Cerca:further out

While frontiers currently seem to be (re)claimed and shutting down, we, at Série Limitée, prefer going against the consensus. We proudly launch the 10th release opening up doors to four new artists, Deep88, Sofotalk, Kisk and The Happy Man. From Italy to Spain, our little musical caravan travels and wanders on paths and tracks made out of raw house beat leaves, fusion jazz trunks and deep groove fields, to bring to you this new VA, our 10th, faithful to our long time recipe: 400 exclusive press. Deep88 is officially in charge of welcoming you inside and of setting the tone. He will take you in with his track Wave House'. Further up our musical trail, we'll start hearing the hints of the next step, our next stop: More Than A Memory', by Sofatalk. On the road again, and we head to the B-side of things. We stay in close connection with Italy with Clean Up & Down' from Kisk. There is no good party without a great closure, and it's all even better with The Happy Man, closing the journey with Pizza Hug'.

Limited repress of the desperately cool super hip post punk mega rarity. With different label so it's different from the first pressing.

The first trunk repress of this classic lost post punk single was way back in 2010. They all sold very fast. The original 7' then shot to £500+ if you can ever find one. And the Trunk 12' repress is now about £50. Three record companies approached Trunk in the last month to repress it, but it was easier just to repress this classic 12' with the original version, a radio edit and three further edits from various underground superstars.

Jive baby On A Sturday Night' is incredibly hooky. It was originally played by John Peel back in the day, but as a privately pressed record with no distribution apart from being carried about ina sprts holdall, it sold just 30 copies.

Rediscovered by Thurston Moore in 2009, this super hip single is now back out with the full original version plus edits and mixes by Lemon Jelly's Fred Deakin, Tommy Stupid and Georges Vert, AKA the Advisory Circle.

Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player.

The Scene: The Welsh mountains, remote and harsh, a special place. A good place to produce a special album. The characters: Volker Bertelmann in his friend Adam Fuests' studio, equipped with only a piano and a laptop. The Project: To record a album of piano music. Title: Hauschka.

Piano music is highly personal music, which is the reason why piano solo albums occupy a particular place of importance in a musician's work - not that Volker Bertelmann wants to hype his first foray to that extent, hence the pseudonym. Nevertheless Hauschka is personal music, simply because it has accompanied him for so long, because it has always been there in some shape or form, because it has always been important. The title points to the fact that it is dealing with something of import, not just a few finger exercises or background ivory-tinkling.

Substantial' is a snapshot of a life spent with the black and white keys, and is simultaneously both moment and history, thought and feeling, yet without turning into a unduly meaningful concept album. Rather, Substantial' is based upon the least conceptual of all concepts: Improvisation. Each track is based upon an opening sequence, the theme of which is extended, modulated and varied with, as far as form or length is concerned, no specific objective in mind. What has come out is music of a differing, well, substance: Eleven atmospheric pieces in which a variety of different techniques overlap and rhythmical images with narrative depth unfold, in which further instruments, such as double bass or vibraphone make a fleeting appearance, at once lending a hint of pop, but at no time detracting from the piano as central instrument, in which experimental and electronic music is accessed without compromising the directness and ease of the improvisational approach.

The confluence of Bertelmann's multiple musical personality can be apprehended here: Whilst the pop-oriented musician plays the melody, the electronic producer gently experiments with sounds, leaving the pianist quite literally to manipulate the piano, - plucking the strings with a plectrum, dampening them or bowing them lengthways to achieve a variety of percussive effects. Following the recording, the tracks were adapted, supplemented and finalized. Using multi-tracking, up to four piano tracks were superimposed, electronic sounds from the laptop added, as well Stefan Schneider's bass (Mapstation, To Rococo Rot, Music A.M.) on three tracks.

Post Scriptum is the latest artist to join the Sonic Groove Records roster.
Previously releasing on Function's legendary Infrastructure imprint, Post Scriptum changes gears stylistically in a very big way with his latest release entitled Until You Drop. Leaving his previous looped based purist Techno behind, Post Scriptum takes his sound exploration into the much darker cavernous world of Industrial Techno.


Dark As You Like starts off this musical odyssey with a fierce mid tempo, broken beat groove. The rhythm emits the real feel sensation of live played drums with its hard smashing snares and deep booming bass kicks which surely will have you play the air drums! Layered on top of this beast of a rhythm track, Post Scriptum provides the perfect lyricism with a smooth spoken narrative. Very forward thinking sound design curves its way in and out of the dark negative space the rhythm and vocals provide. Without imitation or sounding even remotely retro this evokes the feel of early Nine Inch Nails and Ministry.


Drop Zone is a highly intense workout with it's pulsing staccato bassline and crackling filtered out lead line which builds into a growling beast of riff that will completely consume the listener. You Won't Find Me (Short Mix/Long Mix) takes things further into the post contemporary realm of present day Industrialized Techno with complex, bass heavy drum rhythms, slicing and dicing their way through a darkened acidic atmosphere of time, space and sound.


The joining of Post Scriptum and Sonic Groove Records is the perfect match with this beautifully crafted Techno-Industrial hybrid EP, a banger for the dance floor but also a delicious delicacy for your home turntable or music player.

Andras establishes a new home for his out-house productions with Punp Records. While House of Dad laboured in detail, 'Sanity' targets club play - speeding tempos laced with the larrikinism of Boiler Room, Australian reality TV and shark siren cut ups. 'Vinyl Only' takes a swipe at the 100% mentality with a stereo bassline threatening to derail the stylus, further sidetracked by being digitally available a week before the 12'. On the P-side, '40k' pulls swimmers from the Bondi rip while 'Sanitiser's simplicity cleanses the grease from Andras' former plumbing exploits.
Words by Michael Kucyk (Noise in My Head)

Musically and emotionally, Superpitcher's third full-length studio album, The Golden Ravedays is a one sound autobiography that exhibits the skill, feeling and style that the artist has honed over a period of twenty years, musically, and forty-plus-years, emotionally.

And full-length it is:

The Golden Ravedays is an epic album of 24 tracks that was released in January 2017 and is stretching over 12 respective chapter albums during a one-year period.
The sixth piece of The Golden Ravedays puzzle will be released on Hippie Dance in June 2017.

Number 6 of the series introduces two further tracks of the sound adventure that Superpitcher is taking us on this year.
Side A features Protest Song. If music is a way of transporting us to other places, Protest Song takes us to a desolate, scary and loveless environment, a burnt-down, burnt-out place where the flesh of its former inhabitants is smouldering, void of goodwill and kindness in a cloud of toxic and greedy smoke. It's all Kafka and Orwell and Suffering - the most twisted and eerie track so far in The Golden Ravedays saga. What is undeniably clear is an acute sense of regret and loss - a warning that it could have been avoided, had we only listened to our hearts and protested.
In the same vein on Side B we hear powerful Resistance. Produced after the Paris attacks of 2015 Superpitcher outdid himself with this strong message of Resistance. Where Protest Song paints a picture of under-worldly doom, Resistance's techno beat and insistent refrain sweeps us to the surface of the muck of hatred and intolerance we've politically been dumped in. A voice that seems like a trapped animal is calling out to us. What is it trying to say Is it crying out for help Is that animal all of us Resistance represents hope and encouragement and could be the perfect marching track to any demonstration against negative forces. Much needed in this age of bigotry where it seems like time has leaped backwards to a darker side of history. As for the dancefloor - Resistance is irresistible!

