Techno News

Warsaw's very own Private Press, debut on Of Paradise with their Young At Heart EP. A super-charged 4-tracker that rewires the brain, revs-up the serotonin levels and pays a sincere tribute to the foundations of rave and the diverse techno of the early 90s.The release kicks off with Wetweird, a thunderous techno number that could shake the foundations of even the most impenetrable bunker. Following this is title track Young At Heart, an infectious big-room number and a love letter to the raves of yesterday and the parties of tomorrow.

Repress

"Cassandra" is a super deep and hypnotic cut that opens with a thumping kick and silky-smooth pads, with the techno innovator teasing out delayed vocal-like synth phrases that lock the listener in before a huge sub-bassline lands. Dozzy focuses on these main intersecting elements which gradually evolve, topped off by rolling drums and razor-edged hi-hats. Also on the release is "II," a slab of experimental sound design that swells and retracts, gurgling away to nothing and topping off an essential new chapter for the peerless techno craftsmen.

This is the last part of Sushitech 15 Anniversary Reissues series: Paul St. Hilaire & Rhauder's Reconstructed inc. timeless reworks of legendary act such as Cobblestone Jazz, Amorf, Ion Ludwig, Steve O'Sullivan, Thomas Melchior, Soulphiction (RIP), Leonel and Matt & Mark Thibideau. This special collectors reissue inc. all 3 parts!

This is the last part of Sushitech 15th Anniversary Reissues series: Originally released back in 2013, Steve O'Sullivan Reconstructed inc timeless reworks of legendary acts such as Delano Smith, Mike Huckaby (RIP), Thor, Rhauder and Exos!

The Mysticisms label welcomes Coral D aka Duncan Stump for a debut outing here that marks the first new music to be part of the ongoing and most excellent Dubplate series. This artist has a long history of crafting "deep dub electronic swing" in his roles in Mock & Toof, FX Mchm and his 6000 Degrees project. This one finds him bringing some dub reggae influences as 'Dissolves' is built on a chugging rhythm with smeared chords. 'DR 55' is then a masterfully laidback digi-dub groove that warps space and time and so leaves you utterly hypnotised.

This double vinyl GRASSWAXXーLTD.1 South Center e.p.(45rpm, 4 tracks)is produced by RAWFILA who is the head of Grasswaxx recordings. Including Lo-Fi and DJ Tool tracks like deep minimal dub track layered saturated noise sound, and old school style riff synth sounds. South Center e.p. was mastered by WaxAlchemy who has a lot of positive reputation from producers like Mala, Goth-trad and so on.

2022 Repress

Second Woman is the collaborative project featuring Turk Dietrich of Belong and Joshua Eustis of Telefon Tel Aviv.
Josh and Turk have been friends for over 17 years, having met in New Orleans in the late '90s through mutual friend and future collaborator, Charlie Cooper. The duo have been working on music together on and o since that time.
The concept of Second Woman began with the idea of taking tropes from footwork, dub, house, and techno, and twisting these ideas into something kaleidoscopically liberated from the grid. Their work first materialized with two LP's and an EP on John Elliott and Peter Rehberg's Spectrum Spools.
Second Woman tweak the perception of time and space within the audio field into something ASMR-inducing and ultimately satisfying to listen to. Both Josh and Turk experience ASMR in response to certain rhythms and sounds, and e ort was made to incorporate these triggers into the music, hopefully for other people to experience as well.
With Apart / Instant, Second Woman present their signature sound as well as a new, more measured dimension to their work.

