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We turn to Chapter 3 as we introduce a brace of remixes by easily one of our favourite DJ's and producers; the one and only Lena Willikens!
We haven't really went in for remixes much before with the label, as we feel strongly about the power of the original. In the right hands, a great remix can be equally as powerful though and Lena has succeeded in bringing her own weird and wonderful sounds to a track from each preceding chapter - rRoxymore from Chapter 1 and Oslo Gabon from Chapter 2 - whilst still keeping true to the original work.

Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home is the third studio album by American Blues artist Taj Mahal. A double album, the first disc (Giant Step) is electric, while the second (De Ole Folks at Home) is acoustic.

The nine cuts on Giant Step feature support from the instrumental trio of Jessie Ed Davis (guitar/keyboards), Gary Gilmore (bass) and Chuck Blackwell (drums). The arrangements are unique and offer the artist's distinctive approach.

Those who are searching for an introduction when discovering Taj Mahal's voluminous catalogue are encouraged to consider Giant Step as a highly recommended starting point.

With a title that suggests great things, making reference to 6 Victoria Crosses awarded to the Lancashire Regiment in World War 1, Mr Fantastic and Coherent (of Journeymen fame and much more) have set themselves a tall order. Before you have even listened to the music, the presentation points to success in this venture, with original artwork by the brilliant Stilts and marbled camouflage coloured vinyl to boot!

100 years after the press reported 'the winning of 6 VCs before breakfast' during the Gallipoli campaign in World War 1, S.O.E. (Special Operations Executive) opt for beats and rhymes rather than guns and bombs, and the resulting record is essential. The initial salvo is fired in 'Ready For Combat' which sees Mr Fantastic combine hard-hitting drums with stabbing guitar chops for Coherent to set the tone. The result is an instant smash which will have you rewinding, as I was, time and time again! From there, the duo, joined by Rola (The Numskullz/Journeymen) and Truck (also a member of The Journeymen), stage a three pronged assault over a haunting beat, spitting verse one after another like a creeping barrage before Mr Fantastic delivers the final victory courtesy of his trademark tight scratches. The concept for this EP is highly original and perfectly apt and on 'Foreign Lands', this is perfectly demonstrated as Coherent weaves tales of carnage that would sound at home on a jungle warfare documentary. 'Lyrical Assassin' once more sees Coherent dropping vocal hand grenades over double bass and electric piano skilfully fused together by his fellow soldier Mr Fantastic. Throughout, the subject matter and music is dark and 'Heavy Artillery' encapsulates this perfectly - Mr Fantastic's thumping, bass-heavy production would have sat perfectly on Show & AG's sophomore LP next to tracks like 'Night Time'. On 'Carcasses', Coherent shows the enemy why he is such a skilled MC, delivering surgical strikes with his tight metaphors and hard-hitting punch lines.

The question, then, given the highly ambitious nature of this project, is whether S.O.E. have won the battle they set out to win. With meticulous artwork, dark brooding beats and Coherent's masterful wordplay, the result is clear. They didn't just win the battle but the whole darn war!

No light at the end of the tunnel. No helping hand to pull you out of the hole. No second chances. No God to cure this deadly disease. No heaven to save your soul after your final seconds... Hope will hold on, but in the end, death shall claim it.

All this, we understand a little more, day by day.

We will experience our absolute zero, and the stages of life that come as close. We think that we will never recover and that we are not strong enough to fight against it. Our immaculate, peaceful souls, that we begin our lives with, start to bleed, and slowly get torn into, bit by bit by the cold hard truth that breaks our protective walls.

We learn to handle and accept this even as pieces of us shatter and die every time a little bit more inside us. To give light, we must endure burning. But what if everything we are able to burn is gone
There is no other way... We are falling apart a bit more, every day...
Dedicated to this state of mind.

Originally released on Studio !K7 Records in 1998, Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister's groundbreaking release, 'The K&D Sessions' reset the bar for what could be achieved in a compilation. Across an array of original tracks, dubs and infamous 'K&D Session' remixes, the DJ and producer duo took the listener on a smoke-filled blunted journey that flowed flawlessly.
Often compared to DJ Shadow's 'Endtroducing' for it's similarly deft craft of rhythm and quoted by Allmusic as "the most blissfully blunted music the world has ever heard", the album has sold over 1,000,000 copies to date and was included in Spin's 'Top 20 albums of 1999'.The album has long since been deleted on Vinyl with original 4LP sets changing hands for €300+ on the collectors market and even a bootleg vinyl copy will set a buyer back over €100. Sixteen years later, this legendary album will be available as a long overdue 5LP reissue remastered by Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood.

Lowercase Life is a new record label releasing limited vinyl editions with hand made artwork covers. Label owner Colophon kicks off with the 1st EP trying to catch the spirit that once started in Detroit. Three tracks created on old analogue synths and drum machines combined with new software technologies. In addition to the original tracks Florian Kupfer (L.I.E.S.) delivers a remix with a raw, uncompromising one-take hardware recording like only he can.

Chicago Basement Trax returns with an homage to the king of the raw himself Ron Hardy. Those that experienced Ron Hardy first hand will tell you there was a vibe like no other. A minimal space with strobe lights and a bangin system. If you put your hands on an EQ or isolator as a DJ thank Ron as being an innovator of this creative style of frequency manipulation. Not only did Ron drop the bass, he dropped whole songs to expose the beautiful crispy hi hats, vocals and then romanced you with the piano before slapping your whole body with the beat. This ep does it's job to take you there, just close your eyes and blast off!

