Cerca:plenty

Bastardo Electrico is a techno night and label based in Cork, Ireland. It's run by Jamie Behan, a veteran of the scene and one half of Flexure alongside Stephen Mahoney. Both have been DJing since the mid-'90s, but Flexure is a relatively new hardware-based project that sounds like a mashup of techno, acid, electro and Chicago house. Shadow Puppets is Flexure's debut EP, a collection of unhinged machine bangers fans of Tinfoil's and On The Hoof's weirdness will likely appreciate.

Modulated noise drills through the centre of "Blizz," getting more rancorous as the track steams on. "Callmecrazeey" is less abrasive but boisterous and more energetic, like a mound of Mexican jumping beans, complete with cartoonish xylophone notes that give it a cheeky twist. The cheekiness continues on "703 39flr," which teems with homemade sounds between the kicks, giving you plenty to home in on even if the track doesn't make you want to dance. The hypnotic "Piltrafiltra" is more likely to get you moving with its slender '90s trance hook. It's the most functional track on the record, but who needs functionality when you can be ricocheting off the walls with "Callmecrazeey'"s oddball jive.

Stirred up from deep within, from an abstract spiral of sound and movement, from a sensation of time and space absolving and converging at once, the Black Flower musicians have molded a tangible matter: the album Artifacts. Their second full album sounds international and ageless. Eastern influences, Ethiodub and jazz effortlessly merge. Fantasy and reality seem to fuse. In a word: nourishment for body and soul.

"Psyche-delicious and accessible 20th century Ethiodubjazz. As if John Zorn put on Fela Kuti's shoes and imbibed Mulatu Astatke's whirls."

Piloted by saxophonist /flutist /composer Nathan Daems (Ragini Trio, Dijf Sanders, Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra), this instrumental band aims for originality. Fellow musicians and 'brothers down the road' are Jon Birdsong (dEUS, Beck, Calexico) on cornet, Simon Segers (Absynthe Minded, De Beren Gieren, Stadt) at the drums, Filip Vandebril (Lady Linn, The Valerie Solanas, Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra) at the bass and Wouter Haest (Los Callejeros, Voodoo Boogie) playing keys.

For many of us, the Ethiopian aspect once made known to the world by Mulatu Astatke will stand out. Still, Black Flower further adds oriental scales, Afrobeat à la Fela Kuti, jazz in a John Zorn way and varied western music traditions such as rock and dub. The resulting melting pot is undoubtedly inspired by Nathan's distant travels and the multifariously colorful city of Brussels.

...Pretty legit if you ask me - LeFto, Studio Brussel

After their well-received debut album Abyssinia Afterlife (2014, W.E.R.F. / Zephyrus Records) that created an atmosphere of mythical figures and psychedelia, Black Flower now reflects on ancient and modern cultures. The album title Artifacts refers to centuries-old fragile objects or tools that empowered the development of human culture. The world today would look entirely different without those artifacts. The seemingly brittle suddenly becomes a powerful welding cornerstone. Add the musicians' personal musical backgrounds and the result is an album with an ageless mystique. Artifacts is the synthesis of different cultures, of the past and present, and personal and collective memories. It is the soundtrack to modern reality, based on the elements that connect us.

Brilliant - Gilles Peterson, BBC Radio 6

One of Belgium's Best Bands of these past years (...) Black Flower does not simply play a tune, they always groove! - Kurt Overbergh, Ancienne Belgique

Uncomplicated originality, plenty of space for fantasy and an organic tone: those are the ingredients for Black Flower to lay claim to an age-old human ritual: dancing! Still, Black Flower also stands out in various other settings. Their audience at a jazz club will have felt exalted, their audience at a late-night show will not have resisted dancing. The band wields influence over their surroundings in a way only heart-and-soul musicians can. This mastery has repeatedly taken them to United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Germany.

Up first is Get Enough, seven minutes of seductive techno that has an almost machine-gun like disco synth firing across the groove. It is a rumbling peak time track with real force and energy that will bring any floor to life. The title track, Toleranz, is a gritty and stripped back basement cut with dry hits and burrowing acid bass that takes you deep into the night.
Cobra then proves this pair have real breadth in the studio and is a barrel chested house cut with more big hits, rib rattling bass and incendiary techno hi hats that really get you on your toes.
Remixing are the tech duo of Pleasurekraft, whose releases on Octopus and Mood Records have won them plenty of DJ and dancing fans. They layer in some dark melodies to SQ80 and build it steadily before allowing the militant drums and crisp snares to explode and drive you and the whole club forwards.

'I take my guitar and strum and sing some tings and blow people's mind. But I ain't trying to do anybody's music. I'm doing what I feel' - Shadow

When it came out in 1984 the far-out album Sweet Sweet Dreams by Trinidad & Tobago's Shadow (aka Winston Bailey) was described as 'way ahead of its time'. Undeservedly it was panned by critics and, unable to reach markets, disappeared into the dusty record collections of a few music aficionados. Now, more than three decades later that cosmic dance-floor UFO is about to take off again, change all that and set the record straight. Remastered and cut by Frank Meritt at The Carvery the album is truly a masterpiece.

But who is this Shadow behind Sweet Sweet Dreams Shadow is a man of understated magnitude. A truly enigmatic artist, he first emerged in Trinidad and Tobago during the 1970s, becoming a part of the tapestry of Caribbean music and reinvigorating calypso at the time. Calypso, the indigenous folk music of Trinidad and Tobago, has roots in West African kaiso rhythms, French Creole influences, and the hardships endured by the African slaves brought to Trinbago, whose descendants still use it as a tool for satire, self-expression, and social commentary. Calypso has also given birth to several other music genres, including soca, with its uptempo beats and festival context. Shadow effortlessly moves between both.

Shadow came from a humble but musical family and started writing songs as a youth while tending cattle in the fields. To his family's initial chagrin he chose calypso over church music but his talent and drive were undeniable. In the early days of his career Shadow's style was cramped when working with some of the more conservative music arrangers who felt that calypso and soca should fit a mould. But after a while Shadow teamed up with more innovative arrangers, including Arthur 'Art'de Coteau, who followed their and Shadow's intuitions resulting in a long line of hits.

'The first time we met for me to arrange his music we had a heated argument on the arrangement for one of his songs, I was theoretically correct but Shadow was musically right. Shadow broke all the traditional musical rules and made his own and that made him a musical giant. He changed the face of Calypso music in 1974 with the release of "Bassman" a tune in which Bass and magnificent horn line took central stage changing Soca music for ever. What Shadow did with his music was to put calypso on the International Dance circuit, giving it a totally different groove. You could take his music and swing it in any direction, Disco, Pop, Calypso, you name it. His music was different from anything that existed before'. - Carl "Beaver" Henderson, one of Trinidad's veteran producers.

