quête:bigges dj s

In Sudan, the political and cultural are inseparable. In 1989, a coup brought a hardline religious government to power. Music was violently condemned. Many musicians and artists were persecuted, tortured, forced to flee into exile — and even murdered, ending one of the most beloved music eras in all of Africa and largely denying Sudan's gifted instrumentalists, singers, and poets, from strutting their creative heritage on the global stage.

What came before in a special era that protected and promoted the arts was one of the richest music scenes anywhere in the world. Although Sudanese styles are endlessly diverse, this compilation celebrates the golden sound of the capital, Khartoum. Each chapter of the cosmopolitan city's tumultuous musical story is covered through 16 tracks: from the hypnotic violin and accordion-driven orchestral music of the 1970s that captured the ears and hearts of Africa and the Arabic-speaking world, to the synthesizer and drum machine music of the 1980s, and the music produced in exile in the 1990s. The deep kicks of tum tum and Nubian rhythms keep the sound infectious.

Sudan of old had music everywhere: roving sound systems and ubiquitous bands and orchestras kept Khartoum's sharply dressed youth on their feet. Live music was integral to cultural life, producing a catalog of concert recordings. In small arenas and large outdoor venues, musical royalty of the day built Khartoum's reputation as ground zero for innovation and technique that inspired a continent.

Musicians in Ethiopia and Somalia frequently point to Sudan's biggest golden era stars as idols. Mention Mohammed Wardi — a legendary Sudanese singer and activist akin to Fela Kuti in stature and impact in his music and politics — and they often look to the heavens. A popular story is of one man from Mali who walked for three months across the Sahel to Sudan because the father of the woman he wanted to marry would only allow it if he got him a signed cassette from Wardi himself. Saied Khalifa is said to be the one of the few singers to make Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie smile.

Such is the stature of Sudanese singers and the reputation of Sudanese music, particularly in the "Sudanic Belt," a cultural zone that stretches from Djibouti all the way west to Mauritania, covering much of the Sahara and the Sahel, lands where Sudanese artists are household names and Sudanese poems are regularly used as lyrics until today to produce the latest hits. Sudanese cassettes often sold more in Cameroon and Nigeria than at home.

But years of anti-music sentiment have made recordings in Sudan difficult to source. Ostinato's team traveled to Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, and Egypt in search of the timeless cultural artifacts that hold the story of one of Africa's most mesmerizing cultures. That these cassette tape and vinyl recordings were mainly found in Sudan's neighbors is a testament to Sudanese music's widespread appeal.

With our Sudanese partner and co-compiler Tamador Sheikh Eldin Gibreel, a once famous poet and actress in '70s Khartoum, Ostinato's fifth album, following our Grammy-nominated "Sweet As Broken Dates," revives the enchanting harmonies, haunting melodies, and relentless rhythms of Sudan's brightest years, fully restored, remastered and packaged luxuriously in a triple LP gatefold and double CD bookcase to match the regal repute of Sudanese music.
A 20,000-word liner note booklet gives voice to the singers silenced by an oppressive regime.

Take a sail down the Blue and White Nile as they pass through Khartoum, carrying with them an ancient history and a never-ending stream of poems and songs. It takes two Niles to sing a melody.

Drum & bass pioneer and Hospital Record's crown jewel Danny Byrd is back! He's set 2018 ablaze with monolith anthems 'Devil's Drop', 'Salute' ft MC GQ and 'Hold Up The Crown' ft Ky Lenz, now he proudly presents his first album in five years.

A 15-track funk-fuelled compendium of rolling dancefloor-fillers that tributes to the jungle foundation moulding his early discography. Collaborations with the likes of I-Kay, Maduk, Ownglow, Times x Two and MC GQ, fuse with powerful
doses of Danny's hip-hop and R&B infused 174BPM productions. 'Atomic Funk' is undoubtedly Mr Byrd's finest work to date and includes one of the biggest future D+B anthems 'Holy Star' that's brought to life with vocal delights from MC Foxy.

'Just A Step Away' (ft. Ownglow) has become a silver bullet for the Byrd, taking a spotlight in his DJ sets as his finishing move. With its gorgeous vocals, volatile rave synths and humming sub-bass, it's not hard to see why. However, that's
far from the only weapon in this legend's locker. 'Roll The Drums' is a certified sub shaker bringing a fierce bassline and thundering percussion, plus there's raw jungle madness with 'In The Meantime' (ft. Hannah Symons). With fifteen incredible tracks from Hospital Records' longest standing signing, 'Atomic Funk'
is Danny Byrd at his best. Crafted for the dancefloor and Feel-good from start to finish, a must-have for a true Hospital fan.

* BIG, BAD AND HEAVY! Two of Pinch's biggest dance floor bangers, remixed by one of UK dubstep's hardest hitters, Kromestar. Guaranteed rewinds.

