Beats News

The original Environments album was conceived and written back in 1993. It became one of the great lost albums by The Future Sound Of London before the guys took in back to the studio to complete and issue in 2008. Since then has come the success of further instalments and following additional studio work during a period of extreme creativity comes two further volumes. Released separately but simultaneously, Environment 6 and accompanying Environment 6.5, when combined, create two CDs of 46 tracks. Sweeping between luscious dreamscapes to delicately melodically compositions to intensely highly programmed electronics sculptures Environment 6 and Environment 6.5 continue the journey towards the boundaries of the future of sound.

Auf Ulrich Schnauss 5tem Studio-Album "No Further Ahead Than Today" regieren einmal mehr die elektronisch eingespielten Ambient-Pop-Hymnen, die längst zu seinem Markenzeichen geworden sind. Diese sollten Fans von Künstlern wie Jon Hopkins und Brian Eno interessieren. Schnauss selbst ist umtriebig - seit 2014 ist er Keyboarder bei Tangerine Dream, produziert unter eigenem Namen Remixes für Pop-Künstler wie Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Todd Terje und Bryan Ferry und hat gerade für die Decca-Compilation 'Re:Works' Bachs "Prelude in C" neu in Szene gesetzt.

"No Further Ahead Than Today" ist klar mehr Pop als Ambient. Starke Melodien stehen im Vordergrund, die Stücke sind mit Rhythmen unterlegt, zuweilen gar mit Gesang begleitet, eine hymnische Note ist immer präsent. Spätestens seit seinen beiden Solo-Alben, die bei dem deutschen Label City Center Offices erschienen, gilt Schnauss als ein Elektroniker, der manche Tugenden des britischen Indie-Shoegaze-Sounds auf seine Klangvorstellungen überträgt.

Auf Ulrich Schnauss 5tem Studio-Album "No Further Ahead Than Today" regieren einmal mehr die elektronisch eingespielten Ambient-Pop-Hymnen, die längst zu seinem Markenzeichen geworden sind. Diese sollten Fans von Künstlern wie Jon Hopkins und Brian Eno interessieren. Schnauss selbst ist umtriebig - seit 2014 ist er Keyboarder bei Tangerine Dream, produziert unter eigenem Namen Remixes für Pop-Künstler wie Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Todd Terje und Bryan Ferry und hat gerade für die Decca-Compilation 'Re:Works' Bachs "Prelude in C" neu in Szene gesetzt. "No Further Ahead Than Today" ist klar mehr Pop als Ambient. Starke Melodien stehen im Vordergrund, die Stücke sind mit Rhythmen unterlegt, zuweilen gar mit Gesang begleitet, eine hymnische Note ist immer präsent. Spätestens seit seinen beiden Solo-Alben, die bei dem deutschen Label City Center Offices erschienen, gilt Schnauss als ein Elektroniker, der manche Tugenden des britischen Indie-Shoegaze-Sounds auf seine Klangvorstellungen überträgt.

Bristol-based illustrator and musician Adam Higton welcomes you back into the mossy realm of the Cosmic Neighbourhood. With each song acting as a response to a series of paper-and-scissors compositions, 'Collages II' documents the daily goings-on of an imagined world.

Sonically, this record straddles new and old, taking modular electronics, flutes, bells and softly pattering drum machines, before colouring them all with the amber glow of some forgotten, psychedelic kids' TV programme. Higton's benign toots and echoing jingles bring to mind Daphne Oram's early delay experiments or the meandering playfulness of Tom Cameron. Radiophonic and time-worn, it still somehow sounds like the future.

Exploration Music presents an 8 track and 33 minutes journey entitled 'Coral & Paper Planes' written & produced by French artist
Sicaa. The project spans across different genres mixing modern bass music with abstract hip hop influences. A very emotional EP
from start to finish. 'Like the envelope of rust appearing on metal, like life shaping the soul, coral witnesses the time passing by.
Youth and Innocence, crafted into a plane made of paper, glide over a coral field'.

The third instalment in Spatial's Emergence series on his Infrasonics imprint continues his trajectory of otherworldly compositions interacting with an organic visual component. This time, the evolving digital artwork is based on a genetic algorithm, with the melody and percussion of the accompanying tracks following an algorithmic yet visceral logic. Written in the Canary Islands with a batch of new gear, which were all utilised in his recent live show at Mutek festival, disparate noise converges into dubwise, bass driven trajectories, as if a sound system was placed inside a particle accelerator. Emergence #3 concludes the 12" trilogy with the producer's debut album set to emerge early in 2017. It's pressed on heavyweight 180g black vinyl and housed in a printed transparent sleeve with label artwork stills taken from the generative animation.

