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Grammy Award-winning band Phoenix returns with their next full length, Alpha Zulu, due out 11/4/2022. This follows their 2020 single "Identical,'' which went #1 at AAA radio, from the Motion Picture "On The Rocks". The project was recorded during the height of the pandemic in Paris, at the iconic Louvre museum. Phoenix are set to perform at festivals like Primavera Sound (Barcelona), We Love Green (Paris) and Austin City Limits (Texas) and will embark on a full headline tour in the US, UK, and EU in Sept 2022. The band has seen over 1.5B+ streams across their catalog, and have previously headlined Coachella, Governors Ball, Primavera Sound, Austin City Limits, and more. They've performed on Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, amongst others.

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

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

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

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

The first contact is a common science fiction theme about the first meeting between humans and extraterrestrial life. The theme allows authors to explore a variety of philosophical concepts by adapting the anthropological topic of the first contact with extraterrestrial cultures. But then what are the Topics of a possible “Second Contact”? What would have happened to civilization if the extraterrestrial life force returns. Are they ready to greet it?

In this case, the second contact comes in the form of SEELEN. Label head and part-time intergalactic traveller Janein’s second full EP on the Imprint. And he hasn’t returned to take prisoners.

The Title track takes you for a wild ride from the second one. A warbling, acidic texture marks the foundation of what is an absolutely destructive and fiery cut. One of Janein’s heaviest percussion tracks to date takes the mood to an absolute frenzy while the acid-textures and metallic Chords can almost singe your eyebrows off if you get too close to the speaker.

In comparison, Gaja tones it down somewhat with mellower synths and an absolutely funky Bassline. But do not underestimate this track in comparison to Kobald M. This track will ensnare you into its hypnotic chokehold. It is the kind of cut you can play in any situation and not a single person will leave the dancefloor.

Meeting the Alien for a Parlay, translating its transmissions on this record are musical linguists Somewhen and Peryl.
While Somewhen has leaned into Kobald M’s destructive potential, adding a chaotic, out-for-madness kind of energy, that is sure to bring insanity to any warehouse, Peryl, known for his cathartic breakbeat excursions, has absolutely deconstructed Gaja making it into a track that sounds like the moment an unknown flying object enters the atmosphere of the earth.

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

When speaking of Keinemusik as the performing unit featuring Rampa, &ME and Adam Port, one easily can assume the last months being quite momentous. Wherever you look on the globe, chances are one of their frenetically celebrated shows has been taking place there just recently. And the prospects of the upcoming months are looking even brighter. That’s where this highly anticipated new single comes in. Emotively reminiscing all the past touring memories and building up momentum for the ones to come, „Thandaza“ boils down the Keinemusik sentiment to the essence, shaping yet another one of those set-highlights that will turn heads and hips alike. And for this one, they brought in congenial assistance by South African producer Arabic Piano, gracing the tune with his heartwarming croon and old companion Alan Dixon providing one of his utmost catchy and touching piano lines.

Walker & Royce have released their highly-anticipated sophomore album No Big Deal out now via Dirtybird Records.

Embarking on a four-part mission to bring the party back to dance music, Walker & Royce have embraced the boisterous, unruly nature of their over-the-top signature to deliver 10 non-stop anthems. A highly collaborative body of work, No Big Deal features a colorful collection of characters including comedian/ musician Reggie Watts, Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum selling artist James Patterson (and 1/2 of the electronic duo The Knocks), peak-time queen VNSSA, Grammy-nominated vocalist Barney Bones, and more.

From the tongue-in-cheek lyricism of ‘I Don’t Remember’ and ‘Might Just’ to the overzealous charisma imparted on tracks like ‘Motivashun’ and ‘Fatalistic Groove’, No Big Deal boasts the sense of humor and lightheartedness that Walker & Royce have brought to countless dance floors throughout their career. The album is hallmarked by the kaleidoscopic elements of their dance music roots: catchy vocals, playful melodies, thumping basslines, and relentless four-on-the-floor percussion.

No Big Deal is a wondrous homage to the weird and wacky tropes that have distinguished Walker & Royce’s no-holds-barred style for more than a decade. An auditory yearbook cataloging Walker & Royce’s sonic inspirations from their early days in New York City’s 90s underground raves to the Dirtybird BBQs and Campouts where they found their home, No Big Deal is a victory lap for Walker & Royce as they cement their status as headliners and hitmakers.

No Big Deal is a reminder to enjoy the ‘Cheap Thrills’ that life presents, to ‘Get Down Down’ and adopt a motto like ‘Let’s Live It Up’.

2xLP, Gatefold Jacket, Picture Disc, cut at 45rpm. First pressing limited to 500 copies.

Ten years after his first full-length effort ‘Man Is Deaf’ landed him firmly in the runnings for DJ Mag’s album of the year, prodigal son Michael Anthony Wright AKA Brassica returns to Civil Music with a deeply accomplished, painstakingly whittled LP of hydraulic electro slickness, rich synthscapes, and hooky, peak-time tearjerkers for the most discerning front-left lifers. ‘Tribeless Gathering’ is a barnstorming testament to Brassica’s stylistic and timbral deftness, touching down in the elusive epicentre of the club/home listening venn diagram with ease.

From the elastic, neon acid pointillism of opener ‘Hop Kweng’ to the mardy, miasmic plod of closing chugger ‘Changa Hill’, Brassica seamlessly segues between avenues of influence, his notoriously omnivorous musical knowledge roadmapping each turn. Raised on a diet of everything from early rave standards to metal, and schooled in avant garde sonics as a student of sound design at LCC, Brassica does a peerless job of sublimating his countless influences into a record of refined, heterogeneous, and most crucially, catchy, club moods.

Less spartan than his more recent oeuvre on Feel My Bicep, and less baroque than his technicolour experiments in postmodern synth pop with vocalist Stuart Warwick, Tribeless Gathering represents Brassica’s triumphant return to the main room, replete with rushy hooks primed for the planet’s finest soundsystems, and passages of heads-down tension bound to draw listeners right to the edge of their seats. Overall it is a concise and refined testament to Wright’s command of spectral sonics and effortless ability to pressurise a dancefloor. It is no surprise that he has also worked as a prolific mastering engineer, tuning music from a plethora of dance disciplines for maximum club impact. This work extends to his own projects (including this one), cementing them as rare expressions of complete artistry from studio to turntable.