Big warm welcome back to DC’s James Bangura!! Solo dolo this time around, the Black Rave Culture member finds himself swimming in therapeutic & reflective waters. Stretching out into vulnerable, personal territory always makes for the best tunes. And this disc (James Bangura's "Shadow Boxing EP”) is a damn doozy!! Very excited & grateful to share this beautiful release with y'all!!
(Title is inspired by Bangura’s grandfather, Carroll Daniel Smith, who boxed for the US Army in WWII)

“When I think of ‘Shadow Boxing’ I think of practice & preparation. 2020 was a tumultuous year, this was the first time in awhile that I had a moment to reflect on the years passed. My time in military service, dealing with depression & anxiety as a veteran, the loss of loved ones, the ending of relationships, and taking unplanned life paths. This portion of my life story was about healing. This record was the silver lining & the sign of good things to come. It’s about never quitting & being kind to yourself. Loving differently & being vulnerable. These are things we have to practice (and prepare) doing everyday because we can easily let dark moments overcast the joy in our lives. Music has always been therapy for me & is even more important now through the turbulent times we are living in. So practice & prepare.”
- Timothy Smith-Bangura

Detroit's deep techno master, Deepchord, makes a more than welcome return to Soma after 5 years. With a brand new album dropping, Rod Modell delves deep into his ethereal sonic world to bring you 'Functional Extraits 1'. The first single to be taken from the forthcoming album. Built in a way that only Deepchord can, he transports you to different realms with lush soundscapes and perfectly processed electro-acoustics giving you an insight to the mind of the unique artist.

Shale glides across a field of electo-static noise, guided gently by cisps, fleeting percussion and gently warping synths. Lateral begins awash with waves of sound and glistening dub stabs while rolling beats acts as the heart beat of the track with a building intensity adding a sense of urgency. The uplifting yet dystopian sounds of Mapping spiral into existence urging you down the rabbit hole as more classic techno percussion manoeuvres this track on it's journey. Modell seeking out his roots as yet more traditional dub techno prevails via the final track, Ricochet. Pumping kicks and sub set to a perfect pace and ambience is a perfect, contemporary nod to the time honoured Deepchord sound.

Oldschool Modeselektor tapedeck-material with newly crafted remixes from Sarah Farina and Hard Wax affiliate Dj Pete aka Substance.

Waage is a firm favourite amongst dub techno fans. The Icelandic producer has long been turning out icy and atmospheric rollers for the heads and here he works alongside a fresh name, Quantal, who is sure to go on to big things. Here they land on Thule Records, a legendary label in its own right with roots going back to 1995. They kick off with the textured dub of 'WQ1' which has glitchy sounds paying over the rolling drums. 'WQ2' is much more smooth and streamlined, with an underwater current that sweeps you off your feet, then 'WQ3' leans into the wind with hypnotic techno drums and vamping chords that melt the mind. Last of all comes 'WQ4', a timeless dub with infinite horizons and the most frictionless drum loops.

Producer, author, composer, multi-instrumentalist, dub organizer, label manager and singer with a unique voice, Joe Yorke is a breath of fresh air in the contemporary UK reggae scene. Known by reggae specialists for his work with the Co-operators and recently exposed to a wider audience through his two singles recorded in collaboration with Stand High Patrol, the Northern artist presents his first self-produced album : "Noise And Emptiness".

On Rhythm Steady’s debut LP, Joe Yorke plays the card of authenticity, filled with strong drum and bass sections, grooving silences, striking dub segments and heart touching vocals. Joe Yorke's music evokes the sound of Channel One UK, Channel One JA and Randy's which are among the most iconic studios of English and Jamaican reggae history. He cruises between Kingston, soundsystem dub's England, Wackies's New York and Rhythm And Sound's Berlin. Throughout the eight tracks and three dubs that make up the album, these influences collide to reveal the Rhythm Steady aesthetic : a deep, meditative and solid roots sound dubbed with no compromises.

With two singers and deejay features and lyrics that are part of a “conscious” tradition, the parsimoniously employed vocals leave a vast space for dub. Noise and Emptiness opens a window on the musical universe built by Joe Yorke, celebrating old school roots and dub music, from the studio to the soundsystem. Already played on the radio by great names of reggae such as David Rodigan, Don Letts, Dennis Bovell and Nick Manasseh, “Noise And Emptiness” will awaken the sensitivity of any lover of the genre. Others are already talking about a capital UK Roots / UK Dub release.

25yrs after the emergence of Steve O'Sullivan's dub moniker, Lempuyang has the honour of presenting the first full length album of all-new material.

Over the span of 9 tracks, Steve takes us on a version excursion, exploring a mixture of dub rhythms alongside a healthy dose of wizardry to work the floor.

