Cerca:groove sky

Should you find yourself taking a Thames-side stroll in the shadow of the City of London, keep an eye out for the headphone-clad figure of Ilan Pdahtzur. While be-suited bankers and frustrated office workers scurry home to their families, Ilan can frequently be found casting admiring glances towards the blinking lights of towering skyscrapers while filling his ears with the synthesizer-driven sounds of lesser-known 1980s dance music.

Ilan, an avid but little-known record collector best known for sharing the artwork of obscure and under-appreciated early-to-mid ’80s club cuts on his popular Instagram feed, has been digging for vibrant, kaleidoscopic records since his teens. Now, thanks to Spacetalk, he’s been given a chance to offer a glimpse into his neon-lit nocturnal musical world.

The result is Night City Life, a killer collection of 1980s synthesizer songs inspired by Ilan’s admiration for the glow of London’s late night skyline. Over the course of 13 essential tunes, Ilan escorts us on a vibrant sprint through rare Italo-disco, steamy South African synth-boogie, fizzing American freestyle, oddball Austrian electrofunk and so much more.

There are naturally a fair few sought-after cuts present, but also a fine selection of under-appreciated gems that for one reason or other have been all but ignored since they were released three and a half decades ago. In fact, some selections are so obscure that barely any information exists about them online.

Check for example Preludio’s “Mysterious Nights”, an evocative fusion of slow electronic grooves, dreamy chords and twinkling piano motifs previously buried on a lesser-known album of unremarkable German synth-pop, or the dollar-bin brilliance of Fragile’s sweet synth-pop gem “We’ve Got Tonight, Boy”, a cut that Ilan says is capable of “wrapping itself like tendrils around your soul”. He’s not wrong.

At the other end of the scale you’ll find the ultra-rare Italo-disco breeziness of Friend of Mine’s incredible “Just Your Pride” and Mac & Monica’s soulful 1986 South African synth-boogie cut “You’re So Good To Me”, copies of which regularly change hands for hundreds of pounds online. Ilan originally reached out to the men behind the record last year to tell them how one of their other forgotten gems had been played on a Boiler Room session; naturally, they were thrilled.

There’s plenty to admire elsewhere on the compilation, too, from the waves of analogue synths, bubbly melodies and bobbing beats of the instrumental dub version of Brian Tatcher’s “Hot Love” – a cold-war era cut inspired by the idea of love blossoming in the midst of a nuclear meltdown – to the Bobby Orlando-esque freestyle bustle of Janelle’s “Don’t Be Shy (Dub)” and the sparkling post-boogie brilliance of Jarmaz’s “Night City Life (Disco Remix)”, a track Ilan has listened to countless times while admiring the midnight skyline of his home city.

When the Tramp Records crew read the internet-sweeping spam/story of Nigerian Astronaut and Air Force pilot Abacha Tunde, they knew that they had to spring into action to help this unfortunate fella out. Dr. Bakare Tunde, the cousin of Abacha Tunde explained the situation as follows: "My cousin was the first African in space when he made a secret flight to the Skylab Space Station in 1979, shortly before it crashed to Earth. 19 years later he was on his second spaceflight, this time to a secret Moon Base located on the far side of the Moon. In 1999 his crew members returned to earth, but his place was taken up by return cargo. There have been occasional supply flights to keep him going since that time. Although he is in good humor, he wants to come home, now, after 20 years in space."

After this hilarious story the idea of a compilation album was born - and "Trip To The Moon" is the result. The goal to raise three million dollars to cover the cost of Abacha Tunde's return flight may never be achieved. Nevertheless, a 41 year experience in the music business is the basis for a fantabulous track listing of 11 amazing and highly underrated Rare Grooves about the Moon!

The Swinging Astronauts open the set, followed by La La Wilson's equally great rhythm & blues rocker "The Moon Man Is Back". With The Moon-Dawgs, this album makes a slight turn into the 1960s garage rock era while Hase Cäsar (backed by none other than the famous Ingfried Hoffmann and his orchestra!) contributes one of two songs of german origin. Now it's time for some funk: Rev. Jamel & Bob Johnson's "Walking On The Moon (Men Are Starving)" criticizes the US government for spending millions of dollars for their space program instead of supporting their own people. "Mars in 75" is deepfunk at its best although some may lament the lack of production. Sidney Ownen's breakbeat-laden "Sputnik" is sought after in collector's circles and needs no justification as to why it is included on this album. Ernest & D.L. Rocco's "Moon Child" is our personal favourite, closely followed by the hypnotic groove of "Mondgesicht" by legendary german saxophonist Ambros Seelos. Scott Cunningham's name should ring a bell as he was featured on several Tramp compilations over the past few years. Finally, the album closes with a psychedelic folk track titled "Voyage To The Moon".

Tramp Records is absolutely convinced that this album will surely be the best way to shorten the wait for Abacha until a rescue space mission finally brings our African soul brother back home.

Key selling points:

- deluxe gatefold LP with detailed liner notes and unseen photographs
- the vinyl LP comes with a full album download code
- most of the songs appear on a 12" album for the very first-time

The X Initiative is the follow-up to Adam X’s ten volume series project
“The Secret Initiative”. Now one year on since unveiling the secret,
Adam continues the spirit of the original project with four previously
unreleased songs recorded in the end of the aughts decade. New beat
grooves awash with icy atmospheres that were well ahead of their time
in their moment of creation.

New release from the mysterious MANNEQUINS - the guys have released tracks on various labels under other aliases, now they've
started their own imprint to release their own music - Deep House for the early hours.

Be With have raided the KPM archives to re-issue another of our favourites from the KPM 1000 series. They say: A comprehensive collection of descriptive contemporary scores. We say: Just look at the track titles of The Road Forward and swoon: Strangelands, A Man Alone, Sheer Elegance, Mystique Voyage, Cruising. Don’t you just want to hear those? The maestro Alan Hawkshaw really spoils us on this, one of the most sought after KPM greensleeves. This collection from 1977 is a brilliantly varied blend of silky smooth synths, funk-fuelled clavichord grooves and soft focus space beats. Essential. As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for The Road Forward comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. We’ve taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity. And don’t worry! Those KPM stickers aren’t stuck directly on the sleeves!

One of Brazil's most prolific artists, Eumir Deodato has participated in the creation of over 450 albums, racked up 16 platinum records, won a Grammy (and received two more nominations), and sold over 250 million records in the USA alone. Over the course of his career, he has written for, arranged music by and played with artists including Frank Sinatra, Tom Jobim, Kool & The Gang, Earth, Wind & Fire, Marcos Valle, Aretha Franklin and Bjork, among others.

At the height of Deodato's productivity in the early 70s, Os Catedraticos 73 was recorded between Rio de Janeiro and New York, featuring a Brazilian rhythm section comprising Azymuth drummer Ivan 'Mamão' Conti, percussion master Orlandivo, and Sergio Barroso on bass, while the horn section features some of the big apple's top players from the CTI in-house brass.

A firm favourite with rare-groove enthusiasts and fans of Latin jazz alike, Deodato melds the musical sensibility of post-bossa nova Brazilian jazz with North American soul & funk, and the explosive Latin influences of '70s New York. Os Catedraticos 73 certainly swings harder than some of Deodato's earlier releases and opening track 'Arranha Ceu' (Skyscrapers) is a euphoric dance floor classic, which has been lighting up clubs for years.

