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KNTXT signs hotly-tipped techno artist Indira Paganotto for a new EP that showcases her unique sound across four compelling tracks.

Indira's father was a DJ in the iconic Goa scene in India in the 90s, so she grew up surrounded by colourful, emotive techno and psytrance. She has brought that to her own DJ sets and productions ever since she moved to Madrid to pursue her career. Now Indira is coming out with her best EP to date.

“I got to know Indira Paganotto when we opened up for demo submissions earlier this year,'' says KNTXT label boss Charlotte de Witte. “She immediately caught my attention with her unique take on psy/techno music. It feels very good to have her on board and I'm curious to see what the future holds for her.”

Indira adds, "I understand music as a state of trance where each track develops a journey and a story. Himalaya EP is the reflection of everything I learned since my childhood until today, the heritage and passion for Psytrance, the experiences in India, the connection with nature, as well as the feeling of freedom and strength like the gallop of a horse, the synths of Goa music, the love and the truth, which is what fills my life. Thank you Charlotte for understanding my language in such a true way. Ours is a real connection in such a sincere mental embrace, and I am proud to be part of your KNTXT family and to be able to show everyone who I am."

The EP ́s opening track, 'Takeshi', is a slick techno roller that is rippled with psychedelic melodies and bright acid lines. They bleep and squeak up top to create a hypnotic effect as the drums march on. 'Sultans Of Mountains' contains intense psychedelic synths waning about the mix. The drums are stripped back and urgent, and crashing hits and smart filters bring real tension as this one unfolds in an arresting fashion. On the other hand, 'Himalaya' has a deep and sleek techno atmosphere where astral pads and heavenly vocal coos make for a cinematic sound that will cast a real spell on the crowd. Last, but certainly not least we have the edgy and heavily textured 'Cobra' with its unrelenting drums, slapping hits and futuristic, psytrance-tinged melodies all designed to mess with your mind.

This is an EP packed with fresh techno, straight from the breakout star Indira Paganotto.

Repress!

Amazingblaze is the latest red-hot new talent to be signed up by Charlotte de Witte's KNTXT label. The Russian artist serves up four fierce techno weapons on his Venture EP, due for release on 25th February 2022.

Though a relative newcomer, Amazingblaze is already making big moves mixing up heavy-hitting hard trance and techno. He has a sound that combines old school influences with new school sound design, and it never fails to captivate the dance floor. On this first EP for KNTXT, all of the signature Amazingblaze essentials are here: weighty drums, massive synths and authentic atmospheres.

Says the artist, "The Venture EP was started when I was living in Saint-Petersburg and there was a pandemic situation. Experimenting with different shades of techno I created a pretty authentic sound which works very well on the dance floor. After leaving Saint-Petersburg I decided to move to Moscow, gladly the pandemic restrictions there were lifted and I became inspired by the new city and parties where I've never been before, I completed the EP adding some new bangers with an already experienced touch.”

Says Charlotte de Witte, “My eye fell on Amazingblaze for the first time during the preparation of my Tomorrowland Around The World Set, where I closed with his beautiful track "Stratosphere". A couple of months later, I fell head over heels in love with his track "Venture", which, I'm proud to announce, turns out to be the title track of the newest EP on KNTXT. Venture captures every crowd of people I’ve played it to, ever since I debuted it in my set at Exit Festival. The entire EP is an out of the box masterpiece.”

First up is the mighty 'Venture' with its pummelling drums and turbo-charged trance stabs. They are bright and bring the energy while a rapped vocal adds something utterly fresh. 'Inner Fire' ups the ante further with a diva female vocal straight from the classic trance era. She brings waves of euphoria and, after a spine tingling breakdown, the machine-gun grooves fire on. There is terrific turbulence in the synth stabs of techno gem 'Flashback' as well as industrial textures and walls of white noise that bring real tension. ‘Neutron’ closes down with the most fierce groove of the lot, this time rippled with cosmic psy trance chords and irresistible video game synths to take you into the next dimension.

Venture EP is a superb outing from Amazingblaze.

Recent times have seen After Caposile become one of the most sought after locations on the underground circuit, and this reflects in their acclaimed record label - Caposile Music. This Spring they have prepared a stellar release of firm favourites from the club. “The Sound Of Garden” release will come in two parts, both on 12” and will include a heavy hitting lineup such as Romanian duo Super Moon (Arapu & Priku), family members and residents Maggio, Francesco Maddalena, and Yaar Kü, Silat Beksi, Mihai Pol, Giuliano Lomonte and Sublee. A perfect blend of club affiliates, coming together to provide the soundtrack from that famous garden.