Anthony Child AKA Surgeon presents the second volume of recordings of Buchla Music Easel recorded in the jungle of Maui. Again we find Child's in a more ambient guise and setting as the calm breath of the jungle sets a real time back-drop for his electronic explorations. There is no additional layering and all environmental sounds simply 'occurred' throughout the improvisations. The range on display veers from melodic drones to sparkling arpeggios all revolving around a thick bed of (Buchla) electronic and (environmental) acoustic interplay. Nine Personality Type Map hovers on a bed of syncopated rhythms whilst the nearby sonic mist of the forest seeths in and out of the frame whilst Nightfall Of Diamonds provides a sonic analogy for the darkness and light contradiction that occurs only in such rich natural environments. The simultaneous acts of improvising, listening and creating provide a rich setting for the curious listener. Another gem in a catalogue filled with gold.

Biosphere is the main recording name of Geir Jenssen (born 30 May 1962), a Norwegian musician who has released a notable catalogue of ambient electronic music. He is well known for his works on ambient techno and arctic themed pieces, his use of music loops, and peculiar samples from sci-fi sources. His 1997 album Substrata was voted by the users of the Hyperreal website in 2001 as the best all-time classic ambient album.

Cirque - originally released in 2000 - was Biosphere´s first album for the UK label Touch. This new re-issue comes with a 6-track bonus album and new artwork.

Mojo (UK): Fourth full album from ambient pioneer. Coming to prominence with 1992's Microgravity - which along with the first couple of Aphex/Polygon Window CDs, defined the genre ambient - Geir Jenssen as Biosphere has made three of the '90s' best albums, culminating with last year's near beatless Substrata. The idea - as it always was thanks to Eno's On Land - is music as environment (reflecting, creating): working from his base in Tromso, Arctic Norway, Jenssen offers a polar, Apollonian exploration of the human psyche. Cirque is a perfectly constructed 47-minute sequence: cold clarity up against real depth of field, synth cycles dissolving into sudden moments of sonic revelation that sound like a waking dream - try the first 20 seconds of Black Lamb and Grey Falcon. (And if you think that's pretentious - your loss). Inspired by the story of a young American, Chris McCandless, who walked alone into the Alaskan wilderness and perished, Cirque balances the tightrope between warmth and unease, resolving into a moon melody that leaves you a peace. What a good record! (Jon Savage).

'Gatefold cover with full art, booklet and sticker'

'Soil' is the first release on ( NILØS ), a music label from Third Stone, the organisation behind the fashion brand ( JULIUS ). Julius' collections and work exist in the heart of the fashion industry, showing during the Paris Men's Collection, and attracting a following from many international artists including: Nine Inch Nails / Marilyn Manson /Richie Hawtin / Ben Klock / Marcel Dettmann.

Julius has always been a crossover of music, art, and other vectors, and not simply just a fashion brand. ( NILØS ) now incorporates this and transmits the industrial ethos of the brand within a new sound-approach.

For the first release, ( ENA ) has created 'Soil', a piece incorporating the world of (NILØS ) through sound. This concept album is one track, extending over 40mins. Rather than structuring small details, the album is an atmospheric, mono tone space, created through a mixing and layering of sound. On the top of this industrial sound, (ENA ) has inserted elements of colour, creating a piece with a dramatic variation of sounds.

For the vinyl version of the 'Soil' project, the creators of the label have put together a deluxe package. A black 180g pressing housed in a beautiful gatefold cover with artwork from the ( NILØS ) collection, with a newsprint booklet and transparent sticker. The full 'Soil' piece has been edited to fit the LP format. Mastered by Lewis at Star Delta and pressed at MPO, a very limited amount of these LP's are being made available in Europe through selected retailers.

Milky Bomb Records are releasing the debut album from SLF&Co titled No Beats In Algebra.

SLF&Co - No Beats In Algebra is a collaboration of vocalists and musicians - also known as the lovely folk & friends from around the towns of blighty. The SLF&Co project came to light from a PC, in a flat, in Norwich. Clocks tick, tracks emerge, people lend an ear, a voice, some insight and the occasional slap.

Influenced and inspired by many different genres and production techniques with a few bits and bobs of rock, electronica, ambient, dance, hip/trip-hop, avant-garde and progressive music. No Beats In Algebra will fulfill all of your musical preferences in one nicely rounded package for the ears and mind to ponder.

Featured artists on No Beats In Algebra can also be found with their respective groups on the compilation release An Amalgamation of Sorts...Part Zero (2015) through Milky Bomb Records.