With the blessing of Deodato himself, this official Far Out reissue has been remastered and pressed to 180g vinyl, with replica original artwork from the OG Equipe release.

The B-52's The B-52's on Numbered Limited Edition LP from Mobile Fidelity Silver Label
Ranked at #152 on Rolling Stone's List of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time Delightfully Campy, Intentionally Goofy, Lyrically Kitschy: 1979 Set Is Nothing But a Good Time
Mastered on Mobile Fidelity's World-Renowned Mastering System and Pressed at RTI (America's Best Record Plant): LP Bursts Forth With the Color and Vibrancy of the Brilliant Pop Within
The B-52's' Wild Planet and Cosmic Thing Also Available on Silver Label LP Boffo! Beehive hairdos, goofy sci-fi humor, lava-lamp kitsch, thrift-store fashions, party-starting tunes, unconventional perspectives, and the unique blending of the underground aesthetic with mainstream accessibility: The B-52's mix all this and more into a dizzying cocktail on their self-titled debut, which remains one of the most ahead-of-its-time, endlessly enjoyable, and vividly colorful albums ever released.
Ranked at #152 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, The B-52's has its roots in the band's improbable genesis, itself reflective of the record's gleeful moods and quirky charms. The five members first played after sharing a tropical alcoholic beverage at a Chinese restaurant, the ironic silliness and spontaneous irreverence indicative of the music on its breakthrough record. Not to mention how it mirrors the unusual hodgepodge of instrumentation: organs, walkie talkies, bongos, glockenspiels, tambourines, toy pianos, smoke alarms, and more!
Musically, the band proves just as adventurous and whimsical. Using pleasant harmonies as a backdrop and Kate Pierson's squealing organ as a starting point, the B-52's draw upon surf-rock grooves, beach-bound soul-pop, herky-jerky funk riffs, minimalist rhythms, and Ricky Wilson's unusual guitar lines to craft songs that tower above the sarcastic suggestiveness and campy declarations. Of course, the latter are plenty entertaining on their own, but there's no denying the dance-bound persuasiveness and melodic shimmy associated with the classic cult single 'Rock Lobster' and splendid cover of the ubiquitous Petula Clark standard 'Downtown.' You've never heard anything like this.

Indeed, the B-52s were about a decade ahead of the alt-rock revolution when they recorded this delightfully campy, intentionally goofy, lyrically tawdry, and undeniably harmonic 1979 new-wave set that comes off as the best dance party you might ever hear. This is 40 minutes of nothing but a good time.
Mastered on Mobile Fidelity's world-renowned mastering system and pressed at RTI (America's best record plant), Silver Label numbered limited edition LP presents the B-52's brilliant debut in a fidelity it's never previously enjoyed. So detailed and realistic are the timbres, accents, and harmonies, you'll think the band's bright outfits are appearing right in front of you. Plus, the LP is worth the cost alone for the iconic album cover, which spotlights those bouffant 'dos.

Following 1 or 2 small run / mailorder lathe cuts, Polytechnic Youth follow it's hugely successful 'Popcorn Lung' label compilation LP, with it's first full length of the new year, and man... this one is just wonderful! A mighty record to kick off what promises to be another hugely productive, constantly busy year for the Crouch End based synth label.

PY often likes to quote the artist directly in it's press releases, and this one is no exception. Gabe's own words, more than adequately explaining the path leading to this killer set for 2019; 'It feels a little ridiculous to pretend that the person introducing you to Gabe Knox is some kind of bigwig press agent and not just Gabe Knox himself, so let me, Gabe Knox, tell you a little about myself in that hopes that you'll give my music a listen.

In 2014, after years of moderate success as a local musician and club DJ in Toronto, Canada, I looked at my collection of barely functioning analogue synths and drum machines and said to myself 'Instead of trying to unsuccessfully make music you think other people will like, why don't you make something that you'd actually want to listen to for once' I wanted to make music that had the drive shaft of Neu!, the punishing low end of King Tubby, the interleaved melodic lines of Vince Clarke, the melancholic, otherworldly whimsy of Raymond Scott and Delia Derbyshire, the hypnotic drone of Spacemen 3, and the analogue intimacy of Le Car. I wanted to bring the euphoria and hypnosis of dance music to the rock kids, and the energy and excitement of rock music to the dance kids.

This was going to be a tough sell in the clique-y Toronto music scene, so I figured the best way to get the music out there would be by recording when I can and self-releasing a steady stream of EPs online. They would all be a series, a snapshot of the evolution of that initial idea. ABC represents a compilation of the best songs of the first three EPs, subtly remixed and remastered to best suit vinyl. I hope you love listening to it as much as I loved making it.'

This really is a remarkable record. Displaying all the PY traits of icy cool blasts of minimal synth, motorik grooves, melodic pop via passing nods to early mute and sky records. Never before did label head Dom think he'd get the chance to namecheck 2 musical heroes from wildly differing poles -Vince Clarke and Spacemen 3- into one LP PR sheet, so he's understandably excited for this one's release!

250 copies on yellow wax in hand numbered, reverse board sleeves. Sure to go real quick....

Armagnac started in 2010 a label in metz all naked records & throwing up parties with his Fensch Groove Consortium (FGC) crew. After few years, he decided to move to paris france where between his writing for some famous french magazines & sites, he produced some marvellous tracks that keep the bobby konders spirit alive. This is spiritual deep house full of mystery and fuzzy textures that puts most 'deep' house to shame. ESSENTIAL ! SKYLAX RECORDS 4 EVER

2018 played host to a bumper crop of sounds from some of Philly's grittiest, including Great Circles mainstays M//R and Chaperone. To close out the year that was, we are pleased to present Heckadecimal's 'Murder Tape.'

A Minneapolis-based producer and acid auteur, Heckadecimal has been a fixture within the vibrant Midwestern electronic music community for nearly 20 years. Founder of the legendary 'Anti-human' events and co-curator of the ever-prolific Always Human Tapes imprint - alongside Ryan Wurst and Peter Lansky - Heckadecimal's reputation is one of unrelenting creativity and tireless advocacy for sonic experimentation. His work has found its way to light via a slew of pseudonyms and stage monikers, including The Worm, noface and Wonder Sirens.

In short - Heckadecimal lives and breathes the sonic matter that he leaves pouring out of studio monitors, busted bar systems and finely tuned rave stacks, wherever his travels take him.
Live performance lies at the core of Heckadecimal's practice. When he stormed through Inciting HQ in Philly earlier this summer, he took command over an arsenal of hardware that reminded us of how Octave One or Shawn Rudiman might show up. These were machines that he had lived with; touched with custom modifications, hand-drawn stickers and pockmarks incurred in battle, one got the sense that the gear was a personal extension of the artist.

Perhaps it's a bit maudlin, but we feel a certain kinship with this project. Indeed, these tracks at times feel very much of a piece with the gnarled tonalities in which our stable typically traffics; all low-slung riddims that reach at equal lengths towards mutated IDM aesthetics and post-Packard Plant techno extrusions. These are future perfect grooves that glide along under the vast Midwestern sky, providing a fertile communication conduit with the City of Brotherly Love.

Give thanks for acid. Great Circles will see you in the New Year..

