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The third release on MDRNTY REC comes from a longtime favorite and friend of the house: Mr. Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts mostly known for his productions on Musique Risquée, Circus Company, Oslo or for his many other projects and aliases. ! Our fellow Canadian has crafted this Ep specially for us and we are happy to welcome him on the label. On remix duties we have Argentinian Ernesto Ferreyra (partner in crime with Guillaume in the project Chic Miniature). ! This release is a deep excursion into the groove of house and the hypnotic beauty of techno. It is designed for those late hours when everyone is dancing eyes closed, digging a little deeper into the moment. ! Modern Sublime is a long burner cinematic piece of music with it's guitars, epic vocals, drum fills and acid bass lines. This track has it all and skillfully drives the tension high as the story unfolds. ! Landing on the B side showcases a very different but equally hypnotic face of this talented and longtime celebrated producer, with it's arpeggiated melodies and lush pads Guillaume guides us to safe ground with this beautiful and precisely calibrated track full of emotions. ! Last but not least, Ernesto's remix reconfigures the rhythmical structures of Landing and masterfully transforms it into a peak time house gem, guaranteed to move any living soul in the dance floor.

Alien Ensemble's trombone man Mathias Goetz caused quite a splash when he released his eponymous debut LP under his Le Millipede moniker back in 2015: The multi-instrumentalist's initial offering was clearly something else, impossible to grasp, a musical vessel beyond genre, beyond style or era, seemingly beyond space and time even, a vessel that carried an almost cosmic kind of song-craft - music with no fixed stamp of origin, though it did somehow feel like an Alien Transistor release. Followed by remix album Mirror Mirror, which comprised reworks by 1115, Protein, LeRoy, Olaf Opal, and Saroos, to name a few, it's now time for album #2: The Sun Has No Money.Let's face it: There's nothing as majestic as the sun. At least not in our world. If it runs out of juice one day, it's game over: The End. Light's out. For everyone. At that point, it wouldn't even matter if you're rich or poor. We're all equal under the sun. Same level. And yeah, this might not be major news, but then again... we're talking about the sun. The sun! Guess it's about time to acknowledge its power and superiority, right In fact, you can feel it on your bicycle: pedaling at night, when it's on duty in other hemispheres, and you're working hard at the dynamo, sweating, you can actually feel how powerful it is. In the end you get off the bike all recharged, a tune on your lips - and somehow feeling like a miniature version of the sun yourself. And whenever you feel like that, that's exactly the right moment to grab a melodica and get to work.Following an initial warm-up round sans electricity, this new album soon begins to glow: Mathias Goetz aka Le Millipede doesn't need pedals, he boosts circulation by single-handedly* playing tons and tons of different instruments - it actually feels like thousands, easily. And thus begins a show that has countless levels to it: There are various sonic illusions... and yet Le Millipede doesn't hide anything: He's also willing to show the inner workings, the actual recording process and everything else. In short: he goes meta. Makes songs about making songs. That's right: why not use all these beautiful means to address the issue of money It's not the sun that casts shadows, all it does is recharge, fuel: growth & thriving, that's the sun's area of responsibility. And yet there came a man whose plan was simple: steal the fruit from your garden, only to sell it right back to you, for money. We can hear the sea gulls crying in the distance, as somebody is throwing breadcrumbs up into the wind that carries their voices...It's not the sun that casts shadows - all it does is radiate light. And yet there came a time when someone blocked those rays of light. Now if you're some kind of Diogenes, you'll simply say, Move at least a little out of the sun.' But if you're a teacher, you'll maybe light up your pipe and use that to lighten up. What matters is that the percussion parts, in this case, resemble some serious musique concréte. The sun doesn't know shadows - all it knows, is itself. And yet somebody entered the picture and built an entire city. A city full of streets, so that houses can cast shadows into these avenues. Plus, there's music in the streets, music originally written inside the walls of said houses.One of those streets is known as the Tin Pan Alley: a place that got its name from a music writer who compared the sound of so many pianos to the banging of tin pans. That sound: that's one side of the road that is this album. Some of these melodies appear to be shadows of earlier tunes, dating back to, say, 1898 or even before that, melodies that were first registered in the Tin Pan Alley publishers' offices back in 1912 or 1917. We actually get to see this Alley at that point in time. We see the ropes, the workings. How things come together, the actual act of creation. Suddenly, we can hear the shadows!
Okay, so one side of this street is America. The US of A. The opposite side: Russia. And smack dab in the middle: Europe. A pothole in the center. All the back-and-forth that occurs between these two poles ultimately depends on the movement of the sun. Night and day, taking turns, commuting in and out of sight. We get to meet Prokofiew's and Scriabin's ghost, among other spirits, reframed and published by Le Millipede's own imaginary label imprint on the historic Tin Pan Alley. Indeed there are moments on this album when Le Millipede seems to be playing Scriabin's clavier a` lumie`res (tastiera per luce), when his performance seems to be based on synesthesia, a wild cross-pollination of colors and sounds. In case you didn't know this: In the States, Prokofiew goes by the name Brian Wilson, and Scriabin's also known as Sun Ra - yet another guy who's usually broke, but gets to spend a lot of time out in the sun. Together, these assorted protagonists ask the people of the Antilles for Mutabor dance-tokens and send postcards to Moondog in Germany, right back into the darkness. On the postcards you can see people dancing the Biguine...Firing foreign fossil fuels from all pipes (Brennelementsteuer!), Le Millipede controls the very center of this hustle and bustle: going as far as to employ some southern Chopped & Screwed styles, he's 100% current and zeitgeisty! Houston, we've got a problem: there's some kind of myriapod, centi- or millipede on the loose! Well, give me another sip of lean, sizzurp, dirty Sprite, and on goes the journey in the Pullman coach. Let's follow the sun! Keep on moving, keep things motorik! Here comes the Trans-Eureka-Express. Cherish the backpacking days! A piercing rhapsody of sound (bohrende Rhapsodie), we'll remember them fondly! And thus things move on, the sun, the days, the earth: rise, set, action, round and round... onwards eternally. The sun: the biggest loop known to mankind. As if it was some kind of sonic Rube Goldberg contraption, time seems to be stretching out while listening to that hmmm. After all: time is a lot (a lot!) more than just money. And yeah, the sun is the real big shot on (or rather: above) Planet Earth. Le Millipede's live line-up also includes Markus & Micha Acher (The Notwist etc.), Nico Sierig (Joasihno), and Manuela Rzytki (G. Rag & die Landlergschwister, Kamerakino etc.).
*sole exception: Evi Keglmaier (Zwirbeldirn, Hochzeitskapelle) plays the viola. Words/sun worship: Pico Be

Garden City Movement's debut album 'Apollonia' is set for release on 16th March 2018. The trio of Roy Avital, Yoav Saar and Johnny Sharoni produce a blend of sounds drawn from their diverse cultural worlds, ranging from art-pop to experimental house to horizontally-aligned vibes.

