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In 2017 Blair French came out of hibernation to release contrasting but similarly sun-kissed EPs on Rocksteady Disco and Claremont 56.

Here, he returns to action with a scintillatingly sunny and sensual six-tracker on NuNorthern Soul that may well be his strongest release to date.

Given French's chameleon-like musical history, that's certainly a bold claim.
Over the years, he's been a member of a multitude of musical collectives - most notably Cosmic Handshakes and Formless Figures - established his own DIY record label (Fat Finger Cosmic) and released music that touches on a dizzying array of styles, from award-winning movie soundtracks and Afro-fired deep house, to skewed techno, blissful ambience and experimental hip-hop.

On Patio Pastel, French is in full on sand-between-the-toes Balearic mood, delivering a range of lucid, ear-pleasing compositions that will sashay their way into your consciousness.
Contrast, for example, the drowsy organs, glistening pedal steel and undulating hand percussion of opener 'Patio Pastel' with the Serge Gainsbourg style chanson-goes-tropical bliss of 'La Playa De Tercipelo', which features some deliciously breathy vocals from Stephanie Lyon.

Then there's 'Morning Sail', a sumptuously evocative soundscape rich in toasty, dub disco bass, shuffling percussion and lilting, Jonny Nash style guitar solos (see also the effortlessly horizontal Lounsbury Gardens'), and the kaleidoscopic, saucer-eyed Balearic pop brilliance of ;'Human Make Human', where new age synthesizer melodies and the fuzzy vocal refrain of Kasi Seguin gentle dances above an Afro-flecked, mid-tempo groove.

Throughout the EP, French mixes electronic and acoustic instrumentation, drawing together musical elements from a myriad of styles to create sumptuous new fusions.
It's particularly evident on superb closer 'Belle Isle Sunsets', where colourful synth motifs, eyes-closed guitar riffs and Mediterranean-warm chords wrap themselves around a gently pulsating, impressively layered groove.
Like the rest of the EP, it's perfectly pitched, expertly executed and wonderfully atmospheric.

Sechs Jahre Nach Seiner Letzten Lp "busted With A Bag Of Bliss" (my Favourite Robot) Kehrt Der Kanadische Indie-elektronica-meister Sid Le Rock (aka Pan/tone, Gringo Grinder) Mit Seinem Fünften Studioalbum "scenic Route" Zurück. Die Neue Lp Ist Ein Musikalischer Trip Durch Eine Breite Klangpalette, Die Von Dancefloor-tracks (kismet, Morgenfrisk) Bis Zu Electro-meisterwerken (speak Sweetly, Hiraeth) Reicht. Das Artwork Wurde Von Alex Solman Erstellt, "dem Mann Hinter Den Unverwechselbaren Zeichnungen Für Den Golden Pudel Club Und Einem Der Besten Bildenden Künstler, Der Heute In Der Musik Arbeitet" (resident Advisor). Die Lp Enthält 6 Tracks, Der Download-code Insgesamt 11 Tracks.

Cypress Hill is widely respected and considered to be amongst the main progenitors of West Coast rap and Hip Hop in the early 1990s. With megahits like 'Insane in the Brain', 'I Wanna Get High' or 'Tequila Sunrise' they crossed-over to mainstream breaking all records for a rap band up until
that time. Cypress Hill were the first Latino-American hiphop group to have RIAA Certified platinum and multi-platinum albums. As musicians they
became famous for the crazy sounds produced by DJ Muggs and Bobo and the stoner sympathetic lyrics of B-Real and Sen Dog. They redefined
and shattered the boundaries of hip-hop, crafting gutter-dirty tracks that fused deep bass lines with blissful, stoned-out melodies and aggressive
hard rock riffs, creating a unique imprint.

For the label's second release, Amsterdam imprint yeyeh has brought together two musicians from vastly different backgrounds to celebrate the far-sighted musical potential of the Theremin on the 100-year anniversary of the instrument's invention.

'Waves' is the product of two weeks of studio collaborations between award-winning composer and Theremin soloist Carolina Eyck and Eversines, an electronic music producer who has previously released music on yeyeh's sister label ninih. It builds on Eyck's work composing for 'Theremin & Voice', with both artists playing a part in processing, modulating, layering and arranging vocal and Theremin sounds to create six breathtaking electronic compositions.

Varied in tone and execution, the album's six tracks are arguably closer to instrumental pop than academic electronic music. Some tracks bear comparison to the cyclical melodic movements associated with the greats of American minimalism, while others recall the alien, otherworldly futurism of the Radiophonic Workshop, classic ambient music and the sun-bright bliss of early '90s IDM. Yet despite these possible perceived parallels, 'Waves' sits on its own as a stunning work crafted from the simplest of musical elements.

Honey...rich And Flavorful, Hitting The Deepest Sweet Spot.

Drivetrain (detroit, Usa) - Inside You
Label Founder, Derrick Thompson Sets It Off With A Primetime Floor Filler.
The Gravitational Pull Of The Bass Riff Encapsulates The Vocal Hook As The Keyboard Refrain Perfectly Aligns With An Aggressive Percussion Track.

Rennie Foster (vancouver, Canada) - Detroit City
Demonstrating A Much Deeper Persona, The Sultry Piano Sets A Moody Atmosphere. Luxuriant Strings And Expressive Bell Tones Conjugate As The Vocal Signature Pays Homage To The City Of Inspiration.

Melodymann (ghent, Belgium) - Nobody Else
Explicitly Designed For Maximum Body Movement, A Solid Percussion Theme Is Immediately Established. Soon An Animated Chord Progression Is Introduced,
Then Showered With Kinetic Vocal Samples For Amalgamated Electricity.

Mark Ryal (sitges, Spain) - Imperfect Perfection
This Elegantly Fluid Soiree Debut Parades A Sphere Of Warm Pads Throughout.
Articulated Harmonies, Elastically Weave A Blissful Sonic Terrain Atop An Unyielding Groove Framework.

