Buscar:scuba

Hotflush label boss Paul Rose aka Scuba returns with a vinyl-only EP for Record Store Day UK 2026.

‘Petrology’ covers the widest stylistic range of Scuba productions, and hints at the breadth and variety of atmospherics found on his last full studio album, ’Claustrophobia’, all the way back in 2015.
Opening track ‘Homing Device’ sets a brutal tone which gives way to the shimmering techno of ‘Puppets’. Side A is closed out by the title track, a dual-parted excursion into ambience and overdriven percussion.

Side B consists of the three parts of ‘Tío’. The extended track opens with DnB inflections, gradually unfolding into deep dub structures and finally resolving into abstract rhythm and melody.

‘Petrology’ is presented as a strictly limited press on transparent blue vinyl.

Scuba channels timeless, euphoric energy on his Crosstown Rebels debut, ‘GetUppp’. The Hotflush boss delivers two tracks crafted for the later hours, set for release on 21st November 2025.

Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels welcomes electronic pioneer Scuba for his first appearance on the label with ‘GetUppp’, a two-track release that fuses the UK artist’s trademark low-end pressure with the euphoric pulse of house. The title track glides on slinking percussion, interwoven with subtle soulful vocal nuances, building an irresistible groove that climbs steadily toward full dance-floor release. On the flip, ‘406 Dub’ dives deeper, a stripped, head-down workout that channels the tension and space of dub techno into something hypnotic, trippy, and captivating.
A producer who has continually defied convention, Paul Rose, aka Scuba, has shaped the direction of underground music for over two decades. From his formative role in the UK’s dubstep movement to his era-defining SUB:STANCE residency at Berghain, he’s evolved through techno, house, and beyond while steering his influential Hotflush Recordings imprint - the launchpad for artists like Mount Kimbie and Joy Orbison. He has also delivered critically acclaimed mixes for DJ Kicks, Fabric, and Ostgut Ton, cementing his reputation as one of electronic music’s most astute tastemakers.
Following his acclaimed Digital Underground live tour across 2024, and his latest headline run across Asia with shows in Kyoto, Nagoya, Tokyo, Koh Phangan, Singapore, Danang, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing, Scuba returns with fresh energy on ‘GetUppp’ - a record that captures the forward-thinking sound that has made him one of underground electronic music’s most influential figures.

Welcome to ‘Hardcore Heaven III’, the third in Scuba's series of classic hardcore-inflected vinyl EPs further develops the themes, from acid house to jungle, established on the first two installments.

Hardcore Heaven III ups the tempo from the first two EPs, with a focus on early Jungle on ‘Truth’ and ‘Give Up Everything’. Meanwhile, ‘Riding Hi’ and ‘Pocket Rocket’ add a 4/4 kick and samples possibly best described as… borderline?

Scuba has also announced D:U:LIVE, a series of live shows inspired by his acclaimed ‘Digital Underground’ mixtape and ‘Hardcore Heaven’ vinyl EPs from last year.

Hotflush continues its celebratory 20th anniversary year with a vinyl-only sequel to Scuba’s Record Store Day UK release, “Hardcore Heaven”.

‘Hardcore Heaven II’ develops the theme of that first release back in April. Taking influence from producers like Top Buzz, Nookie, and Foul Play, the familiar collision of hard-edged beats, euphoric breakdowns, and helium vocals gets a Scuba-in-2023 update.

The tracks on this EP add a twist of twisted breaks, early 2-step, and classic broken beat to the mix, as well as some moody vocal rubs and the customary dancefloor flavours.

The six tracks included here are presented on red and black splatter vinyl, limited to 500 copies with definitely no represses.

One of the first ever Hotflush releases. Limited edition custom sleeve. No re-prints or re-presses.

Super limited special edition sleeve. Scuba ft. Amp Fiddler. If I Dub

Scuba begins a new project with London vocalist and producer DOMiNii, who makes his debut with ‘Diivorce’.

