Beats News

Soul Jazz Records’ new Black Riot: Early Jungle, Rave and Hardcore is a brand new collection of heavyweight ragga-influenced hardcore jungle tracks from the early 1990s. Dark and heavy!

Featuring classic and seminal tracks from the likes of Levictus and Krome &Time, alongside a host of rare and little-known ragga & junglist hardcore tunes from the likes of Babylon Timewarp’s hypnotic Durban Poison, Rhythm for Reasons’ mad ‘The Smokers Rhythm’,
The Freaky rave-y breakbeat sound of ‘Time and Age,’ Trip One’s super dark ‘Snowball’ and loads more!

Expect super heavy basslines, equally heavy twisted Amen drum loops, even heavier ragga vocals! Original jungle style – roots and culture – from the earliest days of drum and bass.

Included with the first edition of the Black Riot vinyl and CD is a very limited-edition free graphic mini-novel “Black Riot: The Mysterons save Planet Earth from the Xatheroid Angels.” This is the third collaboration between writer Paulo Parisi and Soul Jazz Records.

This new graphic story continues the story of black electronic dance music – this time set in London circa 1992 and continues onwards from Soul Jazz’s earlier ‘Invasion of the Killer Mysterons’ (Jamaican electronic dub, co-compiled by Kevin Martin (The Bug) and ‘Mysterons Invade the Jackin’ Zone’ (about Chicago Acid & Experimental House 1986-93).

New instrumental album from French producer Moresounds (Cosmic Bridge, Astrophonica), his second release for Italian label Original Cultures.

Originally intended for a rap project that was never finished, Roll G in Dub takes beats Moresounds had made for MCs and gives them a dub twist in his typical fashion. The result is 9 tracks of club ready, dubbed out trap beats.

Released as a 12" with artwork from Paper Resistance and mastering from Ian Carter (Stick In The Wheel, Various Production).

Early support from Om Unit, Fracture, Kutmah.

After a devastating opening salvo of 19 modernist rave mutations on a double tape pack for Sneaker Social Club, Minder lands on Hypercolour with another 19 cybernetic fever dreams still reeling from the open season NRG of hardcore.

If you need to understand where Minder wants to take you, strap in for the labyrinth narrative of ‘Knotted’, a smudged, 15-minute breakbeat suite barrelling through lurid dystopian street scenes with only a blown-out bass sprite as a guide. Throughout Sanctuary, bass is the constant when all else is chaos. It comes in thick, warped Reese tones on ‘Simulated Hunt’, gets twisted out through angry filters on ‘Popcorn Lover’, comes on wobbly in true 2-step style underneath grimey garage anti-anthem ‘Ard’.

There’s a lot to take in across the spread of Sanctuary. It’s the sound of every rave genre slowly digested over 30-plus years, until the lactic acid metabolises every snare rush, every searing lead line, every chipmunk vocal lick, and everything gets mashed up and spat back out into a gnarly signal chain at the flash point of inspiration. The time taken is key – this is the sound of a life in front of the speaker stack manifesting in something too wild and weird to be derivative. You’ll hear snatches of familiarity thrown into unfamiliar contexts, but for all the detectable lineage, Minder’s sound is unsettling in its originality.

Dislodged ragga jungle techno, muffled hardcore nightmares, hard n’ haggard acid trance, junked up jump up – you could write an essay on the sounds you can spot and the way they’ve been twisted. Aside from the omnipresent low-end, it’s the unflinching honesty of Korron’s repeat appearances on the mic throughout which bring Minder’s disturbing patchwork into focus. For all the futurism attached to these sounds, it’s also caked in a very human filth which can only come from this earth. The roots run deep, and the fruit is rotten, and isn’t that how it should be?

2022 Repress

Multi-faceted artist Calibre today shares his sixteenth studio album "Feeling Normal". The album is out now to pre-order on Vinyl, CD and on digital platforms via his own independent imprint Signature Recordings.