In January 1985 The Beloved emerged via a John Peel session (Produced by a very young Mark Radcliffe). They had a second session broadcast in October and didn't release their first single, A Hundred Words, until early 1986.
On the independent Flim Flam label they released a further 3 singles/eps , later compiled as an album, Where It Is.
By autumn 1987 they had slimmed down from 4-piece to the original founding duo of Jon Marsh & Steve Waddington.
Jon went to NY to pursue some label interest, meet some heroes - Mantronik, Latin Rascals.
& came back with a record box full of early house cuts. Within weeks he was tipped off by a friend about a semi-secret party in a gymnasium in Bermondsey. He went searching and found Shoom.
Having already shared the record box with Steve he took him to the club within a few weeks, knowing full well he would be equally enthused/entranced!
Having just been signed to WEA , notionally as a poster-fodder pop group, the band experienced a seismic shift in direction. Their first attempt , Acid Love, was on promo 12' within months. Their second house track was Your Love Takes Me Higher, first released in early 1989 with great club support but zero radio play.
The third was Sun Rising, late summer that year which became their first hit single.
The album, Happiness, a distillation of the fun & optimism & energy of the 88/89 (acid) house scene was released in 1990 to great acclaim and YLTMH even got a second release and just scraped into the top 40 at #39!
A remix album, Blissed Out, was released In autumn 1990, with a new recording It's Alright Now as a single.
Awoke is the most complete track from their last collaborative sessions.
Jon continued recording as The Beloved with his wife Helena as co-writer/co-producer.
Their first release in early 1993 was the single Sweet Harmony which was a major hit record worldwide.
Both single and the accompanying album Conscience were their biggest selling releases.
A further album X, with the single Satellite arrived in 1996.
A re-released Sun Rising and a best-of, Single File in 1997.
Then silence.
Remixes as The Beloved, several releases under different names (on Junior Boys Own, & NRK), and a full time dj career until 2005/6.
Still silence.
'I can't split up with myself so i think of it as hibernation' says Jon.
Until now. Music that is both old & new.

Remix extravaganza ahead! What started as an attempt to transport Feater's brillant outsider pop 'Time Millionaire' (taken from the Socialo Blanco album) onto a dance floor with one or two remixes, ended up as a feast served on three different platters with some heavy hitters. First up, Pépé Bradock and Ricardo Villalobos are crossing their beams. Spread over two 12s, the masters of idiosyncrasies and splendid aural design, Bradock and Villalobos treat the voice of Vilja Larjosto with love and care and bring it into their respective universe during peak time: vocals, dubs, acapellas and bonus bits included. Expertly, tricky and inventive. Remix EP no. 3 merges different trajectories of UK dance music traditions (or Ireland for that matter). Man of the moment Krystal Klear takes the material down to love town: the sound of 1980s Island records meets NYC boogie and UK street soul sounds. Hessle Audio's Pangaea follows the other path: uptempo bass fun with a driving dub and an instrumental pass. Last but not least, Feater & Sam Irl themselves deliver a blissed out dub of the original. Oh, and if you have enough time, flip over to the 10 with an Aba Shanti-I approved UK reggae and lovers rock take on it by Blood Shanti.

Switzerland's Alma Negra are known for their deft, tasteful explorations of world roots, anchored in digging, sampling and sharing. On this brand new remix collection, Alma Negra invite a trio of equally curious producers to remix some three of their best-received musical endeavours. French producer and DJ Bambounou capitalises on the quick tempo and raw-energy at the heart of the Maloya sound as the basis for his raw and hypnotic reimagining of 'Kabare', originally sourced from Christine Cabare, one of the most notable stars of the contemporary Maloya scene. Glenn Astro, meanwhile takes on another release, 'Haleto lale lalô'. Originally influenced by the Saho sound, the origins of which lie in the musical history and landscape of Eritrea, the Money $ex Records owner fashions two distinctive reworks out of the already adapted original material. After applying the soft pressure of his weightless, smooth funk for an initial, blissed-out remix, he switches up to a warm, percussive jack session on his 'Rhythm Trax' remix, available here as a digital bonus. Finally, cult producer and musician Michal Turtle, best known for his sensational LPs and compilations on Music From Memory, delivers only his second ever remix in a forty year career, conjuring a magical slice of dreamy, percussive pop from 'Tany Be', awash in signature brass.

Remix extravaganza ahead! What started as an attempt to transport Feater's brillant outsider pop 'Time Millionaire' (taken from the Socialo Blanco album) onto a dance floor with one or two remixes, ended up as a feast served on three different platters with some heavy hitters. First up, Pépé Bradock and Ricardo Villalobos are crossing their beams. Spread over two 12s, the masters of idiosyncrasies and splendid aural design, Bradock and Villalobos treat the voice of Vilja Larjosto with love and care and bring it into their respective universe during peak time: vocals, dubs, acapellas and bonus bits included. Expertly, tricky and inventive. Remix EP no. 3 merges different trajectories of UK dance music traditions (or Ireland for that matter). Man of the moment Krystal Klear takes the material down to love town: the sound of 1980s Island records meets NYC boogie and UK street soul sounds. Hessle Audio's Pangaea follows the other path: uptempo bass fun with a driving dub and an instrumental pass. Last but not least, Feater & Sam Irl themselves deliver a blissed out dub of the original. Oh, and if you have enough time, flip over to the 10 with an Aba Shanti-I approved UK reggae and lovers rock take on it by Blood Shanti.

Next up on LOVEiT is head honcho JK himself, presenting a fine Reminiscence to 90s french house on the A1. With his remix, italian Jo Pariota transforms the title track into a veritable detroit house groover by adding warm pads and driving hats. JKs B1 is a moody deephouse affair including jazzy keys and a thought provoking spoken word sample by a certain saturn-visiting cosmic poet. The Rare Sun Recall Mix by .WS takes you places: riding out on an uptempo tribal beat, it slowly starts to fall apart before vanishing into ambient bliss. - morri313 Early Feedback: Lay Far (Atjazz Record Company / Local Talk / 4 Lux) Congrats on the release! Loving the 'Being Neglected As An Artist

Dean Zepherin is truly a producer who has managed to find his lane and appeal.
Born and raised in London - a suitably eclectic city for a man of his musical persuasion - he is renowned for his consistently genre-pushing productions.
In other words, a perfect match for Local Talk, a label not afraid to go beyond the classic 4/4 sound and explore different styles within house music.

Opening track Blue Moon is an organic, warm and enveloping chunk of deep house bliss and there's no doubt that Dean loves his house served with with plenty of horns.
Next up is Flying High, a jazzy uptempo house cut smothered in expansive percussions, trading organ and trumpet solos over elastic synth lines.

Music that speaks to the senses

Daniel Avery broadens the exquisite sonic universe established on last year's critically-acclaimed sophomore LP Song For Alpha, presenting the collected B-sides & Remixes. Showcasing cuts from the album's writing and recording process, as well, Avery also invites a number of his contemporaries and some of the most vital underground producers in the world to rework his original material, with transformative results.

The frosty melancholy of Citizen // Nowhere is reworked by London producer Manni Dee into something altogether monstrous. Introducing itself with a kick drum powerful enough to level a warehouse, and only getting more urgent from there forward, Dee's remix blends a knowing rave glint in the eye with a nonetheless uncompromising stance.

