Pop & Rock News

Berlin’s veteran mad scientist of discarded MIDI Hi-Tech, Novo Line’s Nat Fowler arrives on Protofuture for a special collaboration with Cocktail d’Amore resident DJs Dama (tracks selection) and Trent (mixing/mastering), combining their unique voices in electronic dance music for a choose-your-own-adventure of club transgressions.
“Racconti” – a concept album on cassette recounting those extended stays at our favorite overnight establishments in Berlin, Brescia, and beyond – takes Novo Line’s hauntingly disorienting yet danceable polyrhythms and three-dimensional harmonies through ‘Late Night’ (blue side) to ‘Early Morning’ (yellow side), echoing the sounds from within the dark cold walls of an industrial cellar to the outside garden terrace, as the morning’s blau stunde makes itself known. Birthed and bred between the three during the COVID-19 lockdown in their lingua franca of Italian, “Racconti” (translated best as “Stories” alluding to those brief life-excerpts compulsively shared on social media) recounts a prototypical night when we commit to entering that club full of friends, temptations, and an open schedule for the next day(s).

New 2xlp of grinding beat experiments from Black Dice's Eric Copeland. Controlled chaos, chopped sample mayhem, moments of beauty and destruction over four sides.

The latest release by the Mexican avant-garde label Akumandra is
founder Sainte Vie’s three track auditive voyage: From Desolate Places
and Forgotten Times. Going beyond previous experimentation with
sound assemblage and sampling from non-western musical traditions,
Sainte Vie crafts his signature mesmerizing soundscapes by
combining dreamlike synth textures, monumental drops and vibrant
melodies that feel deeply melancholic. Insistent arpeggios and
expansive build ups bind the tracks together in an ebb and flow of
dynamic energy

The best thing about trends is often their counter-movement. In times of digital hysteria, the
contradiction lies unsurprisingly in deceleration, in turning away from algorithms. The search
for the diffusely concrete, a kind of musical memory from the infinite ocean of sounds and
acoustic figures, is at the centre of a dark glowing cloud called Mantra Mantra.
Between Techno and Toto, drop shadows and ethereal patterns, Sam Irl and Daniel Helmer
simmer their hypnotic sounds.
The music whispers with every note: we are only two interconnected home studios,
quietly eloquent through the night as an anti-hysterical mantra to all the recipients of this
universe.

TAMBURI NERI’s WORKS 2 is the first LDDLM release of the new decade. Following their acclaimed EP on Optimo, Claudio Brioschi (aka Brioski) and Andrea Barbiera further their exploration in stripping down their psychedelia. There is a long tradition of slo-mo tribalism in Italian dance music, cosmic or not. But Tamburi Neri dissolve the tribal decorum, focusing on the beat-as-heartbeat, and on Italian language as incantation.

INDIO, the faster paced track, has been a staple in our DJ sets, pure raw energy for when things get settled in darkness. RELIGION REBEL is an exercise in menacing trance-funk, whereas IL VORTICE puts the vocal forward, a track and a story.

We have been a fan of Marco Passarani for more than two decades, a man constantly reinventing himself and rewriting the history of Italian electronics. He here remixes RELIGION REBEL in some kind of power-balearic anthem, a record for, yes, ecstasy and sunsets.

!K7 Music is proud to announce "Headroom", the debut album by James Alexander Bright. His music is a multi-sensory experience, one where smooth grooves, wonky rhythms, dreamy melodies and immersive atmospheres coalesce to form their own sphere.
James Alexander Bright's music is as visual a voyage as it is a sonic one; a kaleidoscope of colours that swirl, swoon, soar and sing. Stepping into his musical world is a multi-sensory experience, one where smooth grooves, wonky rhythms, dreamy melodies and immersive atmospheres coalesce to form their own sphere. "Sound as vision," says Bright of the audio aesthetic he relates to and aims for. "Music you can bite into." Based in the Hampshire countryside and an illustrator by day, Bright's world is often a dual one but one where elements overlap and inform one another. "I spend a lot of my day creating things visually and everyday life can be an assault on the senses, "says Bright." Evening is my quiet time; time for my ears. Invariably I'm inspired by the things that people and creatures do in the dark.

