Analogical Force Новости

Sound Synthesis. Four tracks. Analogue systems. Acid motion over faded structures. Electro pressure. Broken sequences. Direct impact. Internal drift. Signals extend beyond function -- suspended, displaced. Rhythmic force / latent space. No narrative. No ornament. Transmission.

Having tirelessly contributed to shaping the UK dance music over the past decades, Special Request needs no introduction. From the underground and resurgences of Jungle all the way through to major Pop music projects, this man can do it all. Timedance welcomes Paul Woolford's infamous alias for the first time here, unleashing the devastating “Uncanny Valley”. Woolford combines his signature comb filter rave synths alongside cavernous breaks for ultimate mindf*ck peak time energy, anticipation has been huge for this one since Paul showcased the track on his social media last year to a huge response.

Alongside the original “Uncanny Valley” comes alongside remixes from two of maddest breaks scientists in our address book. Timedance stalwart Metrist nods to his love of hi-tech neurofunk with devestating technicality and flair, whilst gyrofield adds a more hypnotic and psychedelic angle, leaning into the eeriness of the original.

Proper dancefloor wreckage here from a real power trio.

R.A.N.D. Muzik Recordings welcomes Subb-an back to the label. This time in a solo capacity for an EP of house/tech house.

Following the launch of FABRICLIVE’s new chapter with his inaugural artist release ‘Model Collapse’, Sully returns with a heavyweight remix package led by Basic Rhythm, alongside a brand-new track, ‘Proof’.

Originally the first release on the revived FABRICLIVE label, ‘Model Collapse’ set the tone for its forward-facing vision. Here, Basic Rhythm reworks the track into a stripped-back, bassbin-driven weapon - a dubplate turned anthem already making serious impact on the dancefloor.

On the flip, Sully delivers new track ‘Proof’, inspired by conversations with Basic Rhythm around his approach to drums.

Closing the EP is the original ‘Model Collapse’, the club hit that launched the label’s new era and continues to resonate.

Uncompromising Italian DJ/producer The Southern makes his vinyl debut on Mutual Rytm's sub-label, Spectra, with remixes from Alarico, Temudo and Sciahri. An EP marking an impressive label debut, Carmine Portarulo, aka The Southern, lands on Mutual Rytm’s sub- label Spectra with a powerful showcase of his much-loved sound. With the lead track featuring as one of label head SHDW's most requested IDs of the year so far, and packaged alongside outstanding remixes by close label associates Alarico, Temudo and Sciahri, the EP comes having established himself with a sound rooted in old school value and pure techno, favouring energy and authenticity over hype. The track’s backstory comes from the moment Carmine and his partner found out they were expecting a child and went for their first ultrasound appointment. Overwhelmed by the emotion of the moment and the beauty of what nature is capable of, he returned home and poured those feelings into the music. The result, ‘Ultrasound’, is an anthemic, punchy techno cut with euphoric energy rising up through the synths and its catchy lead melody. Joyful melodies sparkle amid vocal groans, adding a raw emotional pull as the warm, driving drums march on. Berlin-based artist Alarico is the first to remix on his return to the label, and his ‘Sad Mix’ has a more melancholic mood, with dark chords and tightly programmed drums that bring lo-key funk. Hayes Collective founder Temudo also returns and flips the vibe on his ‘Neuro Interpretation’ with a more psyched-out, twisted tune featuring trippy synths and booming drums for peak-time impact. Italo-Iranian Sublunar Records head Sciahri then drops his trance- inducing, hypotonic ‘Tunnel Vision Mix’, followed by two digital bonuses: ‘The Stripped Mix’, a bouncy workout with futuristic melodies, and Temudo’s ‘Neuro Interpretation 2’, which is raw, textured, and dark.