Paul Rose (aka Scuba) has long since explored cross-genre sounds, blending disparate elements and mining nostalgia to create cool moods and moments of pure escapism. Over four critically acclaimed albums and mix CDs for DJ Kicks, fabric, and Ostgut Ton, he’s established himself as one of the industry’s most respected artists and tastemakers. He’s continued to evade musical pigeonholing over the course of his career, never hesitating to challenge himself with new creative endeavours. The fresh sonic direction expressed on ‘Diivorce’ is one he’s been developing since 2018, when he took an indefinite break from the full-time DJ circuit.

‘Diivorce’ is a collaboration with debut artist DOMiNii, a vocalist and producer who takes influence from the likes of Wang Chung, David Newman, Arthur Russell, and The Blue Nile. Although he appeared uncredited with backing vocals on Scuba’s ‘Forgive Me’, which initially came out last summer, ‘Diivorce’ marks his first official release.

Covering areas as varied as power pop, indietronica, exuberant house, and classic rock, the project seemingly touches as many points as it can think of, something Rose acknowledged in a recent interview where he stated that “we made so many tracks, with no real set direction, so with this record I just wanted to pick a limited number that kind of showed where we’d been. We are working on something now that I’d call a ‘proper album’, which I think will come out in 2022, Diivorce is something I see as a documentation of a period of time.”

The project includes illustrations by French artist Virginie Kypriotis who tells the story of ‘Diivorce’ through the eyes of DOMiNii, detailing a world of abandonment and separation against a backdrop of a faded paradise. Rose was first acquainted with Kypriotis’ work through her iconic illustration ‘A Night at Berghain’, which was later used by the club as their official flyer artwork in December 2017.

The vinyl edition of ‘Diivorce’ includes previously unreleased (and vinyl-exclusive) track ‘Tricks’, and is packaged in a limited edition, numbered, screen-printed sleeve.

Scuba drops another four cuts as SCB on Hotflush Recordings this December.
Paul Rose first launched his SCB moniker in 2010, going on to appear on labels like Ostgut Ton, Aus Music and Nonplus until 2014. This year saw the pioneering British producer revisit his darker alias with a dystopian themed release on Hotflush - he now returns with four more twisted and ominous productions.

London born Paul Rose's career has been intrinsically linked to Hotflush Recordings, the label he set up in 2003. Coming back full circle to his formative mid-90s days of following Colin Faver and Jeff Mills, Rose's fabric appearances have evolved over the years from bass music Fridays to the house and techno of Saturday nights.
This 10' sampler, taken from the 90th instalment of the world's leading house and techno mix series from London's renowned fabric nightclub features two tracks from fabric90 Scuba mix, both taken from Scuba's own label, Hotflush.

Scuba Death is Ricardo Donoso's alter ego. With more of a focus on analog sound, percussion, sampling, and location recordings, there is an organic undercurrent on Scuba Death recordings that isn't as prevalent in his solo work. This music is rich in atmosphere while still tethered to the deeper ideas that Donoso often explores in his work. Treatises on fear and death­anxiety, the underlining thematic framework for the project, run rampant throughout these claustrophobic electronic passages, and teeter on the edge of being oppressive. Nitrogen Narcosis marks the first full length and strongest statement in the Scuba Death repertoire after the privately issued, ruthless 'Demon Seed' twelve inch back in 2011. The album alternates between surprising lethargic dance inflections all nestled between 75 & 100 bpm, the normal resting heart rate for adults, and the more conceptual, numbness­inducing pieces like '50­-70 Meters' and 'Nociception.' Sequencing plays an integral role on Nitrogen Narcosis as the listener is suddenly thrust into the darkest reaches of the ocean after dark alley grooves are sucked into an aquatic abyss. For a project named after Donoso's near­drowning experience in the South Atlantic when he was younger, there's an impressive amount of reflection & vulnerability present - the field recordings that permeate throughout the album were captured at the same location the undertow caught hold of him that bright Summer day 20 years prior. An inner battle between paranoia and euphoria is played out in well­conceived, precision sonics on Nitrogen Narcosis as Donoso reminds us to look back, break through the surface and go deeper.