Volume One kicks off with the dynamite combination of Arapu & Priku under their Super Moon moniker. Hypnotic movements set a serious tone for the journey ahead, mysterious elements simmering throughout “I Can Help”. Dreamy meets dance floor in Maggio’s aptly named “Just Landed” floating synths calmly lift you, but you remain grounded by the killer elasticated groove. After delivering the previous EP on the label Yaar Kü returns with a stripped back encounter, his unique touch shining bright. Silat Beksi provides a certain sunshine jam with his track “Jaho”, you immediately feel the warmer times are coming, after parties in the sun.

Landing just a few weeks after is the equally special Volume Two, packed full of ammo for the tastemakers. Mihai Pol inaugurates proceedings with “Sugar Rush”, the 7 minute quest boasts shimmering synths and a sweet bass line to match. Francesco Maddalena ups the ante with his garage influenced “Breath Of Air”, an energy boost for the peak times of the party. Giuliano Lomonte’s “More Time” rumbles from the get go, begging to be played on a high quality system to allow each of the intricate details to speak for themselves. Last but not least is Sublee, his “Day Six” track is a chugging body of work, blurring the lines between house and minimal with a raw edge.

With a huge European tour on the table, and a release of this stature After Caposile are flying high at the moment with an indispensable team behind the project. Expanding on their party paradise location, but simultaneously propelling innovative underground sounds under the Caposile Music offshoot. Both Volume One and Two will land this May, right on cue for the summer time madness.

At long last, hi-tek whizz-kid Metrist returns to Timedance with the third addition to the ‘Pollen’ series and brings his epic trilogy started in 2019 to a breath-catching end.

Elevating an already unique approach of sonic craftsmanship to whole new levels, the London based producer delivers some of his wildest and most dramatic compositions to date while pushing further his signature blend of 22nd century dancefloor pyrotechnics.

From the angelic vocal cascades of opener « Leven Lever Liver Love » to the heart-wrenching heights of « Bullet Time », a playful and intricate display of cross-pollinated emotions shines through this collection of boundary pushing tracks, giving them a life of their own while bringing a stormy cycle of auditory experiments into human nature to completion

As thunderstorms form, pollen grains often ascend into clouds, soaking up humidity to a point they inevitably burst out, liberating innumerable particles that tumultuous winds send back to ground-levels.

With a false sense of distance and safety, we sit back and watch the lightning strike in complete awe, unaware of pollen slowly descending from the skies, making its way through our lungs and deep into our bodies ; the storm may be over, but Pollen has now fully become a part of us.

A blistering single 'Make You Freak' marks a welcome return to Drumcode for Eli Brown.

The Bristolian artist debuted on Drumcode in September last year with ‘Deep Down’, a summer highlight for Adam Beyer's label. His return 'Make You Freak' is five minutes of pure mechanoid techno, imbued with layers of acid, Brown's pin-sharp drums and a famous vocal sample. It's a thrilling cut that’s highlighted Drumcode's Warehouse Project party, Fabrik in Madrid and all across Eli Brown's 'Believe Tour' in 2022. ''This is a track I’m really excited about'' he shares. ''It features a sample of an iconic club classic in LFO's 'Freak', which I've been hammering in my sets for a while now. I think this could be the biggest techno track I've released yet and I couldn't be happier to be signing it to Drumcode.”

If the ideal greatest hits collection captures the fundamental truth about an artist, Eric Kupper’s – “A Lifetime In Dance Music” highlights an envious catalogue, extraordinary production skills and ultimately reveals a passionate maven of house music.

The 24-track compilation celebrates the vast work and revered career of Eric Kupper and is a collectable occasion to re-acknowledge his influence and golden touch as a remixer for over five decades. This second volume of “A Lifetime In Dance Music” highlights another selection of Kupper’s finest productions and remixes of greats such as Whitney Houston, Earth, Wind and Fire, Curtis Mayfield and Moloko.

Emblematic of an iconic nightlife and reflecting on the sheer scale of his work for seminal artists including Diana Ross, Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer, this ultimate collection serves as a reminder of Kupper’s astounding blend of studio power, control, and agility as a producer and remixer. As the writing and production partner of the late godfather of house music, Frankie Knuckles, Kupper is a true musician and multi-instrumentalist who has played on, remixed, produced or engineered over 2,000 records spanning a wide range of contemporary musical genres.

An eavesdrop to Kupper’s sophisticated, faultless production style that has amassed an unprecedented catalogue captivates the imagination back to bygone musical decades. His work in the mid-to-late 1980s/early 1990s, especially with Def Mix Productions and remixes for the genre’s superstars Alison Limerick, Ce Ce Peniston, Inner City and Frankie Knuckles is considered to be part of the foundation for house music as it exists today.

Nothing tells you that the summer is approaching than a tip-top scorching hot remix package, with 3 fresh perspectives causing UV rays to pierce out the soundsystem with the hit of every bongo.
Take it as a soundtrack for the balearic block party of fantasy; a communal affair of trance-dance conjuring and conjugation, genetic cellular beings fusing via common sound and familiar yet distant rhythms. Time to stretch, whether your face or legs, with the odd glance and side-eye around to your fellow dancers to confirm ‘mmmm yes’.