The Copenhagen-via-Moscow producer Anastasia Kristensen immediately justifies her status as a rapidly rising talent on the scene, locking into a delicate yet no less powerful groove for her sparkling remix of Glitter. Seamlessly heightening the almost meditative qualities of Avery's original, she weaves a blissful rhythmic trip, taking in razor-sharp percussions and spectral dub techno.

A longstanding fixture on the Midwest US rave scene, Patrick Russell applies his typical grit to 'Song For Alpha's firmly dancefloor focused centrepiece, Diminuendo. In subtly shifting the focus to the track's passages of overwhelming feedback, he sculpts a black hole of snarling electro and piston-like breaks, sure to prove an inviting wormhole to those willing to surrender further, deeper and darker.

Inconspicuous French duo Nummer (made up of Silvère Letellier and Emmanuel Corre AKA E-Talking, best known for their work with Going Good) deliver a stunning five track EP laced with supersonic, hypnotic and funky fresh space oddities for people of the new age! A revitalising take on classic deep house and IDM styles, Space Oddities Volume 1 is infused with strong doses of organic percussion, odd samples and blissful melodies. Get up and move or sit back and experience the curious world of Nummer, in what could be their most exciting offering to date.

Apollo welcome Metalheadz veterans Om Unit AKA Jim Coles and Kid Drama / Jon Convex AKA Damon Kirkham for a 4 track EP of blissed out autonomic dnb.

The duo originally met on the DJ circuit, Coles had been a longtime fan of instra:mental, Kirkham's pioneering project with Alex Green AKA Boddika
"I had their fabriclive CD with dBridge in my car on repeat," Coles enthuses. "What those guys were up to felt like a new start for my appreciation of modern drum n bass music. It was like a new form of architecture."

Kirkham picks up the narrative; "Yeah it would have been during my Convex period, I was bouncing back and forward between London and Sydney and playing with people like Machinedrum and Mark Pritchard. I'd heard some of Jims stuff and we had a long chat and in 2013 we did a collab on Exit with my Kid drama alias.

Immediately hitting it off over a shared affinity for cold architectural aesthetics, a friendship blossomed; "Getting to hang out with Damon here and there over the years has always been insightful, we both think about stuff deeply, we come from a fairly broad appreciation of music in general, rooted in rave stuff but loving loads of types of music."

The pair continued to send tracks and ideas back and forth for subsequent years but nothing was finished, until recently when something shifted and progress began to come quickly and the four tracks of 'The Untitled Works EP' began to form. The release sees the duo explore their affinity for widescreen synth pads and hypnotic rhythms with a rich seam of jungle influences shooting through the gossamer ambiance. While well suited for headphones, in the right hands a couple of the tracks will cause dancefloor damage.

The second album from SpaceArk. More brilliant self-released, private-press jazz/soul from 1976 Los Angeles.

'SpaceArk Is' came out on Color World records in 1976, on a limited run of about 5,000 copies. It followed their self-titled debut (also available now on Mr Bongo) on the same original label, the year before.

For a handful of years in the Seventies, SpaceArk was one of the most promising and electrifying bands in Southern California. Although their music was far greater than the sum of its parts, those parts made for a very original style. R&b, soul, rock, pop, jazz, classical ... it all came together in blissful stream of intricate compositions that swept up crowds from US military bases to Northern Soul clubs around the UK.

SpaceArk wrote and performed more than 100 songs during their time together. Most of them were not recorded and are now either lost or forgotten.

Official Mr Bongo reissue with liner notes by Amar Patel. Licensed direct from Peter Silberg.

Special remarks : 12' Vinyl +Downloadcode Tracklist 12: A1 Take A Moment A2 Action And Reaction B1 Eye Contact Info text: Dub and acid are the words as Marlon Hoffstadt goes deep on 'Simple Communication' the sixth EP in his Midnight Themes series. The Berlin producer has maintained a busy release schedule in 2018 and is intent on carrying through into 2019, starting with three tracks that fly the flag for his current sound: deep, dubby and subtly euphoric. Opener 'Take A Moment' is a finely tuned piece of weighty dubbed out techno with whiffs of vintage pool parties and a lonely acid line creepin'n'bleepin on the horizon. 'Action and Reaction' harks back to the 90s, rolling out waves of pads and melodies that ascend and descend while a mean old bassline keeps proceedings on track. Clocking in at 11 minutes, the two act play of 'Eye Contact' closes the EP on a blissed out note.

Editorial venture to France for ED025 with four expertly edited, blissful gems from Parisian producer, Chevals.

The A side hits with two hazy cuts of sun drenched disco house. 'Left Behind' swells with filtered tales of lost love radiating a bittersweet warmth. Rich bass melodies and clipped funk guitars shine through as thoughts drift away across glistening seas. 'Eye Of Love' is served up next, equally as impassioned with buzzing synths, basking Spanish guitars and joy-filled chords and congas give a sense of desert islands where day-to-day life is only a figment of the imagination.

Flip it over and 'The Line' hits with a pumped up, soulful bassline that solos and sidewinds with brazen hats as its accomplice. Squelching keys and deft Rhodes touches add luscious harmonies to leave listeners lulled by its masterful flow.

Last up, 'Time' takes a pensive, eyes closed trip - delicate vocals, summery synth lines and glimmering samples washing away the worries as they wander over the airwaves.

The OUER guys just live down the road from us in Berlin and we have been crossing paths many times these past years so it is with great joy we can finally present a full EP with their unique approach to electronic music on Dirt Crew Recordings. Since their debut on 'HEIST' in 2016 Xaver and Oliver have consistently pushed their sound and production, on their own OUER imprint they released four EP's up till now and the latest called 'E' is just a few weeks old as we speak. The A side opens with the title track 'Stingray Nebula', a bliss composition of layered arpeggios underlined by a deep sub bass, building steadily towards etheric strings setting in and descending again with a break beat ending that builds perfect grounds for the following dance floor stomper 'Undine'. That second A side track is a great mix of Deep House and Electronica and is what makes OUER's music so special, almost entering trance territories here but keeping those Chicago and Detroit references alive. When we head over to the B side we encounter some new tracks that really made us want to release this EP in the first place. The beautiful 'Thales' contains live bass and percussive instrumentation and is a crossover indie-tronica gem. Following that is the deep 'Inside' where an 'emo' piano themed House jam meets clever vocal sampling and filtered synth stabs to produce a great going groove. Closing out we have some real ambience electronica for you in 'Train Ride to Bratsk', again played mostly live and using acoustic instruments recorded in their Berlin studio the OUER guys are crossing borders again and turned out this piece of goodness. Enter the world of OUER, we hope you like it as much as we do!

