quête:mo style

A1: The Exceptional Producer Stenny Has Been A Munich Resident For A Few Years To Be As Close As Possible To His Musical Home Port Of Ilian Tape. Here He Once Again Proves What A Perfectly Mixed Supergroovy Breakbeat Board Is.

A2: Janis And Fabian From The Live Duo Aka Trap10 Do Not Hide Their Musical Ideals. In people Zoo' It's Classic But Classy, according To Old Detroit Style And Chicago Tradition.

B1: Jonas Friedlich's Eps On Molten Moods And Four Triangles Are A Good Example Of What Techno's Style Is All About: Tape Delay Is His Weapon Of Choice, Often With Vocals And Rarely Straight Beats. With jazzersizzzze' He Ties In Masterfully To It.

B2: P-t2 Has Become An Integral Part Of The Red Sun (club Rote Sonne) In Just A Few Years, Indulging Her Fondness For The Harder Pace Of Club Music. Accordingly, Their Rfr Post Is An Acid Board, As It Is Written In The Book.

Aaja is a UK based cultural project encompassing a space, label and parties. Not following too many fads or trends. Aaja is an audible quest for deep and raw club rollers and late night neon tales.

For AAJA001 we're pleased to gather 4 friends and artists in their own right for a diverse, inaugural 4-track Various Artists EP. Commencing proceedings on the A1, 'Abzent Mindz' by In:State & Guili lets rip. Following their recent 12" on Not An Animal, this ever-giving cross-European collaboration churns out something that is both functional and emotional. TIP!

For A2, whilst this might be the start of his production journey, Ady Toledano is a permanent fixture on Berlin's queer club scene and we're excited to share his latest production. Regularly spinning at Cocktail D'Amore, Buttons at About:Blank & Riot,
Toledano delivers 'Rare Earth'. A deep, ceremonial journey best suited for those late night, deep in the rave moments and let's be honest, mornings. Flipping the 12" over for B1.

The third track of the EP is produced by Everson. One of the co-founders of Aaja teases sample-work in an out of a grinding, tool style track bridging busy, UK influenced percussion and influence with slower, sledging techno.

Finally, Alex Richards finishes off the VA with 'Platform' on the B2. His words about the track... 'messing about making noises'. Richards lends the compilation a superlative, building and stripped back tune. Suited equally to the early doors as it is the
early morns.

Repress!

First Word Records is very proud to present the debut album by Children of Zeus - 'Travel Light'. It's been a long road leading to this album for Tyler Daley and Konny Kon.

They first embarked on their expedition into the music game two decades back - Tyler entered the scene as a songwriter, producer and vocalist, originally under the moniker Hoodman, whilst Konny began MCing, DJing and beat-making for hip hop crews The Microdisiacs and Broke'n'£nglish, along with DRS & Strategy.

To date, Children of Zeus have released three sell-out singles on First Word ('Still Standing', 'I Can't Wait' and 'Slow Down') and a compilation EP comprised of tracks made by the duo over the last decade entitled 'The Story So Far...'. Children of Zeus are finally at the stage where they are releasing their debut album proper, the over-riding ethos of which is about keeping their eyes on the road ahead, whilst shedding the baggage they've accumulated over the years - 'Travel Light'.

Features mainly come from Manny family, ( K S R ), LayFullStop, Metrodome (Levelz) and former Broke 'n' £nglish spar DRS. Guest production comes in the form of Switzerland's Sebb Bash, Nottingham's Juga-Naut, and London's Beat Butcha, and there's your favourite DJ's favourite DJ,

Mr Thing, slicing up the turntables on two tracks too. There's a few extra special ingredients on this album, along with their trademark sub-heavy, rhodes-laden hip hop soul hybrid. Reggae music has always been an integral piece of the CoZ sound-system ethic, so we see Tyler putting on his lover's rock hat for 'Hard Work', and they invite soul queen Terri Walker to join them on the fierce 'Sling Shot Riddim', while the album closes with the epic K15-produced jazz-bruk opus, 'Vibrations', on which Konny breaks it down quite simply: "high frequency means that you travel light, so get lifted yo, we'll live gifted".

Long as the journey has been, the time for looking back is over. This is about the present and future of Children of Zeus. A shining light in Manchester's now-school, and rightly heralded by many as the best new act to emerge in British soul music in the past decade. Aside from the above features, this project is written, performed and produced entirely by Tyler and Konny.
Since the crew first took flight, the end destination has never changed, the aim remains the same - to create timeless music, in their own unique style, without compromise, irrespective of industry and life distractions. The moral being this - travel light.

First Ever Vinyl Reissue, Limited Edition To 500 Copies Only, Bonus Tracks Not On The Original Lp, Remastered Sound, Insert With Liner Notes By Nick Rossi And Photos, Beautifully Housed In Three Back-flapped 1960s Uk Style Picture Sleeve ! The Wynder K. Frog Story Evolves Around Mick Weaver. After He Switched From Piano To Organ He Joined A Band Named The Chapters That Would Soon Be Renamed Wynder K. Frog And Perform Material From James Brown's Flames, Booker T. And The Mgs Or Even Songs Learned Through Georgie Fame's Recordings And Graham Bond's Repertoire. Wynder K. Frog Moved To London And Became Regulars In The City's R&b Scene Playing At Swingin' London's Clubs Like The Tiles Or The Marquee. A Contract With Island Records Was Secured And -under The Wings Of Producers Like Chris Blackwell, Guy Stevens, Jimmy Miller Or Gus Dudgeon- Wynder K Frog, A Name That Would Eventually Be Used As A Pseudonym For Weaver More Than A Proper Band Name, Did Some Some Amazing Hammond Organ-ized Recordings And Issued In Three Lps And A Bunch Of Cool 45s.

At The End Of The 1960s, Weaver Would Quit The "band Scene" To Become One Of The Most In Demand Session Musicians And Throughout His Career He'd Be Heard Backing Names Such As Eric Burdon, Roger Chapman, Dave Gilmour, Keef Hartley, Alexis Korner, Ralph Mctell, Taj Mahal Or Otis Rush A.o, But His Lps As Wynder K Frog Are Classic Hammond Sound From The 1960s Uk And Will Appeal To Those Into Brian Auger, Graham Bond, The Artwoods, Zoot Money, Jimmy Mcgriff, Booker T. & The Mgs And The Likes.

Out Of The Frying Pan

Released At The End Of The Summer Of 1968, And With A Host Of Session Musicians That Included The Brass Section Of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Producer Gus Dudgeon Helped Weaver / Wynder K Frog To Improve The Results Obtained On The Debut Lp And Get One Step Closer To The Live Action. The Formula Was More Or Less The Same, Instrumental Hammond A Go Go Covers Of Hits From The Era, Including The Rolling Stones' "jumping Jack Flash", A Funked Up Version Of The Classic Tommy Tucker Blues Number "hi Heel Sneakers", An Exploding Cover Of "tequila" Or The Standard "green Door", But It Also Included The Sensational Weaver-penned "harpsichord Shuffle".

* "Of all the dubplates in my bag from this last few years, the ones I've selected most often have Walton's name scribbled on the sleeve. 'Black Lotus' is a unique creative statement; I'm very proud to release it on Tectonic and to support Walton, who I believe is a true talent." Pinch

* On July 6th Tectonic recordings presents the game-changing second album by 26 year old Mancunian Sam Walton, better known as simply Walton.
* 'Black Lotus' follows his inclusion on Tectonic's landmark 100th release - Riko Dan's 'Hard Food' EP, plus the 'Praying Mantis'/ 'Koto Riddim' 12' (also on Tectonic) and the 'Taiko' EP on Kaizen - the latter two of which hinted at the album's sound, but didn't fully prepare us for the brilliance to come.