Each mix seemingly holds a place with the movement of the sun; Telephone’s mix bringing the street together through the day, Audrey Danza’s descending into dusk, Jogada’s ascending for the dawn, and the essential bonus track for when the daydream finally melts away...

Symphony Orchestra is a new group from Maximilian Turnbull and Michael Rault. Both Rault and Turnbull are accomplished songwriters, performers and producers in their own right, with Turnbull leading The Badge Epoque Ensemble, playing with the group Darlene Shrugg, and once releasing records under the name Slim Twig and Rault having released several psychedelic rock & roll classics under his own name in the past decade. The pair have worked together in various capacities for many years, writing and recording together on U.S. Girls' In A Poem Unlimited, and contributing to each other's releases, but the debut LP from Symphony Orchestra (due out May 12th on Telephone Explosion) marks their first release as an official entity.

Needless to say, there is a potent creative chemistry between Rault and Turnbull and Radiant Music showcases the alchemy between their distinct skill sets. The album is an exercise in pure collaboration. After years spent focusing on solo projects and working as hired guns on other projects, the duo came together with no specific intentions other than to work free of boundaries and direction. Freeing themselves from the familiar pressures of deadlines and expectations, they found a sense of discovery through togetherness. Duties on this project were split between Rault acting primarily as a one-man rhythm section and lead vocalist with Turnbull bringing chord sketches and his trademark aphoristic lyrical musings to the table. Trading off roles on guitar and keys from song to song, the duo's deft approach to melody bleeds through their instrumental parts as much as it does through Rault's vocal melodies. The majority of this album was self-engineered over the course of three sessions in 2018, at Michael's Montreal studio. Dormant during the pandemic, Rault's move to Los Angeles and the birth of Turnbull's twin sons, work reignited in 2022. The latterly tracked instrumental 'Concerto' and ballad 'Unthink The Thinkable' provide a dynamic depth to the album perhaps attributable to this tumultuous pause. Mixing came courtesy of Steve Chahley & Tony Price (U.S. Girls, BÉE, Jane Inc, etc).

In all of their work, Rault and Turnbull have made a hallmark of elaborately precise production and arrangement, Radiant Music is no different, though its pared-back simplicity provides a streamlined directness. The pairing of Rault's soulful, elastic vocal with Turnbull's evocatively cerebral lyrics provides a thrilling sensation unlike anything else in their respective catalogs. With an explosive, groove-forward approach, kaleidoscopic walls of vocal harmony and technicolor displays of guitar work, these 31 minutes of music will most certainly stimulate the mind of any fan of classic pop rock and funk. The blown-out breakbeats, winsome woven vocal melodies and propulsive wah-wah guitars of the title track evoke memories of an after-school cartoon special that never really existed outside of a lysergic daydream. "Harp In The Wind" is a perfect moment of overcast melancholy complete with ribbons of weeping synthesizers and velcro-fuzz guitar that could rip a clean line through Kevlar. "Know Thyself" and the harmony-rich "Intersection" are standout tracks that find a kinship in Stereolab's space-age effervescence. "Concerto" is a slab of beaming, mischievous funk that nods to Billy Preston's extraterrestrial keyboard explorations.

Radiant Music, like the best pop music, is life-affirming, confectionary, and enticing. Symphony Orchestra have created an album that hits you right where you need it, anchoring heady, adventurous sonic ideas down to a solid foundation of masterful songcraft, virtuosic instrumental performances and undeniable groove. Not a bar, nor beat is wasted.

Altered Circuits dives deeper in the world of playful and versatile club music with roots in the early 90's! There's an obvious parallel between Ildec's DJ performances and his own music.

Part of a scene with a focus on extended, broad-minded sets, the Ibiza-based artist lets his yearning to unearth and play obscure gems flood into his production process. The "Ahora Si EP" is testament to this adventurous spirit as it tackles a wide array of tempos, styles and moods.

Opener "El Principio" and closer "Grt Plschr" display Ildec's fondness of hazy, recondite atmospherics. With its sustained ambient chord, delay-washed newsreader samples and manipulated themes, the former sounds like a fever dream radio bulletin.

On the latter, a broody motif meanders alongside loosely played drums, while a buried bass guitar occasionally reveals itself. "El Break Del Dia" furtherly explores some of these elements, but this time with the dance floor front of mind.

Languidly morphing bass sequences and staccato synth salvos build up anticipation. When a slowly emerging, ceaselessly arpeggiating organ lead finally materialises, the track explodes. Natural flow is partly traded for sturdier form on the remainder of the EP. "El Break De La Noche" lets an ever-modulating lead groove alongside rigid, dry drum beats.