Yann Novak is a multidisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles. Ornamentation is Novak's first physical release on Touch and continues his investigations of presence, stillness and mindfulness through the construction of immersive spaces, both literal and figurative. On Ornamentation Novak resists modernism's problematic relationship to race, class and labour, and attempts to decouple contemporary minimalist sound work from this historical precedent. The title refers to Adolf Loos's notorious 1913 manifesto, 'Ornament and Crime,' in which the author argues that the desire to adorn architecture, the body, objects, etc., is a primitive impulse, and the proper and moral evolution of Western culture depends in part upon the removal of ornamentation from daily life. Loos devalued the labor traditionally associated with aesthetics and beauty, and equated ornamentation with the degenerate. In this context, one could consider ornamentation as a way of viewing decay. His examples as such (tattoos, fashion, style, painting, et al.) predictably fell along divisions of race and class, coding modernity as the next outward manifestation of white, capitalist patriarchy. Throughout the process of creating Ornamentation, Novak attempts to sidestep some of Loos's modernist intolerances by focusing on the labor of composition itself, rather than particular processes or structures. Novak began by incorporating specific field recordings from his archive, deliberately selected for their poor quality, awkward interruptions, low fidelity smartphone recordings, problematic frequencies. The selection of these difficult sounds, processed alongside recordings of his modular synthesizer, created a unique set of challenges for Novak where the familiar, reductive approaches would fail to be useful and ultimately abandoned in favor of more dynamic, additive, and laborious process. Unlike minimalism with its roots in modernism, or "sound art" with its conceptual biases, Novak creates a work that acknowledges these conventions, yet stands apart as a meditation on beauty, labour, and aesthetics, Ornamentation as an adornment of time itself.

Archeo Recordings is a reissue record label that regenerates old, lost, obscure (and forgotten) rare gems of Italian music of the 70s and 80s, and not only. All outputs are licensed by the artists and the vintage labels; audio tracks are remastered in their original form; the sleeves and center labels are graphically recreated for today but all based on the original images. Archeo would like to make the music available to a wider audience of collectors, DJs, music lovers of a forgotten time. All releases are hand-numbered limited edition vinyl. The first copies of each release are pressed in coloured vinyls. This release is individually 1000 hand-numbered limited edition. The first 200 copies are pressed on ORANGE vinyls (AR 005). On the A-side an Unreleased 12" Long Version for DJs. On the B-side the hypnotic LEO MAS & FABRICE BALEARIC VOODOO MIX for Balearic Lovers + the Original 12" 1976 Version for Collect

This is the lost album from Alpha 606 entitled Afro-Cuban Electronics', hot on the heels of the Alpha 606 RMXD ep, which featured outstanding remixes from Anthony Shake' Shakir, BMG, and Erika. The vinyl edition includes the vinyl exclusive "Shake (Live at Samhain, Detroit)".
Alpha 606 is Hialeah born, Miami dwelling Armando Martinez, who offers an intoxicating concoction in the form of his unique take on this music. This album is a love letter to Cuba and his family and their struggles, from the vivid anthem Defection' which claims Defection was our only choice, it all happened when you first oppressed our voice', to the reflective beauty of Boatlift'. From powerful to subtle and gentle, the rhythms and visions of Cuba invoked through the incredible hand drumming are all alive within this music. The vinyl edition includes a live version of Shake' from an Interdimensional Transmissions party in Detroit thrown every Halloween called Samhain. The digital version includes the bonus cut No Me Quieras Tanto (Cafta Version)', a tribute to a Perez Prado song from 1947, the artist known as the King of the Mambo.

Dark0 steps up on XL...! Big UK sound on this one. TIP
.
London producer Dark0 has always created his music as a snapshot, a kind of journal, its sole agenda being to illustrate the thoughts, passions and frustrations of a given time and place. Previously releasing with tastemaker labels Lost Codes and Rinse, the 25-year-old's debut for XL is the Oceana EP. Oceana describes the unstable relationship Dark0 shares with his environment, narrating the story of his city's illusions of grandeur, mired by hypocrisy and a false sense of security. Dark0 weaves this narrative into a stunningly warm, sorrowful, yet optimistic sound creating a real cinematic journey for the listener.

Dark0, who emerged as the pioneer of melodic, grime-referencing club anthems, breaks away from his previously known sound for his XL debut. Showcasing Dark0's ease at creating tunneling melodic earworms defined by their punishing percussion and refrain, the Oceana EP journeys through love sick, dark-pop ('Forever') and total euphoria ('Luka'), before retribution ('Plague') and ending with 'Heal''s redemptive qualities.

Having already gained praise from The Fader, i-D, FACT & Resident Advisor ( endlessly listenable'), Dark0's Oceana EP cements the cult musician as one of the most skilled and revered producers London has today.

