run at 80-90bpm / 160-180 bpm exploiting slowfast halftime tempos yet are seemingly engineered from the sonic essence of 06 og dubsteps dark sparse dreadnought sounds, with waves of quaking bass growing under iced-out percussion accentuated by toiling snares. floating chords and hypnotic melodies drive skeletal riddims, sci-fi synthlines arc over the spacious heavyweight ruffage built for towering stacks and pitch black rooms.

as an increasing number of the british producers turn to techno as a source of inspiration, the gritty sound of the uk underground is easily obscured by the polished veneer of continental 4/4 music.
having taken his time to emerge from the shadows, paleman has constructed a musical voice for himself which turns this conundrum on its head by reimagining the skeletal drums and gutteral growls of early dubstep and speed garage as a style of uk techno all of his own. for this youngster, berlin is more of a startpoint than a destination. at only 19, he joins the ever growing base of manchester-based techno producers as the first signing to fulcrum records, a new label started in south manchester by friends sam schorb (aka damu) and adam rogerson.

pressed on 180 gram vinyl. skeletal shards of static tropes spew from the pro-one as dead prog drummers join the dots with heroic trills … an infrasound-tinged intervention provides a non-dropsy intermission bass binge … a graf spee of a tune, long-scuttled in the woofers … mmahler.

the fourteenth release of kiara is signed by markus homm. the romanian back again to the spanish label to offer us a stunning ep. three basic pieces in which mr. homm folds to deep house, based on penetrating grooves, skeletal structures and organic elements overflowing with elegance and sophistication.

brand new label london label features superb karl o connor remix ! new from london based upstart diagonal comes a four tracker of tough, skeletal rhythms from label boss powell. revelling in mechanical hooks, cold, brittle percussion and unfamiliar time signatures, powell pursues new modes of dancefloor dread but is unashamedly indebted to the past to: (amongst others) the propulsive funk of suicide, the linear surge of nitzer ebb and the uncompromising force of mika vainio. no wave new york remains more of an inspiration than bass-heavy london, as does the vision and encouragement of friend and blackest ever black owner, kiran sande. diagonal would like to thank downwards boss karl o connor regis for his love and support and, of course, for the bleak and brilliant rework he has contributed to this first release. thank you karl...

in advance of the release of dapayk & padbergs third full-length sweet nothings - this time round on stil vor talent - the experienced duo are teasing us with the fluffy cloud ep, which showcases three of the album’s many diverse highlights, while keeping the vinyl lovers happy. the a-side bears the lps title track >sweet nothings<, on which dapayk & padberg’s sound takes a turn as they come knocking with a deep but forceful groover, whose distorted high-hats and trancey synth stabs create a vibe both euphoric and weirdly subdued. the lyrics, moreover, emphasise the duality at the core of many dapayk & padberg tracks as the latter ponders ‘you’re good for me - you’re bad for me’. showing another of the duo’s many facets, ‘backyard’ enchants thanks to mystical lyrics sung beautifully over a deep quasi-dubstep structure. marking the ep’s mid-point, the atmospheric song shines through intricately crafted fragility and is the perfect contrast to the previous and following track, while leaving a strong desire for more stuck in the listener’s mind. on the b-side, ‘fluffy clouds’ does quite the opposite to what its title suggests - rather than being a soft little piece, we are treated to big-room techno fodder à la berghain. a skeletal framework of heavy kicks, dark pads, white noise and dense metallics works relentlessly underneath a cold spoken word, proclaiming >not human, not animal - just a body in motion<. machine funk par excellence.

g.h. is gary howell, longtime associate of modern love as one half of pendle coven and sometime contributor to the hate project. the ground ep features howells first material produced outside of pendle coven and takes on a much darker, more stripped down aesthetic - making use of location recordings amassed over the last decade. the title track extends over 7 minutes from a solitary bass pulse into a slow, three dimensional industrial reduction heaving with uncomfortable bass weight and a sense of nervous expectation. its like the bare, skeletal noise framework for darkest junglist hardcore stripped of its percussion - all bar a bass drum and intense shards of noise. albedo has more of a swing to it, dominated by a growling bassline and the metallic clunk of disjointed percussion at odds with the squashed funk lurking somewhere at its core. the template is extended on earth, a brilliantly discordant club variant that sounds like an r&b mastertrack exploded into 100 constituent parts and put together not entirely in the right order. it builds and collapses into itself, a stylistic oddity that at one and the same time brings to mind boards of canadas re- working of colonel abrams - trapped and the extreme frequency vortex of the raster noton lab

brand new label london label features superb karl o connor remix ! first edition limited to 350 copies with laser-cut sleeves folded, stamped and glued by hand. also features hand-numbered fluorescent card insert - see new pictures below . plain sleeved 2nd edition will swiftly follow . new from london based upstart diagonal comes a four tracker of tough, skeletal rhythms from label boss powell. revelling in mechanical hooks, cold, brittle percussion and unfamiliar time signatures, powell pursues new modes of dancefloor dread but is unashamedly indebted to the past to: (amongst others) the propulsive funk of suicide, the linear surge of nitzer ebb and the uncompromising force of mika vainio. no wave new york remains more of an inspiration than bass-heavy london, as does the vision and encouragement of friend and blackest ever black owner, kiran sande. diagonal would like to thank downwards boss karl o connor regis for his love and support and, of course, for the bleak and brilliant rework he has contributed to this first release. thank you karl...

cave paintings is a new imprint dedicated to rough as you like machine music that lives somewhere in techno, house and ebm territory. all the tracks are done live in one take on old analogue boxes for a loose, organic and spontaneous feel that its impossible to capture when using computers. for the same kind of reason these are only available on 12. the mastering and the vinyl itself are an integral part of the sound. on this first release side x is a ten minute straight-up bass-heavy skeletal club groove with hints of a latin vibe about it and side y is more grinding and pounding in a nitzer ebb on quaaludes fashion, relentlessly developing for a full fourteen minutes