The record is his first bonafide 140bpm record and a staggering body of work that shows the genius levels of one of electronic music's most respected auteurs. Across the 13 tracks, he transcends through space and time, creating music that will take the listener on a weighty sonic journey. The album announcement is accompanied by two dub versions "Bad" and "Badder" deconstructed from the track "Badman" with DRS from Mark Ernestus available via his Hardwax store January 29th and Bandcamp February 12th. "Getting to work with Mark Ernestus is a real honour, I collected Basic Channel, Rhythm & Sound and his other work for many years and still do. It's hard to avoid the influence of this guy in electronic music across genres and so it is a real pleasure to have him do his thing with the Badman tune which I think sounds closely related."

All of the tracks on the record have been road-tested in Calibre's DJ sets over the last 2/3 years with many of them being sought-out by his hardcore fans. It was only a matter of time then that he put them out for all to consume. With a nod to the dancefloor, the clear idea for the album came about following the release of his most personal album to date "Planet Hearth". "It still works in the headspace but ultimately it's been written for the sweaty club experience we miss now, also after an album like Planet Hearth it felt very liberating to do," he remarks. When writing albums, he often just puts it down to the general chaos of life, not citing any one influence but generally just waits to see what comes. With one of the tracks on the album written 7 years ago on the island of Valentia, It became a project that he spent the intervening years collecting tracks for, not really knowing when he was going to put it together as an album. "The whole album is special to me, everything on there has import and meaning beyond for me, I have spent much time on all these and hope they are special for other people too."

Belfast-born, Berlin-based Calibre - AKA Dominick Martin - shows no sign of slowing down. As a producer, DJ, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter, he is one of the most unique and inspiring living artists. With a career spanning two decades, his ability to remain underground whilst being one of the most-respected is testament to who this enigmatic artist is. To this day, he has never been remixed and has a seriously impressive amount of unreleased music under wraps. With everything on hold and gigs on the backburner, this record is exactly what the world needs right now.

CIRQLE & CYQLE are TRUENOYS & MIDM.
Together they have been working on different projects over the past years which saw them release albums & 12's on Pulver Records, DEEP MEDi Musik, Lovemonk Rec, Compost Records etc. They also created the soundtrack to Akala's novel "The Ruins Of Empires" together with Mala and directed by Andy Serkis which aired on BBC TWO.

Coming from different interests/styles it's only natural to bring these vibes all together to create their own style and that's how this LP sounds.
Productions & previous projects have been championed/played by the likes of Benji B, Moodymann, Mary Ann Hobbs, etc

Club Night Club is excited to present its latest release via Bristol’s Cleyra.

‘Ruk’ (A1) is a spatial builder. The glitched-out mover presents a delicate exercise in restraint, its skeletal rhythms gradually enveloped within a haze of sound design and dubbed out synth lines.

In six short minutes the track builds into a continuous ascension of synthetic tension, resulting in a deceptively lethal club joint.

A2’s ‘Uninvited’ is a frantic club screamer. A real shake-the-rave bouncer capable of serious floor damage. Pro-tier mixing holds together a speed demon barrage of percussive hits and shrieking resonance. This deadly cut, much like the record as a whole, manages to sustain a flare of intimacy even in its most punishing moments.

The B-side counterbalances the deadly with the delicate.

‘2b’ (B1) leans into the warm and melodic, perhaps the most direct manifestation of the EP’s title. A heart wrenching bloom unfolds, enveloping the listener like a warm hug as the lights come on in the wee hours. The track is an immaculate sketch of raw emotion, deep tenderness mapped out through Cleyra’s distinct brand of innovative composition. ‘Triumph’ closes out the record with some wonky no-nonsense chug action. A hypnotic low-slung groover which packs a final sting towards the end. One for the headbangers.

From start to finish ‘Soft Bloom’ is a striking feat of sonic creation, guaranteed to subvert listener’s expectations and dancer’s footsteps alike.