Descending tom fills, truncated squeaks and a top layer LFO gone haywire complete this sparse yet exciting cut. "La Nueva Version" has a similarly efficient bassline as its bedrock. An interplay of zaps, risers, transposed percussion, and other dusty cartridge samples pulls it left and right while subtle disorienting hints of speech thicken the mix.

On "Modificacion", Ildec moulds his take on progressive and tech house into its toughest shape. A druggy, bleepy lead twirls in and out of the track, carried by the road-tested combo of a taut drum pattern and a piercing backbeat bass. Ominous chords and equally menacing vocals mark its aim: to create tension in the club. It is a standout on a diverse, daring EP we are delighted to present as the fifth release on our label.

Recent times have seen After Caposile become one of the most sought after locations on the underground circuit, and this reflects in their acclaimed record label - Caposile Music. This Spring they have prepared a stellar release of firm favourites from the club. “The Sound
of Garden” release will come in two parts, both on 12” and will include a heavy hitting lineup such as Romanian duo Super Moon (Arapu & Priku), family members and residents Maggio, Francesco Maddalena, and Yaar Kü, Silat Beksi, Mihai Pol, Giuliano Lomonte and Sublee. A perfect blend of club affiliates, coming together to provide the soundtrack from that famous garden.

Volume One kicks off with the dynamite combination of Arapu & Priku under their Super Moon moniker. Hypnotic movements set a serious tone for the journey ahead, mysterious elements simmering throughout “I Can Help”. Dreamy meets dance floor in Maggio’s aptly named “Just Landed” floating synths calmly lift you, but you remain grounded by the killer elasticated groove. After delivering the previous EP on the label Yaar Kü returns with a stripped back encounter, his unique touch shining bright. Silat Beksi provides a certain sunshine jam with his track “Jaho”, you immediately feel the warmer times are coming, after parties in the sun.

Landing just a few weeks after is the equally special Volume Two, packed full of ammo for the tastemakers. Mihai Pol inaugurates proceedings with “Sugar Rush”, the 7 minute quest boasts shimmering synths and a sweet bass line to match. Francesco Maddalena ups the ante with his garage influenced “Breath Of Air”, an energy boost for the peak times of the party. Giuliano Lomonte’s “More Time” rumbles from the get go, begging to be played on a high quality system to allow each of the intricate details to speak for themselves. Last but not least is Sublee, his “Day Six” track is a chugging body of work, blurring the lines between house and minimal with a raw edge.

With a huge European tour on the table, and a release of this stature After Caposile are flying high at the moment with an indispensable team behind the project. Expanding on their party paradise location, but simultaneously propelling innovative underground sounds under the Caposile Music offshoot. Both Volume One and Two will land this May, right on cue for the summer time madness.

"A Place For Love" is a captivating electronic house music endeavor, expertly crafted by the synergistic partnership of San Proper and Figi, hailing from the vibrant city of Amsterdam. The project boasts an impressive roster of guest contributors, including Tom Trago, Seth Troxler, and the esteemed label heads of Guti & David Gtronic, each imbuing the compositions with their signature style. The project exudes a funky, charming, and inviting energy, inviting listeners to fully embrace their individuality and lose themselves in the hypnotic beats. Whether it be the electrifying dubby techno, the shimmering and ethereal twists, or the razor-sharp edges injected into the club-ready tracks, "A Place For Love" offers a diverse array of auditory delights. It is truly a sanctuary for those seeking to indulge in the boundless beauty of electronic music and the euphoria of self-

ANGEL delivers a new dub techno EP, “Sous l’eau”, on the in Stuttgart-based label AMAS_Studio. The EP unveils 4 dub techno tracks including a remix by the Amas crew and Estrato Aurora.

it is a deep journey through and under the water of her mind and soul. listen and swim through her sound of berlin streets.
The original versions of “Particule I” and “Particule II” highlight a contemporary vision of dub techno, boasting some vocals and deep layers, while being aligned to the broader dub techno genre. AMAS Remix provides a singular vision of “Particule II”, with reverbs and harmonics that are more electronica-oriented, while the version of Spanish producer Estrato Aurora, working exclusively on analog instruments, unveils a deeper and more atmospheric touch.

the EP FACE I is an evolution from the previously released album JAHRE. it fits into the narrative of urban life and our own personal development. both chronology and emotions are explored here and adapted with lyricism and atmospheric digital and analog sound.

it starts with 1984, beginning of our emotional journey and also literary (GEORGE ORWELL) fixpoint of the electronic adaptation. we feel a kind of lightness in our society, upswing and freedom determine everyday life for a large part of germany. we are free, everything seems possible! almost we move through an utopia. new prosperity and contentment let us blossom, no digital friends and in-between worlds alienate our seemingly naive and peaceful being.