Deep, raw and real Then NY*AK is the man! Andrew Scott has been releasing superb bottom heavy deep house groovers for many years on various top labels (like Local Talk, Paper or Ninja Tunes Technicolor). Now its time for Quintessentials! The A-side features after the sun, a deep, minimalistic and sexy groover, and mind, a blissfull and rich low BPM tune for an early morning come down. The B-side starts with vice, a proper Detroit track bassline, strings, rims and snares - and finishes off with the funky and mellow onions. Deep, raw and real NY*AK anytime!

Mark Van Hoen (prior jaunts in Seefeel, Scala, Autocreation among others) as Locust emerges with the first of a series of EPs for Transfusions that dive into unadulterated techno spaces that you were clearly not prepared for. Four powerful weapons start this series with sounds and textures that clearly incorporate Locust's indescribable signature that we have all fallen in love with but take the dance floor to an undisclosed locale where deep vibes transfix our minds into pure bliss. Armed with a new razor sharp identity and vision, we are in for an adventure. Completely new Locust logo and extra special sleeve artwork masterminded by Paul Nicholson (OG Aphex Twin artwork visionary). This is serious.

Gaijin Blues is Naphta and band mate PlaystationYoga Music's tribute to Japanese pop culture, manga and video games. This EP is the result of tours to different regions of Japan and spending time in record shops, as well as playing classic RPGs. Gaijin Blues is a blend between Japanese and Western music with live studio instruments. It's a feeling, an expression and a time and space vehicle.

Secret of Mana explores live percussion and bass with strings, live flute and dreamy vocals, whilst Cafe LeBlanc references a peaceful location in JRPG Persona 5 and features more soothing strings and is inspired by manga soundtracks.

Metal Gear Rex is string-lead and features complex melodies and vocal chops. Another tribute to Japanese gaming culture, this one has a driving, hypnotic bassline and an eye on the dance floor.Guardia Castle opens with a 4/4 disco beat before introducing unexpected layers of blissful, melodic female vocals, acoustic guitars and flutes.

Masterworks Music Rolls Into Town Once Again, This Time With France's Very Own Chevals Firmly In The Saddle. Four Peak Time Disco Edits Of Tried And Tested Dancefloor Anthems, Ready And Raring To Be Unleashed.

First Out Of The Blocks, 'my Feet Keep Changin', Drenched In Uplifting, Gospel Leaning Vocals That Will Have Hands Reaching For The Heavens. Couple That With Dazzling Piano Melodies, A Pulsating Bass And Staccato Strings, Alongside A Spiritual Breakdown That Will Bring About Full-on, Holy Disco Enlightenment. Next Up, A Filtered Disco House Gem In The Form Of 'this Time Is Dedicated To Love'. Shimmering Vocals, Synth Trills And Guitars That Radiate Warmth Combine With Fresh Percussive Samples And Lush Female Harmonies.

Take To The B Side And You're Hit With 'never Will I Leave You Baby'. Sun-kissed, Beachside, Wind In The Hair Vibes - Bringing Back Memories Of Those Warmer Months, Where Everything Just Seemed That Little Bit More Blissful. '80s Synths, Fuzzy Hats, Filtered Phrases And Sweet Chord Progressions In Abundance. Closing Out The Ep Chevals Goes Heavy On The Modulated, Wobbly Synthwork And Rich Bass Tones On 'love Somebody' Before Those Deep, Soulful Keys Take Centre Stage.

Disco Edits Done Properly!

Sinking Into A Miracle is the debut album by Glasgow's AMOR, a quartet of musical travellers exploring the sonic open-ended-ness of dance music. Following two critically acclaimed 12-inches, this is a fully developed treatise on ecstasy and transcendence. Here, Richard Youngs, Michael Francis Duch, Paul Thomson and Luke Fowler are more honed, razor sharp in focus and timing, testing their instrumental prowess on condensed song structures and new, enlightened feelings of expansive hope and bliss. From the outset, it's an ambitious yet ultimately inclusive journey. Recorded to 24-track tape at Chem 19 and mixed by Paul Savage and Richard McMaster (Golden Teacher), this full length retains the elastic grooves of Paradise and Higher Moment, the group's previous singles, but relinquishes the classic Philadelphia International-tinged sound in favor of looser rhythmic patterns. There are new depths to the compositions: a more free-flowing approach to percussion and deft experiments in hybridity make for a full and rounded, emotionally tinged record. Indeed, there are times when AMOR sound like the lost house band from David Mancuso's Loft parties: Richard Youngs' uplifting, gospel-tinged lyrics talk about moving beyond, universal truths, sailing through the horizon. It's a wideeyed optimism Mancuso would perhaps have approved of and which is embroidered with spectral details that begs to be auditioned on large, tweaked out sound-systems.
Fantastic cover art by Robert Beatty.

Sticks & Stonez make their debut release on Glitterbox Recordings with the stunning 'You're My', featuring rising star Liv East on vocals. This special 7' vinyl release illustrates the East London duo's capability as producers, taking influence from modern house and disco, the combination of the instrumental horns, slick production and East's smooth vocal makes for a blissed-out record that transports you to hazy summer days. The stripped-back instrumental version also features on the release, offering an insight into how the carefully curated track balances its musical elements.

'Chris Carter's Chemistry Lessons Volume One.1: Coursework' was created using a newly-formed piece called 'Bongo Glow' and reworkings of three tracks from the original album.

'Bongo Glow', a work in progress at the time, was finished using the same processes as 'CCCLV1' so that it could appear on the Japanese release of the album.

The additional three reworkings were created without direct instruction as an experiment to see how they changed with input from external sources.

Daniel Avery's remix of 'Usyring' is a slow building majestic tome that comes full circle.

The Radiophonic Workshop took 'Blissters' and created a more experimental reworking in their unique style.