Naphta is a DJ and producer hailing from Wroclaw, Poland. Also, one half of Polish DJ/producer duo, Pvre Gold and host of Wroclaw's infamous Loud & Clear parties, he takes inspiration from a variety of electronic stylings, with a thick dose of soul and southern rap and acid techno thrown in for good measures. After a string of 12's released on Studio Barnhus, Omena , Father And Son Records And Tapes, Transatlantyk and his first LP with a full live band as Naphta & The Shamans; the Polish producer returns to the latter with his debut EP for COSMIC CLUB, SKYLAX RECORDS sub-label. This is house music like you've never heard before - loose, freaky, hippie, voodoo machine funk, highly infectious grooves for any modern dancefloor. As usual : Vinyl only. SKYLAX RECORDS 4 EVER !

A Credible Eye Witness teams up with enigmatic Ghost Ride to create a new aesthetic and musical identity to his ACEW project. Loud yet energetic "Stellar Tunes" introduces four dancefloor electro cuts characterized by European noir tones and US funk sororities. From the Detroitish influences of opener "Sound Odyssey" to the ultimate 90's groove of synth pop 'Political Collapse', passing through the cosmic analog style of emotional "Purple Sky" or the hammering vibes of psychedelic "Obsidian", the 12' brilliantly combines acid abstract sounds, experimental and structural elements that underline the mastery of Emilio Urbano in developing original and intricate electro music. 'Stellar Tunes' sees the Italian moving on a bit from his first productions to explorate funkier landscapes. Expect nothing but electro at its finest!

Ciel - "when I played it for my mom, she said it made her feel like she was flying in the night sky to the moon."

2018 played host to a bumper crop of sounds from some of Philly's grittiest, including Great Circles mainstays M//R and Chaperone. To close out the year that was, we are pleased to present Heckadecimal's 'Murder Tape.'

A Minneapolis-based producer and acid auteur, Heckadecimal has been a fixture within the vibrant Midwestern electronic music community for nearly 20 years. Founder of the legendary 'Anti-human' events and co-curator of the ever-prolific Always Human Tapes imprint - alongside Ryan Wurst and Peter Lansky - Heckadecimal's reputation is one of unrelenting creativity and tireless advocacy for sonic experimentation. His work has found its way to light via a slew of pseudonyms and stage monikers, including The Worm, noface and Wonder Sirens.

In short - Heckadecimal lives and breathes the sonic matter that he leaves pouring out of studio monitors, busted bar systems and finely tuned rave stacks, wherever his travels take him.

Live performance lies at the core of Heckadecimal's practice. When he stormed through Inciting HQ in Philly earlier this summer, he took command over an arsenal of hardware that reminded us of how Octave One or Shawn Rudiman might show up. These were machines that he had lived with; touched with custom modifications, hand-drawn stickers and pockmarks incurred in battle, one got the sense that the gear was a personal extension of the artist.

Perhaps it's a bit maudlin, but we feel a certain kinship with this project. Indeed, these tracks at times feel very much of a piece with the gnarled tonalities in which our stable typically traffics; all low-slung riddims that reach at equal lengths towards mutated IDM aesthetics and post-Packard Plant techno extrusions. These are future perfect grooves that glide along under the vast Midwestern sky, providing a fertile communication conduit with the City of Brotherly Love.

Give thanks for acid. Great Circles will see you in the New Year..

The body never lies. Every dance is a graph of the heart. Nothing is more revealing than movement.

These are the words of Martha Graham, one of the greatest American dancers and choreographers of the 20th century. Massimiliano Pagliara might as well have them tattooed on his chest, close to his heart, being an accomplished dancer, too. He has studied contemporary dance in Milan and Berlin, and went on to dedicate his life to transforming experience into movement, be it musical, physical, or spiritual. Massimilano's message is clear: Don't stand still. Don't keep looking back. Know where you are coming from, but don't remain petrified by the past. Take a chance at Endless Change, instead. Move on! Just like Massimilano did.

Stemming from Lecce province, an area at the south-eastern-most tip of Italy, Massimilano has been based in Berlin for several years where he's been one of the main forces behind recombining the city's hardboiled techno scene with an often overlooked sensibility for the soft and the tender. Call it underground disco passion. Massimilano's last and sophomore album, With One Another, released in 2014, was about celebrating the joy of human encounters and in parts seemed like a big get-together with like-minded artists and friends (among them nd_baumecker, Lee Douglas, and Credit 00). The record quickly hit the number one spot in Groove magazine's album chart - and its creator hit the road.

Besides his busy DJ schedule and far from the usual club circuit routines, Massimilano dedicated himself to intense travelling and exploring the world anew. 'I felt like I have lived more than ever,' he states. 'Getting to discover all these beautiful places around the world and meeting so many lovely interesting people, has inspired me in many different ways. I feel enriched.'

The result of these experiences is Feel Live, Massimiliano's third full-length endeavour. It was recorded in several intimate, sometimes improvised studio settings between Los Angeles, Portland, and Massimiliano's homebase in Berlin as well as at airports and on intercontinental flights high up in the sky. Featuring vocals by Private Agenda, Peaking Lights, Kim Anh and instrumental contributions by Fort Romeau, Tim K, and Jules Etienne, Feel Live is Massimilano's most playful and imaginative work to date. It's as emotional as sensual, as vibrant as the first ray of light after a thunderstorm has cleared the air.

Is it awkward or odd to call this record jazzy Presumptuous to pinpoint its spacial, almost orchestral qualities Unfair on the ruling Cosmic powers to highlight its aspirations of founding a new land of Balearic Harmonia and getting down at a huge fertility rite with electro enthusiasts and house lovers Not one bit. Feel Live is pure grandeur and elegance. It feels like an eternal movement.

Martha Graham has dedicated her whole life to dancing. 'It's permitting life to use you in a very intense way,' she said. 'Sometimes it is not pleasant. Sometimes it is fearful. But nevertheless it is inevitable.' Massimilano couldn't agree more. His advice when facing the inevitable: 'Live what you are feeling, feel what you are experiencing, good or bad, it is an experience.'

Cómeme delivers to you one of the freshest rhythms of 2018, recorded in Johannesburg, the new residency for the renegades of the beat. This is 'Rain' - starring Matias Aguayo and the actress, dj and singer Ayanda Seoka aka Mujaji The Rain. She's resident at the legendary Bar Kitchener's all femme 'Pussy Party', a space for feminist / queer action and dancefloor joy, right in the centre of Joburg.

Cómeme has been since some time in a serious and passionate relationship with that city. Radio Cómeme transmitted shows from there with electronica legend Felix Laband, Mpumelelo Mkatha from BLK JKS, the queer performance duo Faka, Gqom pioneers RudeBoyz and also Kwaito's legacy keeper Spleef McZaul. Matias Aguayo ventured into a beautiful collaboration with DJ Spoko, released two years ago on this label.

'Rain' is a deeply rhythmical track, inspired by the grooves that converged when Cómeme swing crossed the paths with the syncopations people in Joburg were dancing to. It has become quite clear in the recent years that elegantly shuffled triplets are marking a way to the future in dance music, especially in the southern hemisphere, no matter if you're in Durban, Rio or Santiago.

On top of this modern groove we can hear Mujaji the Rain enjoying how she gets wet under a dark and tropical sky. Laughter, joy and ecstasy is what she emanates while hypnotically involving you into this atmosphere of dense drumming and trance. (side note: Cómeme has been consequently evading the description hypnotical in press releases but this time it was unavoidable).