* 'The Boxer' first appeared on Tectonic back in 2010, fusing grime and dubstep with tribal drums and tearing squarewave bass. Kromestar stays true to the original but switches his stance to swing hard with a left hook, Southpaw style. After a moody build up, the intro breaks away into a brief moment of calm, before bass comes out fighting, throwing knock out punches hard and fast. Tried and tested dancefloor damage of the highest order.

* Flip then for an equally dangerous remix of Pinch's Deep Medi release 'Swish', from back in 2011. Simple, effective and deadly, Kromestar gives this classic an update, setting it up for another few years of wheel-ups!

* DJ Support from: Kahn & Neek, Mala, RSD, Joker & many more.

One of the world's most iconic drum & bass acts, Pendulum have announced their return for 2018 with a brand new album and brand new live shows. 'The Reworks' is a project unlike any
other released by the band before, and marks the end of their seven year hiatus, officially launching on 16th March.

To mark their return, the band have announced their first headline show since 2011 at London's unique new space, Printworks . The show sold out in under an hour and will be both an auditory and visual spectacle for fans.

Also announced is Pendulum's return to one of the UK's biggest events - Reading and Leeds Festival . Headlining the BBC Radio 1 stage - the same slot they graced the last time they played in 2010, the shows mark a welcome return for the band in the UK.

The news will undoubtedly be well received by Pendulum 's legions of fans, with the band having hinted at a comeback by returning to the live stage last year, headlining the UK's South
West Four and Nass Festival , and confirming for this years Snowbombing festival in Austria.
For 'The Reworks' , the internationally-renowned band have tapped some of the most innovative talents from over the past few years to deliver dynamic and refreshing interpretations of their
biggest hits and some of their personal favourites. Friends and collaborators Skrillex , Icarus ,Knife Party and Matrix & Futurebound take their turn on this who's who of electronic music
royalty, whilst Noisia 's explosive cut of the now-iconic track 'Hold Your Colour' will be available with the album preorder from the 16th March.

'The Reworks' album will be available in both CD and vinyl formats from the 29th June.

This exciting announcement marks the beginning of a new era for Pendulum , who have long been considered one of electronic music's most important and pioneering acts, famed for their
no-holds-barred live shows. With more huge festival dates TBA across the summer and new originals on the horizon, 2018 marks the an exciting chapter in Pendulum's already lengthy career.

Noisia' s remix of ' Hold your Colour' , the first single to be taken from Pendulum 's 'The Reworks' album, is set for release on 16th March alongside the preorder, with the full album set to drop on 29th June.

Exclusive edition imprint, very different from the general style of the TochnoTechno label but still in a techno acid way and includes 4 names of the biggest producers coming from Eastern Europe. We are calling it "Acid Era" in present days so why don't we put out something provocative. We are excited about Tripmastaz' debut on the label who has absolute support by Josh Wink, Dj Sneak, Ricardo Villalobos and many more... Oleg Mass real techno star of Fachwerk Berlin and Koett, rhythm composer and genius from South of Russia who makes the most underground and cool party XoXo. Yulia Niko is dropping last track of her album she has done in 2016 at Brooklyn before moving to Berlin.

Our latest examination of Esoteric, Modal & Progressive Jazz of the 20th Century has taken us to Japan. The liberating force of jazz has been created and felt all around the world, but few nations on earth embraced the jazz message with the passion and intensity of Japan. From the dawn of the jazz age to the present day, Japanese audiences have been renowned tastemakers, enthusiasts and champions of the music - in the 1980s, Japan was the biggest per capita market in the world for jazz records, and it has even been said that Japanese jazz fans kept the jazz record industry alive through the lean years of the 1970s, when the music fell from commercial favour in the land of its birth.

But while the jazz aficionados of Japan are celebrated as sophisticated fans and consumers of the music, comparatively little is known outside Japan of the remarkable and abundant music produced by generations of Japanese jazz musicians. Numerous Japanese jazzers have found enormous success on the international stage - Toshiko Akiyoshi, Sadao Watanabe, Teramasu Hino, and many others are household names among jazz listeners all over the world, and with good reason. But if such global figures are put aside, the stunning heritage of Japanese jazz remains poorly understood outside Japan. As a result, the work of many celebrated Japanese jazumen has remained largely unknown to international audiences, and the extraordinary scope and depth of Japanese jazz has not been widely recognised.

Compiled for the Spiritual Jazz series in collaboration with the celebrated collector and DJ Yusuke Ogawa (Deep Jazz Reality, Tokyo), this 2CD/twin set of double LPs aims to correct that omission by uncovering the uniquely deep sound of esoteric, modal and progressive jazz from Japan - music of the heart, soul and Japanese spirit!