Continuing on the thematic thread of soundtracking an imaginary short movie, label founder DJ Tennis aka Manfredi Romano, asks some of the greatest contemporary club producers to take on the task of interpreting this idea in their own unique style. Romano explains that 'the score is a translation of our imagination, memories and emotions into music, with no protocols.' Opening the soundtrack, Vatican Shadow swaps his thunderous techno for a more cosmic and gentle approach, setting the tone for an equally serene soundscape from London based DJ and producer Midland. Japanese Future Terror head honcho, DJ Nobu, layers dense cerebral textures exuding the punk spirit of Life and Death. A similar rule defying energy can be heard by Ninos De Brazil who fuse carnival percussions with straight up old school techno. Both Scuba and Uchi bring the futuristic synths of a space age tomorrow we've all been waiting for. German producer Isolee interprets the task with his minimal productions and Italian producer Cosmo closes the compilation with Psychedelic Soundscapes turning into a distorted gabber missile. As the decade edges closer to it's decade anniversary, Romano proves yet again that Life and Death is a label which evolves through each reincarnation of itself, never failing to impress.

Remixes from Ruede hagelstein & Amin Fallaha, Scuba, Julien Bracht and Tom (Alt-J) Hymn to the Night is the debut album from rising electronic post-punk duo, Lea Porcelain. The album was writt en and recorded over a two year period in Berlin's FUNKHAUS, a broadcasti ng house created under Soviet supervision that now houses the world's biggest recording studio. We are proud of what we have made and we have learned a lot through the process,' recall the band. The spectrum of the album is extremely wide.

Every song works together, playing with very different moods. We would describe it as atmospheric, cinemati c and melancholic'. Including the singles, 'Bones', 'Out Is In', and 'Warsaw Street' The song is rich in vibrant synthesizers and gentle vocals laced with percussion as lively as a marching band, creati ng a track as quixoti c as a lucid dream. - Stereogum

Ominous motorik kraut rumblings and the thudding electronic trickery of prime era Underworld. - Godisinthetvzine

Music-wise, we're thinking of smooshing together Joy Division with Echo & The Bunnymen (sure) coupled with the modern-downbeatness of The XX. So everything dressed in black basically. Brilliant stuff . - Killing Moon

An electronic duo from Frankfurt, Lea Porcelain have a dark, twisted yet oddly enti cing sound. - Clash Magazine

atom™'s ep »riding the void« is, together with the visual works of »HD+«, the conclusion of his critical yet delightful examination of pop music and culture on raster-noton.like the previous ep »ich bin meine maschine«, »riding the void« is set up very functionally,
aiming at being used in the club. techno maverick scuba, for example, turns the track with his »pulse mix« into a straight and dense march, whereas atom™ himself shakes the groove out of »riding the void« with his own two lighthearted remixes. his »nought remix« presents itself as slimmed-down yet very vibrant, while »tool« is a perfectly dance floor-ready reinterpretation of the original track. further more, an additional remix by hanno Leichtmann can be found on the digital version of the release.

Today burgeoning band Drew X Hill announce details of their second stunning EP 'Bullets', revealing the first track by the same name, and the tracklisting for the EP in full.
2014 saw Groove Armada Deliver an exceptional Italo 90s piano house remix for 'Talk To You EP' which was heard at every festival and terrace during the summer...'Bullets' is slated for release in May on their label home of the forward-thinking Born Electric, which is headed up by DJ/Producer James Zabiela.
Lead track 'Bullets' is sparse, beautifully influenced by the likes of Royksopp, Moderat, Imogen Heap, Shlohmo & James Blake whilst Michele's vocal's are both haunting and compelling.
Hailing from Denmark and Cologne respectively, Michelle Drew and Philipp Hill's paths first crossed in an unlikely city on the South Coast of the UK. Their style is hypnotic, off-kilter and deeply rooted in electronica with the added edge of Michele's beautiful vocals; forming songs constructed from the heart that will later be complimented with some very special remixes made for the dancing feet.

DJ Support - Alan Fitzpatrick, Ben Sims, Colin Dale, Dave Clarke, DJ Bone, Doc Scott, Dustin Zahn, Ellen Allien, Fear-E, Fixon, Gary Beck, James Ruskin, Laurent Garnier, Luke Slater, Misstress Barbara, Radio Slave, Rebecca Delle Piane, Remy Unger, Rodhad, Scuba, The Advent & Truncate

Hardgroove returns with three powerful new remixes from rising Greek talent ANNE, who twists label boss Sim’s Snapshot ‘99 into a trio of peak-time weapons. Marking her third release on the legendary label, ANNE builds on acclaimed work for Out Of Place, Soma, and Hardgroove sister label Symbolism, seeing her in heavy demand with a packed 2025 touring schedule across the EU and beyond.