Since surfacing at the close of 2013 with their breakout track 'Move On', Garden City Movement have released 'Entertainment' and 'Bengali Cinema' EPs, the 'Modern West' 12' in collaboration with The Vinyl Factory, climbed the Hype Machine Popular Chart with multiple singles, recorded live sessions for Boiler Room, Majestic Casual and FACT, opened for Bonobo, Caribou, Alt-J and played all over the world. The band's music video for 'Move On' received a nomination for Best Music Video at the LA Film Festival, won Best Video of The Year' at the MTV Israel Music Awards and the video for 'She's So Untouchable' screened at Raindance Film Festival in London.

Recording through 2017 at their studio in Tel Aviv, Garden City Movement took the time to explore their sound as a band. From the combination of dream-like vocals and cinematic-RnB in singles 'Slightly All The Time' 'Before I Fall' and 'A Means To An End' to the leftfield four-four of 'Mediterranea' and 'Sans Titre' or the ethereal jazz of 'I Knew Before I Met Her (That One Day I Would Lose Her)' and worldly influences of the title track - the heightened craft in their production is firmly felt across the album's 18 tracks.

After releasing three EPs, which each had a very tight deadline, recording the album has been a chance to grow. It's the first time we have been able to really take the time and experiment a lot in the studio, try to develop and deepen our language, come up with new sounds, and take our techniques even further'. - Garden City Movement

The album takes a darker path lyrically, exploring the breakdown of a fading relationship and the depression, loneliness and abuse that follows. While not explicit, this melancholy grounds the album in the real world. The fusion of forward facing production and confessional account of human-interaction frames an emotional and honest album of modern soul music.

Sonic Groove Records presents the advent of a new strain of contemporary techno for 2018 and advancing electronic music culture further into the future with this release. This is a document of the convergence and alliance of two distinct artistic visions, that of veteran and pioneer Thomas P Heckmann under his Drax moniker and current dedicated activist Blush Response. The results of this cutting edge collaboration are pure dance floor revelations of the infectious and mind expanding kind. Four cryptic transmissions initiating a sequence of combined sonic DNA output.

This is an interpretation of techno rooted in radical experimentation and upgraded to the next level with compelling innovation. Side A initiates the drama with mysterious analog machine signals of both purist and experimental dark techno that are composed of elements crafted at the molecular level. Side B continues with intensity delivering more of the combined audio expression of the artists. The intense coded communication weaves through in waves of perfectly balanced synthesis that is reinforced with heavy percussion and complex intertwined and engaging rhythms. A new key to other dimensions in sound. Essential

Brett Naucke returns to Spectrum Spools with his sophomore LP for Spectrum Spools following the "Seed" LP (SP-034) as well as a string of exceptional cassette releases on Umor Rex and Hausu Mountain.

"The Mansion" finds Naucke at the peak of his powers with a fresh array of meticulously composed psychotropic tapestries. Themes based on a childhood home, now a distant memory, reveal a mysterious narrative in mind-bending sonic detail. These complex ideas fuse conflicting states of tension and beauty with an organic acumen, each track a piece of the greater whole.

"The Mansion" is a fine mixture of contemporary concrète structure interlaced with tightly crafted melodic arrangement and hi-fidelity electronic exploration. In addition to his stalwart synthesis, Naucke employs additional personnel featuring vocal duties from Natalie Chami (of Goodwill Smith and TALsounds) and Viola sounds from Whitney Johnson (of Matchess). Field recording, piano and other various instrumentation are also carefully implemented adding a new, deeper dimension to the Naucke oeuvre.

With his most realized set of compositions yet, "The Mansion" finds Naucke at the paragon of his conceptual and sonic ethos with a work that's at once deeply meaningful and profound in it's auditory breadth.

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.

After 20 years in the lab Conny Frischauf releases her debut EP for International Major Label. - Effekt und Emotion is on point when it comes to songwriting, sound aesthetic and craftsmanship. Made with a deep understanding of soundscapes and pop culture, the musical language of Conny Frischauf breathes a magical and melancholic vibe that transfers itself into the subconscious of the listener without any comment. Full of unexpected moves and elegant references which disappear right before getting aware. Music for advanced dreamers. Discrete, unique, peerless and therefore a perfect match for the IML collection.

The Aroma are a production unit from Bristol UK who supply a bedrock of masterfully crafted soundscapes for a very carefully selected set of guest MCs. The beats are created by DJ Rumage and engineered and produced by Rola (both from the mighty Bristol Hip Hop crew The Numskullz) with scratch wizard Sir Beans OBE on turntable duty.

Volume 1 has vocals supplied by Junior Disprol, Upfront MC (of Split Prophets), NK (p/k/a Blaktrix), NiLLa, Retna, MCM (of Caveman), Stepasaur (a/k/a Stepchild), Kelz (of 3PM) and last but not least additional vocals by Lizz.E (of the legendary Fresh 4).

At 8 tracks deep this album is short by modern standards but takes you back to a time when albums were 7 or 8 tracks long but overall were a higher standard. Too often now albums have 20 plus tracks with 10 or more fillers and quiet vinyl pressings.

Here you have 8 killers no fillers cut nice and loud and so gives a better sounding product which is something very important to Ruztik Records and AE Productions who have joined forces for this release.

First Word kicks off 2018 with the welcome return of Quiet Dawn, and a new EP, 'Human Being: The Short Story of The Reed'. A suitably ice-thawing six-track opus to compliment the change of seasons, dedicated to the winter blooming plant's desire to be human.

Parisian Will Galland first appeared on the label in late 2014, releasing his debut album 'The First Day' the following year. Collaborations on that album and subsequent mixes since have included offerings from Oddisee, Miles Bonny, Eric Lau, Bastien Keb, Sauce81 (Eglo), Mayaka McCraven and Sarah Williams White.

