Suche:de vision

As the head of Grounded Theory and MANHIGH, Henning Baer has since 2009 presented his downcast, experimental interpretation of modern electronic music to wide critical acclaim, establishing his forceful presence on Berlin's scene with immaculate curatorial skills and equally imposing DJ abilities. His discography so far, concentrated on Adam X's legendary Sonic Groove imprint and his own K209 and MANHIGH imprints, amongst others, keeps step with his formidable reputation and wide-ranging tastes, moving across the spectrum of hard-edged, aggressively modern techno. With 'Shatterproof', his long-germinating debut album for MANHIGH, he offers for the first time his unified vision in extended format, a varied exploration into the outer limits of the genre. At its centre a work of dark minimalism, he sets and maintains the pensive tone on ambient pieces like 'Angel Dust', 'All Over', and 'MIL-STD 461', which foreground the exploratory electronics that maintain their presence throughout. The corroded textures of the sounds, enveloped in decaying reverb, bring life to pieces like 'Never Ending' or 'Bliss', which sit between rhythmic interludes and the stricter dancefloor material found on the remainder of the album. Once he shifts into techno, he does it unremittingly, from the uptempo fury of 'Code Buster' and 'Burning Chrome', whose starkness only heighten the tension, to denser pieces like 'Drama Sky' or closer 'Vermillion Red', where the cavernous impacts of drum hits punch holes through beds of seesawing synthesizers. Shatterproof like its title suggests, Henning Baer's first album unifies and strengthens the work of an artist whose legacy is already assured.

Seattle artist, and From 0-1 co-owner Sone, issues his debut vinyl EP, 'Auroras'. Aptly titled, this EP embodies the characteristic ethereal nature of these light formations seen in the far northern and southern hemispheres. Deep heady atmospheres, and constant driving rhythmic motion perfectly embody the artist's vision.
'Australis' opens the EP with hypnotic rhythms and enigmatic textures. Milkplant continues the theme while ratcheting up the energy level, and injecting a touch of grit. 'Borealis' brings the funk with undeniable groove and tracky percussive power; serving as a great DJ tool. UK artist Operator (aka Rich Jones) turns the focus with heavy driving force, and an organic, acidic chug.

47013 sees the first solo EP from the label head himself, Tommy Four Seven.

After releasing 8 dance-floor focused cuts across 47's VA series, 47013 follows three well received solo EPs from Killawatt, VSK and Headless Horseman. This record sees Tommy present perhaps his most diverse and resolute release yet, exploring merciless low frequencies and sound design across 4 diverse tracks, as always offering his forward vision of techno.

Four years since the release of their last full-length All Pigs Must Die have returned with Hostage Animal, a 10-song album that distills aggressive music to its purest tenets.

The band, now a 5-piece with the addition of Brian Izzi (Trap Them) on guitar, is comprised of some of the most well-seasoned musicians on the eastern seaboard —Kevin Baker (The Hope Conspiracy), Ben Koller (Converge), Matt Woods, and Adam Wentworth (both of Bloodhorse). 

 Hostage Animal is their most dynamic collection of work thus far and the album's first single, 'A Caustic Vision,' is an aural representation of the record as a whole; concise, intense, aggressive and carrying a bleak world view.

APMD unleashed their first full length in 2011 with God Is War, and the 30-minute rip was a nod to primeval disdain and anger. Exploring facets of human conflict one track at a time, God Is War introduced the world to a whole new spectrum of rage.

In 2013, APMD upped the ante with Nothing Violates This Nature. Honing their craft with more speed and filth, APMD pushed their sound closer to the edge of the cliff. Now, in 2017, the band is gearing up for the release of Hostage Animal which, like its predecessors, was recorded at Kurt Ballou's GodCity Studio. But that is where the similarities end; Hostage Animal ushers in 10 new songs that pulverize, gnash, and whirl with the band's most punishing delivery yet.

Hostage Animal showcases that All Pigs Must Die are far more than the sum of their parts, and their fusion of crust punk, hard core and metal is more ferocious than ever before.

Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. A quizzical composer/lyricist, Battiato turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs - Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries - that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics.

Pollution from 1972 is the captivating follow-up to Fetus. Like its predecessor, the album features Baroque textures, motorik rhythms, weird tape effects and Battiato's perfectly oblique vocals. Upon hearing Pollution, Frank Zappa joyfully proclaimed it "genius."

While Battiato's core group of collaborators remains largely the same as on his debut, this phenomenal band (joined by an eighteen-year-old Roberto Cacciapaglia on keys) appears even more in the foreground on Pollution. Out of the Ash Ra Tempel-like riffs and urgent guitar strumming emerge hypnotic grooves and cinematic flourishes, suggesting a futuristic meeting point between Stereolab and Ennio Morricone.

Dedicated to the Centro Internazionale Studi Magnetici, Pollution touches on themes of environmental catastrophe. Futurist allusions seep in through eccentric lyrics (at times sung backwards) about hydraulics, magnetic fields, etc., yet listeners don't need to speak the artist's language to grasp his melancholy vision. With Pollution, Battiato solidifies not only his cult figure status, but also many of his forward-thinking ideas on rock 'n' roll.

Superior Viaduct is honored to present the first-time domestic release of Pollution on vinyl. Reproducing the original gatefold jacket, this reissue is part of an archival series that chronicles Franco Battiato's masterful body of work from 1971 to 1978.