Bottom Forty's fifth release and second vinyl press showcases two French producers living and banging the drums in Berlin; a long time Bottom Forty favorite, La Fraicheur, teamed up with veteran producer and Leonizer record label ownerLeonard de Leonard. La Fraicheur, a producer of emotional and story-telling minimal techno, is seen here paired with Leonard de Leonard to turn up the heat on our first club-banger release track, 'Afraid of the Groove'. La Fraicheur and Leonard de Leonard beat the hell out of their analog Elektron to lay out a relentless whipping melody that demands a twirling dance floor while a classic minimal bass line, rhythm and 'she's uh-fraid of the groove' sample keep this track dark, dirty and underground.


In a beautiful contrast to the heart-pounding A-side, flip to the B-side for 'Une Place au Soleil'. Literally translated as 'a place in the sun', the saying is more about conveying the emotion of 'your hard work is putting you in a good place in life'. 'Une Place au Soleil' is a gorgeous deep house track filled with teasingly melodic stabs and subtle hardware sounds that come and go, crashing on the record like powerful but soothing waves on the hot beach sands. While 'Afraid of the Groove' may twist a peak-hour dance floor into a frenzy, 'Une Place au Soleil' will entrance them in the after hours, reminding dancers why electronic music is so beautiful and why dance floors can carry so much emotional release.


Yet another contrasting track, the remix of 'Afraid of the Groove' by the Milan based Elisa Bee, is what makes this record compact yet powerfully diverse for many dance floors. Entering the realm of ghetto-tech with pounding and distorted toms and kicks and fervent stabs, Elisa Bee's remix is like a rollercoaster that keeps ascending, building tension upon tension as it rides further into the sky, taking everyone along for the ride with it.

'Great Many Arrows' is the 6th studio album from Damien Dubrovnik, the Danish duo of Loke Rahbek and Christian Stadsgaard. It is also the 200th release on their Posh Isolation label, marking 8 years for both the label and project. The label's inception came with Damien Dubrovnik's debut album, and since then the two have been inseparable. Without Damien Dubrovnik there would most likely have been no Posh Isolation, and vice versa.

'Great Many Arrows' is undoubtedly a high point in the varied discographies of both Rahbek and Stadsgaard. It is the most realized Damien Dubrovnik recording to date, and a standout in Posh Isolation's troves.

As a record, 'Great Many Arrows' manages to translate the intensity of the duo's often unrestrained live shows in to carefully crafted studio productions. Unlike the pair's earlier and largely electronic recordings, the compositions on 'Great Many Arrows' set organs, cellos, violas, wind and other acoustic instruments against the backdrop of an electronic landscape.

The new toolset is as apparent on the surface as it is in the enclosed detail, taking the project further from its noise roots than it has ever been. This is not to say that Rahbek and Stadsgaard have traded ferocity for formal constraint. It is rather the opposite. While 'Great Many Arrows' is certainly the pair's most 'musical' work to date, its veneer of accessibility might also make it their most terrifying.

The strength of the recording lies here in the interaction between the melodic, acoustic instrumentation and the bulldozing electronics. Moments of beauty and light are transfigured into utter chaos and rage, the mesmerising change an expression of the equal and opposite form's natural sway as it beckons and slips between its own passing.

'Great Many Arrows' takes its name from a historic archery competition in Kyoto, Japan, in which archers would shoot as many arrows as possible for a 24 hour period. On April 26, 1686, Wasa Daihachiro from Kishu successfully shot 8,133 out of 13,053 arrows, averaging 544 arrows an hour, or 9 arrows a minute, becoming the record holder.

*The first ever personally endorsed and officially licensed remix of Ned Doheny*
*Record Store Day 2017 Worldwide Exclusive*
*Original artwork by globally acclaimed illustrator Pete Fowler*
London/LA producer Kenny Dickenson crafted his stunning remix of Ned Doheny's "Labor Of Love" to mark the Be With Ned tour in March 2015. The gentle disco re-rub was leaked by influential blogs and has been wreaking elegant havoc on both sides of the Atlantic ever since, setting a new gold standard for AOR remixes. Beloved of everyone who's heard it, we've been inundated with requests for a physical version.
As RedKen, Dickenson came to prominence with his cult edit of Steve Perry's "She's Mine" - an instant hit on the AOR Disco scene - whilst his double A Side Fleetwood Mac 12" with Psychemagik was number 1 across Juno, Piccadilly and countless others, gaining him further notoriety. Here, taking Ned's stellar version and creating new melodies by twisting original sax solos inside out, Kenny's remix is elevated further with the introduction of his sophisticated keyboard work and additional white-hot production.
Completed the day of Ned's penultimate show, Kenny bounded up to Pete Fowler - on DJ duties - and handed him the demo. Ever the showman, Pete played it seconds after Ned finished. Momentarily mortified at the chutzpah involved, we realised we were listening to something sensational. The key element would be Ned's opinion. He aired it the next day, breaking a drained silence as we boarded a flight to Berlin: "There was a remix of my song played last night." Heart in mouth, we were in for a deserved dressing down. "Pretty good, I liked it." And with that, we were determined to commit this wonderful reimagining to vinyl.
After two years of major label wrangling and artist nudging, Be With Records are delighted to finally present this as an officially authorised, one-sided 12". Enhancing the package, the record comes appropriately adorned with striking new artwork from Pete Fowler himself and liner notes from all parties involved. Limited to just 500 copies, these are sure to fly.

Seasoned memory athletes will no doubt recall the Turbo's past affiliation with the former Soviet Union (Proxy, Tiga Tigayevich Khristorozhdestvensky), and recent geopolitical developments have prompted the label to once again hedge its bets. Our A&R team spent countless hours sifting through layer after layer of Russian underground music, a shocking amount of which turned out to be fake SoundCloud accounts from producers based in Florida. In fact, our best intelligence suggests that Dimitri Veimar may be the only person making music in Russia today. For the 30 minutes a day he is not trading in politically moderate Twitter-bot futures, Veimar produces dark, raw-dog electro. He has already released music with Omnidisc and Renate, so it makes little sense to us why we have to communicate with him via a mole in the Canadian embassy in Moscow, which is further complicated by the fact that the mole is also an aspiring DJ/producer whom we have to keep happy at all costs. You have no idea how much has been sacrificed in order to shield you from the realpolitik of international dance music.

Fresh off the back of his debut as Cucumb45, Bjarki presents another outstanding release. 'Slysó EP5 Cyclops í poka' is a 5-track, vinyl only EP on bbbbbb records, the label he runs alongside Johnny Chrome Silver.
Whilst the recent 'Something Weirdcore' challenged our understanding of genre, the latest release takes things further, playing with our perception of acousticspace.
Immersive textures are introduced without warning, just as quickly as they are withdrawn, never to be heard again. From the nostalgic harmonies of 'Cyxlobblobs5' to the unnerving glitches of the title track, high velocity drums of 'Aqua Elba' and mangled juke patterns of 'CATpitchd5', the EP darts its way through a range of new territories without hesitation.
Never one to conform, Cucumb45 rejects familiar structures, rapidly jumping between ideas whilst manipulating the physical properties of his sound.