Black Truffle is pleased to present Speak To Me, the sixth full-length release from 3/4HadBeenEliminated, the Italian trio of Stefano Pilia, Claudio Rocchetti and Valerio Tricoli. Based on source material recorded in Bologna and Berlin over the course of several years, the album is made up of two side-long pieces meticulously constructed in post-production by Tricoli in his singularly dense and unpredictable style. Although their live performances have always been entirely improvised, in their recorded work the group focuses on using improvised recordings as source material for compositions built up through layering, editing and analogue manipulation, extending the practices of Teo Macero, Faust and This Heat. Melancholic instrumental ruminations sit alongside cracked electronics, concrete sounds and Tricoli's whispered vocals, drawn together into dense assemblages animated by gradual transformations and sudden jump cuts.
Beginning from the abstractions of their self-titled debut release in 2004, the group embarked on a trajectory that saw them move toward near-song structures, Tricoli's voice becoming a dominant element amid an increasingly dense and layered production style. On Speak To Me, however, the listener feels confronted by the ghost of music, sonic memories echoing across a psychedelic expanse. Evacuated of any clear structure, the music becomes a reverb-saturated morass, from which crystalline details momentarily emerge: shimmering echoed guitar, bowed double bass, tactile hand percussion, skittering electronics. Suffused with a darkly pensive atmosphere, Speak To Me is an elegant summation of the distinctive blend of electroacoustic techniques, instrumental improvisation and contemporary psychedelia pioneered by 3/4HadBeenEliminated over the last decade.

Susso, aka bassist / producer Huw Bennet, creates music inspired by, and directly sampling, the magnifcent sounds of the Mandinka people, recorded during a recent trip to Gambia.
Initally travelling with the aim of gaining perspectve as a musician and to discover a new world of music frst hand, Huw found himself humbled by such a welcoming community of artsts, mostly belonging to the celebrated Suso and Kuyateh griot families.
The tracks are composed entrely from original source material, feld recordings and Huw's talents as a mult-instrumentalist; performing tuned percussion from the region including
the Mandinka Balafon, Kutringding drum, aswell drawing on his skill as a professional upright / electric bassist. The music produced has a contemporary electronic sound, whilst
stll paying homage to a traditonal Gambian aesthetc. Keira (meaning peace) guides the listener through Huw's journey up the River Gambia, being welcomed into remote dusty villages, where your people are the most important thing in life.

The third Cachai LTD comes from the Russian heavy weight Tripmastaz who almost single-handedly has been making Russia decidedly more funky over the last 10 years.

It means Noisy Stars'' - Fergus Lawrie.

So it's coming up for the 20th anniversary of the We Are Urusei Yatsura' album, so what better time to look back at the broken Woolworths guitars, damaged eardrums and bleeding knuckles of Glasgow's lo-fi, Tokyo dreaming geek rock quartet

You could say it all began at the Glasgow Sound City event, when legendary BBC DJ John Peel came along to check out Urusei Yatsura at the 13th Note at the invitation of future Franz Ferdinand front-man Alex Kapranos. Liking the chaos that he saw, Peel invited the band to record a session for his show, asking live on air while guitarist and singer Graham Kemp was visiting the studio to talk about his Kitten Frenzy' fanzine the next day.

Peel arranged for us to record the session in Glasgow' says Kemp, We didn't have any amps or any money to get to London.' Producer Stewart Cruickshank told the band that it was the first Peel Session recorded outside of Maida Vale since the Undertones. So no pressure there then.

This began a long association with John Peel and the BBC, which saw the band record 5 Peel Sessions, 3 Evening Sessions for Steve Lamacq, play live to air for Mark Radcliffe, and appear regularly on Radio Scotland for John Cavanagh and Mark Percival. Digging through old C-90's that had been partly taped over with that week's charts, the band have pieced together a compilation of the best tunes for you, the discerning 90's indie rock aficionado.

..they sounded a bit like the Saints' - Thurston Moore, SELECT

Some of the recordings we did for the BBC, I think, are better than what eventually made it onto vinyl. We did Kewpies Like Watermelon' live in the control room for Radio Scotland and we had just learned it so it sounds really fresh and exciting. The version of Siamese' is the best we ever captured, and I love the Dice/Nae Dice' tune we wrote especially for Peel'. - Kemp

The challenge of recording and mixing four songs in a single day brought out the best in the band, and suited their impulsive, DIY rock n' roll spirit. The album, available on CD and vinyl, features 11 songs, including session versions of 6 singles, choice album tracks and live favourites from the only band who have been threatened by both the Yakuza and the Mafia (the latter incident generating the hilarious headline Nerds Threatened With Death' in the Sun newspaper'). The band have decided to call this hand-picked selection of the highlights of an eight year career', You Are My Urusei Yatsura, BBC Radio Sessions.

Other highlights of said career include, a number one indie single with a video shot in a Star Trek themed bar (Phasers On Stun), a Peel Festive Fifty placing (Kewpies Like Watermelon) an actual top 40 hit (Hello Tiger), numerous chaotic tours of Europe, UK and USA ,narrowly surviving a collapsing stage at Benecassim and a tent fire at Phoenix Festival, releasing three studio albums and 13 singles (including splits with Mogwai, the Delgados and the Blisters), taking Mogwai, Eska and Pink Kross on their first UK tours, supporting Super Furry Animals, Pavement and Teenage Fanclub, playing at Roskilde, Reading and T In The Park festivals, The CMJ festival in New York and MIDEM in Cannes.

The band consisted of the writers Fergus Lawrie (guitar and vocals) and Graham Kemp (guitar and vocals), with brother and sister rhythm section Elaine and Ian Graham on bass and drums respectively.

Ströme Musik ist immer analoge Live-Musik, die an zwei A100 Modularsystemen entsteht, dazu gesellen sich auch mal andere analoge Synthies, Vocoder, Bass oder Trompete live und Percussion live. So spielen Ströme auch ihre Konzerte.

