Suche:evol

From Richmond, Virginia, Shy, Low have a reputation as one of the most compelling voices within the modern instrumental underground. Their music speaks to fans of post-rock's emotional grandeur and post-metal's crushing intensity alike, while simultaneously appealing to listeners drawn to experimental, atmospheric, and cinematic forms of heavy music. The band's ability to merge these seemingly disparate qualities has resulted in a body of work that is immediately recognizable and continually evolving. Luminous melodies, driving heaviness, layered textures, and carefully controlled tension allows `Purity Spiral' to move effortlessly between fragile moments of introspection and towering passages of intensity. Whether constructing intricate layers of harmony or driving songs toward explosive climaxes, there is a deep understanding of pacing, atmosphere, and the power of restraint. Momentum is at the heart of this album, through intricate rhythmic detail, and explosive bursts of energy, drums become the anchor and catalyst, supporting the band's expansive arrangements while pushing them toward moments of cathartic release. What distinguishes Shy, Low is their ability to balance enormity with restraint. Their music unfolds patiently, allowing tension to accumulate through layers of texture, melody, and dynamics. Moments of delicate clarity often coexist with overwhelming weight, creating a sense of organic motion. At the core of the band's sound lies an acute understanding of contrast. From shimmering, expansive passages to towering walls of distortion, the rhythm section provides both propulsion and atmosphere, becoming integral narrative voices that shape the emotion. There is a disciplined sense of purpose in their writing, an understanding that every note serves a larger arc. Shy, Low thrives in the space between introspection and catharsis, where subtle details become as impactful as the heaviest climaxes, and listeners are taken on a journey that is as visceral as it is profound. FOR FANS OF Caspian * Russian Circles * If These Trees Could Talk * Pelican * Toundra

The “Kisses at Midnight” remix is an explosion of pure energy, designed for those who experience music directly on their skin. The track stands out for its rich sound design of open, sharp, and percussive sounds, capable of filling the room and creating a magnetic atmosphere from the very first seconds—thanks in no small part to the high-quality original sounds that define its sonic texture.

The real driving force of the track is its driving, arpeggiated rhythm: a continuous, hypnotic flow that doesn’t let you go for a single second, sweeping the listener into a non-stop journey from start to finish.

A physical and overwhelming track that hits you straight in the chest, giving no respite to anyone who wants to feel like an active part of the dancefloor.

– INCOGNITO

There are sounds that transcend time, capable of evoking entire worlds without needing any introduction. “Incognito” is exactly that: a visceral and modern tribute to the golden years of Italian progressive techno—an era that rewrote the rules of global clubbing.

The beating heart of the track lies in its hypnotic power. From the very first beats, you are captured by a perfect interplay of tight percussive rhythms and magnetic arpeggios, elements engineered to lock the listener to the groove and never let go. It is a continuous evolution, a sonic flow that destabilizes and fascinates, carrying us on a unique, mental journey.

Angelo Bass is an Italian DJ and producer known for his seamless blend of sophisticated electronica, house, and techno. After rising as a resident for the Push collective, he has graced the decks of top-tier clubs like Cocoricò, Sankeys Ibiza, and Veniceberg Verona. His production footprint is equally strong, featuring the highly supported “Drawn to the Floor EP” (Trend Records), his latest “Raw Luv EP” (Sengiley Wax), and key releases on Less Is More and Blackboard. Currently based in Ibiza, Angelo balances international club gigs with his role as an instructor at Accademia Italiana DJ.

Orbe Records presents its most ambitious release to date: a special edition vinyl signed by its founder and main catalyst, Orbe. Comprising 4 meticulously crafted tracks, this record stands as the Andalusian artist's most mature work since his beginnings in the electronic music scene.


Far from looking back, this EP is a definitive statement of intent—a sonic manifesto that clearly outlines the artistic direction and evolution towards which Orbe is driving his sound. The record is a total immersion into hypnotic, deep techno, engineered for both physical trance on the dancefloor and mental introspection.


Through cyclical sequences, organic textures, and flawless rhythmic architecture, every cut on this vinyl shuns passing trends to reclaim a techno with a truly timeless vocation. An essential collector's item capturing an artist at the absolute peak of his creative maturity.

Nous'klaer Audio presents Nikos: A central figure and driving force of the Rotterdam nightlife, behind the scenes as well as on stage with powerful, ever-evolving live performances. Four tracks to make your body move, cut loud and going deep. The release marks the start of a new series on the label dubbed Spine. Supporting the head, connecting the brain to the body, a base for movement. The Spine series will focus on flow, while remaining energetic and driving. The sound design is bending and twisting, the solid sub bass will keep you grounded. The release comes in a special sleeve designed by Alice Vink aka Dirtydms.

Cari Lekebusch is an enigmatic figure but was a key early player in the Swedish techno scene with a big say in the wider evolution of European techno. 'Fred 2' is one of his most sought after records from those early years and this reissue features three massive tunes written back in 1993. The EP opens with the deep and funky techno rhythms of stone cold classic 'Nightshade', before 'Prototype' brings a trippier vibe with manic synths darting around a booming kick. The 10 minute behemoth 'Mono Flight' closes out the record with a lesson in classic dance floor hypnosis, its swirling layers gradually building and growing over deep and throbbing bass. Three cuts that very much make their mark, even three decades on.

The third chapter of The Third Room's curator-led series is shaped by Verraco, one of the key voices behind a new generation of artists reshaping contemporary club music. Through his productions, DJ sets and his work with TraTraTrax, he has helped define a sound where hybrid forms, rhythmic experimentation and cross-cultural influences are pushing the genre into new territory. Structured across two distinct sides, the release draws a clear connection between past and present. The A-side leans into a deeper, more classic space, while the B-side moves towards a more forward-facing, hybrid sound. It opens with Libration (Stone Version) by Substance & Vainqueur, a revisiting of their landmark 2007 release, a track that helped define the language of Dub Techno as it is understood today. Reduced, deep and spatially precise, it established a blueprint for how rhythm, delay and tone could function together. It's presence here acts less as a nod to the past and more as a reminder of a foundation that continues to shape the genre. Skee Mask's Clear Sky 909 continues this thread, softening the edges without losing depth. Warm, enveloping textures and fluid movement give the track a sense of openness, balancing clarity with emotional weight. The B-side shifts perspective. On Untitled (Teamgeist Mix), Verraco, joined by Tils, delivers the record's defining moment - a dense, intricately designed piece built on a driving low-end and evolving rhythmic patterns. Elements from Techno, Bass and Leftfield House converge into a detailed, forward-moving structure that actively bridges cultural contexts. It results in a form of dance music shaped by technical precision, but drive.n by a clear sense of intent, marking a distinct expression of Verraco's current sound. Untitled by 1morning introduces a rolling, tribal-infused groove with a strong sense of depth, while PatumPa by Regal86 closes the record with a bright, loop-driven energy that leans into pure motion. Across both sides, the release moves between reference and progression. Rather than separating old and new, Verraco connects them - tracing a line from foundational Dub Techno to a more fluid, contemporary club language. Copyright 2026 The Third Room A1 Written and Produced by Peter Kuschnereit & Rene Loewe | A2 Written and Produced by Bryan Mueller | B1 Written and Produced by JP Lopez & Jakob Ferdinand Tils and mixed by Lurka | B2 Written and Produced by 1morning | B3 Written and Produced by Regal86 Mastered by Andreas Kauffelt (Schnittstelle Berlin) Artwork by Charlotte Ernst Design by Daniel Bornmann (STUEDIO.XYZ) Distribution by Clone Pressing by Matter Of Fact