Stockholm-based Wolfbrigade announce the news of their ninth full-length album, titled Run With The Hunted, set for release on April 28th through Southern Lord.

Formed in 1995, initially as Wolfpack, after five years they ventured into the new millennium as Wolfbrigade. The band have released an impressive volume of LPs and smaller releases, and have toured widely over the years, becoming one of the premier acts of their genre. Their damning music surges with outcries against human socio-political injustices, yearning for transformation and freedom.

Wolfbrigade's Run With The Hunted strikes with ten brutal new tracks of their trademark d-beat, hardcore-crust-punk fury, elevating both the harsh intensity and the melodic attributes of their music to new extremes of savageness. There's a concentrated sense of urgency across the record, and a sense of dystopia fuelling the scathing vocal wrath. Run With The Hunted was recorded in both Studio Fredman in Gothenburg (At the Gates, In Flames, Martyrdöd), by Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd, and in Sunlight Studio (Dismember, Entombed, Grave) in Stockholm, by Tomas Skogsberg.
 
  About the new album, Wolfbrigade declares, We looked to explore our rawness, writing straight-up, in-your-face, primitive songs. On this record, we decided to push the melodic strains even further, but without losing either intensity or brutality. Lyrically we have been inspired by both classic and obscure dystopian literature, finding suitably horrible metaphors for the decline of western society. The search for freedom continues, but this time the path is pointed inwards, into ourselves.'
Run With The Hunted











 

Musically and emotionally, Superpitcher's third full-length studio album, The Golden Ravedays is a one sound autobiography that exhibits the skill, feeling and style that the artist has honed over a period of twenty years, musically, and forty-plus-years, emotionally.

And full-length it is:

The Golden Ravedays is an epic album of 24 tracks that was released in January 2017 and is stretching over 12 respective chapter albums during a one-year period.

The fourth chapter of The Golden Ravedays saga will be released on Hippie Dance in April 2017.

Number 4 of the series introduces two further tracks of the sound adventure that Superpitcher is taking us on this year.

Side A features Blood and Berry.

It is a captivating track that reminds one of the very first years when Superpitcher made music under the alias Sir Positive.

The beat is broken and the going is slow and rolling and the listening is a warm bath. There are flutes there that one never wants to stop and they almost don't. However essentially sweet this track is, like a berry on the tongue, it might lead to some blood on the dance floor!
Listening to Side B of this Golden Ravedays edition is entering a ghost town, alone, under a full moon.

Howl is a confluence of melodies and rhythms from Africa to Arabia where the snakes are being charmed out of their baskets and it is downright creepy.

A spooky voice is saying something but we don't know what exactly and it is bothersome because deep down we know that tonight when we are alone in the dark, we should be ready with the answer - or else.

All we can do is wonder:

Did Superpitcher sell his soul to the vampires for the vocals he let lose in this track

He answers by howling at the full moon behind thorn trees, in the shadows.

Entertaining, thoughtful and brave!

We salute the wolves and their master.

Hooo-oooowl!

Stockholm-based Wolfbrigade announce the news of their ninth full-length album, titled Run With The Hunted, set for release on April 28th through Southern Lord.

Formed in 1995, initially as Wolfpack, after five years they ventured into the new millennium as Wolfbrigade. The band have released an impressive volume of LPs and smaller releases, and have toured widely over the years, becoming one of the premier acts of their genre. Their damning music surges with outcries against human socio-political injustices, yearning for transformation and freedom.

Wolfbrigade's Run With The Hunted strikes with ten brutal new tracks of their trademark d-beat, hardcore-crust-punk fury, elevating both the harsh intensity and the melodic attributes of their music to new extremes of savageness. There's a concentrated sense of urgency across the record, and a sense of dystopia fuelling the scathing vocal wrath. Run With The Hunted was recorded in both Studio Fredman in Gothenburg (At the Gates, In Flames, Martyrdöd), by Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd, and in Sunlight Studio (Dismember, Entombed, Grave) in Stockholm, by Tomas Skogsberg.
 
  About the new album, Wolfbrigade declares, We looked to explore our rawness, writing straight-up, in-your-face, primitive songs. On this record, we decided to push the melodic strains even further, but without losing either intensity or brutality. Lyrically we have been inspired by both classic and obscure dystopian literature, finding suitably horrible metaphors for the decline of western society. The search for freedom continues, but this time the path is pointed inwards, into ourselves.'
Run With The Hunted











 

Echoe returns for its first outing of 2017 and fifth release since starting in earnest last year. ECHOE005 marks the first remix package in the label's discography, offering up four stellar remixes of Francesca Lombardo's "Remembrance" song. A clear stand-out in the label boss's inimitable repertoire, "Remembrance" has been given the rework treatment by house and techno stalwarts: Cassy, Laura Jones, Jade and La Fleur.

Cassy offers up the first remix, focussing her reinterpretation around an enormous and insistent bassline, murky and dense in equal measure, that rolls from start to finish. Undulating hats inject further energy, doubling in pace strategically whilst complimenting the 4/4 groove. Utilising the originals' emotional resonance, Cassy creates soft textures and refined arpeggiated patterns, adding a further dimension to the track's impassioned narrative.

Laura Jones's remix comes in the form of a low-slung, jazzy drum work-out, adorned with sub-heavy kicks and a snarling low-end that offers much of the track's sonic weight. Gentle bell-like keys float alongside modulated synth stabs that filter in and out of focus, whilst Jones's drum programming becomes progressively more and more frenetic.

Jade's reimagining sees a broken beat take the reigns, leaving space for soft percussive rhythms and an earth shaking low-end that pushes the song into ghetto house territory. Hi-hat pick-ups and jittery vocal cuts provide further momentum before the groove lands on sturdy 4/4 terrain. Jade's deftly arranged breakdowns, punctuated by panned drum fills and granular FX, adds welcome tension to the track, making a return to rolling drum-patterns and buzzing bass-sequences all the more rewarding as they come back in.

The final remix comes courtesy of La Fleur who delivers the most peak-time, club focussed material on the package. Staying true to the original's hook, La Fleur brings melody to the fore, whilst deploying snappy drums alongside chilling atmospherics and tech heavy stabs, set to keep dancers moving into early hours and beyond.

We are proud to unveil our next vinyl release of 2017 on Dust Audio.

* Mikal takes his first bow for Dust Audio in the form of 'The Spirited EP'. The break and bass craftsman reigns down an assault of almighty weight for the imprint which holds no barred.

* Off the back of his critically acclaimed 'Wilderness' album on Metalheadz, Mikal continues to seek out the dance floor through his precision target and locks on for a serious assault of the senses.* The EP's title track 'Spirited' see's the sinister intro build up and transform into a bass laden drop. The stepping drums and jungle infused shuffles entwine with the ghost vocal, whilst the modulated bass will move even the harshest drum n bass skeptics. Unrelenting throughout.* The flip sees Mikal spread his considerable studio talent over two further tunes of constant surprise.