1983 to 1988 anthology from the West Coast electro hip-hop pioneer. Los Angeles native Egyptian Lover (Greg Broussard) is recognized as a pioneer of West Coast hip-hop, helping bring electro rap to the masses in the early '80s and influencing DJs and MCs the world over in his wake. The first West Coast rapper/producer to achieve international success, Egyptian Lover paved the way for early West Coast hip hop pioneers like Dr. Dre and the World Class Wrecking Crew, N.W.A., Ice T, Rodney O & Joe Cooley, King Tee & DJ Pooh among others.
Growing up listening to Kraftwerk, Prince, Rick James and Zapp, Egyptian Lover got his start compiling mixes of his favorite records, including his own instrumental beats created on his Roland TR 808 drum machine. The club-ready cassette tape mixes started selling in the thousands. Following in the footsteps of The Sugarhill Gang, Broussard began rapping over his beats to give the party people what they wanted. The neighborhood responded, transforming him into a local celebrity.
With his star status rising higher, Egyptian Lover joined Uncle Jamm's Army and moved 10,000 person crowds at the L.A. Sports Arena with his impressive knack for scratching, performing turntable tricks and MCing. In the mid '80s, L.A. was becoming the electro rap capital and Egyptian Lover was at the forefront of this new West Coast rap sound, not only with his unique producer/DJ/MC aptitude, but also as label owner of Egyptian Empire Records. Selling hundreds of thousands of his 12" singles ("Egypt/Egypt", "Dial-A-Freak", "Girls", "Freak-A-Holic") to DJs and fans around the world. Egyptian Lover invented the innovative sound of combining up-tempo, synth-heavy electro beats with rap vocals. Since 1983, Egyptian Lover has remained true to his sound by recording on analog equipment, which helps create his signature sound. Egyptian Lover's influence cannot be overstated - not only did he change the face of West Coast hip hop, but also greatly influenced electronic, techno, R&B and pop music to this day. Egyptian Lover 1983-1988 will be released April 15, 2016 as a vinyl box set: four LPs housed in an all-black case with gold foil print, 20-page book with photos, liner notes by Jeff Weiss, and detailed track history by Egyptian Lover. Recordings taken from the original master tapes.

Best known for providing spoken word for CARLOS NILMMNS, on "HYPERTHERION", Chicago's GALACTICRON aka KETER DARKER provides almost 2 hours of warped beats and hardware-based dystopian sound paintings. Limited edition of 100 cassettes on VOID PULSE SYSTEMS for Cassette Store Day 2016.

Outstanding EP by Finest Ego Beat Championship Winner
Promotional support through Project: Mooncircle and Finest Ego
Limited Edition - 300 copies!
Video for "Maria Parhuzan" (End of December)
Berlin's producer wonderkid and Finest Ego Beat Championship winner Playpad Circus is finally ready to drop his debut solo EP "Phantasma" on Equinox Records - an experimental, but yet utterly banging adventure in electronic music! Exteme edits are combined with a flipped vocals, impeccable drumbeats and multiple layers of sounds and melodies. With the EP Playpad Circus enters the beatmaker scene with a completely inimitable style. Through the additional support from Project: Mooncircle and Finest Ego the EP should be another big step forward in Playpad's uprising career.

In the beginning, Ekoplekz promised WNCL Recordings that, should he attempt to make any tracks for the club, he would get in touch. Good to his word, the artist formerly known as Gutterbreakz aka Nick Edwards has delivered this 6 track beast. It does rather beg the questions - which clubs has he been frequenting And how do we get on the guest list

The next Alien Jams 12" is from rkss, entitled Cutoff EP. These four tracks were recorded in 2014 within a period of two weeks, using a Juno-60 and Vermona Retroverb Lancet. Perhaps their most dance-able release to date, Cutoff interweaves aquarian dream-like electronics throughout soggy percussion and glistening chimes. Propelling the listener forward, rkss churns through water-logged signals, while synths cut through in gusts of euphoria.

You reach a point in life where the question of how to stay at the top of your game looms; the only real solution being, you change the game. Our Love, the new album from Caribou, is the sound of Dan Snaith doing just that. Our Love is due October 6th on City Slang and is the sixth studio album from Caribou. The album features collaborations with Jessy Lanza and Owen Pallett. It was mixed by David Wrench and features artwork by Jason Evans/ Matthew Cooper.

