quête:slate

Entdecken Sie zum ersten Mal auf Vinyl, das 4. Album der großartigen Crew von Yellow Productions: Africanism All Stars. Unter der Leitung von Bob Sinclar und mit dJ Spen, Federico Scavo, Roger Sanchez, Eddie Amador, Bt&Baker, Martin Solveig, DJ Gregory...

Colombian Sensation Felipe Gordon Drops "Phasing the Shit" Ep on Phonogramme Records Colombian Dj and Producer Felipe Gordon Is Gearing Up to Shake Up the Electronic Music Scene Once Again With His Latest Ep, "Phasing the Shit," Slated for Release on Phonogramme Records This May. Featuring Four Electrifying Tracks, "Phasing the Shit" Is a Testament to Gordon's Unparalleled Talent and Musical Ingenuity. From the Infectious Grooves of "Who’s Gonna Be"to the Soul-Stirring Vibes of "Wait on You (Say Goodbye)", Each Track Promises to Take Listeners on a Sonic Journey Like No Other. "Keep Doing What You Love" Is a Rallying Cry for Self-Expression and Authenticity, While "Phasing the Shit" Serves as the Ep's Crowning Jewel, Enveloping Listeners in a Kaleidoscope of Sounds and Emotions. With His Latest Release, Felipe Gordon Solidifies His Status as One of Colombia's Most Exciting Musical Exports, Captivating Audiences With His Infectious Beats and Genre-Defying Style....

Early Feedbacks :

Laurent Garnier : lovely bluesy tracks ... Great EP for sure
Lea Lisa (Phonica Records / Folklor Club) : Phasing the shit, Dope !
Nightmares On Wax (Warp Records) : Whos gonna be is great ! Wait on you is dope ! Keep doing is tuff! Phasing the shit is dirty ! Love the e.p
DJ Bone (FURTHER) : Keep Doing What You love works for me.
Ame (Innervisions) : thanks
Kassian (Phonica White / Heist Recordings) : keep doing is so cool
Harri (Sub Club) : liking these, will play and support
Oliver $ (Classic Music Company / Play It Down) : lovley tracks!
Cesare vs Disorder (Serialism Records) : nice! will play, thank you
Satoshi Tomiie (Abstract Architecture) : Phasing The Shit is THE SHIT :)
Domenic Cappello (Subclub) : love phasing the shit ,class track
Marcel Dettmann : thx
Ugly Drums (Quintessentials) : Wait on you is a jam
Jon Hester (Rekids, EDEC, Les Enfants Terribles, L.A.G.) : Title track sounding good!
Domenic Cappello (Subclub) : love phasing the shit ,class track

Kicking off 2024, Diffuse Reality launches the year with a captivating new vinyl release, teasing the beginning of a wave of upcoming releases slated for the year ahead. cat can do presents M SERIES Vol 2, a 5 track EP of Techno with touches of Acid, splatters of Detroit and heavenly pads that will make you dance non stop till the next morning. This is a full printed cover from our series: Textures. Dance and enjoy.

Syncrophone proudly presents 'Proceed with Caution' by Detroit's Filthiest. This 4-track catalog masterpiece is a rhythmic exploration, featuring infectious funk-infused beats and a distinctive style that pays homage to the city's illustrious musical heritage. Detroit's Filthiest seamlessly blends tradition with innovation, creating an electrifying experience that echoes the Motor City's iconic sound.

Feedbacks :

Luke Slater : dope
Serge (Clone) : Sick release! Another banger from Dj Nasty!
Elena Colombi (NTS) : Check Out the Technique is great!
Lukas Wigflex (Wigflex) : wonk
Tijana T : huge fan!
Hodge (Livity Sound) : lovely
Eclair Fifi (Lucky Me / NTS) : fk yeah 5/5
Monty Luke (Rekids / Black Catalogue) : fear in your eyes is a banger
Dave Clarke (white noise radio) : Will support ! Love the first track
Marcel Dettmann : thx
Machine Woman (Take Away Jazz Records) : cool
Ben Sims : Technique is my pick, thx!
Will Hofbauer (Third Place, Wisdom Teeth, Rinse) : very slick
Blasha & Allatt (Meat Free) : Fire! Up In Smoke + Nuttin But Chedda are the ones for me :) Thanks, Steffi x
Lena Willikens (Cómeme) : Fear In Your Eyes for me!
Lauren Flax (The Lot Radio/ Young Turks / K7) : incredible EP, thanks!
David Martin (Dimensions Soundsystem) : his is superb. Love it! Thanks DM
Amy Dabbs (Shall Not Fade, Distant Horizons, SlothBoogie, ) : Beautifully sleazy - love it
Bloody Mary (Dame-Music) : track 2 :))) thanks
DMX Krew (Breakin Records / Fresh Up) : Nice trax :) Will try to fit in my December show for Rinse FM.
mi-el (NTS show) : heavy

EVOLV is a visionary window into the mind of Dubfire, the journey of the ‘hybrid’ being and its evolution. Last year in October, an 11-track debut album was released on his long-standing SCI+TEC imprint. And now, just over a year later, Grammy award winning producer Dubfire returns to that sonic discourse, drafting in an impressive array of names to re-interpret the material, and accompanied by Dubfire's new audio-visual EVOLV show which picked up where the critically acclaimed electronic performance experience HYBRID had left off.

The eclectic package will include such notables as Glaskin, Arjun Vagale, Nadia Struiwigh, Mathimidori (dub alias of Mathias Kaden), Maral, Decka, Carl Craig, Truncate, Drumcell, Chris Liebing, Radio Slave and Luke Slater who have all given the original music in their own unique style.

With a career spanning over 3 decades, Dubfire has achieved global success as an artist with relentless drive, talent, and intuition. Pioneering commercial notoriety came initially as one half of the Grammy Award-winning (2001) duo Deep Dish, before embarking on a truly groundbreaking solo career in 2007. A career filled with timeless tracks include his early works, ‘RibCage’ (2007), ‘Emissions' (2007), ‘Roadkill’ (2007) and the highly acclaimed ‘Grindhouse’ (2009) remix from Radio Slave which led to a host of other notable projects over the years.
Collaborative work highlights include projects with Miss Kitten, Luke Slater, Flug, and Oliver Huntemann, as well as co-producing two songs on Underworld’s Barking album. A true artist, he has always been heavily invested in exploring performance technology, unveiled to wide praise with his HYBRID live show. A two-year world tour commenced in 2015 and was followed by his retrospective album, A Decade Of Dubfire (2017), a celebration of his immense output during the first 10 years of solo artist stardom. EVOLV is Dubfire’s debut solo artist album.

This pairing was slated to be Event 218 in late 1974, but as no copies have emerged, it can be assumed that the single was pulled. It is hard to know why, but judging by its rarity the Anderson Brothers GSF release of ‘I Can See Him Loving You’ was a commercial failure - perhaps Event didn’t want to suffer a similar fate.

This reading of producer Ray Dahrouge’s song is more soulful and vital than the Anderson Brothers which was huge on the Northern Soul scene, but without this take for competition at the time.

Maybe the steamy finale to the Mayberry’s version was a bit too much for radio play, but surely the brilliance of the ballad A side would have compensated for that. Their loss; our gain.