Her name is Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova, but your dad just calls her “Kaaaatya!” The self-proclaimed “Sweatiest Woman in Show Business,” she is one half of a comic duo on Viceland (“The Trixie and Katya Show”) and on YouTube (“UNHhhh”).
An international soundtrack of experimental, electronic music that you can listen to at the gym. Vampire Fitness is inspired by singers in the 50s, like Connie Francis, who would do multilingual albums.

Straight after his reworking of Skitty's 'Hornsman' on FDX008, X Nation returns with his first full EP for the label. Three cuts of present day jungle, simultaneously classic in style but also avant-garde in approach. Perfect for the FDX Black imprint!

Infinite Waters - A long dubbed out intro of cold horn riffs leads up to a unique weighty amen drop that will have people slapping walls and bawling for rewinds like it was 19949 Digit Roots - Taking influence from 80s digital dub, this exploration of dancehall vibes and jungle breakbeats takes many twists and turns mangling audio soundboy style Kiss Me Neck - A vocal intro that should bring waves of nostalgia to any seasoned junglist soon gives way to some showcase X Nation breakbeat edits and sublime sub bass

For Hooversound’s ninth release, SHERELLE and NAINA welcome San Francisco-based DJ and producer Chrissy to the family for the label’s debut album release. Coming out on the 27th October, ‘Physical Release’ blends elements of ravey techno, house, and jungle that have run through his previous work. The final result is an exploration of what our scene’s physical spaces mean and how they feed into themes of politics, family, connection and joy.

Speaking about the album Chrissy says,
​​"These songs were inspired by our scene's physical spaces: the warehouses, clubs, record stores, late night cafes, lofts, and friends' living rooms that let us connect to each other, experience the joy and wonder of dance music culture, and find our family.

I've seen these spaces gradually decimated by cops, property developers, cynical corporate brand partners, irresponsible promoters, and a global pandemic. The end result is a dance music culture that feels more online and disconnected, culminating in over a year without any physically shared spaces.
Encouragingly, I've seen many in our community finally acknowledge a painful reality: our scene has failed to live up to its utopian ideals, and to protect, value, and uplift all of our peers. No matter how fondly we remember our first raves, the culture was and is broken, and it's our job to fix it.

So while this album may feel like a paean to a bygone era, it is more a reflection of optimism about the future: a hope that we can rebuild our scene and our communal physical spaces with better priorities and better values, so that everybody can experience the euphoria, joy, transcendence, and physical release of the dancefloor."

The album opens with a quote from artist, author, and transgender activist Edie Fake, who also designed the artwork for ‘Physical Release’. A fellow Chicago-to-California transplant, Edie’s previous work has dealt largely with physical spaces, including historical queer nightlife spaces.

Relocating home to Zambia during the pandemic, Sampa sought to reconnect with a different side of herself, a side that is freer and closer in resemblance to the younger artistry she cultivated growing up in Africa. This process of discovery would become the gateway to revealing her highest version of self. Choosing to collaborate with creatives Rochelle Nembhard and Imraan Christian from South Africa, As Above, So Below introduces us to a 360 Sampa, unveiling her many sides for the first time. From the funny to the serious to the sensual, As Above is Sampa outside’s self, and So Below, is the Sampa within, together uniting to reveal the most authentic version of Sampa, without a mask, or role to play.
As Above, So Below is anchored by spoken word in Bemba. The record delves into Sampa’s memories of Africa, Africa’s relationship to the world and what womanhood in Africa means to the world. We are also introduced to the persona of Eve, the highest version of Sampa that speaks to all facets of her womanhood.
The musical styles of As Above, So Below reflect the hybridity of Sampa’s upbringing. Raised in Botswana (a different country to her birthplace in Zambia), and then going on to attend school in different countries again, Sampa picked up varied musical influences along the way. Each style has attached itself to her own musical encyclopedia, and finds a new mode for expression throughout the record.

On his debut 12" EP, Chicago producer and bike messenger DJ HANK captures the feeling of racing against traffic and, as he puts it, "trying to make it out alive with the chaos of the city going around you."