Chris Liebing gave 'Tones Map' a brooding anthemic feel, adding his Slow Burn remix technique

If you read the name Shankar you may right away think of Ravi Shankar, the grand master of contemporary Indian folk music who was very popular in the 60s due to his connection with the music industry in the United States despite staying away from the pure pop music by maintaining his classic sitar and tabla style ragas to express himself musically. Ananda Shankar used to be his nephew who also made a journey to the USA to gather inspirations from rock artists like Jimi Hendrix among others. His first album from 1970, a conglomerate of classic Indian folk tunes and instrumental versions of the hottest rock songs of the day clothed in a veil of sitar melodies and backed up with tabla drum grooves, was an attempt to combine the spiritual approach of his cultural origins with the light minded blissful attitude of western psychedelic pop music. It worked well in the sense that it is still, nearly fifty years later on, a groovy little album that leaves nobody sitting around at any random hippie party. He took a five year break from recording to create what should become his second album and this is what I am about to present to you now. The cover-tunes were replaced by all original compositions with a lush instrumentation that features the typical sitar, tabla and bowed string instruments such as sarong and sera arrangements mixed with sounds that have a definite western origin such as rock guitars, Hammond organ and moog synthesizers plus full drum kits that take care to enhance the actual groove. Psychedelic rock, raga, fusion-jazz and funk flow into each other quite naturally giving birth to something fresh and exciting I would label as Bengali pop'. The borders between eastern and western music get abrogated here. If it was not for a few deeply mythical chants on a bed of drones here and there you could not even tell this was a record by an Indian artist. This album is quite accessible most of the time and comes with a certain slickness that makes it easy for the listener to understand and appreciate what is going on. Still there is the other side of the coin, the depth pop music often lacks. So in the end this might have been too far out for the average western mainstream fanatic back in 1975 when disco began to rule but it is an awesome sound trip for fans of psychedelic dance music like INCREDIBLE BONGO BAND and all eastern influenced popular rock.

British producers, Lost Property are back with a fresh 5 track EP of electronic flavours, delivering musical bliss straight to your dome.

The Moments' On Top is a perfect example of symphonic soul. Amongst true heads, this is considered the most valuable of all their albums; an original copy of this LP, if you can find one, starts at around $75. Alongside contemporaneous acts from the early 70s - The Chi-lites, The Stylistics, The Delfonics, The Futures, Blue Magic and The Main Ingredient - The Moments exuded all that was compelling about deep, harmony-drenched, string-laden soul. The standout here is undoubtedly 'To You with Love", a floating, tender ballad sung by Harry Ray that features the group's patented handclap-tambourine combo, sweetly repetitive strings, serene guitar and gentle piano. It was famously sampled by J Dilla for 'Last Donut Of The Night' - the gut-wrenching finale to his seminal Donuts. Concentrating solely on its sampled history would do The Moments a huge disservice, but its crucial appearance at the climax of Donuts directed fresh generations of pre-disposed soul fans to the absolute canon. Judged entirely on its merit, it's one of the most heart-breaking songs of any decade and worth the price of admission alone. It's the sweetest, most goose-bump inducing 3 minutes of aural bliss you're ever likely to be exposed to. If that wasn't enough, On Top spawned two minor R&B hits: 'All I Have' and 'Lucky Me", each featuring Billy Brown's ice-melting falsetto. Opener 'All I Have' is a sumptuous introduction to the album. With melancholic, understated guitar licks, twinkling keys and heartbeat drums, it's a gem.

11 never-heard tracks from Synthzerland pioneer Bruno Spoerri, released for the first time on vinyl, with liner notes by the artist. WRWTFWW Records is very delighted to announce the release of Rare & Unreleased 1971-1998, a collection of never-heard and hard-to-find works by Swiss music pioneer and synth super wizard Bruno Spoerri. The album is sourced from original masters and available on a vinyl LP cut at Emil Berliner Studios (formerly the in-house recording department of Deutsche Grammophon), housed in a 350g sleeve with a superb artwork by Nicolas Eigenheer, and packed with track-by-track liner notes by Mr. Spoerri. Rare & Unreleased 1971-1998 gives a fascinating glimpse into Bruno Spoerri's incredibly inventive repertoire, collecting tracks from projects as diverse as commissioned music for trade fairs, the Swiss railroads, or the union of Swiss cheese makers(!), soundtracks for TV shows about ecology, live synth improvisations at Montreux Jazz Festival, and sound installations for art exhibitions. Always the adventurer, Spoerri records a pneumatic drill for the irresistible electronic bossa of 'Konzert für SIG-Pressluftwerkzeuge", mixes train sounds and the EMS Synthi-100 for the joyful lo-fi funk of 'Rollin'", lets overheating synthesizers take a life of their own to create the sci-fi ambient of 'Waves of Montreux", and works with bees, pigs and various birds for the environmental music bliss of 'Rhythm'n bees' and 'Birds of Cochin". Synthzerland rejoice, it's time for another captivating journey of sound exploration on Planet Spoerri! Bruno Spoerri celebrated his 83th birthday in August this year. He is still experimenting, recording, customizing audio gear, improvising on stage and in the studio, collaborating (Julian Sartorius, Franz Treichler of Young Gods, Marco Repetto of Grauzone, Roger Girod...), inventing new sounds and finding new creative outlets.

SJ Tequilla continues to build on his small but well formed discography with a new EP on Bright Sounds. His three originals come backed with a remix from cult producer SW. SJ Tequilla has released on his own Shot Of T imprint and DJ Fett Burger s Freakout Cult since debuting in 2017. The Japanese born, Berlin based artist is also close to Sex Tags Mania and regularly holds it down at OHM Club as well as for busking on his live, vintage hardware jams around the streets of Kreuzberg.
The opener is a six minute house bumper with a classic lead acid line and plenty of Detroit pads. The pinging analogue drums are lively and elastic while more thoughtful keys are draped over the top. SUED man SW. steps up to remix and brings a mixture of pad laced serenity old school rave basslines to his hard hitting drums. The B1 is another rugged mix of live sounding drums, acid snuggles and rueful keys while ambient synths stretch off to infinity. Last but not least, B2 sinks into a blissed out dub house vibe, rolling deep and smooth and showing off Tequilla s ability to cook up far sighted synths that have real emotion. This is an EP well school in traditionalism but that also brings some fresh skills and ideas to the grooves.

Time for some completely fresh business from a relative newcomer to the scene, though we're sure the name Cosmonection will be on your radars soon enough. The Parisian producer knocked us off our feet with a beautiful debut back in March this year on the fledgling Pont Neuf imprint. His '10 Feet Before The Horizon EP' was loaded with the just the kind of spaced- out, synth-heavy deep late night house that gets us all aquiver over here, so when a demo popped into the inbox we were all over it like a donkey on a waffle.

Here we present you with the Menorca EP; three blissed-out synth jams which explore the space between Balearic euphoria and Detroit futurism. On the title track a mournful Moog lead takes centre stage floating over a rising chord progression whilst punchy 909 drums bring the groove to the dance floor.

Next up, You picks up the pace for a deep and dubby house workout where soft focus pads converge with clattering percussion. Fragments of chiming melody bouncing around the stripped back groove.