This inert creativeness culminated in Sweet Sweet Dreams which was arranged by Shadow and deals with burning and ever-relevant themes like love and the ups and downs of relationships. a surprising fact for someone mainly known for his satirical and political lyrics. It prompted his manager to wonder if Shadow had written the lyrics while in a state of 'tabanca' (a word used in Trinidad and Tobago to describe lovesickness).

Sweet Sweet Dreams was recorded at the legendary SHARC studios, located on a hill in Chaguaramas (near Port of Spain) and despite a fantastic sound and monster Soca-boogie tunes like 'Lets get it together', 'Lets Make it Up' and 'Way, Way Out' the album was a commercial flop, probably due to the fact that it didn't sound like anything else coming out of Trinidad & Tobago at the time: It fused a range of different rhythms and new sounds, primarily heavy synth riffs.

Shadow took the album's lack of success in his stride with usual aplomb:
'When I did Sweet Dreams I expect something could happen. But nothing big happen because I have no big market and no distribution and all this thing now. So I just cool myself and move on to another song. I wasn't doing just one song. I used to always have plenty songs at the one time. And be writing music'.

What Shadow didn't realise back then was that the proto-electronic cocktail he had mixed in 1984 would only find the recognition it deserved three decades later. Life has swung full circle: Sweet Sweet Dreams has come true and been elevated to holy grail status becoming one of the most sought-after Caribbean disco records in existence.

For this re-release we carried out extensive interviews with Shadow and the musicians and have included as bonuses exclusive photos from Shadow's personal collection and the dancefloor filler tune 'D'Hardest' was added as a bonus track.

2016 in full bloom: La Fleur takes a rare retrospective moment to re-release her 2010 classic with new mixes from Cassy and Dana Ruh. Expect plenty more Power Plant growth very very soon...

Here comes R-Zone 05, this time coming from a pair of established producers who work both solo and as a duo (and one of them runs a prominent German label). The first track is 'Jungle Fever', a slowed down, dub-culture tinged track of sampled loon bird calls, tooting melodies and raw metallic drums that churn deep down below. It's the sort of track that needs to be played in summer, ideally with a reefer on the go. 'Down-E rave' again calls on druggy references for its inspiration - this time E'd-up dancefloors in the mid-nineties. It's a lazy beat with curious vocal stabs, prominent drum breaks and plenty of deft synth work that takes you up, up and away in style. The flip-side sees two versions of 'nRg Zone'. The Happy Mix is a rinsed out and tripped out track of streaming melodies, more old school and rough drums and plenty of bright, pixelated melodies stabs as well as softer background pads. The Moody Mix operates much more down in the darkened doldrums. It seems to have heavy heart and sultry mood as the percussion churns on beneath golden streaming pads and like everything on the R-Zone series, is stuffed with plenty of very real atmosphere.

Zeal....Enthusiastic devotion to a cause, ideal, or goal. In our case devotion to deep, dubby, warm mirco grooves.

The label's first release comes from 'Monsieur Georget' which is an alternative alias for well-known French producer Chris Carrier, who many will recognise from his own label Adult Only Records, along with releases on other labels including Robsoul, One Records, OFF Recordings and Silver Network.

The release also features a remix from stellar German artist DeWalta, who along with a number of seminal releases on Meander, is a regular collaborator with Mike Shannon and boasts releases on other labels including Vakant, Haunt and Visionquest.

Track one titled Le Village Flottant' is the first of the three originals on the release. Setting the tone of what's to come, it has stripped back drums with delicate sprinkles of delay that are brought to life with a wonky lead synth and poignant piano stabs. The track fuses intricacy with dancefloor focused energy.

Second track called Mecrant Des Oceans' has gliding synths that line the back of the mix whilst the morphing tones and subtle squelch of an acid line provides the momentum. Murky and mysterious, there's a metallic ring to the percussion and it's a fine example of how less can often be so much more.

Third on the release is the DeWalta remix of Le Village Flottant' and keeping the originals ride, he adds his own dub Techno influence. With new synth parts he cuts the already stripped drums to a bare minimum, which gives his added synths plenty of room to breathe and creates a captivating ambience.

Finishing the EP is the third original track titled Picnic Dans Le Metro' and like the rest of this release, it twists and turns with rippling textures and deep atmospherics. Each drum hit is crafted with expert precision and every textured synth sound merges to create the perfect groove and mood.

RAWAX proudly welcomes Mr. Lamont Norwood aka Dj Di'jital to the family! A true pioneer from Detroit!

Truly an old school Techno Bass jewel, DJ Di'jital has been a key player in the development of what some call the "Second Generation" of Detroit Techno. Having released on classic Detroit labels like Metroplex, Direct Beat, and Twilight 76, there is plenty of good reason why his name and his work have become so legendary over the years.

Influenced by early groups like Kraftwerk and Parliament, it was no surprise that the 80's fusion of Electronic Music, Funk and Hip Hop that brought about the Electro Funk sounds, would have such an impact on him. As a kid, Lamont Norwood aka DJ Di'jital became acquainted with the idea of mixing two songs together using tape decks, which while being limited, still gave him the drive and passion to pursue a career as a professional DJ. Over the years he played many different house parties and underground clubs, even spending some time as a Cabaret DJ.

Throughout this time, Di'jital became an incredibly skilled turntablist, quickly gaining the reputation of being a formidable force behind the wheels of steel. The year 1996 would prove to be quite a momentous one for Norwood, not only signing to the already well established label Direct Beat, but also becoming the official DJ for one of the label's finest and most important artists, Aux 88. Having already released his first EP, "Prototype", on Direct Beat, this would become a great opportunity that would help seal him as an icon of what was now known as the Detroit Techno Bass scene. Over the next few years,

Di'jital continued recording for Direct Beat, releasing some of the greatest and most unique Techno Bass classics to date, even doing a few remixes for some of Aux 88's most well known releases like "Electro/Techno", "I Need To Freak", and "Break It Down". Hit EPs like "From The Mind Of The Master", and "360 Degrees" became instant classics, still very sought after to this day. He also had some of his songs appear on some of the various Direct Beat compilations that were released between the years 1996 and 1999 like "Xperience De Bass II", which released "Radar2Bass", one of his most notable works, as well as the all time collector's album, "Techno Bass: The Mission".
Perhaps what may have been one of the biggest signs that his career was becoming exactly what he had hoped for, was the opportunity presented to him to remix Aaron Carl's classic "Down", which was released on the iconic Metroplex Records in 1998; Something that to any Detroit native would have been an honor and a milestone, given the reputation and level of success and influence that Juan Atkin's imprint had on the Detroit Electronic Music scene, as well as the global Electro/Techno movement.