Revered worldwide for their love-fueled, technically adventurous all-vinyl b2b DJ sets, Maya Bouldry-Morrison (Octo Octa) and Eris Drew conceived Alchemical Sisters as a vehicle for creating music together. Alchemical Sisters describe themselves as "psychedelic chaos, acid rollers, and big beat, channeled through hardware instruments and animated by love, touch, rhythm, and spiritual fire." Their self-titled debut double album is forthcoming on Interdimensional Transmissions this October, just in time for Samhain XXVI. Alchemical Sisters was recorded in the forests of New Hampshire by Maya and Eris and mixed by BMG in Detroit in the Interdimensional Laboratory on high end hardware for ecstatically euphonic results. In the cold winter months, Maya and Eris emptied the master bedroom of their forest cabin and sealed it as an alchemical retort--a hermetic vessel in which a higher form could emerge. For a year they slept on the studio floor while, in white nightgowns and under the spell of mushrooms, they brought dulcimers and ancestral instruments into communion with turntables, twentieth-century machines, and new technologies. Alchemical Sisters is the substance crystallized within that vessel by their secret fire. They then brought their music to BMG in Detroit to meticulously mix their vision through hardware, in a high end studio environment. For two weeks at the height of winter, we shut out the world and focused on fusing their sonic vision within the Interdimensional Laboratory. Setting up their computer and sound card, BMG processed their tracking sessions through a high end mixing console, using transformers and tubes and the special properties of many machines to create a solid visceral sound out of a dream, to create a powerful euphonic ecstatic experience from their highly personal highly evolved music, whose sources could be both carnal and celestial. It was important to have their music connect before thought, to feel both the power and the gentleness of their sound, to have the texture and presence of their myriad influences unconsciously affect you. Watching them work together, the patience, the focus, the rigorous thought and discipline, the love, the space and the dedication afforded to each other was a genuinely inspiring thing to witness. They truly are Alchemical Sisters, and we are extremely proud to share their debut album on IT, and their debut performance at IT's Samhain XXVI. It truly is a loop point in time, a full circle moment.

CYBERPHUNK CLAUSURA (2LP) is the closing chapter of the CYBERPHUNK saga, following CYBERPHUNK and CYBERPHUNK EXPANSION.

What began as an exploration through Electro, Breakbeat and Acid now reaches its final form: a convergence of SubBass pressure, fractured rhythms and dystopian energy condensed into a complete double LP experience.

Across 12 tracks, Calagad 13 expands the sonic language of the series — combining high-impact breaks, hypnotic sequences, acid mutations and darker atmospheric structures into a body of work designed to be experienced as a continuous journey.

Pressed as a limited edition of 150 copies, CLAUSURA stands as both a collector’s piece and a defining release within the COSMIC TRIBE catalogue.

While this release concludes the main CYBERPHUNK narrative, the universe will continue evolving through forthcoming reinterpretations and remix transmissions.

Final chapter. Final signal.

Subject Sue is an Amsterdam-based artist creating dystopian nightclub music at the intersection of darkwave and ethereal techno. Inspired by queer club culture and the fragile edge between euphoria and estrangement, her music unfolds into a cinematic nocturnal haze.

Music has always been part of her life. As a vocalist and keyboard player, she performed in various projects and studied Visual Arts, where she explored themes of alter egos, personal realities, and the tension between subjectivity and objectivity in storytelling. Over time, she shifted from being an observer of these themes to embodying them herself. What began as an alter ego gradually evolved into something more personal.

Through Subject Sue, she explores desire, identity, and the strange beauty of the night, transforming fragments of her subjective inner world into cinematic club music. Drawing inspiration from Amsterdam’s queer nightlife and fleeting moments of intimacy, she creates music that inhabits the space between desire and isolation.

Debut EP Details In The Dark explores the blurred boundaries between lust and romance, intimacy and alienation through six tracks rich with pulsating synthesizers, textured soundscapes, and haunting vocal harmonies.

Following the success of Denshi Ongaku No Bigaku Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 in 2023, Cosmocities returns in 2026 with two new chapters in its acclaimed compilation series dedicated to the rich heritage and continuing evolution of Japanese electronic music.

Compiled by label owner Matt Soulie, Denshi Ongaku No Bigaku Vol. 4 further explores the depth, sophistication and diversity that have long made Japan's electronic underground one of the world's most inspiring musical landscapes.

Since its inception, the Denshi Ongaku No Bigaku project has celebrated the artists and sounds that have profoundly influenced the Cosmocities vision. Across four volumes, the series has journeyed through ambient soundscapes, deep house, boogie, jazz-infused electronics and forward-thinking club music. Volume 4 shifts the focus firmly towards the deeper end of the dancefloor, bringing together timeless classics, rare gems and sought-after reinterpretations from some of Japan's most respected producers.

Opening proceedings is Kaoru Inoue's remix of Soft's "Art Farmer", a rolling percussive Afro-house excursion rich in hypnotic groove and organic rhythm. XTAL's "Heavenly Overtone" follows with a beautifully cosmic house journey, combining shimmering keys and celestial atmospheres that perfectly capture the compilation's expansive spirit.

On the B-side, Slow Didi's "Follow Me (Hidaway Mix Instrumental)" delivers a deep and hypnotic groove before Tokyo Black Star's "Fantastique Voyage" channels the soulful, sophisticated energy of classic 1990s deep house. The journey continues with Manabu Nagayama and Soichi Terada's "Low Tension", presented here in a sublime instrumental remix by Satoshi Fumi and Yoshi Horino, where warm piano melodies and elegant synth work create a timeless late-night mood.

The final stretch moves into more driving territory. Hiroshi Watanabe's "The Orionids (2025 Revised)" subtly raises the tempo, blending deep house sensibilities with sleek tech-inflected textures. Kaoru Inoue's "Ground Rhythm", reworked by The Backwoods, plunges deeper into hypnotic territory with a heads-down groove designed for intimate basement spaces and low-lit dancefloors.

Closing the compilation is Bitowa and YAMADAtheGIANT's "Forest (Mixtacy Exclusive Version)", a trippy, immersive finale that leaves listeners suspended in a dreamlike state between nature, rhythm and imagination.

A carefully curated collection of deep, cosmic and forward-thinking sounds, Denshi Ongaku No Bigaku Vol. 4 once again showcases the enduring creativity, innovation and global influence of Japanese electronic music.

Non Series marks its 15th anniversary with a special compilation gathering artists from different backgrounds whose music reflects the spirit and musical identity of the label. Most have never released original music on Non Series, but their individual approaches and distinctive sound fit naturally within this compilation.