* Abstract electronics, grime, dubstep and new styles that don't even have a name yet coalesce perfectly on this classic in the making. It finds Walton at peak power, reaching just as far (if not more so) than anything on the Pan, Different Circles, Boxed or Tectonic catalogues for pure futurism and new-terrain-traversing brilliance.

* Spacious and modern sounding, with just the right amount of grit, on 'Black Lotus' Walton has taken things the next level - setting an impressive new high bar. This is the best music to take inspiration from far eastern culture since Photek's seminal 'Ni - Ten - Ichi - Ryu' and 'The Water Margin'.

* Cinematic may be a term bandied about too often, but on this record it unquestionably applies, with the whole thing playing out like an epic movie, full of highs, lows, action, reflection and changing scenes.

* The album kicks off with 'Black Lotus', which makes it quickly evident that this isn't just another generic longplayer; a weightless/sino style intro segues into a mystical kalimba line, which is then is enveloped by huge waves of synthesized, pitched-down brass.

* 'Point Blank' offers locked, harsh mechanical funk, full of aggravated excitement, before sleek, spacious grime and disguised pop garage achieve twisted anthem status, on the hugely satisfying 'Koto Riddim'.

* 'No Mercy''s Yakuza crime riff is perfect for Riko Dan's threatening menace, especially at the point his voice gets distorted into a guttral and unsettling, demon-like wretch.

* 'Mad Zapper' is abstract, comprised of simple yet challenging beats, tones and stutters, whilst 'Angry Drummer''s taiko/kumi-daiko style percussion has a rousing, heavy thump.

* 'Pan' sounds equally enthralling whether soundtracking a dark movie scene of impending danger, or carying enratptured ravers on a danceflor journey, especially one suited to the synapse-prodding drama of a high production, lazer-heavy festival set.

* Choppy drums and bouncy bass tones are laced with the georgeos melody of 'Ehru', and 'Vectors' is sleek 'n' deep breakbeat-garage-meets-IDM.

* Although already known for elements of musicality, Walton raises his game even higher with the beautiful closing track 'White Lotus', which has a wow factor akin to hearing Aphex's Twin's 'Jynweythek Ylow' for the first time.

* 'The title came from the idea that I wanted it to be sweet and melodic in areas, but dark and grimey at the same time', recalls Walton. 'I never really listened to much Japanese and Chinese music before working on this, and that element originally came from listening to a lot of Sino grime stuff. It wasn't until I was deep into the process of making the album that I started listening to loads of traditional stuff on YouTube for melodic ideas, which changed how it turned out. The whole dubstep techno crossover thing was also a big influence.'
* 'I'm really happy to have Riko Dan & Wen on there', he adds. 'I've done a few remixes of Riko tunes which have had a great response, so it's been wicked to get some original material done together. The track with Wen was first started a while back, so I'm glad it was finally finished and will see a release.'
* Walton has been steadily gaining serious clout through releases since 2011 on Hyperdub, Keysound, Tectonic and Kaizen, with supporters including Mumdance, Logos, Slimzee, Laurel Halo, Wen, Hodge, Mary Anne Hobbs, Giles Peterson, Paleman, Teki Latex, Commodo, Loefah and Kode9. Key club, festival and radio shows include FWD at Plastic People, Fabric, Outlook, NTS, Rinse and BBC 1xtra.

Salvador Font studied violin, clarinet, composition and harmony at the Conservatori Municipal de Barcelona, but very soon started to gain notoriety as a saxophonist in the rich jazz scene of 1940s Barcelona. Font would soon be playing tenor sax and clarinet in the Orquesta Gran Casino. He was in his early twenties and his hot swing technique was already praised through the citiy's scene, he would grow to be considered the best saxophonist in Spain by playing in many orchestras and combos, among them: José Puertas', Antonio Vilá's Virgina, Bonet de San Pedro's band, Pierre Michel, El Lirio Campestre, Los Marios, Luis Rovira y su orquesta, Orquesta brasileña Fon-Fon, Jaime Camino, Los Embajadores, Italo Leone's... With these and others, Font toured constantly, visiting many countries and even staying on some for long seasons: Mexico, Morocco, Switzerland, Egypt... Hungarian violinst of Turkish ancestry Kurt Dogan gave him the "Mantequilla" surname - he felt "Mantequilla" (which means "butter") fit Font's mellow yet swinging improvisation style.

Mantequilla y su conjunto

In the early sixties, "Mantequilla" had the chance to lead his own combo, Mantequilla y su conjunto, with which he was to record the three splendid EPs that are compiled on the present album. All these 7" have become elusive collector pieces in the record market, with sellers demanding from 200 to as much as 950 euros per copy.

In 1961 "Mantequilla" was at his best moment, his gigs at the Jamboree Jazz Cava had brought him back to the first line of Barcelona's jazzmen after he had been working abroad for a long time, and was approached by the Belter label to record an EP. On the sessions he was accompanied by Manolo Mercedes on trumpet, Pedro Ferré on piano, Rafael Lizandra on double bass and Rafael Verdura on Drums. The material chosen for the disc were four original compositions by Salvador Font which had a high West Coast flavour all over: "La Tuna Club", "Whisky Jazz" and "Jamboree" named after famous jazz clubs and "Azul Trompeta", dedicated to Manolo Mercedes.

In late 1962, after spending some time in Madrid working as members of the Italo Leone combo, "Mantequilla" and pianist Manuel Gas came back to Barcelona for the recording of the second "Mantequilla" EP, also on Belter. We find again Manolo Mercedes on trumpet, Pedro Ferré on piano and Rafael Lizandra on double bass, the drummer this time was José Farreras. Another news is that Manuel Gas also sat on piano and vibraphone. The songs chosen for the occasion were two tunes from the Art Blakey Jazz Messengers repertoire: Bobby Timmons' classic "Moanin'" and the Jacques Marray track "No Problem" from the soundtrack of the Les liaisons dangereuses film (mispelled "Not Problem" on the sleeve and label), plus the Salvador Font penned "Blue Note" and "Full de ases" - on "Full de ases" "Mantequilla" trades his sax for the violin, which he also mastered under high influence from Stephane Grapelli. The record was released on Belter in early 1963 and showed "Mantequilla" adding a certain aggressivity to his sound, in a soloist style which has been compared to that of tenor saxophonists Barney Wilen or Benny Golson.

1965 was the year of release of Mantequilla y su conjunto's third EP, now on the Discophon label. Mercedes and Farreras are again present in the recording sessions, joined by Ricardo Miralles on piano and Enrique Ponsa on double bass. Four original Font compositions make up the fantastic EP: "Blues 3/4", "Atmósfera", "Vat 69" and "Balada".

There would be a further EP on Belter, released in 1971 as Mantequilla Group it was a cash-in operation to take some redits of the ye-yé discothèque phenomenon, it gets quite afar in style from the jazz works of Mantequilla y su conjunto, so we just left it aside for the present edition.

"Mantequilla"'s career would continue, in 1968 he would settle in Majorca and form a swing band with Bonet de San Pedro and Manuel Bolao. He played in local orquestras and also with first class world acts like Gerry Mulligan, Tete Montoliu, Errol Gardner, a.o. He was even approached by Henry Mancini to play sax on The Pink Panther Theme in a gig Mancini did with his orchestra in Palma de Mallorca in 1975, He also joined his son Salvador Font (a demanded drummer himself who has played with Máquina!, Orquestra Mirasol, Música Urbana, Gary Burton Quartet, Georgie Fame, and many others) and his peers Carles Benavent, Emili Baleriola, Josep Mas 'Kitflus' and Jordi Bonell with whom he recorded his acclaimed "Mantequilla" album in 1987.