One of the biggest tunes of 2011 gets a reload on Hotflush with a brand new remix from house legend Mr. G.

Hotflush label boss Scuba was a dubstep exile in Berlin running parties at Berghain in 2011, following the release of his landmark album Triangulation the previous year. The SCB project had been launched as a platform for his productions outside of the 140 realm, anticipating a stylistic move that would make a serious impact on the dance scene at large.

‘Loss’ was released on Aus Music that March, proceeded to destroy dancefloors across the globe, and ended the year at number 7 in RA’s ‘Top Tracks of 2011’. In 2025, it retains the unique combination of minimal elegance and trance power that gave it such impact all those years ago.

UK house mastermind Mr. G steps up with a trademark remix - uncompromising in groove and structure, guaranteed to do the business on the floor.

And to round off the package, a previously unreleased version of the original b-side, FutureUnknown is included. The ‘Voxattack’ made many appearances in the Scuba DJ set at the time and qualifies for ‘sought-after lost dub’ status.

DJ Support: Hutch, Mark Archer, The Dead Rose Music Company, OOFT, Scuba, DJ Die, Horse Meat Disco, Crazy P, Bonar Bradberry, Jordan Peak, Roman Fluege, Rampa and Gerd Janson.

Ahead of his forthcoming album and singles, Shadow Child presents a series of playful tools for DJs, with early support from TC to Gerd Jansen, FFF to Coyu plus radio spins from the likes of Danny Howard and Don Letts, these tracks are sure to please all summer. This one also contains a hidden track only available to the vinyl lovers.

Two decades in, one of dance music’s most celebrated DJs, producers, label owners, A&Rs, broadcasters, and tastemakers has big plans for this anniversary. In June, Anja Schneider will unveil an expansive rework and remix package on her benchmark-setting imprint, Sous Music, some of her best-loved tracks are there in less familiar forms. Expect fresh takes from Anja herself on seven of her favorite tracks plus a wealth of heavyweight remixers: Paramida & E-Talking, Radio Slave, Scuba, JakoJako, Julian Muller, Cassy, Deetron, Leafar Legov, Erobique, Jaymie Silk and Ackermann all being part of the impressive collection.
“The project includes new versions of my favourite tracks from the last 20 years and remixers who have accompanied, influenced, and currently impress me. Each artist holds a special connection for me,” says Anja in anticipation of this milestone release.

A super stacked remix EP including remixes from the legend Christian Smith creator of the label Tronic which goes back to the early/mid 90s. SCB aka Scuba, owner of the legendary label Hotflush Recordings. Plus remixes from new generation talent Blenk, who's had releases on Enemy Records and the 'Room Mode' remix contest winner, THER3MIN from Athens

Much may have changed over a two-decade period, but Drumcode's commitment to releasing the scene's most cutting-edge and refined techno remains resolute. 2017 has already seen releases from Adam Beyer Vs Pig&Dan, Alan Fitzpatrick, Ilario Alicante, Julian Jeweil, as well as a debut album from Layton Giordani. The label continues push forwards; bringing fail-safe, club-ready music to the techno community.
Perennial pushers of the techno envelope, Dense & Pika are renowned for their standout studio output that seems to constantly conjure up a particularly unique take on their distinct sound, D&P have rather outdone themselves in 2017.
Kicking off the year with a selection of back catalogue remixes from the likes of Danny Daze, Scuba, Slam and Yotam Avni that illustrated the high esteem in which D&P are held by their peers right across the spectrum; From heritage acts to current headliners and cutting edge talent, the duo have gone on to drop bomb after bomb after bomb.

Their universally lauded remix of Tiga's 'Louder Than A Bomb' was the first of a run of chart topping cuts; With a remix of ME & her's 'Wild Rage' on Jamie Jones' Hottrax imprint and their own 'Casino' single both challenging the norm of what techno sounds like in the here and now.
Cooked up with a more melodic vibe and fusing elements of house and techno, Dense & Pika's latest outing on Drumcode offers something different compared to their previous work.