As we delve deeper into the record, we are ushered through a series of accomplished and varied club moods, each channelling a unique cocktail of influences, but retaining a warm, ebullient analogue sensibility unique to Brassica’s work. This playful scope of influence calls to mind James T Cotton or Machinedrum’s experiments in dance music form, but Wright manages it all under one roof, wrangling everything from sashaying wub-laden two step to snarling Dillinja-esque FM damage into something inherently his.

Choice cut ‘Change Yourself’ layers an almost Cerrone-like piano refrain over radiant surges of saturated bass, dubby, strobing chords and a jagged, driving break, building to a jaw-clenching apex of dancefloor elation, while the rude, playful half-step of ‘Elevation’ breaks down the vintage speed garage formula into linear fragments, utilising a tight palette of resonant bass slugs, infectious synth leads and Papua New Guinea-style vocal strobes. The aptly named ‘Hold Tight’ fuses heart-in-mouth UK ‘ardkore pads with glissando acid disturbance and surgical snare fills in a formula which recalls the ethereal grit of Nubian Mindz’ 00s experiments in big-smoke break science, while the questing melodic arcs and arpeggiated squarewaves of ‘Pinball Marinara’ could easily have soundtracked an 80s sci-fi epic, beset with sparkling, bare-bones drum programming and hazy beds of sub sediment.

With ‘Tribeless Gathering’, Brassica both irreverently fuses and pays homage to the many unique and weird permutations of UK dance music. The short lived gathering of junglists, ravers and house hotsteppas of a similar name may have long since dissipated, along with the tribes themselves, but across these 11 tracks, he lays a blueprint for a new sound of togetherness.

2024 repress

“The doors are where the windows should be, and the windows are where the doors should be”. If you had been in one of the more open minded all night raves in the early 90s you are likely more than familiar with Earth Leakage Trip’s ‘No Idea’.

You could write several pages about the 'Psychotronic EP' and still not nail it as well as Discogs user covert_operative's description of 'urban, British psychedelic music.' The Acid House narrative is all about ecstasy, but for many, especially outside of London, there was a lot of LSD involved. Things were edgier, too, with parties in derelict, liminal spaces. By the time this record came out in 1991, the rave was properly diverging from its house music beginnings.

The Psychotronic EP was the first release on the legendary Moving Shadow label. Its lead track 'No Idea' is both the perfect entry point to the catalogue and something of an outlier. Neil Sanford had been writing music for a few years before playing some demos to Rob Playford in his car outside a nightclub in Wood Green. Simon Carter got involved, and the pair went to Playford's studio to manifest the madness they'd been sketching with rudimentary gear.

'No Idea's use of samples was wholly inspired and far more surreal than so many of the dark-side tracks that were to follow it. A friend of Neil's had given him a record called 'Happy Monsters' and the lead track, 'Adventures in the Land of Ooog,' lent the unforgettable children's vocals. Neil initially had his doubts. Had they gone too far? However, while working on the track, Rob Playford's girlfriend ran in shouting, "you HAVE to use that!" And so it came to be.

As a footnote, the track did prove to be strong medicine, with at least one documented account of a promoter having to be talked down by his friends after hearing it when psychedelically altered.

The Psychotronic EP is a truly visionary piece of work, standing poised on the edge of the rave's burgeoning future and entirely outside it. As such, it's never not been a cool record, as appealing to lysergic adventurers as it is to house heads, hardcore ravers, or experimental music pioneers. And it has now been lovingly reissued by Blank Mind, for which I'm eternally grateful, seeing as my copy is battered beyond belief.


Written by Piers Harrison

Remastered by Graeme at the Exchange

Licensed with permission from Moving Shadow

Played by Autechre, Colin Dale, Colin Faver, Orbital

2024 Repress

A powerful addition to PATRICE BÄUMEL's steadily growing Kompakt catalogue, SPEICHER 89 is the third contribution to the series from the Dutch producer and former Trouw resident. Hitting dance floors in the wake of SPEICHER 81 (KOMPAKT EXTRA 81) and SPEICHER 85 (KOMPAKT EXTRA 85), his latest 12" offering brings you a duo of massive belters, headlined by cyber-calypso manifesto DUM DUM and backed by techno string showdown SURGE. Both tracks nourish some serious bass drops while showcasing an artist invested in carefully crafted melody and impeccable flow - excellent material from a leading beatsmith and DJ who knows how to woo a crowd.
SPEICHER 89 ist die nunmehr dritte Scheibe vom holländischen Produzenten und ehemaligen Trouw-Resident PATRICE BÄUMEL in der Serie, mächtiger Zuwachs in seinem sich verdichtenden Kompakt-Katalog. Nach den Einschlägen von SPEICHER 81 (KOMPAKT EXTRA 81) und SPEICHER 85 (KOMPAKT EXTRA 85) birgt auch die neueste 12" ein massives Set an Schiebern, angeführt vom Cyber-Calypso-Manifest DUM DUM und unterstützt vom grossen Techno-Streicher-Showdown SURGE. Beide Tracks züchten sich ein paar äußerst ernsthafte Bass-Momente heran, vergessen aber nicht den Künstler hinter der Welle, der stets auch in sorgfältige Melodiearbeit und reibungslosen Flow investiert - exzellentes Material von einem führenden Beatschrauber und DJ der weiß wie man mit einer Crowd umzugehen hat.

ERICA FALLS & VINTAGE SOUL - UP b/w MAKINGS OF LOVE

UP by New Orleans songstress ERICA FALLS is considered by discerning real soul heads to be one of the finest soul tracks from last year.

From the intro and opening line ‘Baby take me for a ride on your magic carpet. 747 glide through the clouds baby, be my pilot….’ you just know UP is going to be special. The incredible soulful vocals ascend in harmony until reaching the apex, and if you don’t want to come down, simply play it again - It’s ‘classic in the making’ tag ensures freshness upon multiple listens!

For the B Side we have dipped back into Erica’s catalogue and hand picked the exquisite MAKINGS OF LOVE from her 2017 Homegrown album.

Real modern day Nola Soul make this an essential 7”.

In spring,
Again.
But it's true this time.

In Spring is the second record by Tara Clerkin Trio, a Bristol-based group who appeared to emerge from below the radar of near-all in early 2020 and in the presence of one of the most captivating records of that year. This latest 23 minute, four song collection, recorded in various stages and locations over the last twelve months, does nothing to detract from those first impressions, refining the woozy and shimmering oddness of their debut into an avant-pop sensibility that is increasingly their own.