Mary Yuzovskaya's vinyl-only Monday Off imprint delivers the sixth instalment of its various artists series, calling in a crew of talented artists to explore deep, cosmic anomalies and soothing modular soundscapes. Kicking off the compilation is Poland-via-Berlin artist Blazej Malinowski, a true wizard with sound, whose 'Ocean' sees rich textural synths crash like waves onto driving low-end. The Gods Planet, Svreca's Semantica, and 012 artist is followed by Nonplus+ and Blank Slate's Michal Wolski, who delivers 'Essence', a track boasting squelchy sequences, subtle acid and swirly psychedelia.

'Black Moss' is next, a minimalistic tripper by Xhato that expertly weaves rolling synthlines into sturdy drum work. It's a constantly evolving, deep space adventure before Milena Glowacka closes the EP with distant, foggy wastelands and dubbed-out hypnotics in 'Dystopia'. Volume 6 of Monday Off's compilation cements itself as another must-have collector's item for those venturing into the trippier side of techno.

The Dam Swindle curated compilation Heist Classics Vol. 02 delivers even more of the label’s biggest hits in a beautiful limited-edition package.

It’s safe to say that in it’s 10 years of existence, Heist Recordings has given us plenty of amazing music and has cemented itself as one of the key labels in today’s house scene. The first 3 compilations of this year have had an amazing response with radio and club tastemakers (re)discovering some of the best music that has come out on Heist. With support from Paul Woolford, Luke Slater, Antal, James Zabiela, Nightmares on Wax, a 10/10 in Faze Mag and various radio plays on BBC R1 with Pete Tong, Annie Mac and more, it’s safe to say that everyone has been loving these releases. Now, Dam Swindle conclude their 10-year anniversary releases with Classics vol. 2: a limited-edition collection with hits from Crackazat, Andy Hart, Kassian, Makèz and Nachtbraker.

The release kicks off with ‘Alfa’: Crackazat’s biggest hit to date (and that’s saying something, coming from a producer that has delivered jam upon jam in his career). It’s a signature Crackazat song with an off-kilter live key loop, shuffling percussion and pumping low end.
Andy Hart’s ‘Epsilon Girls’ was originally released in 2014 and has helped cement the artist and label’s position in the house music landscape. A vintage Barbara St. Clair loop gives the track a lovely human touch, which is countered by layers upon layers of glimmering electronics.

Different Planets is the track that really kickstarted the career of the talented duo Makèz. Released in 2019, the track has everything we’ve come to love from their recognizable sound: lively drums, catchy hooks and warm & jazzy chords. UK duo Kassian are represented on this package with their track ‘8th Movement’. Their sound has progressed towards techno in recent years which has given them support from artists across the board such as Ben UFO, Special Request and many more. Their Heist classic ‘8th Movement’ - still housey in its core - already has hints of their newfound style in its sound design and rolling energy.

We end the record with what might be Nachtbraker’s biggest track of his career: ‘Hamdi’. You’ll find him currently at work with artists such as Shanti Celeste where he recently released his Capichone EP, but the sound he developed in the early part of his career had Heist written all over it. ‘Hamdi’ is a proper anthem, with African drums, an ecstatic vocal sample and a killer groove.

The vinyl release of Heist Classics Vol. 02 is printed on colored 180grams heavyweight vinyl and is limited to 1000 records with a special design by our Art Director Bas Koopmans (Wellness.)

Enjoy the music and play it loud!

Lars & Maarten

Repress!

One of the gems on the smash hit album 'Soulmatic', Purple Disco Machine & Boris D'Lugosch's, 'Love For Days' gets the remix treatment three ways.

First up the master Kenny Dope - crisping up that shuffling rhythm with some added percussion and synthesiser arps to turn what was already a peak time soulful anthem, into a close to 8 minute extended journey drawing you in more and more with each build up and breakdown. Next up the PDM offers up an extended mix of the original, a welcome sight for those DJs on the club scene who have been rinsing this since the album dropped last year.

Finally, Motez takes you into raunchy, r&b tinged, garage territory, really honing in on Karen Harding's incredible vocals whilst incorporating brooding pads and sweeping fx's to create a special twist on the original.


DJ Support:

Aeroplane (Aeropop / Eskimo Recordings), Klingande / Kungs / Michael Calfan c/o (Unity Group Promo Sorter), Autograf (Counter Records), Treasure Fingers (Psycho Disco! / Fool's Gold), Malente (Southern Fried Records), Satin Jackets c/o (Eskimo Recordings / N.E.W.S.), Eric Sharp (9G Records), Gregor Salto c/o (Spinnin' Records), DJ Blake Jarrell (Armada Music), Jerome Price (Throne Room Records), DJ Licious (Spinnin' Records), Travis Emmons (Weapons Music), Electronic Youth (KMS), Solidisco (Fool's Gold / Ultra) :: Mark Knight c/o (Toolroom Knights), Mike Mago (Boemklatsch), Muzzaik (Spinnin' / Toolroom), The Disco Boys (We Play Music), Trevor Mac (Jalapeno Sound System), Ferdinand Weber (Spinnin' Deep), LCAW (Ultra), Plastic Plates (Sweat it Out), Mark Lower (Nurvous), Don Diablo c/o (Axtone / Spinnin' Records), Eton Messy, Après (Love & Other Records), Spada (Ego Music / Hysterical), Eelke Kleijn (Spinnin' / Suara), Horsemeat Disco (Strut Records / K7! Records), Horsemeat Disco (Strut Records / K7! Records), Adriana Lucia (Get Physical), Broc Roc (Dj B-Roc of The Knocks), Chordashian (Mullet Records), Hector Romero (Saw Recordings), Just Kiddin (Nervous Records)

Idris Elba c/o (Connaisseur Records / 7Wallace), Klingande / Kungs / Michael Calfan c/o (Unity Group Promo Sorter), Shiba San c/o (Suara / CUFF), Malente (Southern Fried Records), Rudimental (Asylum / Big Beat), Sirus Hood (Under No Illusion / Dirtybird), Marc Spence (This Ain't Bristol / Skint), Martin Solveig c/o (Spinnin' Records), Horsemeat Disco (Strut Records / K7! Records), Riva Starr c/o (Hot Creations), Mike Mago (Boemklatsch), Kokiri (Love & Other), Fred Falke (Work It Baby Records), Claptone c/o (Exploited), Roger Sanchez (Stealth Records / Astrx), Don Diablo c/o (Axtone / Spinnin' Records), Icarus (FFRR / SubSoul), Pezzner (Dirtybird), Jourdan Bordes (Phonetic Recordings), Mahalo (Toolroom / Bunny Tiger), AC Slater (Night Bass), Chordashian / Felix Feygin (Mullet Records), Fei-Fei Wang, Kristina Sky (Ultra / Armada), Thee Cool Cats (Toolroom / Bunny Tiger), Solidisco (Fool's Gold / Ultra), Infected Mushroom c/o (HOMmega Productions), DJ Blake Jarrell (Armada Music),Travis Emmons (Weapons Music), Human Life (LIFEX / Exploited), Treasure Fingers (Psycho Disco! / Fool's Gold), Hector Romero (Saw Recordings), and Danny Howard (BBC Radio 1 / Nothing Else Matters)

Croatian DJ & producer heavyweight Insolate debuts on Luke Slater's legendary Mote-Evolver imprint with a massive four-tracker of pure bred techno ready for the dance floor. After leaving her signature on highly respected labels such as DJ Deep's Deeply Rooted, Developer's Modularz, Ben Sim's Symbolism as well as her Out Of Place imprint which she operates along with Volster, she now delivers 'Push' a finely crafted EP of peak time material. Opening the A side, fierce workout 'Outer Bass' is showcasing a sinister driving energy that is followed by the raw frenetic groover title track 'Push'. On the flip side 'Blow' is a trippy, no-compromise cut, while closing, classy atmospheric track 'Desire' finishes off the EP with its effortless soulful touch and elegant, melodic synth pads flying by.

