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The fourth studio album „Pain Matters“ by Rico Friebe came totally unexpected to him as well as it comes to you now!

Deeply affected from personal occurences within the further realms that already spawned „Anthems For A Lost Generation“, Rico fell into an abyss where anything became possible – anything raw, spell-binding, meditative and bold as „Pain Matters“!

Sameheads & Mutant Radio are going a teenie weenie bit further and unifying their ongoing collab in plastic. The kind you play, not the stuff you throw away.
Released in Spring, at a party we’re throwing together in Tbilisi, this little beaut is a double sided 7”.
The MUTANTHEADS split 7” features some solid sound rep from both projects….
For Sameheads, Andrea & Alexander release their first material together, acting as a kind of trailer to an upcoming album released later this year on R-I-O. The track “Olias” finally gets its press after once being performed live at the fabled Sameheads festival “City of a Thousand Suns”… those were the days eh…..
On the Mutant Radio side, fresh talent TINA delivers her debut release, and for that matter, the first ever track Mutant have put onto a piece of vinyl….. The track “Vacation” is the squelchy black sheep counter balance to the silky synth vibe of the other side. Just how they like it.
The release will be up for pre-order from next week, and the digital stuff too…. Just the 300 copies available…… So,,, fix up look sharp……

25 killer library music cuts by the German film music maestro on audiophile pressing in deluxe 2x10" set. Uberrare and never released before material from 1968-1976, sourced from Peter Thomas' personal reel-to-reel tape archive. Limited edition of 500 pieces.

From brassy big band funk, space jazz, krauty synth experiments to proto-hiphop, cosmic schlagers, heavy easy listening, soulful soundtrack moods and absurdly dreamy LSD ballads, this compilation encompasses the composer's most obscure and yet most transcendent work.

Peter Thomas is widely acknowledged as Germany's most inventive film music composer of the 1960s and 1970, best known for his iconic soundtrack work. He scored over 600 films and episodes, from the crime blockbusters of Jerry Cotton and Edgar Wallace to indie arthouse films like Playgirl, Bruce Lee's The Big Boss and the extraterrestrial Space Patrol and Chariot of the Gods.

His recordings for music libraries often provided an even more leftfield approach. Their visionary 'dope beats' appeal provoked a keen interest from vinyl aficionados, beatmakers and rare groove DJs alike. Unavailable for the public, the original "for professional usage only" albums are now sought-after collector's items that fetch astronomic prices on the 2ndhand market.

This double 10" album is the definite selection of Thomas' best library cues from the Golden Ring Records, KPM and DeWolfe catalogues, many of them available publicly for the first time - plus four recently unearthed "lost" tracks from Warner Chappell's CPM Archive series that have never been released on vinyl before. All music was carefully transferred from Peter Thomas' private master tapes and cut in full dynamics, housed in a beautiful fold-out cover with liner notes and private pictures. The compilation was realised in cooperation with Peter Thomas' son Philip who takes care of the Peter Thomas Sound Orchester catalogue after his father's death in 2020.

Since we finally brought Countdown into the Acid Jazz orbit
four years ago, we have released a series of excellent records,
all tied to our own Ed Piller’s roots in the mod scene. After all,
Ed originally founded the label (with Maxine Forte and Terry
Rawlings), as an offshoot of Stiff Records, against the backdrop
of the mod revival of the early ‘80s.
Something that we have been looking to do for a while is launch
a special series of Countdown 7” singles, looking back at the
original Mod classics of the 1960s – and the time is now!
The first release is from the Fleur De Lys – who we have been
working with for some time – pairing their 1965 cover of Pete
Townshend’s ‘Circles’, with the first-time single release of their
cover of The Temptations’ ‘You’ve Got To Earn It’.
The band emerged from the vibrant Southampton scene with a
love of Soul and R&B, and were signed to the Immediate label
by Tony Calder, who had connections on the South Coast. Their
first single was ‘Moondreams’ (produced by Jimmy Page no
less), before their incendiary take on ‘Circles’ – a number
originally slated as The Who’s follow up to ‘My Generation’,
before getting caught up in legal matters. The Fleur De Lys
version remains one of the finest slices of the Pop Art Mod
sound, and is as fresh today as it was then. Originally released
to take advantage of The Who’s misfortunes, it was rushreleased and failed to chart. It proved to be their final release on
Immediate, before they signed with Frank Fenter.
‘You’ve Got To Earn It’ is from a tantalising, lost session from
1966 (which also included takes of The Impressions ‘Amen’ and
Don Covay’s ‘Sookie Sookie’). All that survived from the
session was an acetate of this amazing cut, found by group
member Gordon Haskell, from which this cut derives. We
originally released it as the title track of the first Fleur De Lys
compilation on Acid Jazz in 2013. It has never before been
available on 7” vinyl.