If the group did arrive fully formed, what that form was did feel supple and hard to grasp. They were, in a sense, essentially new sounding, or at least ghosts between the established lines, and with this new record have doubled-down on their inherently Delphian instinct. At its heart, In Spring is a record of subtle contrasts, experimental yet familiar in its intimacy, obviously modern though tied to certain lineages, and driven by a pop logic which is also free-form and seemingly improvised. Their approach to sound is perhaps the guiding principle here, less concerned with genre as it is texture and feeling, drawing from jazz, folk, modern composition, trip hop and downtempo electronica, yet evading all of those categorisations. Tara Clerkin Trio are too generous of heart to be ripping up any rulebook, they simply seem oblivious to its need.

Their geography does provide some context. Bristol's progressive sonic heritage inescapably bleeds into these four tracks, the enclave of open-minded artists around Planet Records in the mid 90s perhaps the closest point of comparison. There's that same magpie spirit which is both futuregazing and aware of its past, though is mostly set on finding its own path. This is in essence what defines Tara Clerkin Trio, feeling their way through freedom of instinct and curiosity, forging their own desire lines. Not so much taking the road less trodden, just walked at their own winding pace.

"Done before,
And I'll do it again"
Ringing in my head
While I try
To feel

Submorphics’ new imprint Rosebay Music returns with its 2nd release - this time joined by North Quarter boss and soulful D&B aficionado Lenzman. Melding adjacent styles ofsoul and funk once again, this 2 track single is primed for dance floors, headphones, road trips and reflective late nights.

Echoes of November sees the longtime friends and collaborators fusing skanked-outfunk with steppy drums, Detroit-style synths and a haunting soul vocal echoing from thedeep past.

On The Messenger, Submorphics gives us an esoteric solo tune with ultra-rollingdrums, standout catchy vocals and deep musical flourishes.

Rosebay Music continues to wear its heart on its sleeve; presenting emotionally andmelodically engaging music to discerning D&B lovers.

Stay tuned for more!

Demon Music are happy to present – Electribe 101 - ‘Electribal Memories’, this stunning half-speed master vinyl edition cut from the original tapes by Barry Grint at Air Studios. Formed when Hamburg-born / London-based, sometimes S’ Express member Billie Ray Martin hooked up with four musician / producers from Birmingham, Electribe 101 instantly hit upon a sound heavily influenced by the de rigueur deep house sounds of Chicago and Detroit but with a distinctive European twist. With Billie Ray up front, with a voice like ice on fire and looking as if she’d stepped forward in time from a circa-1966 Mary Quant catwalk, the band were instantly snapped up by Mercury Records, and taken under the wing of Pet Shop Boys manager Tom Watkins. The band released five singles in the UK, and all featured on their debut album ‘Electribal Memories’ – ‘Tell Me When The Fever Ended’, ‘Talking With Myself’, ‘You’re Walking’, ‘Lipstick On My Lover’ and an incredible cover of Odyssey’s deep soul classic ‘Inside Out’. When the album arrived in 1990, it was an instant hit with critics – immaculately produced, poised, luxurious and soulful, it was difficult to believe it was a debut record at all. After ‘Electribal Memories’, Electribe 101 called it a day. Since then, the album’s reputation has grown in stature and many of its’ singles’ attendant remixes have become sought-after rarities. The cultural earthquake prompted by the late-1980s arrival on these shores of house, acid and rave prompted many a legendary club night and a generation of superstar DJ / producers. While there were a myriad of great club tracks produced in that heady period between 1988-1991, classic albums from the scene were rather more of a rarity. One towering exception was the debut by Electribe 101…

We’re kicking off the new year in style with a fantastic new double header by RAXON. This Egypt-born, barcelonese powerhouse has left his scent marks all over the place in recent years. He has developed an instantly recognizable sound and that’s no small feat in these times shaped by so much formulaic dullness. “Your Fault” sees our Catalan hot shot in an exuberant disco mood. Mind bending chord progressions foiled with Raxon’s trademark vocal stutters guarantee for wonderfully twisted hands in the air moments. With “Beskar” we’re entering Star Wars nerd territory. Jedipedia says, Beskar is a uniquely resistant iron that develops a wide range of properties—and colors—in the hands of skilled metalsmiths. Alright. Musically speaking, we’re dealing with a stealthy, funky as hell trance-not-trance juggernaut. 2024 is off to a good start:)

Wir beginnen das neue Speicher-Jahr stilvoll mit einem fantastischen neuen Doppelwhopper von RAXON. Dieses in Ägypten geborene Kraftpaket aus Barcelona hat in den letzten Jahren überall seine Duftmarken hinterlassen. Er hat einen Sound entwickelt, den man sofort wiedererkennt, und das ist keine kleine Leistung in diesen Zeiten, die von so viel formelhafter Langweiligkeit geprägt sind. “Your Fault” zeigt unseren katalanischen Draufgänger in ausgelassener Disco-Stimmung. Verrückte Akkordprogressionen, gepaart mit Raxons Markenzeichen, der Stotterstimme, sorgen für wunderbar verdrehte Hands in the air Momente. Mit “Beskar” betreten wir Star Wars Nerd-Territorium. Laut Jedipedia ist Beskar ein besonders widerstandsfähiges Eisen, das in den Händen geschickter Schmiede eine breite Palette von Eigenschaften – und Farben – entwickelt. Nun gut. Musikalisch gesehen haben wir es mit einer verstohlenen, verdammt funkigen Trance-Not-Trance-Rakete zu tun. 2024 hat einen guten Start hingelegt : )

There’s something to be said for getting noticed, for standing out from the crowd. West London’s T.Williams is one of those people, having accomplished a full sweep of merited recognition over the years. Emerging onto the house scene in 2010, T.Williams instantly marked himself as a breakthrough artist with a difference; his unique take on house music turning heads.

Far from a newcomer, his path as a musical artist started in the grime scene as Dread.D. Signed at the tender age of 17 with grime anthem Invasion on Jon E Cash’s Black Ops label, Williams went on to have mass success in the grime and bass world selling thousands of singles worldwide. After a five-year reign, Williams found himself veering towards the world of house music. With a new found love for the sound and its sub-genres, T.Williams forged a signature sound influenced by his grime days, jungle, and garage. With a style that undoubtedly impacts, T.Williams’ crossover has been the catalyst for his success. Not only rife with groove and feeling but meticulously produced and engineered with deep rumbling basslines, the unapologetic bounce of grime and smooth vocals that bleed through African infused percussion work.