Nils Frahm, born in 1982, had an early introduction to music. During his childhood he was taught to play piano by Nahum Brodski a student of the last scholar of Tschaikowski. It was through this that Nils began to immerse himself in the styles of the classical pianists before him as well as contemporary composers. Today Nils Frahm works as an accomplished composer and producer in Berlin. In early 2008 he founded Durton Studio, where he has worked with Peter Broderick and Dustin O' Halloran amongst other fellow musicians.

The three instrumentals, which make up his debut release 'Wintermusik' are piano led pieces, coloured with occasional celeste and reed organ parts. The record's equal measures of sorrowful refrains and uplifting passages, combined with a real intimacy that makes for an album you'll want to return to again and again.

The songs were originally intended as a Christmas present for friends and family, hence its winter release via London-based cinematic music label Erased Tapes. As the curator of the Swedish boutique label Kning Disk's Piano Series, Peter Broderick invited Nils to record a new Nils Frahm, born in 1982, had an early introduction to music.

During his childhood he was taught to play piano by Nahum Brodski a student of the last scholar of Tschaikowski. It was through this that Nils began to immerse himself in the styles of the classical pianists before him as well as contemporary composers. Today Nils Frahm works as an accomplished composer and producer in Berlin. In early 2008 he founded Durton Studio, where he has worked with Peter Broderick and Dustin O' Halloran amongst other fellow musicians.

The three instrumentals, which make up his debut release 'Wintermusik' are piano led pieces, coloured with occasional celeste and reed organ parts. The record's equal measures of sorrowful refrains and uplifting passages, combined with a real intimacy that makes for an album you'll want to return to again and again. The songs were originally intended as a Christmas present for friends and family, hence its winter release via London-based cinematic music label Erased Tapes.

As the curator of the Swedish boutique label Kning Disk's Piano Series, Peter Broderick invited Nils to record a new album of piano improvisations the result is 'The Bells', which will now be released on Erased Tapes in the UK, Ireland and North America. Perhaps the most stunning aspect of what on the surface appears to be an entirely pre-planned and composed body of work comes with the discovery that these pieces were in fact improvised.

These two friends share a common affinity in that they both possess an absolute mastery of melody, composition and performance able to deliver with devastating effect. The modest Mr. Broderick states 'I remember thinking to myself as I lay there stunned, that I could spend ten years trying to write an amazing piece of piano music, and still it would never be half as good as these improvisations!'

Recorded in a rented, beautiful old church in the heart of Berlin over two nights, Nils 'just played' with the occasional instruction from Peter 'I spouted "Make a song using only the notes C, E, and G", or "Make a song that you could imagine me rapping over the top of" (Track 8 'My Things'). At one point I was even inside the piano, laying on the strings, asking him to make a song called 'Peter Is Dead In The Piano'. The resultant work 'The Bells' shares the same excitement and air of playfulness.

For a musician this early in his career, Frahm displays an incredibly developed sense of control and restraint in his work. As the recognition continues to grow for both, 'Wintermusik' and 'The Bells', we are pleased to announce that 2010 will also see his next album release on Erased Tapes.

Wicked 4 tracker of
.
Old Shady Grady & The Neighbourhood Character (OSGATNC for short) is the result of a chance meeting in Berlin the fall of 2013 between Eric Douglas Porter a.k.a. Afrikan Sciences, one of the most expansive and intensive musical torch bearers of modern experimental electronics and jazz, and Ari Robey-Lawrence, producer, vocalist, and DJ a.k.a. The Neighborhood Character, who began as a jazz guitarist and drummer. They quickly found a mutual bond and a musical partnership emerged soon thereafter, and debuted on Uzuri's The Wilderness Sessions with their EP, Tales from Caturday'.

Via their collaboration, Porter and Robey-Lawrence explore the intersections of diverse musical and emotional territories through improvisational, long format jam sessions-- experimenting both with a wide range of sampled sounds and expressive original vocals, sustained by pronounced, yet fluid rhythmic backbones.