Shinedoe readies her fifth album ‘Freedom Riders’ on her MTM Records imprint with the release of her vinyl-focused ‘Wake Up’ EP, offering a four-track preview into the project while unveiling a selection of diverse electronic productions for home listening through to the dancefloor.

Over two decades, Dutch DJ and producer Chinedum Nwosu, aka Shinedoe, has established her presence as one of house and techno’s most loved talents, while carving a true path to her own vision. Based in Amsterdam and featuring as a key part of the city’s rich and blossoming underground scene, with performances across De Martkantine, Shelter and Thuishaven to international institutions such as Berghain to fabric, her releases on the likes of Rekids, Cocoon, Bpitch Control and her 2021 release ‘The Observer’ on Jeff Mills’ iconic Axis cemented her reputation as one of the scene’s first talents. Having launched her own label MTM Records in 2018, releasing four EPs on the label to date, October signals the arrival of the label’s first album in the form of her ten-track ‘Freedom Riders’ - an expansive and diverse project created in lockdown capturing sonics from across the spectrum - with the LP preceded by Nwosu’s four-track album sampler EP titled ‘Wake Up’.

“Freedom Riders is about living in a world where there is peace, and all our basic needs are fulfilled. Each being having the right to live in peace, be happy and to be. We are all Freedom Riders, some of us get lost and need to get back to the source.” - Shinedoe.

Opening production ‘Wake Up’ is a tension-building journey through metallic textures, warped vocals and eerie interludes, while album title cut ‘Freedom Riders’ fuses hazy atmospherics, rich chords, crisp percussion and sweeping acid lines to offer a late-night ride through smoky territories. On the flip, B1 ‘Peace’ offers an exemplary balance of light and dark with delicate yet vibrant leads guiding murky undertones and sharp percussion throughout, before closing with the hypnotic, off-kilter and mind-altering sonics of ‘Safety First’, traversing soundscapes to showcase and excellently crafted early-morning cut.

Cuts across the album continue this wide-reaching and rich variation, with the likes of ‘Shine’ and ‘Lockdown’ drawing on classic and modern house influences to offer striking additions for the dancefloor, while ‘Floor Action’ and closing track ‘See The Light’ veering into more dubby, paired back territories to offer up a sense of space and tranquillity - with the ten-track project showcasing a carefully crafted album rich in sound design showcasing one of Amsterdam’s finest talents.

DJ FEEDBACK

early support from



Laurent Garnier: Really like PEACE & SAFETY FIRST niiiiiiiiice

Marcel Dettmann: thx

Luke Slater: nice release thanks!

Ame (Innervisions): thanks

Ben Sims: safety first my fave, thx!!

Slam (Soma): Thanx

Chris Liebing (CLR): great vibe

Radio Slave (Rekids): Woah ! "Freedom Riders" is great... and just in time for the weekend ! Thankyou x

Bambounou (50 Weapons / Sound Pellegrino): There's a vibe I like it thanks

Anthony Parasole (The Corner) this is so good

Truncate: Solid cuts!

Once in a while a record causes such a wave of excitement, it brings new vitality to dancefloors and generates fresh enthusiasm for the underground scene. ‘Without You’ is one such record, brought to life by the great talents of Art Department, a duo causing deep tremors due to their pioneering use of quivering bass, haunting vocals and fiery kickdrums.

The A side features the vocals of techno’s wonderchild, Seth Troxler, as well as Kenny Glasgow (one half of Art Department), his voice a major element of what makes their records so special. ‘Vampire Night Club’ layers the duo’s trademark synth sounds with an eerie and skin-pinching atmosphere. A truly mesmerizing record that gives the perfect introduction to the Art Dept sound on Crosstown Rebels, pre-empting their debut full length album on the label next year.

The double A and title track ‘Without You’ combines that unforgettable seductive bassline with a lingering vocal call. This record could have been made in the future as much as the past, its simplicity and depth the key to its appeal. Calls for its release have been heard for months and now have been answered with an extended 12” mix.

Art Department is the brainchild of Canadian duo Jonny White and Kenny Glasgow. With musical credentials dating back two decades, together they have constructed their own take on contemporary house music that has caught the attention of some of the leading figures of the current movement. With an album slated on Crosstown Rebels next year, this single is the first in a long line of raw futuristic bullets destined to cause a storm with an international audience.

Terence Fixmer Reimagines Chris Liebing & Luke Slater's 'Double Split' for CLR. Fixmer's remixes of Liebing/Slater's collaboration from the former's 'Evolver' LP release on 31st July.

Terence Fixmer has delivered two remixes of Chris Liebing and Luke Slater's 'Double Split' track, one of a handful of collaborations on Liebing's first-ever solo LP, 'Evolver', which was released in March this year. Having contributed to the LP as a member of The Alte Stuben Modular Ensemble, a super-group featuring Liebing, Daniel Miller, and Pascal Gabriel, Fixmer is a fitting choice to remix 'Double Split'.

Fixmer has been evolving his sound for more than 25 years. From deep and mind-bending to experimental and soulful, he is a visionary who has been hugely prolific, with many standout LPs and EPs on labels such as Mute Records, Novamute, Ostgut Ton, and Planete Rouge Records.

Fixmer's first 'Double Split' remix is inspired by the energy of the original, but focused on dubbier, hypnotic vibes. Strident drums and clattering percussion are stark by design, but smoky vocals and eerie synths hang in the air, bringing a bleak human futurism over all-consuming bass. Then comes the Melting Mind rework, which is boiled down to a handful of key elements, not least the original's penetrating acid line. It's an immersive, late-night dive that locks you in a state of constant motion and unrelenting pressure. The original from Chris Liebing and Luke Slater, a dark and futuristic roller with automated drums and layers of rusty synths encircled by acidic gurgles, completes the package.

2026 marks a historic chapter in his musical journey as Ross prepares for the release of his twelfth studio album, Set In Stone, slated to drop in July 2026. The highly anticipated album rollout was ignited by the Top 10 radio single "Minks In Miami," an opulent track featuring French Montana and Max B. To further commemorate his enduring legacy, Ross is currently celebrating the twentieth anniversary of his debut number-one album, Port of Miami. Honoring the milestone, he is embarking on a grand 17-city orchestra tour, performing his timeless classics alongside the soaring live instrumentation of the Renaissance Orchestra and the powerful vocals of the Sainted Trap Choir. In addition to the new album Rick Ross' also released his 3rd book "Renaissance Of A Boss."

Superhero? Supervillain? Super WHAT? CZARFACE & MF DOOM's newest team-up record Super What? is, much like the Avengers' arch-enemy Thanos...inevitable (and all-powerful!).

The icon MF DOOM unleashes his wizardry and wordplay throughout the record, while CZARFACE (bolstered by the legendary Wu-Tang Clan's Inspectah Deck and Esoteric) slash through each of the Czar-Keys' produced tracks as the team raises the bar on their previous LP, Czarface meets Metalface (2018). Featuring golden-age superhero DMC (of RUN-DMC) and Hieroglyphics' leader Del The Funky Homosapien, with art by longtime CZARFACE co-creator Lamour Supreme, this album will bring all
the thrills of a cosmic summer blockbuster.