W.R.F. was formed in 2015 by Nina and late studio partner Andrew Weatherall to help wrangle the vast output recorded together beyond his solo releases.
Spotlighting nine tracks from the Apparently Solo series of EPs recorded between 2016- 2019 and released on Bandcamp in 2023, this lustrous time capsule marks the culmination of Walsh and Weatherall’s creative relationship born after they clicked at London’s earliest acid house clubs, becoming partners then managers of their Sabres Of Paradise/Sabrettes labels before taking different paths by the late '90s.
An accomplished musician, Nina had learned the art of studio technology by the time they reunited and started working together in 2012. Created at her Facility 4 Studio situated in the dangerous, gang-ridden no man’s land between Streatham and Mitcham, Anamchara captures the super-prolific creative stretch starting in 2015 that produced Weatherall’s Convenanza and Qualia solo sets, W.R.F.’s The Phoenix Suburb (And Other Stories) plus a whole lot more. According to Nina, Andrew envisioned the spectacular ‘Borderland’ as natural successor to ‘Smokebelch’, his most revered track. When it came to his remix, Nina enlisted renowned viola virtuoso Sarah Sarhandi and composed new harmonies with Pachelbel’s Canon in D Minor in mind.
The set also catches the breakthrough period when, through Nina’s careful coaxing, Andrew started using the computer system she’d set up to better express his musical visions by arranging the elements, grooves and melodies she sent him. Still considered the UK’s greatest DJ-producer, Andrew’s arrangements were inspired by his club-igniting sets. “This allowed me to mix the colours for his palette whilst he was painting the picture,” says Nina. Anamchara straddles the gamut of musical styles explored by W.R.F. at this time, from slower paced psychedelic “drug chug” outings ‘We Two’. ‘Heat To Meat Ratio’, ‘Hidden Watchers Part 1’ to banging acid house and techno sometimes inspired by the violence outside the studio door, including ‘SCHLAP’, ‘Crack-Ed’ and churning acid juggernaut ‘Yacidik’ (“After much dangling of the acid carrot, Andrew took a bite and, after one familiar raised eyebrow, never looked back,” says Nina).
Many tracks fly elements from the enormous sonic library Nina inherited from late partner Erick Legrand that she called The Akashic Library of Sound. Marking Andrew’s 2016 admission into the vault, ‘Rattly Old Puffin’ boasts Erick’s psychedelic guitar and tumbling drum loop Weatherall would run with, including on ‘Borderland’. “Erick was like our third member,” says Nina.
Bringing down the curtain, ‘Alma’’s exquisitely poignant melody that unfolds over thirteen time-stopping minutes was composed by Nina while navigating Erick’s birth and departure date anniversaries to accompany Andrew’s reading from Gordon Burn’s 1991 same-named novel at 2018’s Durham Literary Festival. Burn’s novel imagines early 60s popstrel Alma Cogan, who succumbed to cancer in 1966 surviving to reflect on fame. “Now it just makes me think of Erick. And every time I hear those well-placed cymbal crashes I can only think of the Captain himself.”
A beautiful grand finale for this astonishing selection of pure gold from the vaults.
Kris Needs / 2026

Highly collectable and sort after reissue from Discrete Records currently getting plays from Paula Tape, Make A Dance and Sean OD. Early Progressive House from 1992. Special Yellow vinyl edition.

Destination Unknown is an EP by Unpronounceable born from an archive of sounds collected between 2019 and 2024—sonic fragments that took shape without a predetermined direction guided only by an open idea in constant transformation. The original track conceived as a “destination unknown” composition developed its own independent identity. However precisely because of its fluid and cross-genre nature Unpronounceable chose not to place it within a traditional EP context instead opening it up to a multiplicity of perspectives by inviting five artists to reinterpret it freely without genre constraints.

The result is an EP that unfolds like an alternative map of the same sonic territory where each remix explores a distinct direction transforming Destination Unknown into a multifaceted and ever-evolving experience.

In Carl Finlow’s remix Destination Unknown takes on a strong cinematic and narrative dimension. Inspired by the title Finlow imagines a mysterious journey toward a futuristic dystopian city turning the track into a kind of electro soundtrack—dark yet ironic rich in character and capable of evoking vivid images and motion.

MANASYt pushes the track toward more physical and ritualistic territories focusing on the dark pads and the more oneiric vocal elements of the original. The result is a hypnotic pulsating tribal-industrial reinterpretation where rhythm and sonic material become central intensifying the track’s most visceral qualities.

With Gay Horror the focus shifts to an emotional and narrative dimension. The vocals are deliberately made elusive and undefined while the structure develops through a slow controlled crescendo that recalls the atmospheres of ’90s trip-hop. This version also reflects a long-standing human and artistic relationship conceived as a story that travels through time and reaches the present day.

Kevin Follet adopts a more conceptual approach overturning the perspective of the original track. Rather than working with its main elements he brings the underlying structures to the foreground transforming what usually remains hidden into the core of his reinterpretation. His remix is elegant and deep balancing sound exploration with a strong attention to songwriting.

Closing the EP is GP The Synth Roller with a radical and highly experimental reinterpretation. The track behaves like an unstable system: parameters shift without warning surfaces lose coherence sudden accelerations collide with moments of arrest. There is no resolution only a sonic condition in constant tension eventually condensing into a dark compact mass.

Taken as a whole Destination Unknown is far more than a simple remix collection: it is a collective exploration of the potential of a single composition. Unpronounceable’s original track and the reinterpretations by Carl Finlow MANASYt Gay Horror Kevin Follet and GP The Synth Roller move across electro techno industrial and experimental territories offering six different perspectives from the same starting point. An open journey with no fixed destination where every detour becomes an integral part of the path.