There is still that vintage feel to each of the tracks with analogue sounds and arrangements born and developed from experimental studio jams. Indeed, 'Suki' heavily utilizes the distinct harmonic tones of the Dave Smith Prophet 8 keyboard. While 'Little Sun' - A staple of D&P performances over the last three months - delivers a more classic Drumcode sound. 'Lanky' closes out the release with an infectious slab of wonderfully wonked-out raw funk.

After impressions of Unguja and Borneo islands, Discrepant's chieftain Gonçalo F. Cardoso continues his sonic travelogue on insularity with 'Impressões de Várias Ilhas’.

Literally translated as "impressions from various islands", this third tome dwells on recordings and inspirations from three archipelagos of Macaronésia. Soaking in the sounds and recollections from Azores, Cape Verde and Canary Islands these diaristic endeavours spread throughout a number of real environments, from water caves and black stone beaches and lagoons to small harbours and everyday life scenarios, to project them into this not quite imaginary but not quite real memory haze that goes from a deeply personal impression to a resonating one.

Melding raw field recordings with processed ones and synthesized landscapes, Cardoso never falters into sonic tourism, conjuring small-ish takes both vivid and dreamy, infused with a sense of wonder that feels both bewildering, comforting and escapist. The breaking waves of 'Bufadeiros de São Vicente' soothing in their irregular pattern, mingling with the lone echoing tones not completely removed from Black Dice's 'Beaches & Canyon's most pensive passages, flow into the underwater ambience and suspended pads of 'La Cueva Scuba Livre', as reflections of the same sea crashing in on different lands, nature’s psychogeography. Further on, the queasy warm chord and scraping murmurs of 'Noite em Rabo de Peixe' mirror their nighttime framing while 'Rãs em Xoxo' veers closer to pure musique concréte, crossed by a subdued feeling of unease that lingers in the nostalgia of 'Cozido da Caldeira Velha', brimming within the haze of a Boards of Canada vignette. Summoning the past lives and future hauntings of its scenery, 'Salinas de Pedra Lume' is like the quiet epic of the album, meandering into the unknown among crackling field recordings, decaying synths and flute-like howls - or is it howl-like flutes? - recurring as glimpses from foregone existences, not necessarily Gonçalo’s own. Maybe ours?

Music & Photography by Gonçalo F. Cardoso
Artwork layout by Jeroen Wille
Master by Rashad Becker

Discrepant 2025
Pressed in Spain

RAWAX MOTOR CITY EDITION presents Black Eyes - Ocean FLoor Funk EP
We are very happy to spread the news about this outstanding deep monster record!
Three original tracks by high rising Black Eyes plus a timeless warm and filigree remix by Abacus.

Big package!

London Modular Alliance x Private Parts join forces to bring you 4 x tracks of machine excellence. Moving from energetic driving techno, to more blissful thought out electronica. Hypnotic and tripped out electro, through to some deeper sounds of the palate. Check!

Lost Control 2097 present the long awaited follow up to last years debut Hydro-Trip Vol. 1 EP from Berlin based producer Black Eyes who's fresh off releases on Upstairs Asylum and Rawax.

Hydro-Trip Vol. 2 is a mixture of warm rugged soulful house drawing inspirations from the oceans wildly flowing life. A combination of subterranean chord rawness, crunchy drum workouts, sleazy basement vox and a very dope remix from Detroit myth-like producer 'Walt J' round off an EP constructed for the real deep house katz. As per usual, scuba gear is heavily encouraged.

Let's keep it REAL deep!

Bonobo alias Simon Green - heute einer der größten Namen in der Dance-Musikszene - tauchte erstmals Ende der 90er Jahre als einer der hellsten Sterne des Downtempo-Genres auf. Ursprünglich um die Jahrtausendwende veröffentlicht, ist Bonobos Debütalbum "Animal Magic" ein zeitloses Album und ein Kultfavorit unter den Fans geworden.