Ströme sind die zwei Vollblutmusiker Mario Basshofer und Tobi Weber der erfolgreichen Brass Techno Band LaBrassBanda, die sich zusammengeschlossen haben, um einen Mix aus treibenden Beats, analogen Synthmelodien und live Trompete zu schaffen und diesen auf die Festivalbühnen und in die Clubs zu bringen. Klare, ungeschliffene Sounds und dynamische Drums werden an Modularsynthesizern komplett live und von Hand gemacht.

Das macht Ströme zu einem einzigartigen Liveact. Einen derartigen Modular Liveact mit allerhöchstem Rave-Appeal gab es noch nie - jetzt gibt es Ströme. Ihre bisherigen Live Konzerte waren sensationell. Dieser erste Release (12' / digital) mit drei Tracks erscheint im September, eine weitere Maxi im Spätherbst und ihr Debüt Album wird im Februar 2017 folgen.

Chances are you've already danced to one of his sets at Panorama Bar - Matthew Styles has been a regular guest DJ at the club for several years -, but you've probably also come across at least one record with music that went through the Englishman's meticulous hands. While Matthew has released great but small numbers of 12"es on various labels since 2007, his credits in mixing, engineering and mastering exceed his solo discography by far.
With the Metro EP we're finally offering a full solo release by Matthew Styles on Ostgut Ton, accounting for his consistent productional finesse, especially with his original track "Liquid Sky" (on Nick Höppner's Panorama Bar 04, 2012) and his 'Dub Mix' of Dinky's "Planes" (on Ostgut Ton / Zehn, 2015).
"I've never worked on a sequential set of songs that came out on the same record," Matthew commented on this 12". As with his productional approach in general, the Metro EP has a certain timelessness: "One piece is from 8 years ago, one from 3 years ago and another from around the time of the recent birth of my second son. I'll leave it up to the listener to guess which is which."
The eponymous "Metro" on A is an elated seven-minute, trippy, meandering analogue synth exploration in House and Cosmic Disco. "Wave 6" opens the flipside with a simple yet beguiling melody: 6 notes dancing completely beatless in 5/4 time, meandering repetitively and escalating towards a blissful - yet only anticipated - climax. "Border" on B2 is a solid addition to the long history of Dub Techno - smooth, steady, super layed back, but also offering many colorful melodic elements.
(de) Gut möglich, dass du schon einmal zu einem seiner DJ-Sets in der Panorama Bar getanzt hast - Matthew Styles spielt seit Jahren regelmäßig am Wriezener Bahnhof -, aber sicherlich hast du wenigstens eine Platte gehört, die vorher durch die akribischen Hände des Engländers gegangen ist. Obwohl Matthew seit 2007 tolle aber wenige 12"es auf verschiedenen Labels veröffentlicht hat, übertreffen seine Credits als Mixer, Engineer und in Mastering seine Solodiskografie bei weitem.
Mit der Metro EP hat Ostgut Ton nun endlich ein volles Solorelease von Matthew Styles im Angebot, das seiner konsistenten Produktionfinesse - besonders bei seinem Track "Liquid Sky" (auf Nick Höppners Panorama Bar 04, 2012) und seinem 'Dub Mix' von Dinkys "Planes" (auf Ostgut Ton / Zehn, 2015) - Rechnung trägt.
"Ich habe noch nie aufeinanderfolgend Stücke produziert, die dann auf derselben Platte erschienen wären", kommentierte Matthew diese 12". Wie generell bei seinen Produktionen besticht die Metro EP durch eine gewisse Zeitlosigkeit: "Ein Stück ist acht Jahre alt, eines von vor drei Jahren, ein anderes von kurz nach der Geburt meines zweiten Sohnes. Die zeitliche Einordnung möchte ich dem Hörer überlassen."
Das gleichbetitelte "Metro" auf A ist eine beschwingte 7-minütige, trippige, mäandernde Analog-Synth-Erkundung in House und Cosmic Disco. "Wave 6" beginnt die B-Seite mit einer einfachen aber betörenden Melodie: 6 Noten tanzen beatbefreit im 5/4-Takt, treiben repetitiv und ansteigend auf einen beseelten - aber nur erhofften - Höhepunkt zu. "Border" auf B2 ist eine solide Dreingabe zur langen Geschichte von Dub Techno: sanft, stetig, super entspannt, aber mit vielen melodischen Elementen.

After a long wait, the Professor is finally back on Phonogramme !

TOTAL compilation series hardly needs an introduction: we rummage through the Kompakt releases to select our favorites from the past year that reflect our best and unsaid tracks, compiled and packaged as a cohesive whole.

For TOTAL 16, the 2xCD and digital track listing features 25 prominent cuts from artists such as THE FIELD, WEVAL, REX THE DOG, TERRANOVA, HUNTER/GAME, FRANKEY & SANDRINO, JOHN TEJADA, BLOND:ISH or PATRICE BÄUMEL.

On top, TOTAL 16 includes eight exclusive tracks which happen to make up the 2xLP vinyl track listing. What you have is a dynamic assortment and comprehensive profile of Kompakt's current label portfolio, including both newcomers and veteran producers in peak form.

Keeping up a good old TOTAL tradition, we also planted brandnew material from core artists and friends - check out exclusive tracks such as MICHAEL MAYER's aptly named ACTION, an absolutely rinsing acid cracker, or MATIAS AGUAYO's stellar KOMM, sitting comfortably among his best and most stirring work to date. Meanwhile, JÜRGEN PAAPE drops silky, atmospheric synth pads on EDEN and THE MODERNIST teams up with Hot Chip's JOE GODDARD for the pop-infused THE PRICE OF LOVE. Another highlight is the debut release from exciting newcomer LAKE TURNER: BEACON FIELDS is a misty- eyed, melancholic piece focussing on exquisite electronic textures and sweeping melodies.