While in 2010 the industry took note when hit record ‘Heartbeat’ featuring vocalist Terri Walker made an impression, it was throughout 2011 that T.Williams defined himself - releasing solo works on his imprint Local Action and Pattern with remixes for Maya Jane Coles, Ben Westbeech and Skream. Not stopping at pricking the ears of fellow artists and those on the dancefloor, the end of 2011 saw Williams nominated for ‘Best Breakthrough DJ’ by DJ Mag, ‘DJ Stars of 2012’ by Time Out and featured in The Guardian.

Two relationships came to the forefront in 2012 that propelled Williams to greater heights. The first was his weekly show on legendary London station, Rinse FM and the second, Williams’ relationship with label PMR through his remix of Javeon McCarthy’s ‘Lost Time’. The remix was named Record of the Week by BBC Radio 1 and supported by tastemakers Annie Mac and Fearne Cotton. From here T. signed to the label exclusively releasing his debut EP for the label in September 2012, and in the process receiving further support from BBC Radio 1. Further remixes of Mikky Ekko, Wretch 32 and Lianne La Havas followed suit, as well as his biggest to date - Disclosure’s ‘Latch’. Powering dancefloors across the globe, T. went on to play three US tours, numerous festival stages, and deliver a second EP on PMR titled ‘Feelings Within’. The EP once again spanned a number of bases, from club bangers to heartfelt vocal driven tracks alike. Gaining his own monthly residency show with BBC Radio 1, 2013 ended with T. having played over 100 shows across four continents.

2017 marked the launch and release of the first collaborative EP with UK producer Julio Bashmore, via their joint independent Conch Records, a label aiming to push out more underground cross-genre music with heavy rotation from the likes of Moxie and Shy One. With an ever-expanding global tour schedule and further solo releases on the legendary NYC house label Strictly Rhythm turning heads, T.’s upward trajectory has never showed signs of slowing down. Selected to soundtrack the social media campaign for boxer Anthony Joshua in 2019 and now using his technical prowess as a musician to educate the next generation of rising stars at London’s respected Point Blank Music School has cemented his status as one of the UK music scene’s key players.

Fool’s Paradise is the exciting new label from Toolroom Records’ Mark Knight - that comes straight from the heart, it’s a natural progression from his hugely acclaimed 2021 album release, ‘Untold Business’, which saw Mark go back to his roots, paying homage to the more funky, soulful, and vocal House from the 1990s from where he came.

With a focus on real instrumentation and production, coupled with great song writing, this new Toolroom sub label will be a platform for high quality House music that’s designed to stand the test of time. Launching the new label with a mighty bang and delivering the first in our exciting new vinyl sampler series is head honcho, Mark Knight who joins forces with Australian Toolroom label mate, Sgt Slick and British Soul sensation, Beverley Knight on a dynamite cover of Prince’s 1979 classic, ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’.

Respectfully transporting the song onto today’s dance floors, Mark & Sgt Slick deliver a classy uplifting soulful house production, loaded with funky guitars, warm pads and sublime key performances. Adding the icing on the cake and putting her own stamp on things, Beverley belts out one of her signature spine-tingling vocals, garnished with lush harmonies and BV’s that would indeed make The Purple One proud!

Completing the vinyl package is Dance music stalwart, Opolopo, and British Soul icon, Jaki Graham, who together bring the dance floor heat with their new single, ‘Fire’. Powered by a potent soulful house groove from Opolopo, loaded with warm piano hooks, emotive synth melodies and a sublime popping bass hook, ‘Fire’ see’s Jaki flaunt her electrifying vocal talents with a show-stopping performance on this irresistibly catchy song.

- I Wanna Be Your Lover reached Traxsource #1 where it stayed for 6 weeks consecutively - Radio support on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio Cornwall, Hedkandi, Kiss FM, Mi-Soul, Gaydio, Radio 105 / Montecarlo (Italy), Mambo Radio, Rinse fm, Select Radio, Totally Wired Radio, Point Blank, RTE, Power fm (Ireland), Metro FM (SA), Cool Fm, Radio Reverb, Radio FG (France), Release Radio and many more.

DJ support from Husky, Hector Romero, Javi Bora, Grace Bones, Judge Jules, Sebb Junior, Jay Vegas, Odyssey Inc, ATFC, Claptone, Black Legend, Cevin Fisher, Michael Gray, Kisch, Hoxton Whores, Full Intention, Booker T, Jamie Jones, Knights Of The Turntable, Sam Divine, DJ Rae, CASSIMM, Alex Preston

AI-36 comes from Ear to Ear - the debut collaboration between label regular Samuel van Dijk (Multicast Dynamics) and Ukrainian artist Yevgen Chebotarenko. Taken from a series of live recording sessions, the album explores in four parts a markedly darker realm of soundscape music. A cornucopia of abstract morphing scenes and heady synesthesia, the album brims with rich sonic detail and evocative gestures. Deftly blending organic sound textures with an experimental austerity, ‘Live Recordings’ displays potent and accomplished storytelling.

The album opens to a grey overcast vista, a natural landscape that slowly melts into a descending chasmic dysphoria. The mood transitions to a drone-based piece on the B-side, characterised by a more psychologically suspenseful framework and exotic blend of sound design. The atmosphere lightens, yet equally pensive as side C takes on a more elemental form, invoking water and its array of microbial and metabolic ecosystems. Brief cathartic moments in the final section pave the way for deeper wayfaring on the D-side. Stray signals and unknowable artefacts skitter across a vast subaqueous domain, a fathomless womb of potentialities that ebbs into eternity.

Fate is a funny old thing. One day in 2011, DJ/producer Tom Trago found himself sharing a train journey with Steven Van Lummel, a DIY musician, artist and co-founder of PIP, an underground nightclub and cultural hub in The Hague. Over the course of a rambling, open-ended conversation, the idea of making music together came up; a few weeks later, Trago travelled to van Lummel’s place – a former industrial unit that was now home to a rotating cast of artists and musicians – and didn’t leave for a month.

Cossetted away from the outside world in van Lummel’s loft, with multi-instrumentalists Janneke Nijhuijs and Wieger Hoogendorp joining them to create a musical four-piece, MEGA WEGA was born. Over the course of four weeks, the quartet embarked on an almost continuous creative session punctuated only by impromptu parties and mixing sessions. Life-long bonds were made and over 70 tracks recorded before the mundanity of day-to-day life came calling.

For one reason or another, the project never saw the light of day, with tracks sat gathering dust on hard drives for the best part of a decade. During the madness and loneliness of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trago rediscovered the tracks. Delighted by what he heard, a collective decision was made to add finishing touches and release the resultant album on van Lummel’s PIP Records imprint. Further instruments and vocals were added over two days at Hoogendorp’s studio, before mutual friend Tom Ruig got on board to mix the album.