An eclectic selection of tracks, ranging from hypnotic sequences and intricate percussion to heavy low-end pressure and deep atmospheres, coexists without following a predetermined formula, allowing each contribution to retain its own character.

Rather than presenting a chronological retrospective, the compilation offers a snapshot of the label's ongoing evolution, bringing together artists from different backgrounds and generations whose work finds a natural connection with the Non Series aesthetic.

Fifteen years of releases, collaborations and continuous exploration, brought together in a compilation that looks back without attempting to define the label, leaving its sound open to further evolution.

"ABYSSUS stand as one of the most significant forces within the Greek Death Metal scene, having forged their path since 2011. Drawing profound inspiration from genre-defining pioneers such as DEATH, OBITUARY and BOLT THROWER, the band preserves the unadulterated spirit of old school death metal while imprinting their own distinct identity.

From the very outset, ABYSSUS placed equal emphasis on studio output and live performance. A steady stream of EPs and split releases established their presence within the international Underground metal community. Their debut full-length, „Into the Abyss“ (2015), garnered widespread acclaim and marked a pivotal moment in the band’s evolution - leading to increasingly frequent appearances both in Greece and across Europe, often sharing the stage with renowned acts, like POSSESSED, SINISTER, SUICIDAL ANGELS and ROTTING CHRIST.

With renewed creative vigour and greater maturity, ABYSSUS unveiled their sophomore album „Death Revival“ in 2022 via Transcending Obscurity Records. Adorned with an arresting cover by the legendary Andreas Marschall (KREATOR, BLIND GUARDIAN, IN FLAMES a.o.), the album was met with universal praise, further cementing the band’s reputation for delivering unrelenting, yet masterfully crafted, death metal. More shows with a.o. ASPHYX, TANKARD, GRAVE DIGGER and THE CROWN followed.

Now in 2026, ABYSSUS return with their third full-length opus, “The Reign” - a ferocious testament to their artistic evolution. The album encapsulates all the core elements that have defined death metal through the decades: raw aggression, blistering riff-work, and a suffocating, commanding atmosphere. Once again, the visual narrative is entrusted to Andreas Marschall, whose artwork enhances the band’s sonic vision with striking intensity.

Relentlessly evolving, ABYSSUS remain true to their roots while continuing to push the boundaries of the genre. With a prolific discography and an ever-growing presence on the live circuit, they have rightfully earned their place as a formidable name within the global death metal landscape."

• STRICTLY LIMITED, HAND-NUMBERED COLLECTOR’S BOX — ONLY 350 COPIES
• EXCLUSIVE COLORED BOX WITH REFINED SPOT LACQUER FINISH
• 180G VINYL – EACH RECORD IN AN INDIVIDUAL PRINTED SLEEVE
• INCLUDES OFFICIAL BM BAG, POSTER, AND STICKER — EXCLUSIVE TO THE 20 YEARS BM EDITION
• CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF BM — 20 SELECTED TRACKS
• AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON VINYL

20 Years of BM — Anniversary Vinyl Box Set
For two decades, Bondage-Music has stood for timeless underground house music, consistently shaping its own path through deep grooves, warm textures, and uncompromising dancefloor aesthetics. Founded with a clear artistic vision and an enduring passion for vinyl culture, the label has grown into an internationally respected platform for forward-thinking electronic music while always staying true to its roots.
To celebrate its 20-year anniversary, Bondage-Music proudly presents a strictly limited collector’s edition that captures the spirit, sound, and evolution of the label across two remarkable decades.
20 Years of BM brings together 20 exclusive tracks by artists who have played an essential role in the label’s journey, alongside close friends and longtime companions of the BM universe. Carefully curated across five heavyweight vinyl records, the compilation reflects the musical identity that has defined Bondage-Music since day one: deep, soulful, dub-infused, and emotionally driven house music designed for both intimate listening and late-night dancefloors.
The anniversary box features exclusive contributions from artists such as Roger Gerressen, Sascha Dive, Mihai Popoviciu, Steve Bug, NTFO, Markus Homm, Tuccillo, Politics Of Dancing, Rhadow, Andre Kronert, and many more — representing different generations and shades of the Bondage-Music sound.
Pressed on heavyweight 180g vinyl, each record is housed in an individual printed sleeve and presented inside a specially designed colored collector’s box with refined spot lacquer finish. The visual identity of the anniversary edition was created by Pete Bombart — BM’s longtime Head of Artwork, close friend, and an integral part of the label since its early days. His unmistakable artistic language has become deeply connected to the Bondage-Music universe over the years, building a loyal following that extends far beyond the music itself.
Strictly limited to only 350 hand-numbered copies worldwide, the release also includes an exclusive BM bag, poster, and sticker set created specifically for this anniversary edition. More than a compilation, 20 Years of BM is a reflection of the label’s history, community, and enduring dedication to underground electronic music culture. 20 tracks for 20 years — available exclusively on vinyl.
Twenty years later, the journey continues — driven by passion, friendship, and a shared love for timeless electronic music.

Tracklist

VINYL 1 (URSUS)
A1 - ROGER GERRESSEN - PATTERNED SHARDS
A2 - SASCHA DIVE - DUB CHRONICLES #10
B1 - RHADOW – RIPPLES
B2 - LOLA PALMER - SLOW DOWN
VINYL 2 (ARIES)
A1 - ALEXANDER MATCHAK – JOURNEY
A2 - ANDRE KRONERT - BLUE DRIFT
B1 - MIHAI POPOVICIU - TIME GOES BY
B2 - PORNBUGS & FRINK - SAVE OUR SOULS
VINYL 3 (MURIS)
A1 - MARKUS HOMM - MISSING PIECES
A2 - DILBY & PORNBUGS – DECADES
B1 - LOLU MENAYED – FLUX
B2 - CRISTINA LAZIC FEAT. LIKA - WORLDS UNKNOWN
VINYL 4 (LEO)
A1 - STEVE KELLEY & PORNBUGS - CANNING TOWN
A2 - DUST YARD – SHADOWS
B1 - POLITICS OF DANCING – PARTY
B2 - NTFO – BORUGA
VINYL 5 (AQUILAE)
A1 - STEVE BUG & PORNBUGS – SHARED ORBIT
A2 - TUCCILLO – FANTASIA
B1 - STEFAN BRAATZ FEAT. VALENCE – MEMORIES
B2 - EL MUNDO & TAL GROENMAN - MORNING LIGHT

Crash landing onto the scene in 2017 with his now legendary NTS broadcast of 2 hours of unheard music, the ultra-mysterious and enigmatic Michael J. Blood has gone on to release a series of sought after, lush and rugged future classics on his own imprints Blood Inc. and BodyTronixxx. Allegedly hailing from Manchester in the North of England, Blood’s sound is hard to pin down but instantly recognisable. Rooted in the twin foundations of modern dance music—Detroit and Chicago—while schooled in the sweaty basements of Manchester’s fêted club scene, his music feels both original and familiar, timeless yet unplaceable.