Each 2LP set comes complete with OBI strip and thick, textured sleeve. Our extensive liner notes extend onto printed inners, and are in both Japanese and English.

The Single > Side A 'PHRAKHANONG DISORDER' is T.D.O.S. second single featuring Japanese turntablalist DJ TO-RU (Dujada-Goja) is a bass battle on a downtempo hard drum beat, hypnotic and chaotic like Bangkok's streets. Phra Khanong is a neighbourhood of this megapolis where hip hop culture meets local traditions. Side B is 'NAMBA VIBRATIONS' with DJ TO-RU fine cuts on a dirty digital mish-mash of bass and dub beats,. Just in tune to get lost in electric downtown Osaka before heading to the dance floor facing a massive sound system. The Artist > The Dude Of Stratosphear aka T.D.O.S. is Jerome Doudet (Swiss/French artist and bass player based in Bangkok). DJ, vinyl collector, musician, graphic designer and East Asian music connoisseur, The Dude of Stratosphear was groomed in the vibrant alternative scene of the very international city of Geneva Switzerland. Growing up in a musical household (His father was a disco DJ), Growing up in a musical household (His father was a disco DJ), Jerome was exposed to a wide range of music at very early age, and started playing the 4 strings at the age of 10. Bass player in the swiss math-core bands Knut for a decade, he toured intensely all around Europe's biggest venues and festivals. He also joined the very underground american band Half Japanese for a couple of european tour and recorded the album Bone Head in 1997. And on top of the list was opening for the mighty KISS with the canadian band Bionic (CA) at Molson center in Monteal. Also member of various bands such as Imericani (SP/IT/CH), Intercostal (CH), Troll Patrol (CH), Bliscappen Van Maria (CH-IT), Edison (CH), Polar (CH-FR), Prejudice (CH-FR), Buz (CH), Void (CH), Ultra DB (CH), to name a few.

The Single > Side A 'BAILAN BREAK' is T.D.O.S. third single featuring Japanese turntablalist DJ TO-RU (Dujada-Goja) is Side B is 'UCHU DAIKAIJU NO BALLAD' (The Ballad Of The Space Monster) featured samples of Gozilla dialogues with a scary soundtrack mood.on a progressive and experimental beat. The Artist > The Dude Of Stratosphear aka T.D.O.S. is Jerome Doudet (Swiss/French artist and bass player based in Bangkok). DJ, vinyl collector, musician, graphic designer and East Asian music connoisseur, The Dude of Stratosphear was groomed in the vibrant alternative scene of the very international city of Geneva Switzerland. Growing up in a musical household (His father was a disco DJ), Growing up in a musical household (His father was a disco DJ), Jerome was exposed to a wide range of music at very early age, and started playing the 4 strings at the age of 10. Bass player in the swiss math-core bands Knut for a decade, he toured intensely all around Europe's biggest venues and festivals. He also joined the very underground american band Half Japanese for a couple of european tour and recorded the album Bone Head in 1997. And on top of the list was opening for the mighty KISS with the canadian band Bionic (CA) at Molson center in Monteal. Also member of various bands such as Imericani (SP/IT/CH), Intercostal (CH), Troll Patrol (CH), Bliscappen Van Maria (CH-IT), Edison (CH), Polar (CH-FR), Prejudice (CH-FR), Buz (CH), Void (CH), Ultra DB (CH), to name a few. Aside from the rock scene, he was also part of the multimedia team Ultra Pepita , developer of the today's world famous VJ software Modul8.

The Single > Side A 'PARALLEL UNIVERSE' is T.D.O.S. debut single featuring Thai rapper MC Sinnamon (Dujada-Dubway), is an cosmic trip between the heat of Chennai's bazars and Bangkok chaotic streets. Based on a rare indian library sample, Side B is 'WAT THAT TONG' featured samples of Thailand molam queen Yenjit Porntavi with modern dub beat and indian percussions. The Artist > The Dude Of Stratosphear aka T.D.O.S. is Jerome Doudet (Swiss/French artist and bass player based in Bangkok). DJ, vinyl collector, musician, graphic designer and East Asian music connoisseur, The Dude of Stratosphear was groomed in the vibrant alternative scene of the very international city of Geneva Switzerland. Growing up in a musical household (His father was a disco DJ), Growing up in a musical household (His father was a disco DJ), Jerome was exposed to a wide range of music at very early age, and started playing the 4 strings at the age of 10. Bass player in the swiss math-core bands Knut for a decade, he toured intensely all around Europe's biggest venues and festivals. He also joined the very underground american band Half Japanese for a couple of european tour and recorded the album Bone Head in 1997. And on top of the list was opening for the mighty KISS with the canadian band Bionic (CA) at Molson center in Monteal. Also member of various bands such as Imericani (SP/IT/CH), Intercostal (CH), Troll Patrol (CH), Bliscappen Van Maria (CH-IT), Edison (CH), Polar (CH-FR), Prejudice (CH-FR), Buz (CH), Void (CH), Ultra DB (CH), to name a few. Aside from the rock scene, he was also part of the multimedia team Ultra Pepita , developer of the today's world famous VJ software Modul8.