'Low Note' wastes no time in getting to the drop before you've had chance to take a breath. A thunderous one note bass underpins the mid ranged reece and stabs whilst the chunky drums compliment the tidy percussion nicely. A haunting vocal then sets off another 16 bars of unclouded rawness.* 'Linear' finishes the EP with aplomb. Synth chords open up into what you might expect to be a lovely liquid-esque style roller... think again! Mikal takes that premise and turns it upside down and inside out before bringing the dirty funk. Keeping in line with the 2 tunes before, this isn't for the faint hearted. Definitely one for the drum & bass purest, who may well be dancing, but will also be taking down mental notes!
* Mikal and Dust Audio continue 2017's release schedule in style...

RELEASE

'The Practice of Pseudoscience', a three track EP by M Parent, is the second vinyl release from the US based label Chem Club Records. Having been inspired by peripheral thoughts about pseudosciences, this EP is washed in steady emotional build ups using airy reverb, scattering percussion, throbbing stabs and solid kicks. The title track (A1) uses these elements to move towards a piercing synth peak while 'Cycle of Intellect' (A2) spaces out these features as it creeps to a dubby impactful end. The B side 'Temazcal Rites' was directly motivated by a scorching summer day when the intensity of the sun sparked an idea for a sizzling percussive experiment. What we're left with is a funky but emotive soundscape that tops off the EP in a unique fashion.


ARTIST

M Parent, the artist behind Chem Club's second vinyl release entitled 'The Practice of Pseudoscience', is a Brooklyn based animator who uses his background in this story-driven medium to further express himself musically. His storyline approach to producing makes for an attentive listening experience full of arcs and plot twists that still maintains it's focus on the dancefloor. Using hardware exclusively, M Parent's aim is to produce emotive tracks that exist somewhere between a continuously evolving song and a fully functional track. M Parent DJs regularly at Bossa Nova Civic Club in Brooklyn and has a monthly residency at Jupiter Disco called Modal Form with fellow Blankstairs artist, Nathaniel Young.

Norway's PLOINK imprint returns this April with a four-track EP from production duo Dortmund titled Sauerkraut featuring a remix from Christian Tilt.
Hailing from Bergen, Thomas Urv and Miss Mostly's PLOINK events have been championing the Norwegian techno scene for over two decades. Launched in 2014, the PLOINK label has hosted a string of
versatile twelves from the likes of Prins Thomas, Christian Tilt, SkatebÂrd and most recently Mental Overdrive, whoís innovative ëHardwareí album dropped in March. Returning to the label since providing a
track on PLOINKís 20th anniversary release last year, hardware specialist Dortmund, real name Karl Markus Zavodny, is also well known for releases on Montrealís Turbo and Leipzigís Vocabula Recordings.
ëSauerkrautí opens the release with rolling synthetic percussion that builds into an earworm groove, laced with chattering hats in tandem with echoing claps and fuelled by a vibrant acid loop. ëAcid Over Osloí then
motors along, utilising a razor-sharp 303 line within the frame of a crisp drum machine riff with a warmly distorted glow. Christian Tilt then morphs 'Sauerkraut' into an energetic pulsating cut, employing subtly swinging hats bathed in reverb before further processing the acid lead into fresh areas of the stereo field. Echoing bleeps then dissipate in Karl Krankenhaus underpinned by a bone shaking drum groove alongside moments of IDM tinged synthscapes and dubbed out chord stabs.
Dortmund ëSauerkraut EP' drops on PLOINK on 21st April 2017.

* Mastered and lacquer cut by Mike Grinser @ Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin

Toby Tobias can be found in the shadows of South London. This is his first offering for the ESP Institute. On side A, 'Gravitator' evolves slowly over ten minutes from a somber intro of supernatural sighs, pulsing machine feedback and techno squelches into an ethereal landscape peppered with dissonant fragments of synth. With side B's 'Right Turn To Nowhere', Toby stretches out even further, flexing a tasteful programming of the 808 while taking the long road to a reverb-drenched crescendo of distortions and expansive string swells. After a prolific output of material for other quality labels around the world, Toby Tobias has undoubtedly re-focused his point-of-view upon his induction to the ESP Institute. These two songs will have you locking up your children at night.

Making his Tortured debut is Liverpool based Techno DJ and producer, Binny with his 'Devil's Orchestra EP'.

Binny's journey as a solo artist started with a release on Orbis Records in 2012. Since then he's gone on to release a further three EPs for Orbis as well as additional releases for Monnom Black, Symbolism, CLFT, Suburban Avenue, Forte Techno, Scenery, Demarcation and Flatlife Deep plus remixes for Endlec and Fundamental Interaction. Drawn to the music of Jeff Mills, Robert Hood, Surgeon, Regis, Steve Rachmad and many others, his DJ sets and production sound is tough, hypnotic, old school and most of all, uncompromising. As a founding member of the Phantom Planet Outlaws with John Heckle and Mark Forshaw, they have produced EPs on Tabernacle and Apartment Records as well as starting the Boss Tracks label exclusively dedicated to releasing Phantom Planet Outlaws material.

Taking another solo turn, this time for Billy Nasty's Tortured label, Binny delivers a refined EP from the striking and demonic strings of the aptly titled opener, 'Devil's Orchestra' via the multihued tough groove of 'Alternative Methods', before the Tech-funk of 'Roll With It' and on to the Sci-Fi tones of 'Untitled' which closes the vinyl 12"

Omar has a totally unique, individual style and sound still marks him out as a future thinking and utterly unrivaled artist, who has collaborated with so many legendary names that it would be foolish to deny his worldwide reputation - who would dare contradict the likes of Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Carleen Anderson, Angie Stone, Common and fellow fans and followers like Maxwell and Jarrod Lawson

Following on from 2013's album The Man, 2016 sees his new long player further cement this undeniable reputation. Love In Beats is Omars' 8th studio album of his long, illustrious career and may just be the most eclectic & varied to date. Somewhat more electronic in it's conception and sound than it's predecessor, Love In Beats incorporates soul, Caribbean rhythms, an undercurrent of funk, with touches of zouk, a jazzy waltz, spoken word and also features collaborations with Us soul legend Leon Ware, Blue Note pianist Robert Glasper, grime MC Ty, Guadeloupe born singer Jean-Michele Rotin, and Uk soultress Natasha Watts, The Floacist and Mayra Andrade, the Cape Verdean born singer who lives and records in Paris.

Co produced by Scratch Professer, Omars Grammy winning brother,this collection should create excitement worldwide, the sounds are varied - but all have Omars' unique fingerprint on them, style and substance beautifully merged!

Visible Cloaks' Reassemblage is a collection of delicately rendered passages of silence and sound that invokes - and invites - consciousness. The foundation of the duo's second album is gently poured upon the ground their musical predecessors explored, using the materials of chance operations, MIDI translation,' and other generative principles that favor inclusive musical environments over the narrowly constrained.

In 2010, Spencer Doran, one part of Visible Cloaks alongside Ryan Carlile, prepared the first volume of Fairlights, Mallets, and Bamboo, a mixtape indicated by Doran as an investigation into fourth-world undercurrents in Japanese ambient and pop music, years 1980 - 1986.' These mixes contextualized the outré orbit of Yellow Magic Orchestra-related solo projects and their abstract, radiant forays as forever futuristic modes of music.

Reassemblage evokes similar musical futures celebrated on the Fairlights mixes, but does so observantly rather than reverently. The title Reassemblage, for example, is taken from a film essay by Trinh T. Minh-ha, which explores the impossibility of ascribing meaning to ethnographic images. The author aims to speak nearby' rather than speak about.' In other words, to embrace lapses of understanding, and realize that the impulse to map direct meaning across a cultural gap often results in further disconnect.

