Suche:dis fig

Black Truffle is thrilled to announce Dalbergia Retusa, an extensive double LP selection of the solo guitar music of Hans Reichel, compiled by Oren Ambarchi. Last heard on Black Truffle as one quarter of the joyously anarchic Bergisch-Brandenburgisches Quartett, Hans Reichel (1949-2011) is one of the great figures of experimental guitar music. Though perhaps lesser known than peers like Derek Bailey, Fred Frith and Keith Rowe, Reichel’s rethinking of the instrument was in some ways the most radical of all. Early on, he dispensed with existing guitars to build a series of his own that explored the use of additional strings and fretboards, moveable pickups, extra bridges, special capos, and other innovations documented in the extensive booklet accompanying this release.

Reichel was a long-term resident of Wuppertal, the small Western Germany city that became an unlikely centre of European free jazz in the late 1960s, also home to Peter Brötzmann and Peter Kowald. His solo debut Wichlinghauser Blues was an early entry into the FMP discography and began a relationship with the label that stretched into the 1990s; all the solo performances heard here were first released on FMP. As Reichel says in the charming archival interview with Markus Müller included here, he was ‘always a cuckoo’s egg at FMP’, a label that began as an outlet for roaring European free jazz. What strikes the listener right from the opening selection on Dalbergia Retusa—‘Return of the Knödler show’, from 1987’s The Dawn of Dachsman—is the extraordinary beauty of Reichel’s music, at once alien in the shimmering sonorities and unconventional pitch relationships made possible by his invented instruments, and deeply lyrical, even romantic in its harmonic content. Growing up in West Germany in the 1960s, Reichel’s formative influences were mainly British and American rock bands, a background that shines through in many of the pieces included here: ‘An old friend passes by’ is haunted by the ghost of Hendrix’s rhythm guitar, and the wild closer ‘Heimkehr der Holzböcke’, taken from a rare 1975 7” and the only piece to use overdubbing, layers errant hammer-on and slide tones over a Canned Heat boogie chug.

Reichel was an important source for the development of Oren Ambarchi’s own extended approach to the electric guitar. Appropriately enough, his selection opens with the very first piece by Reichel he ever heard, on a flexidisc included with a 1989 issue of Guitar Player magazine. Though Reichel collaborated with others extensively in many settings and also performed on violin and his other major contribution to instrument invention, the daxophone, his music for solo guitar remains at the core of his oeuvre. Focusing exclusively on solo pieces recorded between 1973 and 1988, the 23 pieces on Dalbergia Retusa showcase the range and consistency of Reichel’s work, allowing the listener to see how his performances developed hand-in-hand with his instrumental inventions. On a piece from his very first LP, played on an 11-string instrument (partly strung with piano strings and using a schnapps glass a slide), we hear his intensive exploration of fret-hammering to create zither-like, chiming tone, which Reichel would hone further in later years with a double fretboard guitar specifically designed to be hammered rather than fretted and picked. On a piece from 1979’s Death of the Rare Bird Ymir, Reichel uses two steel-string acoustic guitars at once, with beautiful results: ‘some even say too beautiful’, he jokes in the interview included here. Many of the pieces from the 1980s make use of varieties of the ‘pick behind the bridge guitar’, instruments of uncanny harmonic richness primarily designed to be played on the ‘wrong’ side of the bridge. At times the unexpected behaviour of attacks, resonance, and decay can almost seem electronic, conjuring up the technology-assisted work of Henry Kaiser or even Fennesz, but realised solely through Reichel’s unorthodox techniques on his invented instruments. Extensively illustrated with photos and Reichel’s own plans and drawings of his instruments, Dalbergia Retusa is an essential introduction to the unique world of Hans Reichel. Rarely has music been at once so strange and so beautiful.

New 12” from WEorUS Records, catalog number WU009, is titled "First Dip" by Wetsuit. The record is written and produced by Vincent Lemieux and Ohm Hourani, two acclaimed figures known for their contributions to forward-thinking electronic music. This fresh EP features three tracks: “It’s OK” on one side, with “Believe it” and “Papapi Papapa” on the other, promising a genre-blurring journey ideal for discerning selectors. Jazz infusion and eclectic electronic production is the best way to identify this masterpiece.
Mastering is handled by Cristobal Urbina, ensuring high-fidelity audio.

Daniele Baldelli
"A pleasant surprise to find in this release various atmospheres and sounds that have always been part of my DJing. It even made me rediscover M’Bamina, whom I used to play back in 1974 at the Tabù Club in Cattolica.
There are afro vibes as well, with Black Line – Myele, which is featured on one of my Cosmic tapes, and Nowhere by the Stratosferic Band recalls a track I used to play at the Baia degli Angeli…
Excellent work!"

Voom Voom Music was an independent Italian record label based in Turin, founded and managed by record producer Ivo Lunardi (Turin, December 6, 1940 – December 9, 2010). A pivotal figure in the Piedmont music scene, Lunardi was active both as a DJ and as the owner of several disco clubs.

The label operated for several years in the latter half of the 1970s, releasing mainly productions connected to the Italian dance and pop scene.
Since 2016, the original master tapes from the Voom Voom Music catalog have been owned by Gianluca Pandullo (I-Robots), a close friend of Ivo and Luca Lunardi. Through his labels Opilec Music and Turin Dancefloor Express, Pandullo oversees their preservation and historical enhancement.

The artistic direction of Voom Voom Music was marked by a distinct sonic identity — eclectic yet visionary. The Turin-based label founded by Ivo Lunardi embraced a sound that blended disco, pop, and rock influences, interwoven with African American grooves in a pioneering, international perspective.

Voom Voom Music was among the first Italian labels to introduce this kind of musical language in the country. A prime example is the Italian edition of the debut album by B.T. Express, Do It ('Til You're Satisfied), released in LP, 8-Track Cartridge, cassette, and 7" single formats.
The label’s productions clearly reflected the influence of black and funk music, as evidenced by the references and inspirations running through its catalogue. The track “Lady Pick-Up”, for instance, includes direct nods to “Do It Good” by KC & The Sunshine Band and Manu Dibango’s iconic “Soul Makossa”, revealing a musically refined and contemporary sensibility.

Among the label’s most representative works is Splash (1977) by the Stratosferic Band, a project conceived by Luigi Venegoni — producer, songwriter, and guitarist of Arti e Mestieri. Venegoni’s artistic journey spanned from progressive rock to space and Italo disco. The album artwork was designed by Piero D’Amore (1944 - 2022), a charismatic and multifaceted figure of Turin’s art scene (one of his works was even acquired by the MoMA in New York).
The record includes a disco reinterpretation of Van Morrison’s classic “Gloria”, and “Splashdown”, a track fusing the disco-rock energy of Rockets and Space. In contrast, “Nowhere” revisits the 1975 single by Hokis Pokis, a soul/disco band from Nassau County (New York), transforming it into a vibrant disco-funk number.

Another significant expression of the label’s catalogue is the afro-rock sound of M’Bamina, an Italo-Congolese group whose rhythmic energy and dialogue between African percussion and Western funk evoke the style of international formations such as Osibisa — themselves linked to a rich artistic history in Italy.