As with previous TOTAL installments, we collect these exclusives on a separate 2xLP edition, but like to add a handful of cuts that can only be found on the vinyl version - for TOTAL 16, these include ALEX UNDER's LLAMAN A LA PUERTA, a densely layered, slow-paced synth jam that makes for a inspired detour from the propulsive, lean beats the Spanish producer has become known for. SWEET 100 present a masterfully crafted study in hypnotic minimalism on SIX, while VOIGT & VOIGT hark back to the pounding, sensual abrasiveness of early Auftrieb releases on DENKEN SIE LAUT, crossbred with the tongue-in-cheek gloom of the brothers' later, more psychedelic offerings.

The Kompakt favorites from the past year, compiled and packaged as a cohesive whole, with cuts from THE FIELD, THE ORB, COMA, BLOND:ISH, HUNTER/GAME, JOHN TEJADA, REX THE DOG, TERRANOVA and many more..

Features exclusive new tracks from MICHAEL MAYER, MATIAS AGUAYO, JÜRGEN PAAPE, THE MODERNIST, ALEX UNDER, SWEET 100, VOIGT & VOIGT and LAKE TURNER

After These Hidden Hands re-surfaced earlier this year with the collaborative single These Moments Dismantled featuring Lucrecia Dalt, Tommy Four Seven and Alain Paul a.k.a. Shards are set to release Vicarious Memories, their second full length LP, on August 8th 2016. Vicarious Memories builds substantially upon the sound forged with their debut album and brings a considerable new level of detail, complexity, and musicality, which ranges from flowing mellifluous grooves, somber drones, to the outright bizarre and unexpected. Although loosely an instrumental electronic album, the album makes extensive use of guitar and vocals and features prominent guest vocal contributions from underground Berlin based musicians Julia Kotowski and Ale Hop. The album's preceding single, SZ31X71, a track which features on the LP is out July 11th, featuring a remix by revered Tri Angle artist, Roly Porter. Vicarious Memories will be released via the group's own imprint, Hidden Hundred available both digitally and as a 12 vinyl LP featuring gatefold cover art by Norwegian illustrator Anders Røkkum. Vital Sales Points: - Upcoming press: The Quietus, Thump, I-D Magazine, XLR8R, Future Music, Boiler Room, Mixmag, Resident Advisor, Ransom Note, Tsugi, Rockerilla & more - These Hidden Hands play Berlin Atonal, August 2016

Mo Kolours flipped and whisked with some new treats ...

The contributions of the late Detroit producer James DeWitt Yancey -better known to the world as J Dilla- to the world of hip-hop can't be overstated, and nowhere is his legacy more apparent than his work as a member of Slum Village. A founding member of the trio, (Alongside rappers T3 and Baatin) Dilla provided the group's distinctly esoteric, free-wheeling sound, built around winding basslines, quirky drumbeats, subtle low-end frequencies, and classic jazz & soul samples. Against the backdrop of Dilla's rich production, T3 and Baatin's free-flowing style of rhyming would also earn wide critical praise, leading to comparisons as the successors to A Tribe Called Quest. (A label they themselves have rejected.) After the success of Slum's 1997 studio debut, Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 1, the group went to work on their follow up. Though the project was completed in '98, label turmoil kept the project on ice until 2000. By the time Fantastic Volume II hit Dilla was well on his way to his status as a hip hop legend having produced cuts for Common, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest and many more. Later works from Slum Village may have had more of an impact sales-wise (in the immediate) but Fantastic Vol. 2 had fans and many critics saying that Slum Village, and Dilla in particular, may single-handedly save rap music.' Perhaps that statement is hyperbole but many consider Fantastic Volume II to be Slum Village's finest work ever to this day. Ne'Astra Media Group now presents the album reissued on vinyl, for the first time in several years. Every wobbling bass note of J Dilla's production has been preserved to maintain the legacy of this hip hop rap classic and maintain the legend of one of hip-hop's greatest beatsmiths.

Fresh off the heels of the success of their 'Waiting Ground' EP, the boys in black, Frank & Tony, are skating back onto the scene with another four track summer stomper, 'Under the Jaguar Sun'. The A-side starts things off with the titular track, a rollicking deep house number primed for sunset raves. A bouncing and lush bass line is the back bone of the track, as crisp hi-hats, distant, yearning pads, and shimmering bells propel dancers forward into eyes closed euphoria. Things ramp up quickly into peak-time ecstasy on the Breakaway edit of Solo Andata's A Ballet of Hands.' A whirling dervish of delicate music boxes, bowed guitars, delicate music boxes, and distant horns swirl around and weave in and out between a skipping drum pattern, pushing and pulling alongside a gruff and stuttering bass, perfect for those late night rooftop ventures. The B-side takes listeners into early morning after hours territory, starting with the groovy Difficult Loves.' An airy and luscious double bass keeps things bouyed as introspective pads shimmer alongside pillars of aquatic synths. Backed by a classic, shuffling NY House drum groove, this one is best served late into the evening. The boys wrap things up on a high note with the latin vibes of Sargasso.' Crisp tambourines keep things light as dense kicks and a bass line deeper than the deepest canyon pull dancers deep into the floor with a warm embrace. The star of the show is the bouncing and earnest synth line, which is partnered up with a pair of playful toms in a game of cat and mouse, making this track a weapon anywhere you place it in a set.

Y-Bayani is Ghana's uprising Fanti-reggae artist. He was discovered by Philophon in Ebo Taylor's hometown Saltpond, where he survived as a clock doctor. With his song "Asembi Ara Amba" he was featured on the highly acclaimed debut "Invisible Joy" by the Polyversal Souls. The success of that song opened the door for his first release under his sonorous own name: Y-Bayani.