So, what can you expect from Haunted, Mega Wega’s debut album? First and foremost, it’s the sound of pure creative expression – the distillation of a freewheeling, no-holds-barred, spontaneous musical journey variously inspired by the do-it-yourself ethos of musical counterculture, shared inspirations and influences, epic jam sessions, distant stars (Wega, sometimes known as Fidis or ‘the harp star’, is one of the brightest in the night sky), imaginary journeys across dusty deserts, and the comradeship of four new friends.

Enchanting and alluring, it’s an album that gleefully denies lazy categorization and ploughs its own eclectic, atmospheric musical furrow in vivid sonic detail. It’s a collective exploration of heady musical eclecticism unified by saucer-eyed vocals, low-slung bass, loose-limbed beats, sweaty percussion workouts and hazy electric piano motifs.

Haunted begins with the woozy and hallucinatory slow-burn soundscape of ‘Get Things Done’ – an effects laden shuffle akin to lying flat on your back tripping under an intense desert sun – and ends with the creepy, mind-mangling post-punk funk of ‘Brain Carpaccio’; in between, you’ll find spaced-out, low-tempo lo-fi soul (‘Move Around’, ‘Haunted’), tactile synth-powered boogie revivalism (‘Make Me Work’), deep and off-kilter opioid jazz (‘Copenhagen’), intoxicating psychedelia (‘Last Night on Earth’), piano-laden dream-pop epics (‘Shake Or Fall’), and Latin-infused, percussion-powered hedonism (‘Chopping Heads’).

Born out of spontaneous collaboration and immersive, almost endless recording sessions, Haunted is an album shot through with imagination and boundless energy, captured for posterity by four friends and collaborators at the top of their game.

The first outing of the new label Way to France records, born in Leipzig and raised in Cologne (including an extra long puberty), comes from none other than Robert Johnson legend Lauer.
The title track Law High heads straight for peak time in classic Lauer style between synth-pop, wave and house. Extraordinary DJ Charlie from Berlin transforms Law High into an analog-sounding EBM-Italo stomper with her first remix ever.

On B1 Lauer shows his other side with Enso: Techno Soul in the melody-man manner. Enso got the remix treatment from Leipzig's highly talented Janthe, who (another remix premiere) pulls off a modern, froggy, timeless version that's playable on any occasion. WTF Records headquarter is more than proud (and happy) to have so much talent on their versatile catalog number 001.

When Cicadas appear in the area they cause a huge uproar. It’s hard to escape the distinctive noise these critters make, reaching up to 120 decibels. The hypnotic, trance-inducing sound disappears with the insects. A few months after Cykada's explosive debut, the world was hit by turbulence and from Cykada there was silence - fortunately only seemingly, because the next cycle began underground, in the privacy of the studio. It was there that the cicadas matured, waiting for a metamorphosis.

The year 2019 was very successful for Cykada, with a brilliantly received debut album, concerts at numerous festivals in the UK and Europe such as Glastonbury, Wilderness, London Jazz Festival, BAM Festival, La Defense Jazz Festival or Love Supreme Festival, along with constantly composing and preparing material for the second album. As the musicians entered the studio, the coronavirus pandemic was already in full swing across the globe. It was clear then that the world would never be the same. With increasing restrictions Cykada went underground, waiting for changes to surface again. Unfortunately the expected change that was happening seemed only for the worse - Brexit and its socio-economic consequences, worldwide disinformation, accelerating climate catastrophe and Russian invasion of Ukraine. The collapse of the old world order is the perfect moment for metamorphosis and with this message Cykada steps out again into broad daylight, matured and carrying a message with their long-awaited second album “Metamorphosis”.

The meaning behind the title is multifaceted. It refers both to changes taking place in our society and changes to our world as nature defends itself from human stupidity and greed. It is also a reference to the personal and musical development of the band members in that difficult period. It all became a foundation to bravely attempt to make new beginnings.

The metamorphosis is also clear in the musical aspect of Cykada. Their debut album was already difficult to shoehorn into specific genres with their sound that balanced jazz, electronics and elements of global music styles. With the second album their eclectic style has evolved into something distinct and innovative, combining folk/jazz song form and improvisation with heavier sounds inspired by sound system culture and rock. The band grew into a septet thanks to multi-instrumentalist Rob Milne, expanding the horn section to 3 instruments and galvanising its sound. But the biggest change that happened compared to the first album is the singing of Cykada leader Jamie Benzies in singles “So Divided” and “The Crack in the Bricks”. Both songs carry an important message, showing us that the changes in the world are already happening and that only we can make it head in the right direction. This unique sonic mix along with the message unleashes a powerful energy that the musicians want to send to and infect every listener.

LA based producer Eric Spire released some very forward thinking music on his Silver Pearl label back in the late 90’s. This type of heavy, psychedelic house music was the bridge to a new era of sound and grabbed a lot of attention from the likes of Craig Richards & Lee Burridge’s Tyrant nights at Fabric and DJ Garth to name a few.

Now, 2 decades later, Sushitech and label head Yossi Amoyal compiled a unique series that includes some of the most inspiring and hard to find tracks out of the Silver Pearl back catalogue.

This is an exclusive insight to one of the most inspiring underground labels coming from the west coast. Essential!

Next up on Toolroom’s 4-track vinyl sampler series, we welcome LA based DJ and producer Noizu to the label, debuting with his remix of Mark Knight, Green Velvet and Rene Amesz – ‘Live Stream’. Diving deep and pulling up a Toolroom classic from the 2016 archives, Noizu delivers a powerful rendition of ‘Live Stream’, ramping up the energy of the original to a whole new level, cutting it fresh for dance floors in 2023.

Next up and landing back on the firm during our 20th birthday celebrations is none other than Danny Howard, who returns to the label with a beefed up edit of a Toolroom classic – ‘Hear What They Hear’ by Adrian Hour. A secret weapon for DJs worldwide, released back in 2016 on Adrian Hour’s ‘Like This’ Ep, this B side became an unlikely hero that still gets hammered today by the likes of John Summit and Eats Everything. After doing the rounds at Glastonbury festival this year and beyond, Danny's update has turned one record with a solid dance floor reputation into a certified slammer!