“Alle Sorgenti Delle Civiltà Vol. 3 - Africa, Australia, Nuova Zelanda” (1971) is the third and final chapter of a triptych of folk-based sound recordings released by Folkmusic. The album contains a total of fourteen tracks by Braen and Raskovich, i.e. the a formidable multi-instrumentalists Alessandro Alessandroni and Giuliano Sorgini, each grappling with seven different compositions characterised by a tribal mood. Among the grooves of this record, repressed on vinyl for the first time by Musica Per Immagini, it is possible to discern an in-depth study of one of those forms of popular culture referring to a specific geographic area, comprising the types of traditions often handed down orally and concerning knowledge, beliefs, fairy tales, legends, myths, narratives linked to the dimension of the fantastic, customs and traditions, namely music. Festivals and propitiatory rites, fights and dances, magical and sacred representations were all expressions of life whose sound and rhythm contributed to an appropriate description of the environment. Alessandro Alessandroni and Giuliano Sorgini have chosen some of the most significant musical characters that even belong to specific ethnic realities scattered across two distant continents, where the use of some of the typical instruments has favoured the realisation of sonorities of considerable interest.

Dutch DJ/producer Boss Priester has built a name as a producer who operates with a ‘let the music speak’ ethos. Now based in The Hague, he has spent years crafting a distinctive sound that blends elements from minimal, house, and techno, releasing across respected labels including Ba Dum Tish, X-Kalay, Dungeon Meat, and his own BPDUBS imprint. His 2023 ‘Hotel Dijon’ EP on LOCUS marked a notable moment in his journey, having long drawn support from label boss Enzo Siragusa, establishing a connection that now comes full circle with an impressive debut outing on FUSE. Building on the backing of other notable figures such as Fumiya Tanaka and Samuel Deep, reinforcing his meticulous attention to rhythm, texture, and groove, his ‘Respect Yourself’ EP extends his sound further as he delivers four tracks that are impactful, precise, and built to command the dancefloor.

Title track ‘Respect Yourself’ leads the EP with its synth-led, hypnotic groove, as intricate percussion and low-end weight immediately establish a commanding presence shaped for the floor. ‘BP On The Master’ follows with a deep, rolling energy, blending minimal textures and squelchy bass licks with understated melodic flourishes. On the B-side, ‘Future Is Electric’ channels a forward-thinking spirit, layering bright textures over weighty, skippy UKG-influenced driving rhythms, before ‘Flava’ closes things with a hazy yet heavy kinetic groove that perfectly encapsulates Boss’s growing sound.

Chicago legend K. Alexi returns to Dark Entries with K.A. Posse’s Strkes Again, an EP of preleased unreleased acid and house mayhem. K’Alexi Shelby’s illustrious career has included releases on legendary labels such as Trax, DJ International, and Transmat, as well as collaborations with high-profile artists like Marshall Jefferson and Pet Shop Boys. But his musical journey began at the young age of 12, when he befriended Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles while frequenting the Music Box and Warehouse. In high school, he began to write songs and hone his poetic craft. “I recognized I had a gift to say what I was thinking. I would study Prince and Marvin Gaye, figure out what they meant and put my spin on it. The power of the word. I was writing love notes for all my boys in high school and making a killing. I would know what to say and what they should do.”

Dark Entries previously reissued Shelby’s debut record, Essence of a Dream, which was recorded under the name Risque III in 1987. Strikes Again brings us six tracks recorded in Chicago between 1988 and 1990, which come courtesy of Mike Dunn’s personal archive. This record showcases the rawer, more immediate side of Shelby’s sound, with tracks full of overdriven 808’s, careening sirens, and dangerously funky breakbeats. “Imported Taste” brings Shelby’s signature deep pads to the front of wild congo-laced percussion. “Suckas Be Ready” is a slamming hip-house cut featuring vocals from MCD-TA, while disco-samples duel with crunchy 909s on the jacking “Muzic Box.” Strikes Back showcases the real underground sound of Chicago, where sonic abstraction meets full-body kinetics. The record comes housed in a retro-styled sleeve designed by Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh.

Chicago legend K. Alexi returns to Dark Entries with Warehouse Trax, an EP of previously unreleased acid and house mayhem. K’Alexi Shelby’s illustrious career has included releases on legendary labels such as Trax, DJ International, and Transmat, as well as collaborations with high-profile artists like Marshall Jefferson and Pet Shop Boys. But his musical journey began at the young age of 12, when he befriended Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles while frequenting the Music Box and Warehouse. In high school, he began writing songs and honing his poetic craft. “I recognized I had a gift to say what I was thinking. I would study Prince and Marvin Gaye, figure out what they meant and put my spin on it. The power of the word. I was writing love notes for all my boys in high school and making a killing. I would know what to say and what they should do.”

Dark Entries previously reissued Shelby’s debut record, Essence of a Dream, which was recorded under the name Risque III in 1987. Warehouse Trax follows with six tracks recorded in Chicago between 1991 and 1994. The material here has all the hallmarks of classic K’Alexi. Salsa-inflected rhythms, emotive basslines, and hip-house vibes are displayed on tracks like the high-octane “Jungle Line” or the low-key tearjerker “Protect and Survive.” There are also some unexpected surprises in store. “Aaaah” comes out of the gate swinging with hard-hitting beats and apocalyptic ravey vocal pads evocative of the edgier material on Saber Records or Djax Up Beats, and the surprisingly contemporary-sounding “Klub Dred” delivers half-time dub with stuttering vocal samples. Warehouse Trax comes in a retro-styled sleeve designed by Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh. This is essential material for devotees of classic house sounds.

The first chapter of a new series exploring identity, temporality and the many dialects of contemporary techno. Four tracks, four distinct approaches, yet bound by a shared pursuit of tension, texture and transcendence.

Chronicles Diary introduces its identity with WAYF VOL1, the first entry in a series asking when, not where, this music belongs. The answer comes in four club pieces that favour impact over ornament, tracing tension, texture and a sense of forward movement.

Boyd Schidt & Uvall's "Bullet Train" is tensile 4/4, serrated hats and a tunnelling bassline pulling the room into a tight zone. Commissar Lag's "Battle Rites" ups the pressure, all offline bass and percussive rhythm. MMSS pares things back on "Aion_01," a looping, hypnotic figure that blurs time without dropping energy. Time Traveller (UK) closes with "Stud," glitched and driving, a roughcast groove that breathes between the hits. Four perspectives, one intent: functional, underground Techno that works.

Nicolás Mirón presents Hi-Tech Thoughts, his debut release on Echo Alpha Recordings. A record that draws inspiration from Detroit Techno, as well as New York Hip-Hop and MPC culture, reflected in the way he works with samples and programs chops on his AKAI MPC 2500. His production focuses on beat-making, pursuing a raw, hardware-driven sound rather than an overproduced one.

Nico’s creative foundation is rooted in Black music in all its forms, from soul and jazz to electronic sounds, while also embracing the legacy of figures like Kraftwerk, and genres such as Italo Disco, and New Wave. His musical career began with his residency at Radio Relativa in 2022, with his program “Pa’ Riparla Benne”, a connection between skateboarding and music, as well as its evolution and close relationship with contemporary culture. In the show you can hear different styles of music that have appeared within this scene through legendary video parts from skateboarding history, along with stories and curiosities behind these pieces of art.

We’re back on PANORAMA Records with a stone cold cult classic from Danser’s Inferno, lifting “Sombre Guitar” off their elusive 1973 LP Creation One and giving it a fresh run on 7inch. Long treasured by jazz heads and deep-digging DJs, it’s one of those records that has been in the bags of discerning music lovers for years, moving dancers.