DJ Support: Fred P, Osunlade, Mark Farina

You never know what journey Boo Williams is going to take you on. These songs prove you know even less then you thought.

Unequal cycles in search of synchronous experiences: On his new album »Pounding«, Frank Bretschneider tells of distance, convergence and congruence in a continuous, ever-changing flow of events. What is often regarded as an unquestionable dogma in club music (for which Bretschneider has provided significant impetus since the 1990s) – the groove – appears precarious, unstable, and in motion. Pulse and accent are volatile encounters and have to be found again and again for short, delightful moments. Music becomes a constant process of negotiation.

In search of new sound spaces, Bretschneider has recently worked a lot with modular synthesizers, both solo (for example on »abtasten_halten«, 2020) and in collaborations, including the project Beispiel together with Jan Jelinek. »Pounding« was created using similar means – conceived in 2020 for the Pochen Biennale in Chemnitz, subsequently developed further and recorded in March and April 2023 on a sample-based modular system. And in fact, Bretschneider is once again exemplarily scanning his own sound material, such as dub effects that listen to themselves disintegrate; but also the human voice, or more precisely: the stuttering of fragments of speech, far in the distance but omnipresent, like a mysterious narration. Aesthetically, the eleven pieces form part of a series of works with a focus on percussion. Bretschneider has already perfected this approach with albums like »Rhythm« (2007) and has been shifting the perspective ever since, for ever new results.

Shifting is the basic principle of »Pounding«. Bretschneider combines elements that are in different aggregate states, changing their relationship to each other and thus ensuring the complex overall movement. He lets one to two-bar loops run against each other and through small manipulations, develops a network of rhythms that creates a hypnotic state in the counterplay of repetition and mutation, between clearly recognizable meter and disorientation. There are comparable approaches in aleatoric music. Bretschneider combines them with sounds and patterns that are reminiscent of step sequencer logic and at the same time go far beyond it. The result is relational techno. Never obvious, always restless and exciting.

This concept album, recorded between 2020 and 2023, compiles electronic experiments based on analog synthesizers and hardware sequencers. The focus was made on generative patterns and oscillators wave shaping, resulting in long and repetitive pieces, each being the result of a constrain intrinsic to vintage hardware.

It is on dark and sweaty dance floors that we get inspired, connect and leave our differences away to live in the present. With this compilation of music pressed in two parts and written by a set of artists from very diverse horizons, it is Polychrome’s perspective on the rave that we want to share. One where sound and light are the only points of reference, opening the space for liberating experiences.

The dance floor is also a space of self-reflection. The A-side is catered by two artists from one of our favorite collectives, De Lichting. With “A Reflection”, RDS opens up and shares a beautifully crafted house gem, providing for a soft and introspective yet groovy “eyes closed” dance. Nathan Kofi takes on the A2 with his unique deep house sound, layering sweet and cinematic synth sounds over an Afro-induced drum sequencing, creating a warm sonic envelope. On the B-side, James Free mixes acid synthesis, roaring bass line, and breaks to create a progressive and subtly melodic dance floor track, one that leaves you positively triggered. With the final track of the record, Rotterdam’s Mata Disk offers a glowing light over polyrhythms and very electronic noises, offering this body of work a deserved radiating curtain close.

Highly original material on a very limited EP... be quick!

POLYPHONIC WAVES OF SOULFUL MADRIGALS

The power of duality is an inscrutable thing: we’re endlessly fascinated by the interplay between light and darkness, East and West, voice and silence, our senses tingling from the compelling synergies that thrive in perceived opposites. Drawing from an urbane Antwerpian upbringing and a Moroccan family lineage, the Brussels-based multidisciplinary artist Younes Zarhoni, embraces these very dualities in all of his projects, exploring those murky areas of contrast and bringing all their ambiguous energy to crystal clear focus.

A longtime staple of the local electronic music scene with his hypnotic techno outings as YZ, Zarhoni’s latest focus is on the compositional power of pure harmony and silence: namely, his polyphonic renditions of medieval mystical poetry, sung in multiple voices and left to solemnly radiate beyond their given spatial grounds. Stripped of all instrumental accompaniments, what you get is Gregorian chant meets Boyz 2 Men, articulated by the lyrical ineffability of Arabic tongues and finding their rhythm in the silences that act as the juncture between observation and anticipation.