The man who views life in constancy is destined for stagnation. Everything is change, everything is motion. Atoms to galaxies, seasons to lives. Together in motion. The powerful force brings together, spinning together. Be magnetic. Music is the magnet that brings together and makes us spin. With subtlety, the aptly named Gyration EP begins its spin as minimalist synths assault with increasing frenetic abandon. Under the guise of apparent simplicity, Rekord 61 abducts the mind to a realm of constant motion. A futuristic merry-go-round stuck in overdrive, adrenaline spikes and neon lights smear across your vision. Unbalance and Ari Atai produce remixes of Gyration and Ferrimagnet that brings the machine to life. With catchy sequences and galactic atmospherics, the remixes imbue organic energy to the unwavering motion of the original tracks. Bringing the revolutions back under control, the efforts of Ari Atai and Unbalance expose dubby layers, pounding drums and melodic texture. Let the breakneck pace of Rekord 61 race through your mind, then let your soul reverberate with the timeless melodics of the remixes.

You could be forgiven for thinking Basso's been hitting the plant food of late. Last time out we took a trip with Trance, and now our esoteric expert nods his head, rolls his shoulders and drops a h-h-h-house record on our unexpecting asses. That's right folks, roll up the rug, push the sofa back and enjoy some ‚Personal Growth' from James Booth.
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Operating a million miles away from the kick and hiss of the trendy lo-fi folks, the Berlin based producer favours subtle rhythms, delicate textures and tender melodies - turning out a string of sophisticated dance floor winners for 100% Silk, Church and No Bad Days. Now he brings his organic house stylings to the Growing Bin with a fresh five-tracker packed with all the warmth of a Tempelhof picnic on a balmy July afternoon.

Emerging from the watery depths of the Drexciyan ocean, opener ‚Mood' strides calmly through the morning dew, stretching those loose limbs and seeking out Hardcastle's rainforest. Drifting freely
through immersive, aquatic pads and soft focus melodies, the track takes in a little R&R before snapping electro percussion, cascading synthlines and a rolling rhythm up the intensity. The deepness continues on the A2 as ‚Dream Precipitation' offers a medicated vision of Debussy doing P-Bar while Lynch rolls the cameras. Syncopated hi-hats, jazzy keys and star-gazing sine waves wrap themselves around your cerebellum, expanding your mind as a steady kick moves your body into the pleasure zone. Booth takes a Derren Brown tip on the flip, imbuing ‚You' with the kind of mesmeric rhythm that can make the staunchest wallflower pull a Pink Panther on a packed dance floor. The exotic tumble of woody percussion and hissing castanets keep up a fascinating rhythm, driving the titular mantra and snaking synth melody through bursts of slapped bass and subtle 4/4. ‚Dhoop Stick' stays on board with the boogie hypnotism, weaving its way through celestial melodies, squelching bass and toasty Rhodes before ‚The Chorus' brings down the curtain with wailing FM vox, military snares and the dreamy synth pop charm of a lost Sheffield classic. Warm, woody and entirely organic, this is the birth of Green House...you heard it here first!
(words by Patrick Ryder)

Serotonin Records, the little neuron that could, returns with a compilation of futuristic electronic funk.

'It's What We Live For: Volume 1' is the first in a series of compilations sharing our vision of tomorrow and/or the sound of the day after yesterday... Serotonin has always been what we've lived for, now we'll try and make sure it's what you live for too.

John Selway takes us 'Solar Sailing' on a tour of classic Serotonin themes set in the deep space between our ears. Of course it sounds like Selway, but it's the unique sound of Selway on Serotonin.

Alex Cortex has been making electro for years and Serotonin is excited to finally catch up with him. His contribution 'Proxy' is a deep, fat and brain chemistry-altering groove.

Synapse, the duo consisting of label heads John Selway and Jason 'bpmf' Szostek, reach into their archives to deliver 'Payback'. What was the debt Well, that was already paid back with another track so we can share this golden slice of the electro dream with you.

TCMF with isti.f can transform your body with laser beams and bass. 'We Are The Almost People' is just weird enough to rock you out of your seat so you can get up and jam.

Pointsman and bpmf each deliver a loop so that the Serotonin never runs out.

Watch out for more releases soon, including a full Synapse EP and some old friends doing new tricks.

Serotonin, It's what you we live for...

San Francisco's Christina Chatfield brings her signature acid sound to god particle with 'The Circle' EP. 'Circadian' reflects and evokes the natural cyclical rhythm of the track as the pitch naturally rises and falls over a steady bassline and consistent tempo. A perfect track to draw the dancer deeper. A2.Black_Hole Steady prominent kick drums keep feet marching through crunchy, distorted sounds and clicking. 'Black Hole' is an otherworldly track that pulls you into the space and won't let you go..B1.Voyage is a visionary guest through alien atmospheres. Chatfield's signature rolling acid lines, panning synths and rapid hi-hats make this one a bottomless groove, perfect for peak energy..B2.Acid_Exhibition. Crisp hi-hats and a kick drum are quickly met by an intrepid acid line. Dreamy synths softly grow throughout 'Acid Exhibition", adding more atmosphere along with steady claps and a vocal sample.

The return of Brain Machine, with their Peaks album, was one of the highlights of last year for Emotional Response. Juan Tripp (aka Jon Tye of Seahawks), Guido Zen (Vactrol Park) and Kyle Martin's (Spectral Empire/Land Of Light/Vactrol Park) acclaimed kosmiche opus is followed up with 2 remix EPs featuring some of the best proponents, peers and friends of deep electronic music.
Remixes One is given over to a quartet of trusted hands including man of the moment, Tolouse Low Trax, ambient visionary Gigi Masin, afro-techno-dub specialist Harmonious Thelonious and stalwarts Ronny & Renzo.First Detlef Weinrich shows his mastery of a unique percussive sound that has seen his identity become as respected outside of his native Dusseldorf as he is in it for his role as one of the founders and curator of Salon des Amateurs. A brooding, propulsive culmination, the original's haunting ambience is retained for a subtle, driving rework that hits the mark.
Surprise of the EP is Gigi Masin's remix of Crystal Clouds. Eschewing the original's celestial soundscapes, scattered percussion interplays with sub-bass to change the context, giving a rhythmic dimension while retaining the shimmering guitar and arpeggio infused cohesion.Starting the B-side is another Dusseldorf elder statesman, in the afro-visions of Harmonious Thelonious. Solo, as well as one third of The Durian Brothers, Stefan Schwander, has carved a distinct sound. Chrematistic percussion is matched with an atmospheric, dub-techno feel that perfectly fits the EP. Play loud for full understanding.
Finally, Remixes One concludes with the return of Ronny & Renzo. Long time associates of Brain Machine, their 10 minutes plus remix takes the glacial original's ambience to a darker plain, fusing rhythmic pulses with alluding acid intent.