DJ Hank grew up in North Carolina, Eastern USA. As a teenager, he began making rap beats on pirated music software while also DJing and playing keyboards in experimental punk band Whatever Brains. In 2011, at age 18, Hank moved to Chicago to pursue a career as a bike messenger. In a city dominated by 21+ clubs and venues, Hank gravitated to the famous footwork hub Battlegroundz due to it's all-ages inclusivity and raw energy. DJ Rashad, DJ Spinn and other luminary figures of the footwork community spun weekly, while dancers spanning multiple generations and crews battled it out on the dance floor every Sunday.

Through the underground network of Chicago footwork events, Hank became a close and frequent collaborator with international footwork collective Teklife. He has released music on Teklife's record label but isn't a member of the group itself. In similar fashion, he's loosely affiliated with dance group Take Ova Gang (TOG) founded by DJ Manny. Hank maintains a fluid relationship with the footwork culture from which his sound draws. Beyond collaborating with his friends, Hank has collaborated with Chilean rapper Catana, Berlin-based DJ Paypal, and Floridian DJ Orange Julius.

On "Traffic Control," however, Hank explores a wide range of sounds, from melodic to experimental, influenced by everything from UK Garage and Grime to Ghetto House and Snap music (or Southern Hip hop production in general). Artists like Kode9, MachineDrum, and Sherelle have been supporters of Hank's music, playing his tracks throughout multiple recorded sets. In a live setting, Hank has shared the stage with such influential acts as Loefah, DJ Deeon, Sporting Life, DJ Spinn, Traxman, and pioneering footwork artist Jana Rush, who has been both a friend and mentor to Hank during his formative years in Chicago.

“If you slide in on Bisk’s homepage, you will see at the very top it says “Good Electronic Music” – a brave, and foremost, true statement. Being an active producer since 1996 Bisk has released seven albums, and after a 12-year hiatus he returned again in 2012. Bisk’s eighth album is Vacation Package on Ominira.

Vacation Package consists of eight eclectic tracks, their origins being traced back to several performances taking place at radical live music venue Forestlimit, Tokyo, in late 2019 and early 2020. Reinterpreted, reconstructed, sawed into pieces, Bisk presents his own fragmented interstellar funk: ultramodern yet effortlessly cool and timeless, with a slight relaxed nonchalance. Warm, groovy basslines centering stretched out cosmic colours, gliding melodies and vocals. Bisk’s play with rhythms and his intense, at times rather sparse, drops of beats makes the pace so speedy that, contrary, the record seems to go in ultrarapid - taped so fast it actually plays to the listener in slow motion. Bisk presents a sincere and emotive collection of work with Vacation Package. Funky and slick, without the cheese.”

2022 marks the 25th anniversary of Suction Records, the Toronto-based electro/IDM label founded in 1997 by two emerging producers, Lowfish (aka Gregory De Rocher) and Solvent (aka Jason Amm), the latter still overseeing the label to this day. The label’s inaugural release was a split Lowfish/Solvent 12”, marking both artists’ debut vinyl appearance.

Gregory and Jason had known each other since high-school, but a deeper friendship was forged during their university years, after Gregory introduced Jason to early Rephlex releases by Aphex Twin and µ-Ziq. Gregory had been making electronic music in his bedroom for more than a decade, but it was those Rephlex releases that ignited Jason’s passion to do the same. After several years of obsessive gear buying, music making, and playing tracks for each other, Lowfish and Solvent had hit their stride, and their demos even attracted the interest of legendary early IDM labels labels Skam (for Lowfish), and Isophlux (for Solvent). But things were slow-moving in those days — letters, faxes, phone calls… nothing was panning out. So that’s when they decided to start their own label, and put out 300 copies of this 12”, suction001.