For further jacking fun we generously included a 'Club Mix', including more drum frenzy towards the second half of the track, and a 'Just Drums Mix' for the skilful DJ.

Side B features the jam 'Serious', which comes along with another killer beat, reminiscent of Michael Jackson or Cheri. A late-night track in which Mujaji The Rain turns into a sensual but slightly annoying creature that doesn't want to leave the dancefloor. and for sure doesn't want to go home.

We added an instrumental version to this complexly arranged tracks, which feature pianos, strings, and heavy synth bass stabs.
All tracks on this 12' are written in a 6/8 signature, which some normative DJs might shy away from, but be safe: both tracks are in 120 bpm and carry the seal of official Cómeme dancefloor approval by the label's highly respected DJs.

Eighties Ladies comprise Denie Corbett, Marva Hicks, Susan Beaubian, Sylvia Striplin and Vivian Prince. They recorded one album with Uno Melodic Records, a label created and run by the legendary Roy Ayers at the height of his career. The group are best known for 'Turned On To You', one of the most iconic 'rare groove' tracks from the early 80s. It was sampled numerous time in the 90s, most notably by A Tribe Called Quest ('Buttter-Hip Hop Mix'), and more recently bu Nujabes featuring C.L. smooth ('Sky Is Falling'). This 7' is an exclusive edit of the 12' version, while the instrumental version of 'Ladies of The Eighties' appears here on 7' for the first time.

On her debut EP, Brussels-based multi-instrumentalist Esinam gives us an entrancing insight into her eclectic world of jazztronica.

Released 21st September via Sdban Ultra, her self-titled EP carries influences from different worlds geographically, culturally and musically. Blending traditional and modern instruments with her soulful voice, the acoustic sounds of the instruments are allowed to evolve and take on new dimensions, opening up a kaleidoscopic spectrum of sound and colour.

Esinam Dogbatse is part of a new generation of musicians bringing forth a cultural blend of music. Having opened for the likes of Nakhane and Témé Tan at Les Nuits earlier this year, Belgian rapper Baloji invited her to guest on his latest critically acclaimed album '137 Avenue Kaniama'. She has also supported Alsarah & The Nubatones, Selah Sue and Melanie De Biasio on her sold-out shows at Ancienne Belgique.

For the recording of the EP, Esinam joined forces with Jules Fradet from Studio Planet (Damso, Afrikan Prötökol). Producing and playing most of the instruments herself, the EP was mastered by LA-based producer Kelly Hibbert aka Almachrome (J Dilla, Madlib, Little Dragon, Flying Lotus, Ebo Taylor, Mark de Clive-Lowe and Arca).

Lead track 'Birds Fly Under a Heavy Sky' is a mesmerising opener that smoulders effortlessly against a backdrop of subtle beats and sensual rhythms, with Esinam's soft vocals and hypnotic flute providing the groove.

On 'Do Not Go Into That Black Night', she is dark and direct. It's a magnetic take on jazz noire that doesn't distract from the sultry inflections of her voice, while 'Gavoé' recalls the spirit of her Ghanaian roots in a ballet of instruments that display a level of personal freedom and sensitivity. Through merging different genres of music, we are warmly welcomed into Esinam's musical universe.

Esinam teamed up with Senegalese DJ and producer Ibaaku on the highly charged 'Electric Lady', who provided some distinctive musical hues. A track drenched in afro-futurist colours, sonic samples and collages freely mix with electric and raw sounds, supporting the energetic playing of the flute. The structure of the song remains true to Esinam's signature sounds: surprising ruptures, poetic atmospheres and constant affirmation of groove.

When Esinam performs live, she juggles traditional instruments such as the tama, kalimba and pandeiro, which she loops and blends with the sound of her flute and voice. It sometimes triggers dance, sometimes contemplation

Kinobe scored one of the biggest chill-out club hits of the Noughties, the deathless 'Slip Into Something More Comfortable'. Known from dancefloors, club backrooms, bars, radio spins, Café del Mar compilations and TV spots the world over - most famously the 'femme fatale' Kronenbourg beer advert - 'Slip...' established the duo at the forefront of a scene that still includes Groove Armada, Air, Röyksopp and Zero 7. Now Kinobe are back in a big way. Founder member and songwriter Julius Waters is now joined by Chuck Norman, multi-instrumentalist, producer and programmer who has worked with the Pet Shop Boys, Peter Gabriel and Robbie Williams. Norman has beefed up the classic Kinobe sound, while adding a pop sensibility to a raft of sparkling new material destined to soundtrack 2018 and beyond. On August 31st 2018 comes Golden Age, the first Kinobe album in 9 years. Lead single 'Little Words' might just be one of the tunes of year, a Donny Hathaway-esque, soulful slice of too-slow-to-disco that nods towards 60s hipster groovy. At once instantly familiar and brand new, a heartfelt three-and-a-half-minute pop-dance floorfiller - with a hook once heard, never forgotten. Elsewhere the Stephen Hague mixed 'End Of The Road' is a huge gospel-tinged ballad destined to own daytime radio, 'Skyhigh' is a gorgeously haunting sundowner, 'Heartstring' is all cosmic soundtrack strings while 'Sunray' is Kinobe at their very best, with its irresistible hooks, washes of melody and downtempo beats. Golden Age is shaping up to be the chilled album of the year, a thirteen-track soundscape of sparkling songs and idiosyncratic instrumentals that is vintage Kinobe. With live shows and festival appearances planned through the rest of the year, the return of Kinobe is only just beginning. Welcome to the Golden Age.

The heavenly 'Skywards' leads the way upwards with tenderly treated spacious drum programming and light-as-air atmospherics while darker and deeper cavernous tones create the yin-yang balance of lightness and dark. 'Broken Spell' continues the uplifted vibe of a spell that when broken, blooms open with an intoxicating permeating sweetness like an exotic fragrance that lingers in one's memory. 'A New Day' leans slightly more towards a heavier driven track featuring a funky bassline with bright electronic notations as counterpoint while drifting, dreamy pads keep the overall mood airy and light. The off-kilter knob is turned way right on the bouncy final track 'Disjointed Route', injecting dashes of wry quirk alongside a lightly moving groove.

After releasing their Yantar LP digitally last year, Hell Yeah now serve up a much anticipated vinyl version of Richard Somerville and Craig Wilson's perfectly horizontal sounds. It features two of the superb originals with remixes from The Beat Broker and Los Gatos Escobar.

Somerville & Wilson have appeared on ISM Records, DWDK (Danny Was A Drag King), Paper Records and Music for Dreams and count the likes of Tensnake and Gerd Janson as fans of their laidback and charming grooves, and this EP is a real slab of heat that will surely sizzle souls across the world this summer.

First up, The Beat Broker proves he is on fire right now with a remix of the classic 'Melt'. His heart swelling remix has impossibly mellow chords ringing out into a yellow-orange sky as melodies rise and fall like a yacht bobbing on gentle waters. It's a blissed out musical sunset of the highest order.

Then comes Somerville & Wilson's 'Cero Gravity', eight minutes of cosmic synth workouts, yawning chords and long legged drums offset by soft acid. Drenched in reverb and rippling out in all directions, it's a warm musical rush that keeps washing over you until your soul melts away.

From New York, Los Gatos Escobar duo offer a more driving but just as tropical remix of 'Yantar' with big rubbery drums, zoned out chords and smeared pads. It's beautifully innocent and honest, heartfelt and meditative music that encourages you to escape to a seaside paradise.

