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DJ, musician, former saxophonist - there's a combination of skills you don't get to see too often. Get acquainted with DEMIAN, then, aka Damien Pontonnier, a French artist who relocated to Paris after an influential career as

electronic music pioneer and party organizer in Northern Spain. Now an accomplished producer with releases on labels such as Correspondant or Clouded Vision, he presents the MILESTARS EP for Kompakt - a quirky and vibrant track trio with an obvious knack for catchy melodic details in a kinetic techno corsage.

Having amassed quite the experience portfolio when it comes to grassroots club culture, DEMIAN knows a thing or two about inspiring a dance floor - but that doesn't necessarily account for the artistic versatility or genuine lust for sonic adventures and happy accidents that these cuts exhibit: opener DÉCLICA boots with deliciously stoic cowbell-isms that leave the doors of perception wide open for some iconoclastic, yet surprisingly effective synth action.

Meanwhile, the title cut invests in texture-rich atmosphere without forgetting about the precise amount of momentum you need to tip the floor over the edge. Closer NO HYPE FOR THE FISH takes things in a more hypnotic direction, intertwining freeform arpeggios and tape delay with smart beatmanship. Simultaneously lush and lean in its overall aesthetic, the MILESTARS EP will feed both the nerd and the dancer in you - a swiss army knife with all the right tools for masterful crowd control.

Besides being a close buddy for soon 20 years and one of the best dj's on the planet, Herr Janson is also a safe bet for your "floorfriendly"rework. He just knows what your track will need to work those feet. He handed over his "Prinspersonation" together with a drum-tool version that will be useful for any adventureous dj out there. I also made 2 tracks specifically for this 12" that fills the b-side and wraps up the story of "Principe Del Norte"for now. - Prins Thomas

Returning to Hypercolour with a second volume of his Sugar Cane Chronicles, Gary Gritness lays down more devastating funk and classy riffing over his trusty Roland 606. After the first volume, released last April, sold out its vinyl run, Gritness delivers more explorations and adventures into his unique and soulful world. Having elusively built his reputation as an outstanding session player, live producer and fantastically dressed Funkateer, Gritness has delivered a handful of releases on labels like Clone Crown Ltd, Nyami Nyami and his own DIY and cassette-only Slikk Tapes. "Steady Choosin" gets downright fusion-jazz and Gritness fires out seductive melodies and latin piano playing of the highest order whilst "Countin Up With Starr" delves into a darker well of synth mania, with a sexual groove reminiscing of Rick James, all the while retaining Gary's signature licks and riffs. "Runner Joe's Revenge" on the flip ramps up the hysteria for a gritty and colossal production that typifies his love of cyberpunk soundtracks and the drama and narrative to be found in this style. "The Sugar Cane Chronicles Vol. 2 closes with the low-slung "Pool Shark Loot", wrapping up on a mysterious and captivating tone; its wandering bassline and melodic touches carrying all the signature Gritness sounds, with the P-Funk sleaziness on top.

Translated from Spanish as 'The Shade', Chip Wickham's debut album La Sombra drops after a 25-year career touring, recording and experimenting across three decades of jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop, Latin and electronica. La Sombra is a monumental record for Chip as it symbolises the moment he stepped out into the light as a director of his creations with freedom to explore his roots, express and tell his version of jazz and pay testament to his heroes Roland Kirk, Yuseef Lateef & Harold McNair.

Now living in Dubai after an intense and productive six years in Madrid, it was Manchester where Chip studied in the late '80s and became enmeshed in the chaotic and thrilling music scenes emanating from one of the world's most culturally prominent cities of the time. Recording and generally 'keeping things real' with Manchester's hip-hop collective Grand Central Records, Rae & Christian, The Pharcyde, Fingathing, Nightmares on Wax, Graham Massey (808 State), Chip was in a city that was undergoing a music revolution with the Haçienda as its temple. Yet it was the headlights of the M62 motorway and not the strobe lights that were lighting Chip's path during his student years ('88-'92). The lure of the jazz and funk clubs of Leeds, where The New Mastersounds were breaking out and building the blocks that would lead them to UK funk royalty status, proved too strong.

In the 1990s Chip continued to refine his craft in the rainy city and the gigs booked were growing in stature. It wasn't long before he was on the road with Roy Ayers and Badly Drawn Boy. Around that time Chip met up with trumpeter Matthew Halsall that was the beginning of a friendship that lasts to this day. Chip was a recording artist on Matthew Halsall's breakout album Sending My Love and continues to work with him, with live dates confirmed in spring 2017. This close connection with Halsall gave rise to other collaborations, such as with Nat Birchall and Go Go Penguin's Rob Turner.

Three decades after his late night excursions to Leeds, Chip found himself recording with Eddie Roberts from The New Mastersounds in Madrid, as part of their new band, The Fire Eaters, which he'd formed soon after he moved to sunny Spain in 2007 - the same year he released the Fried Samba album under his moniker Malena, his electronic Latin band that became a hit at the turn of the century for Freestyle Records. During his time in Spain he connected with the local scene and brought together many of his musicians colleagues from the UK to Spain and it was for a local and well established label, Lovemonk, that he released two 45s blending raw funk and Latin. These new roads and musical leanings led to an invitation to play for the prestigious Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band. Based on a poll from Craig Charles' top rated BBC6 radio show, Chip was chosen to play alongside the cream of the UK funk & soul scene: James Taylor (JTQ), Snowboy, The Haggis Horns (Mark Ronson), John Turrell (Smooth & Turrell), and Mick Talbot (The Style Council).

La Sombra takes an altogether more rooted direction than Chip's recent collaborative work, with the jazz of the late '60s and early '70s a dominating influence to the recordings. Comprising of seven tracks recorded in Madrid with musicians assembled by Chip from Madrid's jazz scene, it combines contemplative explorations akin to Yusef Lateef's early work on tracks like 'La Sombra' and 'Pushed Too Far'. There's a fiery cover of Camarón de la Isla's classic 'La Leyenda Del Tiempo' and tracks like 'Sling Shot' and 'Red Planet' are locked in a groove harking back to Freddie Hubbard's Blue Note era and Luv N Haight's Nathan Davis.

Keep on keeping on, that's what they say. We are here at Hizou. So we are delighted to be back with this the ninth release on our main label, another exciting various artists affair and a follow-up to the well-received limited edition EP, Keepin' The Legacy.
 
First up is the house music equivalent of a heavyweight tag-team in the shape of respected veterans Chez Damier and Abacus, producers with credentials so impressive and lengthy it's eye-watering, alongside the rising talent that is Jorge Caiado (Balance/Groovement). The trio's dub mix of their cut Closer is proper deep-down-and-dirty bumpin' house of the old-school kind.
 
Another man with an impeccable pedigree, in-demand musician and producer James Duncan (Le Systeme/Real Soon), makes a welcome return to the label with the hypnotic 416 Zone Dub, an irresistible groover aimed squarely at the more discerning dance floor.
 
Making his debut here at Hizou is yet another seasoned artist, Jacksonville, owner of Doppler Records and gun-for-hire with the likes of Atmospheric Existence and Inner Shift. Having eyed his chugging and infectious Twilight Industries from afar, we are delighted to finally nail it onto our vinyl.
 