Now, for the first time ever, the legendary three ultra rare and imposible to find EPs by Mantequilla y su conjunto are compiled in a lavish vinyl LP with remastered sound, featuring liner notes and photos and a fantastic period inspired, three backflaped, front laminated sleeve. It is a stricly limited edition of only 500 copies and they are expected to sell out very soon, do not miss your chance of getting yours - it may be the last chance of chasing the Mantequilla sound on vinyl at a reasonable price!














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In 2017, Benedikt Frey released his breathtaking debut album with the ESP Institute, Artificial, and now as we finally come up for air, we're more than proud to offer an eclectic collection of remixes that's nothing short of essential. Side A leads with H For Hysteria remixed by a beloved hero, Nicolas Chaix a.k.a. I:Cube, one of the most prolific and respected electronic artists Paris has to offer. His touch is considered and elegant, imbuing the track with a tasteful 303+808 backbone to support an array of patiently floating melodies and angelic vocal samples. Following this, Tolouse Low Trax of Du¨sseldorf's infamous Salon Des Amateurs remixes the same track, stripping instrumentation down to a skeletal palette of bass guitar and stabbing percussive punctuations, chopped up inna minimalist stylee that has become his beat-making signature. Side B leads with a remix by another Du¨sseldorfer, DJ Normal 4, whose re-imagination of Private Crimes takes us for an even more menacing ride, half-timing the tempo and skillfully rolling out a barrage of jungle snares from rave days of yore. Closing the release is the most aggressive remix of them all, a bonafide techno beatdown of the same track by DALO, the co-producing artist to whose haunting vocals lace the original version. Her dark vision opens with sparse industrial drums that blossom into a driving assault of raw machinery, definitely not for the faint-of-heart. An all-around solid release here, fun for all the family... more than just the tip!

For its tenth year as a label, 4Weed Records proudly presents Zion Kingdom, a special EP we've been working on since long time. A feature between historical sound system Dread Lion Hi Fi, also active as producer and promoter, and Mr Biska, this release is enhanced by legendary Henry Tenyue's trombone melody, aka Matic Horns, and it is mixed, dubbed and mastered by Steve Vibronics.
Over the years Matic Horns has been collaborating in studios and live performances with the best Jamaican and English talents such as Gregory Isaacs, Freddie McGregor, John Holt, Luciano, Aswad, UB40, Horace Andy, just to name a few. Dread Lion Hi Fi crew is a historical Italian sound system, that has been a reference point for the reggae vibez in Italy, promoter of historical events such as the Milano Dub Club and the Dubwise Festival, where the best producers, singers and selectas of the international scene have been hosted. The combination with master Steve Vibronics was born far away in time, from a consolidated relationship over the years that brought about this collaboration.
The track opens with a magical trombone melody by Matic Horns that perforates the pad carpet laying down the whole tune while indicating the path, a victorious march to Zion. The guitar riff, which perfectly fits to the trombone melody, introduces the drop of a deep overwhelming rhythm that transmits the desire of moving and dancing, and at the same time a spiritual mantra for high meditation. The production is enriched by three different dubs, mixed and made unique by Steve Vibronics' technique, reverbs, filters and delay, a very guaranty for the lovers of Uk Dub in roots and culture style.

Following the release of his Projector EP earlier this month, Daniel Avery has enlisted revered London producer Four Tet aka Kieran Hebden for a remix of 'Quick Eternity', taken from the former's long-awaited second album Song For Alpha.

Hebden flips the warm, undulating synths and crystalline percussion of Avery's original in his own inimitable style, building shimmering, skittering flourishes before a pneumatic final half.

Always Seen With A Smile On His Face, Inja The Poet, Lyricist, Storyteller And Unparalleled Master Of Ceremonies Presents His Debut Album On Hospital Records. His First Drum & Bass Focussed Long-player 'blank Pages' Flexes His Lyrical Style With Heartfelt Sentiment, Roughneck Flows And Quick-fire Wordsmith Wizardry. All Partnered With Heavyweight Productions From Pete Cannon, Nu:tone, Logistics, Serum, Whiney And Anile.
Inja's Back With Partner-in-crime Pete Cannon On 'war Games'. A Funky Bassline Lays The Foundations For This Fear-fighting Tale. As The Breaks Roll Out Inja's Militant And Deep Rhetoric Puts This Track On A New Level, With Signature Percussive Flair From The Sought After Hip-hop Beatmaker.
Inja's Spoken-word Piece For Amnesty International 'she Just Wanna Dance' Was A Viral Online Hit In 2017. It's Now Been Given A Turbo-charged Re-work By Med School Young-gun Whiney. Inja's Poignant Commentary On The Prolific Problem Of Harassment In Club Culture Sits Atop A Grimey Half-time Stepper That Switches Up Into A Lethal Upfront Roller.
Inja Proves He Can 'juk' Any Riddim In 'samurai'. Serum's Steppy Beat And Woofing Bassline Balances Inja's Story Of The Samurai, Slicing Through The Tune Like The Lyrical Sensei He Is.
even With A White Page And Black Ink, You Can Spell Out More Colour Than The Eye Can See.' - Inja

* 7" vinyl
* 300 copies
* Featuring Planet Asia (Cali Agents)

2 songs on a limited edition 45 - 300 copies, all straight SP1200. Both songs featuring Planet Asia with one of the tracks featuring one of PA's friends Waz on the hook.

Fredfades & Sun Raw are keeping alive the gritty, analogue sound with 12-bit drums and loops but with their own unique style. Fred has been working with KingUnderground for the last 3 years and has a flock of releases. Sun Raw from Stockholm, Sweden is new to the crew but about to drop his debut "Beat Weeks". The duo are both part of Mutual Intentions crew and find inspiration from old music, from Jazz, funk, soul, rock and anything they find in the crates.

Planet Asia has been affiliated with KU from early on with a release and some features. Some MC's have been left behind, Asia isn't one of those. He's been kicking out better and better verses since he first showed up on the scene in the early 90's and it doesn't look like he's stopping anytime soon.

Funky DL steps into the arena with his highly demanded album 'Blackcurrent Jazz 3'. Seamlessly weaving his boom-bap style with jazz breaks throughout every track and topped with his smooth and often intense flow, his lyrical ability is top shelf and the beats are at an unequalled standard of excellence. The album showcases some of the finest Jazz Hip-Hop in the scene as it shifts through varied styles of Jazz and Jazz moods. With features from the Nujabes collaboratives Cise Starr and Substantial, the entire set oozes with golden droplets of musical magic moment after moment. The tone is set immediately as the album starts and continues an incomparable and superb standard of quality music right up until the final track.