Next up, we’ve got an absolute belter of a record from two renowned producers in the scene: Watermät And Raumakustik, with their debut collaboration ‘Out Of My Head’. Merging each artist’s signature sounds together, from Raumakustik’s solid production skills to Watermät’s penchant for locking in quirky and catchy vocal hooks, ‘Out Of My Head’ is a certified dancefloor weapon in the making.

Last but not least, is another label debut from London based DJ and producer, deeper purpose, who’s landing with a huge tech house roller, ‘The Stutter’. An artist creating shockwaves across the dance music spectrum, deeper purpose is fast becoming a familiar name in the dance sphere having earned a solid reputation as a producer with killer releases on highly regarded imprints such as off the grid, catch & release and repopulate mars. A staple record in all his performances, ‘The Stutter’ has shaken dancefloors all over the world, from EDC Vegas to Club Space Miami, to Ministry Of Sound London and beyond!

Countless Radio Plays on Radio 1 from Danny Howard, Sarah Story, Pete Tong

DJ Support:
Danny Howard, Annie Mac, Mistajam, Pete Tong, Charlie Hedges, Kraak & Smaak, Maxinne, Todd Terry, Alex Preston, Full Intention, Gw Harrison, DJ Rae, Rudimental, Alaia & Gallo, Illyus & Barrientos, Johan S, David Penn, Sam Divine, Riva Starr, Claptone

LA based producer Eric Spire released some very forward thinking music on his Silver Pearl label back in the late 90’s. This type of heavy, psychedelic house music was the bridge to a new era of sound and grabbed a lot of attention from the likes of Craig Richards & Lee Burridge’s Tyrant nights at Fabric and DJ Garth to name a few.

Now, 2 decades later, Sushitech and label head Yossi Amoyal compiled a unique series that includes some of the most inspiring and hard to find tracks out of the Silver Pearl back catalogue.

This is an exclusive insight to one of the most inspiring underground labels coming from the west coast. Essential!

Skatebård is one of the very best Classic Techno producers from Norway since the early 2000's - the distinction from others simply lies within his sense of melody, rhythm and live arrangements. The 2002 release "Skateboarding Was A Crime" on Tellektro had a clear thread of Detroit Techno and Electro, a craft and influence that also heavy club hitters "Conga", "Ta-Ta Arr" and "Emotional Bits" on Sex Tags Mania strongly carried. It's unarguably always a "classic touch" in his dance music, but still it always sounds like a Skatebård production - there is simply no blueprinting in true inspiration.

"Spektral LP" has been compiled and edited by DJ Sotofett with material from Skatebård's 2001-2005 recording archive. In short it's recordings nobody else cold get a hold of – fine tuned and restored into a synergetic and consolidated world of riding, mechanical and electronic funk - released on Skatebård's own Digitalo Enterprises.

Tracks "Seventh" and "Vaskemaskin" are both cymbal driven Techno cuts by the former metal drummer, one with chorded synth stabs growing in harmony, the other leaning on a dark sci-fi pad and a flipped vocal loop. There's a bit more of Skatebård's vocals on the beautifully robotic "Ei Anna Framtid", an alternate take of "Future" which Finlands Keys Of Life released in 2003. DJ Sotofett's mix of "Den Anarkistiske Anode" is nothing but a distorted head-schredding basement Techno blaster, while "Strengje", "Bassi" and "Spektral Elektro" punctuates the catchy Electro & Italo grooves Skatebård crafts so much better than most current producers.

This new album "Smile Again" a real homecoming for the artist. From pop and sweet melodies, soaring hearts, warm electric guitars, nylons, ukulele and cavaquinho, to the catchy and warm refrains, weaving a little more this solar and soft universe which made the signature of the very first Indie Pop Electro hits of the artist. With this album Broken Back signs his big comeback on the front of the French Indie electro pop scene, in media, radio, and live throughout France.

David Byrne & Fatboy Slim’s acclaimed 2010 album Here Lies Love receives its first-ever vinyl release to coincide with a new production opening on Broadway this summer. Here Lies Love is a double-disc song cycle – improbably poignant, decidedly surreal, surprisingly thought provoking – about the rise and fall of the Philippines' notorious Imelda Marcos. It was conceived by David Byrne; composed by Byrne and DJ/recording artist Fatboy Slim, AKA Norman Cook; and performed by a dream cast drawn from the worlds of indie rock, alt country, R&B and pop. Byrne's taste in collaborators is as imaginative as it is impeccable, including Cyndi Lauper (who recounts, to lighthearted disco beats, Imelda's courtship with Ferdinand Marcos), Steve Earle (as the power-hungry Ferdinand), Dap-Kings vocalist Sharon Jones (recalling Imelda's introduction into New York society) and Natalie Merchant (as spurned Imelda confidante Estrella, anticipating the onset of martial law). Along with vocals turns from such stars as Tori Amos and the B-52's Kate Pierson, Byrne works with rising indie rockers St. Vincent and My Brightest Diamond; New York chanteuses Nellie McKay and Martha Wainwright; and dance-music divas Róisín Murphy and Santigold. Byrne himself appears as the voice of imperialistic America on ‘American Troglodyte’, a send-up that wouldn't have seemed out of places in Talking Heads' True Stories.



Byrne originally envisioned this as a musical theatre piece, to be mounted in disco and nightclub settings, reflecting the globe-trotting Marcos' taste for such velvet-roped spots as Studio 54 and Regine's. In 2006, he performed work-in-progress versions to enthusiastic audiences at New York City's Carnegie Hall and the Adelaide Festival in Australia. While plans for a US theatrical production continued to evolve, he delivered this unique recording. The award-winning theatrical production eventually premiered at The Public Theater in New York in 2013, travelled to London’s National Theater for a sold-out run (2014–15), and was remounted at the Seattle Repertory Theater (2017).



Here Lies Love has an effervescent disco feel, redolent of Fatboy Slim's own dance-floor anthems, with warm undercurrents of the Latin rhythms that have percolated through Byrne's recent solo work. The sunny arrangements act in counterpoint to the reality of the Marcos' increasingly repressive regime, reflecting the imagined inner life of the glamour-obsessed Imelda. Explains Byrne, "For me, the darker side of the excesses are, for the most part, a matter of record. A lot of the audience is going to come with that knowledge already. What's more of a challenge is to get inside the head of the person who was behind all of that, and understand what made them tick." Byrne offers no judgment and avoids the obvious – there is no mention of Imelda's infamous shoe collection.