Evolving his music from a palette accumulated over the years of Hip Hop, Broken Beat and House, he has expanded his talents for arranging and composing, and now drafted in a wealth of musicians for this sublime new EP, his most ambitious yet. Strings glide effervescently atop of Quiet Dawn's assorted analogue synths, and an array of percussive organics combine to build the tale of The Reed. In-places, the set transcends into the kind of grooves that saunter somewhere between the land of Bonobo and Quantic, and the cinematic library record craft of Alan Hawkshaw et al. Deep, organic and epic.

"The reed from the earth and waters,
Human by the flesh and bones,
Bring by the love and others,
Now, you're not alone."

Each track of the EP tells a different chapter of the story. In the words of Quiet Dawn, "This record is about human behaviour, relationships, happiness, sadness, peace, anger, sex, love, birth, death... But as viewed by The Reed. The Reed is a plant that wants to be human, after observing them all around her. Over the course of the record, The Reed evolves and desires to feel feelings, gradually learning that becoming human is not so simple... ."

Also with artwork by Sophie Bass and Grégoire Marty, this glorious six-track vinyl and digital EP is released February 2018 on First Word Records.

Mouse on Mars is recognised as one of Germany's most defning and versatile electronic music projects. With their
anarchic mixture of sound that oscillates between uncontrollable chaos and meticulously arranged structures,
Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma have forged a unique musical language, which is readily decomposed by the
unpredictability of its myriad mutations. Free from schools of thought, genre conventions, and from the constraints
of the music establishment, they have worked under the Mouse on Mars alias for 24 years, mapping their own
idiosyncratic trajectory through a no man's land between pop, art, club music, and the avant-garde. - Jan Rohlf
Idiology takes the acoustic experiments of Niun Niggung even further, and it's this combination of electronic
and 'traditional' music -- melding keyboards and synthesizers with french horns and guitars and trumpets into a
seamless whole -- that points the way through the dead-ends of most electronica.'
- PopMatters
Andi Toma and Jan St. Werner continue to create soundscapes that blur the line between programming and live
musicianship, and sometimes between Earth and outer space.' - The A.V. Club
On April 13th Mouse on Mars will release Dimensional People,
their brand new studio album on Thrill Jockey.
The album features Werner and Toma joined by a number of
prolifc guests: Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Zach Condon (Beirut),
Spank Rock, Aaron and Bryce Dessner (The National), Swamp
Dogg, Eric D. Clarke, Lisa Hannigan, Amanda Blank, Sam
Amidon, Ensemble Musikfabrik, and about 20 more musical
collaborators.
After a series of notorious dance oor releases, Dimensional
People reveals them working deep within their own vernacular,
digging into fertile terrain of their inexhaustible vault of digital
and acoustic experimentation, and charismatically making
elemental components new again. This album makes clear how
their craft is of discovery, of fnding new contexts for places,
sounds, memories, sensations, ambiences, technologies,
relationships, and of course, people.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Dekmantel's goings on in the world of events, festivals, and great music, the team behind the label have been releasing a record a month featuring some of their favourite artists, as part of a ten-year anniversary series collection. Featuring acts close to the label's collective, debuts, and legacy talents the crew have always wanted to sign, the series has seen the likes of Gigi Masin, Call Super, Fatima Yamaha, and more. This penultimate EP, sees Dekmantel debut releases by Lena Willikens, Space Dimension Controller, and Dutch lo-fi star Betonkust and Palmbomen, in addition to a special cut by Bufiman.The EP kicks off with a new track by Salon Des Amateurs resident Bufiman — real name Jan Schulte — who also goes by Wolf Müller. 'Hymn to the Moonface' ensures that percussion comes first and foremost, in this upbeat, prog-breaks, jaunty, summer cut following up on his Dekmantel debut "Peace Moves". Dutch duo Betonkust and Palmbomen release their first track on Dekmantel with 'Onrust Bij Tihange' - an ode to the Tihange Nuclear Power Station in Belgium. Specialists in crafting lo-fi, nostalgic sounds, Betonkust and Palmbomen do what they do best, with a pulsing, analog, nostalgic electro track that sounds as if its been fed through a VHS player, a top of recording of Miami Vice. What happened at Tihange through is another question. Belfast-producer Space Dimension Controller, a.k.a. Jack Hamill adds some galactic, space-flare, mid-tempo, D-funk to the flip side. With a debut EP dropping on Dekmantel soon, SDC contributes one of his most beautiful compositions to date, highlighting his flair for melody, blending it astutely together with rich techno hat and snare combos. Concluding the record, is Dekmantel favourite, Lena Willikens. After so many appearances across so many of Dekmantel festivals, it's a pleasure to have the astute selector release a rare production on the label. Willikens' dark wavey cut is something one would expect to hear in one of her sets, sounding like a modern take of a long-forgotten, and unknown krautrock band.

Long-term Soma collaborator Tony Scott drops his debut album with the label under his Edit Select alias, the perfectly crafted experience, 'Cyclical Undulations'. Having released with Soma under his Percy X moniker for years and having countless hits under his belt, Scott reinvented himself as Edit Select. Known for his dark, expressive and expansive music, Edit Select has become once of the most well respected and renowned artists in the genre. With this latest full length, he continues to explore the furthest reaches of the Deep Techno spectrum.

The Cyclical Undulations journey begins with Insta Grain, a mesmeric odyssey of ebbing pads and sparse percussive elements that seem to drift of into the expanse. A perfect opener before the first foray into more 4x4 territory begins with Above Ground a pulsating affair before Two Step Phase, a more stripped back affair, reminiscent of earlier Percy X works in it's 90s heyday. Undulation, more propulsive in it's approach, melds warping synth hooks alongside spectral tones. Horizon#1 follows in a similar vein yet drift into slightly more hypnotic territory as recurrent tones lead the track. Scott flourishes with yet more machine-throb crafting Close Up & In The Beginning She Was, both stacked with subtle nuances of his stylised percussion lost across dream like states. The later half of the album has a distinct minimalistic approach yet seem to provide maximal output with every beat. Horizon#2 is dark and ominous yet still characterised by a tough percussive element. Contact, produced in collaboration with Claudio PRC, delves into more submerged sounds with heavy sub bass and echoed drums, finishing of with Towards The E; a shuffling broken beat affair with after hours vibes and an endearing ethereal quality.

Cyclical Undulations demonstrates a mature sense of production from Edit Select. An assured collection of material, each track providing a striking insight into a true artistic mind.