Jordan GCZ says: I walked into their sound check at freerotation festival last year and was blown away. I feel privileged to be a part of putting this music out there'

Medical Records is elated to reissue a very special vinyl collection consisting of a hand picked selection of vocoder and synth tracks by the one and only Zeus B. Held. Zeus is a well-known and acclaimed German musician and producer also made famous for producing Gina X Performance (also reissued by Medical Records). Zeus first began his musical career in the mid 1970's with the German prog rock group "Birth Control". Subsequently, he recorded three solo albums: "Zeus' Amusement (1978), "Europium" (1980) and "Attack Time" (1981). He performed a number of interesting live shows supporting the albums all over Europe using a number instruments such as Fender Rhodes, Hohner Clavinet, Hammond Organ, Poly and Minimoog, ARP sequencers and most importantly, a Sennheiser Vocoder VSM 201 among other various instruments. His musical influences ranged from Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson to Kraftwerk and Steve Reich. Zeus also was involved in a very diverse roster of collaborations with such important artists as Guru Guru, members of Can as well as French space rock groups ("Les Rockets" and "Visitors"). The tracks that make up this compilation were selected from the aforementioned solo records. Ranging from straight out cosmic disco to propulsive proggy funk to the unclassifiable, this collection is a perfect representation of his solo work. Standout tracks include the cosmic burner "Held It", the total vocoder/space jam "Musik, Music, Musique" and the amazing interpretation of Beatle's "Drive My Car" complete with vocal by Gina Kikoine herself (Gina X). This collection will appeal to fans of the synth/vocoder work and unmistakable razor sharp production of Gina X Performance as well as fans of left-field synth heavy prog and disco (a more rock based Moroder if you will). Specially remastered for this vinyl reissue. Presented on high-quality 180gram colored vinyl.

Ten years on from its digital-only release, Utter presents the legendary third Mu album on vinyl for the first time! What can we say? This is possibly the most bonkers and 'out there' Maurice Fulton has gone production-wise, from sub-heavy Hip-Hop to Country (!) to Thrash-Metal (?!) alongside a sprinkling of his signature genius House/Disco magic thrown in for good measure... all with Mutsumi's infamous vocals over the top. Limited pressing with fluorescent pink sleeve & insert. Remastered & cut by Rashad Becker at D&M.

Following on from Bodyjack's landmark "Nataraja EP" this summer which marked the 10th DEXT release, we welcome back our good friend Lo Shea to the label to continue the next phase in our journey. He comes to us fresh off his recent outings on Rekids and Dusky's 17 Steps, His first DEXT EP 'Durga' is one of the standouts from our early catalog.

We first heard "Activation" when he dropped an early version at our Fabric takeover earlier this year, and it grabbed us immediately. What essentially starts off as a super sharp rhythm track ends up very differently. This is a DEXT track through and through without a doubt!

Liam delves into his drum and bass roots for 'Pressure', marrying rolling broken beats and dark rave synth work but cleverly keeps the tempo right down and really adds to the sense of foreboding.

This LP is here to make party!
All actually styles are presents.
Must Have! and Dance!

If emptiness is heaviness is Godliness, Birds of Prey’s third full-length LP is an immaculate conception from on high. The record luxuriates in the spaces between. What’s left out says as much as what made it in. Deep, droning, and dub wise, “Vanishing Point” cascades in elegance. Its reference points call towards the sample manipulation of American tape music and the downward gaze of amniotic British bass music. It charts its own path nonetheless, building its own space for drifting off to. Unlike many peers operating in similar realms, Birds of Prey are a proper band, a foursome: Grant Aaron, Clay Wilson, Eric Holmes, and Camille Altay. Each are artists in their own right with a distinct practice. In Birds of Prey, their collaborations in studio take on a greater shape, whittled and edited into cosmic formlessness. Although borne of improvisation, you may never know that in the listening. “Vanishing Point” is a tight, coherent work, the sound of a cadre of talented musicians locked in flow. Rippling tones become glacial melodies. Cavernous drums emerge barely from the ether. Rhythms interlock, interpolate. Patterns repeat and dissolve whence they came. There is untold potency in simplicity, and Birds of Prey make it known.

Our final release of 2019 is a 4-track EP by Red Axes, the prolific production duo of Dori Sadovnik and Niv Arzi from Tel Aviv. The pair were raised on a diet of post-punk, new-wave, and Italo-disco at fogged out warehouse and basement parties. Their own productions and remixes have appeared on labels such as I’m a Cliché, Correspondant, and Hivern Discs. “Voom” kicks things off with wild percussive toms and bubblegum female chants over a fat electro break. “Doom” rightly brings us into a dark, menacing cave where see pulses of light in the form of carefully placed synth lasers. “Mister Q” serves up metallic rhythms a la Front 242 backed with a strobe-ready sound. “Prblems” is the 10-minute anthem that closes the EP in typical Axes fashion: militant drums, battered electronics and lovingly drowned traditional instruments hypnotically pulse and reverberate. All songs have been mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The EP is housed in a die cut jacket that keeps the dancefloor vibes with a bold, DIY design by Eloise Leigh.