Musically, “Sombre Guitar” sits in that sweet spot between Latin jazz and jazz-funk – rolling congas, driving kit, tight horn lines and that drifting, melodic guitar figure that pulls everything together. It’s lively and percussive enough for the dancefloor, but still has that slightly cinematic, reflective feel that rewards proper listening too. A true jazz dance cut that works just as well at home as it does in a warm-up or end-of-night moment.

This PANORAMA edition brings it back into reach, cut loud and clear so it can do what it was always meant to do: move a room.

As ever, PANORAMA Records is about unearthing and reintroducing rare and essential music to new ears. From German jazz and Brazilian fusion to Latin-leaning grooves like this, the focus is on records with real soul and longevity, remastered with care and treated with the respect they deserve.

For the tenth release on Rhythm Control Barcelona, we present something truly special: the debut of Not A Headliner presents José. This marks a new step in the journey of the Spanish artist, recognized in recent years as one of the leading figures of the national underground techno scene, who now introduces his alter ego to reconnect with his house roots.

"Usufructo (Uso + Disfruto)" is a four-track EP where the spirit of the mid-90s UK sound merges with tech house, acid, and breaks influences, resulting in a solid, characterful record set to delight all lovers of those classic and timeless vibes.

Machinery Of Emotions marks Torrent’s debut on Cupula Recordings, yet his bond with the label runs far deeper. A trusted figure in our circle and a selector with a rare sensitivity for mood and movement, Torrent channels his craft into four tracks that blur the line between mechanical precision and human feeling.

From hypnotic rhythms to cinematic synth work, designed for both the floor and the mind.

Pressed on vinyl, Machinery Of Emotions captures the essence of our shared vision where sound speaks as strongly as emotion.

Two figures of quasi-human form whose contours are in the process of dissolving. Like curtains of varying opacity, realities slide close together without ever laying claim to validity. The essence is clouded, nature its imitation. What sounds like the dripping of a viscous acid from porous aluminum casings could also be a sequential noise. The rhythm is an aid, a barb in the flesh. Voices fleeting like gases that have never surrendered to the dictates of gravity. It is the year 2024 of a calendar resembling an Abrahamic apparatus. Angels carry guns.

This record comes with a download code for the digital release!

This edition is limited to 150 hand stamped and numbered records including 150 individual and unique drawings and photographs.

Jana Koubková has long been one of the leading figures of Czech jazz, defined by rhythm, improvisation, playfulness and atmosphere. These new reimaginings of her tracks open a fresh chapter within the LBDISSUES series.

The original recordings, released in the late 80s, are almost impossible to pigeonhole into any single genre. Call it world music, call it jazz, call it avant garde, and you would be both right and wrong at the same time.

These remixes work for adventurous DJs as well as for listening in one continuous flow, where they almost read as a mini album. Trent's take on "Nijana" reshapes the piece from a tropical tribal mood into a cosmic downtempo roller, while Prague based artist Desteffan brings a completely new perspective to "Pipu", "Horor" and "Krocej". His versions draw from downtempo and trip hop influences, spontaneous live instrument jams and even flashes of EBM. And last but not least, "Vanany Vanyna" marks the return of label mainstay Regular Customer, whose reinterpretation expands the rhythm of the original into mid-tempo territory with a disco leaning feel. They all honour Jana's original sound while pushing it into unexplored terrain.

Now in her eighties and still performing, Jana is not being revisited here for nostalgia's sake. These tracks represent the next step in her remarkable and ever-evolving musical journey



c 03: Horor (DeSteffan Remix) [feat. Panta Rhei]
[d] 04: Vanany Vanyna (Regular Customer Remix) [feat. Panta Rhei]

Drummer-composer Tom Skinner announces Kaleidoscopic Visions, his second solo album, out 26th September 2025 via Brownswood Recordings and International Anthem

Kaleidoscopic Visions unfolds across two distinct sonic landscapes. Side A presents entirely instrumental compositions performed by Skinner's live Bishara band—bassist Tom Herbert, cellist Kareem Dayes, and Robert Stillman and Chelsea Carmichael on various woodwinds and reeds—with electric guitar on two tracks courtesy of Portishead's Adrian Utley. A drummer-composer bringing his wealth of experience to bear on the role of bandleader, Skinner composed primarily on guitar, embracing the freedom that came with writing on his secondary instrument.
These compositions include "Auster," dedicated to late novelist Paul Auster, and "Margaret Anne," which honours Skinner's mother Anne Shasby, a former classical concert pianist prodigy who abandoned her own promising career in the face of systemic misogyny, only to impart on her son what Skinner calls "the gift of music."

Skinner’s musical world opens further on Side B, where a collection of poised vocal collaborations stretch out from jazz and improvisation towards a more dream-like, soulful sound. The centerpiece is "The Maxim," a ten-minute collaboration with Grammy Award-winning Meshell Ndegeocello, a dubby, spacious meditation on life and death, delivered with a free-spirited grace. For Skinner, working with Ndegeocello—whom he first saw at Glastonbury as a teenager in 1994—represents a full-circle moment, indicative of the indirect paths and inspirational detours that have shaped his life.
The album goes on to feature South Carolina-based singer Contour (Khari Lucas) who appears on the low-lit soul ballad ‘Logue’, and closes with ‘See How They Run’, featuring London keyboardist-vocalist Yaffra (Jonathan Geyevu). It is the album’s most overtly lyrical track, an articulate exposition of jazz-inflected spoken word that speaks not only to the genre-fluid nature of the music but the breadth of Skinner’s palette.
This should come as no surprise. On Kaleidoscopic Visions, one of London’s most vital musical figures gives us a sparkling glimpse of the multi-coloured lens through which his unique sound is now refracting.

A heavyweight library record delivered straight from the Gods; truly, we are all blessed: Dubmaster Dennis Bovell presents cLOUD mUsIc. A miraculous set of loose limbed, slinky funk-forward dub on the A-Side with totally blunted, spaced out trippiness on the grooving versions gracing the flipside.

A pioneer of dub and progenitor of lovers rock, genius producer-arranger Dennis 'Blackbeard' Bovell's prolific and eclectic career encompasses a huge range of music: from dub poetry to lovers rock, afro-beat to post-punk, disco to pop and beyond.

His production work encompasses such diverse figures as Ryuichi Sakamoto, The Slits, Fela Kuti, Linton Kwesi Johnson, The Pop Group, Janet Kay, Saada Bonaire, Orange Juice, Golden Teacher, I Roy, Maximum Joy, Steel Pulse and more.

cLOUD mUsIc features 8 new, deep, never-heard heaters, initially created for upstart UK library label FOLD. Dennis had written some music under the influence of Cloud-watching and presented it to FOLD with a view to them presenting it as Library Music to be utilised by anyone interested in having music for incidentals, films, TV and advertising etc.

cLOUD mUsIc represents Dennis expressing himself freely and inviting others to join and express themselves. As Dennis explains: "Library music is what makes the difference between creating for specific reasons and creating for your own individual enjoyment. cLOUD mUsIc was created whenever I felt the urge to create music that I wanted to, with no pressure. It was recorded at various times and in various studios around the world with various musicians’ assistance. Much sonic indulgence with many different recording devices."

