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Alex Font is a serious guy who knows that now is his time. A multi-instrumentalist, as well as a producer and DJ, he can sometimes be seen on stage in trademark shirt and bow tie. He declares himself a lover of vinyl and, above all, what he calls real house. I think that says it all.

'NOW IS MY TIME' is the fifth release on the Oblack label and is available in black vinyl and digital. It is undeniable proof that Alex Font has arrived and is now a permanent force on the House scene, mainly in soul and dance, but who also knows how to reinvent his sound using new tech. Always with an eye on the future of sound innovation, he still manages to keep hold of his roots and respect his great influences. Well, nothing less would do. On this EP you can tell that Alex Font (remember, this is one serious guy) knows what he has in his hands and spinning on his turntable. His knowledge of musical composition, harmony and engineering skills jump out at you as soon as the first beat of 'Now is my time' hits the speakers: darkness, sophistication, soul and groove. There's a perfect command of tempo, of where, when and how. You pick up on the instrumental skills which allow him to do what he wants, when he wants. That's what's so great about this: you're struck by the ease of how such perfect technique and astoundingly good taste come together. Digitally analogical (or is it the other way round), this is the deeply profound vs. the dancefloor. It fascinates and liberates, carrying you off through different dimensions before breaking out of itself, with no need for artificial fanfares as it's so perfectly defined by Chicagoan pianos, hi-hats, funkoid vocals, etc. He's simply extraordinary: Alex Font signed by Oblack 005.

The remix by Martinez gives this track a technical edge and club splendor. Leaving out the more classic elements of house that are present in the original, the Swedish producer slows things down so that it doesn't lose any of its elegance, but at the same time the track gains punch on the dancefloor, and there's no doubt that it works. As cool as it is effective at inciting dance and everything else that comes with gyrating your pelvis in the early hours of the morning.

Finally, the Argentinian Shall Ocin plays the scoundrel here by adding diverse electronic elements that take the track into a new dimension. By giving the vocal more prominence, here it takes centre stage, and over a well-layered tech-house base, it makes the tremendous savoir faire of the original literally surf, while at the same time respecting and completing it.

In the end, it's great that you know that this is your time and that you want to share it, through Oblack and on vinyl, with all of us. Thanks comrade.

After two in as many years, low-key German producer Yør returns to similarly low key Dutch imprint Purple Maze for his third full outing on the label in the form of the 'Sublimation EP'. Across the four tracks Yør continues to explore the same frayed and decayed, abstract electronics as he has in the past, with distant kins like Kassem Mosse and Morphosis still resonating.
The opener and title track is an intense and moody, nerve jangling affair where huge searching synths pan in the background of grinding drums and dense percussive clatter before 'Gravity', with its heavyweight and churning drums, trudges on through sonic scuzz and lo-fi blizzards as a backlit melody keeps things from growing all too dark and abstract.

The many different contrasting surfaces and counterpointed moods make Yør's sounds as arresting as they are. The dystopian, tortured industrial funk of 'Parallels' with its slapping claps and decaying percussive lines are proof of that, where through chaos comes beautiful order.
Closer 'Trust' holds its head a little higher, more spiralling synths and bleepy fax machines tones add a sense that the apocalypse is coming and machines will take over, but there's enough organic beauty in the deeply hidden melodies to keep the track from being all too hostile.

Kavinsky is back with a first and long-awaited album, OutRun, available on February 25th. But before that, here is the first single, ProtoVision!

Red Sky Mix feat. STS (vinyl exclusive)
It was no easy job to tackle this epic instrumental. When he heard Sugar Tongue Slim's version of Nightcall last summer, Kavinsky knew he had found the man who could turn Protovision into gold. After burning up the underground rap scene for several years, STS is now one of the fastest rising artists around. He gave a big blow with this one and literally took Protovision to another dimension.

Boys Noize remix
Berlin's notorious producer put his hands on Protovision and turned it in into a nervous and elegant club hit. Get ready to rave on that sweaty bass and dark beat. 'If it's too loud, you're too old', they said

Blood Orange remix
Between producing tomorrow's pop talents (Solange, Sky Ferreira, Theophilus London) and working on his solo project Blood Orange, England's talent of note Devonté Hynes took the time to add his very own touch to Kavinsky's new release. Giving a fresh and girly feel to the original track, he delightfully transformed it into a groovy pop ballad.

Sébastien Tellier Version (vinyl exclusive)
Taste and simplicity is what it took to Tellier to create this version of Protovision ; highlighting hypnotic strings and heroic guitars, the French maestro offered a timeless reinterpetation of the original.