Also featuring collaborations from Hidden Sequence, Another Channel, and vocals from Prince Morella.

Strictly for connoisseurs & utterly essential!

transparent vinyl
After the first few very well received releases in the Exposure series; 'Radiant Energy' & 'Luminous Energy', Greyscale is back with a new set of burners directed specifically for the DJ's and the dancefloor. 'Spectral Flux' offers four club monsters that spotlight different emotions and times in a classy deep techno set. First up is one of the top names in Greece recently, Stelios Vassiloudis, who employs his hypnotic deep techno trademark to the EP. Through a field of static electricity, this immense, well programmed animal creeps out from the depths. Confident, and never out of line, a track for a DJ to spin with a big smile as they announced their presence on the decks. Jamie S appears next on the A-side with a dreamy tech groove in 'System Encounter'. This is a no-doubter sure to get everyone to the dancefloor for a good time. Pure Finesse! Turn over to the 2nd side to begin with an example of a prime dark builder. 'Equinox' is suspenseful and dangerous. It's all the things we think are missing in this day and age of club techno. To close thing's out, Armin Bender supplies us with the most dub techno track groove on here with '494'. This has all the marks of a classic Deepchord track from early in their discography. Pure Bliss! As per the grad_u himself our label head, this comes with all the top-notch quality in a physical release. Cut on beautiful crystal clear 12" 180-gram vinyl with grey inside-out cover & special analogue art by Rima Prusakova on center labels.

Don't be late in getting in on this limited pressing!

There's a beautifully symmetrical aesthetic to the latest Lempuyang release that totally mirrors the impeccably positioned and delicately balanced sounds going on in the grooves. Two of the most consistent producers of the last few years - Altone and Gradient - produce creatively related tracks, the former named 'Day Drama' and the latter taking on 'Night Drama'. Then they hand their respective tracks over to each other for remixing duties and bingo, a pretty vital 12" is created, a gorgeous set of shimmering dubs on the A-side, and some heavyweight business for dark rainy nights on the flip. Both producers employ a modern day dub flavour to their minimal, moody techno, with it probably being fair to say that the influence of Maurizio and the Basic Channel label is fairly significant in the worlds of both. Altone's sound is a little grittier and seemingly fizzing with radioactivity, decaying and disintegrating as each offering proceeds, where there's something a bit more spartan and linear about Gradient's grooves, that seem to undulate and reverberate almost invisibly, propelling these exceptionally mixable, enjoyable DJ tools along almost under their own momentum. Nice work all round.

Back in stock

"Nature Unit is a collaboration between Lack, Jack Chrysalis and Sam Purcell (Dance), completing the final instalment in a series of releases.

Created through a process of reconstructing each other’s samples, the end result pushes each producer into eerie and strange territory. Fusing verdant techno rollers with the surreal and vivid environments of hardcore, Nature Unit is an experiment which has fashioned a unique sonic world.

Limited run of 200 in handstamped, debossed house sleeve. Mastering by Helmut Erler at Dubplates & Mastering"

After appearing on Acid Test’s 10 Year Anniversary compilation Patricia, aka Max Ravitz, debuts an EP on the label with Less Than 7, a collection of tracks that sits squarely in the club-focused end of the label’s output. Ravitz grew up in Chicago and has family roots in Detroit; these cities cultivated his affinity for mid-western dance music, with early Trax Records being a standout favorite. Years later, while living in New York, collaborator Alexis Georgopoulos introduced Ravitz to Tin Man’s Neo Neo Acid LP (released on Acid Test in 2012). This album struck a particular chord, impacting his creative vision for the Patricia project and setting him on the path towards a fruitful collaboration with Tin Man as Ociya (also released on Acid Test).