Who doesn't like the sound of that?

(Limited Edition 12" Silver Vinyl, 500 Individually Numbered Copies Worldwide) To mark an exceptional milestone, the legendary DJ and producer Phi Phi celebrates 40 years behind the decks with the launch of his brand-new label Mouvement Perpétuel and its inaugural release, the Forty EP, available in both vinyl and digital formats.

Early support from Forty Cats (Balance), Graziano Raffa (Sudbeat), Acid Pauli, and many more.

A true pioneer and iconic figure of the electronic music scene, Phi Phi has shaped generations of clubbers through his legendary residencies at At The Villa, Boccaccio Life, and Extreme, to name just a few. Throughout his career, he has deeply influenced the evolution of trance and progressive culture in Belgium, crafting a distinctive sound and spirit that continue to inspire today’s artists.

The Forty EP captures the very essence of this musical journey: three original tracks blending progressive house and melodic techno, where captivating harmonies and hypnotic rhythms intertwine to deliver a sound that is both timeless, powerful, and refined.

Pressed on a silver vinyl limited to 500 individually numbered copies, the record was unveiled during a special event celebrating Phi Phi’s 40-year career — making each copy not only a true collector’s item, but also a symbolic piece of his enduring musical legacy.

Over the past decade, East London artist Kojey Radical has cemented himself as one of the most creative and unique voices in British music. His debut album Reason to Smile (2022) was released to critical acclaim, and saw him emerge as one of the defining voices in UK culture. Now, the 32-year-old readies to release his second album Don’t Look Down.

“I wanted to make this album more personal and more honest,” he says, “we have to be able to accept that the messenger has flaws and all.

16-tracks long, Don’t Look Down, set for release on 19th September 2025, is a musically rich and deeply introspective reflection on the shifting tides, lows and joys that have passed through his life since his emergence into the public eye.

Sonically, the album provides the most experimental and eclectic music of his career, with influences ranging from golden age Hip Hop to disco, grime to Indie, Jazz to Ska. Together, these strings combine to give a pertinent insight into Kojey’s inner world, and a timestamp documenting the feelings, emotions and experiences that arise when many reach the milestone of their 30s.

“When you’re younger, certain ages seem so grown,” he says, “you feel like you’re supposed to have your life together and all figured out by 30. Then especially when you're in the spotlight you feel extra pressure to have it figured out because so many people are looking towards you.”

Don’t Look Down follows debut album Reason to Smile (2022). A critical success, it landed at No.11 on the UK Album Charts and was nominated for the Mercury Prize as well as two MOBO Awards. In the following year came a nomination for Best New Artist at 2023 BRIT Awards and Best Contemporary Song at the Ivor Novello Awards. He toured across the UK, as well as hitting the festival circuit.

This sense of growth was not limited to music. Kojey was tapped by the British Fashion Council to host the 2023 and 2024 editions of The Fashion Awards as his stock in music and wider culture continued to rise.

The album he says, is a reflection of “the experiences I’ve had over the past few years. That shaped the direction I took going forward. It’s given me the opportunity to tell new stories from newer perspectives. It was liberating, and it was very necessary to keep me in love with the process and to keep making music.”

The result is his most innovative album yet, a project where a sense of profound personal interrogation and introspection dance in union with the rich musical tapestry. Don’t Look Down is a story of purpose lost and then found, of what happens in the aftermath of achieving your childhood dreams, and the ranging flux of emotions that rise to the surface once the music stop

The Éthiopiques series returns! Essential archive recordings from an extremely fruitful period in Ethiopian music.

Before “Swinging Addis” took over the world, there was Moussié Nerses Nalbandian — the Armenian-born composer who shaped modern Ethiopian music. Mentor, arranger, and pioneer, he laid the foundations of Ethio-jazz.

This Éthiopiques volume revives his forgotten legacy, recorded live by Either/ Orchestra First issue ever with new exclusive photos and in depth liner 8-page insert.

“Ethiopian jazzmen are the best musicians that we have seen so far in Africa.
They really are promising handlers of jazz instruments.”

Wilbur De Paris
(1959, after a concert in Addis Ababa)

አዲስ፡ዘመን። *Addis zèmèn* **A new era.**
The time is the mid-1950s and early 1960s, just before "Swinging Addis" bloomed – or rather boomed – onto the scene. Brass instruments are still dominant, but the advent of the electric guitar, and the very first electronic organs, are just around the corner. Rock’n'Roll, R’n’B, Soul and the Twist have not yet barged their way in. Addis Ababa is steeped in the big band atmosphere of the post-war era, with Glenn Miller's *In the* *Mood* as its world-wide theme song, neck and neck with the Latin craze that was in vogue at the same period. Life has become enjoyable once again, with the return of peace after the terrible Italian Fascist invasion of Ethiopia (1935-1941). The redeployment of modern music is part and parcel of the postwar reconstruction. *Addis zèmèn* – a new era – is the watchword of the postwar period, just as it was all across war-torn Europe.
The generation who were the young parents of baby boomers** were the first to enjoy this musical renaissance, before the baby boomers themselves took over and forever super-charged the soundtrack of the final days of imperial reign. Music is Ethiopia's most popular art form, and very often serves as the best barometer for the upsurge of energy that is critical for reconstruction. Whether it be jazz in Saint-Germain-des-Prés or the *zazous* who revolutionised both jazz and French *chanson* after the *Libération*, be it Madrid's post-Franco Movida, or Dada, the Surrealists and *les années folles* that followed World War I, the periods just after mourning and hardship always give rise to brighter and more tuneful tomorrows. Addis Ababa, as the country's capital, and the epicentre of change, was no exception to this vital rule.

**Two generations of Nalbandian musicians**
Nersès Nalbandian belonged to a family of Armenian exiles, who had moved to Ethiopia in the mid-1920s. The uncle Kevork arrived along with the fabled "*Arba Lidjotch*", the** "*40 Kids*", young Armenian orphans and musicians that the Ras Tafari had recruited when he visited Jerusalem in 1924, intending to turn their brass band into the official imperial band. If Kevork Nalbandian was the one who first opened the way of modernism, pushing innovation so far as to invent musical theatre, it was his nephew Nersès who would go on to become, from the 1940s and until his death in 1977, a pivotal figure of modern Ethiopian music and of the heights it. Going all the way back to the 1950s. Nothing less. And it is Nersès who is largely to thank for the brassy colours that so greatly contributed to the international renown of Ethiopian groove. While the younger generations today venture timidly into the genealogy of their country's modern music, often losing their way amidst a distinctly xenophobic historiographical complacency, many survivors of the imperial period are still around to bear witness and pay tribute to the essential role that "Moussié Nersès" played in the rise of Abyssinia's musical modernity.
Given the year of his birth (15 March 1915), no one knows for sure if Nersès Nalbandian was born in Aintab, today Gaziantep (Turkiye/former Ottoman Empire) or on the other side of the border in Alep, Syria... What is certain is that his family, like the entire Armenian community, was amongst the victims of the genocide perpetrated by the Turks. Alep, the place of safety – today in ruins.
Before Nersès then, there was uncle Kevork (1887-1963). For a quarter of a century, he was a whirlwind of activity in music teaching and theatrical innovation. *Guèbrè Mariam le Gondaré* (የጎንደሬ ገብረ ማርያም አጥቶ ማግኘት, 1926 EC=1934) is his most famous creation. This play included "ten Ethiopian songs" — a totally innovative approach. According to his autobiographical notes, preserved by the Nalbandian family, Kevork indicates that he composed some 50 such pieces over the course of his career. This shows just how much he understood, very early on, the critical importance of song as Ethiopia's crowning artistic form. Indeed, for Ethiopian listeners, the most important thing is the lyrics, with all their multifarious mischief, far more than a strong melody, sophisticated arrangements or even an exceptional voice. (This is also why Ethiopians by and large, and beginning with the artists and producers themselves, believed for a long time — and wrongly — that their music could not possibly be exported, and could never win over audiences abroad, who did not speak the country's languages).