Terror Danjah's second Hyperdub album is 'The Dark Crawler', a well-paced and much more upfront and energetic journey through his musical world than his debut 'Undeniable'. The album revolves around the 'Dark Crawler' theme, a blistering grime track that pops up several times, vocaled by MC's Riko Dan, Mayhem, Deadly and Saf One, and then lastly Trim and Kossie. That's not to say the album is one dimensional or relentless. It's subtley balanced with the 'Dark Crawler' thread of tracks allowing the album to spin off in a web of directions without losing any focus. It's a much more contained body of work, paced to keep the listeners interest. From the 'Dark Crawler' intro into the cartoonish horror soundtrack of 'Mirror's Edge', which tricks you into thinking its just any dubstep tune, before scattering into Terror's signature broken kicks and claps. 'Dark Gremlinz' featuring D.O.K. is a classic peak-era asymmetric grime instrumental. The album then drops down into the 130ish speed of 'Air Max 90' featuring Champion, which builds from a soca-like drum drill stretching the rhythm to the point of collapse with a wonky synth, before concluding on a driving baseline house 4/4. The first 'Dark Crawler' vocal is next, with a ferocious performance from veteran Roll Deep MC Riko Dan, who drops bloodthirsty threats at a breakneck pace. Next, the tempo drops down again to the drunk funk of 'Full Hundred', with criss cross claps and a rasping bassline breaking down into live drumming and tight trap door edits. Things speed up a little again with the intricate 8 bar funky of 'Rum Punch', a hard drum tattoo rolling out over a heavy detuned bassline and intense bleeps. On the second 'Dark Crawler', mic duties are shared by Birmingham MC's Mayhem , Deadly and Saf One. Their hard vocals contrast with lush styled R'n'B of 'You Make Me Feel' featuring Meleka. The album then rolls out into the galloping drums and smooth G-Funk synths of 'Baby Oil'. Trim and Kossie drop the final 'Dark Crawler' vocal, with Trim dropping deadpan threats contesting with Kossie's focussed hysteria. Next up 'Delicately', with Ruby Lee Rider, starts in slow motion R'n'B mood, sweet Rhodes chords drift and bubble up as the track doubles up into dreamy drum and bass with a fluttering tabla keeping the time, and Ruby's tender vocals tempering the pace and aggression. Overall, it's a brilliant exercise in breathless rhythmic arousal. 'Moschino', on the other hand is a darker, chunkier and grimier mirror image to 'Delicately', switching up into a ferocious metallic riffage, before the album closes on an outro of 'Dark Crawler' again. Form, function, energy and talent fuse perfectly over 'The Dark Crawler' s length. Enjoy the ride.

RAWAX IS PROUD TO WELCOME MR. K-ALEXI SHELBY TO THE FAMILY!
Mr. K Alexi Shelby
Like a moth drawn to a flame, there is something utterly infectious about the music of Mr.K Alexi Shelby, better known as K-Alexi one of the founding fathers of house music direct from his home city of Chicago. Since the late 1980s, he has pioneered the true house sound, leading to a DH and production career spanning over 20 years, including collaborations with artists ranging from The Pet Shop Boys to Derrick May and from Larry Heard and Felix da Housecat to Will Smith, as well as gigs across the globe.
An impressionable young teenager, Mr.K Alexi Shelby developed friendships with Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy whilst attending seminal venues like The Warehouse and The Music Box in the mid 1980s. Being here at this embryonic stage of dance music culture, there were no rules or precedents, so K Alexi drew on a rich musical heritage that had seen him grow up in the 70s and 80s listening to Stevie Wonder, Prince, Curtis Mayfield and David Huff. Those roots continue to influence his music to this day.
It was under the moniker Risque III that Essence Of A Dream was released in 1987, firmly establishing the name of Mr.K Alexi Shelby amongst the most prominent of all house producers at the time. Moreover, those early tracks are still recognized to be the quintessential Chicago house sound. The rumbling and dark bass, smooth strings, incredible percussion and the spoken word poetic and erotic lyrical flow became the trademark for classic Chicago house and the template for everything else that followed. To reiterate, there was no template before this. This was the beginning.
This initial success has lead to Mr.K Alexi Shelby working with the leading names across the electronic music world and beyond. Collaborations and remixes for Chicago peers like Mike Dunn, Mr. Lee and Marshall Jefferson merely served as the springboard for Alexi to work with the best in the electronic scene, from Derrick May to Paul Johnson ,Ron Trent Dave Angel to Felix ad House Kat. Furthermore, his talents have also lead to him working with The Pet Shop Boys and Will Smith.
On top of this, his tracks have appeared on compilations by artists varying from Laurent Garnier to DJ Hell, who used It's Me 2010 contribution to the Body Language series for Get Physical Music. Produced under the Club M.C.M. moniker, the 1991 EP It's Me/Club M.C.M. has been a frequent selection for compilations for 20 years and is rightly regarded as a true underground techno classic.

Just before the end of the year Mute. finally returns on the mighty Symp.tom imprint after a very long absence. Luckily, all that lost time wasn't in vein as he delivers a stunning release in his own unique style.