After 2021's IDM-leaning Blue Ridge LP, the Less Than 7 EP marks Patricia's return to the dance floor. Here, Ravitz explores four dimensions of acid music, each track deploying that classic squelch to differing effect. Both tracks on the A side pack a gut punch. The almost industrial beat on ‘At A. Gallop’ stomps along under moody pads and dripping acid lines until, midway, new harmonies reveal fresh vistas. ‘Head Gap Width’ is the EP’s most direct statement, a bolt of dubby techno energy with gurgling acid bass and rhythmic Detroit stabs. The B side then shifts things to a more emotive plane. ‘Winding To The Side’ uses its 9 minutes to fully explore the harmonic interplay between its buoyant braindance acid lines, which are engineered to suspend the late morning dance floor in time. ‘Coffee Computer’ closes things out, with its detuned pads, walking acid bassline and child-like piano lending it a wistful air that falls between house and IDM.

Less Than 7 was recorded at Ravitz’s home studio in Asheville, NC, and mastered by close friend Josh Bonati.

Another Picture has the honour to welcome DJ Honesty to the label's crew! The Berlin mainstay keeps on delivering for two decades and counting. Now residing in sunny and meanwhile ultra-lively spot Lissabon/Portugal he shows up with two pieces of pure electronic groove with a dubby technoid flavour. Studio knowledge at work! Usually known for positive vibes with a still abstract feel now DJ Honesty reveals a darker shade of experience. Get involved with a tougher edge and face some deeper emotion and sonic consequence - see you on today's dancefloors.. DJ Honesty's releases come as various projects and collaborations: Honesty, Honeydrop, Slope (with Daniel Paul) and Suparaw (with Woody) on such labels as Cabinet, Sonar Kollektiv and Quality Vibe to name a few. He is part of the touring Cab Drivers live crew. Don't miss!

The latest from Steve O'Sullivan and Mosaic's archive raiding series sees the first ever airing for an unreleased extended mix of the soft and soul-drenched 'Composure', plus two choice selections on the slip, the sleek sub-bass powered 'She Don't Do Chicks' and a dub mix of the equally streamlined 'Bumper Car'. If the A-side is a luxurious period piece of sorts - it could be related to Underground Resistance's 'Galaxy 2 Galaxy' for instance - then two on the other side could have been made yesterday they're so relevant and playable, coasting along with the kind of subtly jacking framework and dubby basslines that G Man made his own. All lovingly remastered at The Exchnage too.

finally repressed

These pieces produced by Modvs emulate and capture the atmosphere experienced in a forgotten city space. Mayfield Train Station stands in the heart of the city. A piece of Manchester's history that remains inhabited, abandoned and frozen in time. Much of the structure is unsafe, poorly lit and access is nearly impossible. Inside lies vast dark rooms, decaying platforms and crumbling brick walls. Modus takes it upon himself to explore such environments, taking inspiration and enlightenment that he injects into his music. This EP showcases the contrasting feelings one can experience when delving further into the darkness. All this also interpreted by Antonio Vazquez and Korridor

PL1 - The first track mirrors the foreboding nature of the dark open space deep inside the structure. Shards of light dulled by dust particles cut through holes in the wall. Droplets of water fall from the towering roofs echoing throughout the open cavern. Noises from outside the station rise and fall creating moments of suspense and fear. The mood enhances as footsteps rattle from room to room giving you a sense of what might have existed in a forgotten time. Delving further into the dark brings only loneliness and isolation.

PL2 - The second track leads you across the platform. A place once inhabited by the hustle and bustle of travelers awaiting their connection, now lays decaying and ghostly. If you close your eyes you can sometimes hear the faint sounds of steam and footsteps ascending the platform approach. A hypnotic but driving track that captures the essence of depth in the most captivating environment imaginable. Words can't describe the feeling of standing in a forgotten world surrounded by echoing memories, but music can.

Artwork photography by Modvs

So far our first releases has received support from Giorgio Gigli, Svreca, Ness, Iori, Orphx, Gianluca Meloni, Deepbass, Yuka, Cio D'Or, Exium, Eomac, Edit Select, Alan Backdrop, SNTS, Refracted, Casual Violence among many others! :)

After a first distinctive appearance in 2021 on the dynamic XX LAB compilation, Vel returns on the independent label leading this next release. "Era L" comprises a series of atypically structured tracks in which modern techno with minimalist tendencies becomes a model on which rich emotional soundscapes are carved. Sensual and complex, Vel's futuristic sound is well established throughout the "Era L" journey.