These sparse stanzas tread under an elusive referential threshold, conjuring visions of architecture and archaism, madrigals and MTV, the sacred and the profane ~ ostensibly disparate elements that seamlessly fold themselves into the radicality of the compositions. In these 20 minutes of verse, Zarhoni oversteps the margins of categorization to deliver an immersive story of song, flowing freely and sustaining the arc of the narrative long after it has ebbed into silence.

The second instalment from London Odense Ensemble digs deeper into the group's vision of what modern psychedelic jazz should sound like. Cut from the same sessions as Jaiyede Sessions vol. 1, released last summer, vol. 2 presents a more nuanced approach to the material. On this set the ensemble focuses on shorter, layered pieces - travelling from deep spiritual jazz grooves to gorgeous free-flowing minimalism to full-on acid jazz. There's echo-drenched flutes being absorbed into layers of analog synth pads and guitars, bossa beats and double bass sequences merging with electronics. It’s an intoxicating mélange of sounds and styles, spanning wide temporal and geographical distances. London Odense Ensemble came together when two of the finest exponents of London's flourishing jazz scene, flautist and saxofonist Tamar Osborn and keyboard specialist Al MacSween, came over to Denmark to explore new sounds with Causa Sui's Jakob Skøtt and Jonas Munk, as well as local bass player Martin Rude. For two days the group laid down grooves and ideas and experimented in the studio, and later the best segments were edited and mixed by Jonas Munk, who took a somewhat liberal approach to the mixing process, often dyeing the material with external effects and synthesizers. Jaiyede Sessions are the kinds of records that defy genre-terms, yet have its own instantly recognizable fingerprint. It carries a unique shared vision between the players of what modern psychedelic jazz sounds like. bios: Tamar Osborn: Saxophonist, composer and multi-wind instrumentalist is the creative force behind modal jazz ensemble Collocutor (On The Corner Records). She is a member of the Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra, performs and collaborates regularly with Sarathy Korwar, Jessica Lauren, Emanative, Ill Considered and DJ Khalab. Al MacSween: Keyboard player & founding member of Kefaya. Collaborations include American jazz legend Gary Bartz, Syrian qanun master Maya Youseff, London Community Gospel Choir, Palestinian jazz singer Reem Kelani & kora player Kadialy Kouyate. Martin Rude: Multi-string instrumentalist & lead singer in Sun River & Edena Gardens with members of Papir & Causa Sui. Jakob Skøtt: Drummer in Causa Sui with a slew of side projects on El Paraiso, including Chicago Odense Ensemble, as well as being responsible for the label’s visuals. Jonas Munk: Guitarist in Causa Sui & studio wizard on most releases on El Paraiso. Also works with a wide palette of electronic music.

Soela is the DJ and production alias of Elina Shorokhova, a Russia-born Berlin-based experienced pianist and vocalist who has made a hugely impactful transition into electronic music. Having released material on such labels as Kompakt, Dial, Shall Not Fade, Lost Palms, E-Beamz, Red Ember Records, Sushitech, and others, Soela joins the ranks of Scissor & Thread for this exquisite album - Dark Portrait.
The album opens in a typically understated manner with Unsuitable - a melancholic trip-hop adjacent track that sets the tone for the next 8 pieces. As Soela explains, “I was dealing with some very complex feelings, so I came up with this album, which helped me not to despair, to work on myself, to grow internally, and to start listening to myself. It helped me to keep sane when my country invaded Ukraine with a full scale war. It absolutely broke my heart, and music was one of my main salvations.”
This complex mix of emotions plays out across the album with tracks that utilize her beautiful musicality (Through the Windows feat. Francis Harris and Philipp Priebe, Drowning feat. Module One) and ear for details with skittering beats, ambient soundscapes (Spirits, Lost In The Fog) and lose-yourself dancefloor moments such as the collaboration with Lawrence on February Is Not Going To Be Forever. The title track Dark Portrait combines dubby elements with affecting pads and melodic touches, while the lead single Even If I Ask You Stay delves into multiple feelings around escaping toxic situations, and battling depression. It features a powerful vocal from Soela supported by a deeply affecting arrangement. The closing track The Darkest Hour Before Sunrise brings a sense of hope and light, balancing subdued keys and strings with ethereal tones and atmospheres

Following a run of successful digital releases, eloelo records presents its debut vinyl release, a multifaceted 4-track EP, featuring three original tracks by label head ELODIE and a remix from coveted producer Michael James.