As music continuously evolves, times change and new ideas and movements come & go. All of this functions in tandem with scientific, technological, social and political advancements in our society. The biggest component to that evolution is the people. There are creators and consumers. One cannot exist without the other. Throughout art, the audience defines quality, but artist has the power to introduce change and shift perception. Execution is key. The masses are always hungry for something fresh. Sometimes we're at the forefront of new trends and sometimes we find comfort innovating the past. No matter what, musicians have a responsibility to bridge the gap. Raw Poetic and Damu the Fudgemunk meet all of the above. Produced entirely by the artists, the new album "The Reflecting Sea" revisits sonic textures of yesteryear and combined with their own distinct ears for music, have created something uniquely foreign for the music world in our time. Speaking of the times, Raw Poetic's lyrical subject matter is nothing short of relevancy. Speaking from an observatory perspective in addition to his own personal experiences, the album's content is infinitely relatable. Although known primarily as hip hop acts, both Damu and Raw P stretched out to expand what the genre is known for. The combination of elements from the mix of live instrumentation, improvisation and sampling to the range of styles including jazz, fusion, rock, electronic and soul make The Reflecting Sea unlike anything else. Captured and recorded in it's rawest form, the album is honest expression. Masterminding the festival sounds is Damu the Fudgemunk. His voice is absent from the recordings, but his presence is immediately noticed throughout the 40 minute exhibition. Packed with tons of beats, tons of scratching, original compositions, upbeat and signature atmosphere, there's no question who's behind the boards. With the average tempo of over 100bpm, this is one of the most energetic releases in Redefinition's catalog. Raw P and the Fudgemunk aim to revitalize listeners of all types with their original sound. They call it "The Reflecting Sea: Welcome to a New Philosophy." Raw Poetic (MC), hails from the DMV area by way of Philadelphia. In addition to several collaborations with Damu the Fudgemunk, he's recorded 6 albums as a member of Panacea, 1 album with K-def, 1 album with Kev Brown and recent features with Brous One in which all have been met with critical acclaim. Damu the Fudgemunk (producer/DJ) is a DC native who co-owns and operates Redefinition Records. With several successful releases as a solo artist, his music has garnered a reputation in the last decade for it's consistent quality and conceptual structure.

It´s quite some years after Starburst , the first record on Internasjonal the japanese duo Traks Boys, consisting of Kawasaki based producers and Djs Crystal and K404 did for us. But a short 7 Years down the road the magic is still there. "Be With you" and "Weekend Lights" are mesmerizing, sparkling with creativity and beauty. "Be With you" is modern disco cut up of the finest while Weekend Lights is a hypnotic stringinfected warm groover that we can´t get enough of. Finally Weekend (Light) Lover and Friend of the House Axel Boman takes it all home in the biggest of ways.
Reduced with care and then build up again to one the neatest breaks that we heard this year.

Expansion's most successful and longest running compilation series returns with a 2017 edition. The concept remains the same, fifteen must-have modern soul room gems taken from the year's biggest dance floor spins on the soul scene. While tracks here have topped UK soul charts, many have not been available in all formats. Once again, attention is paid to the 'flow' of the 15 gems chosen here from shuffling beats to boogie to more soulful house as played at modern soul events. Participants this year include Omar with Los Charly's Orchestra, Tawatha Agree (voice of Mtume's Juicy Fruit') with Aeroplane, Kenny Thomas with Thames River Soul produced by and featuring Incognito, and both Wez and The Groove Association formerly members of Brit Funk group Second Image. Leela James is here after her stint in a US realty TV show R&B Divas: Los Angeles', other guests including Amp Fiddler, Faith Evans, Trina Broussard and Lifford.

For someone who went from growing up in a secluded Norwegian forest to producing for some of the biggest hip-hop and pop megastars on the planet, Peder Losnegård has had quite the journey.



It was through a series of remixes that Lido catapulted into the sets of the most high-profile DJs around the globe, capturing the ears of numerous notable tastemakers. Reworking acts like Disclosure and Bill Withers, the producer set the Internet ablaze with talk of his four-note piano tag and speculation as to who was underneath the moniker. While his playful, restless musicality saw him adopt an array of aliases — but he'll keep those under wraps for now.

Debuting on Pelican Fly with 2014's 'I Love You' EP, followed by the 'Superspeed' EP, and remixes of Banks, Alt-J and MØ, Lido's anti-formulaic style emerged. His tracks bounce from one idea to another voraciously, but always with that clear Lido stamp. You don't just get a drum and a bassline on a track of his; you're more likely to get an entire string or brass section that elevates his sound to cinematic heights.