Last but not least, one of Kevork's major contributions remains composing Ethiopia's first national anthem – with lyrics by Yoftahé Negussié.
Nersès Nalbandian moved to Ethiopia at the end of the 1930s, at the behest of his ground-breaking uncle. Proficient in many instruments (pretty much everything but the drums), conductor, choir director, composer, arranger, adapter, creator, piano tuner, purveyor of rented pianos,... he was above all an energetic and influential teacher. From 1946 onwards, thanks to Kevork's connexion, Nersès was appointed musical director of the Addis Ababa Municipality Band. In just a few years, Nersès transformed it into the first truly modern ensemble, thanks to the quality of his teaching, his choice of repertoire, and the sophistication of his arrangements. It was this group that would go on to become the orchestra of the Haile Selassie Theatre shortly after its inauguration in 1955, which was a major celebration of the Emperor's jubilee, marking the 25th anniversary of his on-again-off-again reign.

At some point or other in his long career, Nersès Nalbandian had a hand in the creation of just about every institutional band (Municipality Band, Police Orchestra, Imperial Bodyguard Band, Army Band, Yared Music School…), but it was with the Haile Selassie Theatre – today the National Theatre – that his abilities were most on display, up until his death in 1977. To this must be added the development of choral singing in Ethiopia, hitherto unknown, and a sort of secret garden dedicated to the memory of Armenian sacred music, and brought together in two thick, unpublished volumes. Shortly before his death (November 13, 1977), he was appointed to lead the impressive Ethiopian delegation at Festac in Lagos, Nigeria (January-February 1977).

His status as a stateless foreigner regularly excluded him from the most senior positions, in spite of the respect he commanded (and commands to this day) from the musicians of his era. Naturally gifted and largely self-taught, Nerses was tirelessly curious about new musical developments, drawing inspiration from the very first imported records, and especially from listening intensely to the musical programmes broadcast over short-wave radio – BBC *First*. A prolific composer and arranger, he was constantly mindful of formalising and integrating Ethiopian parameters (specific “musical modes”, pentatonic scale, and the dominance of ternary rhythms) into his “modernisation” of the musical culture, rather than trying to over-westernise it. It even seems very probable that *Moussié* Nerses made a decisive contribution to the development of tighter music-teaching methods, in order to revitalise musical education during this period of prodigious cultural ferment. Flying in the face of all the historiographical and musicological evidence, it is taken as sacrosanct dogma that the four musical modes or chords officially recognised today, the *qǝñǝt* or *qiñit* (ቅኝት), are every bit as millennial as Ethiopia itself. It would appear however that some streamlining of these chords actually took place in around 1960. It was only from this time onward that music teaching was structured around these four fundamental musical modes and chords: *Ambassel*, *Bati*, *Tezeta* and *Antchi Hoyé*. A historical and musical “details” that is, apparently, difficult to swallow, especially if that should honour a *foreigner*. Modern Ethiopian music has Nersès to thank for many of its standards and, to this day, it is not unusual for the National Radio to broadcast thunderous oldies that bear unmistakable traces of his outrageously groovy touch.

FAFO Records proudly presents its 36th release: Bahe Lumon EP, a long-awaited work by Giorgio Robles, founder of the label and a key figure in the underground scene. Originally produced over two years ago, this EP finally sees the light-delivering a deep, hypnotic, and groove-heavy journey rooted in minimal techno. The release features two original tracks, Bahe and Lumon, reflecting Giorgio's signature approach: elegant, rhythmic, and crafted for intimate dancefloors. The EP is further enriched by two outstanding remixes: one from Herman Saiz, a seasoned producer and founder of the acclaimed label Sound of Sirius (which previously featured a joint release with Giorgio), and another from Venda, a well-known name in the global minimal scene. Based in Australia, Venda has built a solid reputation through a series of quality vinyl releases, and his remix here is no exception. As always, this is a vinyl-only release, distributed by Memoria Records, and aimed at selectors, collectors, and true lovers of underground sounds.

A year after her rebirth on the 2.0 EP, Maedon returns to her Rant & Rave imprint with the intentions of her previous release now distilled and focused into bold new forms. Whereas before the artist was transitioning from her earlier work towards new directions, Matter & Form arrives as an extended concept piece featuring four variations on a bracing, developed sound, an equally impressive remix from Lady Starlight, and a contrasting mix of the opening track. Where 2.0 charted emergence, 'Entelechy I-IV' unites to actualize this potential into a single-minded purpose behind fundamental principles.

Immediately launching into territory her last release only hinted at, 'Entelechy I' is a showcase for her now-mature approach. Her rhythmic dexterity and groove focus remains, with drum programs subtly evolving phrase by phrase, but they now form the basis for layered, complex compositions in a decidedly contemporary vein. 'Entelechy II' shifts focus towards the arrangement while keeping its drums steadily driving, drawing attention to details in its densely designed sounds through deliberate, gradual processing. Relaxing the tempo slightly, 'Entelechy III' fills in the extra space with more dark atmospherics and finely detailed soundscapes, finding a heavy medium between dark ambience and hammering techno. Another deeper effort, 'Entelechy IV' counterbalances insistent, finely-tooled percussive bleeps and equally persistent bass figures against another sweeping bass pulse, at times breaking down into carefully-controlled atonal aggression. Lady Starlight's remix is skeletal in comparison, deploying its parts sequentially over ticker hi hats and a massive kick while using small shifts to incrementally build tension. 'Entelechy I (Bent Mix)' is more accurately described as hellbent, stripping out the original's harmonic elements to grind the heavy rhythmic workout against an unrelenting acid line.

Kid Katana Records teamed up with Dotemu, The Game Kitchen and KOEI TECMO GAMES, to bring you the highly anticipated NINJA GAIDEN: Ragebound OST on vinyl.



The physical edition is a 2LP designed in close relationship with the game's creative team:
- 2 colored vinyls: transparent blue & magenta, matching the cover art & the color-code of the two protagonists
- exclusive poster with extended credits & liner notes giving insights from the game’s creative team and featured artists


This album illustrates the incredible return to the saga's origins, embodied by Ryu Hayabusa's disciple Kenji Mozu and The Black Spider Clan Kunoichi Kumori, both united to repel the sudden onslaught of demons. It takes players back to its roots: a side-scrolling, brutally precise action-platformer set between the events of the first three episodes of the NINJA GAIDEN 8-bit era. The game’s OST blends different genres: rock, retro tunes and action-packed arcade music that respect the IP music legacy while modernizing it.