'syncho Sound System & Power' Features The Music Of Nigeria Fuji Machine,
Which Includes Some Of The Country's Finest 'fuji' Master Drummers And Singers, And Is Newly Recorded By Soul Jazz Records In Lagos, Nigeria. Fuji Is The Heavily Percussive And Improvisational Style Of Nigerian Popular Music, At Once Modern And Yet Deeply Rooted In The Traditional Islamic Yoruba Culture Of Nigeria.
Here On This Album Nigeria Fuji Machine's Striking And Powerful Lead Vocalist Taofik Yemi Fagbenro Soars Above A Wild And Energetic Backdrop Of Polyrhythms Played On Traditional Talking Drums, Trap Drums, Electronic And Street Percussion To Create A Powerful Wall Of Intense Sound. Fuji Is A Hi-energy Street Music, Heavily Percussive Which Evolved Out Of The Islamic Celebration Of Ramadan, Which Became A Major Event In Mid-20th Century Lagos. Groups Of Young Men Walked Through Muslim Neighbourhoods At Night Singing Improvised 'wéré' Music To The Accompaniment Of Pots, Pans, Drums, Bells
And Anything Else Available, Waking Believers For The Early Morning Prayer. By The Early 1970s This Music Had Crossed-over Into Popular Nigerian Culture Where It Came To Be Known As Fuji, First Made Popular By The Artist Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, As The Music Began To Be Performed Commonly At Parties And Social Events. In The 1970s And 1980s Three Nigerian Artists - King Sunny Adé, Chief Ebonezer Obey And Fela Kuti - All Secured International Major Record Deals Bringing Popularity To The Nigerian Musical Styles Of Juju (adé And Obey) And Afro-beat (fela Kuti's Unique Mixture Of Highlife, Funk And Jazz) Abroad, But In The Process Ignoring Much Of Nigeria's Rich Musical Landscape. Fuji Is, Alongside Highlife, Juju, Afro-beat, Sakara, Afro-reggae, Waka, Igbo Rap, Apala And Numerous Others - One Of These Central Styles Of Nigerian Music. The Singer Barrister Described The Music As Follows: 'fuji Music Is A Combination Of Music Consisting Of Sakara, Apala, Juju, Aro, Afro, Gudugudu, And Possibly Highlife.' Juju Performer King Sunny Adé Described The Difference Between The Two
Styles Of Fuji And Juju Somewhat Competitively Thus: 'fuji Music Is More Or Less Like My Music Without Guitars. It's Like I'm Singing In A Major Key And They Are Singing In A Minor. The Music Itself Is The Music Of Juju Music.' Today Fuji Remains A Powerful Popular Music With Deep And Powerful Islamic Roots
Which Continues To Modernise And Attract New Generations Of Young Nigerians And Nigeria Fuji Machine's 'syncho Sound System & Power' Is A Powerful And Intense Musical Experience. This Album Is Released As A Limited-edition Heavyweight Vinyl Edition (+free Download Code), Deluxe Cd And Digital Format.

When Michaela Meise performed at WestGermany at Kottbusser Tor in Berlin-Kreuzberg on March 20, 2015, accompanying herself on the accordion, I was perplexed. I knew her first album from 2010, which was about hymns (»Preis dem Todesüberwinder«, originally released on Clouds Hill, available as a download and stream through my label from July 2018 on), but what she was playing weren't spiritual songs! I wanted to put this music out on my label: the songs sounded sad, aloof and wistful but also proud, determined and unerring.

The album title »I am Greek« is a tribute to Melina Mercouri's album »Je Suis Grecque!«, which was released in 1971 when Mercouri was deprived of citizenship by the Greek military junta. Mercouri lived - like Mikis Theodorakis and many other cultural workers - in exile. Meise's album is dedicated to the chanson scene of post-war Europe, whose songs were popularly folksy, but also political. Some talk about the experience of war, the Shoah and labor migration. Michaela Meise has translated the Greek, French and Romanian songs into German (with the help of Aliki Marini and Carmen Gheorghe) so that the lyrics are understandable to a German audience, a gesture that was also common in the European chanson scene. More than half of the songs are by Mikis Theodorakis. He knows the translations and new recordings, gave his blessing and just noted a wrong tone ... The other pieces on the album are by the French artists Barbara and George Moustaki and the German musician Alexandra. There is also a Romanian folk song.

The album was recorded by Michaela Meise together with members of the group Isolation Berlin as well as the guest singers Carmen Gheorge and Dirk von Lowtzow (Tocotronic). The producer was David Specht (Isolation Berlin).

Michaela Meise and me both have intimate relations with Greece - Michaela has innumerable holiday memories with parents and brother, I have a friend who lives in Athens and whom I have been visiting regularly for about ten years now. This friend, the graphic designer Vasilis Marmatakis, styled Meise's album using an impressive, scary photograph taken in May 1985 during the occupation of Polytechnio Athens. Together, we opted for an elaborate packaging made by a bookbinder, a so-called Japanese tip-on-gatefold cover. The packaging reminds us of the records that were made in Greece for export and taken by German tourists as a souvenir back home.

The second release on WERK is signed by J. Manuel. The young producer has been polishing his sound ever since he first started experimenting with electronic music gear as a child. His commitment to following his own instincts rather than conforming to what was being played around him resulted in a very different aesthetic to the one commonly associated with Berlin techno.

Drive Fiction EP stands proof of that. All 3 tracks push boundaries in their own style, that being perhaps the strongest link between them. The title track 'Drive Fiction' presents old-school leads over broken beats and electro inspired pads while the A2 'Falling in Sine Circulation' is arguably the most dance floor oriented track, with a pounding 4×4 kick drum and an alarming 3/4 sine wave slaying the high frequencies. Closing the EP is B-side 'Softer', a melodic track with long, undulating pads that is nonetheless driven by a powerful rave-inspired beat.

With its second release, WERK comes to confirm the Path it seeks to travel through both parties and releases: that of the sounds less rigid. Gritty, wild and presenting a wide range of rhythmic patterns, Drive Fiction EP is a defying record. Challenge accepted

A much welcomed reissue of the 1978 Idris Muhammad gem 'Boogie To The Top'. Released a year after, arguably, Idris' most well-known anthem, 'Could Heaven Ever Be Like This' the similarities in style and composition are clear. Expertly produced, rich instrumentation, expansive drum fills, gospel tinged full-bodied vocals, all the while epic and life affirming in it's nature - what more could you want

Young Pulse steps up on the b-side, to add his own subtle touches and tweaks to the original. Looping the guitar and echoing out the vocals whilst working in more of the synth lines. The addition of a crisp clap and extra percussion add an element more vibrancy into this mix, keeping the original feel intact whilst revitalising it for 2018.

Laura Jones returns for another EP outing on her label. Despite weighing in with an incendiary first release that found Mandar's SAM remixing Infuse's Karousel and a follow up from Jones that included one of the sadly departed Trevino's final remixes, the label took a backseat to the birth of her daugter in 2017. A year on however and the pace has picked up with an EP from renowned modular wizzard Kamran Sadeghi at the start of the year and this latest EP from the label boss. The two originals are a snapshot of her evolving style. Pathway places skippy beats and sub heavy kicks under a soaring chord sequence, abstract vocal samples and ethereal pad riff. Tough Crowd takes a moodier approach with a menacing sub bass and drum arrangement, bubbling filters building to a hook that unfolds halfway through to create a moment of formidable intensity. Lee Renacre's recent revival of his 100 Hz alias courtesy of well received outings on Slow Life and Bosconi among others, has found the producer on career-best form and he turns in a sublime remix that makes deft use of delicate top lines and bubbling oscillators to create a powerfully heady atmosphere.

The Four Tracks Composing All My Time Reveal A Unique Bird's-eye Perspective Over The Contemporary Pop Landscape, With Its Ambiguities And Fictional Public. By Developing A Personal Approach In The Bosom Of A Universal Notation, Mechatok Informs Naturally His Compositions With A Deep, Emotional Insight. Ornate But Undisposable, All My Time Glides Through The Skies Of Today's Music With A Rejuvenating Melody. Limited Edition Vinyl. Includes Dl Card.Timur Tokdemir Aka Mechatok Hails From Munich But Now Calls Berlin His Home. With His 2016 Debut 'see Thru' Ep On Staycore The Young Producer Exhibited A Rare Gift Of Honing A Distinct And Unique Style At Quite A Young Age. The Title Song Was Accompanied By A Captivating Videoclip Shot By Benjy Keating On The Stairs Of Athens' Panathenaic Stadium, Able To Reflect Both The Wide Scope And The Intimacy That Defined The Compositions. Mechatok Also Attracted Attention Thanks To The Single 'still Life' (co-produced By Toxe) Which Scored The Kenzo Fw 2016 Prints Presentation. The Allure Of Mechatok's Compositions Can Be Partly Traced Back To The Fact That He's A Classically Trained Guitarist, But A Distinct Expertise Can Also Be Recognized In His Dj Sets, Where He Instinctively Juggles Melodic Pieces With Club And Pop Music, Conveying Feels From Vulnerability To Bliss. In His Mixes For Dazed And Mixmag, Mechatok Tells Stories Of Melancholy, Always Radiating With A Moving Energy. Mechatok Has Also Shown His Face As A Top-notch Pop Producer, By Providing The Instrumental For Uli K And Yung Lean's "schemin" Or By Remixing Sinead Harnett's "rather Be With You" Or Mr Mitch And Palmistry's "vpn", Which Got Recently Published On Planet Mu.