Dark Entries Editions is proud to reissue Ghost Town' the 1984 debut 12' single by Mono Band from Italy. The project was conceived by producer Rene 'D'Herin and Massimo Fantinatiti aka Fantenax. They teamed up with songwriter and guitarist Luigi Venegoni aka Svengile who had previously worked with progressive and jazz-rock bands Arti & Mestieri and Venegoni & Co. as well as cosmic disco group Stratosferic Band. Treading the lines between Italo Disco and the darker side of New Wave, the trio crafted a mysterious sound. Melancholic arpeggiators, a throbbing baseline, stuttering samples, and the classic Linn drum machine run throughout the track. Vocals were handled by an uncredited Carlo Rossi who raps about a ghost town filled with fear. When female vocalist Elena Sansonetti begins to softly whisper the chorus one might get goose bumps. The trio were joined in the studio by DJ Mike aka Michele Paolino of Make Up/Mike Up, DJ Moody, Fabrice Bellini of Art Fine and producer Miceli. The song was recorded in a few days at Dynamo Sound Studio in Turin and originally released on the popular Discomagic Records. This reissue includes the original vocal version, backed with a longer dubbed out instrumental Ghost Version' on the B-side. All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The 12' is housed in an exact replica of the original sleeve with an astrological photo the planets orbiting the sun. Each copy also includes a 2-sided postcard.

STAUB comes back on wax for a third episode. Following the no name policy from the parties which started 5 years ago in ://about blank, it is time again for unknown artist to shine. This new EP sees the shy producer appearing on 4 tracks of pristine techno. A1 is an atmospheric trip while A2 is more brutal, on the B side it is going weirder and darker. We think Unknown Artist tries to craft interesting techno cuts and that he loves variety.

That it is the idea behind STAUB since its beginnings, it does not matter whether you are a newcomer or Lady Gaga, what matters is the quality of the music. This is what was again aimed with this third record.

"These are Love Notes" from Chicago this time as the Brooklyn based label offers a platform for a glimpse into the state of the Chicago undergound. Three original tracks from Chicago man-about-town, Shmoo, and a remix from one of the brightest lights in Chicago's modern scene and one of the more exciting young American producers out there, Garrett David. Standout tracks are Sidehacker, which opens the EP and is a wild ride through swirling pads, with a bedrock bassline that holds everything together, and David's remix of Intuitive Intellect's Waste, wherein he crafts the track into a very modern sounding slice of uplifting house. Another choice EP from this label.

This superbly crafted recording features the versatile Japanese jazz/fusion keyboardist Jun Fukamachi as a veritable one-man band in a lively album that captures the essence of the original Beatles' tunes throughout. The innovative arramngements of the artist, tailored to get the maximum benefit from a surrounding instrument array, produce one of the best technical efforts. Synthesizer effects provide special flavor,' particularly at the close of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' on side one, and in the evocative opening of She's Leaving Home' on side two. Fukamachi blends a concert grand electric piano, Arp synthesizer, glockenspiel, bass drum, tambourine and other electronic instruments with results that indicate a group, not a solo, with ample display of each. Recorded ten years after the original, in 1977, this recording still sounds exciting, and an eye-catching cover with a mirror image of the famous photo shoot remains one of the most creative reworks of this 50 years old masterpiece' (Billboard)

ossession Records proudly present the new album by Soft Riot, entitled 'The Outsider In The Mirrors'.Soft Riot is the stylised musical alter-ego of JJD, Canadian by birth and an ex-resident of London and Sheffield, now based in Glasgow (so not unfamiliar with sites of post-industrial decay!). With over twenty years of playing in various post-punk and synth-punk bands, he has been crafting the sound of Soft Riot since the early turn of the decade, releasing a slew of albums across a multitude of labels and touring obsessively around Europe and beyond.With 'The Outsider In The Mirrors', his sixth full-length, he has found a new home for his sound on Possession Records, a fledgling Glasgow imprint founded by JJD, Claudia Nova (aka Hausfrau) and Andy Brown (Ubre Blanca). Their aim is to bring together their pool of musical talents and provide a more permanent home for their future creative endeavours, whether it be music, video or otherwise and to experiment with what it is to be a 'label' in the ever evolving 21st century. Future projects and releases will see them getting a select group of their peers and friends involved in Possession's focused vision, locally or from further afield.'The Outsider...' is a consolidation of all the stylistic elements Soft Riot has pursued in the past; the manic propulsive energy of 'Waiting For Something Terrible To Happen', the infectious, off-kilter dynamics of opener 'The Eyes On The Walls' and the pulsing, elegiac synth washes of 'The Saddest Music In The World'. Throughout the album Soft Riot fuses his maximalist sonic palette with a sharp-edged sense of post-punk anxiety, unique synth interplay and brooding, claustrophobic new-wave dread. Comparisons to musical kindred spirits like John Foxx, DAF, early Depeche Mode, Fad Gadget and Virgin-era Cabaret Voltaire would be analogous, but JJD is defiantly fusing these basic references into something highly idiosyncratic and personal.
The music on 'The Outsider...' is evocative of an kind of nostalgic futurism, of a refusal to give up on a desire for the future (dystopic or otherwise) and the unpredictable nature of the urban situation. The music is tense, synthetic and precise, embodying and exploring issues of isolation, urban alienation and social paranoia. Yet despite these dark thematic preoccupations the Soft Riot sound is not without its warmth and humour. Wry and self aware without irony, the songs are hook laden, infuriatingly catchy and designed for dancing as much for static listening. It is a peculiarly Soft Riot take on the electro pop sound that will engross and captivate any adventurous listener.

"I Can't Love You Anymore" is the first single by hard working soul performer Carlton Jumel Smith recorded with Cold Diamond & Mink, and the man has revealed his middle name just for the occasion. Otherwise known simply as Carlton J. Smith, there's no doubt he has swallowed a large pill of soul since seeing James Brown live at the Apollo Theatre as an 8-year old.

Smith's Timmion debut single sinks him into drum heavy southern flavored deep soul, a style that comes out of him naturally as water from a mountain spring. Backing him up on the falsetto parts is Pratt, who recently turned some heads with his Pratt & Moody release "Lost Lost Lost" on Stylart Records, and together the two basically NAIL IT.