Flipping over we have Light which shows Cosmonection at his most musical, layering up arpeggiating synths lines through a slowly building intro until a heavy groove with hefty kick joins the scene. The arrangement ebbs and flows as the rhythm drops out, rising synths creating anticipation and tension. This track feels like an ambitious fusion of musical styles and textures with 90's ambient colliding with Underground Resistance and coming up with a fresh sound for 2018 in the process.

Rounding off the record we have Delusions regulars, DJ supremos and all- round good guys Session Victim taking the reins on a remix of You. Keeping the warm, feel-good pads, the German duo inject a new found shuffle to the groove, bringing a wide-screen sensibility which adds a sublime yet dance-floor pleasing dimension to the release.

One thing The Vryll Society aren't short of is admirers, Lauded at just about every turn by press and public alike, the release of their debut LP for Deltasonic Records is hotly anticipated thanks to the promise this band have shown through their live sets and recent single releases.

Discovered and nurtured by the late and much missed Deltasonic founder Alan Wills, they fitted the type for him perfectly. He instantly saw in them similar attributes he'd previously found in the early days of The Coral and The Zutons. The confident swagger, the solid union formed by their band-of-brothers gang mentality, their willingness to stand outside the conventional and often stifling jangly Liverpool scene, and the work ethic. Always the work ethic.

Wills instilled in The Vryll Society something which has become over the ensuing years a key element of what they are, what they've become, and of the music they produce. He gave them belief. A belief that hard work and determination will bring them to the place they wanted to reach.

'Alan taught us that all you need to conquer the world is a rehearsal room, your instruments, a good work ethic and a positive attitude and you'll get there. He kind of taught us the rules and the attributes that you need to have to be successful so we've just continued on that path' says frontman Mike Ellis.

Ellis has stated that it was that attitude and that work ethic which got them through the subsequent tragic loss of their friend and manager in 2014, driving them forward through those times, propelling them to harder work, and bonding them even closer together as a unit.

That unit have spent the intervening time creating and honing their own brand new-psych sound, and building up a fanbase with their superlative live shows. Drawing from an eclectic palette of influence from deep funk to Krautrock, electronica and prog, they've created a heady, intoxicating, pin sharp, and tightly wound mellifluous groove, washed over with cyclical motifs, acres of effects laden guitar hooks, and shimmering, textural technicolour soundscapes. It is at once blissful, dizzying and madly infectious. It's that eclecticism, that kaleidoscopic swirl of influences which brings together hip hop flavours, with the prog stylings of names such as Aphrodite's Child and The Verve - pre Urban Hymns - when the drugs were still working. The dynamic leaps and folds through all these influences is where you find The Vryll Society's own brand perfect pop. Its all there in the loops, in the hooks, the drive and the vibe of this unique band. But this isn't frippery, these aren't throwaway cheap thrills for our disposable times. No, this is heavier. This is music too feed your head.

Live too, The Vryll Society are a formidable force. That gang mentality binds them together over the ideas formed by spending long hours together in the rehearsal every day. Hotwiring these ideas into the heads of the crowd through extended psych jams and deep solid grooves gives a different show every time, and with each and every set, the offer gets better. Recent travels have seen them take SXSW 2017 by storm as guests of BBC Introducing as well as major festivals such as Glastonbury and Leeds/Reading.

The songs that fill the delicious grooves of Course Of The Satellite weren't so much written as devised or developed, brought together organically over months in the band's underground lair, or over weeks in Liverpool's Parr Street Studios. Working closely with producers, Wills' right hand man and Deltasonic brother-in-arms Joe Fearon and Tom Longworth, the album took shape organically, biding its time and finding its way. The result is a work of impressive confidence and stature. It's a record that believes in itself, and for all the right reasons. This is an effortlessly cool album, the sort of record that makes friends easily. The world is ready, willing and more than able to take The Vryll Society even deeper to their heart. The path Alan Wills showed them awaits. It's a path that leads to greatness.

a1 | Course Of The Satellite
a2 | A Perfect Rhythm
a3 | Andrei Rublev
a4 | Glows And Spheres
a5 | Tears We Cry
a6 | When The Air Is Hot
b1 | The Light At The Edge Of The World
b2 | Shadow Of A Wave
b3 | Soft Glue
b4 | Inner Life
b5 | Give In To Me

French duo Ligovskoi are to release Esam, their second artist album and first on Field Records. It features eight expertly crafted tracks that take the listener on a spacey and hypnotic journey towards inner bliss. Formed by Nikolai Azonov and Valerio Selig in 2010, Ligovskoi once again draw on a sound palette that includes samples, synths, vocals, feedback, guitar and field recordings that merge in a painterly and romantic form of music. It recalls vast landscapes, abstract patterns and poetic movement. The title 'Esam' refers to a small, isolated mountain located on the moon, and the album is a journey to a similarly otherworldly landscape absent of human life. It features free improvisations, repetitive patterns and experimental materials that convey a wide range of emotions and styles from weightless shiny atmospheres to dark, heavy and swarming textures, leading the listener to deep contemplation. 'We spend a lot of time exchanging thoughts and feelings about the experiences we had while creating and listening, like old friends looking at clouds and discussing the shapes they see. By publishing our music, we hope that listeners will recognise their own feelings and that they will understand or feel something in common with us.' From sombre musical landscapes made from lingering drones to more uplifting, light emitting tracks, this is a slow burning but high impact album. Tracks like 'Behaim' suspend you in comforting sound, the title track prompts inward reflection and the likes of 'Cortage' is the sound of being listen to the heavens. Esam is a transportive, thoughtful album that takes you deep into a unique musical world.

Boum Boum Boum! 25 years of KOMPAKT. When a record label still thrives after a quarter of a century thanks to a focus of what was expected to be a short lived music phenomenon called TECHNO, then it stands to prove two things; that it techno has taken its place amongst serious, multilayered musical genres like rock'n'roll, pop and folk music. And that KOMPAKT has never been only for techno, but KOMPAKT stands as a broad-minded, genre-defying entity that has set out to cross-pollinate all kinds of musical inventions within the realm of electronic music. Through its course, KOMPAKT has sent 'Around The World', all kinds of sub-genres, concept series and crossover adventures based on the non- negotiable 4/4 beat. And back again.

Without a doubt, the 100% kickdrum-free POP AMBIENT series is the most endearing and enduring concept that I have had the pleasure to curate. From the start, I felt there was a strong need to add a certain pop- elegance - ensouled by discourse as much as hedonism - to a sound that was recognized as 'Chill Out' music that could be heard in seedy techno club back rooms and forgotten festival areas. Over the years, I like to imagine that POP AMBIENT has crystallized into a highly recognizable trademark sound and a multi-facetted musical universe of its own.