Marquis Hawkes is an alter ego adopted by long time electronic music producer Mark Hawkins, founded for his house music focussed activities. Hawkins decided it was time for a reboot after being head-hunted by old friends Dan Monox and Kenny Wasp, who had just founded Dixon Avenue Basement Jams in 2012, particularly as the material differed from what he'd previously released.

Hawkins solidified his sound during this period, taking influence from house music's Chicago, Detroit and New York home bases alongside the UK's deep house sound. Fusing these styles with contemporary production values, he developed a style synonymous with his Marquis Hawkes alias.

Whilst branching out to release on other labels like Clone and Cremé Organisation, he caught the attention of London club fabric's artist-led label, Houndstooth. They signed him on a long term deal, giving visibility to his DJ profile that meant he could play music full-time.

In 2016 his debut album 'Social Housing' was released to critical acclaim, and the following year, a stellar string of releases on Will Saul's AUS Music label culminated in the ubiquitous club and festival hit, 'The Basement Is Burning'. A track inspired by Hawkins' own shocking experience of a fire in his apartment block, it was played heavily on radio across the summer of 2018.
Looking forward, this new 12' EP for Houndstooth under the Hawkes alias is scheduled for release on June 29th, and features a vocal collaboration withUrsula Rucker, Hawkins is also pursuing other music projects and identities, some known, like his Juxta Position project, which he uses for more industrial but groove based techno material, but others which are more incognito, and may well remain as such.

Austin Based Experimental Collective Thousand Foot Whale Claw Is Back With The New Cosmic Full Length black Hole Party, Out June 29, 2018. Featuring Members Of S U R V I V E, Troller, Single Lash And Future Museums, This Is The Supergroup's Second Lp And Their Most Accomplished Work To Date. Inspired By Progressive 70's German Kraut-rock, Thousand Foot Whale Claw Maintains A Classic Style While Establishing An Original Voice. With Album Art By Renowned Contemporary Sci-fi/fantasy Illustrator Kilian Ang, black Hole Party's Aesthetic Is Cohesively Curated Throughout Its Dense, Multi-layered Track List, Ranging From Serene Sound Baths To Driving Dance Beats.

Tfwc Was Founded In San Marcos, Tx By A Core Group Of College Friends Who Bonded Over Loose Collaborative Jams Of Effects Driven Improvisations. Eventually These Unstructured Practices Evolved Into Refined Studio Sessions And Intense Live Performances, Leading To A Rich Discography And Enthusiastic Fanbase. Balancing Repetition With The Unexpected, Tfwc's Sustained Motifs Slowly Reveal The Band's Signature Free-form Experimentation. Known For Heavy Walls Of Guitar And Electronic Drones, Tfwc Spirals Into Circular Rhythms And Looping Riffs Stacked With Shredding Guitar Solos And Ambient Soundscapes. Explorations Spurring From A Central Theme Is The Basis For The Band's Compositional Approach, Always Seeking New Instruments, Sound Sources And Production Techniques For Each Piece. Recorded And Engineered At Stassney Studios In Austin, Tx With Producer/artist Dylan Cameron, black Hole Party Has Become The Band's Most Defining Body Of Work Thus Far.  

On black Hole Party, The Polished Structure And Acute Development Of All Six Tracks Is Distinct And Tangible, Making This Record More Composed Than Any Of Their Previous Releases.  Propulsive Songs Such As deridium Rail' And The Album's Title Track Are Driven By Four-on-the-floor Dance Beats And Arpeggiated Synthesizers, Contrasting Songs Like genesis Effect' That Predominantly Features The Natural Tones Of 12-string Acoustic Guitar And Harmonium. The Wide Variety Of Sonic Flavors Is Reflective Of Tfwc's Vast Musical Tastes, Refusing To Settle On One Approach And Allowing The Band's Idiosyncrasies To Shine Regardless Of Genre. To Classify Tfwc As An Instrumental Psych Band Is Only Partially Accurate, However There Are A Lack Of Proper Terms To Fully Encapsulate The Band's Broad Scope. Black Hole Party Is The Latest And Brightest Collection Of Songs From Thousand Foot Whale Claw, Meant To Be Enjoyed In A Multitude Of Environments For All Fans Of Expansive Listening. 

Newly signed to Rhythm Rollers, Mr. Wonderful & Technical J introduce The Boss, a 7' vinyl scratched masterpiece with outstanding production and a compilation of diverse and unique scratch samples to DJ/Producer to utilize.
This unique piece of vinyl has a 'Skip Proof' scratch side dedicated for the DJ/Producer with over 4.30min of vocals, drums, synths, bleeps and basses that can make any DJ/Producer standout from the rest.
The Boss is a live Studio scratch track that will have any crowd rocking.  Super low sub frequencies, punchy drums and ear pricking scratches that only Wonderful and J could produce.
Samples
Choosing the right samples for our record was the major focus for this release. We wanted DJ's to standout from the crowd, so spent considerable time getting vocalists and secessionist in the studio to record some very individual samples for DJ's to use.
Skip Proof Technology
'Skip proof' technology - is a way of recording scratch records so that they do not skip from one sample to another. This is achieved by first calculating the time it takes for one revolution of the record (1.8sec). Once you have this information you can then customise your DAW to that specific measure (133.3333bpm). Then layout your samples so they repeat at the start of each bar.
Extra Deep Grooves
The record plant cut extra deep grooves perfect for the more aggressive style of scratching we all love (these will not jump). Making sure the weight of the vinyl was correct giving that nice feel and long lasting audio sound.

As naturally as X-Altera came to be, the music itself is a unique refraction of styles and bold, contradictory approaches. But it all blends together uncannily well—maybe because of the decades of production experience that went into it, or the holistic mindset Mullinix took from the beginning. The name itself reflects as much. "X-Altera references two things. It comes from Latin—ex altera—which means 'from or of the other side.' Which could be a metaphysical thing, or you could say it's jungle ethics brought into the techno world. And I spelled it this way as a reference to X-101 and X-102, the Underground Resistance project of Je- Mills, Mike Banks, and Robert Hood." Detroit meets London, deep techno meets drum & bass, old meets new—X-Altera unites these threads in order to take them in unknown directions.A fresh debut from one of the most vital electronic producers of the last 20 years, Tadd Mullinix (Dabrye, JTC, Charles Manier), who looks to the past of techno and jungle to find a new ways forward.

After three major releases by Tell, Nachtbraker and S3A, its time for debuting Italian artist Verner to close our beloved Trophy Quartet. This Milanese key virtuoso is ready to blow your mind with this eccentric yet humble ep, taking you on an emotional journey. Long stretched pads, playful chord progressions, organic percussion all produced with analogue 70's and 80's vintage synthesizers and drum computers in Verner's studio reminding us a bit of Harvey Sutherland and Nu Guinea's style. We're talking groove, funk, jazz but also house and soundtrack style compositions which together form a very complete record carefully A&R'd by Nachtbraker.