When looking for artists, who just seem to move through time effortlessly with a steady air of confidence, passion and precision, one might pick up the phone and give CJS a call. Even though his discography of couple of late 2000's albums and some guest spots in early 90's soulful house 12"s is a bit mysterious, there seems to be not one bit of difficulty to his craft or personality. As a recording artist, "I Can't Love You Anymore" is a new opening into raw soul territory, and it is just what the world needs today. He laid down an album worth of tracks on his last Helsinki visit, and this might be something to look forward to.

Don't wanna move to Southern California / I wasn't really meant for LA...' So sang Dent May once upon a time, now he's eating those words with a side of avocado toast in his new Los Angeles bungalow. What made the lifelong Mississippi boy pull up stakes and head west No one looks at you funny if you wear a tuxedo to the supermarket.' What he means is he moved there to shake up his surroundings, clear his head, and write the most accomplished record of his young career, the magical mystery tour de force Across the Multiverse.

Following the lead of musical-polymaths-with-LA-ties before him like Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks, and Harry Nilsson, Dent's style on Across the Multiverse will be familiar to fans of his previous work. Yet there's something more refined about this collection... Stately strings mingle with boogie piano like old friends. Synths weave a celestial backdrop throughout. Every verse, bridge and chorus in its right place, giving it the unmistakable feel of a true songwriting craftsman at work. Lyrically Dent has never been sharper, musing on themes like modern romance ( Picture on a Screen', Face Down in the Gutter of Your Love'), existential dread ( Dream 4 Me', I'm Gonna Live Forever Until I'm Dead'), and the distance to the moon ( Distance to the Moon') as he searches for meaning among the infinite scrolling feeds of our 21st century augmented reality. The title track, a duet with Frankie Cosmos, is a deep space love song about finding love beyond impossible boundaries.

Across the Multiverse was written and recorded in a sunny bedroom in LA's Highland Park neighborhood, with Dent producing and playing nearly every instrument himself. The tracks were selected from dozens of songs written after the LA move, a gold rush of productivity inspired by late nights DJing rare disco funk cuts at local watering holes. It's his first record for new label Carpark and will be released August 18th.

Dent May is a self-described hotel bar lounge singer and aspiring daytime TV talk show host - has been charming his way into the hearts of music fans since the release of his debut album The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele on Animal Collective's Paw Tracks label in 2009. The Mississippi-born, Los Angeles-based songwriter, performer, and Dolly Parton enthusiast has since released two more acclaimed records, Do Things (2012) and Warm Blanket (2013), dropped the holiday smash I'll Be Stoned For Christmas', and played hundreds of shows from Shanghai to Chicago. His latest album, Across the Multiverse, is an interstellar voyage of mythic proportions.

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.

'The Layered Effect' by US rapper/producer Andy Cooper offers a punchy reminder of the creative fun to be had in digging for breaks, stringing up loops and layering up stratas of sound. Brimming full of delightful inflexions from the world of jazz, easy listening, film soundtracks and Hollywood voices, it's a perfectly stitched sound patchwork that pays loving hommage to the classic, funky days of early rap. A touching testimony to the joys of Hip-Hop then and now.

More than just the skinny white dude who's into old school beats, Andy Cooper has won his stripes after a twenty year stint with Hip-Hop trio Ugly Duckling, then a couple more hanging out with The Allergies, not to mention the recent release of eight 7" singles, an EP and now his second solo LP.What is utterly charming is how enamoured and respectful he is of how it was at the beginning AND of how it still should be.Far from being the "old timer/delusional revivalist" he describes in 'Last of the Dying Breed', Cooper cares not about colour or age, but that rap stays fresh, exciting, competitive, similar to a precious martial art.

For Andy, rap is a noble form. He's a wordsmith extraordinaire, snappy and audacious, tipping his hat "to all the microphoners who still bring that dedication and expertise to their craft" and choosing to work with equally rapid sparring partners like Blabbermouf and MC Abdominal. Ownership of the genre is a constant theme throughout the LP. Like a contact sport, you punch and fight your way to the mic and once there "no one can take it from me". Reverance is constantly being paid to the dons that went before, overtly Rick Rubin & the Def Jam crew, but covertly the reggae sound systems and jazzers of old.

Not a sloppy note or shabby rhyme here.It's an album that pops and fizzes with quirky beats and funky rhythms from start to finish. With production lines neater and sharper than a pair of sta press trousers, it's impossible not to be seduced by the sheer bouyancy of the lyrics, beats and intention. A refreshingly entire body of work with no low points, only head-nodding highs. It's good to stumble across a hip hop album that has you giggling, thinking, singing and wearing out the soles of your shoes all at once.

* Each cassette comes with an individually hand-printed silk screen cardboard case and DL code, craftily designed by Damien Tran.

* Renowned for her tracks featured in Richie Hawtin's game changing DE9 Transitions mix, Akiko Kiyama reveals her another side under her new alias Aalko on No Man Is An Island. This is her Kebko Music label's fourth instalment and her fifth album. It is a culmination of Kiyama's recent practices in a wider music spectrum, going well beyond her minimalistic techno characteristic. It covers a variety of styles as she demonstrates her knack for breaks and ambient, reflecting her early influences from Ninja Tune and Warp. Each cassette comes with an individually hand-printed silk screen cardboard case and DL code, craftily designed by Damien Tran. Also, No Man Is An Island EP is set to be released on vinyl in this winter.

* Kebko Music is Tokyo-based Akiko Kiyama's independent music label focusing on releasing avant-garde music which is not bounded by any specific genres but embraces the whole range of techno, experimental music, field- & live-recordings and classical music. The label owner established her name by Richie Hawtin featuring her track in his well-known DE9 Transitions mix in 2005. Since then, her music style has gradually changed to explore the edge of electronic music. The core of the label is based on small handcrafted editions of cassette tapes. It aims to give a chance for all of artists and listeners to explore their musical experience and creativity.

New Flesh Records 19 Ever wonder what would happen at the first minuts of an Alien in-vasion Answer can be found on Geometric Vision', the debut EP of Hungarian electro don Norwell on French New Flesh Records. Real name Balázs Semsei, Norwell has turned out a steady stream of releases on labels like Dalmatia Daniel, Pinkman, Chabu Recor-dings, Seagrave and his own Farberwechsel imprint until now, always coming on strong with a personal artistic vision plus a sense of drama.

Across four craftily cuts on Umwelt's label, he revisits his own dystopian universe made of sonic frequencies fused into rich atmosphere with a strong array of emotions. From the haunting opener Geometric Vision' to the explosive final Conversation Patterns', Nor-well signs one of his best release to date.