Of Course sneaked into both Ivan Smagghe and Nic Arizona’s sets after it was encountered on Valerj’s semi-lost album (in the mountains of Corsica). It proposed a straight (hypnotic) answer to the eternal question: what is house music? A track reminiscent of the hazy days of Derrick Carter’s first European gigs, the tripped-out funk of D.I.Y., or Brett the E Texan. It spoke to them.
As a true believer in those simpler times, Roman Flügel delivers a remix, staying true to the roots of the original but elevating it to impossibly higher skies. Both Say Sorry and Midnight Pulse are more of the same: house music for those who may, at times, lost faith in it.

A collection that balances soulful vibes with modern an edge. Saison's "Can't Get Through" opens with deep textures and a classic house swing, while Piem, Saison & Kid Enigma's "Don't Stop" injects vocal fire and raw energy into the A-side. Flipping over, Matt Gillespie's "Need You Now" layers warmth and urgency into his take on the classic garage sound. Closing the record, Scott Diaz & Miss Yankey's "Intergalactic (Alternate Rub)" ventures into more garage territory with its atmospheric pull and soulful chords. A versatile package that brings together established names and rising voices in perfect balance.

"From The Kitchen To Your Ears" is the debut Various Artists release from Home Kitchen Records, a project rooted in the same spirit as cooking: raw ingredients, patience, instinct, and creativity. Like a dish made with care, each track has been shaped and refined to deliver its own sonic identity.

This VA brings together a special selection of artists, including a track from the label’s founder Z-ID, alongside Briki, Ghazi, Ahmet Mecnun, Shkedul & Salma, all connected through a shared passion for music. Each contribution brings its own flavor, forming a diverse yet cohesive journey from the studio to your ears

• STRICTLY LIMITED, HAND-NUMBERED COLLECTOR’S BOX — ONLY 350 COPIES
• EXCLUSIVE COLORED BOX WITH REFINED SPOT LACQUER FINISH
• 180G VINYL – EACH RECORD IN AN INDIVIDUAL PRINTED SLEEVE
• INCLUDES OFFICIAL BM BAG, POSTER, AND STICKER — EXCLUSIVE TO THE 20 YEARS BM EDITION
• CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF BM — 20 SELECTED TRACKS
• AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON VINYL

20 Years of BM — Anniversary Vinyl Box Set
For two decades, Bondage-Music has stood for timeless underground house music, consistently shaping its own path through deep grooves, warm textures, and uncompromising dancefloor aesthetics. Founded with a clear artistic vision and an enduring passion for vinyl culture, the label has grown into an internationally respected platform for forward-thinking electronic music while always staying true to its roots.
To celebrate its 20-year anniversary, Bondage-Music proudly presents a strictly limited collector’s edition that captures the spirit, sound, and evolution of the label across two remarkable decades.
20 Years of BM brings together 20 exclusive tracks by artists who have played an essential role in the label’s journey, alongside close friends and longtime companions of the BM universe. Carefully curated across five heavyweight vinyl records, the compilation reflects the musical identity that has defined Bondage-Music since day one: deep, soulful, dub-infused, and emotionally driven house music designed for both intimate listening and late-night dancefloors.
The anniversary box features exclusive contributions from artists such as Roger Gerressen, Sascha Dive, Mihai Popoviciu, Steve Bug, NTFO, Markus Homm, Tuccillo, Politics Of Dancing, Rhadow, Andre Kronert, and many more — representing different generations and shades of the Bondage-Music sound.
Pressed on heavyweight 180g vinyl, each record is housed in an individual printed sleeve and presented inside a specially designed colored collector’s box with refined spot lacquer finish. The visual identity of the anniversary edition was created by Pete Bombart — BM’s longtime Head of Artwork, close friend, and an integral part of the label since its early days. His unmistakable artistic language has become deeply connected to the Bondage-Music universe over the years, building a loyal following that extends far beyond the music itself.
Strictly limited to only 350 hand-numbered copies worldwide, the release also includes an exclusive BM bag, poster, and sticker set created specifically for this anniversary edition. More than a compilation, 20 Years of BM is a reflection of the label’s history, community, and enduring dedication to underground electronic music culture. 20 tracks for 20 years — available exclusively on vinyl.
Twenty years later, the journey continues — driven by passion, friendship, and a shared love for timeless electronic music.