Keeping the fire burning and more than holding his own in such fine company is label head Satore, who unleashes his inner disco diva with the groovy, soul-drenched Keep On.

Barcelona based YAKAZI imprint proudly reaches its fifth installment in the form of a synergic collaborative release signed by chilean artists Alexi Delano and Marcelo Rosselot, counting also with canadian Buchla wizard Marc Houle in the role of never-failing remixer. Presented as a two sided release, and splitted in two original tracks plus Marc Houle's remix, YAKAZI maintains its unwavering commitment to their core values, to move people through good music, prevailing fads and trends and strengthening the label's very own sonic identity. On this occasion, Alexi Delano, a close relative to the label that was also featured on label's previous compilation, joins forces with his studio fellow Marcelo Rosselot building up "Take Me / It's On me", two finely-crafted excursions of heavy bass minimalism and dark vivacious techno based on subtle vocal samples, trippy synth-chords, and layered drum patterns constantly evolving throughout both progressions sounding uniformly fantastic, without falling into the obviousness of a long steady beat narrative and keeping in mind how to charm the dancefloor in style.

S3A Records is delighted to welcome Sam Irl in the family. Samples, classy Rhodes solos for this great S3A REC Artist EP: Similarity on each side: One banger track, one hip hop interlude and one personal (or deep) track. Have a nice trip in the creativity of this mucial note blooded artist ! He is very close from the forward thinking electronic music producers from Vienna like Dorian Concept, The Clonious, Roman Rauch. He manages with a lot of class, minimalism and harmony to the samples he uses. As we love Jazz&Milk records, it was natural to propose to him to work with us on his first S3A REC Artist EP. Let us introducing Sam Irl!! We are so happy to present you this beautiful EP. One banger track, One hiphop interlude and One personal (or deep) track on each side. Have a nice trip!

Alek S offers up another dose of pensive techno vibes in his "Paradise Lost" EP. Side A opens up with "Bold", a slice of laid back while still pounding techno, boasting zippy synths with an unmistakable analog flavour. It's closely followed by Andres Zacco's rework of "Honey Wheat", an apt reconstruction of the original that's aimed squarely at the dancefloor. The Argentinian producer and recent Ilian Tape alumni dives in with a powerful groove, cutting its way through a suspended atmosphere full of spaced out sounds.
Over on the B-side we're greeted with "Paradise Lost", a slow-paced melody that gradually shifts into a dreamy groove filled with spaced out drums and abstract delays.
Last but not least, the original version of "Honey Wheat" is a somewhat atmospheric, yet functional floor warmer that fits a resigned groove.

After a considerable career releasing on numerous labels, as well as being co-founder of Essen based label Mild Pitch, Langenberg finally drops his first album under this alias. Max Heesen, (who is also one half of Ribn with Manuel Tur) delivers the smartly titled 'Central Heated House' for Steve Bug's Dessous Recordings. The LP format suits Langenberg's hypnotic house classicism well, allowing time and space to stretch out the grooves and moods over four sides of vinyl - working both for the DJs and perfect as a soundtrack for the autumn. The LP kicks off with 'Jade', a melancholic, tape saturated introduction to Langenberg's deep tastes. 'Room 210' maintains this atmosphere, with fizzing percussion and warm Detroit-esque melodies. 'Groove 26' is perfectly timed for the hot summer, as lush Rhodes chords and KDJ style vocal snippets provide the heat for the openair vibes. The single from earlier this year 'Shadows' features the talents of vocalist Blakkat, and caused some serious response when it hit airwaves and dancefloors alike. 'Never Worry' is a heads down roller, built around a simple but perfectly executed bassline, while 'Dreamliner' is trippy laidback sunshine house all the way. 'I'll Be Late' and 'Planitz Proposal' step back into the club, with Langenberg's signature crisp percussion, crunchy hits and analog synth wizardry on full display. 'Rain & Roses' closes out the album in a similar way to how it started wistful, thoughtful house music with soul.

Bnjmn's exceptional back catalogue, straddling gorgeous synth-laden house, experimental techno and textural ambient diversions, spans 2 LPs on key Dutch labels Rush Hour, and numerous Eps for Delsin, alongside 12''s on his own Brack imprint.
The prolific British producer now follows up his recent 'Droid' single on Delsin, which featured remixes from close colleagues Cassegrain and Ed Davenport's Inland alter-ego.

Tipping his cap to 90s industrial techno, the A side delivers two uncompromising cuts. 'MDCCLXXII' is pacy and tough - brash drums merging with metallic, tonal signals and searing hats. 'Tor' is similarly

up-tempo however more stripped in comparison, Bnjmn continuing his inventive and challenging sound design in this Beltram-esque bassline killer.
The B side makes quite a contrast - 'T.E.N.S' being a short collage of buzzing,

cerebral electronics, leading into 'Where The Wild Berries Grow'. It's a fuzzy, hypnotic trip stretching out over 8 minutes - a glistening blend of lo-fi ambience and post-club psychedelia, all the while keeping us locked into a padded 4/4 throb.

Amongst the first bunch of this new label releases, we couldn't miss a tribute to one of the greatest masters of libraries recordings, Alessandro Alessandroni, born in 1925. In his long career Alessandroni has published lots of soundtracks - and we mean lots of - and for this he's considered a real star of Italian music. As a friend, and close collaborator of Ennio Morricone, he's remembered as "the whistle man" for his fundamental contribution to the immortal scores of Sergio Leone's movies. His class allowed him to range between genres and atmospheres, from beat to avant-garde, from funky to abstract compositions, always reaching and keeping the highest quality. This is immediately clear in "Il Tempo Dello Spirito", originally published in 1971 for the meritorious Flirt label. It's an album full of sacred music, gospel and spiritual, yet capable of personal flashes that make it interesting, particular and unique. Simple church songs In some cases it may seems so - titles as Ave Maria, Gloria In Excelsis Deo, Pellegrinaggio or Messa Solenne do not leave much room for doubt and interpretations - but Alessandroni is able to astonish even in extreme cases like this.

The Martinez Brothers Cuttin' Headz returns with a new EP from The Butcha, entitled '10001' and backed with two remixes from Matrixxman.Phil Moffa aka The Butcha is a New York City based musician, producer and engineer most notably known for his works alongside DJ Spider and Anthony Parasole for Sublevel Sounds / Plan B Recordings and alongside Seth Troxler for Hypercolour. Here we see him return to the fledgling Cuttin' Headz imprint with his idiosyncratic take on raw, emotive house music following his Destination Void release alongside DJ Spider and Brendon Moeller last year.Up first are two originals from The Butcha, the first of which '99 Prince St.' lays focus on echoing atmospherics, snaking Rhodes and shuffling dubbed out percussion while the latter, '6 Hubert St.' pivots towards an amalgamation an upfront organic rhythm alongside a weighty low end drive and wandering synth swells.
To complete the package San Francisco's Matrixxman delivers two interpretations, firstly the 'Acidized Mix' which as the name would suggest draws on squelching 303 lines layered over processed snippets from the original before the digital bonus 'Transhuman Mix' closes on an arpeggio fuelled Techno tip.
The Butcha's '10001' is out on Cuttin' Headz 23rd September 2016.