Aufgenommen auf einem Akai 4-Spur-Tonbandgerät, nimmt "Animal Magic" einen besonderen Platz in der Geschichte des in Brighton ansässigen Independent-Labels Tru Thoughts ein, denn es war das erste Album des Künstlers, das auf der Tru Thoughts-Compilation "When Shapes Join Together" debütierte. Bonobos Anfänge als talentierter DJ und Produzent begannen unter der Anleitung von Tru Thoughts A&R Robert Luis und seinen Label-Nächten in Brighton, wie z.B. phonic:hoop, wo Simon seine ersten Erfahrungen sammelte und begann, die ganze Nacht hindurch DJ-Sets zu spielen.

"Animal Magic" ist das Ergebnis von Simon Greens Zeit in der kreativen Küstenstadt Brighton und markiert einen wichtigen Meilenstein in seiner musikalischen Reife. Die Stadt übte einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf ihn aus und ermöglichte es ihm, seine Fähigkeiten als Drum-Programmierer und Produzent weiterzuentwickeln, während er unermüdlich als DJ in diesem kreativen Zentrum auflegte.

Während er in Brighton lebte, veröffentlichte Bonobo neben seinem kultigen Debütalbum "Animal Magic" eine Handvoll EPs und Singles wie "Scuba", "Terrapin" und "One Offs, Remixes & B-Sides" und legte mit anderen Künstlern von Tru Thoughts und Ninja Tunes in ganz Europa und Nordamerika auf.

Mit der Veröffentlichung von "Animal Magic" im Jahr 2000 wurde Simon Green als ernstzunehmendes Talent in der Szene bekannt, das der elektronischen Musik eine echte musikalische Note verleiht. Seitdem wurde Bonobo bei Coldcut's Ninja Tune unter Vertrag genommen und veröffentlichte sechs weitere Alben, darunter das GRAMMY-nominierte "Fragments" im Jahr 2022, während er seine DJ-Performance zu einer voll orchestrierten Live-Band weiterentwickelte, weltweit auf Tournee ging und zu einem beliebten Mainstage-Performer auf den größten Musikfestivals der Welt wurde.

Arketip Discs is a Barcelona-based vinyl and digital imprint co-founded by Spear and Makuto that has featured music by Reeko, Truncate, Temudo, ORBE and Eduardo De La Calle.
Makuto is the label head from Spain with a growing reputation and who has kept his productions exclusively to Arketip Discs so far. ''Sfera'' is a hypnotic and atmospheric cut with modular accents and tones that morph and expand in sleek style.
A. Morgan is from Manchester, UK and has been establishing his productions with revered releases on the likes of Jay Clarke's Blackaxon, Joton's New rhythmic, Hans Bouffmyhre's Sleaze and Berlin's BCCO. ''Vogue One'' has a stripped-back style and groove focused rhythm with creative sound design and precise percussion highlights.
VIL is known as a core member of the Portuguese outfit HAYES, and has released music on Ben Klock's Klockworks, Ben Sims' Hardgroove, Shlomi Aber's Be As One, and TWR72's Float amongst others. ''The Reaction'' has a shuffling and quirky rhythm with deep, floating chords and electric elements creating a unique vibe.
Also from Spain, Psyk is the Non Series label owner whose back catalogue includes Tresor, Luke Slater's Mote Evolver, Scuba's Hotflush, Reeko's Mental Disorder and Chris Liebing's CLR to name only a few. Psyk's impressive remix of ''The Reaction'' succeeds in expanding distinct electric fragments from the original into a tapestry of organic, modular soundscapes

Extra Characteristics
Printed Sleeve

"The Dive is a 2023 scuba-diving movie, starring Sophie Lowe (Medieval) and Louisa Krause (Billions), with much of the footage – underwater and topside – shot in the popular diving destination of Malta. Directed by Maximilian Erlenwein and written by Erlenwein with Joachim Heden, The Dive focuses on two sisters, Drew and May, whose dive together off the rocky shoreline is abruptly cut short when a landslide above water sends a cascade of boulders down on top of them, leaving May trapped down at 28m by the debris. With dangerously low levels of oxygen and cold temperatures, it is up to her sister to fight for her life. The score to The Dive is composed by Volker Bertelmann & Raffael Seyfried. Bertelmann is a German composer who is also known under the name Hauschka. In 2022, he won an Academy Award and BAFTA for his work on All Quiet on the Western Front. For the soundtrack for The Dive, he teamed up with Raffael Seyfried, who previously scored the acclaimed 2018 drama series Patrick Melrose. The Dive is available as a limited edition on turquoise coloured vinyl."