The obsessive "Inspire Me Jim" lays the groundwork for the alienating psychedelic vibe. Mixing lunacy and profound melancholy, the producer invites us on a sometimes tortuous journey, celebrating the female voice and its delicacy: “The world of femininity fascinates me.” This key theme resonates powerfully in her complex music: "The tone of my voice, the sharp percussion, and many reverb"

In addition, four club titles properly nourish the heart of the EP. All of them carefully carry unique rhythms and unexpected drum patterns. Vel’s spontaneity surprises the attentive listener, and claims the ultimate end of classical techno variations. There are frantic rhythms, multidirectional percussion, futuristic sounds, a few dreamy pads, and still a lot of femininity and lunacy."I look keenly for the unexpected, I try to explore sounds that challenge at first listen, creating strange, even disturbing textures. A mind-blowing trip, against a backdrop of galloping techno through our principal arteries."

Ultimately, "Limitless Wilderness" completes the EP with the distinct feeling that this is just the promising beginning.

"Era L" undoubtedly represents an excellent balance between body and mind, with both intriguing introspective atmospheres and captivating eerie sounds. An undeniably modern reinterpretation of rave energy and a sound design that eagerly pushes the established boundaries of techno.

Derek Carr on his own label Trident Recordings.

Smoothly grooves and minimal vibes inside. Carebears in love.

Hierarchy is a Berlin based project former known as A Sacred Geometry.

On his first Affin EP entitled "Tense" he creates a magical mixture of rhythmic-hypnotic set pieces that melt with distant clouds of sound and create spatial depth.

Repress

Fifth part in the very exclusive 'Schatrax' repress series. Handstamped 180 grams coloured vinyl.

No Way Records celebrates its 5th anniversary with a double 12” anthology of pure physical techno, defined by dark and crepuscular atmospheres that pays homage to 1975’s Dario Argento’s masterpiece “Profondo Rosso”. The first vinyl is purely dedicated to the energetic Sardinian scene, opened up by DJ Datch and Andrea Cossu’s sharp yet cosmic sounds. On the B side Ness & Kryss Hypnowave on their way to a black and white, hypnotic journey. Introducing the second vinyl is Craft with his sidereal journey, and Svarog continuing with his distinct drum machine. Sicarius Hahni gives the record a foggy and suspended mood, while Massa wraps thing up with warmer touch!

REPRESS!

Returning for 2019 with our first 12-inch release, Made in Green Records concludes Rooteo & Mahura’s opening salvo, with reinterpretations from the artists themselves and the label head putting their marks on already-outstanding material. Leading off the release, we find the original ‘Caxixi’ from their debut LP, Mettā, with its tablas and vocals rubbing against billowing clouds of bass and dubwise effects; Made in Green boss Vasco Ispirian turns in the first rework, a thickly layered, relaxed tempo dub techno trip. Barely- recognizable remnants of the original’s percussion and vocal lines occasionally surface out of the subaquatic haze before surging kick drums push them back beneath the surface. Appearing here under his recently-birthed 4NYØN3 project, Rooteo, best known as Marcos In Dub, closes the release with a pounding techno remake that utterly transforms his own & Mahura’s work. Squashing the original’s ambient sonics into unstable delay traps that reappear prominently in the breakdowns, he grafts this into stringent techno, adroitly wrought and with details to spare, the scrambled fragments of sound emerging between heavy drums and contributing to the dark and downcast mood that pervades the piece.

After two utterly essential releases on ae Recordings and Primary Colours in 2021, Altone once more delivers the goods for Lempuyang.

The label's eighth release brings together two of the most respected heads in the business on remix duties. Altone's deep & pulsing title track Vortex gets Yagya's glacial treatment on side A. Customization on the flip gets a Bluetrain rework; Steve's trademark Special Edition Dub giving the track a dancefloor edge.

What's the best way to showcase the upcoming album from Bluetrain on Lempuyang? Why, take two insanely heavy dubs from the Mosaic don, and plate them up with a roots-infused remix from none other than Deadbeat. Prince Morella staves off the munchies by providing the toast. Keep your ears peeled for the dub techno album of 2022, coming soon!