The label was heavily inspired by contemporary artists like AFX, Autechre, and Panasonic, but on suction001, those influences collided with their ‘80s synth-pop and industrial roots to create something unique. 25 years later, it still sounds fresh, and like nothing else out there. On suction001, 808 drum machines are run through distortion and breakbeats are chopped and mangled, contrasting with melodic OMD-style leads and catchy synth-pop basslines — a sound the label would refer to as ‘distortion pedal new wave.’

Over the past 25 years, Suction’s sound has morphed and evolved, but in recent years has shifted back to it’s original Rephlex-inspired roots. That makes 2022 the perfect year to revisit this wild, 1997 debut, now reissued in a new, expanded edition for it’s 25th anniversary. The reissue adds 2 bonus tracks — a 1999 remix by Detroit electro-punk duo ADULT., along with a previously-unreleased version of Lowfish’s A1 cut, and also features new and improved artwork, including an insert with full label discography.

Limited to 500 copies, and comes with a Bandcamp download card.

Emerging from the shadows with 2021s ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ album, electro duo Sons of Slough see their debut 12” back in print via Perko’s FELT label. A quiet highlight of turn of the millennium-era British dance music that takes cues from the New York and Detroit schools of thought, ‘Live EP’ is rough, heavy and proves just as effective on the dancefloor two decades later. The Sons played shows with Richie Hawtin, Two Lone Swordsmen, Dave Clarke, The Chemical Brothers and more, often performing (as the title might suggest) in a live context. Indeed, the A1 cut ‘Snares and Temptations’ was a regular fixture, reportedly taking the roof off the place at the first Dedbeat Weekender as well as some of the worlds ‘less congenial establishments’. It's a sharp, low-end laden assault on the senses making great use of a distorted vocal sample and Drexciyan-like drum programming. The other three cuts are equally as powerful, vocoders and 'squelchy messes of clicks and whirrs' aplenty. The second instalment of FELT, 'Live EP' hints at the stylistic breadth yet to come via Perko's newly christened aural lovechild.

Das neue Label fabric Originals präsentiert Künstler, die die Gegenwart und Zukunft der grenzüberschreitenden Clubmusik definieren. Den Anfang machen die beiden Hi-NRG-Pioniere Eris Drew & Octo Octa mit einer Split-EP aus zwei Dancefloor-Wundern zwischen ohrenbetäubender Bassmusik mit 90er Big-Beat-Elementen und klassischem House, geschickt progressiv und polyrhythmisch aufgebaut. Limitierte Auflage auf transparent-blauem Vinyl.

Lunatika, The Hague's latest 'trap' or 'drill' rap sensation, for all heavy 'banteng' soldier man-boys' (and, sure, all the lady-boys too!) man drill and bass, whipping and kicking and booming, 'all dem a' Holland's 'Dirty Mud West Coast Sound' incl. quite some reggae dub and N.O.L.A. bass influences, I dare say, 'respect due to all'... Part 2/2. Mastered by Guy Tavares.