in TMV a first individual emotional world comes to the fore, the mood is mixed and seems fragile. euphoria and melancholy mix to an undefined state of emotional and musical confusion. LYRIK gets a first big space here and carries from the part of confusion into a part of detachment. despite the ambivalence of the first moment, the scene ends in a transcendental, positively driving state of letting go and rest ...

the next part takes us away from the familiar and seemingly peaceful MOMENTS. we jump into the year 2184! 200 years later we are sitting here now, society has turned into an emotional desert like in ORWELLS fiction. a lonely CYBORG sits in the ruins of our once joyful cathedrals and sings about his tearing apart. he can't be without, but also can't be with his own anymore. like a cursed of two worlds he sits stranded in space and time.

the conclusion is made by TMVA, here we get into a very intimate emotional farewell to a lost and unfulfilled love. the calm tempo lets everything flow out that has confused and driven us for years. who or what do we want to become emotionally? are we even capable of letting ourselves fall after decades of searching and disruption? are we already dying? in the end only art and the love of it remains to save us.

ALL LOVE
AMAS_DHE / AMAS_PHI

We're thrilled to release two exciting electro tracks by Art P, as well as the classic minimal synthwave tune 'Der böse Osten' by related band project Die Synthetische Republik on this limited split 12".

The single kicks off with 'Genscher Pull and Push', an incredible and previously unreleased electro/wave/proto-techno tune from the P.A.P. archives, recorded in October 1982 with a political background. The song was only available on a demo cassette for a radio show and had been forgotten since then. Genscher was a long-time Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs and Vice Chancellor of Germany, who played a key role in a coalition change in September/October 1982, leading his party, the FDP, to leave the Helmut Schmidt cabinet with the SPD and continue with the opposition, the CDU/CSU. As a result, the German lyrics of the song shout 'bitte geh nach links / bitte geh nach rechts' ('please go to the left' - meaning the left-leaning SPD, and 'please go to the right' - meaning the right-leaning CDU), and so on.

Unfortunately, this track was never released, as the topic of the coalition change quickly became uninteresting and outdated. If it had been issued on vinyl in late 1982, it would probably be considered one of the first proto-techno tracks ever. With its driving and heavily-punching 808 rhythms, and the bending synth bass leads played on the Jupiter 4 synthesizer, it gives you a groove that owes as much to Kraftwerk's 'Computerwelt' album as it may rhythmically pre-date the sound of Detroit's Juan Atkins. The energetic German vocals are giving the track a unique Neue Deutsche Welle touch. They are heavily left/right panned to fit the political topic.

Next up on the Art P side is a remix of 'Polaroid', originally found on the No Message LP that we re-released last year. The track was recorded in 1985, and at that time, the duo of Frank Grotelüschen and Jens-Markus Wegener had become bored with the sound of the Roland 808 drum machine, so they made the track with a DrumTraks by Sequential Circuits. However, for this remix, DJ Scientist, the curator of this 12", wanted to recreate the typical electro-funk sound of the era and added 808 bass drums and claps. The track was also shortened to a more DJ-friendly arrangement. The result is a dancefloor delight for all lovers of classic electro and SVC-350 vocoder sounds!

Die Synthetische Republik was a project by Wegener of Art P and Olav Neander. The track 'Der böse Osten' can originally be found on the cassette album 'Faktor D', recorded in just two weeks on a Tascam Portastudio 245. The original recording sessions were pure fun but also rushed. Hence, none of the tracks was perfectly mixed. With digital technologies, we remastered 'Der böse Osten' to achieve the best possible result and are pleased to release this serious synth wave gem on a loud 12" for the first time as an exclusive extended mix.

The split 12" is released in a picture sleeve with a unique artwork on each side. It is limited to 500 copies.

During the summer youth program of 1970 and '71 at St Paul's Catholic church a young Tunnie Smith was singled out by Father George Artist for his outstanding singing abilities. He was soon introduced to Joe Delpit and Reginal Brown to sing along with their show and dance band "The 13Th Amendments. It didn't take long before Tunnie was a full member of the band and became a featured singer performing throughout Louisiana. After a year and a half of performing at nightclubs, military bases and universities Tunnie landed a record deal with Rick Hall's Fame/UA record label. His first single from 1973 was a wonderful mid-tempo number entitled "Finders Aren't Always Keepers" flipped with "Do That To Me"It gained National distribution and had some good success. Tunnie left Fame records and was introduced to Stax record executives Al Bell and John Smith. After signing with Stax, Tunnie met legendary writer and performer David Porter where they recorded an album which was scheduled for release around 73/74.Unfortunately Staxs association with CBS came to a halt and the project got shelved. From those session arose the wonderful "U And Me Together", leading on from the well produced "Finders Keepers" cut the song builds up with an epic 1:30 string and drum arrangement that really sets the picture for Tunnie to arrive with vocals way above his young age would suggest. A story of a boy and girl determined to make it and be the great combination that their love affair deserves. We can’t believe a gem like this has been waiting to come out and should have catapulted Tunnie to the next level or artist rosters. Alas, Tunnie went home and carried on performing around the Louisiana area with his new band Sweet Music Orchestra Fast forward to 1983 Tunnie whilst recording some vocals at River City Recording met Chicago producer and arranger George "Paco" Patterson. George was musical director and had worked with The Isley Brothers Wilson Pickett and many other well known artists. During this period Tunnie along with George formed a great partnership and along with some top session musicians record some incredibly lush, well produced and atmospheric songs The A Side "Join Together " is from the same session as "Dancing On Da Clouds" and could have easily be picked for his first single on Pass The Baton records. It oozes the same heavy production with opening piano cords and layered scatting then bosh, in comes the drums and Vox taking you on a mesmerising space like 2 step extravaganza. So, there you have it, once again two amazing slices of soul on one single from Tunnie Smith. Let’s hope this artist finally reaches his potential from that young man who started recording in 1973.