Ben Sun returns to Delusions for his 4th release on the label including three more tracks which show the Australian via London on his best form yet. Full Moon kicks off the Tides EP at full throttle with a muscular conga-led disco house roller. Slurping 909 hats and the most twisted of synth solos courtesy of regular collaborator Fantastic Man (and his beloved Juno 60) provide the icing on this simple bass-cake which never fails to energize the dancefloor in the most special of ways.
Star Ritual drops next, going heavy on the percussion once again for a minimal stripped back drum tool which packs a mighty punch. Dubbed out vocal hits punctuate the beautifully loose groove with subtle hints of afrobeat implied by the bassline making for a warm summer track dripping with tropical vibes.
Finally we have Glass Waves bringing the EP to a glorious close, all chiming synths, bouncing moog bass and waves of chords layering on top of a heavy drum track. Ben repping an early 90's blissed out Nu Groove mood on this one and managing to sound as fresh as ever in the process.

We want to present to your attention a compilation that consists of the Russian musicians' works. They're stylistically different, but in the same time they've got one energy and close affinity with classical sound. Musicians in this compilation represent a little-known stratum of a new Russian electronic scene. Their music embodies positive transformation of cultural values of our present and future. We'd like to thank all the musicians and those who support us. Peace!:)

On Scissor and Thread's fourth release of 2016, newcomer Villete takes a turn in the spotlight on their deep house stunner, 'Girl Next Door'. The A-side opens with the swelling pads and earnest hi-hat of Dreams". A distant voice declares everyone is devoted to their emotion, it's me and my imagination' before a springy bass line drops in, ushering in the mantra never be afraid to dream". A brassy synth further envelops the listener into the track's warm embrace as layers of percussion skitter in and out of focus. September' takes a turn for the cerebral with its' skipping hi-hats and airy pads. A springy bass line is accompanied by celestial synths that envelop the senses, making this psychedelic cut primed for after hours devastation. Villete goes even more cerebral on their introspective title cut, dialing back on the BPM, but keeping the energy high. A hushed bass and thudding kick take the backseat, allowing the hypnotizing, submerged pads and swirling, reverbed synths to take center stage, transporting dancers into eye-closed euphoria. The EP closes with the murky drum tones of Rillia". Droning pads, delicate claps, and a shy, skittering shaker keep things bubbling and light above the track's thicker than molasses kicks. Deep house maestro Darand Land takes his turn on the aforementioned track, lifting it out of the murk and straight up to the heavens and drenching it in his sun-kissed, euphoric style.

Tobias. explores space and gasiform substances with his Helium Sessions on Ostgut Ton. Following his recent image and sound collaboration with visual artist Valentina Berthelon as Recent Arts, Tobias. now delves into the idea of music reminiscing gas leaking into space with four new tracks.
While we all agree that there can't be sound in a vacuum, Science Fiction taught us the opposite, that space can potentially sound hyperfuturistic, hostile yet exciting. And since the Chandra X-ray Observatory discovered the deepest sound in the universe near a supermassive black hole - why should analogue synth jams with the stars seem impossible
With Helium Sessions Tobias. proposes an acoustic representation of the gaseous state of matter in space. LAGEOS 1' on A1 already sets the tone with meandering drones atop a gnawing synth pad and distorted flickering percussion. The title refers to the satellite LAGEOS-1 which will continue to orbit planet earth in 5,860 kilometers altitude for another 8.4 million years (or 4,418064E+12 minutes) - we'll let you do the maths of how often the 6:03-minute LAGEOS 1' could be played until the satellite's returnal.
Nucleon' on A2 comes with a more dubby, deep and throbbing feeling, Helios' on the flip features epic noise textures with shimmering melodic synth leads and a multi-layered break beat vibe, while Spectrum V' on B2 closes this 12 with another dub cut, detailed synth explorations and alienated vocal bits.
Helium Sessions offers four new zero-g tracks from Tobias. spread out over 27 minutes on this extended EP, his third full-length album will be landing in 2017.

Owner operator of Finale Sessions Music Michael Zucker has brought you a sister label called future sessions music to showcase his own music with close friends and family and we are excited to able to share this label with you. Starting with our first release with the detroit veteren Norm Talley and Finale Sessions veteren Michael Zucker and we will start with Norm Talley's music first with the track called 'power 'it has the sublime detroit deep sound with its sharp chords and that pumping deep kick and claps and it also has additional work from another detroit legend delano smith but what makes this track is the fantastic vocals from the soul. Track two 'lock jaw' is just raw beatdown late night track with deep chicago classic sound with a pumping kicks and mind altering synth. Then next we have Michael Zuckers first track 'parisian nights' with it's classic filtered classic chicago sound with proper pads and chords with a vocal drifting in and out of the spectrum . Track two ' thought process' is just an amazing deep inspired melodic trip with key's and that classic b4 organ that sets the tone for the pads and that lifted filtered sound . We are excited to be able to work together Norm Talley and myself and we hope you enjoy this journey also.

Fresh off the heels of the success of their 'Waiting Ground' EP, the boys in black, Frank & Tony, are skating back onto the scene with another four track summer stomper, 'Under the Jaguar Sun'. The A-side starts things off with the titular track, a rollicking deep house number primed for sunset raves. A bouncing and lush bass line is the back bone of the track, as crisp hi-hats, distant, yearning pads, and shimmering bells propel dancers forward into eyes closed euphoria. Things ramp up quickly into peak-time ecstasy on the Breakaway edit of Solo Andata's A Ballet of Hands.' A whirling dervish of delicate music boxes, bowed guitars, delicate music boxes, and distant horns swirl around and weave in and out between a skipping drum pattern, pushing and pulling alongside a gruff and stuttering bass, perfect for those late night rooftop ventures. The B-side takes listeners into early morning after hours territory, starting with the groovy Difficult Loves.' An airy and luscious double bass keeps things bouyed as introspective pads shimmer alongside pillars of aquatic synths. Backed by a classic, shuffling NY House drum groove, this one is best served late into the evening. The boys wrap things up on a high note with the latin vibes of Sargasso.' Crisp tambourines keep things light as dense kicks and a bass line deeper than the deepest canyon pull dancers deep into the floor with a warm embrace. The star of the show is the bouncing and earnest synth line, which is partnered up with a pair of playful toms in a game of cat and mouse, making this track a weapon anywhere you place it in a set.