So once again, I had the pleasure to put together this year's edition by plowing through an ocean of sonic jewelry that had been submitted from all over the world by new and old friends. The task was clear: for this special edition, I must create a homogenous listening experience that would both appeal to our trusting followers, to continue our tradition while integrating new micro facets , variations and influences from neighboring musical universes as possible. Obligatory while being innovative. Conspirative while being cosmopolitan. Albeit the headline 'Ambient' might sound a little too humble for a compilation that encompasses aspects of neo classic, atonal music and the most beautiful aural kitsch imaginable, it still helps as a necessary means of orientation in the best possible sense. Same goes for another dear tradition: Veronika Unland's abstract-floral cover design that keeps on pleasing our sore eyes year after year.

Although each and every POP AMBIENT edition doesn't shy away from diving into the relevant question of 'What is contemporary discourse music' - in the end it all boils down to that elevated moment where all theory dissolves into ambient air, into a higher state of cosmic bliss. POP AMBIENT is sacral music for non-believers.

Wolfgang Voigt Cologne, October 2018

Bum Bum Bum. 25 Jahre KOMPAKT. Wenn ein Musiklabel, das seine inhaltliche Ausrichtung im Wesentlichen auf den anfangs als schnelllebig und vor allem kurzlebig apostrophierten - hype' Techno setzt, nach 25 Jahren in jeder Beziehung immer noch voll im Saft steht, dann zeigt das zwei Dinge: Das erstens mittlerweile jeder bemerkt haben du¨rfte, dass Techno eben kein kurzftristiger hype ist, sondern vielmehr ein vielschichtiges, ernstzunehmendes Genre, das sich ebenso wie Rock'n'Roll oder Schlager fest in der Musikgeschichte etabliert hat.

Und zweitens, dass KOMPAKT nie nur ein reines Technolabel war und ist, sondern ein nach vielen Seiten aufgeschlossenes Experimentierfeld, das sich von Anfang an der Grenzu¨berschreitung und dem musikalischen Erfindungsreichtum verschrieben hat. U¨ber die Jahre wurden unter dem KOMPAKT-Signet etliche Subgenres, Konzeptreihen und Crossoverwagnisse auf Basis der unverhandelbaren geraden Bassdrum - around the world' und wieder zuru¨ck geschickt.

Eine der wohl scho¨nsten und nachhaltigsten Konzeptreihen du¨rfte wohl die bassdrumfreie POP AMBIENT-Serie sein, die ich als KOMPAKT-- Altvorderer' nach wie vor die ja¨hrliche Freude habe, zu kompilieren. Dabei hat sich u¨ber die Jahre aus dem anfa¨nglichen Bedu¨rfnis der seit den fru¨hen 90er Jahren in den sogenannten - Chilloutrooms ' grossra¨umiger Technoclubs, - Lounges' und - Muzakkneipen' entstandenen - Entspannungsmusik' etwas entgegenzusetzen, eine eher von Pop-Eleganz, Diskurs und Hedonismus beseelte, eigene Spielart ambienter Musik, eine vielschichtige programmatische Musik mit hohem Widererkennungswert entwickelt.

So hatte ich auch im Jubila¨umsjahr einmal mehr die Qual der Wahl, aus den aus aller Welt kommenden, grossartigen Klangpreziosen guter alter sowie neuer Freunde die subjektiv besten zu einem homogenen Ho¨rerlebnis zusammenzufu¨hren. Dabei ist mir immer sehr wichtig, einerseits den Erwartungen der treuen Ho¨rerschaft im Bezug auf Traditionsverpflichtung gerecht zu werden und andererseits auch immer mo¨glichst viele Mikrofacetten, Varianten und Einflu¨sse angrenzender Stile und Universen aufzugreifen. Innovativ und verbindlich. Konspirativ und weltoffen. Auch wenn der U¨berbegriff Ambient, fu¨r eine Kompilation die sowohl Aspekte von Neuer Klassik, Atonalita¨t und Kunstmusik mit den allerscho¨nsten Seelenkitschklangwelten zu vereinen sucht, zu eng gefasst ist, so hilft er doch bei der notwendigen Orientierung im besten Sinne. Ebenso wie die Tradition gewordenen, wunderscho¨n abstrakt-floralen Kunstblumenwelten der von Veronika Unland gestalteten Cover, die ein ums andere Jahr auch die Augen in Verzu¨ckung versetzten.

Auch wenn jede Kompilation sich aufs Neue an den relevanten Fragen zeitgema¨sser Diskursmusik abarbeitet, so ist der erhabene Moment am Ende doch der, in dem sich alles zu Gunsten eines - ho¨heren, kosmischen' Ho¨rerlebnisses, im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes in ambiente Luft auflo¨st.

POP AMBIENT ist die sakrale Musik der Ungla¨ubigen.

Wolfgang Voigt / September 2018

The new album from Danish electronic trio System is a special kind of collaborative effort with piano magician Nils Frahm. His purpose-built improvisations on synth, organ and piano served as source material for the members of System (Thomas Knak, Anders Remmer & Jesper Skaaning), who merged his warm acoustic tones with their minimalist digitalism and set out to translate their distinctive clicks 'n' cuts electronics into vivid soundscapes. Over two years in the making, the resulting nine tracks are as sonically intriguing as they are touching. Ranging from the mellow bliss of the title track to echoes of 90's and 2000's electronica and ambient sequences frequented by mesmerizing movements and sounds. The blending of piano and digital tones and noises into emotive pieces might instantly recall the work of Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto, though System and Frahm come to quite different results.

Thomas Knak met Nils Frahm at one of his concerts in Copenhagen. They stayed in touch, exchanging thoughts and ideas. Two years later, Anders Remmer was also introduced to Nils. From then serious ideas for a collaboration formed. As Nils was a fan of System's self-titled debut album (released in 2002 via Pole's Scape label) their talks centred around Dub and minimalism, elements that constitute most of System's music as well as their side and solo projects. This in mind, System began producing sketches and brought them to Nils´ Durton Studio in Berlin in December 2015, where they recorded ten hours of him playing keys and effects to their drafts. Back in Copenhagen, they decided to change direction. - As Nils had told us about his fascination with our debut album, we tried to rediscover this minimal clicks 'n' cuts era. But hearing Nils playing to our rhythmic beds, we felt the need to scrap those beats and instead head in a more cinematic direction.'