The A side is headed by the title track, ‘Bohemian’. Consistently well-received, especially by those lucky enough to have heard it on a heavy-duty sound system, the track creates an immersive, euphoric atmosphere that oozes warmth and vibrant energy. Coupled with one-off hits and delightful ear candy meticulously sprinkled throughout, ‘Bohemian’ offers a feast for the senses making it impossible not to move to. Your ears and your feet won’t be able to get enough. Michael James' remix of ‘Bohemian’ transforms it into a peak-time anthem that ignites the dancefloor. His rendition adds a layer of intensity and excitement, characterised by his trademark percs and a thrilling breakdown that leads to an explosive drop, leaving revelers ecstatic every time it is unleashed. A proper ‘bomb’.

The B side takes a more emotive turn with two more original tracks from ELODIE. ‘Like To Dream’, envelops listeners in a dreamy, sense of deep introspection via complex soundscapes which have been expertly woven to create a mesmerising depth of sound. Its seamless blend of pads and synths create a profound journey, inviting listeners to lose themselves in this moving, mature track inspired by the Rominimal sound.

‘Pineapple Ice’ rounds off the EP with a mood that is both tranquil and experimental. The track’s minimalistic yet intricate composition offers a soothing yet intriguing auditory experience, balancing calmness with a touch of playful unpredictability. A dubby techno number which perfectly balances out the EP. ELODIE has stayed true to the production style that she is carving out for herself with an EP that stands to advance the label’s dedication to delivering unconventional releases that cultivate a distinctive and timeless minimal sound.

This is the second appearance on our Various Artists catalog for both Berlin-based acts, featuring individual and collaborative tracks from the artists.

Infamous for their industrial/EBM-leaning techno signature sound, Unhuman (Manos Simotas) and New Frames (Mathis Mootz/The Panacea/Squaremeter and David Frisch) join forces to elevate their production style even further.

Dancefloor killers for heads of diverse tastes, featuring one solo track from each artist per side, along with three complementary collaborative compositions. Side A showcases New Frames' fresh-sounding crossover of industrial and dubstep with the track "Dubplate", accompanied by the hard-hitting collaborative stompers "Commander" and "3rd Eye Cataract".
On the flip side, Unhuman delivers his own broken beat-industrial techno beast, "Cerberus", while the release concludes with the final collaborative techno track, "New Force".

Industrial techno heat brought to you by long standing specialists of the genre!

2024 Reissue

Ova Doce is one of the original ravers, growing up attending the illegal and legal gatherings across the Midlands, while also holding down a slot on a local Walsall pirate radio. Around this time he released his one and only white label record – the Feel The Rush EP. This was limited to about 200 copies and over the years ended up being a really sought-after releases, commanding prices up for £200+ a copy! In 2020 Nathan hooked up with Vinyl Fanatiks and we re-released some of the tracks form that EP along with other tracks he had recently rebuilt from demo’s he created in 1992 – Rediscovered #1 and Rediscovered #2.

Back again on Amen Brother, following on from 2021’s rave induced It’s The Wax EP – Nathan continues to pick through some of his demo’s from back in the day and rebuild them into fresh tracks alongside brand new material.

We hope you enjoy this brand new EP of authentic future rave classics that will no doubt will become collectable in the years to come.

Dark Entries again shines a spotlight on bathhouse disco don Patrick Cowley with a newly remastered release of Kickin’ In. Although Cowley tragically passed from AIDS-related illness in 1982, he left an extensive archive of unreleased tapes, many of which Dark Entries has had the honor of releasing. While working as a lighting technician at The City, SF’s disco cabaret, Cowley saw rising star Frank Loverde perform. Cowley asked Loverde to contribute vocals to some material in progress, and Frank, Linda Imperial, and Peggy Gibbons joined Cowley in the studio. The resulting songs included “Kickin’ In,” a 9-minute cybernetic disco stormer that taps into the essence of Cowley’s hi-NRG sound: equal parts spaced out and zoned in on the dancefloor. In May 1978 Cowley joined Loverde on stage at The City to perform “Kickin’ In” as they opened for disco diva Sylvester.