Tracklist

VINYL 1 (URSUS)
A1 - ROGER GERRESSEN - PATTERNED SHARDS
A2 - SASCHA DIVE - DUB CHRONICLES #10
B1 - RHADOW – RIPPLES
B2 - LOLA PALMER - SLOW DOWN
VINYL 2 (ARIES)
A1 - ALEXANDER MATCHAK – JOURNEY
A2 - ANDRE KRONERT - BLUE DRIFT
B1 - MIHAI POPOVICIU - TIME GOES BY
B2 - PORNBUGS & FRINK - SAVE OUR SOULS
VINYL 3 (MURIS)
A1 - MARKUS HOMM - MISSING PIECES
A2 - DILBY & PORNBUGS – DECADES
B1 - LOLU MENAYED – FLUX
B2 - CRISTINA LAZIC FEAT. LIKA - WORLDS UNKNOWN
VINYL 4 (LEO)
A1 - STEVE KELLEY & PORNBUGS - CANNING TOWN
A2 - DUST YARD – SHADOWS
B1 - POLITICS OF DANCING – PARTY
B2 - NTFO – BORUGA
VINYL 5 (AQUILAE)
A1 - STEVE BUG & PORNBUGS – SHARED ORBIT
A2 - TUCCILLO – FANTASIA
B1 - STEFAN BRAATZ FEAT. VALENCE – MEMORIES
B2 - EL MUNDO & TAL GROENMAN - MORNING LIGHT

VA – Paradisi Artificiali brings together four distinct sound compositions, each resisting the urge to resemble the others but united by the way they manipulate perception.
Polygonia crafts shifting rhythmic paths where the groove warps and regenerates in real time, maintaining an organic tension that keeps the body in motion without ever truly settling into place.
Feral operates through subtraction, slowing time and excavating sound’s spatial depth. Its tracks don’t progress so much as they envelop, drawing the listener inward into a layered, introspective space.
Agonis introduces a more unstable, sensory thread, weaving transitions and accumulations that build in stages. Frequencies become tangible matter, and the progression unfolds without ever erupting entirely.
Crossing Avenue weaves these directions together without hardening them, infusing the record with a more rooted, almost ancestral rhythmic element that surfaces in the structure of the patterns and the choice of timbre.
The result isn’t a neat synthesis, but a coexistence. The tracks unfold along a shared line without ever converging, articulating a dynamic balance between tension and release. It’s an album that works through gradual alterations, through subtle slippages in perception, as in “Les Paradis Artificiels”. The point isn’t escape, but intensification. The sound burrows deep, reshaping how things are experienced, until a denser, more ambiguous, more alive reality emerges.

Parisian label Chuwanaga announces the upcoming release of Inner Circle Vol. 1, the first installment in a series of house music releases bringing together artists from the label’s close circle. Available on limited 12" vinyl (300 copies) and digital.

The VA opens with “We All Got To Feel” by Argentine producer J. Koen (Nervous Records / Nite Grooves), a track that encapsulates the essence of deep house. Classy, colorful stabs, refined melodies, and a warm, funky bassline come together in a club-ready cut. It's exactly what you expect when you need a track that delivers — just drop it.

It is followed by “Sunny California” from French producer Kaffe Crème (Floors Records), an ode to the sun — both a celebration and a form of incantation recalling the spiritual energy of Ron Trent and Joe Claussell. The track builds toward a break filled with deep, jazz-inflected harmonies before returning with an electrifying melody carried by layered percussion, leading to an emotional climax.

On the flip side, “It’s A Feeling (House Music)” by the French duo Milk & Honey (Chuwanaga) draws clear inspiration from the Chicago lineage, in the vein of Boo Williams. A looping bassline, deep silky chords, and steady drums create a hypnotic, flowing texture with a myriad of ear candy. It's a feeling, it's a vibe!

The record closes with “The Gatekeeper” by French producers Saint-James (Chuwanaga) & KX9000 (Pont-Neuf Records), a track influenced by the London boogie sound and its broken beat scene. Fans of Dego and Kaidi Tatham will recognize its syncopated grooves and percussive depth, bridging house and broken beat aesthetics.

Between Tides marks the next chapter for Deep Steppe—a various artists cut balancing forward motion with the deeper foundation the label’s built on. The A-side leans into a newer lane. Mungo Sound Machine opens with a direct, no-frills party starter. Ballan follows, bringing an overseas touch that stretches the palette—loose, rolling, and just off-center in the right way. On the flip, things return to deeper territory. Kerouac kicks off the B-side with a funky, stripped-back groover—effective across a range of settings. Closing the record, Adam Rose, Miro, & JJ Selects come together on a collaborative tune. Subtle, patient, and dialed in. Two sides, one current.

DJ Support: Claptone, Adam Beyer, Joris Voorn, Kaskade, Martin Solveig, Bob Sinclar, Deeper Purpose, Malaa, CID, Valentino Khan, Claptone, Malaa, Danny Howard, Fatboy Slim, Bob Sinclar, James Hype, Tita Lau, Format:B, Fedde Le Grand, Mark Knight & more.