Tóxico and Subject To Restrictions Discs present a retrospective on Switzerland’s hidden analogue gear scene from 2017 and 2018. A vibrant yet undocumented chapter in the country’s music history. The 10 tracks, originally released exclusively on cassette and heard only by a small circle of listeners, are now compiled for the first time on vinyl as “Tóxico Tapes”. The collection captures the scene’s raw, hands-on energy through off-kilter rhythms, low-key EBM, ominous wave and free-form synth excursions.

Founded and curated by the former DJ and producer Narco Marco, the Tóxico label became a hub for Switzerland’s analogue gear enthusiasts. Between 2016 and 2020, it released a series of 10 tapes – albums and compilations – that now stand as a blueprint of the DIY, machine-driven underground of the time. Narco Marco is a key figure in Swiss electronic music. As a long-time clerk at “Oldiesshop” record store in Bern, he has championed eclectic sounds across decades. His in-depth knowledge of 1980s music, combined with his work as a musician, avid record collector, and founder of the “Hot Jam” label, influenced an entire generation of musicians and DJs in Switzerland at the time.

Subject To Restrictions Discs joins forces with Narco Marco to present a selected set of 10 songs as a tribute to Tóxico and this creative era. The material draws primarily from the Autumn Tape and Winter Tape compilations, which spotlighted artists from Zurich and Bern – two cities at the heart of this analogue revival.

Mumbai-based musician, producer, and DJ NATE08 returns with his sophomore album Twenty Seven - a luminous fusion of r&b, deep house, and funk-leaning grooves, pressed to a single 140g LP in black vinyl.

Three years on from his acclaimed debut Furaha (which featured the breakout hit “Primrose” with over 7 million streams), NATE08 expands his sonic palette with Twenty Seven: a radiant collection of tracks that balance soul-soaked vocals, late-night basslines, and warm, sun-drenched production.

NATE08, aka Nathan Thomas, has become a central figure in Mumbai’s thriving underground, working as a session bass player, live performer, and genre-spanning DJ, while making an international impact through releases on label Needwant. Twenty Seven captures his full range: both organic and synthetic, smooth yet floor-ready, always driven by heartfelt groove.

From the dreamy opener “You’re The Reason” featuring Mary Ann Alexander’s velvety tones, to the nostalgic glow of lead single “Where Are You Tonight” (feat. Dishaan & Mallika), the album unfolds like a love letter to house music’s emotional core. Highlights include the syrupy r&b/house hybrid “Afterlife” (feat. Dappest), the golden-hour deep house shimmer of “Call Me Back” (feat. Sahirah), and the soul-drenched “What Was It” featuring Jamal Bucanon. Closing track “Stay” wraps it all with soft-focus chords and a bumpy, irresistible groove.

Twenty Seven is a sophisticated and inviting journey across mood, tempo, and texture, showcasing NATE08’s gift for weaving melody, rhythm, and soul into music that speaks equally to the dance floor and the heart.

2025 Repress

The mighty Falsetto voice of Mr Cornell Campbell is another we believe, unsung hero of the Jamaican music scene. Who in our opinion should have broke through to a wider audience, than his cult status currently provides. We have unearthed straight from the master tapes an album that was due for release around the mid 70’s. A few of these cuts, found their way out on limited 7”s, that were mainly for the domestic Jamaican market. But as a complete body of work, never found a release until now. We hope like us, once you have played the tracks, you will feel that this set of cuts, stands up amongst Cornell’s finest work. Cornell Campbell (born 1948, Jamaica), made his first recordings in the early 1960’s for Coxone Dodd at Studio 1. Tracks like ‘Under the Old Oak Tree’, ‘My Treasure’ and later as a duo with Roy Patton ‘Salvation’ and ‘Sweetest Girl’, were local hits on the Jamaican Sound Systems. A short spell with the Uniques was followed by his roll as lead vocalist with the Eternals, under the monicker of Don Cornell. Their finest moment being the classic ‘Stars / Queen of the Minstrels’ cuts which still stand up today as some of Jamaica’s finest.

The 1970’s saw Mr Campbell move on to work with producer Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee, for whom he cut most

of his big tunes. He and fellow singer Johnny Clarke, would become Bunny’s 70’s equivalent to his 1960’s stable of singers like Slim Smith, Pat Kelly and Ernest Wilson. They would provide the voice to his many hits of the day. Bunny not being called ‘Striker’ for nothing. Cornell also had a series of hits around his theme as the ‘Gorgon’. The mighty figure unbeatable at the dances in the Greenwich Town district of Kingston. ‘The Gorgon’, ‘The Conquering Gorgon’. ‘Natty Dread in a Greenwich Farm’. These were all firm favourites at the dances in Jamaica. He also worked with other notable producers around this time. Winston ‘Niney’ Holness “I Heart is Clean’, Tappa Zukie ‘Follow Instruction’

and culminating in a massive hit ‘Boxing’ in 1979 for producer Joe Gibbs. But it was his time with Bunny Lee that set the levels for his record output. This unreleased album is from this period in time, when Cornell Campbell never sounded sweeter......

Samuel Kerridge, with his signature sonic arsenal, stands alone in the worlds of rhythm and noise. A singular artist, his music is to be appreciated on its own terms. Here, he returns to James Ruskin's Blueprint Records with the eleven track album, "Memoir Of Disintegration".

The British producer has been carefully turning techno inside-out for over a decade. Taking a distinctly post-punk approach to the genre, he has become an integral part of Regis' legendary imprint Downwards. Kerridge has helped to define the label's contemporary sound: broken techno and snarling punk, informed by industrial music and metal.

Samuel Kerridge has released seven EPs and five albums (including a collaboration with Dva Damas' Taylor Burch) and his recent, "Kick To Kill", has become something of a statement of intent, blossoming into a new label and event series with a focus that broadens beyond techno tracks into full-blown song writing. Aside from his solo work, he collaborates with OAKE in what he describes as the "power metal techno" duo UF, and has recently started his own guitar band, Death Disco.

Kerridge ran the Berlin-based Contort label and party series and curated the legendary Berlin Atonal festival for three years, underlining his credentials as a stalwart figure in the world of experimental, boundary-pushing techno. He's also an accomplished live performer, most recently developing a hybrid live-DJ set that dismantles hundreds of tracks into a sampler to make new music in real time. It's an inventive process that places him in the lineage of iconic and ground-breaking techno acts, while still carrying the flag for the darkest corners of underground electronic music.

An abstract painting with expressionist hues and futurist echoes, a mix between action painting and informal art: this is the first impression from Grischa Lichtenberger's live performance recorded at the Pino Pascali Museum in Polignano a Mare. The artist, based in Berlin, makes the rhythms creak, cuts them with a laser, weaves imaginative harmonic coils, smoothes with electric razors and draws figures with echoes and industrial clangs.

Then he uses ferrous materials that, with a precision lathe, are abraded and cause sparks. Suddenly steel springs fall to the ground, generating a cascade effect. In the distance, you can hear the roar of speeding cars and the ringing of bells.