„Hd“ Can Be Described As Atomtm‘s Electronic Quintessence: A Blend Of Pop, Electronic Abstraction And Powerful Grooves - An Invention Atomtm Stands For And Which Was Popularized Through Previous Releases, Classics In The Electronica Genre, Such As „Pop Artificielle“ And Others. Here Is What The Artist Says: As So Often I Was Asked To Say And Write Something About The Recording You Are Currently Having In Front Of You: „Hd“. To Any Musician This Is No Doubt A Complicated Moment, Since The Choice Of Medium Had Already Been Taken In The First Place: Music. However, It Seems That The Written Word Needs To Accompany The Music, If Not Just To Make Sure The Composer Knows How To Defend Himself. Let Me Be Frank, In The Past This Has Been A Rather Ungrateful Job, Due To The Fact That Words Either Seem To Appear Like A Method Of Justification Or Explanation Of Something That In My Modest Opinion Doesn‘t Need Either One Of The Two. In The Same Sense In Which „Liedgut“ Wasn‘t About Romaticism And „Winterreise“ Had Nothing To Do With Schubert, „Hd“ Isn‘t About Anything I‘d Wish To Express In A Lengthy Text Or Would Like To See You Being Able To Pinpoint Or Sell With A Flashy Headline. In Order To Get Done With The Headline, Apart From The Rather Descriptive Details I Will Dedicate My Time To In An Instant: Hd Is A Spiritual Work Hd Is A Musical Work Hd Is A Scientific Work The First Recordings For „Hd“ Were Made In 2005. Back Then The Album Still Carried Another Title Which Was „Hard Disc Rock“. The Initial Selection Of Songs For „Hard Disc Rock“ Was Of Course A Very Different One, And While The Years Passed By Most Of Those Songs Which Did Not Continue To Please, Were One By One Replaced By Newer Compositions (In Fact The Track „Stop (Imperialist Pop)“, Which Entered The Album Around 2009, Does Contain A Fragment Of An Atomtm Track From 1998 Called „Hard Disc Rock (Don‘t Stop)“.) All Of The „Early“ Tracks For The Later Re-Entitled „Hd“ Album Necessarily Were Subject To Profound Changes In Music And Words, And I Can Say That By The Time Around 2012 „Hard Disc Rock“ Had Completely Transformed Into Something Else, Which Is Pretty Much What You Got Laying In Front Of You Right Now. „Hd“ Contains A Couple Of Contributions By Friends And Colleagues Such As Jamie Lidell (Main Vocals On „I Love U“), Alva Noto (Additional Programmings On „Ich Bin Meine Maschine“), Marc Behrens (Additional Programmings On „Strom“ And „My Generation“), Jean-Charles Vandermynsbrugge (Main Vocals On „Pop Hd“). Dominique Depret (Guitars) And Chilean Pop Star Jorge Gonzalez (Backing Vocals, Guitar And Bass Raw Material) - A Diverse Selection Of Guest Musicians Which Very Much Reflects The General Spirit Of „Hd“.

From the radioactive remains of a forgotten planet, a teknelektro trancemission from earth's crazy boy shawn cartier is recovered on an alien form of communication: "floppy disk".

Play with caution... in space no one can hear the rave.

Gang Fatale's BLEAKER drops is debut EP on UTTU backed with a BONKERS Helix(Night Slugs) remix.
RAW baltimore inspired club heat mixed up with classic Jersey & Footwork influnences on the Helix drop.

2 undisputed legends, El-B & Om Unit collab on the latest offering from GD4YA bringing hybrid heat that blur the lines between both their infamous sounds.

Also accomapnied by a remix from one of Londons finest talents Yaw Evans.

A record that truly cannot be missed!

Limited copies..

Kinzua are Lucas Brell and Marvin Uhde (known as Qnete to some), great live band. “None Of The Above” is their debut album. Powerfully introvert and extrovert at the same time. Songs of glory, decay, rebuilding and hope that found Offen at the right moment. Many moons later the album withstood the test of time and can be enjoyed in its whole glory.

Written & produced in different spheres by Lucas Brell & Marvin Uhde at CSG Studios, Leipzig and M90 Remise, Berlin.

Voice on „The Dancing Snake“ by Giulia Fournier-Mercadante (Gigi FM) with words from „Les Fleurs de Mal“ by Charles Beaudelaire

Mastered by VRIL
Artwork by Himbeer Pepe
Sleeve by Percy

Following Notte Infinita's 'I Lost All My Data' release on INDEX:Records, the Berlin-based artist mediates the balance between dub-laced frequencies, introspective melodies and atmosphere on the next Oscilla Sound release. His propulsive Atmosfera three-tracker focuses on digital signal processing and embraces the shimmery, hyper-realistic synthetic quality of FFT manipulation. Notte Infinita explores emotional narratives through sonic gestures and textures, taking inspiration from spaces, dreams and the experience of manipulating digital artefacts.