Coyu's remix for 'Natural Blues' was just the prelude for our big hommage to one of the biggest pop and electronic music artists of the 90's, Moby.

We are proud to have this great bunch of remixes of some of the classic Moby's anthems, with different options from Deep House to Techno, for a wide range of DJs and music lovers.

Four awesome artists, Victor Ruiz, Julian Jeweil, Reinier Zonneveld and Oxia deliver seven remixes of tracks like 'Natural Blues', 'Go', 'Porcelain' and 'Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad'. Enjoy the package!

After sending out these tracks last summer and getting great reactions from DJs and dancers alike, Hell Yeah is pleased to finally officially release virtuoso musician Verdo's Little Blue EP, complete with a remix from Lauer. Fully remastered for vinyl, the likes of Lexx, Chris Coco, Soft Rocks, Leo Mas and many more have all be playing these tunes with great results.

The talented Verdo runs the famous Gratis Club in Senigallia on the Italian east coast. It is a place he calls home, and that has really allowed him to hone and sharpen his DJ skills so that now he is a slick, unpredictable and singular DJ with many tricks up his sleeve. Bjorn Torske, DJ Fettburger, Prins Thomas, Kenji Takimi, Glenn Underground and more have all played there in the last decade and Verdo himself is a skilled pianist who has played for Zero7 singer Mozez in the past. He has worked with Hell Yeah before now, as well as releasing on Danny Was A Drag King, and here serves up his biggest bit of dance floor dynamite to date, including his previously digital only cut 'Big Fish' (mixed by DJ Rocca).

Opener 'Little Blue' is a perfectly sunny track with hip swinging claps, bobbling bass and boat party vibes that soothe your soul. Rich with instrumentals and golden synth lines, it's a perfect beat that gets followed up by the retro disco pump of 'Sazerac', another tropical cut with loose drums and rubbery bass to get you up on your toes.

The massive 'Big Fish' then hits hard with its tin pot percussion and wild synths all making you flail your arms like you just don't care. Jumbled jungle vibes and big chords all swell your heart as your feet skip about down low.

Closing out the package is Phillip Lauer (Tuff City Kids), one of the most in demand stars of the day, and his version is a direct house jam with percolating and rugged synths and slapping hits, all demanding you ditch your cocktail and get up and groove.

"all good stuff here! OG for early / mornings and Lauer for peak. really nice release! " Piers - Soft Rocks

"Big fan of Verdo! great tunes here as expected. Sezarac fav at first listen." - Dream Chimney

"Little blue is super nice!!" - Phil South (Golf Channel)

"Yes, some great stuff here. Sezerac and the Lauer mix are really great, perfect sunshine session material." - Chris Coco

"I love Big Fish's keyboards! strong!!! Arigato!!!" - Chida

"Little Blue and Big Fish are fun for sure, def will play em on a rooftop sooooon" - Jacques Renault

"Yeah, feeling Little Blue, heavy rotation this Summer! " - Jason Boardman (Aficionado)

"Little Blue, i like." - Lexx

"This is tremendous. Driving peak time track that you can imagine Joe Claussell really working the dancefloor with." - Andrew Pirie

"killer ep guys!!!" - Discodromo

Hailing from Japan, Iori Wakasa is a name that has been gathering a great deal of hype over the past few years - and with good reason. Having built up his skills as a majorly talented DJ in Tokyo spinning a wide range of sounds and styles, his reputation continues to grow at pace thanks to a string of amazing releases on labels such as Highgrade and WirSindEins in recent years - not to mention strong support by some of the scene's biggest names. Here he proves what all the fuss is about - a stunning three track EP on Steve Bug's Dessous Recordings. 'Be There' starts things off right - uber deep vibes throughout, with bubbling synths and spacey effects, all tied together by a hypnotic Chandler-esque rhythm track. 'Give Me' continues the vibe, deep and jazzy chords punctuate the shuffling rhythm and trippy vocal samples add a layer of wonkiness that will see this get a lot of attention. 'Feel It Dizzy' strips things down a notch, a bass heavy dancefloor filler with dubbed out percussion, effects and vocals snippets. A triumphant EP from Iori Wakasa - truly one to watch.

This is one of the biggest finds of the millenium for us here at Underground Music. Unreleased music by Grand Master Lenny Dee. Originally produced back in the early 90s, the master DAT has sat in a bottom drawer until it was unearthed by us. It's hard to put in to words the influence Lenny Dee and Caspar Pound had on the dance music scene. Witnessing Lenny Djing back in 1992 influenced the path Underground Music would take for the next 25 years. It's true to say this is very much a vanity project for UM. The fact it has incredible unreleased music on it too is a bonus. We've gone all out on a mind warping 12" printed sleeve with superb vinyl mastering by Shane The Cutter. Shanes work tops off these ground breaking seminal techno tunes from one of the planets finest artists to grace the scene. Limited to 300 copies.