Antique Fragments EP is the third release of our Kommuna Tapes imprint. The A side starts with a quirky fast-paced track created by a mysterious producer named Schematix in 1997. Thinktank, an electro/breakbeat act who signed his first and unique EP only a few years later in 2000, takes us on a punchy yet dreamy techno journey. On the flip side, after Schematix undusted his hardware to extract the stems for the occasion, wizard Sergio Moreira mastered the challenge of creating a slower and deeper version of the track, while upcoming Madrid talent Javier Moreno closes the release with a bouncy acid burner.

Track by track, we build a Kommuna of artists who share our insatiable appetite for music discovery, guided by a certain vision of the dancefloor: deep stripped-down grooves, sometimes challenging, always with character.

Alternatively titled: 'Homoswavesailors', Jack Cccoy's 1984 film about the birth of windsurfing details, through the gaze of the sport as a pre-historic ancient ritual, the exploits of a few of the sports originators. Backing up the clear 80's blue visuals of waves white washed wind blasted FX, is a variety of original pop and synth music made by the films' composer, Chris Eggleton. There are no song titles, rather each track is spiced-up with wind and wave sound fx, which were originally meant to act as sound accents for wave sail action in the film. The pop songs are beach-spiked hits, sounding like New Zealand's flying nun rock, or blasted out prince chorus funk, but with added film sound fx, the essence of the silver screen begins to creep into the medium of audio disc! The synth music on Tradewinds sounds as if Tangerine Dream made inspirational beach movie tracks during the height of their 'Firestarter' period. The mix is arranged by Pacific City, so that the summer doesn't crash and burn. For the first time in history, Pacific City Sound Visions presents: the original motion picture soundtrack to 'Tradewinds' on vinyl LP. Break down..... shake down..... ya busted......

Swat's third release & DETROIT is in the house !

There are times in which you can clearly mark a producer's evolution.
When they stop inching towards growth and make a bold statement of change in capability and vision.
Such is the case with this EP from Detroit-based disco guru, Pontchartrain.

After a few years of steadily pushing out some significant pieces of work that have increasingly straddled the line between originals and edits, and nearly a decade of studio experience, his long overdue official house music debutante has arrived.

Featuring Detroit local soul artist, Coko Buttafli laying down some blistering vocals with a clearly positive house music message, on top of live percussion and keys, and bold analog drum rhythms, pontch has created a solid diva-house gem.
The sneaky festival-ready banger, 'Loose', performed, mixed, and overdubbed live, provides some fantastic contrast and versatility to the release.

A Mr. G-esque remix by DJ phenom Just Alexander and the musical journey of Topher Horn's evolving and deep version on the flipside make this a well rounded record that will undoubtedly stay in your bag for a good long while, and will find its way back in for years to come.

At the third New Interplanetary Melodies' astral journey stopover, it was mandatory to catch an Italian project deeply inspired by the Sun Ra visionary realm, expressing contemporary trials of hybridising jazz with artful electronica. So Ra Toth and The Brigantes' Orchestra landed on vinyl grooves for the label, after having previously appeared on the likes of Mathematics and Berceuse Heroique. Behind the sound, we find the elusive and unpredictable genius of the well-respected producer Marcello Napoletano. NIM received the distorted sound signal from Napoletano taken over by the Egyptian deity born from the lips of Ra. Who knows if those noises were coming from a parallel dimension, outer space, or some otherworldly sphere... Submerged in dark bottom waters, the stormy waves of the 'Acid Sea' are made of convulsive afro-flavoured percussion with sharp synths looming out like the ivories of some freakish abyssal creatures.

They expect me to write something informative about the tracks on this EP here but I find it really difficult to express music in words. On top of it I went out last night, to Club Der Visionäre, and I feel hungover and empty inside my head. So now I'm sitting here and all I can think of is, can't you just take a listen to the music!' The EP contains 5 tracks all made in the last couple of lousy summer months here in Berlin in nostalgia for the better days. It's about house and a bit of electro, no gimmicks.

On a hot streak Danny Wolfers is knocking out Jewel after Jewel at the minute. After his gargantuan album for Clone comes this knock out blow for UTTU.
Star Gazing is just as space-stradling as the title suggests, off-key, offworld discords colliding with breakbeats and detroitian atmospherics, intricate electronics, the burblings of a robot examining the earth of an alien world, before huge bass enters the party.
Visions In My Mind is Legowelt's take on the disco-tech vibe, Wayfaring Stranger completes the picture, a slamming acid jacker!

Spatial Cues is a series of split singles sounding out main(void)'s and Kon Janson's shared musical space. Operating out of Berlin and London, the two artists join forces to showcase their mutual vision of techno music.

CUES003 explores the darker side of the series with a focus on low frequencies, echoing percussions, and vast spaces, evoking a deep introspective motion.

Diffracting a manifold of sounds around its massive kick drum, CUES003 A builds and releases tension through a dramatic sequence of smooth swells and intense surges.

Grounded by its captivating groove, CUES003 B evolves around the sinister funk of fierce FM bass stabs, leading up to a powerful break that introduces a razor-edged hi-hat.