Between the years 2000 and 2002, there was a small hiatus in complete EPs or albums being released by DJ Di'jital, although there were 2 different tracks released on the labels Bipolar and Studio iK7. In 2002, he went on to sign to another of Detroit's legendary imprints, Twilight 76, where he released 2 EPs, "Bass Programmers", and Di'jital's Revenge". In 2005, already a veteran and having amassed the necessary skill and knowledge needed to be a true beat warrior, Di'jital was now ready to join the resistance...Underground Resistance that is! Featured on the Interstellar Fugitives Vol. 2 compilation ( also later released as a 2xCD/DVD set ), Di'jital also released on the Electrocuter EP, which featured the previously released "Bang", as well as "Track 19".

In 2006, already well into the digital age ( no pun intended ), Norwood would release his first set of downloadable works, starting with an album called "The Prototype", on Twilight 76, which was completely unrelated to his first EP which was also called "Prototype". Recently, Twilight 76 has also released what is so far a 2 volume set of battle cuts dubbed "Electro Battle Tools".

The only known material that is known to be in the future for DJ Di'jital at the moment is a remix of Morphogenetic's "Techno Bass Is Back!", which was originally released as a free download to members of Technobass, but will soon be released on a 12"/Digital release that will launch the site's own label "Techno Bass Music". There will also be a follow EP by Di'jital, so stay tuned! Over the years, DJ Di'jital has proven to be an unstoppable force in the Techno Bass scene, tirelessly working to push the boundaries of Electro forward with his futuristic and visionary beats that have unleashed mayhem across the globe, not just in his published works, but also in his incredible DJ acts, where one can truly witness one of the few actual turntablists in this style of music. Expect more in the future as Di'jital's revenge continues to spread across the globe with his out of the ordinary approach towards Techno Bass music.

In 1997, a quiet, unassuming man of 59 years old named Victor Tavares - better know as Bitori - walks into a studio for the very first time to record a masterpiece which many Cabo Verdean consider to be the best Funaná album ever made. Bitori´s musical adventure had begun long before this point. It was 1954 when he embarked on a journey across the seas to the island of Sao Tomé & Principe. The young man´s hope was to return to Cabo Verde with an accordion.

Following two years of hard labour Bitori had succeeded in saving enough money to acquire what was to become his most valued possession, his cherished instrument. The two month journey back to Santiago, his island of birth, proved time enough to master it. Self taught, Bitori developed his own style, an infectious blaze, that quickly caught the attention of the older generation. Before long Bitori was being asked to share his musical talents, igniting the local festivities around Praia with his music.

But not everybody welcomed the rural accordion-based sound. Perceived as a symbol of the struggle for Cape Verdean independence and frowned upon as music of uneducated peasants, Funaná was prohibited by the Portuguese colonial rulers. Performing it in public or in urban centres had serious consequences - often jail time and torture awaited musicians that were caught in the act'. In light of such persecution the genre of Funaná began to slowly disappear.

In 1975 Cabo Verde achieved independence from Portuguese colonial rule. Along with Cabo Verde's independence came a lifting of the ban placed on Funaná. The musical repercussions in Cabo Verde were plenty - many upcoming artists embraced Funaná, translating and adapting its musical form in new ways. It was not to be until the mid-1990's, however, that Funaná in its traditional form was actually recorded. It was a young singer from Tarafal, Chando Graciosa, who was to play a key role in this event. Upon hearing Bitori, Graciosa immediately felt drawn to Bitori's unique playing style - a raw and passionate sound accompanied by honest lyrics that reflected the harsh reality of the Cabo Verdean working class. He eagerly approached Bitori suggesting they join forces and travel overseas with the objective of taking Funaná beyond its rural roots. The two of them, with others in tow, achieved their goal and travelled to Europe, introducing a receptive European audience to the vibrant energy of Funaná.

Eventually Bitori returned to his beloved Cabo Verde. Graciosa opted to settle in Rotterdam in order to pursue his career - he vowed, however, to bring Bitori across to Holland at a later date to record an album.

In 1997 the time was ripe to immortalise the sound Bitori had shaped over a time span of four decades. Built around a formidable rhythm section, formed of drummer Grace Evora and bass player Danilo Tavares, "Bitori Nha Bibinha" was recorded. The recording catapulted Chando Graciosa to stardom, making him Cabo Verde´s No.1 interpreter of Funaná.

The success in Cabo Verde was phenomenal and Funaná rapidly gained the recognition it deserved, especially in urban dance clubs. Bitori´s songs quickly became standards - classics known and loved throughout the country. The musical success, however, was solely limited to the Cabo Verdean islands - until now!
Analog Africa is proud to contribute to the worldwide promotion of Funaná - the once forbidden sound of the Cabo Verde archipelago - by releasing a worldwide re-issue of Bitori and Chando Graciosa´s legendary recording.

The release will herald Bitori´s first European tour taking place during the summer of 2016. Watch this space! And listen!

Timmy P's latest outing on Dessous Recordings continues the long list of illustrious labels that have been home to his house vision. Now based in London, Timmy has a string of emphatic releases under his belt, not least on influential imprints such as Local Talk, Extended Play, Dirt Crew and MadTech. With Safety First, Timmy's playful approach to the deeper side of house shines though. The title track mixes crisp, crunchy drums with warm, soft pads and a bubbling bass line - a deep rolling cut with plenty of punch for the floor. The fantastically named 'Grim Fandango' is a little tougher, with the snares and claps snapping tightly over a taut, un-resistible vibe. Timmy's balance of dynamics is masterful, each element perfectly complimenting each other to create a tour de force over 8 minutes. 'Bosh' is similarly crafted - the original echoing classic 90s house but feeling completely fresh for 2016, while James Dexter's remix is a robust, deep roller. This is house music made with joy and passion.

Figure SPC inevitably arrives at the alphabet's last letter and therefore the end of what has been a most prosperous runtime and success story. Already accountable for its first release 'A' seven years ago, Jeroen Search has proven essential to the sublabel's course with his many cornerstone contributions. This final, special extended release grants him the ample scope to tell the closing chapter in all proper detail. Spread across two fully packed 12s the Dutch veteran producer wastes no time but lets his ever evolving array of machines do the talking. They speak in many tones - be it snappy or propelling, vivid or restrained, stomping or intricate - yet they all retain Search's consistently singular voice. Each of the nine tracks was composed as a live take, with elements being reduced to the utmost minimum but always carrying the kinetic energy onto the next bar. Thus this ultimate catalogue number SPC Z not only bears witness to an artist's impressive ability to reliably distill the pure essence of a groove. It is also the grand conclusion to an esteemed series that has become a staple in many DJ's bags, brought forth plenty of future classics and left its unmistakable mark on techno. Crafty, refined and irresistibly moving, this record is sure to be stirring up dancers around the globe.