Villalegre Recordings is back with his second release after an acclaimed debut ep, which is already found in some 'real deejays' " vinyl cases, namely Dj Garth, Stevie Kotey, Timm Sure, Richard Sen and Massimiliano Pagliara.Discómanos ep consists of 4 edits of unknown gems, masterly revisited by collectors and artists as big as Mike Burns, Rayko , the great Sagittarius and Christian Beetz aka Frwctrl. Once again, Jorge Moreira and Crew dig deep down into many underground scenes around the world, to come up with an ep you'll always want to have in your case.
Listen carefully to Jose Rico's mastering work! A unique sound, which brings back reminiscences of Tom Moulton, Larry Levan, Dany Krivit or the very own Ron Hardy's reel to reel edits. Exotic love (Frwctrl mix) The trip starts with a Christian Beetz opus, which edits and extends a wonderful and unknown antique Spanish disco-funk track, with chorus voices flying like eagles to drive the dance floor to a unique climax. Sweat and pleasure lead by a smashing funky guitar, synths which drive you from the beach to the darkest, most hedonist dance floor. For your Love (Rayko edit)
Rayko is an edit master; he has presented his productions on the biggest disco dance floors on the planet, and this work reconfirms him. 'For your Love' tastes like Paradise Garage and nights of freedom and love. An original track with first class drums and a bass guitar, that reaches straight to the heart. The message comes with violins, which create the perfect emotion to wrap up a disco music masterwork that later becomes house. I want your body (Mike Burns Edit)The original track is a treasure that's hard to get, edited by Mike Burns, one of the strongest artists in the European underground disco scene. Mike selects this cut with a killer bass line, crazy synth effects and organs to turn the original track into an extended cut, which not only shakes the dance floor, but also the cloakroom and toilets. Programa Sintético (Sagittarius 1983 Tribute Edit)Sagittarius edits in a sublime way a mysterious track, loaded with energy, synths and effects. A production work, which transforms the original track into a technoid cut with a frequency in tune with Ron Hardy's proto-techno edits and progressive European music.

RAWAX proudly welcomes Mr. Lamont Norwood aka Dj Di'jital to the family! A true pioneer from Detroit!

Truly an old school Techno Bass jewel, DJ Di'jital has been a key player in the development of what some call the "Second Generation" of Detroit Techno. Having released on classic Detroit labels like Metroplex, Direct Beat, and Twilight 76, there is plenty of good reason why his name and his work have become so legendary over the years.

Influenced by early groups like Kraftwerk and Parliament, it was no surprise that the 80's fusion of Electronic Music, Funk and Hip Hop that brought about the Electro Funk sounds, would have such an impact on him. As a kid, Lamont Norwood aka DJ Di'jital became acquainted with the idea of mixing two songs together using tape decks, which while being limited, still gave him the drive and passion to pursue a career as a professional DJ. Over the years he played many different house parties and underground clubs, even spending some time as a Cabaret DJ.

Throughout this time, Di'jital became an incredibly skilled turntablist, quickly gaining the reputation of being a formidable force behind the wheels of steel. The year 1996 would prove to be quite a momentous one for Norwood, not only signing to the already well established label Direct Beat, but also becoming the official DJ for one of the label's finest and most important artists, Aux 88. Having already released his first EP, "Prototype", on Direct Beat, this would become a great opportunity that would help seal him as an icon of what was now known as the Detroit Techno Bass scene. Over the next few years,

Di'jital continued recording for Direct Beat, releasing some of the greatest and most unique Techno Bass classics to date, even doing a few remixes for some of Aux 88's most well known releases like "Electro/Techno", "I Need To Freak", and "Break It Down". Hit EPs like "From The Mind Of The Master", and "360 Degrees" became instant classics, still very sought after to this day. He also had some of his songs appear on some of the various Direct Beat compilations that were released between the years 1996 and 1999 like "Xperience De Bass II", which released "Radar2Bass", one of his most notable works, as well as the all time collector's album, "Techno Bass: The Mission".
Perhaps what may have been one of the biggest signs that his career was becoming exactly what he had hoped for, was the opportunity presented to him to remix Aaron Carl's classic "Down", which was released on the iconic Metroplex Records in 1998; Something that to any Detroit native would have been an honor and a milestone, given the reputation and level of success and influence that Juan Atkin's imprint had on the Detroit Electronic Music scene, as well as the global Electro/Techno movement.