Recorded and slated for an early 2020 release, and paused while COVID raged, this collaboration of masked men is finally finding its way to you on all formats.

2026 Repress

Brighton-based producer Rene Wise is next to land on Setaoc Mass' SK11_X offshoot, coming off the back of a batch of releases on Luke Slater's respected Mote Evolver imprint and a recent collaboration with Rodhad, with his own purist take on groovy yet hypnotic, minimal techno. Wise offers four variations of precision-drilled rolling club-tools, first with the static-charged, tribal calls of "Pleasure Note", to the bouncier, groove-laced "Swamp Dancer". On the flip side, "Hollow" focuses the intensity, whilst "Changa" completes the home-straight with its boundless energy and delirium inducing synth parts.

Bristol-born, London-based DJ, producer, trailblazer and label head, Conducta announces his brand new EP, SOUNDBOY JOHNNY slated to drop on the 29th May via Up Ya Archives Records.

The new single sees Conducta link up with one of Jamaica’s most original and exciting artists, for a high-tempo cut that channels UK breakbeats into a bassy club roller. Built around an irresistible hook that sticks, ‘Low Can U Go’ sets the tone for the wider project, with BLVK H3RO’s vocal collaboration bringing a fresh edge to accompany the raw, driving intensity Conducta is known for.

The EP, SOUNDBOY JOHNNY sees Conducta lean further into the sounds shaping his recent DJ sets, channelling his long-standing love of jungle and breakbeat into a focused body of work. Across the project, he experiments with faster tempos and chopped breaks, stepping into new territory as a producer. As his first solo release of the year, it marks a confident return with a clear sense of direction, underlining his versatility across different sonic spaces.

SURFILMUSIC, ein Dokumentarfilm, der Johnsons Entwicklung vom Surfer zum Filmemacher und schließlich
zum weltbekannten Musiker nachzeichnet, begleitet ihn bei der Entstehung seiner legendären Surf-Filme
”Thicker Than Water” (1999) und ”The September Sessions” (2000). Diese Klassiker offenbarten Johnsons
künstlerische Sichtweise durch seine Kamera und seine Gitarre und begründeten letztlich seine Musikkarriere.
Der neue Film feiert die lebenslangen Freundschaften und die vom Meer geprägte Gemeinschaft, die Johnsons Weg geprägt haben, und zeigt viele der Surfer, die in den Originalfilmen zu sehen waren, darunter Kelly
Slater, Rob Machado und die Malloy-Brüder. Er fängt auch den gemeinsamen Geist der Entdeckungslust
und Kreativität ein, der seine Musik und seinen Umweltschutz bis heute inspiriert.
Für den Soundtrack schlossen sich Hermanos Gutiérrez, langjährige Bewunderer von Johnsons Musik und
Surf-Filmen, ihm im Studio an, wo Johnson auch wieder mit dem Produzenten Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie
Boys, Seu Jorge, Beck) zusammenkam, der mehrere von Johnsons beliebtesten Alben, darunter ”In Between
Dreams” und ”Sleep Through the Static”, co-produziert hatte. Was als gegenseitige Wertschätzung begann, entwickelte sich schnell zu einer kreativen Verbindung und Freundschaft, aus der ein wunderschöner
neuer Song, „Hold On To The Light“, und eine originelle Filmmusik hervorgingen. Ihre Zusammenarbeit
wird sich auch auf die Bühne erstrecken, wo die Brüder an vielen Terminen als Vorgruppe für Johnson
auftreten werden.
Außerdem enthält das Album 4 einzigartige Tracks, welche Johnson in den 1990er Jahren auf seinem 4-
Spur-Kassettenrekorder aufgenommen hat.

**RED VINYL**Bookending “This Is My Blood “ are two cinematic hypnotist slide lute pieces that evoke contemporary deserted landscapes. They were improvised and made for “ Maquina”, a film shot in the Colorado desert during a psychedelic trip by film maker Joaquim Pujol. The works on here, like the ecstatic second piece invite a return to long form listening. They explore contemporary darkness and contemplate personal loss. There is solely one vocal piece, “ Remission”. A worldwide concert tour of this material is slated for 2026/2027. Since studying the lute in New York with Patrick O'Brien in the 1990s, Van Wissem has gone on to create works equally as rooted in classical Renaissance and Baroque forms of lute music, as contemporary sounds spanning drones, electronics and field recordings. Throw in some of his formative influences from the no wave and industrial scenes, alongside a dedicated approach to minimalism and this has resulted in Van Wissem producing distinct and singular work whose sound is often a marriage of opposites; meditative and intense, forward thinking but with a sense of the arcane. The Quietus has called him "probably the most famous lutenist in the world”. Jozef Van Wissem is an avant-garde composer and lutenist who plays a unique all-black baroque lute. His timeless music is often described as hypnotic, minimal, and hauntingly atmospheric, merging beauty with a dark, meditative edge. His lyrics have a mythical Christian appeal, incorporating themes of love, faith, and the afterlife, often with a repetitive, mantra-like quality. Bridging classical traditions with modern sounds like drones, electronics, field recordings and voice. He collaborates with filmmaker and musician Jim Jarmusch, including the award-winning soundtrack for Only Lovers Left Alive, for which Van Wissem won the Cannes Soundtrack Award in 2013. He also scored the Sims Medieval Video game ( 2011), Uncle Howard ( 2016) Land (2018), Irma Vep (2022), Queens (2023) and Un Prince (2024). He did a world tour in duo with Jarmusch in 2025 and their 5th record “ The Day The Angels Cried” was released. Van Wissem tours extensively, performing in diverse venues from rock festivals to churches, and has worked with artists like Tilda Swinton and Zola Jesus. In 2019 he was commissioned by Cinematheque Francaise to score the silent horror film Nosferatu (1922). He released the soundtrack in 2022 on his own Incunabulum label. The New York Times wrote: Beginning with a solo played on the lute, his performance will incorporate electric guitar and distorted recordings of extinct birds, graduating from subtlety to gothic horror. “My soundtrack goes from silence to noise over the course of 90 minutes,” he said, culminating in “dense, slow death metal.” In 2024 Van Wissem did a sold out nationwide American tour with the film. A worldwide tour is slated for 2026/2027

Much like the duo’s music, the story of Rural France is both mundane and magical. Tom Brown (also of transatlantic janglepunks Teenage Tom Petties) and Rob Fawkes moved to London in their mid-twenties. Despite living under the same roof, they never picked up a guitar – except for one drunken, failed attempt at writing a Spoon song (“Big Chops” …don’t ask). It was only after both separately relocating to Wiltshire and starting families that they began assembling songs as a way of meeting up. Tom had amassed a pile of sprightly slacker jams that were calling out for Fawkes’ messily melodic guitar lines. Rural France was born.

After a debut album on their hero, ex-Lemonhead Nic Dalton’s Half-a-Cow Records, they retreated to a garage to record their next two albums: RF (2021) and Exacamondo! (2024), both released on much-respected jangle label Meritorio Records. Despite being lo-fi in the truest GbV sense, both records were warmly received by the DIY indie blogosphere, with their short, scrappy, but supremely melodic songs landing on numerous AOTY lists. RF even won Album of the Year at Janglepop Hub.