For this ninth EP and special "10 Years De:tuned" emission we dig deep into Atypic's, better known as Andy and Ed from Plaid, archives for a couple of rare and previously unreleased tracks written in 1992. On offer two mighty lost classics gradually building into a fallout of immense, beautiful proportions produced by one of the most interesting electronic duos of the 90's and modern times.

Kevin Foakes (Openmind, DJ Food, Ninja Tune) created all the graphic work. Mastered by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering. This 12" is pressed on 180 gr vinyl and 1 track per side to transfer the rough DAT sound at best condition. A separate digital version will be available from the usual digital shops. Stay tuned!

Following Not Waving’s stellar recent recordings with Jim O’Rourke , Colin Potter & Jay Glass Dubs, ‘Downwelling’ finds him in a striking Pas de deux with alt. rock god Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, QOTSA). It’s one of those rare link-ups that truly transcends the sum of it's parts, with Not Waving’s rolling range of nuanced electronics acting as backdrops for Lanegan’s smoky barritone storytelling.

Delivered in a husky but pliable voice that has come to define the American alternative rock scene since the early ‘90s, Lanegan inhabits the songs with a reserved presence that has served him well for decades, but which has never been heard in quite this context.

Pairing music recorded by Natalizia between London, Italy, and Paris over the past five years, with vocals recorded by Lanegan in LA, the duo arrive at dreamy non-place that’s not defined by geography or time. Instead the album offers a timeless insight into human behaviour, as reflected in the sleeve art details from the ‘Lights of Canopus’, a Persian version of the ancient Indian book of animal fables, the ‘Panchatantra.’

Thanks to Lanegan’s classically dusty tone - famously described
as being “scratchy as a three day beard yet as supple as moccasin leather” - and the breadth of Not Waving’s production, the results draw listeners deep into the artists’ shared plane of world-weary
but quietly hopeful conception, emphasising the power of closeness and empathy.

Their songs come on like waves lapping a shore that’s ever-shifting, ever the same. This cycle is epitomised on the opener, ’Signifying The End’ with Lanegan’s raspy tone met by honeyed synths, before scaling the nocturnal heights of ‘City Of Sin’ and coolly channeling Suicide in ‘Burn Out Babylon.’ The waters calm again for ‘Persimmon Tree’ suitably set to harp-like arps, while the deathly croon and impending throb of ‘Murder In Fugue’ comes to rest in the serene resolution of ‘The Broken Man’ in a manner that’s entirely modernist but speaks to eons of human emotion.

Echoing everything from latter-days Scott Walker to David Sylvian at his most strung out, and even the odd energy of Moebius, Conny Plank & Mayo Thompson’s ‘Ludwig’s Law’ album, or the arcane
creak of John Duncan’s ‘Bitter Earth’, Natalizia & Lanegan’s efforts will surely realign listeners presumptions of both artists and place them in a category all of their own.

Holy Fuck have today announced details of new album 'Deleter', which will be released on January 17th and is further previewed with the video for acclaimed latest single 'Luxe' (ft. Alexis Taylor). Having just concluded a US tour alongside Hot Chip, the seminal Canadian band will play a selection of European headline dates later this month (with a London show at Moth Club on October 23rd selling out immediately).

Arriving at a moment where attention spans are shot and anxieties are going into overdrive, 'Deleter', Holy Fuck’s fifth studio LP, is a defiantly full-bodied affair. Polyrhythmic and pleasure- focused, 'Deleter' sees Brian Borcherdt, Graham Walsh, Matt Schulz, and Matt “Punchy” McQuaid utilises their signature sound - seamlessly fusing the gauzy drive of krautrock and deep house’s dreamy ineffability, expertly blending purring motorik percussion with the sort of fuggy synthetic fizz and tang they are renowned for.