Toolroom Trax Sampler Vol. 5 delivers another heavyweight selection of cutting-edge House and Tech House grooves, curated straight from the heart of the underground.

Extensively road tested by Ben UFO :). Download code included with the 12”

2026 Repress

Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts has always been a maverick. The Quebec native draws on his electroacoustic studies and love of Latin and classical percussion to cook up left-of-centre sounds that still work well in a club setting. On this latest for Soundrive, he brings a tender, spectral vocal to 'Big Bird's Roll' that tugs at the heart as the phased percussion rides a dubby house groove. The Nail Remix brings more defined drums and his signature crispness, then 'Chiens De Chasse' has an off-kilter swagger and freaky melange of vocals and 'Argos' explores deep, subterranean techno.

The eighth helping of these Perro Bueno Edits is as delicious as Kinder Buenos (we have kids, don't judge us). Once again it is an anonymous affair from the in-house team, whoever that may be, and this one opens with 'SDBO', which is a new flip of, we're told, a "rare African cover version of a much-loved disco classic". It has a perfect mix of disco glam and Afro earthiness with soaring melodies and funk drums that can't fail to get you locked in. 'LEHA' on the B-side is another Afro-funk gem that is rebuilt with layers of chunky percussion and drums, interplay between male and female vocals and fat bass that anchors the whole thing perfectly.

Mutual Dreaming label head and New York favourite Aurora Halal is back on her own imprint for the first time in some seven years. This new EP finds her in a cosmic mood and exploring new frontiers, starting with the journeying 'Red Alert' which is encircled by clean sci-fi melodies as slinky drums power onwards and upwards. 'The Spell' is less mobile, instead hunkering down in a deeper, slower, more inert groove, but one no less detailed by intergalactic melody. 'Airtrain To Jamaica Station' takes flight on liquid and linear deep techno grooves with a psychedelic synth wash and 'Mist' and 'PF Tek' bring anxious moods to restless grooves.

Fold producer Rob Glassett dropped some cheeky garage, dub and tech inspired by his love of pirate radio last time out on this label, and now looks to a deep house sound for the quick follow-up. 'My Phantasy' (Yh Yh edit) is a sensitive sound with a gently tumbling bassline and dusty drums swagger that is infused with a beautiful r&b vocal that has a filtered future sheen that recalls The Weeknd. 'UK $lizzy' is another fresh sound that this time borrows a trap aesthetic for the vocal and works it into a kinetic garage groove that's rich in percussion and doused in late-night love.

Danza Nativa was founded in Buenos Aires in 2019 and has been drip-feeding us with a few choice releases a year ever since. The latest is another deeply immersive take on atmospheric techno from BLNDR, and it opens with the mystic, murky sounds of 'Tidal Veil'. The rhythm rolls freely, but the vibes are dank and grainy, as if you're in a dark underground cavern with the walls closing in. 'Mangrove' is just as aquatic as the title suggests, with wispy motifs buzzing about like mozzies above the humid groove. 'Arwing' has a more astral sound design with cosmic melodies over another low-key but meticulous mix of drums and hits. Finally, Alderaan enters on remix duties with a swirling late-night energetic charge.

Across the cosmic boundaries via spiritual exploration and in the void between shimmer and shadow you will find the astral soundscapes of Birds Of Pandaemonium...

Emerging from Brooklyn's late-night music ecosystem, 'Hazy James' Armstrong and Tim Wagner met nearly 20 years ago through the city's DJ and club scene. Each with different but complementary musical backgrounds which included a mix of folk, guitar, DJing, synths, drum machines, country rock, disco, jazz, and rhythm-heavy club music (being just a few!), the duo began various musical endeavours together & "exploring the darkness while pursuing light" which eventually lead to the birth of Birds Of Pandaemonium.

It was only a matter of time that the stars aligned (via an introduction from Shane Watson of Causeway) to bring the Birds onto the musical radar at Sprechen which led to the release of 3 renowned E.Ps and ultimately, their debut album, Eudaemonia. Obscure covers including Idris Muhammed's Loft classic 'Could Heaven Ever Be Like This', the rave defining Born Slippy by Underworld and the post punk/new wave 'On Islands' by New Musik sit alongside original songs shaped by fresh reflections on life, grief, and love with elements of dream pop, shoe-gaze & gothic pop to give wistful and pulse-driven listening experience that is hazy, romantic, and deliberately genre-blurring.

A truly unique listening experience that delivers broad strokes of sunsetting psychedelia and bleary-eyed optimistic, astral dream-pop across all 8 tracks.

Is it balearic? Not really, it's pretty much a genre all on its own (answers on a postcard).

Here is the latest record from Konformer, Konformer II, the follow up to Konformer 1!