In the words of Bill Brewster - DJ History

‘At the turn of the 1990s, there were few more successful New York house producers than Victor Simonelli. Under a dizzying array of aliases – Solution, NY’s Finest, Groove Committee, Critical Rhythm and Cloud 9 being amongst the better-known – the Brooklyn-born DJ/producer delivered a string of underground club hits during the city’s early ’90s house boom.’

BTG presents “Victor Simonelli: The Early Years Vol 1” a collectors edition double Vinyl release - 2 X 12’s in each Vol

Launching the first Behind The Groove collectors edition vinyl series is New York’s finest Victor Simonelli with ‘The Early Years Vol 1 & 2’ double Vinyl releases. Featuring seminal house tracks such as Cloud 9’s ‘Do You Want Me’, Solution’s ‘Feel So Right’, Instant Exposure’s ‘Wanna Be With You’ and rare mixes of Raiana Page and EZ-AL, this collection brings together classic and rare Victor Simonelli cuts that reflect the early raw energy and buzz of the New York House scene. With ‘Vol 2” scheduled to follow shortly after, this is the most comprehensive collection of rare Simonelli cuts that firmly establishes his esteemed role in 90s House Music as well as introducing new fans to his inimitable sound.

Victor Simonelli is one of the early kings of NYC sampling In house music. The real deal - Victor danced at the legendary David Mancuso’s Loft sessions and developed a serious appreciation for good music. He interned for Arthur Baker at his renown Shakedown Studios (where Arthur worked with the iconic Afrika Bambatta on the seminal dance floor ’Planet Rock’ track) and went on to release hugely influential releases on seminal NYC labels 4th Floor and Nu Groove. Victor’s music was championed by the hugely celebrated iconic House Music DJ pioneers, Larry Levan and Tony Humphries at Paradise Garage & Zanzibar/WBLS/Kiss FM respectively.

Revered as a New York house heavyweight and prolific producer since the turn of the 1990s, Victor Simonelli grew up in Brooklyn, NYC, nurtured by a music loving family, with an avid record collecting father who also worked as a local party DJ. He took music lessons in piano, drums, guitar and bass, before discovering his first love, tuning into NY’s Radio Mix Shows on WBLS, WKTU and WRKS,98.7 Kiss FM) where he discovered the art of mixing and in his own words, ’I just simply got lost in the music’.

Graduating from NYC’s Centre For Media Arts, Victor got an internship in the legendary producer, Arthur Baker’s Shakedown Studios. Soon graduating to editing, mixing and then producing he worked for artists David Bowie, Quincy Jones, Debbie Harry, Sinead O’Connor and Talking Heads. Teaming up with fellow NYC producer Lenny Dee to become the Brooklyn Funk Essentials, they released records ‘Critical Rhythm’ and ‘Subliminal Aurra’ on 4th Floor before Victor went solo as Groove Committee releasing the classic ‘I Want You To Know’ on the legendary Nu Groove Records. Paradise Garage legend, Larry Levan broke ‘I Want You To Know’ rocking 2 copies on his last tour of Japan whilst King of NY House Music,Tony Humphries broke Victor’s new ‘Feels So Right’ across New York on his WBLS/Kiss FM Mastermix show and at his legendary Zanzibar club sessions. It was only a matter of time before Victor’s name became synonymous with quality House music ensuring a worldwide platform for his productions.

In the early 90s alongside his own productions, Victor Simonelli worked on high profile projects, including James Brown’s album, “Love Overdue” BeBe and CeCe Winans single featuring Mavis Staples “I’ll Take You There” and Quincy Jones’ “I’ll Be Good To You” featuring Chaka Khan and the legendary Ray Charles. Never straying too far from his clubland roots, Victor worked with Danny Tenaglia on his classic “The Harmonica Track”.