"Get Away" is a swinging up-tempo beat with a bouncy bass and a haunting vocal performance on top. "Obar No Ni" on the other hand brings you down with a slowly driving rub-a-dub beat. Both tunes have been produced by Max Weissenfeldt and Stibbo Spitzmüller at Berlin's Joy Sound Studios.

Following contributions by DJ Deep and DJ Hell, Tresor Records are proud to present the third instalment in their Kern mix-series, this time headed by Berlin based producer Objekt, his first release following his 2014 debut album Flatland for PAN. In keeping with the series mission of showcasing a more personal approach to mixing Hertz describes his process as such;

Kern Vol. 3 is made up of tracks that I know I will play and love for years to come. Some of these records have been in my bag for years; others are almost as new to me as they are to you. A handful are by lesser known artists whom I admire and who I think deserve wider recognition. Planned, recorded, embellished, reworked, tweaked and chiselled away at over a period of 6 months, the mix was gradually carved out in a way that makes use of new and old techniques alike, presenting itself primarily as a DJ mix but settling in a sweet spot between live recording and studio trickery. The tracklist spans styles, decades and BPMs in an attempt to craft a mix that's unpredictable and compelling in equal measure - one that draws from the more adventurous corners of my club sets, but above all, one that's a pleasure to listen to.

Clocking in at 75min across 36 tracks, Kern Vol. 3 delivers on Objekt's promise, stitching together everything from the playful breakbeats of Beatrice Dillon's "Halfway" to Kirk DiGiorgio's classic techno "Nebula Variation" and the lightspeed IDM of Aleksi Perälä and Ueno Masaaki without missing a beat. A descent through ambient bliss, thundering cello drones and vocal contortions (courtesy of Anna Caragnano, Yair Elazar Glotman and Senyawa's Rully Shabara respectively) give way to the stoned haze of Sensational vs Sotofett and metalwork of Machine Woman and Skarn, rounding up a highly eclectic and adventurous mix which also includes previously unreleased tracks by Bristol's Shanti Celeste, rising Brooklyn producer Via App and accomplished electro technicians Clatterbox and Polzer.

ORYX 9 has built a synthetic complex universe, in a 70s Druillet pscychedelic Sci-Fi similar vein, mixing up a handicraft and exhaustive sound treatment through ancient machinery, and proper mind-bending literature. Abstraction trail', a conceptual whole sheaf, is the result itself and the fourth 30drop ExoPlanets reference. The evocative Subatomic Uprising in Cassiopea''s retrofuturism meets the lisergic onirism of Ethereal Aquadome'. Bassdrum goes harder on the delayed hipnotism of Magma-45 Decaying Path', a planetary decadence tale. And finally, Ultraviolet (Light of Tsih)', a cosmic endless melody from a dead constellation, winds up the EP. And continuing our 30drop Records Mix Tapes series, ORYX 9 presents this current second chapter with an exclusive DJ set, recorded live at the Simmetry Box in April 2016, that introduces its artistic proposal as a sound manifesto.

Arttu presents CYBLO!

The Berlin-based producer is kicking off his label with a four-track single.

While he is perhaps not as name-checked as some of the hardware hawking house heads of modern times, Arttu Snellman has been working hard at gritty box jams for a good few years now. He first appeared under his Arttu guise in 2011 with the Nuclear Funk and Fear Diluted singles on Royal Oak and Philpot respectively, and then proceeded to wheel out tunes for 4 Lux and Chiwax over the ensuing years. Prior to the tough-edged pump of his current ventures, you could find Snellman indulging in a more laptop-centric kind of practice under the name Lump. This more minimalistic, glitchy house fodder could be found on labels such as Karloff, Morris/Audio and Süd Electronic amongst many others. Back in the here and now though, Arttu was last spotted on Clone Jack For Daze earlier this year with the Rave Dogz 12', and next up he's taking matters into his own hands.

Existing fans of Arttu will be more than pleased with the heavyweight, crunchy tackle that inhabits CYBLO01. This is dynamic business with same heft found on previous releases from Snellman, mixed in with the cheeky flair that has always marked his productions out in a crowded marketplace.

O.D.D., Modini and Casio Royale team up to wreck clubs across the galaxy! I glanced at the wrinkles on my hands as they worked the controls on landing pod. I'd aged considerably since we left Earth to track the alien. Taking an extremely dangerous short cut via the rim of a black hole allowed me to get to the outer regions of the universe before I turned geriatric and was too decrepit to navigate the ship. Now, as we approached Planet Simila, excitement burned within me. It wasn't just about meeting an extra-terrestrial, I was lonely. It had been many years since I'd spoken to anyone other than the ship's computer and here I was about to meet the first known life form outside our planet. I bumped the pod down on the terra firma as gracefully as I could. Intel confirmed Simila had an almost identical atmosphere to earth and that I'd be able to breathe on it unaided. However, precautious as always, I put the large dome shaped breathing apparatus over my head and pulled on the silver safety suit. I took my first step out of a spaceship in 14 years and there it was only yards away from me; a small green creature with large white goggle eyes on the end of two spindly antennas. If you'd asked a 5-year-old earthling to draw a spaceman it would have looked exactly like the thing stood before me. I had no idea whether it could comprehend English or not but nerves made me blurt out: 'Greetings from Planet Earth, I have travelled many light years to meet you, I...
'Here, never mind that pish, ya space helmet, you got the new DABJ Allstars Vol 3 on ya, it's got new stoaters fae O.D.D, Modini and Casio Royale. I've heard it's oot o' this world.'

Axodry was the duo of Andreas Talla 2XLC" Tomalla and Ralf "Ra/Hen" Henrich, who formed in Frankfurt, Germany in 1982. The two met at City Music record store where Talla 2XLC worked, supplying the local DJ scene with dance 12's. From 1984 to 1991 they released six maxi 12' singles. Both members were leading figures in the European electronic scene during the 80's and 90's, forming bands like Bigod 20, Tribantura, Micro Chip League, Moskwa TV, Pluuto and Robotiko Rejekto.