Dive by Various Artists, released 25 January 2024, includes the following tracks: "Do You Hear That", "Go To The Surface", "Ship", "Are You OK" and more.

This version of Dive comes as a 1xLP.

The vinyl is pressed as a turquoise disc.

Since I started collecting records I have been slightly obsessed with underwater music. I could analyse this in many ways but the most obvious starting point for me was the weekly dose of Sunday afternoon TV onboard the Calypso with Jacques Cousteau throughout the 1970s.
My collection of underwater LPs and singles is now extensive - in the hundreds I reckon. But in amongst it all is only one underwater soundtrack from the UK. And this is it. It took me an age to track down Jezz, but I did. And now you don’t have to take an age to track down an original super rare copy of the 1981 pressing.
These days when there are so may represses, rediscoveries and reissues, I thought we’d make this stand out a little more, so I decided to take us all back to my childhood 1970’s when I used to get a little “Action Transfer” set on very special occasions, and stick the little transfers of scuba divers, fish and mini subs all over a small paper underwater landscape. Sadly we couldn’t get classic rub down Letraset style transfers but I think Kev (DJ Food) has done a miraculous job in creating a modern version.
So sit back (mess about with the stickers) and wonder at the beautiful, submersive electronic sounds created by Jezz all those years ago. Dive in, the water is lovely.
Jonny Trunk 2023
THE SLEEVE
To put together such a unique sleeve Jonny Trunk teamed up with Kevin Foakes / DJ Food who used AI programming to generate this underwater wonderland, the sleeve images and the record labels. The sticker sheet was generated using influences from vintage 1970s “Action Transfer” imagery and period graphic styles. The result is a magical clash of then and now tech and a totally unique sleeve for an incredible soundtrack.
THE MUSIC
As underwater albums go, this is the very peak. Made using the best cutting edge synth tech of the day (see tech list below - most used by Vangelis at the time too!!!), the result is a sublime wash of underwater ambience, emotions and more. IT GETS NO BETTER.
THE COMPOSER
Jezz Woodroffe (aged 29 when this LP was originally made), having played keyboards from the age of five and reaching musical distinction at the age of ten, has played in many bands.
Jezz left ‘Black Sabbath’ in his pursuit to find alternative ways to stretch his ability and because of his obsession with perfection released his first solo album “Opposite Directions” and single “Peace In Our Space” (Graduate Records). The resulted in the offer to score for the film ‘Wonders Of The Underwater World”. Faced with a difficult task, Jezz set up his complex of equipment at the foot of the screen (as in the silent movies) and played to the action. It soon became obvious that his talents and sympathy for the underwater environment were enhancing the filming beautifully.
Having been totally involved in this project from its original conception I could only sit back in awe and admiration during the three months it took Jezz to complete the soundtrack, which, when viewed with the film is a very moving experience. The music, listened to in its own right - as an album - is for me as much an amazing trip as the two years around the world it took to make the film!
THE STUDIO EQUIPMENT USED ON THE LP
Yamaha Polyphonic Synthesisers CS80 & CS60 ~ Yamaha Symphonic Ensemble SK20 ~ Yamaha Monophonic Synthesisers CS30, CS150 & CS20M ~ Yamaha Electric Grand CP708 ~ Roland Monophonic Synthesisers SH1, PRO-MARS ~ Roland Digital Sequencer CSQ600 ~ Roland Vocoder VP330 ~ Roland Organ / String Synth. RS09 ~ Mini Moog & Moog Prodigy Monophonic Synthesisers ~ Godwin String Concert 649 ~ H/H Electric Piano P73

It is always our pleasure to have new talents in the house, and we've been following Notzing's development since long ago. His approach to techno is absolutely personal and complex, hard and intrincated, mental and physical.

Protae is the first missile in this box full of weapons, a super busy techno exercise with compacted drums, drilling synth lines and random metallic hits breaking the monotony. The effect on the floor is devastating and has been tested extensively in dancefloors worldwide by label owner Oscar Mulero in the past months. 7 minutes of pure dancefloor mayhem.