Many of Byrne's lyrics are, astonishingly enough, constructed from actual Imelda quotes, including the project's title, the words that Imelda, now returned to the Philippines from US-assisted exile in Hawaii, would like to have inscribed on her gravestone. In addition to his new liner note, Byrne illustrates the story with archival photos. In a detailed preface, he reveals what drew him to this subject and the bumpy route he took to launch the project and, ultimately, record this album. The booklet is indeed a page-turner, just as Here Lies Love is a wonderfully old-school album that rewards start-to-finish listening. Once again, Byrne – beloved as musician, thinker and bicyclist-about-town – reveals the breadth and singularity of his vision.



The new production of Here Lies Love will premiere at the Broadway Theatre in New York City. Performances begin June 17, ahead of an official opening night on July 20. Tony Award winner Alex Timbers (direction) and Olivier Award nominee Annie-B Parson (choreography) reunite with Byrne (concept, music, and lyrics) and Fatboy Slim (music) to bring Here Lies Love to Broadway, continuing a ten-plus year collaboration on the project. Tom Gandey and J Pardo contribute additional music. Here Lies Love is produced on Broadway by Hal Luftig, Patrick Catullo, Diana DiMenna for Plate Spinner Productions, Clint Ramos, and Jose Antonio Vargas. The staging at the Broadway Theatre will transform the venue’s traditional proscenium floor space into a dance club environment, where audiences will stand and move with the actors. A wide variety of standing and seating options will be available throughout the theatre’s reconstructed space. The producers of Here Lies Love said, “As a team of binational American producers – Filipinos among us – we are thrilled to bring Here Lies Love to Broadway! We welcome everyone to experience this singularly exuberant piece of theatre. The history of the Philippines is inseparable from the history of the United States, and as both evolve, we cannot think of a more appropriate time to stage this show. See you on the dance floor!”



David Byrne’s recent works include the launch of Reasons to be Cheerful, an online magazine focused on solutions-oriented stories about problems being solved all over the world (2019); Joan of Arc: Into the Fire, a theatrical exploration of the historical heroine that premiered at the Public Theater in New York (2017); The Institute Presents: NEUROSOCIETY, a series of interactive environments created in conjunction with PACE Arts + Technology that question human perception and bias (2016); Contemporary Color, an event inspired by the American folk tradition of color guard and performed at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and Toronto’s Air Canada Centre (2015); Here Lies Love; Love This Giant, a studio album and worldwide tour created with St. Vincent (2012); and How Music Works, a book about the history, experience, and social aspects of music (2012).



Byrne curated Southbank Centre’s annual Meltdown festival in London in 2015. A co-founder of the group Talking Heads (1976–88), he has released eight studio albums as a solo artist and worked on multiple other projects, including collaborations with Brian Eno, Twyla Tharp, Robert Wilson, and Jonathan Demme, among others. He also founded the highly respected record label Luaka Bop. Recognition of Byrne’s various works include Obies, Drama Desk, Lortel, and Evening Standard awards for Here Lies Love; an Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe for the soundtrack to Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor; and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Talking Heads. Byrne’s work as a visual artist has been published and exhibited since his college days, including photography, filmmaking, and writing. He lives in New York City. In addition to 2019’s cast album for American Utopia on Broadway, Nonesuch has released eight other David Byrne records since 2003, including 2018’s American Utopia studio album and two versions of his musical Here Lies Love.



















q C6. Please Don't feat. Santi White Santigold

The colossal Caposile Music strike once more with a heavy hitting house EP. This sought after summertime jam comes from resident and long time family member, Maggio. The flourishing Italian talent enforces the driving force that is After Caposile with three driven and animated grooves for the peak hours of the party. Accompanying him with a stellar remix is acclaimed live performer and producer, Vitess, the Frenchman showcasing his consistent sound, living up to the Caposile ethos with great effect.

This is “Discoline”.

Title track “Discoline” cruises on an irresistible elastic groove, shimmering synths and pads shine bright, breathing life into the rolling structure of the track. This one living and breathing a pure and infectious summer time energy. Packing a serious punch is “Vertigo”, built upon crisp drum arrangements and another dynamite bass line for the heads. If you are looking to go up a gear on the floor then you are in the right place.

On the B side Maggio’s “Outer Space” leads the way. The aptly named track prepares you for lift off with its distinctive chugging, sub heavy bass. Sprinkles of spaced out vocals tease you down a path of curiosity. Vitess rounds off the EP with another recipe for dance floor frenzy in his remix of “Discoline”, playful yet effective frequencies to ignite the flight, an essential for the record bags of many in the coming months.

CPSL005 lands off the back of the “Sound Of Garden” volumes 1 and 2, and with this latest addition to the catalogue it ensures the label and club continue to cement themselves at the forefront of the scene for underground minimal and house, continuing to spread like wildfire. Become part of the Caposile family this summer with some sincere day time action from within their circle.

Tamango Records boss Yaya heads to TRMNL Records as he unveils his latest EP on the imprint, backed by remixes from Salty Nuts head honcho Fabe and label resident Vito.

Heading up his Tamango Records imprint while serving up killer cuts and remixes on Desolat, Moan, Revival New York and more, Yaya is a man in high demand across the globe. With his take on house music bridging influences from Africa to Italy, his percussive-driven and slick sound has made him a favourite for those looking for productions leaning towards the more energetic yet minimal end of the genre. That style is on show once more as he adds a new label to his catalogue. Joining the likes of Djebali, East End Dubs, Ray Mono and Samu.l, late July brings the release of his new EP ‘Para Siempre’ on UK imprint TRMNL Records, accompanied by a slick pair of remixes from Fabe and Vito to shape up the package.

Title track ‘Para Siempre’ is a skippy and bouncy lead effort as crisp drums, a zippy bassline, and warped vocals go to work to showcase a production bursting full of vigour, while ‘Umbrella Corps’ leans towards more organic, rolling percussion arrangements, shuffling rhythms and elastic melodies guide things towards the later hours. On the flip, Fabe steps up for the first remix as he brings his signature groove-led style to proceedings for a swingfuelled slice of funk, before Vito’s crisp take on ‘Umbrella Corps’ closes the show with a final injection of early hours goodness.

Early DJ Support:
Joseph Capriati, Marco Carola & ALISHA

Repress!

It can take a while for an artist to find their musical voice. For Alex Andrikopoulos, it’s been a journey that’s taken the best part of two decades. Now he’s set to mark a major milestone in his transition from record store owner, label co-founder and DJ to producer with the release of his long-promised first solo album for Leng, Waving. The Greek artist first joined the Leng Records roster in the autumn of 2020 and has since gone in to release the acclaimed ‘Punta Allen’ EP for the imprint. Before that, he spent the first decade of the century running the popular Radical Sounds record shop in Athens, before refocusing on running Quantized Music with fellow DJ/producer Tolis Q and developing his DJ career, where his unique blends of disco, house and techno tracks earned him bookings at some of Europe’s most storied clubs.