“Kickin’ In” was initially released in 2015 via Honey Soundsystem who found the tapes in the basement of Megatone Records owner John Hedges. This newly remastered version was made possible due to the discovery of the original multi-track recordings of "Kickin’ In," allowing for a fresh mixdown by Jim Hopkins as well as the creation of a new instrumental version. Also included are two impeccably sleazy Cowley jams recorded in 1980, “Thief of Love” and “Make It Come Loose.” Cowley narrates excerpts from his erotic journals on these raunchy slow-burners, capturing the vibe of SF’s leather bars and backrooms. “Thief of Love” features frequent Cowley collaborator Paul Parker on background vocals. This reissue of Kickin’ In includes features an illustration by Gwenaël Rattke that originally appeared Cowley’s erotic journal, Mechanical Fantasy Box, as well as a postcard with lyrics. “Patrick parted the veil and entered a dark world of forbidden vices, wondrous musical panoramas and bold, strident, hopeful possibilities. Patrick brought the future to us and laid it at our feet.” – David Diebold, Tribal Rites

MRAK unveils a six-track collection of new material. “This is a snapshot of my reality. It is a composition, a challenge, that I took not knowing the outcome and its price - the amount of logical mazes I had to overcome and I still am. The biggest honour and most humble experience is the possibility to feel any sparkle of emotion, providing fragments of the music and the reality that I’ve developed as an artist over the years. My imprint soul and commitment to melody are adamant, as is the pledge to deliver and be loyal to this abstract entity called music; that gently accompanies our lives.” MRAK As one of the founders of Afterlife, MRAK is now reshaping the afterlife paradigma. Introducing a sharp and elegant but distinctive musical equation. On The Pledge, he presents six compositions, all bound to the Afterlife ethos. ‘The World‘ featuring vocalist braev. Sombre piano keys and urgent strings accompany energetic synth layers. ‘The Process works from a hypnotic low end, supporting a solid melody that increases in intensity as the track develops. For ‘Their Law ’MRAK teams up with David Lindmer, crafting an undulating track with captivating melodies and harmonies. With ‘Portal ’the realm of consciousness beckons us in, with a female vocal reverberating intermittently, complementing the dark bassline and bright synth lines. Penultimate track ‘The Flame features braev and Canadian vocalist Wasiu for a three-way collaboration steeped in emotion. It utilises a heartfelt vocal alongside a spoken-word segment, striking the balance between emotion and high energy. Lastly, MRAK collaborates with Omnya on the remix of ‘Never Ends’. The main melody provides an uplifting vibration, juxtaposed with the darker elements of this journey to the close of the EP…

Seattle's own Manatee Commune (aka Grant Eadie) makes his long-awaited return to
Bastard Jazz with his fourth album, 'Simultaneity'. Lush and vibrant production is
familiar to his previous works, though Eadie has significantly matured in the activation of
space and character. A step away from standard songwriting, and a total disassociation
from lyrics at all, has made this record closer to the ambient genre than anything
Manatee Commune has released, all the while keeping one solid foot in the realm of
dance music.

'Simultaneity', as a whole, is an exploration of the collision between texture and time.
Captured recordings reminiscent of wind in wheatgrass, soft rain showers in the open
plains, and cascading beach sand wash over the mix, splashing into warm drones and
ascending melodies that cleanly syncopate against a steady rhythm. Though decidedly
electronic at times, a raw human element is ever-present in the form of a vocal motif:
just tiny moments of a loving voice lost in a sea of reverberation.

The album is a noticeably positive evolution from previous works. All nine tracks depict
a calmness and subtlety in musicianship, relying primarily on tenuous snippets of live
instrumentation and synthesis that hypnotically coil and coalesce with one another.
'Love Tone', the opening track, features Eadie's partner, a small voice memo clipped
and expanded into an ethereal vocal melody. A crisp felt piano delivers a complex
arpeggiation in 'Mosaic', a warm sonic bath scape reminiscent of Olafur Arnalds or
Kiasmos. Simple, undemanding bass lines drive tracks 'Path' and 'Faulted', though their
simplicity is contrasted with a variety of patterns that combine to create unique auditory
shapes, both building and landing in satisfying climactic movement. The album
culminates in the final track, 'Touch Theme', where a block of sound in the form of a
broad, open synthetic chord warms the ears, eventually twisting and shifting to rhythmic
chunks that shove against a familiar house rhythm.

Recut repressed !

Let's celebrate 5 years of 'Finder' together with Carl Cox & Matador!

2024 Repress

After 7 years and countless requests, Sneaker Social Club finally deliver a repress of Dream Cycle - Part One.

After a chance meeting at Gottwood in 2016 a bond was established between Dream Cycle (Robin Clarke) and label owner Jamie Russell over a shared love of 2 Bad Mice and Moving Shadow. It wasn't long before Clarke began channeling elements of that influence to produce his Dream Cycle Part.1 EP. Unfolding over 4 steppy tracks and an ambient closer, Clarke melds sharp snares, summery motifs, dense atmospheres and thick subs whilst keeping things suffused with a distinctly UK quality that marries his work perfectly with the Sneaker catalogue.