Weaving together a hypnotic narrative that feels both archival and futuristic, Cause & Effect Vol. 1 brings together some of Blood's rare and hard to find bangers from a variety of his early sold out projects. The collection mixes the pulse of Chicago with the grit and cosmic dreams of Detroit, while never losing sight of the North of England’s sophisticated late-night sleaze. Blood’s dance-floor eclecticism and raw, infectious mutant beats drive a soulful, jazz-louche energy into every track. The result is a collection of atmospheric grooves that weave together hypnotic rhythm and smoky texture, blurring house, techno, broken beat, and jazz-soaked electronics into a heady trip. Cause & Effect Vol. 1 maps out the restless evolution of Blood’s sound, a testament to his instinct for rhythm, atmosphere and dance-floor alchemy. House for the heart, techno for the mind, both built for the body. It’s in the Blood.

By the time Michael Nau completed Popfly, the songs felt less like compositions than companions. Arriving in fragments, notebook lines, and fleeting observations, these pieces kept company for years until taking their final form. The result is one of Nau's most openhearted, expansive records, both homespun and otherworldly at once. Radiant folk melodies, tape-warped textures, and flashes of everyday wonder coexist in perfect balance on Popfly. Nau has never been a songwriter who forces songs into existence. Instead, he follows them, trusting intuition over agenda and allowing songs to gradually reveal themselves. Writing and recording often blur together, with melodies evolving before lyrics are finished and stray recordings forming the basis for new songs. Popfly showcases these creative detours: thoughtful folk songs, sonic experiments, and accidental beauty transformed into fully realized compositions. Many songs began at home, growing in meaning. Since he entered the Vermont studio, Little Jamaica, with longtime friend and collaborator Benny Yurco, many of them had already lived several lives. "Studio recording feels like covering my own songs," Nau says. This idea flows throughout: performances are lived-in, feeling effortless, as if assembling itself. The title track carries a flicker of wonder in its simple observations. "New Slack" moves with the loose confidence of a song content to follow its own path. On "Lost Station Hideaway," soft static and fading signals become something strangely comforting, as if the song itself is being broadcast from somewhere just beyond reach. Family and friendship are deeply woven throughout the record. Nau's children contribute vocals, bringing warmth and spontaneity to the album's communal spirit, with longtime collaborator and wife Whitney McGraw lending her serene voice. The harmonies that drift from them extend the album's central impulse of people gathering to make something beautiful. Across Popfly, loose-limbed folk songs mingle with homespun psych-pop, porchside country-folk, dreamlike atmospherics, and quietly profound observations. The record moves with the ease of conversation among old friends, finding beauty in tiny revelations, strange coincidences, and everyday mysteries. The record is full of transmissions from different moments in Nau's life, stitched together by instinct, affection, and time. Taken together, they form a portrait of a life spent paying close attention to the world and its small miracles.

JUDDER announces the second installment of its vinyl series, bringing together a diverse selection of artists united by their passion for experimental bass music. This time, the record is fully focused on a raw, soundsystem-driven aesthetic. On Side A, French producer Amor Satyr—known for effortlessly navigating between dembow, breakbeat, and techno—ventures into dubstep territory for the first time. On 'Over', he translates his signature style onto the genre’s foundations while retaining the distinctive energy that defines his sound. The record continues with a collaborative effort from Thematic and Nattah. ‘Aurora Pulse' is a cold, restrained piece of leftfield bass at 130 BPM, where a sharp, syncopated subline forms the backbone of the groove, pulsing like the heartbeat of a northern metropolis. Opening Side B, Dawn RAzor and Mani Festo deliver 'Awared', a track where techno and breakbeat converge through layered sound design and spring-loaded drum fills. As it unfolds, the composition gradually draws the listener into a hypnotic journey, dissolving familiar genre boundaries along the way. The release closes with ‘Lockjaw'—a true soundsystem slow-burner from Kahter and Mercy System. Broken tribal rhythms and a constantly evolving arrangement keep the listener suspended in a state of mounting tension, one that intensifies with every new detail introduced. Tracklist: A1 Amor Satyr — Over A2 Thematic & Nattah — Aurora Pulse B1 Dawn RAzor & Mani Festo — Awared B2 Kahter & Mercy System — Lockjaw

ALLVEI (pronounced AHL-vay) is an ambient-jazz trio featuring Norwegian guitarist Eivind J. Vullum (HMD,Vibrasjon), Polish saxophonist Jerzy Mączyński (Polish Jazz, UHF) and Swiss drummer Nicolas Stocker (ECM, Nik Bärtsch’s Mobile). With its roots and meaning coming from a specific region on the North-Westcoast of Norway, ALLVEI describes an eternity in time, and the endlessness in space. It’s a musical and physical journey that begins deep in the mountains of Norway via Warsaw, Zürich and ends in Kristiania. It’s a fitting name for the trio’s musical experiments, operating in a continuous evolving sonic space. The five compositions act as a visual site-map of the first cycle of the ALLVEI project. From the subtle minimalism of ‘Almberg’ and unruffled sounds of ‘Driva,’ an enchanting web of rhythmical structures and ethereal sounds unfold, centred around subtle polyrhythms and free improvisation. ‘Mariensztat’ brims with exotic textures and tasteful arrangements, while understated explosions and quietly composed atmospheres dictate the pace of ‘Züri,’ before the album climaxes with the surging ‘Kristiania,’ awash with Stocker’s shuffling drumbeats.

Timeless is a brand-new 10-track compilation featuring rare and unreleased studio recordings from Prince’s legendary vault. This unprecedented album encompasses tracks spanning every phase of Prince’s illustrious career, from 1977 to 2016. The project has been meticulously mastered by Grammy-nominated engineer and producer Chris James, a former Prince engineer whose notable credits include HITnRUN Phase Two, Art Official Age, and Plectrumelectrum. Timeless will be available on CD & black vinyl, providing profound insights into Prince’s creative process and musical evolution.

After some years of (non)hiatus, Contagious are back with a new album that
furthers the evolution of their uncompromising sound. The album features the high
caliber talents of guests: Valentina Magaletti, Sofia Jernberg and Andrea Belfi.
“Being” is conceived around the different activities pursued by the band since the
release of their first (self-titled) album. Members: Sabine Erklenz, Andrea
Neumann and Mieko Suzuki have been concentrating on performing, composing
and organizing their own event series “Partners in Crime” at Morphine Raum,
Berlin.

This series is an ongoing process of inviting musicians to collaborate, share
and record new material - unrestricted by genre or anything else. It was during
these sessions, “Being" was conceived and recorded. Inspired by the wide range
of lifeforms found in nature, the track titles are once again dedicated to species
that challenge binary notions of sex.

The album conveys the band’s brutal approach to improvised processing - tense
buildups, powerful grooves and delicate release. Contagious’ signature sound
very much suits the wild vocal extensions by Sofia Jernberg, obsessive drum
patterns by Valentina Magaletti and the Moondog-esque, hypnotic percussion of
Andrea Belfi, all of whom offer powerful contributions to a tracks on the LP.