The sixth release on Deep'a & Biri's Black Crow label welcomes another new name into the fold: Nico Campanella has been quietly building a stellar reputations for himself over the past few years, working under a variety of aliases to explore a sound that much like Deep'a & Biri draws deeply from techno's Detroit heritage as well as the propulsive dub techno of Basic Channel. With releases for several high quality under-the-radar European techno labels, including Construct Re-form, CLFT, Monnom Black and his own label Subosc, Campanelli's Kaelan and 2030 projects in particular have won him some ardent admirers & plenty of tips as a talent to keep an eye on. It's as 2030 that he joins Black Crow, for the Timeworm EP, which is completed by remixes from FXHE's Luke Hess and the label's Tel Aviv-based founders. The EP's original track are a pair of lushly-produced classic Detroit-influenced excursions, redolent of the cascading ambient textures and string melodies found within the work of the city's first wave pioneers. A1 cut 'In aeternum' could easily be mistaken for a lost early 90s classic in the best possible sense, while the title track also draws on a similarly timeless quality. With the original track ensuring the EP package will win other home listeners, it's the remixers who shape them for the dancefloor. Luke Hess's 'In aeturnum' remix is powerful dancefloor workout that retains a softer edge, recalling the producer's recent collaboration with OB Ignitt. On the B side, Deep'a & Biri offer two of their own interpretations of the title track, pulling the track across the dub techno galaxy with their trademark dexterity. Completing a truly exceptional package is beautiful hand drawn artwork by Israeli artist Avraham Guy Barchil.

Last year saw the mysterious Garage Shelter make their debut appearance on Skylax, and little is still known about them! All we know is they are back with some freshness on the Skylax Classic sublabel.
First up is Bring Back Love, a track that will sink its claws in with that infectious vocal sample hook. Sticking with the old school sample vibe is the Lonely Heart dub of Attempt; it's a bit more mellow but still has plenty of groove in it. Friend of the Garage Shelter, DJ La Foudre, appears over on the B side with It's Alright (Signal St Mix). Still on that catchy sample tip, it features one of the grooviest bassline and funky guitar pairings I've heard in a long time. Next up, Perception 66 is a smooth house affair from yet another friend, Asa No Hikari. Rounding out the package is Garage Shelter's own You (Still), a dreamy pad-driven track that may indeed be the pick of the release. While we don't know much about Garage Shelter, we can't help but look forward to what they come out with next!

Trani has been representing the Detroit sound in Italy for some years now, with releases on Minimal Soul Recordings, as well as his own Pushmaster Discs (a label that has also hosted the likes of Ilario Alicante, Myles Sergé and Percyl). His latest outing will be his first full-length, an album inspired space travel, that continues to push Detroit sounds, as well as venturing into some jungle rhythms.

DJ FEEDBACK
early support from
Jeff Mills: I like the Alien Pattern Track!
Robert Hood: nice tracks from Mattia.
Dimi Angelis: Like this! Thanks!
Marcel Dettmann: Thanks.
Thomas Hessler / IMF: Nice one! Thank you!
Darko Esser aka Tripeo: Excellent album, right up my alley!
John Heckle: Thanks, some stuff I really like on here.
Marco Zenker: Sounds really dope! Thank you.
Jonas Kopp: Great stuff, will check carefully! Thanks.
Ben Sims: Plenty of great moments here, nice to hear some Detroit/real techno flavours on an album. Thanks!
Milton Bradley: Very nice tracks, 'Traffic 2 Traffic' is my fav.
Truncate: Downloading, thanks.
Donor: Really looking forward to giving this a good listen after download. Thanks.
Marcelus: Wow that's pretty... Very nice one, great tracks and the all thing makes sense, congratz!
Ben Gibson: Looking forward to having a proper listen to this.
Zadig: Really into electro stuff here, and 'Alien Pattern' is also great. Thanks.
Radio Slave: Great sounds here.

Modelisme is proud to welcome the french talented and prolific artist Anaxander we use to
see on labels as Pokerflat, Tasteful Nudes, Quintessential, Local Talk to name a few..
House - Techno moods have no secret for him, and for this 30th release on the label, he
delivers a surprising and solid EP based on House Music mainly.
B1 - « Turn Out » is a great boogie house track, plenty of Disco Funk influences built on a fat
groove with a slight mainstream vocals.
B2 - « Party Track (Midnight In Malmousque Mix) » is an exceptional Slow Deep House
Techno with a slight Soul Electro Funk touch, solid and floating, warm bodies and sunglasses
ready to make dance under early sunrise or smoked club dance floor inside.
A1 - « Party Track (Kai Alce Remix) » remixed by one of Deep House fathers Kai Alce,
NDATL label Boss and author of numerous Eps on Track Mode, Mahogani Music, FXHE,
Deep Explorer.. This superb remix is in classical Deep Chicago House vein, close to some
Glenn Underground works, Jazz Funk influences and subtle grooves.
Already Supported by Jimpster, Ooft, Kelton Prima, Grego G, Jee, Mugwump, Hardrock
Striker, Oyvind Morken, Dj Steef, Jona Saucedo, Michael Zucker, Hydergine, Kriss
Liferecorder, Dawad & Mokic, Virgo Music, La dame Noir & more...

Ark & Pit Spector continue their inspired journey with an extended EP full of groovy jams and absorbing rhythms for Hold Youth. The Frenchmen have formed a potent alliance with a series of expertly-crafted, high-quality releases dropping over the last couple of years. On this new EP they go deeper into their sound explorations with five original works and a remix from their Parisian buddy and Hold Youth member, Le Loup. First up, we go into bumping jazzy territory with 'Chauffage Central', a mesmerising cut with swirling pads, soulful vocal clips and a jaunty b-line. Straight up after that, Hold Youth rudeboy Le Loup gives 'Chauffage Central' a funky little rework, throwing live sounding percussion, Nubian vocal clips, trumpet parps and a pumping bassline into the mix which gives a totally different identity. The final track on side A, is a cheeky teaser called 'Petite Ondée'. Rolling out for just under two minutes the track has a muffled, jazz-esque feel to it with a warm rolling bassline and bright, sparkling piano keys.

On the flip we kick off with 'Air Conditionelle', a lush, retro feeling with those oh-so-familiar heavy-hitting eighties snare licks. The bassline takes you to a New York City street and the whole atmosphere is that of an old school NYC neighbourhood, while a spoken-word sample adds a human touch just before the track comes to an end. 'Sub Tropical' goes a little leftfield with an unusual combination of sounds in tandem with a pulsating low end, occasional sax licks and punchy percussion to give it plenty of energy. 'Averse Et Contre Tous' closes out the EP with a slothish ride into the sunset - Ark and Pit Spector show their experimental side presenting an odd union between blues samples, gruff electronic sounds and piano keys.