Drop the needle on the A side and you'll start off with L'inizio, a majestic piece of synthwork. Hurdling through different emotions and vibes, this could easily be the intro of one of your favourite 80's tv series. Upset takes you on a happy groovy tour whilst Crash of the Web Era and The Motion Pictures take us on a trippy and ambient voyage that is hard to wake up from. When flipping the record to the B side, Verner is stepping back into the groove and funk with Tecladista, arguably the dance floor hit of this debut EP. Starting of with again a majestic synth intro Area drops into a festive funk and jazz bomb with some intricate synth work treating us with some lovely solos. Closing this versatile EP is Late Night Job, a deep, deep tune with a thriving baseline and mesmerizing synths.

We suggest to don't sleep on this one and have a listen to this piece of art by the very talented Verner.

Scottish Producer, Stephen Lopkin Is Back On M>o>s Deep With A Great Double Pack Of That Gleaming Sound We Love Him For! Tip!
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Having Released Two Eps On The Label Since 2014, Stephen Lopkin Now Steps Up To Mos Deep With A 2x12" Release Entitled Clyde Built, Recorded In His Home Town Thornliebank. The Scottish Artist Has Been Making Prickly House And Techno For Almost A Decade. His Style Is Serene And Slick, And Across The 10 Tracks Here He Manages To Conjure Tracks That Work In The Club But That Come With Plenty Of Cerebral Qualities.

He Never Made A Secret He Takes A Lot Of Influence From Early Detroit Techno, Even Several Track Titles Pay Direct Homage To His Musical Heroes Like Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Carl Craig And Also The Track New Euro Politique Is Made In Memory Of The Late Uk Producer Matt Cogger Aka Neuropolitique.

'welcome To Nowhere' Kicks Thing Off With Languid House Grooves And Jittery Percussion, 'matrix' Is Awash With Swirling Pads And Astral Grooves And 'new Euro Politique' Is A Blizzard Of Kicks, Panning Percussion And Arpeggiated Synths That Glows Bright. There Are Darker, Driving Cuts Like 'fridays At Pure', Trippy Offerings Like The Title Track And More Thoughtful And Pensive Jams Such As 'qinosen'. The Final Three Tracks Are Busy, Electrifying Pieces That Fire Every Synapse With Their Sci-fi Fx, Crisp Drums And Cinematic Atmospheres.

The Whole Album Is Wrapped Up In Majestic Synth Work And Every Track Reveals More Layers With Each Listen. Offering A Sublimely Complex House And Techno Sound, These Tracks Look Back To Go Forwards And Do So With A Real Timelessness.

LOYOTO are the East-Berlin born Eva Be and Cle from the western part of the formerly dived city. Both started their DJ and producer career almost at the same time in the heart of the then developing scene, the very center of Berlin, just after the wall came down. Originally rooted in very different styles of music, they encountered for the first time DJing together in 2011, finding common ground in more than just music - a gig, that should lead to more: They decided to combine their talents and knowledge and build a studio together. Here, and during legendary back2back DJ sets, they finally united their different musical backgrounds - dub/reggae and underground house music - and defined their very own sound.

MotorCity Wine Recordings returns in fine style with its second EP featuring a swashbuckling blend of house and jazz sounds from Detroiters and their compatriots. Rising live techno star Haz Mat leads this 12' with a house-tinged boogie funk cover of Blue Six's Music & Wine', complete with vocoder and massive drums. Kuumba Reunion Band slides through next with the Afro-Jazz number 3 Fingered Fist (Jabbar)', a cut loaded with hand drums and chunky saxophone solos for the jazzdancers and listeners alike. MotorCity Wine guest and London native Aroop Roy kicks off the flip with a dubbed out beatdown house joint, a brilliant midtempo track perfect for the dread moments of the night. Last but certainly not least, The Hughes/Smith Quintet finish the release with an uptempo Jazz-Funk piece, with generous amounts of Fender Rhodes and call-and-response melodies. Only 500 vinyl pressed— enjoy the soulful sounds of Detroit.

Longtime friends and production partners Ali Çakir and Soren Jahan launch their new label Hörru with a 4 track EP. Hörru will focus on releasing vinyl from Düve as well as personal projects from Soren, Ali and friends. Konsekvenser is a reduced house banger for the club, 808 live jam style. Nej takes things a step back and with a little more attitude, saying no to you in the crowd. Uzay Kök is a hard dripping trance exploration. Beluc closes the EP with a dialog between voice, flute and Eliot Bates on the oud.

Following the success of Joey Negro's 'Produced With Love' album, four of the album cuts get the remix treatment from an all-star cast of producers each with their own particular flavor.

Kicking it off Chicago legend Ron Trent takes the original funked out, Arthur Russell flavoured, 'Distorting Space Time' and turns it into a deep house groover complete with a strong walking bass alongside adding a soul & richness to the elements that only he knows how. Crackazat step up next to take on 'Lactican Boogie' crafting it into an uptempo piano driven, emotionally charged stomper sure to do some damage this summer.

Flip it over and Lay-Far delve into 'In Search of The Dream', adding squelchy synth stabs and a deep bass to give a more hard hitting edge to the track whilst retaining that disco flavor with Angela Johnson's emotive vocals.

Closing out the e.p. Fouk come full circle, bringing their hazy, jazz tinged style to 'Distorting Space Time' - building the remix around those warm Rhodes chords, shuffling rhythm and dynamic bassline.

Gold once again from the Z Records camp!

Smoove & Turrell's second single outing from their album 'Mount Pleasant' is a double helping of up-tempo dancers for those that like to shake it...

Never one's to stop experimenting and pushing their musical boundaries, this single is a perfect example of exactly that, featuring two tracks with massively contrasting styles but with a quality of song writing and production that these guys have got down to a fine art in their years together.

'I Feel Alive' is a tasty electro disco cut inspired by a hedonistic night in Paris. It's the perfect blend of Smoove's trademark groovy productions with Turrell's sweet tones and honest relatable lyricism. Keys man - Mike Porter gets a chance to engage the arpeggiator function on his synth collection as he and the rest of the band create a host of spacey sounds to form the backdrop of this catchy number.

On the B side is 'Mr Hyde' - a beast of a track that opens with energetic live drums and a memorable guitar riff that form the backbone of a rocking tune that sees John Turrell manically singing through a distortion effect delivering the lines "I'm Jekyll and baby you need to hide" in a suitably menacing style...

Fusing garage rock, psyche, northern soul and pop sensibilities it's a Frankenstein's monster of a track that works on multiple levels with the lyrical subject matter.

As a Dutch label, we're proud supporters of the homegrown sounds of guys like Nachtbraker, Frits Wentink and Fouk. Adding another Dutchie to our list of exquisite producers, we present you 'Pitto' with his debut on Heist Recordings. Pitto is a musically omnipotent creature, venturing into deep house with the underground hit 'Richklap' on Wolfskuil back in 2012 and dreamy electronic pop with his album 'Breaking up the Static' on Sonar Kollektiv and Virgin. He has also moved beyond producing his own music, running 'Studio Stekker'; a Dutch music festival that focused on freeform creative interactions between musicians where the artists performing on the festival locked themselves up a week in advance in Kytopia (Colin Benders' synth paradise) to make new music together. Through this, he's worked with people like Kyteman, Matthew Johnson, Sebastian Mullaert and Colin de la Plante, better known as 'The Mole', who is also present on Pitto's Heist debut with a remix.

The 'Late night studio moves' ep is one of varied styles, where Pitto's inspiration from African music, jazzy and soulful samples becomes evident. He finds his 'funk' in repetition, clever sample combinations and combining electronic and live elements in the most organic way.