After making some massive claims regarding electronic music last year which caused a stir in the dance music community, Mat Zo had a lot to live up to with his long awaited second album "Self Assemble". What didn't help was the fact that his first album, "Damage Control" was critically acclaimed by many within dance music and is now considered a modern-day masterpiece with mesmerising tracks such as The Sky and the massive Easy with Porter Robinson.Blending genres and sounds in a way only Zo can achieve, this record flows incredibly well as the tracks move from one to the other almost telling a story of the different styles of electronic music. At times the album is reminiscent of Zo's incredible Essential Mix from back in 2013 in the way that it progresses and constantly surprises the listeners. A lot funkier than Damage Control, it's no less incredible.
Beginning with the beautifully atmospheric "Order out of Chaos" which starts with an absolute wall of sound that boggles the mind in how Zo even went about designing something so complex, this sets the tone for the rest of the record in a cracking way. The melody soon crescendos and we're introduced in to the meat of the album with "The Enemy". Bringing out all the good funky vibes on this track, again Zo exhibits his insane production talents which are a staple of the album. Featuring vocals from the wonderful Sinead Egan, this is a great uplifting tune that'll no doubt have you dancing in your chair or in the club.
'Sinful" acts to continue the funky good-time vibes and transports us to a cool summertime drive. It has us yearning for happier times and again the guest vocals from I SEE MONSTAS go a long way in getting across this happy vibe. Featuring an uplifting almost french house inspired bassline and squelch synths that wouldn't look out of place on a Daft Punk or Madeon record, this is another stunning track from the record. "Patterns Emerging" feels like a bridge into the next section of the album and is unfortunately short. The orchestral element really brings out the emotion on this track and we only wish it was longer. "Killing Time" has those classic chopped up vocals that Zo uses to great effect and some nicely programmed drums that could be a nod to the drum and bass he used to put out under MRSA.'Smacked up on Jack" features some cool middle eastern sounds and a wacky vocal sample that helps to progress the album and keep the listener interested, again though we feel like it's a bit too short and are left wanting more. The next tune "Ruffneck Bad Boy VIP" is an absolute mammoth and one of our favourites off the record. Opening with an immense rhodes melodic sequence and after some nice vocals, the track rips into the electro house and dubstep infused banger that it really is. Some dirty, dirty sound design and drum production will have the dance floors going wild and shows us again why Zo is so good, it's a far cry from the funkier elements of the earlier stuff on the album and shows how Zo can show off a range of electronic sounds. "Lights Out" is a straight up hard hitting electro banger with an infectious vocal sample that only needs to be heard to be understood. Not much more needs to be said about it! Coming into the last section of the record, "Soul Food" returns us to the groove with an astonishing house beat and bass line that have us questioning how Zo makes it so hard not to smile listening to this album."Stereo no Aware" starts sounding like it's taken straight from a space movie epic and soon transforms into a goose bump inducing melody with a driving growling bass line that bring back the epic dubstep we all used to love a couple of years ago. Skrillex eat your heart out. Finishing off this record on a more emotional note, "Too Late" starts off like a guitar ballad and then transforms into something totally different. Egan's melancholic vocals enhance this track to great effect and is all backed by Zo's lovely downbeat production until we're treated to a monster of a climax around half way through the track which will surely blow the cobwebs right off you. Zo says goodbye to us with the phenomenal "The Last Transmission" and what a way this is to close out an incredible sophmore album for the English producer. The melancholic piano chords are a subtle and pleasing way to close out this journey of a record. Mat Zo really has outdone himself here and we're really looking forward to hearing some of these bombs dropped live. Surely a contender for album of the year at such an early stage, yet again it's only the best delivered by Mat Zo.
Latest album, Damage Control was Grammy-nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album last year

When Kompakt came across Amsterdam-based Harm Coolen and Merijn Schotte Albers aka WEVAL back in 2014, we were blown away when we heard their slow-burning, darkly emotive tracks.

Their debut EP 'Half Age' on Atomnation featured painfully intimate and surprisingly kinetic electronic chamber pop that convinced us they were a perfect fit in Kompakt's family. Following two widely acclaimed EPs for Kompakt and playing numerous festivals including DGTL, Reeperbahn, Iceland Airwaves and Piknic Electronik, we now see the two tackle their self-titled debut full-length WEVAL. What you have before you is not a mere collection of tracks, but a complete listening experience with organic flow, emotional heft and a narrative thread.
Smitten with WEVAL's uniquely personal and catchy approach to producing dark electronic music, it didn't take much to win us over... and so came WEVAL's acclaimed 2014 label debut EASIER EP (KOMPAKT 318), followed by the bold and beautiful 2015 offering IT'LL BE JUST FINE / GROW UP (KOMPAKT 344) which saw the two soundsmiths digging deeper into the granularities of electronic funk than ever before. However, Harm and Merijn's music - while astonishingly fully-formed even in its earliest stages - always seemed destined for more, a bigger format, more space to explore the nooks and crannies of their rapidly evolving sound cosmos. Simply put, they needed to think about an album and their beloved living room studio wasn't cutting it anymore.
An old school building became WEVAL's new home, repurposed to house small creative businesses - but in the summer of 2015, it was abandoned most of the time, with everybody out in the sun while our heroes turned the building's attic into a sweet spot to make some noise, have 24-hour access and lose track of time. And apart from a sketchy tenant being evicted, the occasional soccer game with friends and live gigs across Europe, there really was no interruption to the focussed vibe. It's not like they were looking for distraction anyway: "working on the album all by ourselves in this bloody hot attic was all we had on our mind", the artists admit. And they decided that their album shouldn't sound too clean: "We try to find the beauty in imperfection. It makes things sound more human".
Weval draw their inspirations from no single genre of music but a cumulation of music that inspires them. The results present an astonishingly coherent vision - cuts like the dramatic THE BATTLE, bass growler I DON'T NEED IT or the trippy epic MADNESS share the same DNA of zestful nostalgia, a knack for immersive sound-sculpting and that certain kink in the groove. They also feed on deeply personal experiences and moods, as exemplified by the haunting electronic ballad YOU'RE MINE, the carefully layered, polaroid-tinted JUST IN CASE or the beautifully voiced closer YEARS TO BUILD. And sometimes, it's just an old, out-of-tune piano that stands in the hallway: "Whenever I'd pass by it, I couldn't resist playing it", says Merijn, "so Harm decided to start recording and it became an integral part of YOU MADE IT (PART I)". No doubt about it: this is WEVAL's most powerful and organic material yet - which means a lot, considering the amount of skill already on display in their small, but weighty portfolio.
(de) Als sich 2014 in Amsterdam Kompakts Wege mit denen von Harm Coolen und Merijn Schotte Albers aka WEVAL kreuzten, waren wir sofort Feuer und Flamme für ihre schwelenden, emotional aufgeladenen Tracks. Ihre Debüt-EP "Half Age" auf Atomnation präsentierte intimen und überraschend kinetischen, elektronischen Kammer-Pop, der wie angegossen zu Kompakt zu passen schien. Nach zwei vielbeachteten EPs auf dem Label und einer Reihe von Festvialgigs (inklusive DGTL, Reeperbahn Festival, Iceland Airwaves und Piknic Electronik) nehmen Weval nun mit dem gleichnamigen Release ihr erstes Album in Angriff. Und legen dabei nicht einfach nur eine Ansammlung von Tracks vor, sondern kreieren eine komplette Hörerfahrung mit organischem Flow, emotionalem Gewicht und einm roten Faden.
Angetan vom einzigartig persönlichen und mitreissend düsteren Klang WEVALs brauchte es nicht viel um uns zu überzeugen... und so kam es 2014 zum gefeierten Labeldebüt EASIER EP (KOMPAKT 318), gefolgt vom kühnen und wunderschönen 2015er Release IT'LL BE JUST FINE / GROW UP (KOMPAKT 344), für das die beiden Soundtüftler tiefer denn je in die Granularitäten des elektronischen Funks abtauchten. Nichtsdestotrotz - und obwohl sie schon von Anfang an ausgereift klang - schien die Musik von Harm und Merijn auf dem 12"-Format stets bestimmt für mehr: mehr Freiraum um auch die äussersten Winkel ihres rapide expandierenden Soundkosmos zu erkunden. Sie mussten schlichtweg zum Langspielformat wechseln, und ihr heissgeliebtes Wohnzimmerstudio konnte da nicht mehr mithalten.
Ein altes Schulgebäude wurde schliesslich WEVALs neues Zuhause, umfunktioniert für kleine Kreativunternehmen - doch im heissen Sommer 2015 stand es zumeist leer, da alle draussen in der Sonne badeten, während unsere Helden im Schweisse ihres Angesichts das Kellergeschoss in ein lärmfestes Aufnahmestudio verwandelten. Mit Studiozugang rund um die Uhr liess es sich bestens die Zeit vergessen. Und abgesehen von der Räumung eines zwielichtigen Nebenmieters, dem gelegentlichen Fussballspiel mit Freunden und natürlich Live-Gigs in ganz Europa, gab es auch keine Ablenkungen vom hochkonzentrierten Kreativfluss. Ablenkungen, die das Duo ohnehin nicht suchte: "ganz allein in diesem verdammt heissen Keller am Album arbeiten war alles, was wir im Sinn hatten", geben die Künstler zu. Und sie entschieden sich, dass ihr Album nicht zu sauber klingen sollte: "Wir versuchen die Schönheit im Makel zu finden. Es lässt die Dinge einfach menschlicher wirken."
Weval beziehen ihre Inspiration nicht aus einem einzelnen musikalischen Genre, sondern eher aus einer Akkumulation von Musik, die sie inspiriert. Die Ergebnisse zeichnet eine beeindruckend kohärente Vision aus - Aufnahmen wie das dramatische THE BATTLE, der Bassknurrer I DON'T NEED IT oder die Trip-Saga MADNESS teilen diesselbe DNA aus schwungvoller Nostalgie, einer Schwäche für immersive Klangschnitzerei und einer gewissen Delle im Groove. Sie nähren sich auch aus zutiefst persönlichen Erfahrungen und Stimmungen, wie zum Beispiel bei der eindringlichen elektronischen Ballade YOU'RE MINE, dem vorsichtig geschichteten, polaroid-gefärbten JUST IN CASE oder dem wunderschön gesungenen Schlussakt YEARS TO BUILD. Und manchmal ist es nur ein altes, verstimmtes Klavier, das im Flur herumsteht: "Immer wenn ich dran vorbei lief, musste ich darauf herumklimpern", erklärt Merijn, "also wurde es ein zentraler Bestandteil von YOU MADE IT (PART I)". Kein Zweifel: dies ist WEVAL's stärkstes und organischstes Material bisher - was durchaus was bedeutet, wenn man das Talent bedenkt welches bereits in schmalen, doch gewichtigen Portfolio der Band steckt.