Our Love is formed around a mixture of digital pop production, hip hop inspired beats, muted house basslines and a love of shuffling garage that can be traced all the way back to the time of Start Breaking My Heart which are, of course, all filtered through Dan's own unique perspective. The warm analogue sounds of classic soul should not be overlooked either, for they weave themselves most intensely into the records DNA. In fact, Our Love is probably Caribou's most soulful record to date, chock-full of heartfelt lyrics and organic nature which cuts through bubbling synths and blissful euphoria of their synthetic constructions. It's not all downbeat of course, whilst some thoughts linger on mortality, loss and letting go, there is always an element of celebration.

Having followed up his Polaris Prize winning 2007 record Andorra with the universally adored Swim in 2010 (selling nearly 175, 000 copies worldwide and being named 'Album of the Year' by Rough Trade, Mixmag and Resident Advisor whilst also hitting The Guardian, Pitchfork, Spin and Mojo's Top 20), Dan has spent the intervening four years not only touring the world, bringing not only the sounds of Caribou to the stage but proving his immeasurable worth as a DJ with epic 7.5 hour long sets. In 2012 Caribou were personally invited to join Radiohead on the road whilst Dan released his first album under the guise of his dance floor loving pseudonym, Daphni, to widespread critical acclaim. Following the shape shifting sounds of JIAOLONG and the brightly textured, fluid constructions of Swim - both inward looking records in their own way - Dan withdrew to the basement once more to work on Caribou's next opus. Only he didn't: Our Love isn't the sound of isolated creation but the sound of Dan at his most connected - with love for his listeners, his collaborators and those closest to him.

British composer and experimental music artist Christopher James Chaplin studied the piano with Irene Denereaz in Vevey/Switzerland before moving to London in the early 80ies. In 2009 he was invited by Viennese label Fabrique to collaborate with electronic musician KAVA on Seven Echoes', an album released in 2010 and presented live at the Art Brut Museum Gugging in Austria. There he met electronic music pioneer Hans-Joachim Roedelius (Cluster, Harmonia) who later invited Christopher to take part in a Late Junction session for BBC Radio 3. The result of this second collaboration eventually led to the album King of Hearts', released in 2012.

In the following years Christopher Chaplin and Hans-Joachim Roedelius performed around the world, these were largely improvised performances with Roedelius on piano and electronics, and Chaplin on synthesizers and orchestral samples. Amongst others they captivated audiences in Paris (Silencio), Sao Paulo (Sesc Belenzinho), Barcelona (Primavera Festival), Iceland (Extreme Chill Festival), Vienna (Casino Baumgarten, Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, Volkstheater), Linz (Lentos Kunstmuseum), Lunz am See (More Ohr Less Festival), Tiradendes (Mimo Festival), Madeira (MMiFF Festival) or Berlin (Akademie der Kunste and Haus der Kulturen der Welt).

October 2016 will see the release of Christopher Chaplin's first solo album "Je suis le Ténébreux , which has been partly recorded at AIR's Atlas Studio in Paris and various studios in the UK. It combines experimental musical influences around a sixteenth century text, an epitaph known as the Enigma of Bologna'. The album will also feature the voices of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Christine Roedelius, French actress and soprano Judith Chemla and Italian tenor Pino Costalunga, as well as the text and voice of poet Claudia Schumann.

- The album is based on the Enigma of Bologna, a text in Latin from the XVI century inscribed on a tombstone near Bologna, Italy. The text describes a man named Lucius Agatho Priscius and a mysterious woman named Aelia Laelia Crispis. Not much can be said about the enigma, other than it holds a certain fascination. As André Pieyre de Mandiargues once put it: beware of resolving the enigma of the stone, lest it loses its power. Christopher Chaplin, 2016.

Jewel Case CD, 6pg booklet

* Austrian drum & bass production powerhouse Fourward get ready to release their second LP 'Expansion' on Shogun Audio this autumn. Known for their heavy-hitting, no holds barred approach, Fourward throw down with their inimitable sound design in full force whilst exploring even further along roads less travelled. The results are staggering, from the dance floor ready 'Sequencer' to the heart-wrenching 'Over' through to the neck-breaking 'Bite The Dust' , 'Expansion' puts Fourward very firmly on the frontline of modern day D&B where they look set to stay for a long time to come.

* After over two years of development we are delighted to present our latest album 'Expansion'. Beyond all our recent singles and EP's we wanted to explore our sound, diversify with more melodic elements and vocals alongside our trademark hard-edged production, hence the album title 'Expansion' - broadening our sound and pushing the envelope even further. We have been fortunate to work with some amazing collaborators from East London grime MC Pep to the amazing Jené and the legendary Jakes, our friend and fellow countryman Mefjus and a label boss Friction. Now it's all completed we're amazingly proud of what we've achieved, we simply cannot wait to show the world!' Fourward 2016

Hermann Nitsch Orgien Mysterien Theater - 25. Aktion
Re-Performance of the 25. Action , march 1982 in the gallery Pakesch, Vienna (Premiere was in New York 1968).
The music was released on a small gallery tape edition in 1982 - remastering for vinyl by Martin Siewert 2016

Hermann Nitsch, Austria, painter, performance-artist and composer, was a crucial founding artist of - Viennese Actionism . Exhibitions and Performances all over the world since the 60s.