Another triumphant effort from Ark and Pit Spector, in fact, some of the finest work to date. Make sure you check it out!

Completing a quick fire trio of new EPs, Constant Sound hits release number six with a pair of new tracks from VRSION that come with a dance floor friendly remix from Persuader. VRSION is a German producer who has already made a big impact with his release on Craig Richards' excellent The Nothing Special label. Following up that in fine style is the opener here, 'Torn', which is a hurried and urgent track that sits on the divide between house and techno. It is driven and slick, rubbery and hypnotic but has plenty of nuance and funk in its well programmed drums. Some occult sounds and wordless vocals embellished the whole thing and it really is the sort of track that blows dance floors apart and will stand out in any set. 'Capricorn Meet Leo' then toys with kinked drum patterns, rattling percussion and fathom deep bass that sucks you right into VRSION's world. It's a restless place where harmonies ride up and down the scale, cause claps come at you from odd angles and dark vocals add a sense of paranoia. Remixing this one is Persuader, who does so with a stripped back sense of restrain. he retains the original's weirdness, but layers in serene pads and tripped out atmospherics that really make it ripe for playing at 4am. This is the most adventurous release yet for Constant Sound, and is sure to prove one of its bets as a result.

180 gr vinyl - vinyl only release

Apes Go Bananas is the new imprint from Steve Bug and Clé, and also the moniker for his new project with long time friend and collaborator Clé. The vinyl only debut release sets out the stall in fine style - this is straight up dance floor rocking house music with a sense of fun and plenty of influence from the golden age of the art form. First up, Kerri On pays homage to one of the greatest, with Mr Chandler's signature crisp drums and deep, jazzy chords present throughout. Bug and Clé relive some classic New York deep house vibes yet retain a strongly contemporary take. Bananas is more late night in approach - the driving 909 and dirty descending synth line evokes a sweaty warehouse, complete with smoke machine and lazers. Yeah You Know fits perfectly into this three track EP - a tightly programmed rhythm track replete with a shuffling breakbeat is the foundation for a simple yet highly effective synth line and a classic cut-up house vocal. Yeah, Apes Go Bananas know house.

Dhaze featured on Metroline Limited 76 (with Sabe) as well as on Amam, Little Helpers, Body Parts & more - Remix from Spanish producer Medu (Dissonant, Wavetech Ltd) Short info: For release number 80 we welcome back Italian producer Dhaze. Hailing from Rome, Dhaze started his self-thought experimentation with electronic music in 1996 when he bought his first sampler. His productions have seen the light of day on several undergound labels such as Amam, Little Helpers, Bla Bla, Body Parts, Inmotion and plenty more! Of course Dhaze has also already released on Metroline Limited, with fellow Italian producer Sabe, on the stunning Metroline Limited 76, Full Force EP. The EP opening is the 'explicit' Subatomic Pussy. The groove shuffles away with a clever use of drum patters and crispy hats. The mood is dark and disorienting, almost sinister with some crazy cavernous Green Velvet-esque vocal snippets that make their presence felt every now and then. And if the dark grooves of the openeing track weren't heavy enough, the following track, Waterdrip take the tension up a notch or two! The track is a relentless groovy monster, one for the darkest moments of a tech-house set but also suitable for the most obscure hours of Berghain! Not for the faint hearted! :) This time on remix duty we welcome Spanish producer Medu. Having loved his latest productions both on Dissonant and Wavetech Ltd we though about asking him to rework Subatomic Pussy and the result is excellent. Medu stripped Subatomic Pussy down to it bare elements but menaged at the same time to re-create a similarly hypnotic and driving peak time techno number! As we like our EP's to be 'all killers' and 'no fillers', to close this release in style we decided to include the incredible track 'Hardware In Love'

Ever since the debut, 'Communication EP' which also marked our 50th release, Alexander Lay-Far has a special place in the Local Talk family.Since then things have been going well with plenty more releases, tours, the launch of his label In-Beat-Ween Music plus a new full length album done.
With so many things on the go we're of course very happy to welcome Lay-Far back and with him this time, two UK house legends that need little introduction, Ashley Beedle and Darren Morris. Together the trio produced an EP that embraces the charms of both disco and house and we think it hits on every level. The A-side is dedicated to 'Doctor Feelgood', which is just as the name suggests, a delicious disco house cut that will make you feel good.Extra bonus points for the wonky bassline.
On the flip, you'll find two versions of Slope. The first one is an easy / breezy number built around jazzy drums, warm chords to catch your breath for a minute or two, lovers of rhodes should lend the track an extra ear, it's pure bliss. After those 5 minutes and 14 seconds has ended Lay-Far steps into the remix arena, turns up the tempo and sends the track straight to the dance floor. No need to fiddle around too much, he just sprinkles some extra touches of Lay-Far magic to the original and voila, it's done.

Robert Crash is an alias of Italian DJ and producer Fransesco Schito and now he makes a debut outing on Creme Organization with a tidy four track EP. In the past he has turned up on Dog In The Night Records, and with these cuts lays out his singular take on outlier house and techno. Up first is 'Gigolo', a spare and weird house cut with sine waves and random claps, hunched drums and trippy synth lines. It's a unique track made in a unique way and will lead to plenty of freaky dance floor moments, for sure. 'Co. Art' is a whacked out techno cut with slap-funk claps, blistering and blistered synth lines and a rugged bit of bass underlining it all. The track is cavernous and metallic, empty and distant as if it somehow survived a nuclear blast. On the flip, 'Alzheimer' is a slow and gurgling, swampy techno number with broken drums and crawling synths that sound like their batteries have run down. Icy, watery melodies eventually rain down, but the track remains resolutely eerie. Last of all, 'Fabric' is another decaying track with subtle, heavily filtered synths and drums all making for a minimal groove that is barely there. This is heavily deconstructed music that sounds like little else out there and may well be the start of a very fast rise through the ranks for Robert Crash.

After a busy year that saw releases on Funkineven's Apron and Classic, Seven Davis Jr returns to London's Ninja Tune with a new LP, his second to date and a follow-up to this year's Wild Hearts EP for the same label. Universes is a stunning body of music comprised of fifteen tracks, all of which showcase Seven's many different styles and abilities behind the mixing desk...after all, it is called Universes! Our favourite moments have to be "Everybody Too Cool" because it reminds us of Outkast at their most daring, the off-kilter beats of "Karma", "Options" and its pseudo techno stance, and the abstract soul wails of "Fighters". Check it, there's plenty of goodness inside.