From the thrusting minimalism of opener ‘Luxe’ through to the triumphant chug of closing track ‘Ruby’, via club-ready rollocker ‘Free Gloss’ and the cosmic clatter of ‘San Sebastian’, Deleter is a record that joins the Holy Fuck dots within their widescreen, technicolour, crescendo- heavy sound.

Andy Rantzen, Sydney, Australia.
This one is a special for us as we love dub and lo-fi music and also love the experiments of Andy Rantzen like "Rain in the Morning, Sun in the Afternoon / Dark Sea".
The more interesting part of the story is, that both tunes are written and recorded nearly 20 years ago by Andy - 1999-2000. But definitely still hot and vibing our sweet and sour DIY motto. We like!!!
A must in your collection!

Freestyle techno nonstandard DJ Sotofett produced this cosmic ambient excursion together with two Finnish producers Kalifornia Keke and Stiletti Ana.

Announcing Mad Zach's debut release on MethLab Recordings with his No Past Lives EP, which is available on 12" vinyl and digital formats. The four tracks within unfurl an exquisite and alluring journey into the recesses of the human spirit, circling between nostalgic yearning and a steadfast, driven intensity. No Past Lives will be available on Tuesday, October 1.

An intoxicating myriad of complex soundscapes, Mad Zach stuns yet again with impeccable sound design through four thoughtful tracks. A compelling story through the inner workings of the mind, Mad Zach does not hold back in his enigmatic MethLab debut. Featuring production techniques signature of the prolific producer, Mad Zach’s many influences shine through in No Past Lives; a mix of dub, hip-hop, techno, jungle, and various other styles, No Past Lives is the amalgamation of artistic passion and drive.

3x12"

The SENTINEL LP represents the manifesto of one part of the spectrum of MethLab's club-oriented sound. Featuring a cross section of our forward-thinking artists and special guests and illustrating a dynamic set of sonic aesthetics to usher in a new era of diverse music and an open-minded approach to the dancefloor. Expect searing audio that resides on the very cutting edge of bass music.

Nathan Micay is pleased to present another member to the Schvitz label family: Original Schvitz, a home for tracks he made purely for the rave. On the inaugural 12’’, Micay provides three of his most dancefloor-friendly cuts to date. A-side stormer ‘The Canadian Shield (Loon Song)’ is an epic trance journey that contextualizes the Canadian loon like never before. On the flip, Micay finally gives the heads the sought-after ID ‘Feed The Planetary Sharks’, a playful house groove that has worked dancefloors the world over. Finally, ‘I Like My Nudeln Fried’ successfully merges UK garage and trance to create a roller for the ages. As always, Schvitz gives back. This time all proceeds from record sales go to Give Something Back to Berlin, an inclusive space that offers free workshops, courses and events to teach people new skills in music and beyond. Hello Schvitz trifecta!

Berlin based Dame Bonnet makes music influenced by post punk and cold wave and with a primitive and reverb-drenched production he creates a tragic dream for the listener to sink in to.

The music has a sentimental feel to it but the pretentions are avoided thanks to the direct sound and the unremitting drums which contributes to give the tracks a forward momentum instead of a stuck in place-feeling.

Dame Bonnet makes sad club music with traces from the early eighties In England, a society ravaged by the cold individualism as a result to neo conservative politics - a time that resembles ours, where people gets categorized out of prejudice and the social welfare systems are uninstalled bit by bit in front of a sparser crowd of woke people.

In Europe, now in the 2010s, a supposed dead ultraconservative monster is coming alive again and Dame Bonnets music makes the soundtrack to that process.

Nick Warren, eine Institution des Progressive House, betreibt seit einigen Jahren zusammen mit seiner Partnerin Petra mit "The Soundgarden" ein Konzept, das Label, Compilations, Clubnächte und eine globale Radioshow beinhaltet. Nun veröffentlicht er für Balance einen DJ-Mix mit komplett exklusivem Material, das den Spirit dieses Konzepts aus Progressive House und Leftfield-Electronica, Deepness und Eklektizismus, perfekt einfängt. Zuerst erscheint die Doppel-CD mit 2 Mixsets aus 27 Tracks, ca. einen Monat später folgt die Doppel-LP mit 8 ausgespielten Highlights (samt Download-Code zu den CD-Mixsets).