Fascinating synth melodies supported by raw drums and insane electro textures compose this must have 12'' and an essential addition to the New Flesh catalog. Heavy electro darkness for serious heads, this is a soulful EP full of depth, impossible to ignore!

Charmin Records has long been a formidable outlet for considered house tones, and on their latest V/A, the German label reminds us in emphatic fashion just what they're capable of. Featuring four delicious house cuts, this is an expertly crafted release with four tracks of different but equally delectable persuasion on show.
Opening up the release is the sounds of Wasserfall & Vaage's 'Orbits'. A sci-fi tinged cosmic workout, it's galactic properties are matched only by its sheer dancefloor ethos. A banging track that's perfect for peak time 'floors, it gets us underway with some panache.
Garben's 'Exploitation' is a different track altogether. An analogue-inspired jam, it features all the hallmarks of a classic Larry Heard jam. The perfect track with which to welcome in these warmer climes, this deep track is characterised by its fuzzy, melancholic ethos.
Next up is ØA°ll Ha°tes' 'øøø9'. A steely, industrial track with echoes of Shed at its core, it's both a warm and uncomfortable effort, but one that's thoroughly beguiling throughout.
Culminating the package is FM's 'Saturday Voices'. This one is decidedly more banging, with an unrelenting kick and a catchy-as-hell baseline at its core. A fine effort with which to sign out on, Charmin's latest is just like the label's name suggests: absolutely charming.

The night is what makes a big city come to life. Right after sundown, the hectic buzzing of downtown makes way for adventure playgrounds, bathed in neon light, revealing their countless chances and opportunities. It's when you'll find the subway spitting out it's purpose seeking passengers by the minute. A coming and going of restless people passing through. All it takes is a few hours, before the sunrise makes it all disappear. Mental Bend captures the magic of that very moment in their dreamy soundtracks. If you close your eyes, you can see blurry pictures passing in slow motion, accompanied by their atmospheric songs. Grainy black and white snapshots, fragments of memories lighting up somewhere in the farthest corner of the cortex. 'One Step' is the Berlin-based indietronica duo's visually vivid debut album, released on Enfant Fenou. Mental Bend are all about letting go. Sissip (voc/synth/bass) and Hendrik Havekost (beats/production) know how to trust their instincts, crafting their hypnotic signature sound, somewhere in between electronica, ambient and dream pop. Before founding the band in 2013, the two were already shaping their skills in all kinds of different formations and styles of music. As soon as they got together, they had a viral mini hit with their song 'Take My Hand', praised on various tastemaker blogs and generating over 100.000 likes on Soundcloud in no time. The band's first long play record 'One Step' is all about important experiences and decisions, small as well as big steps, all a part of making progress, which in the end can even be life changing. It was a step, that recently got Mental Bend their record deal on Mo's Ferry's sub label 'Enfant Fenou'.

Cryovac Recordings seeks out characters that give depth to the soundscape of Detroit's Underground. Cryovac individuals believe in their path and stand for their art. Ray7 is a multifaceted musical being surviving an ever evolving technosphere. He is an unknown hero that holds his own sonicly on any side of the planet. Ray7 provides the power needed for the Cryovac machine to hatch a new plot. Cryovac exists due to the efforts of craftsmen and artists that work together to make something unique
Side A starts with an ancient Zulu chant that provides protection as well as a funky sort of techno break pop. The next track grinds in to a ruff and gritty narration of ghetto mind-set under the influence of classic electro. A constant roll moves the last track into addition and subtraction inside of a spartan groove that breaks and turns with strength.
Side B opens with a busy 4/4 be-bop lackadaisically drifting with dreamy synth over the chatter of voice, hi-hats, and reverb broken down by a 303 buzzing. Track two is a dark and sloppy incomprehensible subliminal sing-a-long building and ebbing around a stark kick and clap.

Tachyon Audio is a new vinyl label that's focused on forward-thinking sounds in the techno realm targeting sweaty, dark places, with large, high-quality sound systems.


Inhabitants make a strong offering with their first EP as a duo, IGC. These two primates are often found inhabiting dark spaces, forging ahead on complex math equations. Their distinct, driving, mathematical, and drumming techno is a result. Expect more solid work from these two mysterious beings on Tachyon Audio as the label continues its progression.


Tachyon Audio is coming out of the gates strong with a diverse EP that touches on three techno sounds that are helping to lead the march forward into the future of sound production. The first Tachyon release comes from the mysterious dark studio of Inhabitants, who's inaugural release as a collaboration is sure to move feet on a diversity of dance floors. The A-side track, Mut14 (sc8.18 Mix) (A1) is a futuristic pounder that weaves its way into a frenzy with subtle yet penetrating synths that sweep through the soundscape. The simple and sound drumline will keep even the pickiest selectors satisfied. Side A ends with two separate open-source NASA space samples. The first, Iota_20_0.998_h (A2), is the repeating sound of two orbiting neutron stars. The second sample (A3) is two 50 solar mass black holes spiraling into an inevitable collapse, eventually becoming one. These samples are poised for reuse in production and make for good intro and looping material for performances.


The second side of the EP starts with the dark broken beat track, Mut7 (B1), that starts with a solid groove and works its way into a breakdown that captures the mind with a chopped and effected late 1990's Frankie Bones vocal. By the end of the track you'll be left wanting it to forge on, as it can flow well with a wide range of techno sub-genres, especially the dark, more broken beat tip. Inhabitants then continue to make their impression with Mut10 (B2), a track molded around an originally crafted 303 line that morphs and builds throughout and creates an atmosphere that separates itself from the remainder of the EP with a lighter, yet heady feel.


M=100 (2 - 50 Solar Mass Black Holes)

Echoplex signs his "Entering the Sky" to Sungate as the third release of the labels catalogue. Echoplex, previously known for his vast label appearances across the world, now delivers a beautifully crafted four track original EP. This record balances smoothly between a forward thinking and highly effective Techno tracks. Specially envision for the body and soul, for the dance floor and for the home listening pleasure.