Having made her mark on Brazil's rich musical legacy with three best-selling albums to date, Rio's original nu-bossa queen returns with a tour de force of golden-era Brazilian soul music. From the spiritual swing of the early pioneers of modern Samba, to the dizzying hedonism of Brazil's eighties disco/boogie craze, Clareia is a life-affirming journey through the rich and varied sounds Sabrina Malheiros has been immersed in since she can remember. For her most up-lifting and danceable album to date, Sabrina has (as always) enlisted her father Alex Malheiros - bassist of samba jazz-funk legends Azymuth - and visionary London based producer Daniel Maunick (aka Dokta Venom), son of Incognito's Bluey.

Sabrina Malheiros' career has often been characterised by her place in the succession of those special Brazilian women who, with unmistakable talent and effortless grace, have encapsulated the magical energy of Brazil with their voices. Elis Regina, Astrud Gilberto, and Joyce all had it, and Sabrina Malheiros has it in spades.'(MOJO) With her debut album Equilibria in 2005, Sabrina arrived on a wave of instant acclaim, carving out her place as the pioneering voice of a new brand of Brazilian soul music, rooted in the traditions of samba and bossa, but with an edge of contemporary electronic sophistication. Sabrina's innovative nu-bossa sound would continue with the 2006 remix album 'Vibrasons' followed by sophomore 'New Morning' - declared the best album of summer 2008'(Evening Standard), before 2011's best-seller Dreaming.

Six years on, Sabrina returns with Clareia. Itmeans to clear, light, brighten or illuminate, which, after seeing Brazil and the rest of the world go through some very difficult times, is exactly what the writing of this album brought to my life.' All tracks are written by either Sabrina, or in collaboration with her father Alex Malheiros and producer Daniel Maunick. Written and recorded in Niteroi, Brazil, overlooking Gunabara Bay and Rio's beaches, mountains and forests, the music basks in its surroundings and sings of ecological beauty, peace and sanctuary. Echoing Sabrina's emphasis on clarity, Alex notes that the album's title represents an appeal to the minds of our civilization today, to clear our thoughts for good and for peace.'

This pursuit of clarity continued into the studio: It took a little longer than usual' notes Sabrina, which was good in way, as all my previous albums were recorded in rush and we usually had a week for pre-production and another week in the studio, which always gave me the feeling that I could do better. With this album it was different... we took our time.'

Sabrina's unmistakable voice has never sounded better. Packed out with high-octane swinging samba-soul, like the title-track and 'Salve O Mar', the album also features some bottom-heavy Brazilian boogie cuts, like rejoicing album opener 'Celebrar' which harks back to some of Marcos Valle's cult '80s disco output, and 'Sol Ceu E Mar' is a Tania Maria-esque future classic of scorching latin-funk. Mellower moments are found in 'Em Paz', on which Sabrina's beguiling harmonies find an anchor in the rhythmic acoustic guitar of Ze Carlos', who Sabrina heralds as being the best guitarist I have ever worked with'. Azymuth's keyboardist Kiko Continentino's deft Rhodes, piano, organ and synth playing, add ever more textures of distinctly Brazilian brilliance throughout, while tropical brass and flute arrangements on cool bossa-jazz movers 'Vai Maria' and 'Sandore', come from Brazilian saxophone legend Leo Gandleman, a man who has worked with everyone from Gal Costa to Gilberto Gil. The rhythm section combines Daniel Maunick's seamless drum programming and the organic polyrhythms of Brazilian percussion legend Jakare, all punctuated by Alex Malheiros' inimitable (occasionally slapped) jazz-funk bass, giving the album its irresistibly danceable pulse.

Set for release at the height of summer this year, Clareia is an intergenerational masterclass of Brazil's soulful spectrum, led by a pioneering voice of today's scene on the very top of her game. The up-lifting compositions, which take inspiration from the stunning natural beauty amongst which the album was made, and the call for the clarity of mind needed to preserve it, are enriched by this special team of some of Brazil's most established musicians. Like the sun breaking through tropical storm-clouds, Clareia is a vessel of joy, as Sabrina puts it simply, I hope Clareia brightens the soul of whoever listens to it. That's the spirit of this album.'

Marla Singer debuts on Planet Rhythm Black Series with a hypnotic, yet powerful, four tracker.

Anthony Nicholson Chicago deep house maestro delivers here two amazing soulful deep house tracks for the Attias brothers label Visions.Visions open mind and wide vision returns here with their 15th release continuing their journey into the world of electronic dance music On the A side Anthony and William Kurk have produced an amazing soulful vocal track mixing lush pads Rhodes and beautiful vocals sustained by a solid house beat. This is a sublime journey into a soft and beautiful Chicago deep house jam that we fell in love instantanely with and wanted to share itwith the music lovers and vinyl collectors.The B side is a jazz funk number that rolls deep into Rhodes chords, moog leads and funky basseline for an 8min 20 long amazing dancefloor instrumental bomb.

With one track per side and with the great mastering and the loud cut , these two Chicago slices of goodness will find place in any dj bag for sure.