Serious Trouble is back with a split EP by Dolphins and JATIBE. Two yet unknown collaboration projects delivering two multifunctional switch-hitter on heavy 180 gram vinyl. One to raise -, one to relieve TENSION. Both literally guided. To avoid any risks and side-effects we recommend a cautious usage.

Rooted in the São Paulo contemporary art scene, Laima Leyton’s credentials in the world of music are firmly established as one-half of Mixhell alongside her husband Iggor Cavalera (Sepultura, Cavalera Conspiracy) and for her work with Soulwax.
Now the producer, musician, activist, artist, mother and teacher unites her multifaceted talents with her ambitious double-vinyl debut album ‘Home’. It will be pressed and distributed by The Vinyl Factory and released by Deewee on November 8th. Featuring two records that are designed to be played simultaneously: Laima’s vocal and synth tracks on the ‘TONAL’ disc alongside Iggor’s beats on the ‘RHYTHMICAL’ record. Syncing two records offers an unconventional way to experience the music.
Rather than passively hearing the music, the listener’s need to ritualistically sync both records makes for an immersive experience. There are two key elements that make ‘Home’ such a distinctive project. Thematically it explores how the two core contrasts that inform Laima’s life can coexist. On one hand it’s about domesticity – her love for her family and her frustration with domestic routine. Yet on the other, it’s about her creativity – her desire to express herself artistically while still tending to her role as a mother and a housewife. “It’s almost like a family photo album in another format,” says Laima. “I needed to find the balance in this dichotomy, to feel good with myself in both roles, and be aware of things that really mattered to me. To be a woman, a mum and a female producer: all of these feelings were in the music.”

Motordiscs is a various artists record serie created by the people behind Garage. The parisian club was shut down during summer 2018 but its spirit continues with Motordiscs: Putting artists together and promoting independant electronic music has always been the credo and is now continuing on records.

Motordisc 1 features tracks from Kasper Bjørke, Khidja, Curses and Zombies In Miami

Livity Sound's final transmission of 2019 comes from the esteemed Freerotation resident and UntilMyHeartStops co-founder, Leif.

Quietly earning himself a well-deserved reputation for his outer-worldly production stance and forward-thinking approach to Dj-ing, Leif has spent the last decade refining his musical palette with a slew of releases including highly acclaimed LPs for Whities and UntilMyHeartStops. In 2017 he launched the TIO-Series label as a vehicle to showcase the more off-kilter rhythmical side of his own productions releasing contemporary anthems such as July V and Bluebird.

This new EP for Livity Sound continues in the exploratory TIO-series vein finding Leif in percussion mode, combining nimble rhythms, deep bass and hazy synths in his idiosyncratic style to dazzling effect.

This 12” vinyl release comes with brand new art direction from Tess Redburn in a full colour artwork reverse board sleeve.

Livity Sound is a label set up by Peverelist in 2011 as a vehicle for a raw and exploratory strain of UK techno, rooted in the heritage of UK dance music and sound system culture. It has since become one of the UK's foremost protagonists for cutting edge underground music.

Legendary UK outfit Future Sound Of London kicks off with a trippy head jam to soothe the mind of electronic dreamers. Berlin's Monolake aka Robert Henke follows with a beat-driven and heavy industrial piece of clattering sounds and whirring rhythm mechanics. David Morley completes this sixth EP of the 10 years series in style: "Traytor" brims with depth and floaty atmospherics pushed further by low range beat parts. Real endorphin material.

Kevin Foakes (Openmind, DJ Food, Ninja Tune) created all the graphic work. Mastered by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering, pressed on 180 grams vinyl and a separate digital version will be available from the usual digital shops. Stay tuned!

Two things become immediately clear when you hear “Body Electric”, the third original album by White Haus, João Vieira (X-Wife / Dj Kitten)’s solo project. The first is that we’re faced with an insatiable music lover, with an exemplary historical awareness. The second is that is music, although it channels all that passion, does it in such a way that is increasingly all his own. The thing is, that if on one hand, in these twelve new tracks, we’re assailed by the presence of the tutelary Talking Heads and their satellite projects, by Vivien Goldman, Sexual Harrassement or Konk’s New York No Wave, by the electronic pop of Soft Cell or New Order, by the hybrid funk of Prince and his Minneapolis accollites, by the Italo-Disco inspired by Giorgio Moroder or Patrick Cowley or the Acid House of Adonis or Maurice.