Delivering Verse III, Synthek concludes the first trilogy on his newborn imprint STK, showing once again is unrestricted approach to modern techno, which spans from bleeping offbeats to more stompin' and melodic tracks. 'Distress Mode' opens the record with a slow and solemn intro, ripped off by broken beats and obsessive bleeps, which escalate quickly into sonic madness. 'Diverse' closes the Aside with a somehow funked out mood, sounding causal at first, but recomposing once hihats break in, into a slick syncopate cut. The flipside is definitely more club oriented, opening with 'Reflection', where heavy beats and haunting melodies build up ceaselessly momentum. Last minimalistic cut : 'The End' finalises the release with propulsive rhythms designed to twist the dancefloor.

Killekill catalogue number 025 is a jubilee release:
It's KILLEKILL MEGAHITS II !!
But it's not only a jubilee release. It's also milestone and turning point in the Killekill history, because with this release Killekill closes one chapter, and opens up another.
We are constantly getting too many demos full with good music in way too many different styles to squeeze them onto one label. So finally we have come to the point where we will start a line of new labels with different profiles to give ourselves the opportunity to feature even more daring artists and release whatever we like in the most suitable outfit for it.
So far, there is this compilation, which has been carefully compiled for your pleasure. Label regulars such as Cassegrain & Tin Man, Furfriend, Alex Cortex or Eomac have delivered high quality stuff of all kinds, but we are also introducing a lot of artists who will feature on the coming labels:
Umwelt with his epic and dramatic electro, who will release an album with us later in 2016, Dez Williams with his genre-crossing sound which works on every dance floor plus Power Vacuum's Bintus who delivers his portion of electro/acid madness on Record 1.
Record 2 features the legendary Detroit Grand Pubahs, who present their electro outfit Techmarine Bottom Feeders, The Fool's Stone, which is a new project by Hard Ton, electro legend Adriano Canzian and italian queer artist Brigida plus London's underground hero Jerome Hill, who lets it jack and roll with his Memory Machine.
On Record 3 Kamikaze Space Programme surprises with some bell-driven percussive techno and what can we say It is with great pride that we include the acid techno epos by none other than the legendary 'Prince of Techno' Blake Baxter.
This compilation is a trip through a big musical universe. Enjoy!

Modelisme is proud to welcome the french talented and prolific artist Anaxander we use to
see on labels as Pokerflat, Tasteful Nudes, Quintessential, Local Talk to name a few..
House - Techno moods have no secret for him, and for this 30th release on the label, he
delivers a surprising and solid EP based on House Music mainly.
B1 - « Turn Out » is a great boogie house track, plenty of Disco Funk influences built on a fat
groove with a slight mainstream vocals.
B2 - « Party Track (Midnight In Malmousque Mix) » is an exceptional Slow Deep House
Techno with a slight Soul Electro Funk touch, solid and floating, warm bodies and sunglasses
ready to make dance under early sunrise or smoked club dance floor inside.
A1 - « Party Track (Kai Alce Remix) » remixed by one of Deep House fathers Kai Alce,
NDATL label Boss and author of numerous Eps on Track Mode, Mahogani Music, FXHE,
Deep Explorer.. This superb remix is in classical Deep Chicago House vein, close to some
Glenn Underground works, Jazz Funk influences and subtle grooves.
Already Supported by Jimpster, Ooft, Kelton Prima, Grego G, Jee, Mugwump, Hardrock
Striker, Oyvind Morken, Dj Steef, Jona Saucedo, Michael Zucker, Hydergine, Kriss
Liferecorder, Dawad & Mokic, Virgo Music, La dame Noir & more...

The next installment on Aus Music sees the return of a relatively new addition to the roster Rob Glassett aka Fold. Throughout previous 12s on Manmakemusic and Electric Minds and on his outstanding 'Netflix & Chill' debut for Aus last year - Fold has laced together dusty House grooves built with a classic approach to sampling Funk, Disco and Soul records. Next up - his 'Lenny's Jam' EP starts up with a dub techno groove built with delayed and panned stabs and sharp, pacy drums. 'Rosie Lea' lays out a rich and sunny groove as a playful sample filters into focus over deftly treated drum kit samples and a buoyant bass line. 'Tracksuits and Tennis Shoes' then follows up with a no-nonsene party jam - a short funk link is set over a booming kick that closes up a nicely varied package".