The idea of the very sensual and archaic - Orgien Mysterien Theater was developed in the late 50s and is performed in variations untill today.
Nitsch works out all settings of the rituals, the feast in great detail, precisely composes days of art, performance, food, wine and music - to celebrate the existence of mankind

With Human Energy, Travis Stewart (aka Machinedrum) has made a career-defining album, one which will take him from best-keptsecret of the electronic music cognoscenti to breakout star of the US music scene. Written between January and April 2016, the record "reflects a period of great change in my life. I moved across the country to a new city, I proposed to the girl of my dreams, I moved into a new house, bought a brand new computer and set off to write a new album."

From opener "Lapis," Machinedrum sets out his stall - an arpeggio ascending to heaven which, apparently building towards the mother of all drops, instead fades up and off into the ether. The music throughout is scintillating, from the mind-candy riffs of "White Crown" (featuring some crazy guitar work from Tosin Abasi of progresive metal band Animals As Leaders), the ecstatic d&b finale of "Do It 4 U" (an absolute stand-out with showstopper vox from singer-of-the-moment DAWN), the smile-inducing, melodic brilliance of "Color Communicator," or the precision and build of first single "Dos Puertas," featuring Rihanna collaborator Kevin Hussein. Hussein, DAWN and Abasi aren't the only collaborators to have bought into this new take on the Machinedrum universe. Fresh off the back of two prominent collabs on Beyonce's Lemonade, MeLo-X offers understated, classy assistance on the wonderful "Angel Speak," sitting his voice in amongst heavenly vocal chops. Jesse Boykins III offers a moment of astral r&b goodness on "Celestial Levels." Rochelle Jordan provides the lift off as Machinedrum works the rhythm flips on "Tell U." There are telling contributions, too, from Ruckazoid, Roses Gabore and SK Simeon.

The CD included in this vinyl edition features the 15 tracks in the same order Short info: Mr Oizo (aka Quentin Dupieux), the French producer and pioneer of modern electro alongside Daft Punk, Air and Cassius simply can't and won't stop working. Having released 5 studio albums, 4 OSTs, a multitude of EPs and directed 6 movies over the past 20 years, the 'Godfather' is back with a new album. And this time, he is not alone as the tracklist features an impressive selection of quality guests: Peaches, Boys Noize, Skrillex and Charli XCX among others. This new release will be a new occasion to further explore the mind of one of the most fantastically uncommon artist today. The double LPs + CD edition is a gatefold with yellow vinyl records

Reissue of the 1984 west coast hip-hop classic for Record Store Day, November 28, 2015.

Triangle, white vinyl. Custom sleeve - thick black board, gold foil printing, magnets - 8 panels folding into a pyramid.

Egyptian Lover is a legendary west coast hip-hop pioneer from the days before Gangsta Rap. We're reissuing his groundbreaking 'Egypt, Egypt' single as a custom-made pyramid, to be followed by an Egyptian Lover anthology.

Born Greg Broussard, Egyptian Lover was a rapper, DJ, producer and record label owner who was hugely influenced by the New York electro scene, as well as by the electro-funk of Zapp. He made flat-out party music backed with a Roland 808: dynamite for the dance-floor. He began with Uncle Jamm's Army - rocking dance parties of 10,000 people at the L.A. Sports Arena - then made his own impact as a solo artist.

'Egypt, Egypt,' his first single, released in 1984, was an L.A. anthem. It is backed with 'Girls,' taken from On The Nile, one of the first full length hip-hop albums from the left coast, released on his own label Egyptian Empire Records. These early works have become staples of electro sets across the world.

Stones Throw has collected these and other recordings, many from the original 2-inch master tapes, for the vinyl anthology Egyptian Lover 1983-1988, coming in 2016.

With Human Energy, Travis Stewart (aka Machinedrum) has made a career-defining album, one which will take him from best-keptsecret of the electronic music cognoscenti to breakout star of the US music scene. Written between January and April 2016, the record "reflects a period of great change in my life. I moved across the country to a new city, I proposed to the girl of my dreams, I moved into a new house, bought a brand new computer and set off to write a new album."