DJ Support: Ryan Elliott, DJ Die, The Blessed Madonna, Octo Octa, Bwana, Altered Natives, Noodles (Groove Chronicles), Liem (Lehult), Deejay Astral, LA4A, 2 Bad Mice, Fred P, Matt Karmil, Flori, Marco Zenker, J.Rocc (lol at comment!), Ajukaja, Gnork, William Djoko, Till Von Sein, Fold, ASOK, Gene Farris, DJ bwin, Seven Davis Jr, TRP, DJ Octopus, DJ Normal 4, Gerd, Dean Man s Chest, Poté, Doc Scott, Violet, James Welsh (Kamera), Konx-om-Pax, Etch, Raresh, Hrdvsion, Michael Serafini (Gramaphone), Frazer Ray, DJ Guy, Mak & Pasteman, Shenoda, Urulu, Mark Archer & James Zabiela, Zinc, Lehult, Jackie House, Mosca, Noodles (Groove Chronicles) & DJ Die.

Prolific visionary Yetsuby makes her debut on all my thoughts with a celestial concept LP that chimes into the deeper, inner emotions.

Yetsuby is the solo project of South Koren artist Yejin Jang. Since 2019 she has carved out a reputation as
something of a prolific visionary, with 6 albums, 7 EPsand a flurry of singles between her two projects to date. Her recent album “My Star, My Planet Earth” received the “best electronic album of 2023" award at the KoreanMusic Awards.

Beyond her solo work Jang is also one half of the critically acclaimed electronic duo Salamanda, which has been featured in Pitchfork, Crack Magazine, and Dj Mag. The duo also host a residency called “shadow dance” on NTS radio. Yetsuby’s debut release on Seb Wilblood’s all my thoughts label is a heartfelt and forward thinking mini LP.

Yetsuby’s debut release on Seb Wilblood’s all my thoughts label is a heartfelt and forward thinking mini LP.
The 6 track release effortlessly chimes into the deeper, inner emotions whilst providing a window into her
abundant breadth of skills through tantalising themes of sonic alchemy.

“I want to put comfort into the music and give some message to people who blame themselves” - Yetsuby

The resulting effect is a release that feels sincere and deeply personal but has a celestial magic about it that feels both kaleidoscopic and transcendent. It effectively creates a world for the listener to inhabit, whilst inviting them to connect with the album’s themes on a personal level.

Mastered and cut on 140g transparent vinyl by legendary mastering engineer Matt Colton at Metropolis Studios, London. Pressed at optimal media, Germany.

About the Album

‘Isthmus’ is Ross Tones’s 5th album for Houndstooth in 10 years.
It only seems fitting for it to return to the eclecticism of 2014’s ‘Mosaic’.

An isthmus is a narrow strip of land that connects two larger bodies.
The two islands contrast in time, topography, chaos and character.
One sears.
The other, buried by blizzards.
A land bridge fights the tide; offering harbour.

Connecting the estranged.
Giving battle to the noise.

It is uncertain who won.

Material Object is the main production alias of veteran Australian producer Andre Ruello. His focus is on the most psychedelic forms of techno and ambient. As well as his own productions he has collaborated extensively with Uwe Schmidt (Atom™) and the late Pete Namlook, including releasing on Namlook's Fax label. Ruello has performed and DJed live all over the world, including a number of appearances at Japan's Labyrinth festival. The summer of 2024 sees him give his debut live performance in the UK.


Mastered by Uwe Schmidt, Colour is a set of six single take studio improvisations that explore the boundaries of what can be achieved with a single instrument in the hands of a skilled musician.

Old Technology Records is Surgeon and Dan Bean's record label, focussing of psychedelia in all its varied forms.

140g transparent blue and green galaxy marble vinyl housed in a matte 3mm cardboard sleeve with lyrics insert featuring photography and artwork by Hidrico Rubens. Limited to 300 copies. The creation of ‘Chrysalis’ was a retreat from a seemingly endless string of unfortunate events, a cocoon from which Zanias could weave hope from hopelessness. In each of its eight songs she has engineered unique worlds to express alternate facets of the modern human experience, from burnout and the toxicity of capitalism to processing death and the inherent isolation of personal trauma. Written and recorded between Berlin and the rainforest of Queensland, Australia, the sound design of ‘Chrysalis’ reflects the rich biodiversity of the latter environment, where she drew much of her inspiration. Her voice shifts and morphs into ghostly, alien forms between catchy hooks that plant this album firmly in the ‘pop’ genre, without losing the underground rawness and lyrical depth for which she is known. With her third full-length album, Zanias is expressing her truest form thus far, fusing her seemingly discordant influences into a genre-defying electronic artpop, as dark and evocative as it is ethereal and uplifting. Written and produced by Alison Lewis Bass guitar on ‘Lovelife’ by Laura Bailey Mixed by Ewan Kay Mastered by Alain Paul Photography and artwork by Hidrico Rubens Sigil by Nat Soba Design and layout by Alison Lewis Makeup by Eavan Derbyshire