Raven Sings The Blues probably summed up the sound best: “With drunken visions of Beach Boys harmonies playing in the back of their heads and hooks that consume Teenage Fanclub cheeriness with the same beautiful brevity that drives Tony Molina, the pair have knocked out eleven rumpled classics.” Album four, SLOTHS, arrives via Meritorio Records and Safe Suburban Home Records on 08/05, and is a slightly different beast. For one, it’s been mixed by a professional – Rob Slater (Westside Cowboy, Yard Act, Thank) – giving the guitars and drums room to breathe. It’s easily their most high-fidelity record to date. It’s also their jangliest, most baroque and thoughtful album yet. But alongside added organ, horns and mellotron – and drums from Tom’s Teenage Tom Petties bandmate Jeff Hamm – it still retains the buzzes, hums and little freak-outs that stick to the duo’s original “Pavement playing Teenage Fanclub” mission statement. “Rob and I both wanted to do something a little slower and a little more melancholy,” says Tom. “We resisted our usual urge to hit the distortion pedal and made something that fitted where we are now and celebrates how we still listen to Meatloaf when we get drunk.”

SLOTHS is also the most thematically consistent Rural France record to date. While it wouldn’t be right to call it grown-up, it definitely has homeowners’ insurance. From the Silver Jews-esque Americana of “Slab” and mid-life rallying cry of “Thirty Seven Forever”, to the horn-embossed loser anthem “Lonely Heart Pyramid Scheme,” the songs celebrate (and rail against) the absurdities of getting older, forming a band in your thirties, and the strange phenomenon of time passing. Because no matter how slow you move, everything else goes fast. SLOTHS.

Today, visionary artist Jesca Hoop announces her new album Long Wave Home due out 1st May via Last Laugh and available to preorder now. Staying true to her folk roots, though never purely, Hoop delivers strikingly original songwriting showcasing her innovative vocals augmented by imaginative arrangements. Long Wave Home is energized and rings with the promise of a fresh new chapter for the artist. To accompany today’s announcement Hoop has shared the album’s compelling first single, “Designer Citizen”, alongside a charming video directed by James Slater.
 
Additionally, Hoop has announced news of a 10-date UK tour in May including a performance at London’s Union Chapel.

Today, visionary artist Jesca Hoop announces her new album Long Wave Home due out 1st May via Last Laugh and available to preorder now. Staying true to her folk roots, though never purely, Hoop delivers strikingly original songwriting showcasing her innovative vocals augmented by imaginative arrangements. Long Wave Home is energized and rings with the promise of a fresh new chapter for the artist. To accompany today’s announcement Hoop has shared the album’s compelling first single, “Designer Citizen”, alongside a charming video directed by James Slater.
 
Additionally, Hoop has announced news of a 10-date UK tour in May including a performance at London’s Union Chapel.

Glasgow, Scotland duo Thomas + James deliver their silky-smooth dub laced sounds for Federsen’s Alt Dub with the four-track ‘Realtime’ EP.

Thomas + James are a Glasgow-based DJ and production duo whose sound reflects a deep immersion in electronic music. Raised in the city’s west end and shaped by early exposure to techno pioneers like Luke Slater, Slam and Jeff Mills alongside the atmospheric legacy of ’90s drum & bass, their productions lean into a dub infused, forward-looking aesthetic.

Drawing equally from house traditions via influences such as St Germainand Laurent Garnier, the pair blur the lines between dub techno, deep house, acid and minimal.

Their new EP onFedersen’s Alt Dub captures that hybrid vision with a maturity that belies their years, being born in 2006,marking them out as a quietly compelling new voice from Glasgow’s next generation.

Leading the release is the original title-track ‘Realtime’, setting the tone with a sturdy yet pared-back rhythm section, oscillating synth flutters, bouncy sub-bass and hazy textures that subtly shift across the arrangement.

Label boss Federsen steps in next with his interpretation, reducing the track to its deepest foundations and recasting it as a delicately drifting soundscape of evolving spatial echoes, weighty low-end pressure and restrained, muted drums.

On the flip, Thomas + James return with ‘Armonia’, an ethereal, dub-leaning deep house cut propelled by billowing pads, delayed vocal chants, fluid dub chords and a heavily swung, minimalist groove.

The EP closes with ‘X-Intense’, further highlighting the duo’s groove-driven signature sound as reverberant, airy stabs weave through breathy vocals and shuffled percussion to bring the release to a hypnotic conclusion.

Bruce Hornsby’s newest album, Indigo Park, is a concept album of sorts, an extended multi-dimensional inquiry into the nature of aging and memory, often with a lightness of tone – the ways certain scenes linger placidly while others balloon into imagined catastrophe, the ways we remember and the ways we forget. Throughout, Hornsby contemplates moments from his deep past, sometimes trying to “resolve” them, other times looking for clues about his present-day outlook. “It's just an old bastard looking back, while hopefully pushing forward to adventurous and new musical & lyrical areas,” Hornsby says of his new songs, with a smile of characteristic self-deprecation. “To be honest, I've found a way, a path to….grow old gracefully, with help from some newborn friends of mine.” The album is produced by Tony Berg, Will Maclellan and Bruce Hornsby with contributions fro

Up Ya Archives returns with its first release of 2026, ‘Northern Step’, from Manchester-based jungle producer & DJ Worsleyy. The track arrives ahead of his upcoming EP of the same name slated for a 13th March release via Up Ya Archives Records.

Fuelled by crisp, tightly swung drums and a smooth, rolling bassline, ‘Northern Step’ is a salute to its junglist roots. Drawing from the Manchester rave records he was introduced to by his dad, and with the help of legendary Mancunion music mixologist Chimpo, Worsleyy channels those early warehouse energies and pairs them with his own progressive and futuristic lens. It’s heritage and evolution colliding, rooted, forward-thinking and built for sweat-drenched dance floors.

When speaking about ‘Northern Step’, Worlseyy said:

“Northern Step is a proper nod to the junglist past with the lush floaty vocals, calculated drum choppage, a smooth rolling bassline and Chimpo hopping on to drive forward the sound of the North.”

Worsleyy is a familiar face across the UK circuit, having played sets at The Warehouse Project and supporting Nia Archives on her 2024 UK tour in Manchester. Drawing from UK rave lineage and contemporary club sounds, his productions balance nostalgia with futurism, channelling the energy of Manchester’s acid raves. His tracks have travelled far beyond UK borders, spun by the scenes most forward-thinking tastemakers like DJ SWISHA, Sherelle, Pete Cannon, and Nia Archives on dancefloors around the world. Worsleyy’s rise has been as visible as it is audible — bold, bass-driven, and impossible to ignore.

Rolando’s back in the game with Syncrophone Remixes Vol.2—flipping DJ Qu’s “Undescribed3,” Detect Audio’s “Synchronize,” and Anthony Shake Shakir’s “Arise.” Three exclusive remixes, pure underground techno for real heads. Detroit spirit, cop this 12” before it disappears!