My Favorite Robot welcome the collaborative outfit of Rodion & Local Suicide for their next EP, which comes boosted by
remixes from Los Mekanikos, Moscoman and Fairmont, as well as artwork that is made up 3D prints of the act.
Rodion is an Italian classical piano player and acclaimed producer whose albums and EPs for the likes of Gomma, Nein
& Nang have helped to reshape modern disco. Also one half of Alien Alien and boss of the Roccodisco label, he is a real
studio visionary who for ten years has mixed up classical, trance and psychedelic sounds. He makes everything from
chamber music to computer game soundtracks, has remixed Giorgio Moroder and counts the likes of Tim Sweeney, Erol
Alkan and DJ Hell as fans. Berlin-based duo/couple Brax Moody and Vamparela aka Local Suicide have been
collaborating together since 2007, either as a DJ duo, in bands, or as remixers and producers. They have played all over
the world and are in favour with the likes of XLR8R, Thump and Mixmag for their fusions of slow techno, post disco and
acid.
These original analog tracks were recorded between 2014 and 2016 in Rodion s vintage studio in Berlin. They came about
when they all met following one of his gigs just after he moved there, and after being in touch online for a while. During
one of the nights, Rodion brought friend, producer and singer Ali Bey (part of the Belgrade DJ collective Beyond House
and a famous record digger) to contribute.
Impressive opener Abu Dhabi includes samples from field recordings from all over the world. The most prominent is the
recording from an airport in Bangkok where Brax Moody and Vamparela were waiting to catch their plane to Saigon
and it ended up being the main vocal hook. The alluring track is a wonky feeling number with gurgling synth lines and
gentle releases of white noise lulling you into the groove. A searching synth line and distant siren add urgency and the
whole thing feels urban and futuristic.
Comprised of Mexico City producers Max Jones and Eddie Mercury, Los Mekanikos combine raw hypno-rhythm tracks
with pumping grooves that pay homage to Chicago, Detroit and Berlin. Their special remix is another late night and
unhinged number that encourages you to freak out amongst the panning and paranoid synth patterns and robotic grooves.
Then comes the brilliant True Love Floats with Ali Beys singing and Vamparela s vocoded vocals. The interplay between
the two is tense and alien and makes for a perfectly inhuman groove with popping bell sounds, undulating pads and spooky
deep space ambiance.
Remixing this one is Berlin via Tel Aviv artist of the moment and Disco Halal label head Moscoman, whose raw machine
grooves have impressed on labels like ESP Institute, Correspondant and I'm a Cliche. His slow and purposeful version is
deep and psychedelic with disorientating vocals and blistered synths wallowing in a menacing urban landscape. Buy it
digitally and you will also get a fine remix from label regular and Canadian Fairmont. He runs the Beachcoma label, has
worked with cult outlet Border Community over the years and mixes up dark disco and goth into his own fresh sounds. His
remix here is more direct and driven, with powerful drums and well sculpted synths making it another great rework.
This is a unique sounding package featuring plenty of heavyweight names and marks another cultured outing from the
always considered My Favourite Robot label.

DC175 comes courtesy of Alias, a new project comprising of Harvey & Ryan McKay, who are two acts who have previously released solo material on the label. Harvey McKay's last appearance was in late 2016 when he dropped 'The Mad Drummer' on A-Sides Vol. 4 whereas Ryan McKay's last outing was in 2015 when he appeared on A-Sides Vol.3 under the name Skiver. This is the first collaborative project between the Scottish duo under their new moniker Alias.The EP opens with 'Pentatonic'; A tough sounding track that has been designed for the forward-thinkers. 'The Truth' follows up sharply, with vintage piano stabs and a vocal that gives the track abounding energy. The on-point percussion leads you on a trip of pure rapture. The release closes with the apocalyptic 'Dream Taker', which is teeming with sinister vocal action and hostile synth work and a sublime way to sign off.

Underground Jazz, Street Funk & The Roots Of Rap 1968-79. Soul Jazz Records' new release 'Soul of a Nation: Afro-Centric Visions in the Age of Black Power' is released in conjunction with a major worldwide art exhibition, Soul of A Nation: Art in the The Age of Black Power which takes place at the Tate Modern, London, UK (July-Oct 2017) and The Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA.

The album shows how the ideals of the civil rights movement, black power and black nationalism influenced the evolvement of radical African-American music in the United States of America in the intensely political and revolutionary period at the end of the 1960s following the assassinations of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and the rise of the Black Panther party.

Featuring groundbreaking artists such as Gil Scott-Heron, Roy Ayers, Don Cherry, Oneness of Juju, Sarah Webster Fabio, Horace Tapscott, Phil Ranelin and many others, Soul of A Nation shows how political themes led to the rise of 'conscious' black music as new afro-centric styles combined the musical radicalism and spirituality of John Coltrane and radical avant-garde jazz music alongside the intense funk and soul of James Brown and Aretha Franklin and the urban poetry and proto-rap of the streets.

The Soul of a Nation exhibition draws on the links between Black art forms - art, music, poetry - and how they came together during the civil rights and black power era as part of the wider black arts movement across the United States.

Iconic African-Amercian revolutionary figures such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Angela Davis, John Coltrane, Muhammad Ali all appear in the radical artworks of Barkley L. Hendricks, Romare Bearden, Norman Lewis, Lorraine O'Grady and Betye Saar.
A selection of original radical jazz record sleeves artworks which appear in Soul Jazz Records' earlier groundbreaking Freedom, Rhythm and Sound - Revolutionary Jazz Original Cover Art book will also be on show at the Tate, London throughout the exhibition. The Freedom, Rhythm and Sound book is also newly back-in-print in conjunction with this major exhibition and the release of the Soul of a Nation album.

Stuart Baker (founder of Soul Jazz Records) will appear on the panel of Jazz for Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power discussion at the gallery as part of the show. Soul of a Nation comes with extensive sleeve-notes and exclusive photography in a large 36-page outsize booklet and slipcase. Double gatefold vinyl album edition comes with full colour inners + bonus download code and includes full sleeve-notes/photography.

The good ship Ransom Note sails on!

Continuing our commitment to releasing the finest dance music from planet Earth, our latest missive comes from fresh-faced Belgian kit freak Placid One. Squeezing out analogue techno from a studio full of synths that burble and shimmer and croak, Placid's lead track 'C Balloon' is a drum-less masterpiece, an arpeggiating ascent into a chrome-plated future. The track belongs in the lineage of the emotional best of Detroit, as mysterious as it is melancholic, it's a vision of computer blues for the 21st century.