Last of all, a melted Space Edit of Yantar is drowned in saturated chords, scorched pads and heat damaged keys that leave you adrift in a sea of sumptuousness.

Music doesn't come much more majestic, melodic and mellow than this.

It's been three years since Ressort Imprint head Ekserd has released his highly anticipated first output ''the hidden documents''.

As the sun slowly breaks through the cloudy winter's sky he now delivers a second release on his own imprint.

This time the sound completely mirrors what Ekserd likes to juggle around with in the clubs: jackin', groove-laden and high-BPM tools.

His latest release I KNOW from Elypsia Records is a quintet of Detroit inspired remixes of the song 'I Know'. Inspired by Kevin Saunderson, his original TECHNO MIX (7:06) is a hardcore and high energy track with intensity to match the wildest of crowds. The EP also contains 3 remixes of the track, each exposing and accentuating the brilliant aspects of his complex tune. It begins with the LUCIEN FOORT REMIX (6:41), a lively big room hit with a punch fit for an epic Saturday night. UK MIX (6:46) follows with subtle electric melo-dies and rhythmic drum and bass patterns that give listeners the feel of wonder and excitement under a clear starry sky. With a clean and gravitating groove BIT FLOAT REMIX (7:42) would fit perfectly in any Ibiza party with flair and style. This release is a masterpiece of its own and nothing less than the product of a man who was born with beats and melodies ingrained in his soul. For Orlando Voorn, making music is more than a way of life, it's a necessity. From the early age of 9 his natural intuitions became apparent when his drum teacher told his parents he could play everything that was shown to him, even though he had no ability to read a score. He began to DJ at the age of 12, and 3 years later won the World Mixing Championships of 1983 at just 15 years old. Steve Clisby, from the popular American band 'American Gypsies', recognized Voorn's ability and taught him chord structures, which gave him the tools to begin composing tracks using keys and bass. His artistry then took off, making a name for him-self with his vibrant dance tracks under the alias 'Frequency". Today, he's known as one of the Netherland's most inventive and ingenious producers in the world of electronic dance music. Having produced a wide variety of music under a number of monikers including 'Fix', 'Format', 'Urban Nature' and 'X-it', his diverse ability stems

LP+DL

To those familiar with the output of Cologne-based imprint Firm from back in the early '00s, the name of Geiger, alias Nass, shall undoubtedly ring a bell. Herald of an hedonistic melange of funk- soaked electro pop and guitar-riddled synth music, sitting somewhere close to acts like Ween and Junior Boys, Alexander Geiger is about to break a eight-year hiatus with the drop of his debut album under the newly-founded moniker of Fahrland. A release that both encompasses a healthy dose of the discoid tropes from the Firm era but also aspires to split with a segment of it, geared towards exploring further undisclosed fringes of his shape-shifting sound universe, 'Mixtape Vol.1' is the fruit of a decisive move from the sleepless Berlin to the peaceful countryside landscapes of Fahrland - a lushly forested area near Potsdam which you'll have understood played an essential role in Geiger's longed-for return. Versatile and inclusive, the album sweeps a polyamorous gamut of styles and tempos like an answer to the virtual prisons that inhibit us on a daily basis, straying away from normative standards and classic full-length calibration as a result. Instead weaving a singular narrative course, clear from all type of shackles and chains, Geiger navigates on sight, reflecting on notions as wide and universal as freedom, friendship and love across a multiversal patchwork of sounds and feels. From the languid sexy vibe of 'Beggin', 'Plastic People' and 'Yesterday' - all three featuring the sensual whispers of multi-talented vocalist and artist MZ Sunday Luv, through the heavily vocodized, chip- implemented groove of I AM ROBOT - reminiscent of Telex and Space Art, balearic jazz & rap shine of 'Sky So High', smokey lounge ambience of 'L AND H' onto broader ambient-friendly spans such as 'Suspension', 'Windshield Gently Wipers' and the smooth, sun-basking closer 'Get Down', each track holds a fragile cocooned world at its heart.

Bei denjenigen, die mit dem Output vom Kölner Label Firm aus den frühen Nullerjahren vertraut sind, sollte der Name Geiger alias Nass zweifellos die Glocken klingeln lassen. Als der Herold einer hedonistischen Melange aus Funk durchdrungenem Elektro-Pop und Gitarren durchzogener Synthie-Musik irgendwo zwischen Ween und den Junior Boys, bricht Alexander Geiger seine achtjährige Schaffenspause mit der Veröffentlichung seines Debüt-Albums unter neuen Pseudonym: Fahrland.

Ein Release, das sowohl die diskoiden Tropen der Firm-Ära affirmiert, als auch danach strebt ein bestimmtes Segment davon zu spalten. Aufgenommen um ungeahnte Interferenzen seines gestaltverändernden Sounduniversums zu entdecken, ist 'Mixtape Vol.1' das Resultat eines bewussten Umzugs aus dem schlaflosen Berlin in die friedliche Landschaft von Fahrland - einem üppigen Waldgebiet in der Nähe von Potsdam, das eine entscheidende Rolle in Geigers ersehnter Rückkehr zur Musik gespielt hat.

Vielfältig und offen erforscht das Album polyamorös eine Skala von Stilen und Tempi als Antwort auf die virtuellen Ketten, die uns tagtäglich hemmen. Bewusst vergessen werden dabei normative Standards und klassische Langspieler-Kategorien. Geiger webt stattdessen ein einzigartiges Narrativ, frei von jeglichen Fesseln und Ketten und führt uns auf seinem multiversalen Flickenteppich aus Sounds und Gefühle mit Sichtkontakt an so allgemeingültige und universelle Begriffe wie Freiheit, Freundschaft und Liebe.

Vom nochalanten Vibe von 'Beggin', 'Plastic People' und'Yesterday' (alle drei mit der sinnlich wispernden und vielseitigen Sängerin MZ Sunday Luv), bis zu dem durch den Vocoder gejagten und computergenerierten Groove von I AM ROBOT; Reminiszenzen an Telex und Space Art, balearischen Jazz und Rap erklingen in 'Sky So High', rauchiges Loungeambiente auf 'L AND H' bis zu völliger Ambient-Anschlussfähigkeit in 'Suspension', 'Windshield Gently Wipers' und dem sanften, Sonne anbetenden Schlusslied 'Get Down' - jeder Track hält eine Welt für sich in seinem Herzen.

LP+DL+MC Limited

To those familiar with the output of Cologne-based imprint Firm from back in the early '00s, the name of Geiger, alias Nass, shall undoubtedly ring a bell. Herald of an hedonistic melange of funk- soaked electro pop and guitar-riddled synth music, sitting somewhere close to acts like Ween and Junior Boys, Alexander Geiger is about to break a eight-year hiatus with the drop of his debut album under the newly-founded moniker of Fahrland. A release that both encompasses a healthy dose of the discoid tropes from the Firm era but also aspires to split with a segment of it, geared towards exploring further undisclosed fringes of his shape-shifting sound universe, 'Mixtape Vol.1' is the fruit of a decisive move from the sleepless Berlin to the peaceful countryside landscapes of Fahrland - a lushly forested area near Potsdam which you'll have understood played an essential role in Geiger's longed-for return. Versatile and inclusive, the album sweeps a polyamorous gamut of styles and tempos like an answer to the virtual prisons that inhibit us on a daily basis, straying away from normative standards and classic full-length calibration as a result. Instead weaving a singular narrative course, clear from all type of shackles and chains, Geiger navigates on sight, reflecting on notions as wide and universal as freedom, friendship and love across a multiversal patchwork of sounds and feels. From the languid sexy vibe of 'Beggin', 'Plastic People' and 'Yesterday' - all three featuring the sensual whispers of multi-talented vocalist and artist MZ Sunday Luv, through the heavily vocodized, chip- implemented groove of I AM ROBOT - reminiscent of Telex and Space Art, balearic jazz & rap shine of 'Sky So High', smokey lounge ambience of 'L AND H' onto broader ambient-friendly spans such as 'Suspension', 'Windshield Gently Wipers' and the smooth, sun-basking closer 'Get Down', each track holds a fragile cocooned world at its heart.