3 years in the making Konformer II is a further & deeper probe of the world of electronic influenced instrumental, psychedelic Krautrock from the Nuremberg based trio, recorded at Frank Mollena's Lonestar Studios.
Rainer Ruder (bass), Andreas Berg (drums) and & Kristian Krauss (keyboards) continue their exploration with a bass loop anchored odyssey, a trip into the future with a firm nod to the past.

Released on Before I Die 03/07/26 on limited Black Vinyl LP with a full colour art book featuring artworks from independent artists from the city.

The band will commence a short UK Tour of Southern & Northern Grassroots venues from the end of August 2026 culminating in a performance at Manchester Psych Fest on Saturday 5th September.

When ELEH's debut "Floating Frequencies/Intuitive Synthesis I" was originally released it was praised as a powerful piece of new electronic minimalism. Twenty years later the artist's legacy has grown while ELEH continues to hypnotize new listeners with time stopping music. Critics, fans and neurologists have praised the music of ELEH as aiding attention and focus while seeming to slow time. Eleh's slow change drones are a state of flow hypnotizing listeners into meditative focus.

From the original packaging, "Pure Sound. Pure Volume. Pure Analog. Dedicated To La Monte Young"

ELEH began in 1999 as an exploration of analog synthesis, emphasizing low frequency difference tones and other resonant acoustic phenomena. ELEH highlights the physical presence of sound as it has been inspired by the physical world. There is also something ‘cathedral-like’ and cosmos-inducing in the sound constructed by ELEH.

This audiophile quality presentation of ELEH's debut album was mastered by Tom Eaton at Sounds And Substance and manufactured at Optimal in Germany for the lowest possible noise floor and the highest analog resolution. Packaged using a 5th color metallic shimmer ink on solid black board stock.

"Nuances of sound turn symphonic." New York Times

“ELEH’s sounds move by stealth and are sculpted from the world rather than from ego. Eleh is not a personality; Eleh is an idea about sound. ELEH forces you to contemplate the cosmos and your place in it. “ Gramophone

"ELEH demonstrates how a single amplified gesture delivered just so can reveal the inner workings of an entire cosmos." Tony Herrington/Wire

“Floating Frequencies/Intuitive Synthesis more than lives up to the mythic status that ELEH has ascended to. “ Brainwashed

"ELEH's music electrifies whatever space it engages. With the flip of a switch, it exposes the ways in which all space is, potentially, electric." ~ Frieze

Following the first two singles by Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle (later F.S.K) from 1980 and 1981, as well as their debut LP “Stürmer” and the 1982 EP “Magic Moments”, A-Musik is now releasing “Ça c’est le Blues,” another of their early works, all of which were released on Alfred Hilsberg’s legendary ZickZack label and have long since become rarities. “Ça c’est le Blues” was originally released in 1984 and marks nothing less than a milestone in F.S.K.’s already impressive discography. While numerous bands from the West German underground of the early 1980s, following the “Summer of Pop” of 1982 and the associated breakthrough of the “Neue Deutsche Welle,” either moved toward the mainstream or began singing in English, Justin Hoffmann, Thomas Meinecke, Michaela Melián, and Wilfried Petzi took a different path.

The songs became more elaborate, the production – influenced by bands like Gang of Four and Dexys Midnight Runners – more opulent, and the instrumentation now included wind instruments for the first time, which have since become an integral part of F.S.K.’s sound. At the same time, the Munich-based band’s music-historically motivated focus was directed more toward the US than was typical of the bands in the West German scene of that era. To their signature blend of post-punk and experimental music, as already evident on “Stürmer,” they now incorporated funk (on the opener “Faire Le Chicken”) and jazz (on the heartbreaking cover version of “My Funny Valentine”). From then on, this “transatlantic feedback” was an essential component of F.S.K.’s musical practice. The discursive twists and turns, the incorporation of references, and the insistence on German lyrics would influence bands in the coming decades, not just those of the “Hamburg School.” At the same time, the album features legendary hits by Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle – such as “Move Ahead” and “Fragen der Philosophie (Völkerball)”– which are still played at every concert to this day.

With the reissue of “Ça c’est le Blues,” one of the most impressive releases in 20th-century German avant-pop history is finally available again. The reissue includes a comprehensive booklet featuring an in-depth interview about the album with all band members, as well as numerous previously unpublished photos.