Pedro Vian and Merzbow release their first joint work, an unbounded expression of creativity and experimentation. Over the album's forty-minute duration, listeners can experience a blend of field recordings made by Pedro Vian at the DIA Bacon Foundation in NYC, specifically inside Richard Serra's sculptures. These recordings are interwoven with the ambient percussion and melodies characteristic of Vian's work, alongside the piercing and sharp computer frequencies produced by Merzbow, one of the most acclaimed artists in the global noise scene.

"Inside Richard Serra Sculptures" is both a complex and spontaneous piece, an abstract journey into the unconscious that may be difficult to grasp for closed minds. This work stands as a masterpiece of contemporary expressionism, merging ambient sound and noise in a way that challenges and redefines the boundaries of sound art.

The collaboration between Vian and Merzbow is notable not only for its innovation but also for its ability to transport listeners to a space where sound becomes an immersive and visceral experience. The use of Richard Serra's sculptures as a source of inspiration and sonic material adds a unique dimension to the project, emphasizing the interaction between physical space and musical creation. Photo by Alba Ricard

One of the key 45s in the output of Prince Jazzbo's Ujama label during the digital era of the late 80s - originally reissued via NYC's Deadly Dragon some 15 or so years back - gets a much needed new cut & press via Death Is Not The End's 333 series.

The late Earlando Neil aka Early B first started performing on soundsystems in the late 1970s, often appearing with his young apprentice Wild Apache, later known as Super Cat. It was alongside Cat that he is credited as a key driver behind the popularisation of the King Majesty and Killamanjaro stables in the early 1980s, following which he had a string of hit records for the likes of Harry J's Sunset imprint, Ossie Thomas' Black Solidarity and Jah Thomas' Midnight Rock label amongst many others.

Following a run of stellar LPs in the mid 1980s Early B's output began to wane as the sound of digital production began to take precedence, but not without firing off one the most killer shots ever recorded on a computerized rhythm for Jazzbo's Ujama in 1987. Reportedly the first time around for the hallowed Replay version, Imitator's subject matter takes aim at the new kids on the dancehall block ripping off the veterans, while he simultaneously pays hard-earned dues to the dancehall's foundation deejays such as Jazzbo himself, U-Roy, Big Youth, Dennis Alcapone, King Stitch, Trinity & Dillinger.

Damian Lazarus invites Kristin Velvet to Crosstown Rebels for ‘Wasp Nest/Get Down’, featuring and remixed by house icon Fred P. Delivering her first material on the iconic label, the Arms & Legs boss serves up two diverse productions, including a collaboration with Fred P, with the New York favourite also providing two slick interpretations of his own.

Rising to prominence over the past decade as an artist backed by a wealth of support from BBC Radio 1, Australian-born DJ/producer and label boss Kristin Velvet has garnered consistent support from The Blessed Madonna to Fat Boy Slim and Carl Cox, seamlessly blending her roots with influences from her adopted homes across the globe, including London, Tokyo and most
recently, Berlin and Ibiza. Collaborating with Felix Da Housecat while releasing material via Josh Wink’s Ovum Recordings, Cassy’s Kwench and Hot Since 82’s Knee Deep In Sound, plus her own Arms & Legs which she co-manages with Daniel Steinberg, she continues a busy 2024 with a visit to Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels for the very first time with her two-track EP ‘Wasp Nest / Get Down’ - featuring a collaboration with house pioneer Fred P who also serves up two trademark, deep dives.

Warping and twisting, armed with robust drums and ever-evolving synths, ‘Wasp Nest’ is a trippy excursion through an amalgamation of textures, delivering a driving production with twists and turns at every moment, while the slick ‘Get Down pairs crisp percussion and smooth grooves with Fred P’s iconic vocal for a classy house outing. Delivering his own takes on the production, Fred P’s first reshape is a delightful dive through dubby pads and hazy chords before serving up a cosmic excursion across his ‘Deepness’ reshape to close things in style.

We’re glad to be back with the second installment of our new series of DJ and Artist curated 12” mini compilations: Melodies Record Club.