DJ Feedbacks :


Honey Dijon : DJ Qu is the one for me. Will def support!
Raresh (ar:pi:ar) : super! thanks
Truncate : Thanks!
The Advent : Smooth bgrooves on here.. 3 - Anthony 'Shake' Shakir - Arise (Rolando Remix)
Anika Kunst (Symbolism / RSPX) : Cool release. Arise rmx is beautiful. Thanks!!
Harvey Sutherland (MCDE / PPU / Voltaire Records) : DJ Qu flip for me, thanks!
Scott Grooves : The Shake is the one
Satoshi Tomiie (Abstract Architecture) : Wooow hot hot hot
Roman Fluegel (Roman Fluegel, Dial, Cocoon, Playhouse, Robert Johnson) : The Remix for Shake is the one for me.
Erol Alkan (Phantasy Sound) : Downloading Thanks!
Enrica Falqui (ERIS, Plexus 4) : I like it!
Daniel Avery (Phantasy / Fabric) : Awesome
Laurent Garnier : cool release
Elisa Bee : Only love for Rolando, thanks x
Slam (Soma) : Brilliant - thanx
San Proper (Perlon / Rush Hour / Proper's Cult) : Totally what i needed to hear, Rolando remixing Shake & Q, my heroes lined up. I will enjoy playing all 3 mixes. One Love.
Axel Boman (Studio Barnhus) : killer remixes!
Terry Farley : DJ Qu mix my fave - heads down LETS GURN
D'Julz (Bass Culture) : great work !
gilbr (Dj Gilb'R / Chateau Flight (Versatile)) : Like the Shakir remix thanks for sending
Ben Sims : Now downloading... will check asap!
Lea Lisa (Phonica Records / Folklor Club) : mental, really good one
Dj Deep (Deeply Rooted) : Super nice package! Dj Qu's Undescribed3 remix for me here! Thank you
Mike Shannon (Cynosure) : Rrrrreeeeemix!! Thx
Efdemin (Dial) : Wonderful remix package!
Inland (Inland) : Hellooo. These are great. Qu and Shake versions both killer! Thanks
Kai Alce (Real Soon) : DJ QU remix bangin
Uncertain (RSPX, WRKTRX, Suara) : remix 1 for me
Harri (Sub Club) : very nice all three will play and support
Blasha & Allatt (Meat Free) : Thank you!
Marcel Dettmann : thx
Richie Hawtin (M_Nus) : downloaded for r hawtin
Luke Solomon (Classic / Freaks / Music For Freaks) : all killer
Luke Slater : Thanks Ro!
Ame (Innervisions) : thanks
Felix Dickinson (Futureboogie, Rush Hour, Cynic) : I like this
Geir Aspenes (G-Ha (Sunkissed)) : Thank u
Alienata (about blank) : Very nice remixes, all of them, thx!
Nat Wendell (Depth of My Soul, Courtesy of Balance, Love & Loops) : Dope remixes!
Dave Clarke (white noise radio) : Not my sound, but please keep them coming !

Chris Liebing and Charlotte de Witte announce their second-ever collaborative release, 'Symphonie des Seins' (Symphony of Existence). The release, taking in an original alongside a Dub mix from Liebing, follows 2019's 'Liquid Slow' from the pair and marks the second release ahead of Chris Liebing's 'Evolver EP' releasing in late-March.

A surging acid-beast channelling mid-90s techno energy, 'Symphonie des Seins' sees de Witte delivering a tweaky, spoken
vocal comprising the hallucinogen-fuelled diaries of ayahuasca and DMT trip reports that Liebing stumbled upon online. Crisp
but heady, old school but utterly contemporary with its delivery, 'Symphonie des Seins' sees two techno artists with very
di?erent formative eras converge perfectly with a razor-sharp piece of dancefloor mayhem.

Following January's 'Roy Batty' EP, Chris Liebing and Charlotte de Witte's 'Symphonie des Seins' is the last single before Liebing's thirteen-track 'Evolver' LP lands on March 27th. The 'Evolver LP' features additional collaborations with Luke Slater, Speedy J, The Advent, The Alte Stuben Modular Ensemble aka Daniel Miller, Terence Fixmer, and Pascal Gabriel and is Liebing's first solo Techno LP, having focused on long-form electronica output alongside co-writer Ralf Hildenbeutel for 2018's 'Burn Slow' and 2023's 'Another Day' for Mute Records, and the André Walter co-produced 'Evolution' in 2002.

"On a dozen restlessly expressive instrumentals recorded between Marin and Reykjavík, the American guitarist finds turbulent beauty at the edges of the fingerstyle tradition." - PITCHFORK 7.9/10

"The greatest living guitar player" - Hayden Pedigo

Today, guitarist Mason Lindahl — whose “unabashedly beautiful" (Aquarium Drunkard) sound "balances the romantic dynamics of flamenco and the meticulousness of Windham Hill with the unguarded qualities of improvised music" (Pitchfork) — announces a pair of new albums: Joshua / Same Day Walking via Mt. Brings Death.

Though packaged together, Joshua and Same Day Walking chart distinct worlds. Recorded in northern California and produced by Robby Moncrieff (Dirty Projectors, Zach Hill), Joshua is woolier and warmer, evoking haze, humidity, and overgrown Spanish moss. Meanwhile, Same Day Walking — recorded in Iceland and produced by Moncrieff alongside two-time GRAMMY-winning composer / sound designer Sam Slater (Joker, Chernobyl) — is, appropriate for its icier climes, windswept and beholden to the vast emptiness of harsh landscapes. As a pair, they provide a thorough portrait of Lindahl's singular and versatile playing.

Amid Lindahl's purely evident virtuosity, close listeners can savor wonderful imperfections freckled throughout Joshua / Same Day Walking: buzzing strings, minimal electronic ambience, soft undulations of tempo. Lindahl isn’t here to pageant his craft; he's adventuring within, uncovering fresh avenues of sound and emotive gesture.

Described by friend and contemporary Hayden Pedigo as “the greatest living guitar player,” Mason Lindahl’s “austere, gothic flamenco...dares you to submit to this odd and immersive sonic universe" (Uncut). The Northern California native's solo instrumental debut Kissing Rosy in the Rain, released in 2021 via Tompkins Square, was praised as "gorgeous" (Petal Motel) and "a minimalist gem" (Everything Is Noise). Prior to that, his only other solo release is 2009's Serrated Man Sound.

Loaded with tension and anchored by bold textural and stylistic contrasts, Sam Slater’s third solo full-length finds the British sound artist, composer, and engineer grappling with his creative contradictions head-on.

Having spent a life time in bands and producing records, Sam transitioned somewhat by accident through his work with Johan Johansson into working as a composer on high profile projects such as his collaboration with Hildur Guðnadóttir on the Grammy Award-winning Joker and Chernobyl, and with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mstyslav Chernov on the soundtrack to the lauded 2000 Meters to Andriivka. Having a vast set of interests and influences is an asset when helping realise a directors vision for a soundtrack, but one's own musical voice can end up being constrained. In Lunng, Slater has gone back to his wildly divergent range of influences and rather than shy away from the extremes, he's used them to create a singular vision.

Take the opening track “Heatsick”: Slater imagines an extravagant fusion of 2000s drone metal and vintage British brass, welding ear-splitting overdriven drones and blown-out choral vocals to stirring trombone swells from veteran player Hilary Jeffery. On paper, it’s hard to imagine—but Slater’s intentionality conducts these polarizing elements into a surreal blur of sonic extremes, with the guitars’ relative harshness softened by Jeffery’s eerily nostalgic colliery echoes.

His last solo album, I do not wish to be known as a Vandal (Bedroom Community, 2022), showcased this breadth by assembling a team of collaborators including Sam Dunscombe and Yair Elazar Glotman. On this record he’s linking up with acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Maria W. Horn, idiosyncratic sax virtuoso Bendik Giske, versatile percussionist Adam Betts, and the aforementioned Jeffery, Slater ushers these players toward a lattice of calculated confutations.