Bei denjenigen, die mit dem Output vom Kölner Label Firm aus den frühen Nullerjahren vertraut sind, sollte der Name Geiger alias Nass zweifellos die Glocken klingeln lassen. Als der Herold einer hedonistischen Melange aus Funk durchdrungenem Elektro-Pop und Gitarren durchzogener Synthie-Musik irgendwo zwischen Ween und den Junior Boys, bricht Alexander Geiger seine achtjährige Schaffenspause mit der Veröffentlichung seines Debüt-Albums unter neuen Pseudonym: Fahrland.

Ein Release, das sowohl die diskoiden Tropen der Firm-Ära affirmiert, als auch danach strebt ein bestimmtes Segment davon zu spalten. Aufgenommen um ungeahnte Interferenzen seines gestaltverändernden Sounduniversums zu entdecken, ist 'Mixtape Vol.1' das Resultat eines bewussten Umzugs aus dem schlaflosen Berlin in die friedliche Landschaft von Fahrland - einem üppigen Waldgebiet in der Nähe von Potsdam, das eine entscheidende Rolle in Geigers ersehnter Rückkehr zur Musik gespielt hat.

Vielfältig und offen erforscht das Album polyamorös eine Skala von Stilen und Tempi als Antwort auf die virtuellen Ketten, die uns tagtäglich hemmen. Bewusst vergessen werden dabei normative Standards und klassische Langspieler-Kategorien. Geiger webt stattdessen ein einzigartiges Narrativ, frei von jeglichen Fesseln und Ketten und führt uns auf seinem multiversalen Flickenteppich aus Sounds und Gefühle mit Sichtkontakt an so allgemeingültige und universelle Begriffe wie Freiheit, Freundschaft und Liebe.

Vom nochalanten Vibe von 'Beggin', 'Plastic People' und'Yesterday' (alle drei mit der sinnlich wispernden und vielseitigen Sängerin MZ Sunday Luv), bis zu dem durch den Vocoder gejagten und computergenerierten Groove von I AM ROBOT; Reminiszenzen an Telex und Space Art, balearischen Jazz und Rap erklingen in 'Sky So High', rauchiges Loungeambiente auf 'L AND H' bis zu völliger Ambient-Anschlussfähigkeit in 'Suspension', 'Windshield Gently Wipers' und dem sanften, Sonne anbetenden Schlusslied 'Get Down' - jeder Track hält eine Welt für sich in seinem Herzen.

Les Adventures de President Bongo is a unique work that will reveal itself over the next seven years, give or take, in the form of 24 LP's.
What is a groove It is something that goes on and on, not changing much seemingly, like the growth rings exposed when you cut and fell a tree. It is no coincidence that tree rings resemble the spiral track of a record: they're both grooves of a sort.

A groove is a routine, a life lived. It may not always seem like much - a cup of bitter coffee, another day spent under the flickering fluorescent lights of an office, an overly long queue at the check-out of a suffocating supermarket. But it is also the scent of slightly burnt meat and birch by a gently flowing stream under a pink sunset, a silver fog clearing without notice to expose a starry sky and its familiar twinkling constellations, an impenetrable smile on a crowded morning train. It is the pattern exposed on the tree stump. A proper groove has ups and downs, it has drama. A good groove is a good story, a transmission into the future.

Quality is the key word from Copenhagen based Music For Dreams and here is another home run. Willie Graff splits his year between DJ residencies in New York and Ibiza. In this new outing with studio partner Darren Eboli, the influence is, as the title suggests, clearly NY-based. Over only four tracks, the pair manage to craft a stunningly comprehensive exploration of the essential elements of dance music.

Opening track "Love Flight" staggers into a lush string-driven groove that recalls the glory of Metro Area meets Wally Badarou vibes. Minimal yet playful, it lounges somewhere in the depths of the house tradition, calling on familiar sounds while throwing in odd details along the way (harmonicas). It takes both skill, devotion and a sense of humor to pull this track off, making for a strong opening. "Moon Tan" lingers on a metallic hook that drags you into a plethora of percussion followed by a rubbery soft baseline. Dubby key work would suggest this was a new wave band jamming at Compass Point, while the icy chill of the xylophone transports you into 80s italo territory.

"Second Sun" pulls out the bag of boogie tricks, relying on a firm but humble baseline and smattering drum machine claps. Nile Rodgers-style guitar licks guide us onwards into a well-orchestrated jam that builds up and breaks down with perfect timing while dreamy chords reach for the sky. "First Light" keeps the groove tight while dipping over towards more Balearic temperatures. Steeped in a watery atmosphere and gentle organic percussion, it focuses in on a trance-inducing arpeggio that lulls you in to the swaying Badarou-style synth swirls that intercept it.

Some gigs are simply meant to be out there - even if they take decades to actually make it into our hands. This is without doubt one of those concerts, recorded at the Philips Halle, D sselsdorf on the 28th March 1979

during the Live Herald Tour. Includes the only known live recording of Talking to the Sun' Released following the AIM-nominated deluxe box set from Hillage, 'Searching for the Spark', this new 'Dusselsdorf' double CD showcases the Steve Hillage Band's prowess with excellent sound quality - a quality so high that you'll forget that it's a live recording until the applause. This is a band at the height of its powers, with Steve in great voice throughout, and most obviously utterly

enjoying themselves. The vibe is completely infectious and doesn't let up throughout the entire gig. Featuring Steve's own adventurous compositions and covers of Beatles and Donovan classics, all are approached with a joie-de-vivre and high sensibility. The trademark heady combination of vibrant psychedelic rock interwoven with an irresistible full blooded groove, interspersed with the smoothest of deepspace synth/guitar trips gathers all before it in a tsunami of up-lifting music.

With the benefit of hindsight, Steve's musical trajectory from the creative space riffs of Gong to the trance and techno of System 7 is made instantly clear. This version of 'Dusseldorf' will be released as a double CD presented in

mediabook packaging complete with a 24-page booklet and 3LP gatefold pressed on to 180g heavyweight vinyl.

Seven years ago, Unbalance created his own label as a base for his musical ideas; a platform to play around with the conception of what "techno" is and would be alongside his own creative progression. Come to present day and the label is now at its ninth release, reaching a point where the line of accumulated experiences must be drawn in the sand — and the experiences of previous projects and releases lead to venerable conclusion.