DJ gigs across the world started flooding in and Victor found himself recording for a dizzying array of labels including Tribal America, Sub-Urban, Bassline, King Street Sounds and Vibe, under a wide range of aliases. He also produced, wrote and remixed for artists such Nile Rodgers (Chic), Afrika Baambata, Hall & Oates, Frankie Knuckles, Kerri Chandler, Madonna and Michael Jackson. Famed for his own productions “It’s So Good” by Creative Force, “I Know A Place” as Sound Of One - the first release on Roger Sanchez One Records -, “Dirty Games” as well as the “Street Players Vol 1 EP”, Victor went on to set up Suburban Records with Tommy Musto and Bassline Records with two other partners. Notable releases on this label include “Do You Feel Me”, Connie Harvey’s gospel inspired, “Thank You Lord”, Urban Blues Project’s “Deliver Me”, Colonel Abrams “Not Gonna Let”, and Mone’s “Better Way”. Never ceasing to produce, DJ, run his own label and host radio shows like Groove Lift, Victor has worked with virtually every NYC producer and has nurtured a next generation talents including Angel Moraes, Jazz ‘N’ Groove, Urban Blues Project, Harlem Hustlers, Jay Jay and Julius Papp. Victor’s releases have also been used on M&S’s “Salsoul Nuggett” hit and Eddie Amador’s underground smash ‘House Music’.

In the late 90’s Victor launched his new Westside Productions, notable for the “Latin Impressions 1 & 2” releases, opened up a studio in Italy as he found himself increasingly working in Europe and now divides his time between New York and Italy. Suffice to say his unique sound of uplifting and spiritual music has kept him at the forefront of House Music and he is credited as one of its leading exponents with his string of classic releases and remixes.

Behind the Groove, branches out from its digital platform to embark on a programme of releases from the iconic pioneer producers of House Music. Esteemed for their high quality features and mixes that continue to explore, celebrate and venerate the contributions of highly respected, scene-shaping Labels, Artists, DJs and Special Events, BTG seeks to bring these talents and tales to the attention of the wider community. Unlocking the stories surrounding the pivotal roles they played and continue to play today in shaping the underground music scene we have come to know and love.

BTG presents “Victor Simonelli: The Early Years Vol 1” a collectors edition double Vinyl release, released on May 12th 2023. ‘Vol 2” follows on May 26th 2023 . These releases are the most comprehensive collection of rare Victor Simonelli cuts that firmly establish his esteemed role in 90s House Music and introduces new fans to his carefree sound.

A classic dub set from Nick Manasseh & Jeremy The Equalzer, originally released on the Acid Jazz label in 1996, back on the streets courtesy of Partial Records.

A balanced mixture of traditional roots dub - including a tasteful reworking on Bob Marley’s `Sun is Shining; rhythm - intwined with digital sounds and experimental leanings

Change is good. It’s inevitable. It’s the general nature of how the universe works all around us. Change comes in many forms, and this particular one is the debut EP from 2Phargon. While it might be the debut, the veteran producer behind the new alias isn’t a stranger to Dirtybird, Lee Mortimer aka Friend Within.

The EP features three brand new tracks under the new guise covering a wide landscape. “Feel A little Strange” is a monster attention grabber - the perfect piece to kick off the new venture. “Micro” is fast-paced filled with moments of drifting away before snapping back into stride. Rounding it out is “Dwelling”—a bubbling kaleidoscope of sound.

We welcome the change with open arms.

On Delta Estácio Blues, São-Paulo-based singer, composer and actor, Juçara Marçal delivers an electric, unflinching take on contemporary Brazil where samba, tropicalia and maracatu are reimagined via hip-hop production techniques.

Created under an oppressive political climate as Brazil suffered from the pandemic, pain, anguish, chaos and anger run through Delta Estácio Blues. Co-produced by Marçal with fellow Metá Metá founder Kiko Dinucci the album was partly inspired by Danny Brown’s 2017
leftfield rap masterwork ‘Atrocity Exhibition’.

For fans of: Metá Metá, Moor Mother, Kiko Dinucci, Damon Locks, Neneh Cherry

Marc Houle has long been an influence to electronic music, as well as many of our Dirtybird flock. Having been an integral part of Richie Hawtin's Minus label in the early 2000s, he's well known for being a live act and producer—with an affinity for analog gear and a sound that crosses between Detroit & Chicago with a new wave influence.

He made his first appearance on Dirtybird in 2017, where Claude hand-selected him to remix 'Whose Afraid of Detroit' for the 10th anniversary. He's back again on the label, this time with his own EP 'Min and Driver'.

The lead track 'Car and Driver' begins with a ferocious acid line and never lets up, with weighty drums and his signature synth elements weaving in and out.