For nearly four decades, since its founding during the mid 1980s, the Belgian imprint, Sub Rosa, has continuously plumbed the depths of numerous, radical creative histories, assembling a catalog of releases that has almost no equivalent, while remaining nearly impossible to nail down. That said, for most of its run, Sub Rosa has been primarily recognized for its rigorous explorations of the lesser explored shadows of experimental sound practice (sound-art, sound-poetry, early electronic and electroacoustic music, free-improvisation, etc.), delivering a remarkable body of artifacts that have collectively helped to rewrite history in their wake. While it's always been impossible to anticipate where the label might take us next, threading their catalog are plenty of releases that throw further wrenches in the cogs, expanding our understanding of what they pursue, as in the case of a handful of titles, appearing as early as the 1980s, dedicated to ethnographic field-recordings from various parts of the world. Among the most striking and celebrated of these was 2017's Ethiopian Urban And Tribal Music: Mindanoo Mistiru / Gold From Wax, comprising an astounding body of recordings made by Ragnar Johnson and Ralph Harrisson in Ethiopia during 1971, reissuing material originally released by Lyrichord the following year. Now, Sub Rosa returns to the incredible work embarked upon by the pair and captured on that same trip with Ethiopian Musics 1971, comprising the recordings originally released by Ocora shortly after their completion, expanded in this edition to include an entire disc of never before released music. Widely regarded as some of the most important field-recordings ever made of indigenous Ethiopian folk music (as captivating and intoxicating as they are revelatory: providing insights into the roots of the country's singular traditions of popular music and jazz that have come to be celebrated the world over), this incredible collection is issued by Sub Rosa in a beautifully produced 2LP edition, complemented by a four page insert providing detailed descriptions of each song, as well as notes by the ethnomusicologists and recordists, as well as a 2CD edition, with a twelve page booklet. Insanely good and absolutely essential for any fan of field-recording, ethnomusicology, the music of Ethiopia, or the label's mission at large. Once again, Sub Rosa has defied our expectations and delivered a remarkably important intervention in the history of recorded sound.

Located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, few cultures are distinctly singular, while being so diverse (containing 80 distinct ethnic groups who speak 70 languages and 200 dialects) as that of Ethiopia. The home to some of the oldest surviving sects of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (each contributing important aspects of its collective cultural body), particularly the country's culinary and musical traditions have become celebrated the world over, and (generally speaking) feel entirely independent of those of its neighbors. Given this, it's unsurprising that, during the summer of 1971, the young ethnographer, Ragnar Johnson, accompanied by Ralph Harrisson, traveled to Ethiopia to begin his brief career as a field recording ethnomusicologist, capturing material on reels of magnetic tape that would be subsequently released across three LPs for Lyrichord and Ocora, respectively, coming to form a cornerstone of documentation and study of the country's many indigenous musical traditions, as well as providing wide, global access to them for the first time. While Johnson's recording career was relatively brief, ending toward the end of the decade when he began to focus more on teaching in UK universities, with a focus on the anthropology of art and social anthropology, his impact on the field was lasting. Between 1971 and 1979, in addition to those he made in Ethiopia, he made hugely significant recordings in Yemen (also issued by Lyrichord before being reissued by Sub Rosa) and Papua New Guinea, which were originally released by David Toop's Quartz Publications to wide celebration, before being revisited by Ideologic Organ in 2023.

While it's worth noting that commercial releases of ethnomusicological recordings by labels like Folkways, Lyrichord, and Ocora were still in their relatively early days when he entered the field, Johnson's recordings quickly stood apart for their vivid qualities and clarity of space, allowing them to stand the test of time. As he later stated: "I used a Uher Report L stereo tape recorder, BASF quarter inch tapes at a recording speed of seven and a half inches per second with two directional microphones mounted to record an isosceles triangle of stereo sound," he reveals. "The location of the microphones and musicians was critical. The musicians were fully informed of all aspects of the recording process."

Johnson's recordings are extremely vivid, there is a clear sense of space and the cries of the flutes exist across the entire stereo field. It's a reflection of Johnson's skill as a field recordist that his recordings continue to be reissued over forty years later. "I used a Uher Report L stereo tape recorder, BASF quarter inch tapes at a recording speed of seven and a half inches per second with two directional microphones mounted to record an isosceles triangle of stereo sound," he reveals. "The location of the microphones and musicians was critical. The musicians were fully informed of all aspects of the recording process… I used to enjoy being in the moment and hearing something wonderful despite the stress of the vigilance required to ensure that the recordings were accomplished according to plan. The responsibility is to record and document the music as effectively as possible so that it has been preserved for posterity. It is better to actually record music than to sit in a seminar room debating the ethics of recording music." It is this very ethos and sense of clarity that can be encountered across the length of Ethiopian Musics 1971.