From opener "Lapis," Machinedrum sets out his stall - an arpeggio ascending to heaven which, apparently building towards the mother of all drops, instead fades up and off into the ether. The music throughout is scintillating, from the mind-candy riffs of "White Crown" (featuring some crazy guitar work from Tosin Abasi of progresive metal band Animals As Leaders), the ecstatic d&b finale of "Do It 4 U" (an absolute stand-out with showstopper vox from singer-of-the-moment DAWN), the smile-inducing, melodic brilliance of "Color Communicator," or the precision and build of first single "Dos Puertas," featuring Rihanna collaborator Kevin Hussein. Hussein, DAWN and Abasi aren't the only collaborators to have bought into this new take on the Machinedrum universe. Fresh off the back of two prominent collabs on Beyonce's Lemonade, MeLo-X offers understated, classy assistance on the wonderful "Angel Speak," sitting his voice in amongst heavenly vocal chops. Jesse Boykins III offers a moment of astral r&b goodness on "Celestial Levels." Rochelle Jordan provides the lift off as Machinedrum works the rhythm flips on "Tell U." There are telling contributions, too, from Ruckazoid, Roses Gabore and SK Simeon.

Das Debütalbum des schottischen Duos NAKED ist eine brutal-verzerrte Experimental-Pop-Vision über den desillusionierenden Masochismus der heutigen Jugend im digitalen Overload, über menschliche Isolation und ein deformiertes Gefühl für Sex und Körperlichkeit. Co-produziert wurde "ZONE" von Paul Corley (Anohni, Oneohtrix Point Never, Ben Frost). NAKED veröffentlichten bislang eine EP auf LuckyMe, produzierten Mykki Blanco, sowie den Soundtrack zum Film "A Silent Man" von Regisseurin Charlotte Colbert.

The limited box (only 500 copies worldwide) includes five colored vinyl LP's with over 35 exclusive tracks plus four additional digital bonus tracks (with digital download code), a bonus double CD version exclusively designed by Lorena Assisi, a T-shirt (only size L) and an exclusive documentary about the label - all in a specially designed box by Dave McKean.

A journey to the moon that began fifteen years ago now reaches another milestone - 15 years, one and a half decades, over 150 individual releases, many many artists, countless professional relationships but also friendships along the way. Many many stories and shared memories - not all of them good, not all of them bad either. While modern space age technology would make it possible to reach the moon's surface a lot faster, for us it is not only about moving forward as quickly as possible, but also to turn around, look back and around ourselves and to reflect on everything that happened and is happening. This is why we have such a broad range of artists guesting on our latest compilation. Some that have been part of the voyage from its earliest stages, others that have been with us for major milestones along the way, and even more that might move ahead with us into new and unchartered musical regions.
Working with Dave McKean - a true legend, especially for anyone into comic illustrations - wraps up this whole trip in the sweetest way. Not only is it a big honour, but - in a way - it completes the circle, as Dave has been a major influence for the label's artworks from its earliest beginnings already.
Luckily, we have not crashed into any lunar crater with our listeners. We want to thank you for making this long journey possible and we greatly look forward to celebrating this milestone with our partners, musical family and of course with you, our listeners.
Since our 10th anniversary the face of one of our founding members who passed away way too early graces our logo. This release is dedicated to her and commemorates the 11th anniversary of her death.
Featured on the compilation are such artists as Synkro, Rain Dog, Jehst, Robot Koch, Flako, 40 Winks, Long Arm, submerse, kidkanevil, 1000 Names, Tendts, Kafuka, Erik Luebs, My Panda Shall Fly, CYNE, Soosh, Nuage, Michal Lewicki, Jilk, Sieren, Olof Melander, KRTS, Deft, Barnaby Carter, Rumpistol, Fau, Button Eyes, Deceptikon, Pavel Dovgal, Memotone, Graciela Maria, Mujuice, Stompy's Playground, Sina., Sweatson Klank, Senoy, Parra for Cuva, Fybe One, Monsoonsiren, Tom Day, and many more. Artwork by Dave McKean (Dark House Comics / DC Comics / Tundra).

Soccer96 is made up of two thirds of The Comet Is Coming, currently whipping up a cosmic storm on their Mercury Prize nominated album Channel The Spirits.


Their bold approach to improvised composition, recording processes and experimentation is reminiscent of Flying Lotus, Can, Thundercat and Gaslamp Killer.