Following two EP releases on Delusions Of Grandeur the time felt right for thatmanmonkz to get working on his debut LP. The Sheffield b-boy is no newcomer to production having been releasing music since the mid-noughties but has seen a definite rise in interest the last few years following essential releases on his own Shadeleaf label as well as remixes and productions for the likes of Classic, Kolour LTD and Kon's StarTime.
With his first musical love being Hip Hop it's easy to understand how his approach to house turns out so refreshing. Inevitably MPC's, big, bold samples, Jay Dee inspired grooves and a raw, underproduced sound all play a big part and never one to shy away from an interesting collaboration he has enlisted the skills of several vocalists including Detroit MC Ta'raach (whose credits include Slum Village and Jill Scott), Erik Rico (collabs include Ron Trent and DJ Spinna), Khalil, Dave Aju, Pete Simpson (as A Brother Is...) and Malik Ameer.
Things kick off with a low-slung soul jam entitled Air featuring Kahil Anthony complete with sparkling Rhodes arps and a dub-wise bassline underpinning a beautifully lazy groove. Jus Anutha Wunna Deez follows with a rough and ready house jam that clearly doffs its cap to those old Sound Signature and Mahogoni Music releases we know and love so much. Next up we have Boogie Down with Erik Rico rocking some Parliament inspired vocal business bringing the feelgood vibes to this rolling P-Funker. Some Ol' Nex' Ish goes for a jazz samba meets house fusion whilst A Fly New Tune goes strictly old school with a classic combo of dusty break, filtered fusion rhodes n bass sample, movie dialogue snippets and a masterful flow delivered by Ta'raach. Dave Aju steps up next on Turn It Out laying down a unison vocal refrain to compliment the bumping disco groove complete with a call and response section for some singalong party participation!
As we continue, Another Night Under The Glitterball sees thatmanmonkz back in familiar territory with a rock solid, deep jazz-house jam. On I Can Hardly Breathe we're treated to a downtempo gospel-infused affair which leads us perfectly into the most bumpy club- friendly track of the LP For Bae. Moon On The Hill is a collaboration with Italian DJ Kali and his Raw Standard crew and treats us to some distinctly mid 90's Kruder and Dorfmeister vibes to zone out to before heading off in an altogether more bonkers, psychedelic dancehall direction on Vampires. Baked is another classy thatmanmonkz take on Hip Hop featuring Malik Ameer on the mic. Take U 2 My House sounds like something Prince might have made in the mid-80's if he'd just come off a 3 day bender at Panorama Bar. And closing the show in perfect style and fashion we have For Those I've Lost Along The Way which is a blunted yet beautifully optimistic number that has echoes of Lonnie Liston Smith and a brilliant spiritual vocal sample which provides the perfect closer to an amazing debut LP.

Manuel and Julian (Bedlam) experiment in different Setups on the fringes of modernist Techno. Working about freely allows them to keep a spontaneous Jam feel to their music. Utilizing whatever hard and software they can get their hands on, their tracks levitate from straight-up punchiness to subbed, backstabbing synths and more eclectic notes.

Side A:
Opens with kickless track - NUCK CHARMS , builds up the tension needed for brute, peak energy live cut, DELIA'S DENTIST'. - STEADY ON THE BRAKE however, plays with the expectation of a kick drum, setting the focus on a sneaky synth line, delivering dynamic to the early stages of a set.

On Side B:
The opener JETSUN' sets foot into more field-tested territories of Techno with an expansive bassline and driving percussions. - WALDO'S MOMENT , the track after, provides an electro framework, coated in overly dramatic arabesque melodics. The EP is secluded by close friend and label partner Sedus, who turns the quirky electronics of - WALDO'S MOMENT / SEDUS VERSION into a candid peak-time banger, utile in any Techno set.
Stock Projects - S/T' arrives in a limited run of 300 on 140g vinyl.

Delivering us the nineteenth edition of Balans Records is Benny Rodrigues aka ROD, a well-versed and talented producer who has had a strong relationship with the Dutch label and its owner after releasing its fourth release back in 2011.

Opening the EP is '3yr', a mellow track that steadily climbs into a euphoric blend of dub-inspired chords and refined symbols to form an elegant composition. Taking an unexpected turn, 'Float' is reminiscent of a nostalgic voyage Eastbound into the unknown as a traditional flute whistles a techno lullaby.

On the flipside, 'Kloduba's composition cleverly corresponds with '3yr' as its gentle patterns gradually develop to harmonize together. To close out the EP 'Lego' engages the listener as the sounds of watery blips enthusiastically scatter throughout. This four-tracker finds itself a perfect home in the Balans collection, filled with masterly Dutch artists taking a stab at timeless techno tracks.

Norman Jay MBE presents his latest compilation, titled 'Good Times Skank & Boogie', set for release 9th October 2015 on Sunday Best Recordings. This is his first compilation since 2011's Good Times 30th Anniversary Addition and follows on from his hotly anticipated Good Times Goes East party at St John Church at Hackney on 29th August.
Norman Jay is undoubtedly one of the finest and highly respected DJs in the world today and yet again pulls from his impressive collection to provide the ultimate eclectic selection.
For this 12th compilation, for those of you counting, Norman kicks off with St Germain's version of Henry Mancini's Pink Panther Theme. A cult favourite from 2004s Pink Panther Penthouse Party album, it of course immediately brings Peter Sellers to mind and a smile to your face. Next up former Uniques front man Slim Smith's Everybody Needs Love is a classic from 1968, cut at the legendary Duke Reid's Treasure Isle studio. Penned originally by Motown heroes Norman Whitfield and Eddie Holland and covered by household names including The Temptations and Glady's Knight & The Pips, Slim's version became something of a signature tune until his mysterious death in 1971. Sticking with Motown, Stevie Wonder's Living For The City is up next but it's the Michael McDonald rendition from his 2008 album Soul Speak, which proves the man who gave us the sublime Sweet Freedom had lost none of his class 20 plus years on.
D-Influence's Good Lover takes things up and brings them closer to home, to the streets of London infact. After a couple of independent releases the band, who had strong connections to the London Jazz and Soul scenes, served up this contemporary boogie tune as part of their 1992 debut long player for East West. They would subsequently score hits as a production team for a number of British R&B acts. Homegrown soul continues with Paul Johnson's Better Than This, released here via longstanding UK soul imprint Expansion to deserved acclaim last year. It's quality and appeal are simply timeless, whilst master Dego and Kaidi's mix adds a classic 80s soul dimension to proceedings.
The Chi-Lites I Keep Comin' Back To You and The Real Thing's Love Takes Tears continue and expand the 80s theme, bringing in 2-step and boogie, as does Deodato's Never Knew Love from the same period.
We switch again with Delroy Wilson's Better Must Come, a massively popular sufferers lament from 1971 by this former Jamaican child star, it would go on to be used in election campaigns by various Jamaican political parties. Kent People by Laurel Aitken & The Gruvy Beat is the next one out the box and was the flip to the 1969 anthem Skinhead Train. It features the UK's top reggae band of the era The Rudies, who along with Aitken, the widely-proclaimed Godfather of Ska, comprised of Earl Dunn (lead guitar), Trevor White (bass), Sonny Binns (keyboards) and Danny Smith (drums). They would go on to enjoy UK chart success backing singer Freddie Notes before they evolved into Greyhound. From the same year Splash Down by The Crystalites is another slate that ignited dance floors in both Jamaica and the UK upon release. Some of you will have noticed the rhythm track is the same as that of the earlier Kingstonians' best-seller, Sufferer, which came courtesy of legendary producer Derrick Harriott.
As the end draws close The Stone City Band featuring Rick James serve up some hard edged boogie, hotly followed by a classic Tom Moulton slice of late 70s disco courtesy of The Fantastic Four and their I Got To Have Your Love. If that doesn't have you dancing then Chanson's superb Don't Hold Back featuring James Jamerson Jr. on bass will leave you no choice. Classic Good Times indeed.