Enter Ten, an album of internalized strife that was created during a period of big changes in the artist's life. Between enduring personal experiences, his creative output veering between his straightforward club eccentricities and subdural sensibilities; Unbalance cultivates a symbiotic link between sounds played and sounds portrayed — whilst paying tribute to the essence of groove, vibration and the hypnotic unknown that exists to balance the scales. This album will be the final point in the label's journey into the depths of multifaceted techno music.

The next collaborative release between Freeride Millenium and Pauls Musique is a terrific two-tracker from Manchester artist Joseph Louis Harland Manning under his new alias Los Angeles with the 7 vinyl release artwork designed by Daniel Rajcsanyi as part of his 'BABY' exhibition in Austria. Joseph Louis Harland Manning was the drummer of the band Wu Lyf and is involved in projects like Los Porcos, the Mancunian boyband Menage a Trois and Dream Lovers. Under his other aliases he released on Aficionado, Cracki, Ocean Records and Is It Balearic sub label Uber as well as having made music videos for Molly Nilsson. Here he is fine form across a pair of delicate and moving synth tracks. Opener 'L'amour' is a gentle cut that starts with celestial chords and wide-open expanses of synth before a buried deep groove slowly comes to the fore. Breathy vocals also add to the loved-up, dreamy feel and the whole thing carries you away in a majestic reverie that shifts from ambience to new age house. The track features the artists own field recordings from the streets of Berlin, twisting up sounds from the sidewalk into percussive notes that give an organic feel. The perfectly soothing second offering is 'I Wanna Go To Heaven' is a gorgeous synth piece that suspends you in a crystal clear blue sky on a warm summer's day. Chords are smeared and stretched whilst angelic, wordless vocals drift by. It is the sound of a blissful passage to the afterlife and will leave you feeling cleansed. This is a truly emotive package of music that marks another first rate release on this ever evolving label

The title track "Empty Dancefloor" combines a thumping kick drum, stuttering hats and mesmeric chords, a combination that prove to be the perfect backing track to a captivating synth solo. It's extremely difficult not to find yourself lost in this enchanting track. Fracture" is a track where Skygaze really showcases his ability to combine broken beat, complex drum patterns with bewitching chords, magical marimbas and a curious bassline.
It is a track that really keeps you guessing throughout and one that can really add variety to any DJ set.
First up on remix duties is Jonna, who has put his own stamp on "Empty Dancefloor".
jonna is a DJ, Producer & one of the Label owners of City Fly Records, his sets are prominently House but take in influences from Disco, Techno, Hip-Hop, Funk, Jazz... Basically any music with Soul.
His first artist EP dropped early 2016 on 'Shadeleaf Music' & featured the incredibly talented Erik Rico on vocals with remixes by Atlanta's Kai Alce. The EP achieved great success & Sold Out in the first Month & was supported by heavyweight's Recloose, Derrick Carter, Jimpster & Osunlade to name a few.
Collab Singles (with Samwell) 'Henry Western' Featuring Lady Blacktronika followed on City Fly which was supported heavily on BBC 6 Music, that followed by 'Alright' on 'Future Society', a compilation curated by Seven Davis Jr on R2 Records and more recently the Luke Soloman Edit of 'Through The Night' again on Shadeleaf Music.
He has been busy in the studio since with a release on Secret Crunch (Austria) & 2 EP's forthcoming on Marcel Vogel's excellent Intimate Friends (NL).
The remix of "Empty Dancefloor" is one that is done in the unmistakable Jonna style, it's got groove! By chopping and changing the chords from the original, Jonna has created an entirely new melody, which when combined with rolling bongos and punchy bassline, you can't help but tap your feet.
The all too familiar synth solo from the original resonates throughout and pulls the track together, creating a guaranteed hit on any dance floor. Last, but certainly not least is Chicago based, Garrett David. The Smart Bar Resident has taken time out from his A&R / House buying duties at the famous Gramaphone Records to conjure up a bumping, yet dreamy remix of "Fracture".
He has previous releases on labels including Distant Hawaii, Residual Recordings, Night Sea Journey as well as his own imprint Stripped & Chewed and has really brought some Chicago flavours to the table with this one.

music is the silence between the notes.' the french composer claude debussy once said.
the german trio wareika, consisting of florian schirmacher, henrik raabe and jakob seidensticker, love the silence between their notes, even if their music is often fully loaded with many detailed sounds, rhythms, melodies and intercultural sound links.
since 2007 they spread their passion for repetitive club grooves in the minimal house spheres that love to swing in the epic way. with four albums on labels like perlon or visionquest as well as eps for labels like eskimo, tartelet, circus company or bar 25 under their wings, the trio proofed their craftsmanship for multi-layered dance music already arrestingly deep on numerous releases and during tours around the globe that brought them also to japan.
now they deliver a new one hour long sonic journey on the tokyo based mule musiq, the label on which wareika member florian schirmacher already released as part of the glowing glisses project in 2008. also wareika itself are not new to the japanese imprint, as they previously dropped a remix for mule for the mysterious project jemmy in late 2015.
and now water, sky, sun, wood' - an ambitious one-track (on vinyl separated into four parts) love letter that kicks you deep into meditation - assumed you surrender yourself to their complex sounding and grooving story-arc. it all started with an unplanned four-hour jam session between henrik and flo-rian, gaming and messing around on the piano, guitar and drum computer.
later florian edited the happening into a one-hour sensation, henrik added some congas and synthlines and jakob mixed it down. the result is a meticulously edited, deeply absorbing dance between the pi-ano, guitar, conga, mfb tanzbär, mfb dominion 1, ob-6, jupiter 6 and manikin mellotron synthsizer. you can use it to get lost. lost from the daily grind. lost from precast perception.
lost in music. you can use it for your imagination to move to a place beyond words that guarantees some genuine experience. or you just can shut yourself down to it, dive deep into your unforeseeable dream world and dance your sub-consciousness around and around.
whatever each listener chooses to do, wareika's latest adventurous blend of jazz, techno, house and world music will move each soul individual. primarily because water, sky, sun, wood' is a reverbera-tion of the inner notes that are floating and dancing in florian, henrik and jakob. and as the greatest music in the world is nothing but an echo of the inner music, wareika managed to reach a new fresh peak of their multidimensional artistic body of work, that grows and grows to stand out in terms of deepness, permanency, eternalness and silence between all sounding sensations.

Inspired by a longstanding respect for the pioneering sounds of Cluster, Neu!, Harmonia & John Foxx, the legendary K. Leimer fuses tape loops, Moog tones and a variety of real and imagined instruments into an immersive journey brimming with electronic emotion throughout this homage, 'Mitteltöner.'

A key figure in America's musical avant garde, Leimer's experiments with tape manipulation, fractal loops and textured ambience have been well documented in recent times, with RVNG and VOD both offering excellent and exhaustive retrospectives of the artist's seventies and eighties output. Tracing Leimer's discography from 1979's 'Translucent: / Memory' to 1983's 'Installation View', via the dislocated rhythms of the Savant project, these archival releases detail a move from the pastoral synthesis of kosmische into more angular, experimental territories. Simultaneously looking to the past and the future, this Origin Peoples release is both a return to Leimer's earliest stylistic explorations, and his first vinyl release of original work in twenty five years.

Oddly for such a sonic outlier, 'Mitteltöner' (midrange to non teutophones) takes its conceptual cues from the idea that the midrange contains all the core information. Over ten tracks, Leimer employs subtlety and skill to navigate the emotional depth of the kosmische genre while maintaining the focus and detail which has remained constant in his work.