It's followed by 'Bombay Persuasion', a jitter of broken tech-funk building to a rumbling throb of bass, and 'Life', which chops up classic breakbeats with late night acid secrets. All three tracks combine Placid One's youthful exuberance with a yearning for the hardware mentasm of early Brit pioneers, the ghosts of Aphex Twin, Orbital and Kirk Degiorgio can be heard echoing through their grooves.

On remix duties we have Deutschland's finest Cass. who provides a blissed out reimagining of 'C Balloon', unravelling its synths into an epic of found sounds and ambient drift. This is followed by a floor ready refix from Ransom Note favourite Timothy 'Heretic' Clerkin, who rolls 'C Balloon' into a warm house jam, all classic synth hits and sun-rising acid bubbles.

Restive Plaggona is the music project of the Corfu-based artist Dimitris Doukas -also producing under Matriarchy Roots, Leftina Osha and Plaggona-. After releasing a series of cassettes in different labels along 2016 and 2017 -including his own Several Minor Promises- 'Leaving The Body' arrives as an electronic composition of beats and synthesizer bodies disguised as a sense of provocation and mystery. Each of the seven pieces offers more than a smattering of interesting textures separated by spans of great decline, but a master class of permutations in-between accompanying sounds, stretching rhythms and viscera-and- violence noises. Driven by a deeply expressive narrative, Restive Plaggona makes a strong statement about

his post-industrial vision adding technoid inclinations in a delightful dystopian world.

Say You Love Me wasn't "Om" Alec Khaoli's first solo recording but the 1985 EP solidified the bass player and songwriter's standing as one of South Africa's most consistently innovative pop auteurs. He built a career on ubiquitous rock, pop and soul hits with groundbreaking bands like the Beaters, Harari and Umoja.

But Khaoli's seemingly endless fountain of music continued outside these ensembles, where he usually played bass and contributed songwriting and vocals. Khaoli released several successful solo works while he made records with Umoja and worked on other productions with friends. This creativity was aided by Khaoli's own recording studio. He was the first South African to have a privately-owned studio.

As black artists were forced to record during lunch breaks and didn't get sufficient access and time in the white-owned studios, having his studio allowed Khaoli to develop in his own way. Hence his productive output during the 80's and early 90's, releasing 5 LPs with Umoja and 5 solo LPs, along with numerous singles and EPs. There's something broad and dynamic about the almost epic pop sound Khaoli creates on Say You Love Me.

Being the first South African to take control his recording process and thereby free himself from one of apartheid's many strictures, he took his vision of music to new realms and made timeless music for the dance floor in the process.

We are proud to present our second release by Beat Pharmacy AKA Brendon Moeller AKA Echologist, a singular voice in contemporary electronic, techno, and sound system musics in his various guises. Beat Pharmacy tunes begin life as live hardware jams where reverb, echo and delay rule the day, and rugged textures rub against digital processing.

In Density,' bass, kick and heavily reverbed piano skanks anchor an instantly enveloping soundworld of deepest dubwise ambience. From around hidden corners emerge the hiss of distant pistons and valves, sentient machinery working in complex relationships. Wobbles, wubs and sweeps communicate across cavernous spaces, as strange rhythmic elements sputter and spatter, tangling and massing in double-time to the point of rupture, only to resolve into crystalline moments of suspension into gorgeous, neck-snapping drops. Simply mesmerizing, and heavy in the dance. Everything to Gain' is spun from the same heavy metals, with a sparser feel, processed voice, and a buzzing, repeating alarm figure that sounds like a submarine warning that the dive is getting too deep, too dangerous...

Music that is moving, powerful, evocative and kinetic, slotting beautifully into 140 sets while defying easy categorization or description, always following vision over fashion. This is why we love Beat Pharmacy.

Mastered by Lewis at StarDelta

Sometimes amongst all the music that we hear every day, something comes along so unique and brilliant that its captivates your mind and soul and refuses to let go.

That was exactly what happened when we first heard DOKTA - the ex-studio engineer with the freshest take on electronic music we have heard for a long time. Fusing a fully analog working method & live instrumentation with a breathtakingly unique arrangement style, DOKTA combines all his experience working with some of the best in the business and transcends it into one hypnotic stream of genre defying mastery.

For his first EP on 20/20 we are fortunate enough to have remixes from fabric resident Jay Clarke, and a collaborative contribution from Seth Troxler and Bas Ibellini. It is a major milestone for 20/20 to finally have a Seth Troxler production on the label. He has been a great inspiration for us and hugely supportive of our output over the years. Seth went into the studio with good friend Bas and came out with a remix worthy of DOKTA's long abstract arrangements.

We hope you enjoy, and with an album in the pipeline for later this year we promise there is a lot more to come...

Minimal multi-instrumentalist weirdo zone brilliance on another obscure uncovering from the excellent Growing Bin...big tip!
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"If you've kept a keen ear to the underground, you may have noticed a trance revival creeping into the dance floors and darkrooms of late, a post ironic return to the 64 bar breakdowns and peak time key changes of your serotonin drenched youth.....

So what's this then Has Growing Bin gone from groundbreaker to copycat Dig a little deeper folks, for the Trance is question is Jürgen Petersen, a forgotten cosmic kingpin in tune with true electronic excellence. When Danielle Baldelli wanted to show off his eclectic tastes, which record did he reach for Petersen's 1980 LP, 'Here And Now' of course. And when John Schaefer put together his essential exploration of New Sounds, who did he describe as Germany's answer to Eno Trance, damn right! After blessing the world with a trio of essential electronic LPs between 1979 and 1983, Petersen moved out of the limelight and lived off the grid, collecting his mind expanding music on a series of self-recorded, self-released cassettes, known only to the inner circle of elite European diggers. The sounds found within were unusual, experimental and ecstatic.