'Late night studio moves' finds its basic groove in an African percussive loop. Over the 9:26 minutes, the track slowly adds elements, chopped African chants and piercing synth hits. It's all really dreamy and energetic at the same time, but it is when the bass and main keys kick in, that you really feel the euphoric vibe of the track. The Mole chose to remix this track and he turned it completely upside down, both in vibe and tempo. His version is an atmospheric and mesmerizing downtempo track, where the percussion works in an intoxicating way and bells, birds and chants move in and out of the spotlight.
Pitto's second original track on the ep is the mesmerizing 'Treat me like a fool'. 16th hi-hats, claps on the hats, and a chopped piano loop set the mood here, but it's the vocal that steals the show. A mantra like 'You love me' builds up and breaks down into 'you love me like an angel, but you treat me like a fool'. Each time, the track builds and builds, never quite giving in to a massive drop, but instead, focuses on the stripped back soul that is the heart of the track.

'Jazz kids' evolves around a jazzy bass loop and a set of quirky African percussive elements that you could imagine Henrik Schwarz making if he were in a more leftfield mood. A syncopated synth melody filters in and out throughout the track and a basic kick and hi-hat combo keeps the energy going strong on this on.

We're proud to bring you this deep, dreamy and provocative EP by Pitto and hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do.

EMEX is the emergent project of George Apergis, owner of Modular Expansion based in Athens & Berlin. EMEX "ZEX" is the forth vinyl release on Modular Expansion Records and comes after the release last January on Credo Records. The EP includes 2 unreleased EMEX tracks, "Function Mode" a hard kicker with minimal acid synth-lines, go beyond into a pumping futuristic version and "Electrical Highway" transpires from harder realms to acidic basslines and trippy arpeggios. The b-side is an EMEX version on George Apergis smash hit from 2013 "Ekhowax", a perfect club tool edit with a unique US Chicago style, an instant hit.

Dilated Pupils is a collective group of likeminded friends home-based in the Netherlands. When forces are joined in one of their many studios each individual brings his own influences and styles to the table. Together they share a distinct flavor in productions and raw one-take jam sessions created with the use of analogue machines and often recorded on tape. Each of them have their own solo productions as well as other collaborations, but when united as Dilated Pupils they prefer to be known jointly as one entity with their own unique and distinguished sound. Since 2014 the group has developed an interesting and widespread discography with releases on labels such as Fear of Flying, Sol Asylum, Mode of Expression, Tabla, Music is Art, Dorcas, Make Sense and Mayak.

Following on from the release of FBA21 Collected Works 1996 -2017, which was released November 2017 Matthew Puffett decided to wrap up the project, with a handpicked selection of artists to remix key tracks from the compilation. Amongst these figures are some significant influences on Puffett`s early years The set includes Kirk Degiorgio, whose reworking of 'Cross Dissolve' reimagines the track in full machine mode, serving up a slab of driving techno for the main room. A fan since the early 90s, Kirk and Matt have been in contact over the years, culminating to this powerful re-creation. Steven Rutter (B12) has also reworked 'Cross Dissolve', but in contrast to Degiorgio, Rutter's mix brings out an almost abstracted, ambient mood, a characteristically expressive and textured piece from one of the leading figures in UK electronica. Hardway Bros, Sean Johnston (Andy Weatherall's partner in 'A Love From Outer Space) tackles 'Mourning', a piece of melancholic euphoria. In typical Johnston style, Sean slows it all down, bringing it to a mid-tempo Balearic vibe. A big influence on Matthew in the 1990s, Lee Grainge used to work at the infamous Fat Cat records. A renowned arbiter of sounds, Grainge turned Matt onto countless records from Detroit and beyond, which was crucial in shaping FBA's sound. Here, he remixes 'Diagram', in a manner reminiscent of classic dub techno, Basic Channel. Another influence on FBA's sound is former Eevo Lute Muzique boss from Eindhoven, Stefan Robbers. FBA recorded a mini album for EevoNext in 2009, and the pair team up again here to reinvent 'Machines Can Help'.

the producer, multi-instrumentalist, DJ and record collector Gabriel Cyr AKA Teleseen releases 5th album 'The Emotional Life of Savages' via French imprint Goldmin Music.

African rhythms, Latin heat and otherworldly electronics collide like neurons, processed through a New York state of mind. The pancontinental sounds are mirrored in his own life, which has oscillated back and forth between various countries.

A jazz background combined with a love for house and techno are ingrained in the grooves. Also key is the samba, baile funk and MPB that inspired him while living in Rio de Janeiro, plus the sounds he reabsorbed on returning to NYC's club scene.

This wide range of influences spanning the global underground coalesces into a rich, vital and coherent whole. Warm and soulful, but also evoking an intoxicating, heady atmosphere, the hypnotic and ultra-rhythmic tracks subtly shift and build to fever pitch, due primarily to deft polyrhythmic drums and percussion - both played and sequenced.

"Working on this record I finally found myself able to manifest a certain sound I'd been hearing in my head for years, combining the rhythmic intensity of afro-house and afro-Brazilian music with the more cosmic sounds of Detroit and deep house", explains Cyr on his musical vision.

The gentle sundowner glow of 'Myrtle Avenue' with its textured synth waves and wandering Parrish-esque keys acts as a precursor to the potent nocturnal adventure to follow: 'Espelhos' captures a similar essence to Black Science Orchestra's classic 'Save Us (The Jam)', before the heat goes up and heads go down for the eastern-tinged, autotune-laden fire of 'Khalil'.

The album then intensifies further still on the percussion-heavy, big bottomed cosmic throb of 'Jaguar', whilst Brazilian flavour meets tech house rush on 'Fundos', before the party reaches its feverish close on the wiggling batucada- meets-tribal-house of 'Temporada De Seca'.

Born in the north eastern United States, as an adult Cyr has always been nomadic. He has sought to live and immerse himself in other cultures and absorb their sounds, but eventually always succumbs to the Big Apple's magnetic pull. Back home, a key inspirational catalyst for the album was the Brooklyn-based party Africainoir, where he's a resident DJ.

Alongside cutting his teeth producing illbient/hip hop and working as an engineer, he ran his own studio for period, before starting his own label Percepts, on which to release his dub techno style debut. He has since released on 100% Silk, Boomarm Nation and Feel Up Records, and now 'The Emotional Life Of Savages' marks Teleseen's first album for Goldmin.

WHITE RING mark a triumphant return with a brand new full-length Gate Of Grief, due out on Rocket Girl on 22 June 2018. Their debut album arrives a full eight years since their benchmark EP, Black Earth That Made Me, which sold out almost instantly, making their records some of the most highly sought after on the underground scene and earning them a cult following across the globe. Swerving from aggressively abrasive to beautifully ethereal, musically they draw from varied and challenging palette, whilst tackling themes of loss and acceptance due to struggles with drug addiction and existential dread on a broader scope.

WHITE RING were originally formed by Bryan Kurkimilis and Kendra Malia, before they were joined by Adina Viarengo, with Bryan and Adina currently touring as a duo. One of the most acclaimed proponents of the "Witch House" movement, WHITE RING blend heavy, distorted electronics with eerie, unsettling vocals. However, their new material, created over the course of seven years, pushes the boundaries further, subverting genre ideas and mashing them all together, with industrial, metal, rave, chopped and screwed, rap, grunge, neo folk, post punk and new wave all in the mix. As Bryan Kurkimilis explains; 'We treat our influences like tools to create a certain feeling. We are interested in covering more ground than sticking to a certain formula.'
Bryan and Kendra originally met on Myspace in 2006. At the time Bryan lived in New Orleans and Kendra was in New York, and they didn't even meet face-to-face until 2008 after they had already released a few singles. In 2010 they released the EP Black Earth That Made Me, which was a collection of songs that they mostly recorded before they met in person. The record confounded expectations by selling out immediately on pre-order, making it very rare and highly sought after, with copies going on Ebay for large sums. It was reissued by Rocket Girl in 2011 and still continues to sell in voluminous amounts.