For the sake of clarity, the two LPs of material that comprise Ethiopian Musics 1971 should be regarded as a single body of recordings alongside those made in Ethiopia by Ragnar Johnson and Ralph Harrisson during the summer of 1971 (previously issued by Lyrichord and reissued by Sub Rosa), and as two that have, until now, remained historically distinct. The first LP gathers that material released by Ocora during the early 1970s on Musiques Ethiopiennes, while the second comprises (as far as we can tell) twelve never before issued recordings, expanding the journey and making this the definitive edition of the release with its incredible total of 23 recordings of songs, allowing it ever greater scope to achieve the recordists' modus operandi of capturing the broadest and most diverse cross section of Ethiopia's many musical cultures, ranging from different forms of urban music captured in Addis Ababa, documenting largely orally transmitted idioms within which lyrical content is given greater emphasis than the instrumental components (played on masenko fiddles, craar and bagana lyres, washint flutes and kabaro drums), to folk idioms hailing from the Danakil desert and the border regions with Sudan and Kenya. There are songs sung and played in bars, divination chants, laments, dances, Christian songs, and Amharic sung poetry, to only begin to scratch the surface.

Ethiopian Musics 1971 is one of those rare albums where each musical moment is pure, intoxicating gold, while also being greater through the sum of its parts. There are the many songs, forming a rich tapestry of remarkable range across the respective two LPs/CDs (moments that wondrously flirt with sonic abstraction; hypnotic rhythms; pulsing chant; melodies that, in structural arrangement and tonal combination, help us reframe how such a thing might be understood, and a great deal more), each imbued with a remarkable directness and emotive sensibility, and there is the stunning quality of these recordings themselves, transporting each sound to our ears as though we intimately share its creator's space, while being imbued with the pure heart and remarkable spirit with which they were made. As we said before, it's little wonder, once heard, why these recordings and this music feels as fresh and relevant (enduring more than 50 years) today as when they were made. Once again, Sub Rosa has raised the bar with this essential addition to the incredible work that Ragnar Johnson and Ralph Harrisson did back in Ethiopia during 1971, radically expanding our access to the sounds that they captured with these stunning, beautifully produced 2LP and 2CD editions. Absolutely engrossing from the first sounding to the last, this one can't be missed.

Originally self-released in 2023, Stella Kola, the debut album from Beverly Ketch (Jow Jow, Weeping Bong Band) and Robert Thomas (Sunburned Hand of the Man, Dalthom), now returns in a renewed edition—bringing wider attention to a record that already felt like a quietly essential artifact from the moment it first appeared.

Given the pair’s respective roots—and the presence of collaborators drawn from across the Northeast experimental underground—one might expect “a brutal blast of acid swirl.” Instead, what emerges is something far more unexpected. The album is “steeped, not in noise and dissonance, but in the fragrant, captivating folk of Linda Perhacs, Judee Sill, Karen Dalton, and Bridget St John.”

From the opening moments, especially on “Rosa,” the record reveals its core sensibility: “a ballad that digs deep into the psychedelic-folk tradition until it takes root in a freshly sporous permaculture.” What follows is a set of songs that feel both carefully assembled and organically grown—delicate structures held together by a wide circle of contributing musicians, including Wednesday Knudsen (flute), P.G. Six (harp, guitars, keys), Gary War (synth), Jen Gellineau (viola, violin), Willie Lane, L. Gray, and others.

Rather than functioning as studio additions, these collaborators form a genuine collective presence. “The family affair feeds into the album’s charms,” and the feeling is unmistakably communal. Like many of the ‘60s folk records it echoes, Stella Kola carries “the feeling of community and camaraderie” at its core, shaping a warmth that runs through the entire release.

The album’s emotional palette leans toward a quiet, persistent melancholy: “the best records from that era also carried with them an inherent sadness and Stella Kola’s songs wash over the listener with a beautiful woe.” Its sound edges into the terrain of Fairport Convention and Pentangle, with references to “Beggar’s, Kings, Dark Damsels, and Tarot,” yet never settles into revivalism. Instead, Ketch and Thomas extend the tradition outward, refracting it through their own distinctly American, underground language.

As one early description of the album notes, “the masterful restraint of ‘Rosa’ and the rest of Stella Kola’s shimmering debut evokes Anne Briggs, C.O.B., Pentangle and similar ancestors that knew the best way to honor traditions was to widen the heritage even further.”

Even among a prolific and unpredictable network of underground musicians, Stella Kola stands apart. “It’s early in the year, but it’s hard to see an album, especially a debut, capturing the heart as hard as this one.” With its return in reissue form, the album reasserts itself not just as a hidden gem, but as an essential document of contemporary folk experimentation—an intimate, collective work that continues to unfold with time.

Fela’s eternal masterpiece from 1975 on the A-side with two disparate takes on Femi’s ‘Truth Don Die’ on the B.

Insane Teknology's label new batch !!

Double LP for the newskool Resist-Dance !!!
Bloody tunes bringing Insane Teknology or Protokick... in the meantime than discrete talents since ages like Piou... and new sounds...

This label is totally awake !!!

ENJOY !