Working to explore the tension between the divergent practices of his collaborators—Lunng was meant to be challenging. On “Praya”, Giske’s familiar overblown horn phrases are almost vaporized, vanishing among Slater’s weightless synths and Horn’s chillingly hoarse vocals. There are traces of Horn’s Funeral Folk project, but Slater shifts the emphasis, letting her voice brush past the other elements like a hallucination.

Slater’s use of extremes isn’t just in the micro; dynamics drive the album’s overall flow. “Praya” sets the stage for the record’s heaviest, most prickly moment: “Passengers”. Here, Horn’s voice cracks, rasps, and gurgles over serrated synths and Betts’ ritualistic drums. Slater turns an industrial symphony into a folk opera—dark, dramatic, and strangely beautiful—etched with Giske’s fluttering phrases.

But the mood soon shifts. Slater careens toward chaos, unleashing double-time rhythms and piercing textures familiar to anyone with a soft spot for classic black metal. These grotesque incongruities are deliberate; Slater surveys years of musical conflict and leans in, using dissent as fuel to build kinetic energy.

The weight of sentimentality bears down on “Black Metal Rewind (Night Drive Astra, 2006)”, melting teenage memories into hypnagogic ambience—shoegaze dreams whirled with angelic choral delusions. On “Death by Nostalgia, 1688”, he ventures further into polarizing territory, distorting AutoTuned voices with cryptic strings and medieval tonalities, unsettling any stable sense of past or present.

In this record Slater focuses on pure energy, color, and mood. Lunng distills years of listening into a bracing brew—boiling each sound down to its essence, then serving it with unflinching intent.

John Twells, 2025

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.

Efde's first release on Voyage Direct. Here he gets a chance to showcase his trademark sound on an expansive, four-track E.P for the Amsterdam-based label.
Some may be familiar with Efde's work through his occasional 12' singles for Nordik Netrecords and Soweso, where he distilled a variety of influences - think dreamy, ultra-deep house, the Chicago bump of Chez Damier, and the sci-fi pulse of Detroit - into tracks that had a distinctive vibe all of their own.

My Bleep' is arguably his most stunning production yet: a spine-tingling re-imagining of Detroit futurism built around sparkling, intertwined melody lines, dusty drum machine rhythms, hissing hi-hats and throbbing, analogue bass. While a thing of rare beauty, it also comes blessed with moments of sweaty percussive intensity, with stacked snare hits that increase in energy as the track progresses. The original's inherent beauty is emphasized further on the accompanying Ambient Mix', which recalls the glory days of Pete Namlook's FAX Records in the early 1990s.

There's more far-sighted dancefloor futurism to be found on the flip, where the spacey chord progressions, sprightly synth-bass and restless rhythms of Just Did It' capture the spirit of both the Motor City, and the classic UK techno-funk of Dave Angel and Luke Slater. A fine EP is completed by the ultra-deep shuffle of CMP135', which successfully draws on Efde's love of bumpin' U.S deep house whilst retaining the intergalactic sounds that are such a key part of the Dutchman's club-ready productions.

Azu Tiwaline & Cinna Peyghamy, Amotik, Quelza, and Alarico remix four tracks from Ben Klock and Fadi Mohem’s collaborative album ‘Layer One’. Released last year on the pair’s label LAYER, each artist on the ‘Layer One Remixes’ EP retains the weighty, low-end edge that shaped the album, while reinterpreting four tracks through a myriad of techno, IDM, bass, and experimental shades.

Honouring the conceptual direction of ‘Layer One’, which delved into a post-human world and offered a serene reflection on a realm that continued to flourish in the absence of humanity, the ‘Layer One Remixes’ EP echoes the same theme. The remaining human survivors on Earth signal a remembrance of their sensibilities, told through the powerful lyrics and vocals of grime MC Flowdan and interdisciplinary artist Coby Sey.

Azu Tiwaline & Cinna Peyghamy open the EP with their remix of ‘Our Sector’ featuring the commanding vocals of Flowdan. Fragmented bass-driven textures skitter across the sparse soundscape, culminating in a track primed for the weirder hours of the night. On ‘Ultimately’, Amotik delivers his take on the original featuring spoken word by Coby Sey, and whips up a rolling four-four number pierced with bleepy percussion.

On the flip, Quelza’s reinterpretation of ‘Our Sector’ unfolds with zappy motifs and technoid flourishes, permeating the shadowy pads and spine-chilling harmonics that slink through the atmosphere. Alarico remixes ‘Clean Slate’, serving a potent techno track laced with equal parts restraint and release, enhanced by Coby Sey’s taut vocals.

While the original album represented the more exploratory sides of Ben Klock and Fadi Mohem, the ‘Layer One Remixes’ EP offers a further step into the void, led by five contemporary artists who are unafraid to delve into the murkiest corners of the dystopian world conjured up by Klock and Mohem.

Manchmal geht einfach alles POP! Fall in Love Again with "Balloon Balloon Balloon"! Unterwerfung. Das ist das Wort, das mir in den Sinn kommt, wenn ich mich mit Kai Slaters Sharp Pins auf den überwältigenden Pop-Planeten begebe. Das Universum funktioniert nur, wenn man sich unterwirft: sich der Liebe unterwirft, sich der Rockmusik unterwirft. Sich der Kraft zu unterwerfen, die von einem Jungen ausgeht, der seine Gitarre schwingt, um makellosen Gitarrenpop zu kreieren, der ins Pantheon der Idole gehört, zu denen er mit diesem Album aufsteigt. Natürlich ist es verständlich, dass man zunächst wütend ist. Alle waren wütend auf Big Star, weil sie den Beatles zu nahe kamen. Und alle werden wütend auf Sharp Pins sein, weil sie dasselbe tun und dann noch Guided by Voices mit ins Spiel bringen. Wie kann er es wagen? Diese Überheblichkeit. Welcher 20-Jährige glaubt, er könne Robert Pollard übertrumpfen? ,Queen of Globes and Mirrors?" Ein Verbrechen. Mit dem noch schlimmeren Verbrechen, Songs zu schreiben, die so rätselhaft zeitlos sind, dass man glauben könnte, sie seien aus einem verlorenen Beatles-Band gestohlen worden. ,I Don't Have the Heart" und ,(I Want to) Be Your Girl" lassen einen wirklich im Unklaren darüber, wann und wo sie entstanden sind. Aber wenn der Lo-Fi-Noise-Pop von "Balloon Balloon Balloon" uns an etwas erinnert, dann daran, dass nur Kai das kann. Mit seiner 12-saitigen Gitarre und seiner unermüdlichen Besessenheit von Popmusik ist Slater einzigartig ausgestattet, um nicht nur von Pollard und Chilton das Erbe anzutreten, sondern auch den Byrds, den Temptations, den Four Tops und allen anderen Künstlern nachzufolgen, die versuchen, die wahre Liebe auf Band zu bannen. Er wendet die Taktik ,um Vergebung bitten, nicht um Erlaubnis" an, wenn er sich bei diesen Größen bedient, und uns bleibt nichts anderes übrig, als Slater zu vergeben, dass er uns diese Rock'n'Roll-Juwelen schenkt, die er aus der Vergangenheit in eine Zukunft katapultiert, die so melodisch makellos und doch kantig und aufrichtig ist, dass wir ihm auch dafür danken müssen, dass er das Genre vor der Bedeutungslosigkeit bewahrt hat. Denn was Slater hinzufügt, ist ganz und gar sein Eigen. Eine unbeschreibliche Sensibilität für das Songwriting, die trotz der zahlreichen Anleihen nur ihm gehören kann. Am Ende des Albums schluckt man jegliche Wut oder Ungläubigkeit, die man vielleicht hatte, und akzeptiert, dass Sharp Pins wirklich so gut sind. Auf diesem umfangreichen, aber niemals überladenen Album erschafft Slater eine Welt voller kleiner Pop-Perlen, die so einfach und dumm gut sind, dass sie uns daran erinnern, dass eine andere Welt möglich ist. Denn es ist nicht nur so, dass die Songs unmöglich aus dem Kopf gehen, was sie auch sind. Es ist Slaters eigene Hingabe an dieses Streben nach dem perfekten Popsong, die uns glauben lässt, dass dies nicht nur möglich ist, sondern auch ausreicht, um dem Leben wieder Form und Farbe zu geben. Fall in Love Again ist keine Empfehlung, sondern eine Verpflichtung. Nicht nur gegenüber einem schönen Mädchen, von denen es auf dem Album viele gibt, sondern gegenüber der Welt selbst. Vielleicht ist es dann möglich, die Zukunft zu erreichen, von der der 20-jährige Slater selbst träumt, aber bis dahin haben wir seine Liebesbriefe an den Rock'n'Roll und die Welt um ihn herum, die uns Gesellschaft leisten.