They started playing live in 2009 and rapidly grew a reputation for their captivating performances, usually bringing their own lighting equipment and putting on a spectacular laser show. They have played for large crowds in their hometown of NYC and toured the UK in 2010 in support of their sold out split 7" with oOoOO, playing InTheCity and SWN festivals - which were their first shows outside of New York. They have since shared the stage with the likes of Cold Cave, araabMUZIK, Liturgy, Blank Dogs, Gatekeeper, Blondes, oOoOO, Clams Casino, and others.  
They started recording Gate Of Grief in 2010, with the hope of exploring new musical territory, however they took a while to find their path. Bryan and Kendra had some tough personal battles to fight, a sense that pervades the whole album. Thematically it delves in to some pretty dark places whilst exploring the concept of time and what it does to people, relationships and society. As Bryan explains; 'There is a lot of tragedy in this album but there is also hope at the end of it.'
By 2016 pressure was building to finish recording, however due to Kendra's ill health, they needed to bring in someone new to assist with vocals. Fortunately they found Adina Viarengo, who had played in various bands and gave them the impetus needed to complete the album. Shortly after meeting in Brooklyn, Bryan and Adina moved to Joshua Tree, California to finish recording the album, before settling in Massachusetts. Her vocal style fitted in seamlessly with what Kendra had been doing, and although she sang on half the songs, it's almost impossible to tell who is singing on which track, thus making her the perfect addition to the band.
Gate of Grief can be considered the second part of Black Earth That Made Me, or rather, they are the first two chapters in an overarching trilogy about evolution. As Bryan explains; 'First you are born but then you realize what you are and what is against you and it's a flood of emotion that you can only hope to hold on for and let it pass.'
The album title, Gate of Grief, refers to the real gate between Africa and Saudi Arabia that is believed to be the spot where the first humans migrated out of Africa and went on to populate the rest of the world. The album art ties in with this concept, with an image depicting a group of settlers in the USA in early 1900 during a parade. They were actually from a cult in the early 1900s in Bryan's hometown of Fort Myers, Florida.













M 13) Burn It Down

Tachyon Audio is a vinyl label that's focused on sounds in the techno realm targeting sweaty, dark dance floors, with large, high-quality sound systems.

Inhabitants come back strong in Mutations Volume II, Tachyon Audio's second offering. These two primates are often found inhabiting dark spaces, forging ahead on complex math equations. Their distinct, driving, mathematical, and drumming techno is a result. Expect more solid work and performances from these two mysterious beings on Tachyon Audio as the label continues its progression.

Tachyon Audio's second release follows a similar format to the first, in that, TAC002 is a diverse EP that touches on techno sounds that are helping to lead the march forward into the future of sound production and style. The second Tachyon Audio release also comes from the mysterious dark studio of Inhabitants, who build off their first, and display their precise, technical forms of production.

The A-side track, Mut11 (A1) is a sci-fi exploration that pleases the ear with thick sub and low basses, along with a pitch-twisted melodic element, and the Inhabitants distinct sound effects and automation. The track has a strong impact immediately, as you can feel the intensity of elements being added, manipulated, and combined, and a sturdy, grimy feel pervades the piece with an interesting driving rhythmic percussion.


Side A ends with two separate open-source NASA samples. The first, Sounds of Enceladus - Radar Echoes from Titan's Surface (A2), is a locked groove and according to NASA, 'was produced by converting into audible sounds some of the radar echoes received by Huygens during the last few kilometers of its descent onto Saturn's moon, Titan. As the probe approaches the ground, both the pitch and intensity increase. Scientists will use intensity of the echoes to speculate about the nature of the surface.'


The second sample, Cassini - Saturn Radio Emissions #2 (A3), is another locked groove. The sound as described by NASA, 'Saturn is a source of intense radio emissions, which were monitored by our Cassini spacecraft. The radio waves are closely related to the auroras near the poles of the planet. These auroras are similar to Earth's northern and southern lights. This is an audio file of radio emissions from Saturn.' These samples are poised for reuse in production and make for good intro and looping material during performances.


The second side of the EP starts with Mut1 (B1), a track that is well-rounded percussively, with a strong kick drum driving the track forward. A simple looping and effected tom drum also helps keep a good movement to the track. An ominously melodic pad that evolves subtly throughout the track helps to keep the Inhabitants err present throughout the track.


Mut8 (B2), is another acidic venture with solid percussion. The looping and other melodic elements provide a solid stricture, with the more adventurous sounds being placed and effected incrementally with distinct Inhabitants flare throughout the track.

* After nearly 10 years, KFA returns to vinyl. As a label, KFA was widely loved for its ability to shift styles and genres, always hitting slightly off center, to produce such off kileter classics as the original 'Truffle Shuffle', a jungle anthem that gets a much deserved remix on this EP. New Signee Scartat brings the pain with monstrously heavy beats in 'Role Model', which KF Digital man of the moment Bucksta keeps it slightly mellower with 'Killer Sound', leaving Luna-C & Mr Arthur to bring the dancehall vibes with 'Judgement'.

* The two label runners combine forces for the deeply old skool EP. Saiyan and Luna-C bring the simple joy of the old rave sound to their EP, with two tracks cut in the style of the early breakbeat scene of 1992, and one track that stems from a little later, when things got more 4x4 and slightly tougher. All the tracks on the EP are made with a majority of hardware rather than the standard software of today, and the result is a warm, analogue, and absolutely true to its era EP of rolling breaks, deep basslines and uplifting vibes!

The hotly tipped UK artist makes his debut for Drumcode's vinyl only off-shoot. Focused on showcasing cutting-edge underground techno, Adam Beyer's always got an eye on the future when curating Drumcode Ltd. Taking inspiration from the likes of Marcel Dettmann, Truncate and Planetary Assault Systems, Turner's four-track debut 'Don't Talk To Me About Style' was birthed in his home studio throughout 2017. The industrious Brit delivers a powerful peak-time EP of nocturnal techno that moves between different moods. The title track pops with a thick grinding bassline and trippy synth effects, before 'Escape' envelopes you into a subterranean world. 'Diodes' follows, a fantastic slice of electrifying techno that bucks like a rodeo bull. The EP concludes with the blazing 'Tunnel', that makes its mark with deft drum arrangements and a piercing call-to-arms siren.

Favorite Recordings proudly presents Combattant, first EP by Pat Kalla produced by Bruno Patchworks' Hovart (aka VOILAAA).

PAT KALLA is a musician, singer and storyteller. Patrice of his birth name, in tribute to the great Lumumba! Lover of words, French language, and music of course. Born in Lyon, from a Cameroonian father, musician and political activist, and a French and literary mother, he explores from his childhood the Soul, the Slam, the Funk ... and the art of telling stories, life being a great one...

After years of touring alongside many bands (Conte & Soul, Legend of Eboa King, Mento Cloub, Voilaaa Sound System), and several acclaimed titles on the two albums by Voilaaa, he comes back with this project to put a bit of primordial lightness in a rainy world: A tribute to the African culture in honor of a father with "Sawa" origins, the tribe from the people of Makossa.

Jojo Ngallé, Moni Bilé, Pain, Manu Dibango, Franco, Rochereau, Kabaselé, Fela, François Nkotti & The Black Style, all these legends' vinyls have turned on the family turntable and the collection has whetted the child's appetite. Through this new trip, he revisits styles that are sometimes little known to Western audiences, such as High-Life, Makossa, Angolan Music, Afrobeat, Afro-Disco and others. We could talk about Franc CFA', we could talk about Jacques Foccart, but we will rather dance, because "the dancer seems naive, but his feet must be connected with earth to understand history..."

Backed by the "Super Mojo Disco", a hyperactive band from Lyon with deep groove and positive energy, Pat Kalla offers us an anti-crisis project, where swaying and feel-good humor is mandatory! An album soon in the crates, beware « c'est médicament » (it's medicine)!!