So they started building new pieces from the Durton recordings, maintaining some of the minimal and static quality while new layers of synth sounds and noises created a richer and more organic quality compared to older System albums. The solo projects of Thomas (Opiate), Anders (Dub Tractor) and Jesper (Acustic) always relied on steady beats or rhythmic material, so the productions of 'Plus' with their focus on acoustic and melodic elements, ambient layers and cinematic moods, sees them pushing forward into new areas.

This way, the trio avoided copying what they had already done years ago, when they built a reputation as Denmark's prime originators within electronic music in the 90's and 2000's. 'Plus' is a triumphant example of collaborative experimentation and may be the dawn of a new era for System: - For us it was really satisfying to focus more on actual sound rather than rhythmic aspects. There is a lot of potential in this field, so it would only be natural for us to pursue this, maybe as a series of collaborations with other people who's music we admire.'

London based hardware specialist no data available joins the null+void family with a four track EP of rugged, playful and effective electro driven tracks for the rave - ending in a blissful introspective 7am moment with title track the night.

Acid fans will have already heard nda's work alongside Matt Whitehead on Jerome Hill's much respected Super Rhythm Trax imprint under various pseudonyms. It's his live sets that have been winning on the dancefloor though, as much as his studio work - 100% improvised and raucously executed - this year they've brought the fire at Berlin's Greissmuehle and London's Corsica Studios.

House Music With Love return with another one of their fresh EPs, this time from the dream team of Kaldera and Lazarusman with remixes from Urmet K, SURAJ and Simina Grigoriu & Moe Danger.

Kaldera a producer from Northern Europe and Lazarusman a poet from Southern Africa and their rhythmic, spiritual journey always makes for real musical adventures. That is the case here with Oceans of My Mind, a deep, swelling house tune with great chords and a dark bassline. The thought provoking vocals drift up top as the turbulent grooves roll on and bring real class to the floor.

The Urmet K remix is more blissful and laid back, with breezy chords and gentle beats rolling you into a trance. SURAJ then layers in plenty of cosmic melody, gives centre stage to the poetic spoken world vocal which brings a romantic feel to the tune. Then last of all Simina Grigoriu & Moe Danger close things out with a more direct, techno leading version that has brilliantly frazzled chords and deriving drums taking you deep into an eerie night.

This is a versatile and vital EP that covers plenty of ground in real style.

Dusty archives, the backrooms of record stores, private reel to reel stashes, master tapes - these are the environs of the Dynamic Range experience.

Dynamic Range is a new label focused on unearthing deep Soul, Funk and Disco jams that continue to resonate with todays dancers and DJ's. Time spent scouring the bowels of the majors and independents has unsurprisingly resulted in numerous gems being added to the DR wants list. High quality, fully licensed reissues are the order of the day, always taken from the correct master source and re-presented to hungry record heads the world over. To repeat, this is a fully legit operation - Avoid the sharks at all costs!

Hot on the heels of DR's maiden release we are pleased to present the evergreen Blue Magic and their anthemic 'Welcome To The Club', apparently a firm fave with Ron Hardy would routinely begin his DJ sets with this wondrous Philly beauty. The record has always been a big influence on the house scene with it finding new fans over and over, and it's easy to see why - brilliant arrangements, musicianship and of course - those voices! Disco bliss. On the flip side is the mighty Tom Moulton's mix of the Blue's 1979 smasher 'Look Me Up', another premium slice of incredible disco soul for the dancers and the lovers. These are the full length versions, pressed across one side each, as it's meant to be, nicely remastered and presented in their entirety.

In just a year of existence, Chloé's Lumière Noire has brought emerging artists and promising newcomers together - and this first compilation of 13 brand new tracks expands the roster, exposing the label's eclectic vision in full daylight. When Chloé talks about her label, she puts forward the fundamental values that informed her own musical journey, her trust in her own musical taste - and, of course, the predominance of human relationships: 'I followed
my bliss and only commissioned tracks from artists that I respect and whose music I love. That to me is Lumière Noire's musical palette.' With this 13- track, unmixed compilation, Chloé makes a case for a label aesthetic that is based in open-mindedness. Familiar, elemental Lumière Noire artists are represented, as are new faces, producing a kind of group photo presaging what's next for the fledgling label. Lyon's Markus Gibb leads the track listing with Kuru with a deep chiaroscuro matching the label's ethos, followed by other mainstays Il Est Vilaine's Farenheit 451, which evokes Ray Bradbury's retro-dystopic angst with the
band's usual electro-pop elegance. Sutja Gutierrez, who released in debut EP, The Legend of Time on Lumière Noire in April, pursues his electro Shamanism with the ceremonial Allodoxaphobia, while Iñigo Vontier (whose EP Aluxes came out on the label in late 2017) brings his C O N T R A project
online with track Taurus, a further development in voodoo house. Elsewhere, Suuns lead singer Ben Shemie, who lent his fascinating art-rock croon to Recall, a single from Chloé's Endless Revisions LP, contributes A Million Kinds, a synthy, psych-pop debut that is as brilliant as it is surprising. On to the freshman class: Dutch producer Drvg Cvltvre (who gets personal kudos
from Chloé with each new 12') brings the uncompromising dark electro of his hypnotic and claustrophobic Last Rites. Jonathan Fitoussi's airy, minimalistic Cercles Polaires brings the respite of his recent Versatile Espaces Timbrés LP (a collaboration with Clemens Hourrières): 'I met him at Xavier Veilhan's
Studio Venezia at the Venice Biennale. He's a great guy, and his universe is unique,' says Chloé. Benedikt Frey's deep techno track Iaon, is on par with his smash 2017 album, Artificial, out on ESP Institute. First-timers are also part of the recruits: Bajram Bili with the ten cerebral minutes of Restart, Théo Muller with the ultra-deep Douce Transe, and Lumi, a Basque band that fuses
electronic sounds with acoustic instruments, brings the ompilation to a close with a track commissioned by Chloé. These audacious choices are anchored down with the likes of Permanent Vacation pioneer Lauer's hooky, 80s-infused Pythor ('Just like him, I was a resident of the Robert Johnson, and he was a guest of mine at one of my Lumière Noire nights at the Rex. He is one of these people whose music I highly appreciate'); Aergeworc & Franck Agrario, half of English duo Swayzak David Brown's project, weaves an ethno* mood into Grace's techno. Bringing together different generations, genres, and styles That may not necessarily be Chloé's MO. She invokes a more arbitrary, personal logic: 'I like to mix of-the-moment tracks and more timeless one, but the rule is above all 'do I love this or not'. That was my ethos when I started Lumière Noire.' In that way, the label is definitely in keeping with its time