Opener 'Dunne Luft' owes as much to post rock as krautrock, evolving from chiming harmonics and understated rhythms into an optimistic roar of motorik percussion and towering guitars. From there, 'Webermelodie' dives into crystalline calm, tracing delicate arps around a processed groove before 'Anode' sends us skywards, drifting through glistening piano refrains and hypnotic sequences. Te dramatic 'As Long Ago As This' glides through a deserted city of metal and glass leaving the measured ambience of 'Entferntemusik ' to close out the side in a swell of static.

Leimer shifts tone as we move onto the flip, segueing the stomping, cybernetic Sturm Und Drang of 'German Defaults' into the propulsive electronics of 'London Interiors', a dynamic sample-topped suite in the tradition of Bill Nelson. The addition of graceful piano motifs and swathes of hazy synthesis lends a tranquillity to the pulsating bass of 'Auf Einem Fahrrad', while 'SHM' marries soothing melody and crunching rhythm into a thoroughly medicated experience. Finally, 'Café Florian' pays homage to Schneider or Fricke with a euphoric fusion of metallic percussion and esoteric energies.

Far from a simple homage to the electronic idols of his youth, 'Mitteltöner' finds K. Leimer reimagining their nuanced sonic framework through a lifetime of musical experience and experimentation.

The long established and critically acclaimed DJ-Kicks series kicks off 2017 with suitably accomplished DJ, producer, vocalist and instrumentalist Matthew Dear at the helm.A man of many musical hats, Texas born, Detroit raised Dear has a wide reaching discography that takes in face melting techno as Jabberjaw, dark avant-pop under his own name and intricate minimal as Audion.Often with a gothic slant and full of curiousness, his pensive but playful music is an intoxicating distillation of many different influences, often withhis own stylised vocals at the centre.

It's just over 3 years since we launched the Africa Seven label in Paris and London. Our first release back then (Airways One) is still our best seller and had to be repressed 4 times so far. Forty or so releases later it is time to take to the clouds again. Being the unimaginative bunch we are, the fourth installment of our African sky filled musical cornucopia is called African Airways Four (Disco Funk Touchdown - 1976 - 1983). This time around all tunes have the Disco flavour. As ever it's all about the music... the skies are wide and funky and the air is filled with musical goodness. Your flight is about to leave.

Your flight opens with a punchy disco funk assault from Paris based Cameroonian Tala AM. Here with his drive bass and guitar funk riff 1981 stomper "Get Up Tchmassi". Next up and staying with the Cameroonian connection is Eko with "Bowaa Mba Ngebe". The lyrics talk of accomplishing the things in life for your family and yourself. The sweeping strings and gloriously uplifting music matching the sentiments of the words perfectly. Uta Bella began singing in the 60's and by the time disco hit in the 70's she was already established a singer in her native Cameroon, here the locked on groove of "Nassa Nassa" is a perfect snapshot of the sound and the African disco times.

Charly Kingson (cousin of Manu Dibango) is next with his "Nimele Bolo". Recorded in Germany with the cream of Munich's session musicians the bass synth is out in force on this one. Punchy brass, rock solid grooves and jazzy Rhodes add all the right ingredients for a fine disco synth excursion. Next is the musical heavyweight from Cameroon cousin Manu with his 1978 Disco, jazz funk masterpiece "Sun Explosion".

Side two opens with a blast of Elvis Kemayo and his piano and guitar funk bomb "Biram". Next Momo Joseph gives us "Africain". Best known in France as an actor, this disco funk groover was released on his self pressed LP "War For Ground" in 1983. A true gem indeed. Nigerian, ex Funkees member Jake Sollo is next with "Tinni Yanana". Recorded in the UK in 83 its slick and smooth with a hint of "at the car wash" groove. Pierre Didy Tchakounte follows on with his soul funk 'golden years' style groover "Soul Magabe". Produced by one of our favourite Parisian producers Slim Pezin. We close off our journey with the tribal chant disco-funk special from the Monstars "Funny Saga".

Ladies and Gentleman, we have landed at your destination, please remain seated until the aircraft has reached the terminal. We look forward to welcoming you aboard Africa Airways again soon.

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

With Bjoern Torske, Skateboard, Telephones and last not least the Sex Tags label all hailing from Bergen, the City ´s not been exactly short on world leading 'd.i.s.c.o' , but it´s Geir Hermansen aka Velferd that recently cought our ear with his keys. In 'The City that Drowned' it´s unlikely only ever so wet, there´s bliss, sun, warmth, heat - all painted bright with skyrocketing masterful synths over very neat and dry bass. great! Laid back and somehow dreamy the whole thing catches you by the ear and lingers on but then there´s so much dedicated kick and an almost extatic groove in each track - irresistable string hooks made in heaven! 'Never' and 'Through the Valley' add on to where the title song just left and this give the 3 track ep so much perfectly arranged strength... Bergen might well have given birth to another disco standard-bearer.

As smooth sky blue colour cat can represent, this EP has a smoother beat than its usual style. If you remember its previous EP with a darker colour, now the punching kick and identical house bass are gone and this EP is true showing off the producer's ability as a musician who can adapt to any kind of diversity. The first track "Last Song" has deep bass and atmospheric sounds, like a typical Romanian loop, but after the long trippy beat when the piano sounds kick in, the atmosphere changes and brings back the emotion. The second track 'Get Funky' is also truly hybrid version of house, while the combination of funky vocals and the endless hi-hat and shaker keep the groove tight and the deep down pad sounds mixed smoothly with the forest of beat make for a truly a unique character.
The last track 'Alright' is a very joyful one, even though it uses a typical funky house vocal sample. Its unique way of playing percussion and vocal keep the groove totally "all-right".

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.

Hell Yeah is proud to present a new EP from an artist that has been on their radar for a while. That artist is Napoli's Quiroga aka Walter Del Vecchio, the Italian DJ and producer who also runs his own Really Swing label and has been given props by the in the know Test Pressing blog, as well as having all his tunes dropped by
Balearic Gabba Sound System at every opportunity.

One of the finest talents to come from Italy in recent times, Quiroga cooks up hypnotic and trance including sounds from a myriad of diverse influences from opiate jazz to shuffling funk beats, from shifty landscapes to library music.

First up is Viaggio a Tulum, a perfectly loose and jumbled mix of sunny vibes, feel good chords and clipped vocals full of soul. The sort of thing that has you day dreaming of lazy afternoons and drunken BBQs, it's perfect example of Quiroga's efforts style.
Non Dire Notte—featuring Acido and ReallySwing act 291Out members Luca "Presence" Carini on electric bass and Vincenzo "Warren" Ciorra on electric guitar—is even more lazy and elongated, horizontal and blissed out. Twanging guitars off set pixelated synths, squelchy chords and Afro signifiers bring the heat and overall you cannot fail to get lost in the groove.

Prati Bagnati is a serene ambient interlude that feels like laying on your back and looking into a deep blue sky and second ambient cut Bava is more textured and intense, with shifting drones and muffled voices bringing a sense of filmic unease to the table. Overall, this is a perfect window into Quiroga's most intoxicating musical world.

Support by Alexis Le Tan, Aficionado Djs, Coyote, Ibiza Sonica, Reza Athar, Gonno, Noema, Fabrizio Mammarella, Riccio, Bill Brewster, Private Agenda, Soft rocks, Tim Love Lee...