Kalakuta Soul Records joins forces with waf80music to proudly present Kai Niggemann's solo debut, an all original album of outrageous poetically abstract music created live and without overdubs on a Buchla 200e Electric Music Box, one of the rarest and most sought after electronic music instruments. Working on the platform since 2013, Kai Niggemann has become one of Germany's leading artists who perform live with a Buchla 200e. His style is an electro-acoustic storytelling, a clubby dreamscape and a poetically-abstract kraut-infused energetic mix of new Elektronische Musik with contemporary club culture. Nerds love the technology and clubbers love the throbbing drive of the basslines. It's all improvised and recorded live in Berlin — yet it sounds meticulously crafted in a dark basement studio throughout the entire last winters. Kai is a member of the 30-piece kraut-noise-jazz collective "The Dorf" and the electronics duo "The Last Books" (with Achim Zepezauer), performs and records with Mia Zabelka (Vienna) as "Redshift Orchestra", cofounded the internet-computermusic "European Bridges Ensemble" (EBE, e-b-e.eu) and the electroacoustic duo "Resonator". His most recent releases were the CD/vinyl "Lux" (feat. the noise drone artist N), "EviL/EvyL" and the cassette "Made in Österreich" with The Dorf (feat. Caspar Brötzmann & FM Einheit (Ex-Einstürzende Neubauten) or "Thinking Light" by Redshift Orchestra (duo with Mia Zabelka). He performed concerts with Mia Zabelka (Wien), Yoshio Machida (JP), Trap & Zoid (BE), Stian Westerhus or Shahzad Ismaily (with The Dorf) among many others.

For more than 30 years music has been the most important thing in my life - this is a clear and true to the heart statement by Soulsurfer, DJ and drummer for the Hanover-based outfit named SUPERSOUL. And yes, SUPERSOUL are a real band. A band in love with analogue instruments and mastering their craft. A rat pack of five groove fanatics accumulating enough years, wisdom and experience to tell truly authentic stories within their songs - songs which are taking the bands audience on a journey into the 60s and 70s sound of Black America. SUPERSOUL are playing Funk 'n' Soul on a hot, steamy, energetic and passionate tip, performing self-written songs with stories told in the bands mothertongue - German ! With Arne Busch as vocalist and band leader SUPERSOUL is built around a true force. His vision and expression of Soul is phrased like the emphasis of a preacherman's gospel whilst fat and funky grooves are masterly crafted and carefully layered by Margot Gontarski and drummer Lars Heindorf a.k.a. Soulsurfer, glazed with wah-wah-heavy licks played by guitar wizard Toni. Their experienced interplay on the latest SUPERSOUL album is polished with loads of analogue engineering magic at Studio Nord Bremen and perfectly complemented by solos and arrangements of Lutz 'Hammond' Krajenski and seven other guest musicians making and appearance on this longplay piece.
It's not big of a surprise that these musicians, all of them rich in experience due to their contributions to other bands and projects, met in Hanover, Germany's secret capital of Funk. But it is quite a surprise that it took that long for an album to appear on the record store circuit that amalgamates German lyrics and urban Funk in a previously unheard manner like SUPERSOUL does.
And for those who come across this longplay piece whilst being on their next dig we go along the lines of the words by the famous man Miles Davis as - We suggest to you to play this record at the highest possible volume in order to appreciate the sound of SUPERSOUL .

Noplace is an improvised collaboration between Aidan Baker (Nadja / Caudal / B/B/S/), Simon Goff (Molecular, Bee & Flower) and Thor Harris (Swans, Shearwater, Thor & Friends).
Having known each other for a number of years and previously contributed to one another's recordings this trio finally came together as a whole on May 7th 2017 at Redrum Studios in Berlin. In a short, improvised session of just a few hours they set about laying down as much material as possible which was then subsequently edited and re-worked (without overdubs) to form this album.
The same evening the trio played together as part of a 9-piece Thor & Friends ensemble which also included Christopher Hefner (on musical saw) whose artwork graces the cover of the record and gave it its name.
Noplace is a hypnotic and deep listen. Kinetic rhythms pulsate throughout whilst the guitar and violin jostle and weave around the metronomic beats, creating a cathartic and all-encompassing experience. The very nature of the instrumental repetitions give it an immediate avant/krautrock feel but the whole record is coated in a wonderful psychedelic atmosphere that's both melodic, textured and innovative.
Without doubt a perfect marriage and the sum of its parts. You would be forgiven for thinking Noplace took years to craft but that's testament to three excellent musicians who have produced a real treat of a record. Broken down into seven pieces but very much best enjoyed as a thrilling whole, Noplace is a powerful and highly addictive album.

Moscow based multi-talent Impish presents the Hush LP, his latest album project that will be released through all quality physical electronic music outlets around the world October 20. Working through labels such as ProgRAM, C.I.A. and his own fast rising Occulti Music imprint Impish is quickly establishing a name for himself in the global drum & bass scene. In a world that consumes more and more music in a superficial way Impish manages to take a halt on the Hush LP with timeless songwriting, arrangement and production inspired by live music and drum work. From effortlessly rolling tracks such as Can't Feel and Shadows towards more introspective vibes on Changing Colours and the LP's title track a common thread runs clearly throughout the album: the aim for perfection, true craftsmanship and a drive to combine to high-quality beats and breaks with musical elements. To aid the budding artist in spreading his ethos UK based female vocalist Kate Wild and Irish drum & bass producer Zero T feature on the album for vocal appearances and remix work.

The third release in Danse Club's Black Series is a collaborative effort between Dutch tech house hero Lauhaus and countryman Rik Woldring with a standout remix from Boris Werner. Lauhaus has long been at the heart of the underground electronic music scene, releasing on go-to imprints like 100% Pure and Area remote as well as his own Soweso and We Dig. labels, whilst Rik Woldring is very much a talent on the rise who has impressed in Amsterdam with his unique after hours DJ sets. Together the pair crafts some infectious and charismatic grooves that fit perfectly with the increasingly essential Danse Club . Opening track 'Context' is a tight arrangement of looping bass, silky and silvery percussion and myriad sonic effects that create intrigue from start to finish. It's the sort of thing that makes you sweat on the floor but has enough detail to keep your mind occupied, too. Boris Werner, another stalwart of the Dutch tech scene, turns in a superb mix of 'Context'. His remix is deeper and more stripped back, with bobbling drums and perfect claps driving the thing along. Subtle pads warm things through and shadowy voices bring a sense of light night mischief to proceedings. Lauhaus & Rik Woldring then turn in 'Aint No Time', a liquid bit of shape shifting tech house funk that is rich with colourful melodies and well placed spoken word musings. It's music for the floor that is fun as well as functional and last track 'Spearmint' is just the same. This ones a bit tougher and more taught with rubbery synth and basslines wrapping round each other for 9 heady minutes as delightful synth patterns slowly smear and spread in the skies up top. Another cultured release from the Danse Club label that proves tech house, when done well, is still a hugely rewarding genre.