The duo drop Dust + announce EP, Icons. The next level of their futuristic club sound, that zaps and screams with quick-paced, peak-time energy before giving way to an AI guitar hero solo. “The duo are responsible for some of the most exciting underground club music in the UK right now” The Face. Previous release ‘Pods’, featured on The Guardian and Pitchfork , ‘Best New Music’. Previous support from BBC Radio’s; Pete Tong, Jack Saunders, Mary Anne Hobbs and plays from Jamie xx & Four Tet

The Outsert carves some cold IDM/Breakbeat work outs for the first piece of wax on his elusive Intrasert Sound imprint”

Tip for fans of Objekt, Batu and classic Skam 12's

The Aside bring us that classic old school ukg sound with the choppy vocals & smooth chords in 'Round This Town' to the huge drums & massive bass switch in 'That Day' written by Peaky & Papa Nugs. Then the Bside goes down a darker, faster route with "Show Yourself" a track to make anyone move & 'Naboo' with that bassbin destroying sub. Written at the PBR studio in Leeds UK over Summer 2021.

repress coming...

Highly limited edition two track 10" from Joy O. Be quick!

" On "pinky ring" London artist, producer and DJ Peter O’Grady aka Joy Orbison delivers one of his most dancefloor-focused tracks in recent times. While his hugely acclaimed 2021 mixtape still slipping vol. 1(named Album of the Yearat the 2021 DJ Mag Awards) brilliantly explored Joy Orbison'swide-ranging sounds and influences away from the dancefloor, "pinky ring" is inspired by the energy he’s felt since returning to DJing. It's a track created with the dancefloor firmly in mind, A companion to 2021’s “red velve7” single, “pinky ring” is already a key peak time track in Joy Orbison and Overmono DJ sets. "

The third and final part of a trilogy of EPs from Al Wootton of deep, textural, off kilter techno, influenced by the forest. Sparse, rolling, minimal percussive tracks, dubbed out and primed for soundsystems.

25 damn years. That’s a quarter of a bloody century. That’s how long the men that are Total Science have been furnishing the world of Drum & Bass with some of the finest music known to men. And that’s cos they’re G’s. And also it’s for everyone. Cos that’s what you do when you’re a G. And not a twit. You know?

It’s been 5 long years since the CIA 20 album. Which isn’t that long really. But the man with the hair, and the man without the hair are so amazed that they’re still going, still here, still bloody doing it, and doing it with such aplomb, that they thought another album of great music from some of their favourite people was due. And so here it is.

And obviously, cos they’re such G’s, they’ve got hot new music from some of the best people in D&B, cos everybody loves them, obviously. It’s a veritable who’s who of who’s good. Proper music for proper people. It’s what you need in this day and age. And it’s what they’ve been doing for 25 years. So here it is. 25 Years Of CIA Records. Have a go on that!

Transparent vinyl in full gatefold sleeve. Professionally manufactured, packaged and shrinkwrapped with numbered certificate of authenticity and download card. CD in eco-friendly vinyl-style gatefold wallet. Professionally manufactured and packaged in clear re-sealable eco-bag. Fifteen years ago, prolific UK innovator Justin K Broadrick — who rose to fame as guitarist for Napalm Death and founder of seminal industrial group Godflesh — began once again doing what he does best: experimenting. Originally intending to create sketches for his project Jesu, Broadrick realized his new form of beguiling and hypnotic compositions didn’t fit Jesu’s signature guitar-noise assault. This was something entirely new. Thus, Pale Sketcher was born. Written and recorded primarily between 2009-2013, Golden Skin was originally slated for release on Richard D. James’ (Aphex Twin) Rephlex Records prior to it shuttering, and it evokes fond memories of the height of experimentation in IDM/braindance while still resonating heavily with the here and now. Unearthed and completed by Broadrick specifically for its unveiling on GIVE/TAKE, the full-length album reveals itself as a devastatingly beautiful and essential new entry in the artist’s repertoire. Dripping with smart style, shimmering electronics, and complex dream-like vocal sampling, Golden Skin propels the listener through a truly heavy, affecting experience, bordering on ecstatic, from the LP’s melancholy, yet hyper-breaks driven opener “Today,” to the minimal and dusty trip-hop-laden finale “Hymn for Light.” The first Pale Sketcher output in years, Justin K Broadrick’s lost treasure Golden Skin is now available for pre-order.