In an effort to speak nearby' rather than speak about,' Visible Cloaks filters and forms source material to become young again. Often the duo strip tonal elements of their specificity or randomize melodies so they become stirring and lucid. Essential patterns emerge, conscious experience heightens. In these moments, the musical language of Reassemblage finds unlimited resonance and presents a path to uninhabited realities.

The origin of this language could be described as translingual or polyglottal, working within the eastern / western feedback loop of influence, Fourth World ambiguity, and the universality of human emotion. Incorporating an international array of virtual instruments to advance the idea of panglobalism through digital simulation, tones and colors cohere into a living, breathing pool of sensorial experience in Visible Cloaks' environs.

Beyond embracing the fluidity of worldly musical influences, Visible Cloaks works fluently between mediums. The contribution of stalwart digital and installation artist Brenna Murphy's dream dimensions to Reassemblage's cover artwork and surrounding videos extends the album's exploration of global headspace into a visual, visceral reality.

Jerome Meyer AKA Von D is a master craftsman, well-known for releasing dubstep and bass music since 2009. On an increasingly prolific trajectory since last year, recent 12's on Infernal Sounds, Trojan Audio and Scotch Bonnet have signaled his renewed focus on dubwise productions. We are proud to say that Von D's Khaliphonic debut sees him fully committing to reggae and dub - in his words, going back to my musical roots.'

Politricks' is a masterwork, cut from the same living rock as the classic Cuss Cuss riddim, a simply huge bass and drum workout that is truly one for the ages. Politricks is an anthem for now, a call to avoid the dead-end of politics-as-usual and a warning to beware of the lies politicians tell to keep themselves in power - full of promises but changing nothing. Von D says that working with Don Cotti was very natural,' and their easy relationship is audible - the tune fits the vocal like a glove, and Cotti's instantly-recognizable singjay style gives even more gravitas to an already heavy track. The dub version spools out Von D's signature saturated echoes even further, and opens up spectral chambers of reverb that shimmer and glow.

The B side Ygrec' is an equally massive tune, just as compelling if more meditative and mysterious, coming in both one drop and power-steppers mixes for maximum versatility and vibes. Both tunes and their versions feature an incredibly robust, warm, human sound - one that simply can't come from machines alone - live drums, bass, and kete drum among other instruments maintain the tradition of live musicians in dub - to say nothing of expert desk-based mixing and deployment of live analog effects the way the elders intended. Both tunes dial in at 140 making them perfect for roots and dubstep selectors alike.

Von D got his start as a drummer and engineer outside Paris, in the heady days of original jungle. Early releases on Disfigured Dubz, Hench, Boka, Black Acre and the seminal V Recordings, as well as his reggae-oriented Liquid Wicked project, cemented his reputation. Don Cotti is a prolific producer, DJ and MC with releases stretching back to 2006 on labels as varied as Bass Face, Studio Rockers, and Soul Jazz.

Mastered by Lewis at Stardelta. Art & design by Polygon Press.

It was the spring of 2007 when Paul 'Mudd' Murphy and Kevin Pollard announced the arrival of the former's Claremont 56 label with Villa Stavros', a magical frst collaborative 12'. It
seems somewhat ftting, then, that Claremont 56's fnal release of its' frst decade will be N7 Odyssey, the frst collaborative album from Mudd & Pollard. By the time Villa Stavros' came out, the pair had already been regular studio buddies for a couple of years. Initially, Murphy had recruited Pollard - a hugely talented keyboardist and composer - to play on tracks he was working on for Rong Music. One thing naturally led to another, and soon they were joining forces to make music as Murphy's home studio in
Holloway, North London. As the years rolled by, further acclaimed singles followed Villa Stavros' - the bubbly, Rhodes-laden Balearic disco shuffe of Vincent', and the lilting, intergalactic dub disco of Scaffold', most notably - before the duo's other musical commitments began to take precedence. Murphy had his hands full running the Claremont 56 and Leng labels, while Pollard carved out a successful career as a soundtrack composer for both flm and television. Now, the album they set out to make all those years ago is fnally fnished and ready to be
released. N7 Odyssey - titled in tribute to the Holloway studio they recorded in for many years before Murphy moved - draws together freshly re-mastered versions of their previously released singles with a clutch of previously unheard tracks. Built around the duo's own fne musicianship, with Pollard handling synths, keyboards and electric piano, and Murphy guitar, bass and percussion, the album's ten tracks offer a musical journey through their shared love of shuffing grooves, sun-kissed soundscapes and
gentle positivity. Highlights come thick and fast. There's the swirling strings, futtering futes, jammed-out electric pianos and heady female vocals of Far Away', the enchanting new age ambience of December', and the rush-inducing Balearic disco breeze of Mawson's Walk', a former single blessed with sublime horn solos and rising, cinematic strings. Check, too, the head-
nodding beats, fuid electric piano solos and jazzy guitars of Inatin', the gentle Eastern mysticism and vintage ambient house aesthetics of Anura', and the ultra-deep house pulse of N7 Odyssey'. The album fttingly fnishes with a sublime ambient interpretation of Scaffold', arguably the duo's most celebrated track. It may have taken a decade to emerge, fully formed, but Murphy and Pollard have delivered an album that's beguiling, magical, and hugely comforting. Clearly, it's an odyssey worth
taking.

Cookin' On 3 Burners are Australia's foremost organ trio joining the dots between funk, soul, boogaloo & jazz. Long time partners Lance Ferguson (guitar), Ivan Khatchoyan (drums) and Jake Mason (organ) have taken their home brew of soulful Hammond get down everywhere from jazz festivals to after hours bars and clubs. Their top notch reputation led to them supporting Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings in Sydney, jamming live with Breakestra and becoming THE in demand band south of the equator. With a musical CV that includes names like Joe Bataan, Alice Russell, Mark de Clive-Lowe and The Quantic Soul Orchestra, as well as the world beating outfit The Bamboos, it's not surprising this latest CO3B album has generated huge interest even prior to its' release. Their first Freestyle album 'Baked, Broiled or Fried' featured the group in a hardcore funk groove but on 'Soul Messin' sees the sound, feel and influences widened further with some quite magical results. Versatile singer Kylie Auldist (Tru Thoughts Recordings) opens proceedings on the deep funk groove of 'Push It Up' but it is the Freestyle 45 'This Girl' (FSR7057) that provides the mellow, beautiful and incredibly catchy vocal highlight of the entire collection, shimmering horns ride over this laid back, future deep soul classic. We don't yet know what Gary Numan will make of CO3B's version of his 80's synth pop hit 'Cars' (CD only) but Jake Masons organ playing (including simultaneously supplying the super funky bass lines via his Hammond foot pedals and left hand) takes this track in a direction no one was expecting! Drummer and top notch singer Fallon Williams provides his gritty, searing voice on 'Hole In My Pocket' and 'Seen Through Your Disguise' sounding very much like US soul legend Robert Moore and the band display their versatility whilst doffing their caps in the direction of The Meters on the numbers 'Dog Wash' and 'Piranha' The down tempo, moody album closer 'The Proving Grounds' (CD only) once again shows the groups expanding musical textures and rounds off 'Soul Messin' the bands most varied and accomplished recording so far.