Cosmocities Records presents their first triple LP compilation
A trip through electronic world with rare and beautiful instrumental tracks.
500 copies . Vinyl only .

LP (incl. coloured vinyl, full picture outer sleeve, full picture inner sleeve, poster, sticker, downlad code, all stored in plastic protective outer sleeve)


The Rising Sign "Fragments"

Down the rabbit hole of sonic sounds, catchy melodies with captivating bass lines and drum grooves – those are the essential Fragments of their music.
Coming from the northern part of Slovakia, The Rising Sign defy any straightforward genre definition.

They just play music the way they like it and the way they feel it.

The group was founded by two teenagers back in 2012 - Adam (lead vocals, guitar), who was then 16 and Martin (drums) who was only 13. They simply decided to record their first common musical ideas. Michal (keyboards) and Juraj (bass) (together with the head of recording and mixing Jaro – guitar at that time) joined the two in 2015. This was the year they made their first recording sessions and they released their own digi-only album: "Moments Like This".

Four years have passed and another set of songs have been recorded and produced by the band. They have mixed all their musical influences into one big ball of noise. Fragments of 70's hard rock, indie rock, grunge, a bit of jazz, funk, but always loyal to an underlying pop structure in their songs. Sometimes happy, sometimes melancholic, but always very melodic. Just Fragments of all.

LP+CD (incl. CD in plain paper bag, coloured vinyl, full picture outer sleeve, full picture inner sleeve, poster, sticker, collectible postcard, download code, all stored in plastic protective outer sleeve)


The Rising Sign "Fragments"

Down the rabbit hole of sonic sounds, catchy melodies with captivating bass lines and drum grooves – those are the essential Fragments of their music.
Coming from the northern part of Slovakia, The Rising Sign defy any straightforward genre definition.

They just play music the way they like it and the way they feel it.

The group was founded by two teenagers back in 2012 - Adam (lead vocals, guitar), who was then 16 and Martin (drums) who was only 13. They simply decided to record their first common musical ideas. Michal (keyboards) and Juraj (bass) (together with the head of recording and mixing Jaro – guitar at that time) joined the two in 2015. This was the year they made their first recording sessions and they released their own digi-only album: "Moments Like This".

Four years have passed and another set of songs have been recorded and produced by the band. They have mixed all their musical influences into one big ball of noise. Fragments of 70's hard rock, indie rock, grunge, a bit of jazz, funk, but always loyal to an underlying pop structure in their songs. Sometimes happy, sometimes melancholic, but always very melodic. Just Fragments of all.

Sensible Soccers is a 4 piece live band. Their music faces no categorization and their debut album named “8” was acclaimed in Portugal as one of the most popular records of the year. The first vinyl pressing sold out through domestic direct selling and a 2nd pressing is almost out of stock with a part of it now being finally available for worldwide distribution.

Toada returns to his own Plūma label for another innovative two track release.

Toada is a Berlin-based Portuguese producer who started under this alias—which is intended mainly to be a live act—in 2015. Emotional melodies, combined with forward thinking, playful rhythms define the project, it is a unique musical venture providing a place where Northern and Southern influences meet to superb effect.

The first track here came after the artist wentthough some defining personal experiences leading to him reflecting on the nature of melanin and its role in shaping “social hierarchies.”

Opener ‘Airosa’ is the Portuguese word for elegant or delicate, but also proud, and is a suitably beautiful track with gentle hang drums tumbling over the softest of rhythms. Yawning chords drift around the groove and the whole thing is utterly soothing, thoughtful andmesmerising.

Then comes ‘Melanina’, with a drunken lead synth line taking the lead over further smooth sashaying drums. Warming pads add scale and lilting percussion helps move things along, but this is another cerebral and emotive track that really makes you think.

These are two superbly musical offerings that will bring genuine moments of emotion and reflection to any setting in which they are heard.

Beginning a new series of Remix Packs, in which favorite artists and label affiliates are remixing tracks from different Malka Tuti back-catalogue releases. The first one includes Toulouse Low Trax and Die Orangen remixing Xen & Yovav’s critically acclaimed 7” release from 2018, as well as 2 remixes of the Tel Aviv duo Plazmot by Benedikt Frey & Borusiade. All Tracks were mixed by Gordon Pohl. This record will also be the first to present Malka Tuti’s brand new specially designed generic record sleeves.