Fusing the organic tones of piano, 12 string guitar and sitar with soothing sine waves and hypnotic synthesis, Petersen harnessed the healing frequencies out there in the cosmos and transfixed the
listener with pure otherworldly beauty - ambient music for a new age... Unravelling these rare cassettes for music lovers everywhere, Growing Bin treats us to 'Tapes', a five track vision quest for the
horizontal travellers and fourth world nomads. Sven can keep his cocoon, we're off in search of the butterflies..."

180 g 12"

NAISSANCE MUSIK proudly presents ELEPHANTOMS, the second EP, produced by HEAR and SAN PROPER.
Elephants represent past and present, but also part of our future.
They are among the largest and oldest animals on earth - powerful and yet fragile, eternal and yet almost extinct. When you think about music, similar ideas come to mind - of course the power of sound and dance, the energy of the party because of that group-feeling of the herd, but also the fragile aspect of harmony, the quality of family that is so difficult to reach in a formation of individuals, plus that moment when the music adapts to the people, and the people adapt to the music.
Elephants are phantoms in music, they haunt dancers and listeners. But they haunt us in a positive way, to remind us with the idea that we are part of a refreshing and renewing cycle, the circle of life. This is why this elephantism' brings awareness, love and care to your sound-system, think about it and remember.
(the first track Up the Hill' starts the journey and will make you climb the first mountain, then The Groin allows you to copulate and get sexy with your crew through the tune. Macha Moves brings laughter and tears after sex, makes sweat in the late hours but whips up breakfast and morning-glory at the same time, while the last track is a medley of memories, for an Elephantom remembers everything...).
ELEPHANTOMS is the collaboration between HEAR & SAN PROPER, two dedicated musicians who have created this EP in Canada, Lebanon, Holland and Germany in honour of a dying breed which is close to extinction.
This is for the spirit of the elephant.
While you purchase this piece of music, please also look into the right organisation to donate and help these dinosaurs before they will haunt you like phantoms. (Manuel Benguigui)

Summer has not officially kicked in yet but Antinote's new addition to its roster will sure soundtrack perfectly its upcoming warm nights: encapsulating the teenage dream of an endless summer, 18 RAYS is the moniker behind which some of the label's most steady fixtures gave a try at recording music together, somewhere straight in the heart of Paris' 18th arrondissement.
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Nico Motte, Zaltan & Raphaël Top-Secret have been friends way before each of them occasionally played his part in the Parisian label and it is mainly out of this friendship that they conceived 18 RAYS, a vessel to finally give life to the band they dreamed of in their teenage years. It is safe to say that 18 RAYS has been in their mind for quite a while, but it was only last winter, after a couple of bottles of natural wine on a hazy evening, that they decided that it was time to give it a real go and to pick up the instrument each learned years ago: the guitar, the bass and
the drums.

Produced by Nico Motte - the man behind all the artworks of the label - the trio spent 5 weeks between Synth City (Motte's studio) and Red Bull Studio in Paris working on these 4 songs, each sitting somewhere between some sort of timeless and somehow aquatic dream pop and blurred visions of an eerie grunge sound, that probably
never was.

That being said, the genesis of 18 RAYS might explain why their debut EP turns out to be such an intimate affair: while it took its members down memory lane, the listener will embark on an ethereal trip, taking him to a parallel universe in which the sounds of Cocteau Twins,

Inner8 is Daniele Antezza, a multi-faceted thinker and electronic music producer, member of Dadub duo, co-founder of Artefacts Mastering Studio, Dadub Studio owner and Holotone label manager, whose regular invocation of the term praxis begins to hint at his creative aims: a primary synthesis of contemplation and action that, in turn, encourages a secondary and entirely unpredictable set of syntheses dependent upon the listener's unique interpretation. Though the Inner8 moniker has been in existence for several years as a private nickname for, as Antezza puts it, his 'experimental anarchist sounds,' his recent releases are just now surfacing which will reveal just how much this project has to communicate.

Like many transplants to Berlin's pulsating sonic underground (Antezza moved there from Italy in 2009), his past work seems to communicate traces of the ecstatic with the argot of technical precision and / or scientific rigour. However, Antezza is not what one would call a 'Berlin artist' despite sharing these traits in common with the city's most visionary producers: his work gives off an impression of restless nomadism that has little to do with representing a localized scene. Rather than carrying on the territorial / parochial projects of reinforcing an arts scene's geographic boundaries (or even redefining the boundaries of a musical genre), Inner8 is more concerned with a holistic 'deconstructive approach' through which 'it's possible to reveal the paradoxes of the dominant thought, the paradoxes behind the status quo.' His fascination with concepts as diverse as asymptotes and particle physics, though often trendy among those looking for a seat at the table of the avant-garde, is a heartfelt fascination - moreover, these interests merge perfectly with his relentless theoretical questing.

Antezza's relationship with that city's Stroboscopic Artefacts techno label has been a particularly fruitful one, to the point where his sound work prior to Inner8 is almost synonymous with SA's own development. As one half of the psychonaut duo Dadub along with Marco Donnarumma, Antezza has sculpted deep and immense tracks that mesmerize with their harmonious interplay of force and ambiguity. After having co-founded and managed for years Artefacts Mastering Studio, he recently launched his brand new audio postproduction Studio (Dadub Studio), where Antezza lends his sonic signature to an eclectic variety of electronic recordings. That signature can be identified by its hyperreal sense of presence and immediacy, qualities that have become crucial to the presentation of a music that generally relies on only a few sonic elements per track to communicate its message.

Antezza also takes pride in the ritualistic quality of Inner8's live sets; a mobile laboratory of dynamic tension in which his theories manifest as massive physical vibrations (here we can also see / hear / feel just how well Daniele has absorbed the lessons of the dub 'sound system' aesthetic).