Recent Mark Lamar Live Session on Radio 1

"This Girl" has been Freestyle's top selling single of 09 so far !

Released in 1982, "Weltweit" was the sole output of the band. It has appropriately become quite rare and difficult to find with the resulting high prices to obtain an original copy. Inspired by the greats such as Kraftwerk, YMO and Klaus Schulze, the three members crafted an exquisite collection of electronic pop songs played on a very impressive collection of analog synthesizers (Arp Odyssey, Korg MS series, MiniMoog, PolyMoog, Moog Modular System 55, PPG 360, some Rolands, and Doepfer sequencer), self-builds and drum machines (Roland TR-808) that were considered cutting edge at the time. The band would have recorded a second album but split up before that was possible. Members of the band continued to be involved in the music industry at least peripherally but didn't participate in further collaborations or bands. Also interestingly, MONOPOL was basically a studio-only project and actually never played live (despite some TV appearances).

Definitely a must-have for fans of NDW such as Bal Paré, Grauzone, Piefke & Pafke, Rheingold, Stahlnetz, Ti-Tho and the like.

Hot on the heels of System of Survival's latest album and exclusively on vinyl comes the D-Votion EP to Get Physical Music. The influential House duo present cuts from the album, 'D-Votion' and 'No Time To Waste', 'D-Votion' is laid out first; a deep and groovy dancefloor track with low end grit and a funky swing it its step . A collaboration with Salvatore Stallone the track is very moving and nearly impossible to resist. 'No Time to Waste' plays a hypnotically rhythmic synth over a steamy stage of sweaty percussion. Next we turn to the brand new vinyl-exclusive acid house number 'Phantom Power' for a heavy dose of midnight action. With a very technoid feel, the acid's presence suspensefully builds a tension throughout while the bassline chugs the track further. Next SuRFBiT joins to present 'Searching for a Wave', another track featured on the album. This one shines more sun with warm synths, soft vocals and gentle melodies. The collaboration ends the EP on a warm note, a special sound for a special dancefloor moment.

Following their much-acclaimed surprise debut album VERMONT from 2014, Motor City Drum Ensemble's Danilo Plessow and Innervisions' Marcus Worgull reunite for more synth daydreaming on the suitably titled II'. The new outing continues where the first full-length left off, strolling further down the luminous and undulating path that the duo turned into, influenced in equal measures by kosmische, krautrock, minimal wave and synth soundtracks.
This latest batch of instrumental cuts opens with the strictly balearic vibe of NORDERNEY, a softly swinging, light-footed recording with a keen sense for structure. Featuring a guest performance from Robbert Van Der Bildt (aka Kaap) on guitar, it's a telling starting point for the album that - similar to Vermont's self-titled debut - successfully navigates between economic, careful studio arrangements and playful, incidental exploration further pushing into jam session territory. Van Der Bildt's guitar returns on the plucky, curious UFER, where Vermont showcase a renewed sense for jazz-like improvisation - same as on the cuts DSCHUNA, CHANANG and WENIK, which also include contributions from Dermot O'Mahony and Tadhg Murphy on strings.
Still, Vermont's synth contraptions remain the album's main attraction, with the extensive array of gear encompassing an entire panopticon of analog bling - from Arp Oddysey and Moog Prodigy to Fender Rhodes, Juno and Prophet, list-studying gear heads will find lots to drool upon. Consequently, tracks like CHEMTRAILS, UNRUH or GEBIRGE err on the machine side of things, expertly interweaving arpeggiated sequences for maximum atmospheric effect. Foreboding, slightly menacing synth motives as on SKORBUT or CHEMTRAILS are perfectly balanced with the casual ambient of HALLO VON DER ANDEREN SEITE and the nostalgic warmth of DEMUT - while the gentle push of the masterful KI-BOU even carries a whiff of classic deep house, linking the Vermont project to Plessow and Worgull's main careers as dance floor movers and shakers.
Continually intriguing, immersive and texturally rich, each one of Vermont's new pieces betray the experience, precision and determination of the producers involved - while opening up Worgull and Plessow'a vocabulary for patient experimentation and subtle discoveries. A musical treat for synth aficionados - and everyone else, if you ask us.

Six years after his last album on Miasmah, Schattenspieler, it's great to find Marcus Fjellström resurrected after several long years spent composing his audio-visual opera Boris Christ.

Born out of shattered dreams and an obscured vision of the future, Skelektikon is a delirious yet lucid exploration of the farthest and most conflicted reaches of the heart, teeming with confusion, passion, and ghostly shadows. Being no conventional composer in any way, Marcus stumbles further down his musical domain of detuned orchestral (re-)arrangements and pain-inducing synth passages, arriving at a most unique and personal result. Where Schattenspieler gave way to noir filled alleyways, Skelektikon fills them with paranoia. It's the sound of Limbo, of dancing amoebas, of deviant skeletons, nostalgia and futurism, or quite possibly none of that.

Inhabited by the bizarre and the beautiful, Marcus's music is a blurred yet encouraging representation of how you can never trust your own feelings - or eyes and ears for that matter. And yet, we can't shake the idea that the truth is to be found somewhere within this alien language, as delivered to us through the speakers. Opening our eyes after the final track has dissipated, we wouldn't be surprised to find someone or something there, staring at us, in silent and unsettling knowledge.

Stirred up from deep within, from an abstract spiral of sound and movement, from a sensation of time and space absolving and converging at once, the Black Flower musicians have molded a tangible matter: the album Artifacts. Their second full album sounds international and ageless. Eastern influences, Ethiodub and jazz effortlessly merge. Fantasy and reality seem to fuse. In a word: nourishment for body and soul.

"Psyche-delicious and accessible 20th century Ethiodubjazz. As if John Zorn put on Fela Kuti's shoes and imbibed Mulatu Astatke's whirls."

Piloted by saxophonist /flutist /composer Nathan Daems (Ragini Trio, Dijf Sanders, Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra), this instrumental band aims for originality. Fellow musicians and 'brothers down the road' are Jon Birdsong (dEUS, Beck, Calexico) on cornet, Simon Segers (Absynthe Minded, De Beren Gieren, Stadt) at the drums, Filip Vandebril (Lady Linn, The Valerie Solanas, Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra) at the bass and Wouter Haest (Los Callejeros, Voodoo Boogie) playing keys.

For many of us, the Ethiopian aspect once made known to the world by Mulatu Astatke will stand out. Still, Black Flower further adds oriental scales, Afrobeat à la Fela Kuti, jazz in a John Zorn way and varied western music traditions such as rock and dub. The resulting melting pot is undoubtedly inspired by Nathan's distant travels and the multifariously colorful city of Brussels.

...Pretty legit if you ask me - LeFto, Studio Brussel

After their well-received debut album Abyssinia Afterlife (2014, W.E.R.F. / Zephyrus Records) that created an atmosphere of mythical figures and psychedelia, Black Flower now reflects on ancient and modern cultures. The album title Artifacts refers to centuries-old fragile objects or tools that empowered the development of human culture. The world today would look entirely different without those artifacts. The seemingly brittle suddenly becomes a powerful welding cornerstone. Add the musicians' personal musical backgrounds and the result is an album with an ageless mystique. Artifacts is the synthesis of different cultures, of the past and present, and personal and collective memories. It is the soundtrack to modern reality, based on the elements that connect us.