If you want a concise insight into what drives the mind of the fanatic and the dynamics of a mass movement at their most primal level, may I suggest an evening with Contrastate.Active from the late 1980s through to the present day Contrastate follow up their studio album A breeding ground for flies' for Dirter with two brand new tracks. A sonic soundtrack to an apocalyptic world that is hypnotic, yet still full of dynamic sounds and shifts. Their sound insinuates itself somewhere inside the dark ritual ambiance of the electronic avant-garde shot through with a vein of experimental noise and sarcophetic vocals strewn amongst industrial surrealism. The single is limited to 500 copies and the first 300 copies arrive in a special mirror' sleeve. Contrastate achieve an amazing equilibrium between organic sound and brooding electronics' - Heathen Harvest.

The two instrumental albums issued by Syrinx in the early 1970s sound little like the psychedelic music prevailing Toronto's rock venues at the time, and are even further removed from the electronic tape experimentations spooled by a younger John Mills-Cockell. Instead, the path of Syrinx whimsically veers away from the dominant mode of '70s subculture, charting surprising commercial success. Tumblers From The Vault presents their entire recorded legacy, reviving the story of Syrinx and sharing their memorable, mind-bending melodies. The musicians behind Syrinx were composer and keyboardist John Mills-Cockell, saxophonist Doug Pringle, and percussionist Alan Wells. All three were young veterans of the Toronto creative scene by the beginning of 1970.

LSD played a supporting role in their artistic pursuits, but equal guidance also came from Mills-Cockell's studies at the University of Toronto and Royal Conservatory of Music, where he established an ad-hoc, DIY electronic music course in the school's basement. After the dissolution of Intersystems, a rogue, multimedia ensemble established by Mills-Cockell , John journeyed to Canada's west coast to work on an album of original synth-based compositions. Pringle was enlisted to color outside the music's already adventurous lines, his sinuous, signal-processed saxophone adding another electrifying voice to Syrinx's signature sound.

A sound that hybridized chamber music dynamics with wild, yet tuneful electronic melodicism. With Alan Wells' understated percussion rolled into the fold, what started as a solo venture for Mills-Cockell became a new kind of collective. From these coastal sessions were conjured exemplary pieces like Journey Tree' and Hollywood Dream Trip,' both plaintive and serene expressions of Mills-Cockell's economical arrangements, and also Syrinx's restrained and expert use of their electronic resources. Syrinx's self-titled debut arrived in 1970, followed in 1971 by Long Lost Relatives, which is highlighted as the first album on Tumblers From The Vault.

Between the two albums, Syrinx became a vital part of the Toronto music scene, with Doug Pringle's loft serving as the central node for impromptu performances and the group's collaborative activities. Syrinx also started receiving high profile work, first for television, film, and dance, and then for orchestra. One commission culminated commercially in Tillicum', the unforgettable theme music for pioneering reality television show Here Come the Seventies.

Air have been one of the most iconic French acts of the last two decades, with worldwide hits that have shaped the forefront of modern electronica, calling on various styles and constantly crossing genre barriers, re-shaping the rules as they go. Boasting eight incredible studio albums and live shows that few can match in technical ability, this new compilation album will feature all the greatest hits of the past twenty years, as well as 14 rarities tracks.Featuring hits such as 'All I Need', 'Sexy Boy' and 'Kelly Watch The Stars' this album is the perfect showcase to the incredible downtempo and psychedelic Zen that is Air, and with rare recordings that includes live sessions to truly encapsulate the prowess of their on stage presence.

The band will be in the UK promoting this release with rare festival appearances at Field Day 12th June and Secret garden party 21-24th July.

Marketing:/promotion
The album will be backed by both digital and press advertising and the band are fully engaged in promotional activity which will include national and specialist press ,Radio activity on 6 Music and some TV including a possible BBC Breakfast.

Warehouse find! Back in 1997 this 12 single by Brotherz In Armz, the collaborational project of Ingmar Koch a.k.a. Dr. Walker and Frank Heiss, marked the start of Cologne-based imprint Syncom Productionz. Three tracks featuring heavy analogue super bass, tripping sequences and BigBeat references, bouncy, experimental House minimalisms and quirky ElectroPhonk introduce the original flavour and state of the art of the Cologne underground scene built around legendary events like Electro Bunker Cologne in these days.

IRAH makes a particular brand of alternative pop inspired by everything from traditional ceremonial music to modern melodic songwriting. The three members find creative power in their spiritual awareness and their music have a truly unique ability to both create feelings of unity with the audience as well as a sense of being part of something bigger.
In the past year IRAH have performed select shows in Denmark, always to full houses and critical acclaim. Media has highlighted their unique and intense presence in the music on stage. Earlier this spring their first single also entitled Into Dimensions' was released and was described by The Line of Best Fit as "An incredible, epic debut single" and soon followed the song Mirroring' which has enjoyed airplay on several key stations around Europe.