Ben UFO is up next for volume two, following Four Tet’s selection a few months back. Available early October in loud 12” format and digitally. Here we have two tracks which have been staples in Ben’s DJ sets at different times, but neither were originally produced with a club setting in mind, which is why they’ve never been available in this format before.

On one side, we have “Drums” from Laurie Spiegel’s 1980 experimental electronics album “The Expanding Universe”, a collection of tracks produced between 1974 and 1976 using a computer playing the actual sounds by controlling analog synthesis equipment under control of the GROOVE hybrid system developed by Max Matthews and F.R. Moore at Bell Labs. Drums is a percussive seven minute computer generated workout inspired by Laurie’s interest in African and Indian musics, and which brings to mind the most far out kosmiche music of the period to modern day techno. A connection Ben has tried to make explicit by including it in his first BBC essential mix back in 2013.

On the flip we have a track by Olof Dreijer from the Swedish band the Knife who’s work you might also be familiar with under the moniker Oni Ayhun. Back in 2009 his artist friend Adnan Yildiz curated an exhibition called “THERE IS NO AUDIENCE” in Montethermoso, dedicated to public imagination. Adnan commissioned a single piece from Olof called “Echoes from Mamori”, that played on loop during the exhibition and was subsequently released only on CD. A contemporary piece more clearly indebted to house music, Olof built the track around arpeggios generated using sounds of frogs he recorded in the Amazon and birds around Berlin, fed into a sampler.

A vibrant kaleidoscope of sound, colour and emotion, British multi-hyphenate James Alexander Bright's new album 'Cool Cool' is set for release on 26th July via Athens Of The North. A dynamic set of urgent funkers, gentle soul ballads, head-nodders, fuzzy folkers and straight-up disco bangers span 10 songs that soundtrack fertile daydreams, esoteric dancefloors, languorous reflection, and wild excursions in nature and beyond. James' voice, pitched somewhere between Eddie Chacon, Beck and Michael McDonald, takes a confident lead on this new record. Whether tenderly caressing on the title track's beautiful soul minimalism or deployed passionately on boogie machine 'Straight Line'; it's an immediately recognisable signature. Impressive multi-instrumentalism sees him perform on guitar, bass, keys, programming, percussion, production and myriad quirky effects; across song subjects that cover searching for truth, imagining the distant future, teen nostalgia, relaxation exploration

Maria Rita is a musical pioneer that was ahead of her time. On first hearing her song, 'Cântico Brasileiro No.3 (Kamaiurá)’, we thought it sounded like a contemporary remix that an artist such as Carl Craig could have produced. In fact, it came out in 1988 and was taken from Maria's 'Brasileira' album, released on the Brazilian, independent Acorde imprint. The song would go on to gain cult status with its inclusion on John Gomez's superb 'Outro Tempo' compilation, released on the Music From Memory label in 2017.

The album fuses new-age electronics with indigenous vocals and Amazonian rhythms. It is beautiful and unique and takes you on a journey through different moods, textures and ethereal planes. Through the sounds Maria created, you join her on a timeless voyage gazing into the future whilst embracing her powerful roots.

Maria Rita Stumpf was born in the southern inland of Brazil, in the mountains of Aparados da Serra. She started writing music at the age of 14, and through participation in festivals and song contests, she developed her material and sound. A move to Rio de Janeiro in 1985 furthered her career and led to the release of the 'Brasileira' album. The record features the legendary pianist Luiz Eça, alongside the group Uaktí and Ricardo Bordini.

1993 saw the release of 'Mapa das Nuvens (Map of the Clouds)' on CD via the Leblon label, but soon after, Maria would have a hiatus from the music industry, dedicating herself to her cultural and arts agency, Acorde. She left the stage and recordings behind, but quality always shines through and years after its original release, international diggers, producers and DJs rediscovered the greatness of Maria's music. This would lead to a re-issue of the ‘Brasileira’ LP, and later Optimo Music/Selva Discos released a 12” EP of ‘Brasileira’ remixes by Selvagem, Carrot Green and Joakim. Maria also spoke at the Red Bull Music Academy Festival in São Paulo, performed at both the Kino Beat Festival and the Brazilian leg of the Dutch festival, Dekmantel. Her two latest albums received critical acclaim, ’Inkiri Om’ in 2020 and ‘Ver Tente’ in 2022. At last, Maria has got the credit and kudos she deserves, inspiring new and future generations of producers and music lovers.

Though previously re-issued, it was after a conversation with Maria that we learned that she wanted to keep this sublime record in press, and this was something that we couldn’t wait to put into action. So here it is, the Mr Bongo pressing of ‘Brasileira’, housed in a gatefold cover.