After starting up the infamous Invites Choice podcast series in 2011 and launching his Invites Choice Records with a debut EP by himself, Tim van Paradijs (A.K.A. Invite) continues with a banging follow-up-EP. The EP starts with a percussion driven, repetitive track by the likes of Spanish producer Tadeo, dubbed Deeyiam. This track lends itself perfectly for those deep yet powerful sets. Zadig is put on duty for A2 and deliverd a straight forward yet funky track named Dr. Fastolfe in which the low, bassy synth stands out and just draws you straight into the track. Invite, like in his podcast series, likes his fair mix of established artists and newcomers to the releasing scene. New to the vinyl releasing game are Dutch duo Moving Thoughts; they provide the EP with the oldschool oriented track Lost in which both the heavy-hitting kick and bass and the evolving and repeating synth stand out. Invite closes the EP with his track Micro which shows that Steve Rachmad influenced both his DJ-sets and productions for a great deal. 4 different artists, 4 different tracks but a very strong and coherent EP indeed!

Coming out of Amsterdam via London, Breach's Naked Naked imprint has been a platform from the globally lauded producer can launch club-ready material both from himself and his peers. Having previously released records from Maison Sky, J.Tijn and Viers - the next in an ever-reliable series welcomes back Church and 2020 Midnight Visions affiliate Lorca for his third outing on the label. Hailing from Brighton, Lorca has garnered a following behind several extolled 12s showcasing his intricate and spectral brand of UK Electronic music. His latest offering expands on this with three moody cuts that meld eyesdown melodies with sharp, lively drum structures. 'Creta Kano' kicks things off with ticking percussion scurrying over a rubbery, tape driven thud. Deft dynamics build depth in the mix as detuned and delayed synth lines interweave to stunning effect. 'Malta Kano' then sets more textures bubbling behind bright drums and powerful, melodic synth leads. The Alt version of 'Creta Kano' then brings things to a dark and purposeful close. Field recordings gently bleed in and out of focus while more glowing synthesis occupies the foreground. A warped sequence circles in towards the close bringing another insight into the chops of one of the UK's most dynamic and exciting young producers to a close".

As the first output of our new label we present you RTGD001: the Won't Cry' EP by Matteo Luis & Lo, both part of the fam & currently finishing the last touches of their upcoming debut album. The young cologne natives offer a warming and moony/dreamy/atmospheric work from their archives to start the labels catalogue as smooth as possible. Alongside Matteo's deeply driven signature sound, Lo's lyrics will lead you into a dreamy state with blue pills in backstreets and babies and pigs in the sky. The original was reworked trice by amongst others, friends of the emerging label as well as long time role models of the label heads Marlon Hofffstadt and Goldberg. The former delivers a drifty and impulsive close to the floor interpretation of Won't Cry, whilst buddy Johnjons remix gleams through percussive sequence sounds and a further deep touch. Besides these two auspicious interpretations, no other than Running Back boss Gerd Janson and fellow Philipp Lauer are highlighting their perspective on the title track in appearance of their renowned and outstanding supergroup Tuff City Kids. The duos' outcome is an ingeniously constructed rework of Matteo Luis and Lo's original that never fails to raise euphoria throughout the whole track. Each copy is fully printed with an artwork of Berlin based surrealist Hermann Reimer.

Out with a bang, 'Blitz Magic' is the final release in the Jose Padilla 'Too Many Colours' campaign from International Feel. A carefully curated project, from the selection of producers working on the album (Mark Barrott, Wolf Müller, Tornado Wallace, Telephones, I:Cube and Dream 2 Science), superior productions and remixes to boot, through to the beautiful artwork. Now it draws to a beautiful close. 'Blitz Magic' a Telephones production is the perfect club track to follow the wondrous 'Lollipop'. The original of 'Blitz Magic' is a lovely balearic ride that feels the influence of the all time classic 'E2E4' or in turn 'Sueno Latino'. It has now been placed in the hands of Tambien and Deetron for remix duties. Tambien are a trio from Munich. They are the Bartellow and Public Possession pair Marvin & Valentino who have released on various labels but in recent times ESP Institute and their own Public Possession. They create that intriguing mix where intelligent meets club music such as their Jil Thunder Light Remix. Deetron is an awardwinning Swiss producer and DJ that keeps his soul in Detroit and his heart in warm techno. This sound is perfectly shown in his stripped down remix cleaning out the drums and taking it back to pure club values. As Autumn arrives it feels the perfect time to release this third single from Padilla, the last in a beautiful string of releases that for International Feel have perfectly encompassed the Balearic sound as it is now. Play loud and you'll get the benefits.

José P adilla is loved by many for his work soundtracking sunsets at the Café Del Mar and compiling the seminal Café Del Mar compilations which sold over six million copies. His fans are wide and varied, on one end of the spectrum you have Madonna or Karl Lagerfeld, and on the other DJ legends such as Harvey and Andrew Weatherall. His new album ' So Many Colours' was released on International Feel earlier this summer to great acclaim and is regarded as the most forwardthinking Balearic album of the year.
FEEDBACK
I played it loud, Tambien mix is beautifully bizarre. - Mark E
Deetron mix is magical - a organic knights of the jaguar .. - Terry Farley
Simply brilliant. Loooove both mixes. Thanks a lot - Laurent Garnier

Originally released as a strictly limited 10-inch vinyl record exclusive on Record Store Day 2012, this long sold-out must-have for fans of these two artists will finally be re-issued - this time in 12-inch format!
Erased Tapes label mates Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm recorded and mixed their first collaborative record between Reyjkjavík and Berlin as a surprise release for label founder Robert Raths.
The ambient/electronic work 'Stare' is a true family effort with long-time collaborator Anne Müller joining in on cello and all graphics created by close label-friend and designer Torsten Posselt of FELD Studios.

Words by Nils Frahm: 'I heard 'Eulogy For Evolution' for the first time six years ago and I was totally captivated. Impossible to know back then that I was supposed to meet Ólafur many years later as my label mate. Later when he took me along a tour of his we also noted that we kind of like hanging out together, doing important things like cover versions of long forgotten songs or eating veggie pizza. Also he would join my live set for a jam and I would return the favour by playing along with his set.