The overall result is a blissful and loving punch in the stomach

Ibiza-based Jazz N Palms is back with more musical dispatches from the calmer side of the island that follow on from his Ses Rodes album in 2022. That record was focused on a double album assembled, as if over a Cartesian grid of space-time. While one record was about space/the environment, the other was following the times of the day. This 7" expands that with more music inspired by magical island spaces.

These tracks were recorded in Magrana Studio in Ibiza with three new musicians and, after the post-production, the mixing was made with the help of Ben Westbeech and his beautiful Unfairchild II, an amazing Californian reproduction of the holy grail of tube compressor that has been present in Abbey Road studios since the 60s.

Opener 'El Valle' ('the valley') captures the different shades of light that pass over Ibiza, from early spring light to the arrival of looming clouds and the first thunders of a summer storm. It is the organ which serves as the main character to convey those sensations and the passing from light to dark as a live, loose and dusty groove bounces below. On the flip side, 'La Costa' simulates cruising on the open sea, riding choppy swells as waves lap at the boat and you gaze at the passing landscapes. Only drums and bass have been used to convey the feeling, and the result is a wonderfully uneven, ever-evolving and funky groove full of life.

Stoked to announce the debut record by Faulsk on Ruff Kutz!

Sometimes life can feel cyclical and having the first solo release on the label by someone other than myself had to be the right choice, it just so happened to be the producer from Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland, which is where I started my lifelong obsession with Electronic music.

Shortly after playing a gig together at Whakamana in late 2024, we started exchanging tunes and I immediately wanted to put a release together with the first track he sent.. The release also features 2 collaborative tracks with myself and consists of 4 deep psychedelic grooves across the tempo ranges, built with the sound system in mind. This is an outrageous debut EP, and I am stoked to have it on Ruff Kutz!

Whilst having a low social media profile and only a few tracks released into the wild, Faulsk seems to have carved out a honed in sonic identity. Mixing Techno and Dub production techniques whilst still having swagger and depth that appeals to the bass heads. Expect expertly crafted soundscapes, interesting loopy grooves, lush evolving pads/stabs and low end wizardry. Genre - Faulsk, just how we like it.

Galvanize was the first track to build the EP with a relentless 4x4 groove, perfectly balanced low end and washy atmospherics, the track gradually evolves to show that less is more sometimes - with it's use of stripped back restraint and negative space to create energetic mood shifts.

On the A2, the first collaboration track Exhalation slows the tempo to 100 BPM for some kind of bass mutation straight from the underworld. This one taps into the tense atmospherics of Galvanize whilst cranking up the intensity with evolving drones and razor sharp percussion to sit amongst the dense soundscape.

The title track on the flip, is a 9 min roll out, reminiscent of early Forest Drive West. The subtle modulation and dubbing on musical parts draws you in and is a nice juxtaposition to the crunching percussion, militant groove and precise low end. Chugging away at 115 BPM, this is a versatile track to inject some kinetic energy into your local underwater dancehall.

Closing out on the B2 we have another collaboration. Upping the tempo to the mid 120s, Retrospect sinks deeper into hypnotism with polyrhythmic grooves and an unresolving feel which creates steady momentum, coupled with lush and evolving synth work which take the track into serenity. Regulate your sound system.

One for the heads!

No Drama, the imprint founded and curated by Roy Rosenfeld, continues to expand its artistic vision with a sixth release valuing originality over convention. The label has steadily established a platform for forward-thinking electronic music, inviting artists to challenge familiar structures while remaining grounded in musical substance.

The latest release features two tracks by internationally recognized producer Yuvée, known for seamlessly blending live instrumentation with deep house, melodic elements, and organic percussion. While Yuvée appears solo on one track, the other is a collaboration with Omer Inbar, who performs under the name Oi.

The opening track, Lava Core, presents the sound that has earned Yuvée international recognition. Tribal influences unfold through carefully crafted percussion, while evolving textures occupy every part of the stereo field. Every section advances the narrative, allowing the arrangement to grow naturally while maintaining dancefloor impact from beginning to end.

The second piece, Blue, brings Yuvée together with Oi, an internationally acclaimed DJ, producer, and sound engineer whose work bridges psychedelic vibes and groove-driven electronic music. The collaboration introduces greater club energy. Tonal and atonal elements interact with shifting harmonies and evolving instrumental phrasing, creating constant movement without losing coherence.

Rather than relying on formulas, the duo demonstrates the value of artistic perspective in an era increasingly shaped by technological automation. The result is music that balances intellect with feeling, offering a listening experience that remains equally compelling on a festival sound system, in a club, or through focused listening at home.

With its sixth release, No Drama reinforces its commitment to artists who expand the language of contemporary electronic music through craftsmanship, authenticity, and creative ambition.

Spanning Portland, Bristol, London and beyond, Cold Light has evolved from a friends-and-family label into something stranger but more cohesive. It's a collective spanning Best Available Technology, Birthmark, Withdrawn, the wind between, CSNL and Rael, plus a wider orbit including Elaine Malone and Tony Onuchukwu. What began as a 2019 tour experiment and crystallised during lockdown into the Live at the Laundromat sessions has now fully matured into a singular sound rather than a patchwork of ideas. Dub sits at the centre, most clearly on the sprawling 'Fields in B', but the group folds in haunted boom-bap, gritty noise-rock and ghostly trip-hop with equal confidence. 'Riot' and 'I've Known Fires' both hover in that murky, half-familiar space the collective has made its own.

*Kissa* is an immersive ambient electronic project crafted by Mathias, drawing inspiration from the serene and evocative atmosphere of Japanese jazz kissa cafés. These intimate spaces, known for their deep reverence for music, serve as the foundation for *Kissa’s* sonic landscape—where warm nostalgia and futuristic minimalism intertwine. Consisting of eight expansive compositions, *Kissa* abandons traditional rhythmic structures, allowing sound itself to guide the listener. Ethereal textures, evolving drones, and subtle harmonic shifts create a meditative experience that blurs the lines between memory and imagination. Each track is a portal—an invitation to lose oneself in sound, to explore the spaces between notes, and to embrace stillness as a form of movement. With *Kissa*, Mathias redefines the boundaries of electronic music, crafting an experience that is at once deeply personal and universally resonant. Whether serving as a soundtrack for introspection or a companion for late-night contemplation, *Kissa* embodies the essence of timeless listening—where music is felt, not just heard.

Originally released in 1989, “Synthesis” is the debut full-length album by Artefacto, a pioneering Mexican techno-pop band formed in Tijuana by Bola Modelevsky, Roberto Mendoza and Melo Ruiz. With its distinctive blend of electronic rhythms, synthesizers and futuristic pop sensibilities, the album became an important and highly sought-after release within the Mexican electronic music scene. Despite the album’s innovative sound and the interest surrounding it at the time, “Synthesis” was mysteriously held back from a wider release.