The flip side, 'Min and Soda', is a trippy minimal monster with sparse and bouncing discord throughout, and using negative space to create a track that is full and impressionable.

Repress!

After the enormous support received in previous releases, we believe that the time has come to give our music a bit of color and this time we have opted for green, the color of our natural habitat ... "La Jungla de Andalucía"

Sekret Chadow surprises us again and shows us the most sentimental side of him with his "I Love You Mommy" We can already imagine what this artist would be thinking about when creating this beautiful musical composition, a true tribute to one of the most important people in our life, without a doubt a track created with a lot of love, loaded with arpeggiated melodies, vocals, basses. and powerful breaks that create perfect harmony. Close your eyes and let yourself be hypnotized by the magic of his music.

Baymont Bross joins our family and we could not start in a better way than presenting this beautiful version of one of his greatest hits throughout his career "Enjoy Yourself" Do you remember those infinite closings at Carpas Yerbabuena? Are you one of those who danced in Mangueta Beach until dawn? Surely you once danced to this track and now we can relive those wonderful moments with this vocal version created on the occasion of the 10th anniversary and extended for this occasion. Welcome to the monkey family.

Adam Vyt brings us his track "Don´t Give Up" a message of strength and encouragement for the times. A track with piano melodies followed by an elegant line of atmospheres and basses, vocals and a powerful base with airs of Uk Garage, a mixture of styles that already define this artist. This track was previously released in digital version by the "Distorsion Records" label, making it one of the best tracks in Beatport's Top100. Never give up...!!!!

Case82 is back with us and this time with another of his most powerful tracks "Pump This Party" and that's how it is ... the party's pump .... !!!
Once again this Dutch artist shows us that his strength is pure Old School, a mixture of powerful bases, vocals, stabs and wonderful melodies with violins and piano to which he is already accustomed. This is "Lost in The Jungle"

MixCult presents Believe In Records in association with LO-FI sublabel CRYSTAL MUD focused on limited edition lathe cut 7" & 10" discs.

Electro Music in Dubplate Culture. Highly Exclusive.

Introducing twelve.to.zero, the new sub-label by black.round.twelve - an independent record store, record label and distributor based in Berlin. After releasing Ricardo Villalobos and Pirvu on its mother label, the sub-label adheres to the same principles of releasing highly polished, minimal music but now expanding its distribution to a broader market by including digital formats.

The first release on twelve.to.zero "Nexam EP" welcomes Faster to do the honours with three tracks highlighting the producer's exceptional skills. The EP's title track, 'Nexam', fills the A-side of the record with a light-hearted tone, especially fitting for the morning after-hours: minimal house equal parts hypnotic and deep, which subtle (yet thumping) basslines and captivating lead synth elevate it to a dreamy state. The flip side continues the deepness introduced earlier with 'Gush Me' and 'Sunflower' and expands both on sound design and ambience, expertly filling the palette with modular bleeps, groovy synths and organic sampling.

Hypnotic and energetic, this collection of tracks reflects an artist whose love for the craft, production values and deep understanding of the genre are as high as they are noticeable.

Beautiful Zambian Jazz/Rock LP. Huge Tip!
Sharp-Flat Records presents the long-awaited restoration of The Broadway Quintet's cult classic Amalume – a hypnotic concoction of traditional Zambian sounds and jazz-rock grooves with a twist of 1970s African psychedelia.

Emerging to serve the entertainment needs of Zambia's United National Independence Party (UNIP) in the early 1960s, The Broadway Quintet gathered seasoned talent from Lusaka's best hotel bands to fashion its esteemed lineup. Starting as a quartet and later evolving into a quintet, the group's career spanned over twenty years as favourites on the cabaret circuit and boasted a myriad of prestigious collaborations.

The Broadway Quintet's jazz sensibilities set them apart from the rock sound that dominated the music landscape of the 1970s. Yet the formula behind Zamrock, fusing indigenous Zambian sounds with Western pop, shaped their one and only 1976 long-player. Featuring modern arrangements of traditional songs, Amalume blended congas with sax sounds, folk lyrics with electric keyboard shenanigans and show business staples with jazz guitar noodling. With its psychedelic fever dream illustrated cover, it was an explosive package of "originality and electrifying beauty" as the album's liner notes rightly attested.

Released on the Zambezi label, Amalume joined an exceptional run of mid-1970s offerings alongside WITCH, Ricky Banda and Crossbones. Officially licensed, carefully restored and beautifully reproduced, Zambia's most requested reissue has finally returned for everybody to enjoy.

Egyptian King Baligh Hamdy and “The Lady” Om Kalsoum meet for the final time in her parting ode, Hakam Aleena El Hawa.

With a hypnotic intro featuring the rhythmic fireworks of Hany Mehanna’s organ, Souma records bring a remastering of the original studio version for The Voice of Egypt to live on. Musing, beckoning and triumphant as always.