Vinyl Only. Limited

One sure thing about featuring Dan Goul in a MixCult release is that his music will always be big on emotion. Next up, “Upon Descent EP” edifices those delicious sounds that those star floating dancers are pulled to. The classy and sensual beats keep always under construction, making the range of the tracks infinitely expandable over time. This release is a very versatile DJ tool, but certainly for those who like to keep it graceful.

Follow Da Groove is pleased to announce Rico Casazza for its second strike. Waves of warm sounds ranging from dub to electro. An EP that definitely has a sensuality and a charm with 4 tracks that tell a story.

A unique approach from this energetic label that's really working for us down here. Techno/dub lush soundscapes galore...tip for ravers!

Dutch groove connaisseur Ivano Tetelepta returns to his home base ESHU Records. Presenting four tripped out originals accompanied by two excellent reworks by befriended artists Jasper Wolff and Ion Ludwig. The pack perfectly captures the loosely and laid back attitude of the label and Ivano himself, doing their own thing as always. The a-side is all about the groove, a stripped down and playful rhythmic jam built for a hazy late night session with Ion Ludwig turning this inside-out, transforming the original into a lengthy minimal dub version. The early morning sun rays bring the vibes on the flipside where 'Loosen Up' is an atmospheric 90s feeling techno floater where Indigo aera head honcho Jasper Wolff shakes this up with a fierce techno twist. As special addition there's a 7" where Tetelepta shows one of his enlightening dub meditations and a rambling early Mills-esque tribal work-out. The whole bunch is mastered by Marco Spaventi and will be released digitally and in special 12"+7" pack.

AND so the spotlight pans to Quantec. Having launched Neighbour Recordings with the Life Is Rhythm EP from Base Pilot, the studio collaboration between label owners Birke TM and Quantec, the imprint now turns to the latter for a solo follow-up with the muchexperienced artist turning in the tasty Moments EP. A self-confessed lover of old-school synths and their lo-fi beauty and emotion, this child of the Eighties naturally gravitates towards deep, dubby, Detroit-esque vibes and much more besides. You can hear it again in his latest work. The dramatic mesmerising synths of Inception are the most apposite aural appetiser, setting the scene perfectly for the main event and dovetailing snuggly with the dub-flecked deepness of Momentum I and the irresistible drive of the truly dope Nocturne. The pulsating, near-menacing throb of Momentum II explores different territory – that of techno – whilst the spacey, chilled groove of Diurnal is the perfect comedown from the EP’s more heady business.
Artwork: Marko Meth Mastering: Sam Irl
Words: Tim Gibney

2022 Repress

Continuing the theme of community collaboration sparked by Hodge and Simo Cell’s recent 12”, Livity Sound presents the first joint works by Azu Tiwaline and Al Wootton. While they come from distinct settings (Azu in the Tunisian desert, Al in London’s urban sprawl), their music shares a similar affinity for intricate percussion and dub-informed space.
The four tracks on LIVITY052 deal in a variety of rhythms and tempos, veering from the propulsive intensity of ‘Blue Dub’ to the sparse, skipping 2-step framework of ‘Light Transmission’. Azu and Al’s refined, detailed approach blurs the lines between electronic sound design and earthy sonics, resulting in dynamic drum tracks loaded with weighty atmospherics and unrelenting tension.
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 electronic music.

Following a debut appearance on the reverse label in 2020, Bristol-based artist Ido Plumes is back on Livity Sound with four tracks of experimental dance music for soundsystems. Plumes established his sound with pointillist drums and echo chamber atmospherics the first time around, and now he builds on that premise with a more dense and dramatic approach.
Plumes’ layered tracks follow non-linear narratives, switching lanes and exploring unusual, evocative landscapes while retaining a fundamental physicality. Longer form tracks like ‘Afloat’ cover a lot of ground across their run time, while the likes of ‘Been Here’ revel in audacious plot twists to create strikingly confident and original variations on the UK dance music tradition.
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 electronic music.