For nearly a decade, Raíz and Subversive have distributed their vision of dance music on various labels including Historia y Violencia, Electric Deluxe, Construct Reform, Droid Recordings and their own imprint, VRV. Three years into the VRV project, the label heads have decided it is time to expand the roster and showcase artists on a similar plane, producers they know can speak to the sound. The chosen interpreters on this release include DJ Hyperactive, Santiago Salazar and Voiski.
Before Voiski's well-deserved attention from work on Dement3d, L.I.E.S., and Delsin, he and Subversive had a chance meeting in the bars of Paris in search of the same musical ideals. As they formed a lasting bond, it was a natural choice for Voiski to be tapped on the shoulder for remix duties on Subversive's 'Chainbreaker.' This epic take on the original showcases the similar musical visions that can be shared across oceans, where the music's place of origin is less important than the destination it delivers.Santiago Salazar brings his Latin/Midwest sound that's been found on labels such as UR, Rush Hour, H&V, and Ican. The Underground Resistance veteran invokes Detroit-inspired pads and dubby chords that speak techno's language of the future.DJ Hyperactive is a Chicago acid legend who found himself reinvigorated in the 2000s to take up the DJ/producer torch in conjunction with the Droid crew. His early support of the original 'Telomere' made him the perfect candidate for this remix, which tracks a straight forward, bass-grounded groove, met with the producer's own subtle swing sensibilities.

With FBNM now celebrating their fifth year of operation, Lorenzo has marked the occasion by assembling his biggest project to date - an impeccably curated collection of obscure Italian production music circa 1974 - 1985. The project, nearly a year in the making, has been very close to Lorenzo's heart - beginning unexpectedly in the record fairs of Buenos Aires and leading him on several trips to Rome and Milan, tracking down the original musicians and licensors.

"In this compilation, I have tried to include some of the most interesting cuts I have collected over the years. Tracks like the entirely electronic "Nitrogen" from Alberto Baldan Bembo's "Sound Orchestra" LP on Star Track Records, featuring a wild evolving bassline leading us through frantic rhythmic experimentations. "In the Space", by French born composer Albert Verrecchia and taken from Italian poliziesco drama 'Il Tempo Degli Assasini' (Season for Assasins), tells the tale of wistful longing, played out with serenity on strings and keys, but unexpected interruption from its stop-start arrangement brings an unforeseen tension into the mix... And how could I not include the wonderfully charming "Screw Driver" by Fabio Fabor, from his collaborative album "Superman" with a young Antonio Arena. Featuring an orchestra of beautifully programmed ARP and Oberheim sonorities alongside the Commodore 64 programmed graphical artwork by Antonio Arena himself."

The music itself was partly sourced from Lorenzo's own collection, archived and then restored especially for this release. Where possible, tracks (such as "Vision", "Nitrogen" and "Blue Magnolia") have been lifted directly from the original master tapes kindly lent by the repertoire owners. Every track, however, has been carefully restored, remastered and cut for vinyl by the cautious hands of Andreas (LUPO) Lubich at Calyx Mastering, Berlin.

Fire in the hole! Luca Agnelli's Etruria Beat hits its 40th release and it's a truly historic affair with two very top remixers : Slam and Truncate! Now seven years deep into the label's innovative techno trip, Etruria has made nurturing exciting new Italian talent one of its key signatures. Bastinov, Dast, Reform, Kaiser, Diego Amura and Toms Due are just some of the progressive creators Etruria have supported over the last two years alone. But for this release it's down to the label bossman himself... And he's made sure it's a deeply Etruscan affair. Released in the wake of his mass-scene-supported 'Metamorphosis' EP and building on a body of work that boasts tastemaker labels such as Soma, Drumcode and Planet Rhythm, Luca lays down two slabs of absolute dynamite that not only bang, but also tie his sound, vision and inspiration back to his deepest roots with rich mythology... 'Voltumna' pays homage to the supreme god of Etruscan people. Not just in name and honour, but also in its powerful dynamic and touching balance of shades thanks to its atmospheric, rhythmic chord. 'Aplu' continues this spiritual theme with a dedication to another Entruscan divinity. An offering to the god of thunder and lightning, once again it lives up to its name with a barbed rolling dynamic that suddenly cracks open into a cosmos of light and emotion before hurling you back into the dark drum drama. Thunderous isn't the half of it. It comes complete with two exceptional remixes of 'Voltumna' by Slam and Truncate. Soma bosses Slam add their signature Glaswegian grit with distorted textures that loop in a hypnotic frenzy while Truncate strips the groove back to a jacking dynamic that becomes progressively bouncier with raw machine funk insistency. Across the originals and remixes there's not a corner in techno that isn't exceptional

Welcome to Poland: Another country in the midst of fearful flux; where a huge proportion of the country feel their voice is no longer represented by the government; where raw emotions are being exploited cheaply by media to distract, divert and crudely divide; where there is more of a need than ever for like-minded positive souls to unite without prejudice and work together for a better future. The headlines sound too familiar for many of us in the world. But just as Trump does not represent most people in America and Brexit doesn't define everyone in Britain, Poland's right wing government does not exemplify the majority of Polish people. Like all world citizens, our generation and younger are good-minded, thoughtful people who do want to bring down barriers and work together. Their vision is one of inclusion and one of a proud future and how we can improve the lives of our children and grandchildren... Not become entangled in embittered roots of the past. It's evident in Poland's thriving creative cultures from the provocative art of Katarzyna Kozyra to the literature and poetry and films of Wojciech Kuczok. It's evident in the stark optimist architecture of Daniel Libeskind. It's evident in Krakow's thriving club scene and the country's bubbling pools of electronic music talent. It's everything Catz N Dogz do: their attitude, their music, their labels, their WOODED festival and, perhaps most importantly, their friends. Not just there to carry you home; friends carry you everywhere. And right here on 'Friends Of Pets' Catz N Dogz are carrying their companions' creativity with the same esteem and pride they host their Polish festival. A cultural statement and powerful showcase of their country's great thinkers, creators, collaborators and disrupters in electronic music, across 16 tracks