Brilliant - Gilles Peterson, BBC Radio 6

One of Belgium's Best Bands of these past years (...) Black Flower does not simply play a tune, they always groove! - Kurt Overbergh, Ancienne Belgique

Uncomplicated originality, plenty of space for fantasy and an organic tone: those are the ingredients for Black Flower to lay claim to an age-old human ritual: dancing! Still, Black Flower also stands out in various other settings. Their audience at a jazz club will have felt exalted, their audience at a late-night show will not have resisted dancing. The band wields influence over their surroundings in a way only heart-and-soul musicians can. This mastery has repeatedly taken them to United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Germany.

Counterweight is well known for their party series in Munich defined by their strong bookings. Now the guys decided to go a step further and start with their own Vinyl label. Their first release shows already what they stand for and what you can expect in the future CWTs releases. This release is also the debut EP of the Spanish DJ and Producer Gonzo MDF, who shows his ambition and love for rough sounds. High BPM, Industrial, violent synthesizers and really heavy kick-drums are what you'll find in this Sacrificio EP. Get your copy before it's sold out, 180 gr Limited Press!!

Deluxe LP w 180g, Reverse Board Sleeve, MP3 Download - HOLOVR is Jimmy Billingham who also records under the alias's Tidal, Venn Rain, Journey of Mind & Holographic Mind - He has released music on Firecracker Records, Opal Tapes and Hooker Vision as well as his own Indole Records Release Information Anterior Space may strike some listeners of a certain age as an echo of the gilded age of "armchair techno" exemplified by Warp Records' Artificial Intelligence comps. There's a similar convergence of the cerebral and the blissful in the four epic compositions HOLOVR (aka Jimmy Billingham) finesses from his analog and digital synths as that found on those early-'90s pieces by Black Dog, B12, and others. Discussing the creation of Anterior Space, which is the first HOLOVR release to feature no beats, Billingham reveals, "Dropping drums gave me a bit more freedom in terms of tempo and rhythm, and it was actually really liberating. Having fewer elements in a track also meant it was possible to record live, which is my preferred way of working, as you can capture an actual snapshot of time and a natural, in-the-moment negotiation of the different elements of a track. I'd know a track was ready if I could sit there and listen to it looping round for long periods of time and really get lost in it, and then I'd try and capture a nice section of that in the space of 10 minutes or whatever." You can hear this on Anterior Space's opening 11-minute track, "Into Light." Its subtle gradations of warped tones and implied rhythms teem with hyperactive elegance. The titular light glints off of several jeweled facets, like a disco ball made out of diamonds. The slow, mobile-like rotation of synth baubles over a foundation of yearning, icy drones on "Apparent Motion" creates the illusion of a shimmering stasis, but there's actually a great deal happening here. .

White Vinyl Pressing

Falling Ethics returns with the 9th installment in their string of steady Techno releases. This time around Psi-DOM is on duties with a 4-track EP that consists out of tracks with all Latin titles. Like suspected FEX009 is again showcasing the more experimental and wild side of electronic music. Special textures, adventurous ARPs and firmly produced drums make a coherent slice of vinyl that will speak to the imagination of those willing to look further that your standard club situations.

Following releases on labels such as Greco-Roman, TTT and Templar Sound, Dro Carey (Eugene Ward) returns to the scene with his new offering, the industrious yet delicate track 'Queensberry Rules' featuring the vocals of KUCKA, taken from his Dark Zoo EP, out now via Australian label Soothsayer.
Where his previous releases have been firmly focused on the smoke-riddled clubs, Queensberry Rules sees Dro Carey traverse new territory. Working with KUCKA and Collarbones' Marcus Whale on the track, 'Queensberry Rules' sees the Sydney producer creating a unique pop sound, however maintain the gritty DNA that he is so distinctively known for.
As Dro states ''Queensberry Rules' are the set of rules that outline the general code for boxing matches. It's a document about fairness and sportsmanship in a pretty violent activity. That immediately struck me as a great title for a demo. Working with KUCKA and Marcus Whale (of Collarbones) as a co-writer, I think their lyrics perfectly hit upon the sense of irony that I wanted the song to have.'
The track was the first official taste from his Dark Zoo EP which sees Ward push the limits even further within his musical explorations. Whether it's the pop moments of 'Queensberry Rules' and 'Dark Zoo' where he employs the vocals of both KUCKA and FKL respectively to elevate the sonic sensory overload to new levels, to the brooding club explorations that are 'Grow Lithe' and 'Hidden Halls'; the EP is his musical coup d'état from the outset - simultaneously sinister, restrained and intoxicating.
We are absolutely thrilled to present this little gem on Vinyl. This special vinyl release also includes not only the single, but two remixes from heavy weights Mall Grab and Cassius, and a very special new track titled 'Under' which is and will always only be available on the vinyl release of this. Dive in!

Following the recent reissue of Vox Populi!s Aither album, Emotional Rescue further explores the more discerning, esoteric sounds of the French 80s avant-garde scene in coute Visual artist, sound designer, musician, label founder and emotional tree consultant Ramuntcho Matta is a man of shifting, relentless talents. Diagnosed with autism at a young age. Therapy based on yoga and music set him on a path, leading to learn from the likes of composter Cuarteto Cedrn. Discovering avant-music at an early age, he moved to New York to study in the "Third Street School of Music", meeting John Cage and going on to work on projects with Laurie Anderson, Brion Gysin and Don Cherry. His architectural concepts applied to composition were explored on his 3 solo LPs from the 1980s. The middle of these, coute, is possibly his most cohesive, exploring the use of extra-European musicians, especially African and Brazilian percussion, jazz horn playing, as well as Uruguayan singer Elie Meideros. Mexicos Cacau de Queirozs performance on saxophone and flute is stunning, former Gipsy Kings member, Jorge Negrito Trasante attributes much of the LPs Brazilian percussive flavour, while Magmas bassist Jannick Top brings gravitas, including performing a water claps duet alongside Matta on the exquisite O Clapo. As one piece, coute endlessly avoids standard musical formulas, seeking textures of far-flung elements; alchemy against a background of freedom to experiment that would be the theme throughout Mattas career, whether setting up SSR records under the alias Michael Pope or in his more recent output, teaching methodology of doubt

Earlier this year, Subwax Bcn made an important contribution to the electronic music community by having the timeless dub techno compilation Vibrant Forms II by Fluxion remastered and reissued. First released in the year 2000 on Chain Reaction, Earlier this year, Subwax Bcn made an important contribution to the electronic music community by having the timeless dub techno compilation Vibrant Forms II by Fluxion remastered and reissued. First released in the year 2000 on Chain Reaction, Vibrant Forms II is widely considered to be one of the greatest achievements in the genre. As it turned out, Vibrant Forms II became one of the last records to be released on Mark Ernestus and Moritz von Oswald's classic label - a suitable swan song if there ever was one. And that's it, right

Well not quite.