Berlin’s ZentaSkai returns to his Mask Records with the ‘Billie’ EP, collaborating with Palawan, Jeremy Reinhard, and Thomas Grün for release on vinyl only, 2nd November 2025. He kicks off with the solo cut 'A1', which is quick, sophisticated, raw House with a funky clip to the beats that diffuses heat in the grainy sustained pads. It brings serene emotional release through stylish hypnosis and gorgeous vocals that blend seamlessly into the mix. Next, ZentaSkai collaborates with the mysterious Palawan, as he did on one track of his 2023 album The Architecture Of The Mind, on 'A2.' This one suspends you in backlit synth glows while rounded drums and funky claps tap out the supple rhythm. Cautious hope comes from the quiet chord stabs and soft focus melodies in what is a masterclass in deep Techno minimalism. 'B1' reunites ZentaSkai with Cologne's Jeremy Reinhard following previous cuts on that same 2023 album. Reinhard has long been a pillar of his local Berlin scene as a resident DJ, but also the wider underground with his own label Lekker Record. Their track taps into dub depths but ups the pace and allows radiant synths to piece the surface next to muttered spoken word that keep it intimate and perfectly seductive for body and mind. Last of all is a collab with Austrian Thomas Grün, who has been shaping deep and Tech House with his immaculate grooves for decades. Their 'B2' brings US garage snares to buoyant drums and douses them in layers of fuzzy synth warmth. It's meditative yet direct with an ever-rising sense of hope that makes it all the more indelible. ZentaSkai (aka No Mad Ronin, Matt Nowak, and MASK) is a German DJ and producer active since 1997. Based out of his studio in Berlin, ZentaSkai runs the Zaijenroots label and, since 2017, the Mask sub-label, which houses his stunning 2023 ‘Architecture of the Mind’ LP as well as his Cuddling Monsters project with Laura Merino Allue, who has been significantly involved in the label's work since 2023. - with other credits including a release on Jerome Sydenham’s Ibadan Records and support from the likes of Richie Hawtin, Joseph Capriati, Marcel Dettmann, Luke Slater, Laurent Garnier, DVS1, Ben Sims, and Radio Slave.

Deadbeat Records is back with a debut 4-track EP from rising star Berwick. Four tracks of tightly produced breaks that range from moody and playful, uplifting to joyous - and everything in between. Will Hofbauer is on remix duties, and turns in a woozy, dub-soaked remix that sounds like it's been up way past its bedtime.

Early support from: Laurent Garnier, Identified Patient, DJ EZ, Doctor Jeep, Enzo Leep, AC Slater, Syz, Jay Carder, Alien Communications, Bake, Giant Swan, Yushh, Dead Man's Chest, Vladimir Ivkovic, Alien Communications, Shy One, Nala Brown, Andy Martin, Ehua, Ayesha, Sha Ru, Double O, French II, Tañ, Dadan Karambolo, Bokonon, An Taobh Tuathail, Shady Daoud, bake, Dax J, LWS, Gigsta, Nancy June, COLA REN, Yas Reven, Just Jane, Will Hofbauer, Guiltee

Repress!

200 COPIES ONLY

Nils Frahm has unexpectedly confirmed details of a new collection of solo piano music, his first album since 2022’s three-hour Music For Animals. Day will be released by LEITER on March 1st, 2024, and it will be available on limited edition vinyl as well as via all digital platforms. Recorded in the summer of 2022 in complete solitude and away from his studio at Berlin’s famed Funkhaus complex, it is preceded by a single, ‘Butter Notes’, out on January 19. Day may come as a surprise to those who, over the last decade, have watched Frahm shift slowly away from the piano compositions with which he first made his name in favour of a nonetheless still-distinctive approach that’s considerably more instrumentally complex and intricately arranged. In addition, in 2021, having spent the early part of the pandemic arranging his archives, he released the 80 minute, 23-track Old Friends New Friends, a compilation of previously unreleased piano music intended to enable him to ”start over” with a clean slate. Judging from the extended, ambient nature of Music For Animals, it proved a successful gambit, but Frahm has never been able to resist returning to his first love, and those who enjoyed earlier acclaimed albums like The Bells, Felt and Screws will once again revel in Day’s familiar, personal style. Day, which contains six tracks, three over the six-minute mark, is the first in a pair of albums Frahm has lined up for 2024. In keeping with their nature, however, he won’t be making a song and dance about the release. Instead, he’ll resume his ongoing world tour, which has already included fifteen sold-out dates at Berlin’s Funkhaus as well as a show at Athen’s Acropolis. It will continue with shows all over the world, among them several sold-out dates at London’s Barbican in July 2024, where he previously curated a weekend of music, film and art, Possibly Colliding, in 2016. The album is best enjoyed in the manner in which it was recorded, in the intimacy of a peaceful, cosy room. There are muffled pedal creaks on the cyclical, quietly jazzy ‘You Name It’ and, during the palliative ripples of ‘Butter Notes’’ arpeggios, the sound of dogs barking in the streets outside. The compassionate, hesitant ‘Tuesdays’ and emotionally ambiguous ‘Towards Zero’ linger with the poignant persistence of Harold Budd’s earliest work, while ‘Hands On’ is a sometimes brighter, airier tune that sets its own, deliberate pace, and, as he has on occasions before, ‘Changes’ sees Frahm employing elements of his instrument’s construction in a ‘prepared piano’ fashion. Characterised by its confidential mood, Day confirms that, while Frahm is arguably now best known for elaborate, celebratory concerts calling upon an arsenal of pianos, organs, keyboards, synths, even a glass harmonica, he’s still a prolific master of affecting simplicity, tenderness and romance.

Doja Cat’s highly anticipated fifth studio album, “Vie”, is slated for release on September 26th. The 15-track album is rich with retro textures and a sonic background charged by various influences from the 70s and 80s. “Vie” highlights Doja’s own personal evolution and brings audiences into the world of love, life and the mess in between.