Fagus continues with the sickness, with hysterical synth washe repeating an hypnotic chant, adding layers of sound as the groove goes by. Repetition is here the key to proper trance, not exactly with pleasant tones but by aggression.

Ekaterin is gummy and elastic with formant synth sounds chewing frequencies and changing constantly in shape. Another mental mantra with a physical drive.

Molniya slows down the pace and dives into profound sound scapes full of unnatural underwater sounds and washes providing a feeling of scuba diving.

To end this sonic odyssey, Emision goes completely beatless, growing from the profound sub bass frequencies to crispy and crunchy surface noises, creating the soundtrack of floating in outer space with no gravity. Please beware of the super intense bass tones when playing on a big sound system.
The perfect combination of experimentation and punchiness, keep an eye on this guy, is gonna make some proper noise in the coming years.

Head hydro-tripper Black Eyes has risen from the depths of the deep to release his debut solo record Hydro-Trip vol 1. Fresh off the sea creature's back from co-producing the 'Planet People - Terra Firma EP' with synth botherer Reedale Rise which came out earlier this year. His solo endeavour takes us on a jazzier vibe yet still keeping true to the deep ways of the water. Lead track 'Understood Sea Being' plunges us on a rugged ride with deep Detroit chords and Black Eyes's own punk-like vocals throughout. 'Let's Get Deeper' slows the pace up with chopped up samples and introduces us to the classic hydro-trip sound we've grown to love down here in the underwater cities; it's deep and trippy. 'Scuba Lyfe' picks up the pace a bit but evolves into a low down dubby groove mixed with some hi-tek jazz. Asking Rolando (who we all know was part of the infamous Underground Resistance and Los Hermanos, as well being a Berghain resident DJ more recently) to come on board the subterranean vessel was an obvious choice for remix. He switches the gears and adds some fluid Detroit techno to finish off the EP. Berlin based Deskai masters the EP who also mastered the Planet People EP so you know what to sonically expect.

Hotflush Recordings celebrates 20 years in the game this year, with a triple pack vinyl compilation featuring some of the key musical events in the label’s catalogue.

Born in 2003, Hotflush stands as one of electronic music’s most influential labels. A multi-dimensional imprint that helped define the development of bass music throughout the mid-2000s, in the last decade it would evolve towards the liminal spaces between house, techno, and beyond - a journey which has given the dancefloor some of its true underground classics.

This celebratory release covers every era and stylistic area of the Hotflush output. 2005’s proto-dubstep face melter ‘The Knowledge’ by Toasty kicks off Side A, with the key sides of bass music development all covered with tracks from James Blake, Loefah, Sepalcure, and Scuba.

UK techno legend Surgeon appears with his seminal remix of Scuba’s ‘Ruptured’ (2008), while the early Paul Woolford classic ‘MDMA’ reminds us of how ended up working with Diplo.

George FitzGerald and Recondite reprise some of their key formative material, while newer names Lawrence Hart, OR:LA and breakout Seoul artist Closet Yi also make appearances.

Canadian mastermind Jacques Greene rounds off the release with his slamming remix of Kiimi’s Breaking My Mind.

This is a compilation 20 years in the making, containing some of the key tracks from the electronic underground - curated and compiled by label boss Scuba.

Rhythm Nation is back on vinyl, with a master of the deeper side of UK house and Detroit-inflected techno, Jayson Wynters.

Following up his 'Exit Wound' digital-only release of last year, which also featured remixes from Phantasy Sound's James Welsh, Jayson drops two brand new tracks as well as a physical pressing of those two originals from the previous release.

'War Heads' is a true late-night wormhole of a track, embarking on a journey of percussion and atmosphere, leading inexorably to the emergence of the warmest pads and the deepest bass.

'Bandwidth' flips the switch to a fresh take on classic electro, maintaining the signature Hayson Wynters sound of drum machines and classic synths that seem to hit just slightly left of where the listener expects.

Orginally released digitally in 2022, 'Exit Wound' and 'Lost City' offer a similar contrast - the former is a bassline-driven peak-time stomper, while the latter takes things deep into real electro with an infectious groove and evergreen textures.

Rhythm Nation is part of the Hotflush Recordings label group, curated by Paul Rose aka Scuba, celebrating 20 years in 2023.