Fokuz Recordings present their next vinyl installment with Break on remix duties beefing up Soligen & Type-2's stellar track ''Can't Go'' that was released early 2014 on Celsius Recordings.

On the flip we find an artist who's quickly establishing himself as a go-to guy for musical but danceable beats with plenty of soul, but a little bit of grit as well. Impish comes correct once again with ''So Sick'' as well providing us with two digital exlusives in the form of ''Closer'' & ''Digital Bath''.

Nologo is back with 2 essential, tried and tested underground club tracks. Orlando B serves up Side A with 'Dark World', an epic, slow burning, dark-house journey. 'Dark World' begins completely stripped back before the main hook, an eerie hypnotic vocal is introduced. Funky percussive elements creep in which drive the piece forward and a deep minor pad heightens the tension setting the tone for the rest of the track. The energy builds gradually with the addition of a 303 bass line peaking just before the end, taking the listener on a dark hypnotic trip.

On the flip, is none other than house & techno legend MR G who uses the Dark World vocal but takes it somewhere new providing his own unique and distinctive flavour. Mr G's Rum Remix is a dark and twisted peak-time banger, the high energy from the off set perfectly complementing the slower vibe of the original. Plenty of sub and twisted synth action keeps the momentum high and the dark stab he uses punctuates the vocal nicely giving it a raw edge. 'Dark World' is an essential addition to the record bag for darker dancefloors.
Dj Deep: I love this, your remix is super Funky and Dark at the same time!!! Dope! Tom (Panorama Bar): Ufff nice and dark.....another Mr G gem.To be served with the Rum Rush

Menacing beats by New York's DJ Spider are presented here in a double vinyl package. There is plenty of material here for dance floor damage as well as mental!!!

The latest chapter in the unfolding story of Chronicle finds the New York techno label reaching out to Japan once again, calling upon the considerable talents of Hironori Takahashi to deliver a nerve -shredding manifest on cinematic scope and malicious intent in the darker corners of contemporary techno. Takahashi has previously shared his vision for malevolent dancefloor crushers on such highly regarded labels as Semantica and Stroboscopic Artefacts, not to mention holding down a job at the world-renowned Disk Union record shop in Tokyo.

Proceedings start somewhat inviting on EVENT0009, as the warm, dub-inflected chords of 'Ariast' drift through the stout rhythmic throwdown with orchestral grace. There is of course plenty of space left for brooding, uncertain elements underneath this melodic calm, but it's still a positively mellow offering compared to the jackhammer drum damage of 'Dazre' with its monstrous industrial intent and soaring sound design.

'Cecilleatis' is a more patient beast that simmers its tough ingredients into a predatory whole, using atmospheric pressure instead of sheer volume to create the required intensity. It's not all steel furnace fury though, as the track comes equipped with an epilogue that cools the fires of the EP with some glacial tones and distant machine bleeps that continue Chronicle's commitment to showcasing different sides of their chosen artists.

Davide Squillace, the Italian DJ and producer behind the This And That Lab and Hideout imprints, has kept up a hugely productive schedule since the 1990s, and lands on Luciano's Cadenza Music this fall with the 'Goiânia' single release. Previous musical output on a multitude of labels such as Primate, his own Sketch Music & Minisketch labels, Ovum, Supernature and M_nus has also seen the artist collaborate with plenty; Guti, Martin Buttrich and Philip Bader among those who he has conjured up some inventive and dancefloor-centric minimal electronic music with. On the lead track 'Goiânia', Squillace opens up a highly musical pot of orchestral stabs and brass hits, morphing bottom end and freestyle synth licks, cavorting around a steady percussive beat to great effect.'Blossom' comes heavier in vibe, but maintaining the classical atmosphere developed on the EP's opener. Pizzicato synths play a call and response with dramatic strings whilst an electro tinged drum pattern and sizzling hats lay the foundations of a track with more than a nod to the classic house sounds developed on labels like Innervisions and Ibadan. 'Unit 9 closes the release, and Squillace goes on a Galactic ride through meteoritic bleeps and humungous pads for a cosmic and pacey techno number, dubbing it up midway for a most enjoyable ride and a fitting closure to a classy release on Cadenza.

Alexander Skancke makes his debut on Eskimo Recordings with the beautiful and compelling 'Found My Place', which will also appear on the forthcoming Green Collection. Deep electronic strings lead the almost melancholic yet balearic melody with luscious pads filling the low end and the infectious vocals from HEwrote flowing throughout for an overall emotive feel. No stranger to the label Vinny Villbass delivers two remixes. His first 'Tropical Mix' rolls with intricate percussion, sonic synths and plenty of groove, while his 'House Mix' is a deep house delight and one for the dance floor with a playful loop on the vocal and trippy synths. Local Berliner Oskar Offermann rounds off the release perfectly with his remix, adding a raw bass and sharp kick, with the warm synths and FX running throughout, this is another groovy addition for the dance floor.

Recording artists Jimi Tenor & Nicole Willis, husband and wife team whom together brought you Call of the Wild on Tenor's Out Of Nowhere, (Warp, 2000), Feeling Free on Willis' Keep Reachin' Up, (Timmion Records, 2005), release their follow up album of project COLA&JIMMU, to album Enigmatic, (Herakles Records, 2013). The album is featuring their production as well as compositions. With instrumentations by Tenor and beats procured from the vintage gear of Jori Hulkkonen in his Turku studio, Alppihouz by Willis, the album has a warm feeling and yet sufficiently exciting for the electronic house heads. There are plenty of string pads, flutes and flute pads, etc to prick up your ears. COLA&JIMMU once again capture the genuine, old school sound.

Phiorio's Animals release has been a labour of love. After co-running Metroline Limited for the past 6 years and after a series of digital releases and remixes for both Metroline and Retrometro (as well as Letroom Limited and MBF amongst others), Phiorio's vinyl debut on ML finally sees the light of day. The choice of remixers has also been laborious but over at Metroline HQ we are really happy that in the end we managed to secure two stunning reworks by the likes of the more and more in demand French producer Doubtingthomas (with releases on labels such as Hummingbird, Organic and of course, Metroline Limited) and the super-hot up and coming Russian producers Adjustment Bureau. The EP opening track Ninja Cat is a deep and quirky number. The groove is tight with heavy drums and crisp percussions. An acid b-line leads the way while atmospherics pop in and out until an off key synth appears and adds a level of spookiness to the proceedings. Doubtinthomas remix take things into even deeper territory. His landmark reduced drum programming is very noticeable here with shuffled up percussions, lush pads and a very heavy bass to guarantee maximum impact on the dancefloor. Superpupider is a no-nonsense straight up dark and dirty techno tool. It's all about the groove with this track, the drums lead the way with clever use of filtered hats and percussions. That said, Phiorio's ability with abstract sound is still in evidence with plenty of spooky voices, pads and noises firing off in all directions. Adjustment Bureau remix of Ninja Cat completes our tasty package. The Russian duo's (soon to release a stunning debut EP on Hypertone) approach is in line with modern trippy and experimental techno and has a distinctive 'Romanian' vibe. They used the original elements of the track and added extra percussive and vocal samples to create an epic, intricate and groovy paranoid funk number.