Shlomi Aber presents his third album 'Linear Equations'. The ten-tracker LP closes the ten years celebration of the label and follows his 2010 album 'Chicago Days, Detroit Nights' on Ovum Recordings. Through carefully crafted EPs on NonPlus, Figure, Be As One and more recently Odd Even and Drumcode Ltd, Shlomi's sound has continued to evolve and refine with his Linear Equation album. The LP opens up with 'Interior', setting the tone for an introspective journey that will take you from the dub infused techno of 'Echo Mission' and 'Fractions' to the acidic trip of 'Midnight Spooks' and 'Mod3333'. Hypnotic techno on 'Eimeon' and 'Fall Into Wonder' flirts with broken beats on 'Installer' and climax with the floating percussions and anthemic pads of 'State Of Sorrow'.

One of Bristol’s foremost electronic labels toasts 10 years with a 19-strong family gathering of adventurous, contemporary club music.

Livity Sound has evolved considerably since 2011. Originally it was established as a vessel for new tracks from Peverelist, Kowton and Asusu – three Bristol-based artists who found common ground between their distinct styles in pursuit of a reduced, heavyweight strain of soundsystem techno. A run of hand-stamped 12”s and a three-way live show followed, while the Reverse sister label provided a conduit for emergent artists to enter the fray. Early breakthroughs from Hodge, Batu, Bruce and Simo Cell pointed to the broader horizons Livity was heading towards – an expanding community of like-minded artists creating dancefloor misfits that somehow fit together.

First appearing with a compilation of remixes in 2014, Tess Redburn’s iconic artwork heralded a fresh new impetus for the label, and the music seemed to become more colourful in kind. While the founding principles of space, bass and fractured rhythms have largely abounded up to the present day, there’s been a progressively broader palette of sound employed. Technoid melodic shimmers, earthen percussion and found sounds have become as prominent as sub frequencies and cavernous dub echoes, delivered by a vivid and varied ensemble of producers.

Molten Mirrors captures the dynamic energy of Livity Sound at 10, with 19 artists from the label’s roster coming together to present an honest document of where the label is at in the present moment. No over-arching concepts, no hackneyed themes – true to Livity’s open-ended mode since 2011, it’s as much a declaration of community as a cross-section of experimental dance music in 2021. Trying to pin down the sonic styles is something of a fools errand – from the older guard to recent signings, what binds together this international, inter-generational span of artists is their lack of convention.

A case in point: Azu Tiwaline’s submerged and subdued rhythmic incantations sit between Bakongo (aka Roska)’s raw and angular drum pressure and Al Wootton’s needlepoint, swinging dub tech variations. Nothing is totally placeable, and yet everything meets that ill-defined Livity Sound ethos, which stretches back to the earliest 12”s.

Club music continues to mutate and break new ground with each passing year, and as a faithful document of one microcosm within an ever-expanding music culture, Molten Mirrors reflects the multifaceted, technicolour energy of the here and now while celebrating the possibilities of an open, unpredictable future.

St. Petersburg’s lion Mårble brings us his three-pieces electroacoustic dubbing of wind instruments, soft percussions, deep bass and blotches of pseudo-ritualistic undefined spoken words. Anton Glebov is a founder of Hair Del. Records and also known with his releases on such labels as Natural Selections, Not Not Fun and many others.

“A Lucid Dub” and “Metronomik” get the remix treatment for the companion 12” to Louis’ Metronomik EP.

Diahgonal and John Beltran handle the a-side with masterful remixes of A Lucid Dub.
Santiago Salazar and Shawn Rudiman add their knowledge to the techno discussion with their remixes of Metronomik.

The long awaited second instalment of our 4 part VA series.

Opening track ‘Dub Free pt.3 (Rose line mix)’ is a masterfully produced and mixed dub techno groove by Hiss Is Bliss. With skills at this level, there’s clearly more to come from this French artist.

On the flip, USA born Bukkha, digs into the deep dub techno trenches with Dub Envelope. Situated at 115bpm, a tempo with much possibility, Bukkha hits the nail on the head with ease and exposes a different side to his usual output.

Closing out this carefully curated 3 track 12” - Bristol talent Somah signs off with a dreamy dub break titled Knot Up.