In 1988 they released the maxi 12' single You' on ZYX Records/Combeat. Influenced by Depeche Mode, Gary Numan and John Foxx, the duo crafted high impact Industrial, Synth Pop and Electronic Body Music. Their basic set up for recording at RaHen's home studio was a Moog Rouge, Roland SH-101, Teisco synthesizer, Linn Drum and Fricke sequencer. Ra/Hen performed dramatic vocals, which tell of a lost love found in dreams. Included here are the Beauty & The Beat Mix and the Beasty Dub Mix from the 1988 single. On the flip is the Razormaid Remix, performed by Art Maharg and Joseph Watt, that originally appeared on the "Welcome To The Technodrome' compilation in 1989. Also included is Mechanic', originally released in 1991 as the B-side for their final single Losing You'.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record comes in a sleeve featuring the original black and blue cover art with hand-painted typography by Dr. Draw, The Gruesome Grapholoic. Each copy includes a postcard with with notes. What Else Is There To Say

The eight tracks on 'Versus' exemplify a remarkable cross-pollination of genres, a true testament to the intense, 'it takes a village' spirit of collaboration among the artists in the Wolf & Lamb aquarium.

The LP kicks off with "Real Love," an electronic duet with San Francisco's PillowTalk. A sparse, airy kick and lackadaisical, scale-climbing bass line complement a vocoder-drenched croon, evoking nothing less than an R&B version of Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works. In the album's next track, "Fo Porter," butter soft vocals from Voices of Black ("I want it/I need it/I just can't get enough/I hold it/I squeeze it/I just won't give it up") complement lush orchestral arrangements, doing for hip-hop inflected dance music what Metro Area does for disco.

"In The Morning," an after the after party, hands to the air entry into the house of god, will instantly conjure up for those lucky enough to have visited the Marcy the familiar image of Gadi's hands feeling up the wall in ecstasy while Zev soldiers through the groove. "Weekend Affair," perhaps the real standout of an all-round exemplary album, punctuates stuttering, oscillating synths with a ferocious cowbell and moaned vocals, continuing a long-standing New York tradition of sexualized Downtown funk.

The gorgeous "Serpentine," with it's kettle-drum compression worthy of Phil Collins's "In the Air Tonight" and atmospheric vocals from French chanteuse Rap Lisa, is rounded out by the it's a perfect ending to the album, a moment of calm before the sharks, always on the move, start circling again.

The first chapter of Piero Scattini's acclaimed movie trilogy, whose soundtracks were all entrusted into Piero Umiliani's expert hands.
The sumptuous orchestrations, the guests and the prestigious friends who took part in the recordings: Alessandro Alessandroni, Edda Dell'Orso, Franco D'Andrea, Gianni Basso, Oscar Valdambrini and Angelo Baroncini, thus explaining the excellence of the final result, lingering between orchestral and pop music. 'Easy listening', as they used to say, but of extraordinary quality.

A pair of naughty drum & bass slammers waiting on you to give them a spin, or two, or three. Handstamped and limited to 300 copies. Don't sleep on it, they're bound to sell like hotcakes!

The Seven EP is coming from none other than Electric Indigo, who is pushing things forward in the electronic music scene since the early ninetees.
She also hosts the network female pressure , which tries to make female artists more visible and therefore holds a data base with information about many of them.
The A 1 track Sept is a journey through soundscapes and a club track at once. There are unbelieveably many details to discover.
Siete on A 2 is on the edge of an Ambient and Techno. A tremendous kickdrum becomes the centre of the rich atmosphere.
On B 1 Tensal hands over his interpretation of Sept . This track is up for the peak time on the big floor.
On B 2 Hagen Richter, who is running the label, also remixed Sept . This track combines melodies with a heavy snare drum.
The 12" comes with a sticker on the disco sleeve.

The sixth release on Deep'a & Biri's Black Crow label welcomes another new name into the fold: Nico Campanella has been quietly building a stellar reputations for himself over the past few years, working under a variety of aliases to explore a sound that much like Deep'a & Biri draws deeply from techno's Detroit heritage as well as the propulsive dub techno of Basic Channel. With releases for several high quality under-the-radar European techno labels, including Construct Re-form, CLFT, Monnom Black and his own label Subosc, Campanelli's Kaelan and 2030 projects in particular have won him some ardent admirers & plenty of tips as a talent to keep an eye on. It's as 2030 that he joins Black Crow, for the Timeworm EP, which is completed by remixes from FXHE's Luke Hess and the label's Tel Aviv-based founders. The EP's original track are a pair of lushly-produced classic Detroit-influenced excursions, redolent of the cascading ambient textures and string melodies found within the work of the city's first wave pioneers. A1 cut 'In aeternum' could easily be mistaken for a lost early 90s classic in the best possible sense, while the title track also draws on a similarly timeless quality. With the original track ensuring the EP package will win other home listeners, it's the remixers who shape them for the dancefloor. Luke Hess's 'In aeturnum' remix is powerful dancefloor workout that retains a softer edge, recalling the producer's recent collaboration with OB Ignitt. On the B side, Deep'a & Biri offer two of their own interpretations of the title track, pulling the track across the dub techno galaxy with their trademark dexterity. Completing a truly exceptional package is beautiful hand drawn artwork by Israeli artist Avraham Guy Barchil.