All in all, I fell for Óli and after one memorable jam session we had in Berlin at Roter Salon in 2011, he finally proposed the idea to visit me in my studio in Berlin to work on 'some music'. I was happy and delighted about that idea, so we got together in April 2011 and after having a big pizza, I plugged in some old analogue synths and we played for four days until late in the night. Also queen Anne Müller stopped by after a show with Agnes Obel to record some cello at 5 am in the morning for 'b1'. Making music together with people is lovely!

The time I spent with Óli in Berlin made me very happy and the music wasn't like anything I have heard before. It was all very reduced and minimal and I felt like I couldn't have done this alone. So we decided to do another 4-day jam at Óli´s E7 studio in Reykjavik. So I flew there in the end of October 2011 to repeat the trick and record some out of this world ambient music. It didn't take us too long to write 'a1' and 'a2'. I can't wait for the follow up!'

Up and coming Belgium-born activist Philippe Petit, operator of the Knotweed and Decision Making Theory labels, returns to Figure SPC with a delightfully versatile four tracker. Spanning cold-wavesynth electronics, purist club techno and up-building melodic zones, its perhaps Petits strongest effort yet. Capturing a neo-classical, archaic mood in >Mist Solaris Negative Zone Suspended< closes the EP with a joyful, above the clouds journey, lifting up weightlessly into the ether.

Continuing on from Vol 1's theme of established artists working in disguise, 'Music First Vol 2' delivers another sonic assault with this absolute rollercoaster ride of a record. The mysterious Scorpio T opens the EP with 'Neptune Rising', a squelching acid-bass boomer that can simultaneously spiritually elevate and physically devastate any dancefloor. Rounding off Side A it's followed by Scandalous Arthur's 'Acid In My Mind', a lo-fi tape-hissed jacking beast of a banger that sounds like it's genuinely been brewing in a vat of highly toxic acid for at least 25 years and guaranteed to melt your mind. On the flipside comes JaX DaX returning from Vol 1 with the low-frequency moody slo-mo electro workout 'Fucking Computer' that oozes bad attitude and booty-shaking basslines in equal abundance. Bringing the trip to a close is Kyrenic Azalee with the self-titled 'Kyrenic Azalee', an x-rated new beat tour-de-force of epic proportions that will fry minds and bodies with its relentless energy. Limited edition so don't sleep on it, not that it would let you.

Bunny Lee's Flying Cymbals or flyers rhythms dominated the Dancehalls and the charts during 1974 and 1975.The style based around the Philadelphia disco or the Philly Bump ,the sound of an open and closed hi-hat was not necessarily novel but Striker's innovations of bringing a number of different elements into play most certainly was.
Johnny Clarke's interpretation of Earl Zero's 'None Shall Escape the Judgement' not only opens this se but also opened the floodgates for the flyers style.
The story had begun the previous year with Lowell'Sly'Dunbar.
'Sly played the flying cymbals first'....I said to Sly' You played it on the Delroy Wilson tune for Channel One named 'It's a Shame' AND Sly played it before that was with Skin, Flesh & Bones on 'Here I am Baby Come and Take Me' the Al Green tune, when Al Brown sung it for Dickie Wong with the 'tsk,tsk,tsk' sound on the hi-hat,I named it flyers but they didn't know what flyers was!!!'..Bunny Striker Lee
Before too long 'Every tune we put out we put the rhythm behind it' and every Kingston producer followed suit with their own variation of Striker's Flying Cymbals Rhythms...........

Back in 2013, Futureboogie released The Fade EP by Outboxx, a record that received critical acclaim from the who's who of music press, helping to propel Outboxx on the upward trajectory they've managed to maintain since those early releases. Unsurprisingly, Futureboogie are delighted to get the pair back for more.
Having developed their sound in the two years since, the pair has refined the raw ingredients of those records to show a combined maturity beyond their collective years. Previously the pair of producers (Matthew Lambert and Jake 'Hodge' Martin) have released music on respected independent imprints such as BRSTL, Idle Hands, Well Rounded Records and Local Talk; honing their analogue rich sound that touches on the hard edge of drum machine rhythms crafted by Hodge and the harmonic, jazz soaked embellishments from Lambert on Keys.
'Day One' opens with the sound of a string sample drifting behind warm drums to beautifully open up proceedings. As the track develops with an explosion of shuffling hi hats, the main hook enters with more than a nod to the classic Acid basslines of a 303, built to hypnotize dancers into the early hours with subtle simplicity.
The EP's title track 'Under The Lights' shows the pairs appreciation of Disco, with overdriven drums and a dotting bassline setting the feel. As the track develops, elements of Detroit enter the picture, with more string samples setting the key, and further allowing Lambert to contribute more of his signature Jazz licks as the track winds down to an unwanted close.
'Gift of Life' features the always-beautiful vocal contributions from long-term collaborator, Naomi Jeremy. Having featured on some of their most memorable releases to date, Jeremy's vocals again add a complexity often found in Jazz, but with the drum machine funk of 90's House; creating a sound that blurs the lines between sampling and original composition, uniquely, as only Outboxx can.
The record ends on the appropriately named 'Closing Titles', a track seemingly built to allow Lambert the opportunity to show his prowess and mastery of melody and harmony. Creeping basslines and warm chords mix with looped drum machine rhythms to wind down the release elegantly, showing the pairs versatility and understanding of each other's strengths.

I am very happy and excited to present the new EP by 'Claudia Anderson' on Singular Rec., it's her second release on the label and it's a real pleasure.
She cooked a really varied record once again, 'Liquid Forms' takes place on A1 and it's real voodoo here, the effect of this track is very unique, it's space and deep, surrounded by many little effects that give such a special result, then comes 'Neutral State', a timeless dub & house feeling, very loopy, that reminded me some STL cuts.
'Be One' opens the B... I ve been really sensible to its very sexy percussion's play and delayed lead, it transports literally during all the length, it's very high quality.
To end properly this ep, Claudia did a superb ambient cut, everybody knows I love ambient and so here I ve been charmed... it's a deep, noisy atmospheric track that close the all perfectly, with simple little percussions that come and go, just what it takes...
It's a confirmation of all the good I thought about Claudia's talent, a very subtle, deep and charming record, and I hope you will like it as much as I do!
Marcelus.

Apartment returns with a release exploring 3 facets of house music all inter-connected by the vocals of UK Soul & R'n'B singer, Greg Blackman (BBE Music). Steve Legget's (Four Hands, Claremont 56) original Believe Mix, the catalyst for the project, is an expansive 10 minute-plus journey through wistful dub lead by Blackman's soaring vocals. On the flip Mark Hand (Signals From The North) delivers a re-working; sculpting a beautiful, sun-kissed masterpiece featuring drums and percussion by Darren Moore alongside Hand's inspired playing on the Rhodes and Moog. To close out the release NCW finally makes a return to APT and subsequently gets lost in the DMZ pitching and twisting Blackman's vocals over a pulsating, bumping house banger.