“Synthesis” has since become regarded by collectors as one of the essential releases of Mexican techno-pop, with tracks such as “Complejo de Amor” and “Mundo sin Viento” remaining enduring classics. “Mundo sin Viento” was later featured on “Back Up: Mexican Tecno Pop 1980-1989”, the influential compilation released by Dark Entries, helping introduce Artefacto’s music to a new international audience.

The story of Artefacto and its creators did not end with this chapter. Its members continued to explore new musical territories through projects such as Artefakto, Panoptica, Nortec Collective, and Klansoff, continuing their creative journey within Mexico’s evolving electronic music scene.

For this new edition, “Synthesis” has been newly remastered from the original master tapes and is presented on transparent red vinyl, limited to 350 copies and including a reproduction of the original lyrics insert.


2026 Repress

In these cold days we're pleased to present a potion to warm the soul as Feral finally release his 5th Hypnus record. This is the first release of our 6th year which introduces a new, custom made sleeve design that further articulates the adventurous and cinematic philosophy of our music.

Most of you will be acquainted with Feral by now as he's been an essential part of our guild for quite some time. Those of you who enjoyed his last two EP's will be pleased to find the sound of "Court of Light" to be a solid evolution of his inimitable dubbed out deep techno sound.

Early support from Claudio PRC, Deepbass, Ness, Svreca & TM404 to name a few.

"After a couple of years shaping her sound in the studio, Budino lands the "Signal EP", a record that grew out of the desire to make music for her own sets. Citing the journey she aims to create in the club as a key inspiration, she certainly put in the mileage, with a booking schedule tirelessly spanning all points of the compass. Although this is her first label-released original record, it's no novice effort: ALT027 shows a confident artist, fully in control, with a distinct vision and the technical expertise to bring it to life. On opener "Stay More", a trippy trance rendition, the sturdy kick and distorted sines leave ample room for mid-bass acid lines to roam freely. In its company, a myriad of risers, gated white noises and delayed fills appear - signifiers within the artist's palette, as will become apparent. "Wireless" features similar crafty sub movement, but this time the drums are infused with conga patterns and other exotic slices of battery. Because of the zest these rhythms bring, the track can keep building for several minutes until a synthesised lead emerges. When that finally happens, the affair really takes off. On the other side, "Alpha 7" rides the call-and-response dynamics between different formant and deep-vibrating leads, its shimmering arpeggios and atmospheric pads adding colour. Closer "1031" provides an organic touch with its live guitar bass pulse and enigmatic, eerie vocals. Amidst ever-evolving micro-frills, a sturdy square lead thrusts it forward. The groove, again, is endlessly seductive. This characterizes Budino's skilled approach: it's often so hypnotic it feels unclear whether the themes materialise from the surrounding, seemingly fluid compositions - or dissolve into them. In any case, these are multi-dimensional cuts you will love getting lost in on a nearby dancefloor."

When Khalab and Baba Sissoko first recorded together in 2015, they produced something definitive: a record where electronics and griot tradition achieved genuine synthesis rather than polite cohabitation.

Not layered genres maintaining separate identities, but two forms evolving into something singular. "Tata" took Track of the Year at the 2016 Gilles Peterson Worldwide Awards, found champions in Laurent Garnier, Ben UFO, Matthew Dear, Bonobo, and many others — but more significantly, it established a working method built to last.

Eleven years on, they return with Foli Bah on Hyperjazz Records. Theirs is a relationship built on trust. Khalab constructs structures that don't develop linearly but spiral inward — loops that reveal something new with each rotation, tightening until the listener stops resisting and surrenders. Sonic architectures that don't expand outward but deepen over time, layering toward saturation. Baba Sissoko inhabits these structures with instruments from Malian tradition, not as ornamentation but as load-bearing elements: the tradition becomes structure, not decoration. Electronics and griot practice stop negotiating terms and start speaking the same language.

DJ Support: Glenn Underground, Crazy P, Terry Farley, Aroop Roy, Chris Coco, Frank Tope, Greg Wilson, Dom Servini, Francois K, Max Essa, Oliver Dollar, Pete Herbert and many more

Danny Ward’s Balaphonic project, one of many the long-serving performer, producer, percussionist, drummer and DJ has utilised over a career spanning over three decades, has evolved considerably since his first release under the alias 11 years ago. Conceived as a platform to explore his love of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian musical culture, it gathered new impetus during lockdown and the recording of superb first album Resolution Revolutions, which fused these influences with nods to Balearica, dub, dancehall and deep house.

On the Organic Matters EP, Ward’s follow-up to that critically acclaimed set, the Balaphonic musical universe has expanded once more, with the Manchester native showcasing a wealth of eye-catching collaborations and an even more intricately layered and sonically detailed sound rich in live percussion and instrumentation. It’s an ambitious and widescreen musical vision wrapped in sun-soaked melodies, morning-fresh motifs and simmering, sunset-friendly soundscapes.

The dizzying new heights scaled by Ward on Organic Matters is evident from the opening bars of ‘Dew Drops’, a piece created in unison with internationally renowned composer and arranger Robin Dewhirst. Between them, the pair have conjured up a yearning, life-affirming samba shuffler where picturesque piano, xylophone and balafon melodies rise above Ward’s dense, layered Latin percussion and warming bass.

Next, Ward delivers a thrillingly different take on his 2005 composition ‘Switch’, featuring legendary Brazilian jazz vocalist Flora Purim and her equally talented daughter Diana Moreira Booker. Whereas that was a jazzy deep house workout, Ward’s Balaphonic re-make is a shuffling, gentle exploration in 7/4 time – a heartfelt tribute to the Brazilian records with which Purim first made her name in the 1960s and ‘70s.

‘Balaventurers’ sees Ward join forces with an old friend from the North-West scene, R.S.L founder Joe Botham AKA Baleardelica – a multi-instrumentalist and producer whose Flamenco-inspired acoustic guitar motifs provided the starting point for another vividly colourful exploration rich in layered vocalisations, twinkling keys and impeccably arranged percussion.

It’s followed by ‘Life of Strings’, a more up-tempo and dancefloor-leaning excursion written and recorded alongside Amsterdam-based violinist, and composer Katya Gabeli. While Ward’s percussion-rich groove provides propulsion and a rock-solid foundation, it’s Gabeli’s evocative string arrangement that provides the focal point and emotional resonance. It’s a genuinely brilliant collaboration.

To round off a second stunning Balaphonic release on NuNorthern Soul, Ward delivers two simmering, slow-motion delights: the Afro-Cuban rhythms, cascading melodies and melodic percussion motifs of ‘Boxfresh’, and stunning EP closer ‘Home’ – an almost overwhelmingly poignant and beautiful number that gently ebbs and flows on waves of tracked piano, dreamy chords and a comforting sense of closure. It’s a genuinely sublime conclusion to another wonderful Balaphonic release.

Body Clinic enters the realm of Big Trouble Records with 4 no nonsense, hard hitting club tools.

“Connection Lost” EP tells a story, between the influences of the early 2000’s East London scene, and the classic elements of House with an ever-evolving modern yank. Deep rolling subs keep the body moving, while classic organ sounds weave through the soul. A true diggers paradise, with tracks that journey their way through all hours of the night.