If one would search for Fluxion - Vibrant Forms III, Discogs would come up empty and Google would treat it as a misspelling. Until now.
Konstantinos Soublis, aka Fluxion, and Subwax Bcn have decided to pick up the banner and release Vibrant Forms III as a CD as well as four individual 12" records under 2016. It contains everything you could hope for and more: The massive, booming basses, the clicks and hisses, the atmospheric thunderstorms, the opium smoke-scented streaks of reverb and dub echoes. The warmth. Yes, above all else the warmth: Sometimes moist and dripping as in Safe Harbour, sometimes blisteringly dry as in Variant. It's no easy task, giving cold, dead machines warm breaths. And no-one quite does it like Fluxion.

The Reissue of Vibrant Forms II was an act of cultural preservation. It reminded us about the legacy of the Basic Channel label family, in which Chain Reaction played an important part. Without this legacy, the contemporary body of electronic music would look different and make very different sounds. With the Release of Vibrant Forms III, Subwax Bcn takes it one step further. Fluxion's Vibrant Forms III album remind us of the timelessness of truly great music, never mind the genre.

The Tiger is back - finally on full length again! The second studio album for Tiger & Woods not only marks a desired return to a specific format, but is also a huge leap forward in their area of expertise: their brand of fun and functional dance music gets broadened by influences from electronica, italo disco and up-tempo house, while keeping a groove that is distinctly linked to what some people refer to as boogie. After travelling the world from left to right and from top to bottom with a live-set to boot and skilful DJ sets that resemble that genre melting approach, "On The Green Again" is the result of spending valuable studio time at the "Tiger's Lair" - a carefully-built new work place that plays its own part in the creative process of one of the most prolific production teams of our days, while simultaneously starting T&W Records for all sorts of adventures that are linked to Tiger & Woods, but not narrowed to a specific sound. See "Unleashed Tapes Vol. 1" for further reference. A double A-sided 12-inch that owes as much to disco as an influence as it pays homage to the funkier and brighter sides of house and techno. Honing a craft that is rooted in edit culture as an ethos, but has since long left that bumpy road dependable on samples and their clearance, T&W make "On The Green Again" work as the second album that defies the difficulty usually attached to such ventures. 10 brand-new tracks (and three previously released bonus tracks on the CD version) make up the course between peak-time prime cuts similar to "RockMeLoveMe" or "Come And Get My Lovin" and an almost heart-aching track like "Endless Affair". Mixed with bits and pieces in-between and neatly placed between a classic intro and outro segment, those tracks are testament

British producer Pris preps his sophomore EP for Avian.

Love, Labour, Loss marks the Berlin-based producer's second outing on Guy Brewer's Avian label, and a further refinement of a production aesthetic that pitches caustic, heads down tool Techno & greyscale IDM against more meditative Ambient & Drone recordings.

AVN026 tackles familiar themes, and the same low slung, deep-seated sense of unease found on earlier offerings, released via both Avian itself & Unbeknown To Us - the producer's own outlet, winds its way in and amongst the work. There's a lightness of touch to this most recent effort though, and experimentation with more overtly musical sequences proves fruitful, drawing on a previously untapped energy to great effect. The same goes for forays into more complex rhythmic structures - taught, processed percussion sits bright in the mix, working to generate an anxiety that is fast becoming a hallmark of the artist's work.

Whilst the material maintains a keen focus on the crushed, droning sonics that have come to characterise the label's output, Love Labour Loss, is an impressive development - offering at once both a new dimension to the artist's work, but also a congruent, streamlined addition to the Pris discography.

finally repressed

Back in February 2013, shortly after their impressive first release as a label, Music Is Love launched a double VA entitled Lovebox: an 8 track double-vinyl release that included tracks from 8 talented up-and-coming producers on their roster. By innovatively previewing the producers in this way, the label laid the foundations for what listeners could expect for each artists' subsequent EPs. The artists who released on it were not hyped up flavours of the month, but rather emerging talents who sat perfectly with the label's musical ethos - quality and original underground house with a contemporary, dynamic feel. Since the VA, the label have gone from strength to strength and have firmly established themselves as one of the most brightest house labels around in the UK.

Just over a year later and following in the success of its predecessor, MIL return with their second VA and with that, a chance for listeners to hear the new additions they've acquired, in addition to some already known faces. Liam Geddes opens proceedings with Untitled. A deep sense of soul permeates the whole track as a rumbling baseline imbues the beat with an ever-present sense of groove that never lets the head stop nodding. Geddes has really fine tuned and matured his sound over the past year, and this track is further evidence of his quality as a producer. The subtle percussive rhythms, electronic bleeps and synth nuances give this track a natural flow, as Geddes conjures something altogether more hypnotic, dark and purposeful.
Mr.KS, one of the newcomers to the label, outlines his coolly crafted style with track (Music) Makes Me Stronger. Brittle drums and deep warped synths suck you in and out and shape the structure of the beat, while afflicted chord patterns combine with the hypnotic repetition of a vocal sample to give the track a gesture towards techno but with a flow that pulls in house elements. Cassio Kohl introducers himself with a warm, melodic house number; rumbling synths circulate in the background of the track while ticking hi-hats and snares play off against the sumptuous vocal sample, which builds and falls back nicely into its original path until electronic glitches sporadically ease in and move the beat forward.

Jamie Trench has been making some serious headway of late and his track I Want You with Rebel serves a timely reminder of a producer on top form. A heavy, rolling baseline resonates intently, building against murky vocal samples, shuffling snares and off-beat key stabs that grow in presence and intensity - a track that will no doubt prove a high point in any DJ set. Label boss Oli Furness has a raw knack for creating crisp, heavy sounds and Take Monday Off remains on a similar path, albeit the beauty lies in the subtlety of arrangements rather than bigger hitting sounds. Chopped shimmying keys tease, filter and build fluently with urgent hi-hats and swinging drums that flourish harmoniously together, while an understated baseline adds weight and rhythmic groove typically inherent in Furness' work.

Italian heavyweight Tuccillo has released on some of the most reputable labels on the circuit - releases for 20:20 Vision and Freerange is evidence enough of his provenance - and this time he brings his baleric house sound with the impeccable sounds of DubFlanged Gru. Shimmering percussion shakes meander against the bumping bassline while the endearing, muffled vocals that threaten to break out are superseded by breeze-block keys that filter and descend into a chattering groove. Dutch producer U Know The Drill brings things back into heavier house territory with a no-nonsense, stripped-back stomper, the type of track we've been used to hearing on Dutch affiliates New Jack City's material. Heavy snares kick with a punch, and the deep drone-like vocal swings against the wobbling baseline and tapestry of electronic bleeps. Other sampled vocals and glitches weave in with the juxtaposing elements playing off one another to huge effect, ensuring that sheer energy pervades the track.

Jackson Ryland rounds off the heavy 8 track VA - scattering hi-hats and swirling pads build, while the shuffling drums roll on until fleeting chord flourishes and a musky vocal hook bring the track into wistful nostalgia. The elements of track balance superbly and are propelled forward by the intricate drum arrangements and well-crafted hi-hat/vocal combo.
The difference in approach and outcome from each artist results in yet another highly impressive outcome, with 8 high grade tracks that show another side to Music Is Love. The sounds are tougher and the mood is darker, but the premise of the whole MIL concept remains more apparent than ever with this release: sourcing fresh underground talent, curating original electronic music and evolving artists already on the roster.