A mind-bending blend of modular synth performance, Anthony Baldino’s dynamic Twelve Twenty Two LP is a treat for all ears. Baldino’s transcendent album is available both digitally and on vinyl on Thursday, October 24 via MethLab Recordings.

“The record focuses heavily on the modular synth as a composition tool and instrument. I originally approached this as a collection of tracks that were recorded straight out of the machine with little to no editing. The work flow of generating a complex patch and then figuring out the overall arch and performance of the piece was really exciting. The Tip Top Audio Circadian Rhythms was a key compositional tool in this process and was used to organize the overall structure of these pieces. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon a patch, the opening synths in ‘Fading Quickly Now,’ that I went back to how I used to write and shifted to harvesting sounds and rhythms from the modular and arranging and editing them in the box. That patch was originally created for a different track on the album, which I’ll let you find, but IH ad accidentally changed the clock rate before tearing the patch down. Hearing it in that new way triggered a whole new thought process and emotional reaction for me.” - Anthony Baldino

Originally approached as a collection of tracks recorded straight out of Baldino’s machine with little editing, Twelve Twenty Two is a complex piece of thoughtful modular work. A truly stunning display of masterful sound design, Baldino’s sound resonates with listeners from first note to last. Existing in a unique space where ambient sounds meet vivacious bass, Baldino seemingly exists in an impressive league of his own, with Twelve Twenty Two standing apart powerfully from the masses. With an already powerful arsenal of artists and releases, MethLab Recordings adds a brilliant 10-track addition to their already wild playbook.

“From the beginning, it was important for me to keep this record musical and emotional and not just an exercise in technicality, so using both the modular and the computer to arrange felt really good both emotionally and sonically and created a different balance to the record that I really liked. Switching the process up a bit halfway through kept things interesting and I think the body of work really benefits from it. This record is split in half with performance based/straight out of the machine tracks and the other half organized in the box. But when listening back, the two approaches overlap so much that it’s hard to tell where one approach ends and the other begins.” - Anthony Baldino


About Anthony Baldino:
Born and raised in New York, Anthony Baldino is an LA-based composer and sound designer whose work spans an enormous range of production avenues. The likelihood that you haven’t heard his world is nearly impossible, with music and sound design in too many trailer campaigns to list, including Prometheus, Interstellar, Ex-Machina, Star Wars: Rogue One, and Avengers: Infinity War and End Game just to name a few. From there, his work ventures to the opposite pole of production with custom sound design based compositions for Dolby Labs mixed in Atmos, beautifully glitched out remixes, and continues on to mind-bending modular synthesizer performances.

With his debut artist release, he delivers a devastatingly beautiful album grounded in IDM that focuses on modular synthesizers/ While a vast amount of modular synth music is currently being released, this album goes far beyond the typical beeps and boops that one may expect when they hear “modular IDM record.” This record is as technical as it is emotive. Tasteful and incredibly detailed, Twelve Twenty Two bridges the gap between sound-design laden beats and cinematic motifs and ambiences. This record does not disappoint and is sure to become a favorite of electronic music fans.

The album opens up with a slowly unfolding melody that seems to be within grasp, but never actually repeats itself. Incredibly tasteful glitchy sound design leads us into a build that one would only expect to be in a movie, and then drops into a full-on sonic assault of impeccable drums and rich synths. From there, the record traverses a wide array of texture, time and technique. Closing with a track that makes you feel like you could actually reach out and touch the sound and float in its space, the sonic landscape created in Twelve Twenty Two is a true treat for ears.

Vertigo Inc, the freeform house project of a veteran Canadian producer, returns to the Unfulfillment label with four tracks of kaleidoscopic psy-house, acrobatic acidic exotics, and modal boogie, coaxed from retro machines for a sophisticated, full-body buzz. Come to where the wild things are..

A DIY labour of love since its inception in 2014, Unfulfillment was founded in the US in 2013 to release dance music of an exploratory nature. Unfulfillment releases have been played and charted by Powder, Soft Rocks, Shireef Laffrey, Brian Not Brian, Jacques Renault, Mister Saturday Night, and Luke Solomon.