Written during and after a year touring the world, Sweet American Boy
expands the raw honesty that built honestav's audience while pushing his
sound into bigger, rock-driven territory - heard on Can't Let Go, Storm In
This House, and Crash First.
Across 16 tracks he wrestles with family history, addiction, grief, love, and
the complicated reality of chasing - and catching - the dreams he once
chased. It’s honestav at his most vulnerable, self-aware, and ambitious: an
evolution of his signature storyteling that feels larger, louder, and more
unfiltered than ever before.
• MGK co-sign Multiple dates on MGK's Lost Americana Tour; Crash
First (with mgk) on the LP
• Deeply engaged fanbase: 1.8M TikTok • 1.2M Spotify monthly
listeners
• A bigger, bolder chapter: Rock-driven evolution of his sound, with a
headline tour on the way

Soft Resonance is a 4-track EP focused on deep, driving techno with a strong sense of space and movement. The tracks are built to work on a system — controlled pressure, solid low end, and evolving atmospheres.
Each piece moves between elevation and grounding: moments of lift and openness contrast with dense, earth-bound grooves designed to lock the floor in place.
Rather than peak-time aggression, the EP relies on tension, resonance, and gradual progression. Rhythms are steady and hypnotic, allowing DJs to shape long blends and transitions. Soft Resonance functions both as a tool and a statement —
deep techno for late hours, focused rooms, and careful hands behind the decks.

Valentina Magaletti (Moin), Al Wootton and Susumu Mukai (Vanishing Twin) create expansive rhythmic music that moves freely through dub, trance, free improvisation and cinematic psychedelia. For Basilikum, the trio recorded a series of improvisations in the Swiss Alps and London. Built on the foundation of vintage drum manchines and instinctive interplay they created compositions where no stylistic borders apply.

Dub techniques meet ritual percussion, hypnotic pulse and vast Popol Vuh-esque landscapes. Drawing equally from popular music, experimental traditions and spontaneous interaction, the trio treats playing, recording, editing and transformation as part of the same creative act. Sounds emerge, dissolve and reappear in new forms, creating a music that is both deeply physical and endlessly open.

With no fixed boundaries and no allegiance to genre, their work embraces movement, texture and collective energy. The result is immersive, transportive music that shifts between meditation and propulsion, intimacy and scale, always evolving in the moment

Jack Hamill concludes his trilogy of space saga albums with The World Overhead landing on Tiraquon Recordings on October 30, 2026, with a special limited transparent blue edition issued exclusively via Bandcamp from October 16, 2026.

Introducing the science fiction realm of Mikrosector-50 and Mr. 8040 on breakthrough electro funk 12-inch, The Love Quadrant (2009), Hamill signed to R&S Records with the double 12-inch "prequel", The Pathway to Tiraquon6 (2011), setting the stage for debut-album proper Welcome to Mikrosector-50 (2013), where Prince-inspired funk and sleek '80s synth-pop soundtracked Mr. 8040's hazardous journey home via heartbreak and drugs. By Love Beyond the Intersect (2019), Hamill's vocoded opus turned introspective, pairing gentle krautrock influences with themes of love, redemption and self-discovery, mirroring Hamill's personal life, sobriety and creative renewal. Through lockdown Hamill retreated to the countryside around Belfast to reacquaint himself with his machines, experimenting with driving acid and trance, and playing guitar, culminating in a fuzzy shoegaze meets banging IDM sound. Relocating to Amsterdam in 2024 and setting up a new studio, Hamill wrote the third installment of Mr. 8040’s saga, bringing the storyline – and himself – back to earth.

Presenting under the new moniker, Jack Tiraquon, and releasing via his own label, Tiraquon Recordings, The World Overhead is the sound of Hamill removing the guise of Space Dimension Controller and concluding the space-themed concept to move forward as the cinematic hardware musician he's always been at the core.

Priding themselves in having cultivated a community and culture at their club nights, they play some of the best music ever cut to wax. It might not be quite what you’d expect from a typical northern soul night, it isn’t stepping back into the past, it’s the music stepping forward into 21st century.

“We’re not interested in nostalgia – we love soul music because it’s brilliant. It probably still resonates with young people because it has a message of something bigger than what’s inside your own head – that what really matters resides in relationships with other people, not material things. We think that is beautiful” – DNSC.

“Deptford Northern Soul Club have emerged as the new faces of northern soul” – Yuck.

As featured in Alan Byron’s documentary Northern Soul: Still Burning (2026).

“By recontextualising northern soul in a modern context, they empower the genre to continuously evolve, imparting new meaning to younger, perhaps previously unaware audiences” – Pilot magazine

Modern Hypnosis is proud to introduce Babaka, the new alias of esteemed German producer Jörg Müller.

Reigniting his passion for physical, visceral sound system music, Jörg uses classic analog gear and a few self-built instruments to create a unique, potent dub sound. While reminiscent of Jörg’s earlier ambient and dub techno styles on his 2019 album Drawn From Memory and 2022’s Groundworks LP on The Moth Club, his new direction has evolved those techniques and primed them for sound system use. His debut release as Babaka showcases four masterful tracks that differ widely from one another while remaining within his new realm.

The opening track, "Exterminating Angel," is a pulsating, supernatural dub experiment featuring a deeply infectious bassline, ghostly key stabs, tight percussive delays and an oddly dramatic vocal sample creating a profound sonic climax before tapering off, allowing you to escape its vacuum and recalibrate. The most skank'n track of the EP, "A Bug in the dark" with its murky half-time swagger feel, bouncy hats, dub saturation and mega sub-driven riff has become an all-time favourite at Modern Hypnosis HQ.

Featuring precise production with decorative atmospherics and swung drums, "Woodsman Blues" has an almost Boxcutter feel to its intro before plunging off the deep end, hitting the dub floorboards, and revealing its true self as a reincarnated, stoned dubstep track. Closing out the release is "Hysteria," a perfectly executed, dark, chugging techno steppa that remains a popular track for many early-access DJs and selectors around the globe.

In the words of Jörg Müller himself:

After my first Album "Heavy Heart”, I tried to push my music more into abstract territory, especially sound-wise, ignoring mixing and mastering rules... this culminated in the eerie, roomy, off-atmosphere on "ground works" on The Moth Club.

After that, my focus shifted further towards freeform electro-acoustic ambient music. I built a couple of instruments myself and released two albums on Shimmering Mood as Kaleidophon. This was during the pandemic as nightlife came to a stop.

In 2023 and 2024, I started to go to dances again. I saw The Bug on his Pressure System, Al Wootton at Meaksuma Festival, Channel One and Iration Steppas on Young Veteran Hifi Soundsystem. Especially impressive were Mark Ernestus, Mark Ainley and Aba Shanti on the infamous sound system at Open Ground in Wuppertal.

This reignited my passion for dub/sound system music; I wanted to make tracks with the physical, visceral quality of sound systems.