This is the remix edition of Dino Sabatini's recent second album "Omonimo" (April 2016, Outis Music).Like the recent album, this EP "Concentrica" features renowned Italian veteran pianist/accordionist Antonello Salis on the tracks "If" and "It All Ends Here", albeit here in different versions. Out of these two tracks the former is on "Concentrica" reworked by Dino Sabatini and the latter in a collaborative live variation between Salis and Dino Sabatini. Simultaneously with the announcement of "Concentrica" was it announced that Dino and Antonello are launching their new live project: Dino Sabatini & Antonello Salis present 'Electronic Opera Concentrica'. Howie B is veteran producer mainly known as a purveyor of early trip hop, having produced cuts from Tricky's debut album, Björk's "Post" and "Homogenic" as well as other major like U2.
After inaugurating the 'Opera' sub-series of his Outis Music label with the sublime 'Omonimo' double LP this April, Dino Sabatini has invited some choice allies to help define the vocabulary and expand the vision of the new imprint. The aforementioned album, which wove together Sabatini's atmospheric conjuring skill with the piano flourishes of Antonello Salis, already exhibits the label's commitment to dismantling the 'either-or' logic of contemporary genres by successfully merging a variety of supposedly irreconcilable styles, talents, and worldviews (e.g. both mythological and the technological perspectives). The follow-up EP, 'Concentrica', draws on the material from 'Omonimo' and delivers it into the hands of additional remixers in order to continue the Outis Opera voyage.

02AM is an 4 track EP by the young producer Hekkla from Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
The first track is 'Sunset Strip', a slowly build house track that moves like the last waves of heat at the end of a hot summers day, walking home feeling satisfied, all ready for the night. 'Saturday Morning Sentimentality' is a hard to pinpoint track that sounds like the bastard son of a trio between the melancholic side of Cyndi Lauper, Alphaville and the echoes of a cheesy saturday morning cartoon theme song from the late 80's. On the other side 'Memories of Tau Ceti' feels like tumbling into space with only the memories left of a good time on an alien world, accelerating faster and faster but still enjoying it, even though you know that the vacuum of space will eventually kill you. Finishing with the hardest track 'No Math', because, boys and girls, it's no math...

Hand stamped artwork by Frank Koedood.

After teasing its release at SXSW recently, Kaytranada presents his highly anticipated debut album '99.9%' via XL Recordings. The album finds the Haitian born, Montreal raised producer delivering on the promise of his early self-released EPs and remixes. Since the age of fourteen, when he first began to DJ and when his brother introduced him to music production software, his output has been relentless. He explains, after he showed me the basics, from that day on I couldn't stop making beats,' pumping out a handful of tracks per day for the next couple of years.
Single releases like 'Drive Me Crazy' with Vic Mensa and 'Leave Me Alone' with Shay Lia soon spread his name like wildfire. With that release Kaytranada cemented his reputation and his sound, an undeniable swing of the drums comparable to Dilla's, a signature soulful touch in the melodies and a healthy dose of funky basslines.'99.9%' continues that tradition and new track 'Bus Ride', which features acclaimed percussionist / producer Karriem Riggins as well as rising Toronto vocalist River Tiber, demonstrates that Kaytranada has stayed within his canon while demonstrating growth on the new album.

blue marbled vinyl with handmade stamps and free sticker, inspired by jules verne`s "20.000 leagues under the sea"... deap-sea monsters and fear of the dark side ! vinyl only - no digital release or promo !

Those disco specialists at To Rack & Ruin are back in business, kicking off their 2016 campaign with an absolute scorcher from Moscovite producer Phil Gerus. After making waves with a string of releases for the likes of Futureboogie and Sonar Kollektiv, Gerus arrives at the Mancunian edit institution in fine form, ready to take over the world with a quartet of fully loaded floor movers for all you dancing fools.
Going hard and heavy from the off, Phil introduces himself with the tumbling toms and zero gravity sequences of 'Delicious Wishes', a neon tinged reshape of an Angelic original. Working the loops and FX like a pro, the Russian sprinkles space dust all over this camp cosmic classic, packing a whole host of extra oomph in the warp drive! "Bossy Lady" Phil turns his attention to Italo, setting pulses racing and feet stomping with the space age sound of . Playing free and easy with the pitch control, the Moscow magician conjures up a space disco body mover complete with tripped out vocals, chunky guitar and nebulous synth lines. Sticking with the moods and grooves of the Mediterranean,
Over on the flip we have "Stop! Let's Slow Down" powering into the peak time in a shimmer of sequins as it supercharges a boogie vintage for the modern DJ. The finest floor shaking boogie reheat since Tiger & Woods last hit a hole in one, this is gonna raise the temperature at any party worth its salt. Phil takes us home with a spaced out version of an all time Italo classic. Reworking the percussion and looping up that low slung baseline, our host supercharges the groove for modern club deployment, rounding off another essential release from your favourite edit imprint.

Pressed on Black Vinyl with hand stamped logo & info

We've had our eyes on Obas Nenor for a while and after his disco-meets-Detroit affair on 'Mahogani', and some great releases on his newly started own label 'Nenorian music' and 'Sol Power', we're happy to share his work for Heist with you. 'The Ceaper Buing EP" features 4 original cuts and a remix by Swedish "Mr. Tophat" that navigates somewhere between really weird, and really groovy. If you've seen any of his studio videos, you'll see he's has a great mix between live instrumentation, and sampling on his MPC, and each track on this EP has so many great elements working together, that it will be hard to pick a favourite. "The doors" has a great filtered funk loop going on with some roughed up disco percussion, whereas the Tophat remix twists and turns the original into somewhat of a tribal(ish) drum workout that is probably best enjoyed in a really really dark room. "Glimpse of light" has some really interesting sampling going on with a feel that is almost 'rock', but gets more and more disco with some lovely synth work as the track progresses. As a counterpart to the first part of the EP, 'Wacky' slows things down to give you a summery, afro inspired track that we forced him to send us after we saw a short clip online of him jamming away on his Korg x-911. UV lights is a somewhat special track for us that you wouldn't expect on Heist at first, but makes for a great addition to our musical world. It's perfect 'hands-in-the-air' end of the night material, with a serene and emotional vibe that is really hard not to love. Altogether, it's a great EP that we're really happy to share with you. Sincerely yours, Lars & Maarten