Between the years 2000 and 2002, there was a small hiatus in complete EPs or albums being released by DJ Di'jital, although there were 2 different tracks released on the labels Bipolar and Studio iK7. In 2002, he went on to sign to another of Detroit's legendary imprints, Twilight 76, where he released 2 EPs, "Bass Programmers", and Di'jital's Revenge". In 2005, already a veteran and having amassed the necessary skill and knowledge needed to be a true beat warrior, Di'jital was now ready to join the resistance...Underground Resistance that is! Featured on the Interstellar Fugitives Vol. 2 compilation ( also later released as a 2xCD/DVD set ), Di'jital also released on the Electrocuter EP, which featured the previously released "Bang", as well as "Track 19".

In 2006, already well into the digital age ( no pun intended ), Norwood would release his first set of downloadable works, starting with an album called "The Prototype", on Twilight 76, which was completely unrelated to his first EP which was also called "Prototype". Recently, Twilight 76 has also released what is so far a 2 volume set of battle cuts dubbed "Electro Battle Tools".

The only known material that is known to be in the future for DJ Di'jital at the moment is a remix of Morphogenetic's "Techno Bass Is Back!", which was originally released as a free download to members of Technobass, but will soon be released on a 12"/Digital release that will launch the site's own label "Techno Bass Music". There will also be a follow EP by Di'jital, so stay tuned! Over the years, DJ Di'jital has proven to be an unstoppable force in the Techno Bass scene, tirelessly working to push the boundaries of Electro forward with his futuristic and visionary beats that have unleashed mayhem across the globe, not just in his published works, but also in his incredible DJ acts, where one can truly witness one of the few actual turntablists in this style of music. Expect more in the future as Di'jital's revenge continues to spread across the globe with his out of the ordinary approach towards Techno Bass music.

It is very difficult to present David Duriez without writing an encyclopedic tome as its influence on the House music in France was decisive. Since its inception in 1992, David released over a hundred records under his name, tens under various pseudonyms, mainly on vinyls on the most renowned labels like 2020Vision, Ovum, Systematic, Pokerflat, F Communication, Under the Counter, Stickman, Crosstown Rebels, The End, etc .. (the list is long, see Discogs to be convinced) and as many remixes for some of the greatest artists (think Moby, Dj Sneak, Gemini, DJ Hell, Llorca, Telex, Random Factor, Johnny Fiasco, Paul Johnson, Jori Hulkkonen, Ralph Lawson, Random Factor, Kenny Hawkes or Mr.C).

Founder of the label Brique Rouge and a whole galaxy of other labels, he participated in the creation of internationally recognized labels such as Robsoul with Phil Weeks, Freak n'Chic with Dan Ghenacia (from Apollonia) or Rz Muzik. At a time when David had federated online the cream of the House producers via a forum (far and long before social networks), Ivan Smagghe had nicknamed him "the producer of the producers." , A true House Music activist,

But most of all David Duriez is a devastating dancefloor DJ, He did several tours around the world and played in some of the biggest clubs in the world between 1995 and 2010. Truly one of the most important players in the French electro scene, David is back on tracks after a few years hyatus. But don't call it a comeback because he has never really gone awol, he has been watching the scene and now he's back in the studio. You can expect a (very) long serie of releases for 2016, you have been warned!

Plenty Headroom' EP is a twisted techno release from Kahuun on Scandinavian label PLOINK with remixes from anonymous Norwegian act Vakum and label boss Thomas Urv.
PLOINK started life as a club in Bergen where it has hosted the biggest techno parties in the region. 2014 saw it expand into an imprint, supporting Norwegian artists with releases from the likes of Vakum, Nordenstam, Christian Tilt and label founder Thomas Urv. Bergen producer Kahuun has been DJing across Europe for well over two decades now and saw his first 12' on Paper Recordings in 1999 followed by a string of releases on the likes of Hi Fi Terapi, Bagpak Records and Sex Tags UFO.
'Plenty Headroom' incorporates stabbing, abrasive pads that tumble downwards over a muted, staccato bass and a 4/4 beat. 'Enlargement' then gets more frantic with a faster tempo and galloping bounce, overlayed with punchy warm synth sounds. Thomas Urv's remix of 'Plenty Headroom' delivers the darkness one would expect from the PLOINK founder, underpinned by a crunchy, compressed sub bass line. Tying everything up Vakum's rendition demonstrates a heady buzzing synth that builds a tension over a pounding four to the floor.

With Record Store Day upon us once again, Quantize Recordings felt it only right to unleash a killer EP to the World boasting exclusive edits from 2 of the biggest names of the scene - Danny Krivit & John Morales.

Danny's edit of 'Is It Love' is taken from the recent Quantize Quintessential CD release (also mixed & compiled by Danny Krivit), as you'd expect it's lovingly crafted and receiving some serious rotation from the industry A listers.

On the flip the monumental DJ Spen & Gary Hudgins's remix of Melissa B 'Be Free' finally (and due to much demand) gets an exclusive vinyl airing, whilst John Morales delivers a stunning disco reworked remix of Sheila Ford's 'The Best of My Love'. Limited edition pressing on Royal Blue vinyl!