Lichtenberger pulps, compresses, dilates, mixes, electrifies, heats up, liquefies: he does all this in just less than forty minutes, treating the sound material with violence, transforming it from time to time, shaping it and succeeding in the arduous task of controlling its effects. It is as if Luigi Russolo, Alva Noto and Thomas Brinkmann were closed in a workshop on the edge of a highway, parodying the famous definition of techno.
Giosuè Impellizzeri

The time has come for hip-hop’s favourite superheroes to unleash their highly anticipated album. The industry’s most recognisable voice, Chali 2na, and turntable wizard Krafty Kuts have been not-so-secretly preparing this project since 2017 through over 150 live shows and countless studio sessions. The time has finally come to grab your capes, don a pair of tights and load up the turntable ready for the show to begin. This is ‘Adventures Of A Reluctant Super Hero’ – prepare for the Purple Assassin and the Scratchman as they come and save your city, the scene and hip-hop as we know it.

Featuring a who’s-who of collabs and guest appearances from hip-hop royalty, this 14-track record takes you to just about every corner of the genre, leaving no stone unturned. With Lyrics Born and Gift Of Gab joining on ‘Guard The Fort’ to deliver a serious statement of intent to open the LP, the rest of the record is an adventure through funk, breaks, rolling basslines, buckets of groove and everything in-between. Throw in a generous portion of expertly delivered bars and vocals from genre sidekicks like Harry Shotta, Skye (Morcheeba), Omar, Dynamite MC and more, and you’re left with a hip-hop record that not even the comic books could have conceived.

LP version comes with an exclusive 8-page comic-book by official Star Wars illustrator JAKe + full album download.

Hasvat Informant's debut album, Pluripotent XII, is a 12-track journey that reads between the lines of psychedelic electronics and contemporary techno. From driving, precise grooves to slow, textured explorations, the album carries the organic resonance of Australian underground culture while threading sharp influences from Detroit and beyond into a singular, unmistakably distinctive sound.

On this dual release, Naarm-based artist alternates between his Hasvat and Intellegama personas, moving between them like a figure navigating parallel realities. Each track balances mechanical precision with expansive, trance-infused textures, creating a liminal space where urban and natural influences converge.

More than a display of technical skill, this debut conveys a sense of place, heritage, and lineage. Dwelling in both conflict and harmony, Pluripotent XII invites listeners into an otherworldly, lysergic landscape - complex, evolving, and fully realized.

“The Mire Chronicles,” the latest album by Spammerheads, was born from the difficult experience of the floods that hit Valencia on October 29, 2024. During this time, the duo lost part of their studio and actively participated in the cleanup efforts in their city.

This was an experience filled with a mix of emotions—shock, helplessness, fury, resistance, solidarity, and resilience, among others—that shaped what may be their best work to date. Written as a chronicle, the album explores the personal and collective states of people affected by tragedies or catastrophes. The Valencian duo
(through a carefully produced edition released by Banshees Records) offers six tracks (plus two digital bonus tracks) to remind us that despite the difficulties we may face, we must always fight to get ahead, get back on our feet, and not be swept away by the current.

This album is dedicated to the people and communities who face extreme situations and never give up.

Gramrcy and John Loveless return to Phantasy with a double-A single, ‘Lucid / Feel So’. Three years on from their festival-rupturing hit ‘Highdive’, which found regular rotation in the sets of 2ManyDJs, Peggy Gou and Daniel Avery alongside soundtracking shows for Moschino and Hugo Boss, two new tracks expand the sound of the Berlin pair’s studio partnership.

‘Lucid’ features a unique vocal turn from Tony Morris, a former teacher, taxi driver and contemporary cult figure in Glasgow’s underground scene. Having begun DIY production only in his late sixties, he has since released on the city’s peerless Optimo Music and has been profiled by the BBC and NPR, alternately described by The Scottish Herald as “Scotland’s most unlikely pop sensation” and by himself as “a deviant cabaret artist”.

Morris’s hypnotic repetitions prove to be an earworming anchor for Gramrcy and Loveless’s pressure-cooker arrangement, a bubbling concoction that represents their most formative influences, combining the sheer bassweight of FWD-era UK dance with the ISDN-line scramble of the most out-there electroclash. Rich in rhythm and textural weirdness, ‘Lucid’ captures the sound of a deeply satisfying intersection of rave outsiders.

Eschewing the dreamy psychedelia of its counterpart, ‘Feel So’ instead tips the scales back toward the outright ecstatic. The influence of esoteric disco and post-punk percussion rides on a throbbing bassline that builds toward supreme dancefloor release, paying tribute to a legacy of hi-NRG, spanning Chicago to Rimini.

Gramrcy & John Loveless - ‘Lucid / Feel So’ will be available to download & stream on October the 10th via Phantasy There will also be a limited-edition run of just 200 hand-stamped 12” vinyl records, including the instrumental cut of ‘Lucid’, available to pre-order from Bandcamp and the Phantasy store.

Yosuke Yamashita, Itaru Oki, Yuji Ohno, and Kimiko Kasai. An astonishing jazz workshop with a never-before-seen encounter. Japanese jazz was so sharp and original.

Yosuke Yamashita Trio, Itaru Oki Trio, Yuji Ohno Trio, and Kimiko Kasai. Three trios and one vocalist, Trio by Trio Plus One. This is a live recording of a jazz workshop held in 1970, and the original was released as part of Victor's "Japanese Jazz" series. Just looking at the lineup of musicians gives off an extraordinary atmosphere, making this a special work.

Yamashita was a leading figure in the scene as the darling of the times. Oki came to Tokyo from Osaka in the mid-1960s and attracted attention. Ohno was a man of supple musicality who played everything from modern jazz to new jazz. And Kasai is just about to blossom. Needless to say, each performance is powerful and fascinating, but this album also features a performance by a unique seven-person group consisting of the Oki Trio, Ohno Trio, and Kasai. This is a two-disc set of super-class that reminds us once again just how original Japanese jazz was.

Text by Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUNDS / DEEP JAZZ REALITY

This 4-track EP showcases Robot84’s eclectic and diverse taste in editing, as well as his unique skill in finding those somewhat forgotten underground nuggets and expertly reimagining them. From the classic ’80s sound of FGTH to jazz-infused reworks of Public Enemy and Angie Stone, and the disco fuel of The Supremes, Robot Edits Vol. 1 sets the tone for a series made with serious selectors in mind.

DJ Support: Fred P, Mark Farina, Harvey Sutherland and more

When two underground icons like James Curd and Fred P join forces, the result is more than just acollaboration-it's a cross-continental meeting of deep house minds. The track was born in James Curd's Adelaide studio while Fred P was in Australia, capturing a rare and organic creative moment between two respected figures in house music. James Curd, known for his work with Greenskeepers and his extensive catalog across labels like Classic, Defected, and DFA, brings a playful yet precise groove, while Fred P, the introspective deep house pioneer behind Black Jazz Consortium, adds soulful depth and hypnotic finesse. The remix package elevates things even further. Harvey Sutherland, a staple in Australia's modern funk and electronic scene, brings his analog synth wizardry-his remix credentials include Disclosure and Jamiroquai. Austin Ato, a UK house innovator with a DFTD remix for Groove Armada, injects vibrant dancefloor energy. And Junior Sanchez, a long-time figure in New York's club culture, rounds it out with a heavyweight version - he's flipped everyone from A-Trak to Madonna. This is a lineup that speaks volumes before you even hit play.