Key Fachwerk team member Sascha Rydell is back on his home label founded by Mike Dehnert with another EP of searing techno. 'Thought Disorder' is a cantering, bulky affair with clipped vocals trapped in the middle of meaty drum loops. It's a well-swung track that has plenty of height to it, while 'Haptic' appears to make sue of the same vocal phrases. This time it's subtler, buried deep in a minimal percussive line and dubby, swaying drums. With some cute finger clicks joining the fray, this one is perfect for early evening warm-ups where the opener is a peak time banger. Filling up the b-side is Moony's remix of 'Rings Of Smoke' - a track by Roberto that was released on Fachwerk's previous EP. This new remix is a jazzy bit of dubbed out house with whispered vocals, uneven but warm piano chords and rolling kick drums that all make for a seductive and propulsive listen

Dutch DJ, producer and Wolfskuil label boss Darko Esser is to self-release his sophomore album, Anipintiros, in April 2014. The eight track album comes four years after his debut and is his first as Tripeo, the techno leaning alias he has been working under most often in recent times.

Working as Tripeo has reinvigorated Esser, who under his own name has been producing his unique take on electronic music for a decade now. 'It was liberating to have another persona take over,' says the man himself. 'I have been so inspired and productive ever since that I woke up one day with the thought 'I'm ready to do another album' and started straight away that day.'

Tripeo music is aimed squarely at the dancefloor, and there sure are some full blooded cuts on the album, but so to are there concessions to the listening experience, meaning deep, dark passages and more leftfield experiments help tie the whole thing together into one cohesive and coherent whole. 'Like all albums, this is a very personal statement,' explains Esser. 'It's just me trying to translate the overwhelming inspiration I feel right now into sound. That, and making the record as diverse as possible without losing the purist identity of Tripeo.'

That identity shines through right from the off on the album, which has been made using a knowing blend of both soft and hardware. 'Anipintiros #1' is a firmly rooted, rubbery bit of deep techno that works you into hypnosis and comes detailed with plenty of otherworldly ambiances. From there, Tripeo explores gallivanting techno run through with celestial pads on 'Anipintiros #2' and tripped out, ever shape shifting and dusty minimal sounds on 'Anipintiros #3'.

'Anipintiros #4' channels the widescreen and pumping techno of Detroit's finest whilst 'Anipintiros #5' is a more industrial and muscular track of the sorts that would sound perfect in the bowels of Berghain. 'Anipintiros #6' is one of the busier and more kinked techno rhythms with punchy drums and fax machine like melodies, before 'Anipintiros #7' thumps with real menace and 'Anipintiros #8' hums and hisses, spits and stutters like the suitably epic and melodic comedown you need after such a captivating ride.Everything, though is backed with serene synth work and an otherworldly sense of alien spirit that runs through all great techno.

There is plenty to get lost in throughout Anipintiros and it proves once again that Esser is someone able to coax far more feeling out of his machines than most.

DJ FEEDBACK

Early support from Blawan, Rødhåd, James Ruskin, Reeko, Exium, Mike Parker, Ben Sims, Rolando, Pfirter, Craig McWhinney, Cadans, Sandrien, Nuno Dos Santos

Cadenza head honcho, Luciano, often collaborates with many other artists, his constant touring schedule blessing him the opportunity to write and produce music with a multitude of like minded producers, and on 'Into The Aether", we get the first part of a two part series of tracks composed with various other Cadenza personnel. 'Arizona Green Song' sees Luciano and Marlowe (AKA Digitaline) get together for a vibrant and busy freak out. A plethora of rattling and sharp percussion cuts through a simple melody line and low slung groove. Building over ten tantric minutes, dubby inflections and hidden voices are woven into the detailed arrangement to great effect. A collaboration with Dani Casarano results in 'Bell's & Tonic", a slower paced vibe here, but with plenty of funk, from it's bending bass line and hand claps to the deft organ touches and shuffling shakers. A world within is created here, again distant voices, rattling cow bells and (yes) livestock and other field recordings are layered here to create a unique ambience. Uncompromising and original music then, from Cadenza's boss and friends. Expect a 'Part Two' to be released in the coming months....

Hot Casa Records reissues Disco Hi-Life, a real treasure album composed and interpreted by Afro-Soul maestro, Orlando Julius. Comes as delux 180 gramms vinyl with tip on jacket & inserts with interviews & photos. Check!
Following up to the 12inch release (HC07 / 2009), here comes the remastered version of a real mindblower piece from 1976 including four unreleased tracks, all recorded with the best Nigerian musicians, between Ginger Baker' Studio in Lagos and the American Star Studio in West Virginia, USA.
Orlando Julius Aremu Olusanya Ekemode was born in 1943 in Ikole-Ekiti, Nigeria and can be considered as a main figure of the Afro-Soul music history. One of the first African musician to get signed on a 'Major' label (Polydor), he delivered many hit single as a composer and effortlessly performed live as a tenor sax and singer. He worked and met with some of the 'greatest', such as Louis Armstrong, James Brown (for his Nigerian tour with Bootsy Collins), The Crusaders, Gil Scott Heron, or Hugh Masekela.
In the middle of 1975, just after they finished the recording of The Boys Doing It' album with Hugh Masekela, they all flew to Ghana and Lagos. It was holyday and Orlando had also plenty of time to focus on his own songs. He wrote 'Disco Hi-Life' in Yoruba and 'Children of the World' in English. And he immediately planned a recording session including 12 finest musicians, such as the great singer Dora Ifudu Avery, Adelaja Gboyega on keys, Kenneth Okulolo on Bass guitar, Butley Moore on drums, Fela's collaborator Tunde William on Trumpet, and also Ade, who helped sang 'Love Peace & Happiness'.
Originally released by Nigerian label Jofabro in partnership with the UNICEF association for the 'International year of the Child', it was only available in few promotional quantity... here comes the very first official reissue of this dancefloor masterpiece!

D-Edge are proud to present "Black Belt", the stunning debut from one of Brazil's most important figures.