New York City-based DJ, producer and The Corner label owner Anthony Parasole makes his debut on Ostgut Ton with three new percussive-heavy Techno tracks on the My Block EP.

"Percussive music, that's my ground, my foundation but I am missing the feeling of tribalism in Techno today. I've been using a lot of different drum techniques over the past years, implementing them to Techno. The record 'Quickstrike', that I've released on my own label The Corner, was an edit record of an old sample-based house release. To me this was a test if people would gravitate to this sound and it was the biggest record on The Corner so far. From there I knew I could do this and two tracks off my new EP on Ostgut Ton work like this: 'Typhoon' features bongos, congas and all kinds of skin percussion, 'My Block' uses a different kind of percussive color.

HipHop in general and the Cut-up technique in particular have also heavily inspired me as a producer. During the 1990s music seemed really profound - a little bit tougher too. I listened to a lot of HipHop when I was writing the music for this new release and applied its methods to my own music. Many producers at that time were very forward-thinking. Wu-Tang Clan's RZA uses a sixteenth note technique that made me realize that I wanted this kind of hypnotizing sound to work in a Techno format. Another big influence were late 1970s Horror movie trailers. I was watching them while I was working on 'Bizarre' in the studio, I was inspired to capture the eerie tones and textures of those short clips in 'Bizarre'.

At the end of the day I work within certain parameters. Everytime I make a sample, I drop it into my personal folder - so all my music has a similarity of up to 50 or 60%. Maybe I'll use the same drumkit or kickdrum. I apply limitations to myself, but doing this also gives me my own voice. When I was learning how to produce, Levon Vincent taught me to make my own drum kit, to make my own synth kit and to work within this. Sample-based music is inspiring, and creating something out of found sound is very interesting to me. I think a sound signature is something that will always refine ones sonic pallet and skill set."

- Anthony Parasole, Berlin, September 2014 -

Repress

Rarely you come across a record which embodies Dubstep so well that rallies the entire scene behind it. From the brosteppers to the deep heads this record has been getting love from all corners of the earth. We're talking about "Under Control" the latest outing from Germany's next top wobble aka Bukez Finezt. Its eerie intro sets the tone perfectly to interlude this hypnotic stomper. Once the sonic warfare is unleashed it'll transport you to a word of desolation, where aliens run rampant and technology has absorbed everything around them.
"You Don't Belong Here" & "Pace Yourself" are on a equal tip. 2 bigtime subloaded heavyweights that'll remind you that Dubstep is still very much alive and reminds us why we fell in love with this minimalistic bass heavy genre to begin with.

Here's what some DJ's had to say about Under Control:
"VERY NATTY!" - N-Type (Wheel & Deal)
"This one destroyed Contact last night" - J:Kenzo (Tempa)
"Three words.... Gun, Finger, Riddim." - Kaiju (Deep Medi)
"DUDE TUNE" - Megalodon (Never Say Die)
"System tune. Don't even bother playing this at home!" - TMSV (Artikal)
"Biggest tune of the year" - Tunnidge (Chestplate)
"One of the heaviest, most refreshing records of the year" - Compa (Deep Medi)
"Pfft more like OUT OF CONTROL" - Beezy (HENCH

Back with another monster of a release, Ellum Audio bring you four heavy duty remixes of the infectious jam 'New York Is Alright' from TV Baby - a killer track with 'a throb of low-resolution low-end and caustic vocals' - in the words of label boss Maceo Plex. For the A side Blackspun deliver a sensational 'Minimal Mix' and 'Acid Dub', while over on the flip Maetrik injects plenty of groove and Idjut Boys take things into another dimension! All tracks are serious DJ weaponry, each served to dominate the dancefloor in their own way at peak time.

ELL014 comes as part of a joint release with DJ Spun's label Rong Music (USA), who will be releasing the original track plus remixes from Eric Duncan.

Blackspun is made up of Jason Drummond aka DJ Spun and Mark Bell aka Blakkat. Originally from San Francisco but currently residing in New York DJ Spun's journey and career through electronic music began at the birth of House and continues to this day. L.A's Blakkat is a vocalist, producer and first class DJ also working with the biggest names in the business and gracing the decks of the best clubs in the world. Together they make the perfect team with the results clear to see from this special release.

Flying high at the top of his game Eric Erstonel aka Maetrik (Maceo Plex) recently released his DJ Kicks album on !K7 which featured the Blackspun remix.

From their North London studio, Dan Tyler and Conrad McDonnell aka the Idjut Boys have run three record labels and produced their infectious dub-heavy disco sampling house for many more. They formed their first label, U-Star, in '94 on the back of their successful club nights of the same name.