The third instalment of the Bodybuilder Quartet has arrived, and once again label boss Nachtbraker adds an exciting name to the Quartet Series manifesto. Moscow native Kuzma Palkin previously released a double 10' and a double 12' on quality Russian imprint Gost Zvuk, but is also known for his productions under his Audiocad (Between Us) and Kausto (Shanti Records) noms de guerre. Make sure to check those out if you haven't already. Here, Kuzma serves up an EP as deep as they come, with greasy, industrial and glitchy sounds floating on steady beats. Title tune 'Macho Culture' is a peaktime roller for darker club spaces with its deep melodic stabs, slapping snares and a haunting synth. Also on the A is 'Muscle Mass Increase', which is cut from the same haunting cloth but comes with an edgy saw synth that will have the punters reach for the lazers. Flip over for 'Proper Sauna Chill', which comes with a thumping kick, beautifully crafted sound design details and an undeniable groove. Closing Kuzma's Quartet Series debut EP is 'Krepkiye Bitsepsky', another showcase of amazing sound design and warped stabs floating over a steady break beat and groovy bass line to round things off nicely.

Argentinian producer CementO delivers four uncompromising techno cuts on Norwegian label PLOINK this December.
Now based in Norway, the South American DJ has spent well over a decade honing his craft both on the dance floor, organising his own club nights and in the studio, producing records for the likes of Antarctic, Primitive State and Diligentia.
After the release of his first full length album on Faarikaal Records earlier this year, CementO now delivers an EP on Bergen-based imprint PLOINK.
'Fjordens Vei' provides noisy ambiences underpinned by a pulsating low-end and a series of arpeggiated synthesisers which evolve with the tracks sharp percussion before 'Trolls Reise' grips us with enticing chord progressions, gloomy atmospheres and crisp drum fills floating above a powerful and grooved bass line.
'Forekomsten' hits hard with a heavyweight kick, rolling hi-hats and thick dissonant drones whilst haunting motifs develop with dubbed out effects. Remixed by enigmatic producer Twinspeaker, the Speaker Extended Mix of 'Trolls Reise' demonstrates an intricate structure of intertwining melodies with acidic overtones to close out the release.

'Less thought, more direction and purpose, less catering, more expression...'

This was Savile's mantra as he sculpted his 'Compersion' EP for Mike Simonetti's 2MR and it's a mantra we should all subscribe to. It's come about through his introspective analysis during the creation of his most succinct and starkest exploration date.

''Compersion' is a record about wrestling my own beliefs, both personal and political. It's about experiencing the anxiety and absurdity of loving a partner and ultimately myself. The sounds, tempos and arrangements found here are the result of further experiments with editing tracks to their absolute minimum. I tried to work these songs like I am working on me. Less thought, more direction and purpose, less catering, more expression.'

And more detail; throughout every stripped back heavily-edited sensation the conceptual EP provides, the meaning and message is palpable. Each track title inspired by Jenny Holzer and Helmut Lang's revolutionary provocative, sexualisation of the art space in Florence Biennale, 1996, there's a tangible physicality felt throughout...

The heavy breathing rhythmic elements of the electroid 'Talk Smile Bite' and its bedrock bedspring funk; the playful switch between breezy broken beats and driving techno coupled with minimal sample craft and literal message of an instantly recognisable vocal on 'Watch Scan Wait'; the much heavier, intense techno pressure of 'Tease Breathe Smell' where the heart is on the sleeve and it's palpitating wildly with direction, purpose and true expression.

A smart concept from a Smart resident, Savile has achieved something special here; a provocative model a deep self-construction and, above all, three damn fine pieces of techno.

Keeno's third full length album, 'All The Shimmering Things', is a gorgeous body of work that truly transcends the dancefloor, offering maturity and depth far beyond his years.

From the majestic flutterings of 'Light Cascading' to the breathtaking euphoria of 'Cosmic Creeper', the album elevates into a world of brilliantly constructed sonics, arrangements and melodies, seemlessly crafted with care and precision.

The journey is made complete by guest vocalists Becca Grey, Abbie Rosie and Katya, whose exquisite lyrics perfectly fuse the album's themes with notable sophistication. Such a finely balanced combination creates a collection that is guaranteed to charm loyal fans and new comers alike.

Keeno's debut album 'Life Cycle' turned drum & bass on its head with its fresh approach to compositon and instrumentation, receiving universal praise from fans and artists across drum & bass and beyond. This pinnacle moment was the start of a continuous rise for Keeno, leading him to take his music from UK festival stages to club shows in Australia and New Zealand.

'All The Shimmering Things' expands and improves on everything that we love about Keeno's music and is sure to be one of the finest drum & bass albums in 2017.

2 track EP produced by Benales. Follow up of Elements EP released back in 2016 Raw, straight techno tools inspired by the likes of Robert Hood, Jeff Mills, Surgeon. BIO: Born in Normandy (France), and now based in Paris, Benales has been honing his craft since the end of the 90s. An avid record collector and enthusiast of Techno and House - his DJ sets and tracks combine the raw, dark and deep elements of these musical forms with a firm nod in the direction of Detroit. He already played at Concrete, La Machine du Moulin Rouge, Rex Club, Batofar, 101.

* Cold Recordings is very proud to include Berlin based producer PHON.O as part of it's growing roster by means of this immaculate EP. Across the 3 tracks, PHON.O demonstrates his ability to combine UK- bass influences with techno sensibilities, ultimately crafting cutting edge music for the dancefloor.

* 'CLU5T3R' opens the EP with a swinging 132bpm rhythm that sits somewhere in between classic UK-Funky and a cracking Shed/Heads High techno anthem. The repeating riff that circles and cycles, sweeps through the frequency spectrum, energising and purposeful. Versatile and effective, this is a track to come back to time and time again.

* Flip the plate and there's another couple of gems. 'V3R5U5' continues on from where 'CLU5T3R' left off, progressing the mood into a more ethereal space, building layers of pads and texture as the track developes, rising and ramping up, before pulling back and dropping into a rolling rhythm. Closing up the EP is 'H4NDCUFF3D', which takes the mood into a more dramatic backdrop. Chilling pads swell up from the ground like mist in a graveyard, while the broken rhythm sets pace, creating a moody ambiance for those moments when you want to take a dancefloor into mystical, other-worldly territories. Dramatic and energising!