D-Edge Records are proud to present Black Belt, the debut
album from Brazilian DJ, producer, club and label boss Renato
Ratier. After emerging with some already impressive EPs, the
time has now come for a full artistic statement that spans 17
tracks of slo mo electronics, deep house ambiance and tripped
out, disco inflected grooves.
Rather than this being a collection of dancefloor tracks, its
more a carefully programmed journey that takes you up and
down through many different moods and grooves, but all of
them untied by Ratier's analogue textures, unfamiliar hooks
and futuristic melodies.
Opening with the found sound recordings and muffled ambiance
of 'Love Me Tokyo' the album goes through the funky licks of
'Jamaicanese', the well-sampled 'Midnight Sun' and freewheel-
ing deep house and ethereal melodies of 'Teatime'. The latter
half of the album points more towards the dancefloor with the
title track's knotted bassline, the deep and spaced out house
hypnosis of 'Fetisshu' and plenty more besides. It's a stunning
debut from one of Brazil's most important figures.

Back with another monster of a release, Ellum Audio bring you four heavy duty remixes of the infectious jam 'New York Is Alright' from TV Baby - a killer track with 'a throb of low-resolution low-end and caustic vocals' - in the words of label boss Maceo Plex. For the A side Blackspun deliver a sensational 'Minimal Mix' and 'Acid Dub', while over on the flip Maetrik injects plenty of groove and Idjut Boys take things into another dimension! All tracks are serious DJ weaponry, each served to dominate the dancefloor in their own way at peak time.

ELL014 comes as part of a joint release with DJ Spun's label Rong Music (USA), who will be releasing the original track plus remixes from Eric Duncan.

Blackspun is made up of Jason Drummond aka DJ Spun and Mark Bell aka Blakkat. Originally from San Francisco but currently residing in New York DJ Spun's journey and career through electronic music began at the birth of House and continues to this day. L.A's Blakkat is a vocalist, producer and first class DJ also working with the biggest names in the business and gracing the decks of the best clubs in the world. Together they make the perfect team with the results clear to see from this special release.

Flying high at the top of his game Eric Erstonel aka Maetrik (Maceo Plex) recently released his DJ Kicks album on !K7 which featured the Blackspun remix.

From their North London studio, Dan Tyler and Conrad McDonnell aka the Idjut Boys have run three record labels and produced their infectious dub-heavy disco sampling house for many more. They formed their first label, U-Star, in '94 on the back of their successful club nights of the same name.

We're very happy to welcome aboard new imprint Back To The Balearics

It's a label on a mission to uncover music with significance, special sounds that can make a moment out of nothing.
In an increasingly fast and disposable world the need for such moments is more important than ever.

The first release, by Belfast's MARICOPA, perfectly defines that sound. His electronic tracks blend naïve beauty with emotional depth in a sonic landscape devoid of all the usual musical clichés of dance music.
Back To The Balearics is a journey to nowhere in particular with plenty of musical stop overs on the way.

We hope you will take the trip...

17 years after first releasing a cassette EP from label boss Marsel van der Wielen under his Peel Seamus guise, Delsin is soon to hit the landmark category number of 100.
Truth is, taking into account choice re-issues and specials such as the recent house series, there have already been scores more than 100 releases. Nevertheless, in that time the Dutch label has become synonymous with a wide range of timeless sounds from house to techno to dub to electronica, nurturing and championing some of the most respect names in the scene.

To mark the occasion, the label is to release five new various artist EPs (100 copies will be special, limited and coloured vinyl exclusively available through the Delsin web shop with a collector's box) that will be compiled onto one special CD compilation come the final release.

'After many different life cycles, with this compilation I try to go back to the core of Delsin, to showcase more otherworldly/dreamy/soulful but still raw techno sounds from a selection of key artists who best represent the label,' says Marsel. 'The tracks are all individual offerings but are tied together with the common themes of the label, and as a compilation will paint a nice overall picture that is not shy of moving away from the dancefloor side of things.'

Across the five EPs you can expect tracks from newbies and old favourites alike, including Sawlin and Delta Funktionen, John Beltran and Bleak, Redshape and Convextion and plenty more. The first - like all of them - features three tracks, one each from Gerry Read, Unbroken Dub and Claro Intelecto.

Almost exactly three years after the first, Redshape has readied his second Red Pack, due for co release by his own Present imprint alongside his frequent Dutch home, Delsin, in June.
Whilst the world is still enjoying the German's latest album "Square", the man himself has typically moved on once more. On Red Pack II he offers up six tracks new of hugely atmospheric and romantically industrial techno across two pieces of vinyl.

First up, 'Disco Marauder' has raw, jangling beats, traumatised vocal cries and plenty of sci-fi ambiance all coalescing into a filmic techno tapestry, before 'Path Dub' goes deeper and more streamlined with rattling claps peeling off taught synth cables in hypnotic fashion. The same track also comes in an original version, which is a much more jagged, roughshod and textured affair.

'The Source' is a track slowed to a crawl that almost seems to want to collapse under its own weight. Machines gurgle and gargle, the beats march on with a heavy heart and widescreen synths all that ever present sense of cinematism that makes Redshape such a unique producer.

Standout track 'Daft Mode' features a beautiful Reese bassline and rich layers of classic Detroit chords of the sort Inner City once championed. Redshape then pairs them with slicing percussion and loose limbed but tough edged beats and lets them roll on to a blissfully emotive oblivion... Fans of 'Mucky Bones' from the first Red Pack might see this track as a close relative. Last track 'Bulp Head' is one of Redshape's more euphoric tracks thanks to the glistening and pixelated melodies which rise up and up through choppy, metallic percussion. It closes out another release from Redshape that offers six more classic pieces that are as idiosyncratic as they innovative..

New release from the mysterious Ex-Pylon on Studio Barnhus. Shakes is a twisted, noisy 12 minute techno epic with razor sharp drums, acidic basslines and a daredevil breakdown, while Helmet comes correct with swirling pads from outer space and a deadly groove from deep within the core.
Some selected feedback:
Agoria - i looooooooooooooove helmet so much!
Catz N' Dogz - LOVE IT MORE THAN POLAND
Dave Aju - cool and trippy tracks... 'helmet' is a cosmic space jam!
Deetron - This is so so good, exactly what I needed! Lovely use of the samples in Shakes and Helmet reminds me of Co-Fusion, great EP!
Ewan Pearson - Shakes is great!
Ivan Smagghe - huge
Jacques Renault - Helmet is cool, I'm going to test it out for sure.
Jimpster - Another slice of gorgeous deepness! Both tracks are double heavy and going to be getting plenty plays. Nicely done!
John Talabot - loving shakes!!! SB love
Josh Wink - out there release. fresh and i like.
Robag Wruhme - Download for Robag /Robag's mom
Sandrien - Shakes is a cool trip!
Superpitcher - super!!
Tim Sweeney - Yes to techno!