It's fitting that Mike Jefford is both a photographer and a musician, his music career having slowly evolved like a developing photo coaxes Technicolor images out of the shadows. His sonic palette began taking shape in Medway, Kent with darker, grittier strains: teenage grunge and metal turned into drum & bass and IDM, following the Brighton club scene to Berlin as Positive Centre, until he made a nest in rural Portugal where Laguna Seca’s bright, expressive range would blossom.
A longstanding friendship with Chris Clark supported Jefford’s most pivotal artistic evolution yet, jumping from a decade of techno dusk to music practically overflowing with life as Laguna Seca debuted on Throttle Records.
“O tempo” can mean “the time” or “the weather” in Portuguese, two intensely changing powers whose many different connotations Jefford reflects in a highly varied tracklist. The breadth of climatic catharsis permeates through textural production and songwriting experiments, down into the very bedrock of the album’s engineering process where Jefford traces the long signal chain of time: the amps, desks, and tapes of Motown, the vinyl mastering studio’s intricacies, the Akai samplers that gave modern hip hop its “ghostly and impressionistic” sound, the software that drives electronic music today.
Much as 2026’s O Tempo was inspired by vintage tonality, retro aesthetic, and the likes of CAN, Kraftwerk, and Jimi Hendrix, it’s not an exercise in nostalgia; this is music that could have only been made with today’s technological advancements, revelling in anachronisms and collisions between hindsight and present tense.
It’s tempting to view Jefford’s projects as opposites, but they come from the same sonic values. Positive Centre’s “bleak” and “sinister” world is also incredibly detailed, constantly updating pile-driving grooves with microscopic flourishes and vast ambient swells. The flaring psychedelia of Laguna Seca is a continuation of those textural, material, and kinetic explorations, where plate reverb splashes, blistering and crunchy beats, vocal glimmers, and guitar swagger are all glued together by recurrent themes of memory and time. As each of his projects travel to the same destination, all of Jefford’s roads have eventually led to vibrant colour.


WHIMM formed around the shadowy heart of the Toronto post-punk underground over a decade ago. The partnership between Mounir Al Shami and Andrew Matthews has emitted sporadic musical shards over time, while slowly evolving into something so much bigger than its beginnings. Ideas seep out of every corner of No Promotion, showcasing a burning desire to explore and challenge while delivering very direct sonic offerings. The result is an album that feels as if you took the entire Coil discography and smashed it into pieces, assembling these precious songs from the fragments. Or as if Vangelis beckoned Section 25 to the studio in hopes of recording the score to a seedy film. The resulting LP is in a state of flux – equal parts motion and decay.

Patrick Flegel, of Cindy Lee, welcomed Al Shami and Matthews into REALISTIK Studios in Montreal to engineer half of the tracks for the album, including lending guitar to the opening track "Five in Decline." That influence is evident early on, as the first three songs are taken from those sessions. "Five in Decline" throbs and barks before racing through the hallways closing in around it. "Another Labour" slows to a spidery waltz as anxious melodies call out to one another. "Returnal" pulses, floats through the night sky and haunts you forever. "Rye" carves a percussive pathway toward similar travellers like Terry Riley and Jon Hassell, before the lament of "A Death Remembered" forms the perfect midpoint for the record. A slow build countered by twitching drums and blanketed by organs recorded at Metropolitan United Church in Toronto, it feels like emotion right on the edge of resolve.

"Rhymes of December" screeches through on a solitary train under the towering cityscape as the flickering lights blur past, its doors opening to the candlelit altar of "After the Last Sky" (those beautiful organs again) with an operatic swirl. "K'20" throws you into a claustrophobic and chaotic cab ride (Who is talking? Are those sirens?) until you finally find the quiet of the early morning, waiting at the window for the sun to join you once again as the first notes of "No Promotion" are delicately plucked. The final song from the Flegel sessions, it is over eight minutes of contemplative beauty. A restless heart that is ready to rest. Closing with a final apparition in the key of The Caretaker, "After the Last Sky (Reprise)" is a return to melody when words lose all meaning.

Al Shami and Matthews weave their lyrics throughout, words describing a search for lucidity, and of reactions and reflections. Al Shami – speaking from the Palestinian diaspora – ruminates on displacement, both personal and collective. His journey from having "been without a land and I can still see clearly" in "Rhymes of December" to a more defiant "we will be back again, no matter how it ends or where we've been" in "Returnal" takes a very insular turn on No Promotion. That sense of alienation pulls at the very center of a relationship when land and circumstances separate: "And after our last breath, all that's left in me is our flesh and fears, your last words would swim for years, you'll never find a home in me." Hearts on the outskirts that know the direction.

Josh Ludlow - one half of MAKE A DANCE - one of London’s most beloved duos - steps out on his own for a rare solo outing on legendary London imprint Rhythm Section International.

A late contender for EP of the year - the record meanders menacingly across four tracks of mind-altering, dissociative Brain Music, precision engineered to transport a listener and hypnotise a crowd without losing any dancefloor impact.

Interestingly, Bradley Zero (RS label boss) and Mr. Ludlow have a connection dating back to the late 2000s, when they were both drummers in rock and roll bands...almost 20 years later - a shared love of experimental electronic music has brought them back together, resulting in this spellbinding EP.

Channelling a much darker, heads down, aggressive sound than the uplifting house M.A.D have become known for, the record begins with 'Brain Music’, which serves as a Detroit techno-inspired wormhole of a track, guiding us into a parallel, inner dimension.

Time Upside Down is next up and it becomes apparent we have entered another realm entirely. The introductory bars of the song feel like a long journey down a dark tunnel. The sound design and acoustic backdrop are so evocative you can almost see it. Obnoxious bass notes reverberate through the space created by the track, slowly giving way to flurries of high-pitched, resonant acid lines - the sum of which escape easy classification. It would be lazy to call it house music, misleading to call it techno - but it’s definitely not tech house. Elements of disco, electro, post-punk, balearic and Weatherall-esque chug are all in the mix but essentially, this is its own thing - this is Brain Music.

The record continues to the penultimate track “The Kettle”, which starts off in more familiar upbeat, bongo-house territory before the calm is betrayed by a hovering intensity which grows out of nowhere before making space for a humungous bass synth melody - so big in fact that it has never once failed to elicit club-wide bass-face; which for a mid-tempo track is no mean feat. We round things off with ‘Mean Mother’, the most playful of the bunch: a Chicago house-indebted workout reminiscent of Paranoid London at their most visceral. The track feels familiar and almost safe until the synth-work is cranked up to 11, creating a cacophonous SH-101 build-up into a disco-esque drop that would get even the most reluctant raver jumping up and down for more.

Besides all the theatrics and acoustic world building, the evocative sound design and the insatiable, no-nonsense grooves - the thing that makes these tracks stand out is the attention to detail. No two fills are alike, every embellishment is EQ’d and polished to perfection - yet no immediacy is lost. The tracks feel alive, intentional and constantly evolving. Hyperbole aside - we have a serious, generational talent on our hands whose mastery of the equipment, understanding of the dynamics of the dance and unabashed
playfulness is being harnessed into something that stands out head and shoulders above the crowd.