Our sixth release marks the closing of a circle: Lucky Charmz—the man of our first release, Follow Me To Flottbeck Falls'-EP—returns to deliver his second full length effort. LHLT006 is the U Still Coming Over'-EP, a long overdue follow up to his first EP: More than anything else, it's a fresh slice of summer groovers. Opener Faceless Goat' instantly delights with it's majestic opening chords, only to unleash a smashing grandeur of sample fun and lustful grooves. It's a no-vocals-required anthem, rich in texture and yet subtly enchanting. While Faceless Goat is probably best enjoyed blasted out to vast, scenic landscapes on mediterranean costs from the terrace of a ancient estate, it is also tried and tested for Vorzech', houseparties and—of course—any club scenario (it won't fail you). We cannot help but to notice that Latency Jam''s stoic groove recalls the jungle books's march of the elephants, it's spacey synth madness points to outer space and, well, did we mention that It's super funky Yes, it's a funky spacewalk towards jupiter with your awesome, intergalactic elephant friends. Sonically charming with it's rapid fire hi-hat's, bubblegumspongecake melodies and zapping space laser's, that've all trickled out of a Nord Lead Young Lucky once laid hands on, Latency Jam' will also never let you down. On the flip we find Waffle Cut', yet another sun-oozing Lucky Charmz tune. Captivating trickle-down arpeggios radiate warmth, while soft pads sooth you into hypnosis. It's a bit like staring at the big yellow in the sky for too long—you get all frizzy, drizzy and a little silly.

Mammal Hands are a trio of like-minded musicians: Nick Smart piano, Jesse Barrett drums and tabla, and Jordan Smart saxophones. Floa is their second album for Gondwana Records and in the 18 months since their debut, Animalia, they have carved out a growing following both here and abroad for their hypnotic fusion of jazz, folk and electronica: winning fans from Bonobo and Gilles Peterson to Jamie Cullum. Landmark live performances have included shows at King's Place in London and the RNCM in Manchester, as well as a barn-storming debut at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Drawing on a rich well of influences from Sufi and shamanic African trance music, Irish and Eastern European folk music, to Steve Reich and Philip Glass and more contemporary electronica influences, their music is built around deceptively simple sounding ideas that are lent power through the use of repetition and rhythmic loops. They have been compared to both Portico Quartet and GoGo Penguin for the way in which they navigate the choppy waters between contemporary dance music and jazz. Floa (an old Norse word that means to deluge or to flow) is the sound of a more confident, experienced band: one that has grown together naturally through touring and gigging and through mammoth writing and rehearsal sessions where all three bring rhythmic, improvisational and melodic ideas to the table. Floa was recorded at Gondwana's home from home, 80 Hertz Studios in Manchester, reuniting the band with producer Matthew Halsall and features some of the Gondwana Orchestra strings who played on Halsall's acclaimed album Into Forever. Together they have crafted a wonderful sounding record, the richness of which perfectly illuminates the band's music. Artwork is from Gondwana's in-house design maestro Daniel Halsall whose artwork of symbols created from older symbols perfectly illustrates the creative ideas that drive the band's music.
The release is supported by an extensive UK tour including dates in Norwich, Bristol, Brighton, Manchester and beyond. The band support Matthew Halsall at St John's Hackney on May 26th and have their own head-line show at the Jazz Cafe, Camden on 31st May. Confirmed airplay from Jamie Cullum BBC Radio 2, Gilles Peterson 6 Music, Radio 3 Late Junction, BBC Scotland Jazz House, Jazz FM, John Kennedy X and full servicing to all specialist and online radio stations. Reviews from The Guardian, Mojo, Record Collector, Jazzwise, Nos Magazine, Nowthen and local press. Online support from AllAboutJazz, Quietus, Access All Areas, Bebop Spoken Here and beyond.

At this moment, Global Bass music is an intimate circuit in the electronic music landscape. Airplane tickets and the internet serve to connect producers and artists in every imaginable combination. Spanning across Africa, Europe, India, the Caribbean, and the Americas, allowing for the birth of new forms of collaboration. At the nexus of the Tropical music monsoon is producer Thor Partridge, aka Thornato. Born in Sweden, Thor grew up in a household filled with traditional Greek, African, and Carribbean music. Moving in early childhood to Queens, New York, the borough's diversity further influenced his style and taste. Thor added to his rich musical palette by studying classical piano, jazz guitar, and bluegrass banjo. A passion for electronic music production, remixing, and music of the entire globe soon developed. Thor's debut EP "Things Will Change" is an amalgamation of his global influence, coupled with strong roots in dance music culture. His music is not a product of samples downloaded from the internet, but from his driving wanderlust and ability to hand select musicians to work with on location in the countries where they are from. By recording in the field with a mobile studio, Thor captures the real essence and soul of the music and where it's coming from. The EP kicks off with "Chapinero", a bass heavy joint with an infectious Colombian Gaita melody. Handclaps and chopped vocal samples make for a booming floor rocker. "Deux a Duex" turns towards the African dancefloor incorporating infectious guitars and beautiful vocal harmonies courtesy of Kongo Electro from Cape Town. "Koz Kazah" heads to the Middle East with it's violin melodies, thick sub-bass, and Arabic vocals courtesy of Karen Be. Finally, "Tera Dewana" lands us in the Indian subcontinent with it's driving beat, tablas, and Hindi vocals from Vasanth S & AKS. Thornato's "Things Will Change" EP shows that while indeed the music does change, the soul and the heart of sounds from all over the world remain consistent, and that dancefloor music is universal - no matter where in the world you are!