Drummer-composer Tom Skinner announces Kaleidoscopic Visions, his second solo album, out 26th September 2025 via Brownswood Recordings and International Anthem

Kaleidoscopic Visions unfolds across two distinct sonic landscapes. Side A presents entirely instrumental compositions performed by Skinner's live Bishara band—bassist Tom Herbert, cellist Kareem Dayes, and Robert Stillman and Chelsea Carmichael on various woodwinds and reeds—with electric guitar on two tracks courtesy of Portishead's Adrian Utley. A drummer-composer bringing his wealth of experience to bear on the role of bandleader, Skinner composed primarily on guitar, embracing the freedom that came with writing on his secondary instrument.
These compositions include "Auster," dedicated to late novelist Paul Auster, and "Margaret Anne," which honours Skinner's mother Anne Shasby, a former classical concert pianist prodigy who abandoned her own promising career in the face of systemic misogyny, only to impart on her son what Skinner calls "the gift of music."

Skinner’s musical world opens further on Side B, where a collection of poised vocal collaborations stretch out from jazz and improvisation towards a more dream-like, soulful sound. The centerpiece is "The Maxim," a ten-minute collaboration with Grammy Award-winning Meshell Ndegeocello, a dubby, spacious meditation on life and death, delivered with a free-spirited grace. For Skinner, working with Ndegeocello—whom he first saw at Glastonbury as a teenager in 1994—represents a full-circle moment, indicative of the indirect paths and inspirational detours that have shaped his life.
The album goes on to feature South Carolina-based singer Contour (Khari Lucas) who appears on the low-lit soul ballad ‘Logue’, and closes with ‘See How They Run’, featuring London keyboardist-vocalist Yaffra (Jonathan Geyevu). It is the album’s most overtly lyrical track, an articulate exposition of jazz-inflected spoken word that speaks not only to the genre-fluid nature of the music but the breadth of Skinner’s palette.
This should come as no surprise. On Kaleidoscopic Visions, one of London’s most vital musical figures gives us a sparkling glimpse of the multi-coloured lens through which his unique sound is now refracting.

Proud to present you our third RETROFUTUR compilation, including 6 tracks by our most regular artists.

Endrik Schroeder opens the ball with the pure warehouse banger “Automated” ! The track’s sonic intensity never falters, driven by a relentless rhythmic structure and saturated synthetic textures. The modulated layers and the syncopated break recreate the visceral urgency worthy of the underground raves of the 90s.



With “Happy End,” Brandski distils a contagious euphoria, designed to set the dancefloor ablaze with collective joy. A leading figure of the Italian-French new wave, he creates a track as jubilant as it is unstoppable, where rhythmic mastery flirts with festive instinct. An invitation to luminous abandon: arms raised, shared smiles, communion guaranteed.

With “Eldorado” John Lord Fonda reaffirms his status as a key ambassador of French techno on the international scene. The track unfolds a relentless, extremely tense groove, where darkness becomes driving tension. A rigorous, almost martial sound signature, serving an uncompromising vision.

“White Light” by Panthera is a polished track that transports us on a euphoric journey. The heavy, incisive kick blends with atmospheric layers and heady arpeggios, creating a constant tension that culminates in thunderous drops. The whole thing is supported by a deep, vibrant bassline, typical of the 90s rave scene.

Once again, Berlin’s My Secret Playground stands out as the architect of a muscular German nu-disco, flirting with the boundaries of techno. “Don’t Panic” combines percussive pulses and dark tension, while distilling subtle reminiscences of the disco aesthetic. A masterful sonic hybrid, between retro hedonism and contemporary intensity.

Club Mayz delivers a masterful closing performance with “Tonight I Have To Hide”, an electro track fueled by the raw heritage of Detroit techno and the dark textures of EBM. The track combines dramatic tension and synthetic precision in a nocturnal and introspective aesthetic.

Ketapasando presents “Mesetarian Breaks” (KTPV004): a high-speed journey through breakbeat terrains Madrid-based label Ketapasando returns with its fourth vinyl release: “Mesetarian Breaks” (KTPV004) — a 12” compilation that celebrates the raw energy and diversity of breakbeat in all its forms.

Four artists, four unique visions, one common goal: break the dancefloor. Pressed on 180g vinyl with full-color artwork and a protective silicone sleeve, this EP delivers an explosive blend of jungle, technoid, ragga-core, and futuristic breaks.

Each track showcases a distinct approach to rhythm, crafted by key figures from both the Spanish underground and the broader European scene.

THE ARTISTS:

FFF, a cornerstone of the European jungle scene, brings a ragga-core blast soaked in rave heritage and hardcore attitude.

Berman, co-founder of Madrid’s Bellota Dubs, delivers a rolling cut built on tight vocal samples and chopped-up 160 bpm energy.

Jailed Jamie, known for his audiovisual storytelling, blends jazzy melodies with sharp breaks for a cinematic yet floor-ready experience.

Tarek, core Ketapasando producer, makes his vinyl debut with a deep, heavyhitting technoid track forged in the fires of the 174 bpm realm.

“Mesetarian Breaks” is more than a record — it's a love letter to broken rhythms, a sonic dive into the Iberian underground, and a statement of intent from a label fully committed to the breakbeat spectrum. Snippets available in this email.

2025 Repress

Renowned producer and DJ Yuri Suzuki is back with a bang, releasing his latest record titled "Border" via the iconic Detroit Underground label. This new release features eight electrifying acid tracks that blend the infectious grooves of jacking house and the driving energy of techno.

Yuri Suzuki has been a pivotal figure in the electronic music scene, known for his unique sound and innovative production techniques. With "Border," he takes listeners on a journey through the pulsating heart of the underground music culture. Each track showcases his knack for crafting infectious rhythms and hypnotic melodies, making this vinyl a must-have for any serious collector or DJ looking to elevate their set.

The tracks on "Border" are a perfect representation of the classic acid sounds that have been making a resurgence in recent years. From the moment the needle hits the vinyl, listeners are transported to a world where the dance floor is king, and the beats are relentless. Yuri's signature style shines through, combining crisp percussion, gritty basslines, and infectious samples that create an irresistible urge to move.

“Most of these tracks were produced in the 90s, in my small room at my parents' apartment in Tokyo. At the time, I hadn't experienced a real rave, and my exposure to the culture was limited to the information I could find on the early internet. As a result, the music I created was inspired by an imagined rave scene, capturing the essence of something both distant and exciting.” - Yuri Suzuki

Long kept in the shadows, "+ Ou – 8000" is a rare gem of the French musical avant-garde, born from the meeting of three
composers at the peak of their inventiveness. Initially intended as sound illustration, this album crosses the boundaries of
library music, space jazz, and electronic experimentation, with a freedom and boldness that today give it cult status.
Teddy Lasry, an iconic figure from the MAGMA universe, has always moved between jazz, progressive rock, and electronic
music. A saxophonist by training, he explores here synthetic and spatial territories with striking modernity.
Francis Mercier, discreet yet remarkably effective, is a sound craftsman who left his mark on many library music records
in the 1970s. Here he delivers precise rhythmic textures, tense atmospheres, and a minimalist groove mastery.
Christian Perraudin, a chameleon composer bridging academic music and film scoring, brings his cinematic touch—
floating melancholy and sci-fi tension. A true artisan of sonic ambiance.
Boldly visionary, + Ou - 8000 is an invitation to active listening, a journey into the heart of a fascinating sound laboratory.
This unprecedented vinyl reissue is a unique opportunity to (re)discover a crucial record that remained out of reach for far
too long.
Limited edition – for lovers of rarities, analog synths, and genre-defying musical exploration.