Long playing second release by the ever busy RS Produções, showcasing an update of the crew's particularly moody dance beats. Their debut "Bagdad Style" featured only the main core of Narciso and Nuno Beats but RS is expanded with Farucox for this album, adding more oblique rhythms to the whole.

The crew seems to be happy the bleakest and most stressful days of COVID are past them, celebrating the fact with a self-evident title and the opening prayer by Narciso, redirecting God's blessings to the whole family of RS DJs and producers.

What we experience on the 13 tracks (including interludes) is a burst of energy. If not exactly extroverted, it communicates a commitment to the purest strain of batida and, for those able to detect hidden feelings, this music might convey some melancholic undertones true to this part of the world.

Beats and off-beats invite your most abstract dance moves and even the album´s most melodic piece is "headless" (Farucox's spacey afro house "Sem Cabeça"). The slow moving tarraxos are uncompromising but never emotionally detached. "Bolor" by Narciso might be the most demanding moment here, with so many crashing elements that, when reviewing the listening experience, we feel a direct connection to a very unique underground expression of dance music. A good part of its power resides in the dislocation of our senses to a different tuning and the consequent opening up of possibilities. This means access to different territories, vibes and points of view. The idealized way of the world.














m 13 | Farucox - ESFREGA [Ti Lito]

Introducing Cutcross, created to champion the melting pot of bass-centric sounds teetering around 140 bpm. Heading up the concept is Sicaria Sound, a DJ duo who since their inception set out to explore and expand on the possibilities of these sounds whilst spotlighting underground artists. Cutcross is therefore their next step in supporting the forward-thinking music that they've drawn for when curating sets.

For CXT005 we've curated another compilation EP - "With The Sonant" - stitching together a collectively hazy set of tracks yet each with their own vocal deviations. Epoch's long coveted "2-Door Subaru" is the explosive opener, followed by two distinct approaches to trappier terrains via Woven Thorn's "Loveless" and "Try Me" by zns before descending into the dub-diving murky waters of Soukah's "Don't Care".

Only 100 available worldwide

Repress

60k+ and counting Soundcloud plays over the first 24 hours
Currently charting #2 on Billboard's 'Emerging Artists' chart
'You'll not hear anything else like this today' Zane Lowe BBC R1 show premiere (covered by Huw Stephens) (@ 47m15s)
'SOPHIE's Lemonade is the most bonkers track we've heard all year' Guardian
'song of the day' Diplo on Twitter

'one of the best things I've heard all year' Stereogum
'"Lemonade" is a bouquet of ephemera, and we shouldn't be surprised that Sophie hid a firecracker in the bundle.' Pitchfork
'impossibly infectious' Gorilla vs Bear

Confident all-out breakbeat assault by new UK production team.

Rounding off the year on Redstone Press, Debba comes correct with a varied 4 tracker laden with hefty subs and lock tight percussion.

The A-side starts out with fast-paced staccato kicks and the oscillating, warped bassline of ‘Called Up’. These elements soon develop into a twisted, energetic romp, showing Debba’s innate knack for upfront, low-end percussive work. Continuing with this theme ‘Direction’ adds reverb drenched vocals to the mix and ups the bass weight, with gritty, looping subs throughout. These two will put that soundsystem you’re dreaming of playing on to the test!

The B-side is more restrained and meditative but retains the heavy subs, opening with the downtempo and introspective chords of ‘I Said’. The drop in pace gives Debba’s signature beatwork and melodic flourishes space to breathe with the dreamy synths of ‘Subtle’ building up, then breaking down into a low-slung UK Techno roller.

Limited to 100 copies. DON’T SLEEP!

Latency 009, from Tokyo: four eerie, multi-rhythmic, bass-heavy excursions, with roots in abstract hip hop and the classic d&b of Photek and Source Direct.