Waving, which appears on the back of a handful of fine EPs for a variety of labels, is his boldest and strongest statement yet as a musician and producer. Created with a little help from guest musicians and collaborators including keyboardist Artis Boriss, bassist Brotha Gilla, percussionists Ilario Arnel and Harold Perez, pianist Luciano Ledesma and guitarist Alex Searle, the album brilliantly blurs the boundary between 21st century disco, afternoon-ready downtempo grooves, and the kind of dancefloor-minded Balearic fare that’s devilishly difficult to pigeonhole.

Fittingly, the set begins with previous single ‘Punta Allen’, an eight-minute chunk of organic dancefloor goodness which slowly unfurls before rising towards and gorgeous and joyous conclusion, and ends with the squelchy, slo-mo cosmic funk of ‘Patrol Di Caribe’, where trippy synthesizer lines, layered percussion and more tuneful style pan style lead ins catch the ear.

In between, highlights are plentiful, from the driving, piano solo-laden dub disco brilliance of ‘Down My Soul’ and the languid, sun-kissed, beach-ready downtempo grooves of ‘The Jamail Pass’, to the rubbery, pitched-down electrofunk of ‘Window Spells’ (featuring a fine lead vocal from Max Giovara, the flash-friend, dubwise Balearic funk of ‘Waving’, and the throbbing brilliance of ‘La Di Da Di’, whose crunchy Clavinet lines, fluid electric piano solos, snappy drums and pulsating, arpeggio-style bass encapsulate all that is good about the album.

The digital edition of the album also comes bundled with eight more tracks not featured on the double-vinyl LP. Featuring the same blend of expansive musicality, organic drums and dancefloor nous, this octet effectively extends the album via a string of similarly playable, club-ready and sofa-friendly tracks. Standouts include the non-stop, nu-disco-meets-house excellence of ‘Large Stacks’, Hammond-laced head-nodder ‘Take The High Road’, horizontal Balearic funk shuffler ‘Prezend’ and hazy, vocal-sporting dub disco roller ‘Angels of Rhythm’, which previously appeared on the flipside of Lex’s ‘Punta Allen’ 12”.

Symphony Orchestra is a new group from Maximilian Turnbull and Michael Rault. Both Rault and Turnbull are accomplished songwriters, performers and producers in their own right, with Turnbull leading The Badge Epoque Ensemble, playing with the group Darlene Shrugg, and once releasing records under the name Slim Twig and Rault having released several psychedelic rock & roll classics under his own name in the past decade. The pair have worked together in various capacities for many years, writing and recording together on U.S. Girls' In A Poem Unlimited, and contributing to each other's releases, but the debut LP from Symphony Orchestra (due out May 12th on Telephone Explosion) marks their first release as an official entity.

Needless to say, there is a potent creative chemistry between Rault and Turnbull and Radiant Music showcases the alchemy between their distinct skill sets. The album is an exercise in pure collaboration. After years spent focusing on solo projects and working as hired guns on other projects, the duo came together with no specific intentions other than to work free of boundaries and direction. Freeing themselves from the familiar pressures of deadlines and expectations, they found a sense of discovery through togetherness. Duties on this project were split between Rault acting primarily as a one-man rhythm section and lead vocalist with Turnbull bringing chord sketches and his trademark aphoristic lyrical musings to the table. Trading off roles on guitar and keys from song to song, the duo's deft approach to melody bleeds through their instrumental parts as much as it does through Rault's vocal melodies. The majority of this album was self-engineered over the course of three sessions in 2018, at Michael's Montreal studio. Dormant during the pandemic, Rault's move to Los Angeles and the birth of Turnbull's twin sons, work reignited in 2022. The latterly tracked instrumental 'Concerto' and ballad 'Unthink The Thinkable' provide a dynamic depth to the album perhaps attributable to this tumultuous pause. Mixing came courtesy of Steve Chahley & Tony Price (U.S. Girls, BÉE, Jane Inc, etc).

In all of their work, Rault and Turnbull have made a hallmark of elaborately precise production and arrangement, Radiant Music is no different, though its pared-back simplicity provides a streamlined directness. The pairing of Rault's soulful, elastic vocal with Turnbull's evocatively cerebral lyrics provides a thrilling sensation unlike anything else in their respective catalogs. With an explosive, groove-forward approach, kaleidoscopic walls of vocal harmony and technicolor displays of guitar work, these 31 minutes of music will most certainly stimulate the mind of any fan of classic pop rock and funk. The blown-out breakbeats, winsome woven vocal melodies and propulsive wah-wah guitars of the title track evoke memories of an after-school cartoon special that never really existed outside of a lysergic daydream. "Harp In The Wind" is a perfect moment of overcast melancholy complete with ribbons of weeping synthesizers and velcro-fuzz guitar that could rip a clean line through Kevlar. "Know Thyself" and the harmony-rich "Intersection" are standout tracks that find a kinship in Stereolab's space-age effervescence. "Concerto" is a slab of beaming, mischievous funk that nods to Billy Preston's extraterrestrial keyboard explorations.

Radiant Music, like the best pop music, is life-affirming, confectionary, and enticing. Symphony Orchestra have created an album that hits you right where you need it, anchoring heady, adventurous sonic ideas down to a solid foundation of masterful songcraft, virtuosic instrumental performances and undeniable groove. Not a bar, nor beat is wasted.

yet is a slippery word in English. Amorphous, these three letters in dierent contexts can define contrast or emphasis, set a place in time, show an expectation that something will occur or, paradoxically, that it is likely to stop.
It is this mercurial nature that makes yet the perfect title for Tresor’s latest compilation: the label follows on from the more explorative sections of 2021’s landmark Tresor 30 boxed set with a compilation, featuring 13 artists making music that resists easy definition.
Every track hints at and borrows from the familiar yet none follow the expected path: halfway through Deserto, Nandele & A-Tweed dramatically reveal a very dierent sonic landscape that was initially suggested; DJ Sotofett collaborates with Sri Lankan artist Kavadi with results that are unlike anything in the Norwegian producer’s catalogue as yet.
Further invention can be found as Jean Redondo’s Hypersonic moves across spaces inhabited by digital hardcore and hyperpop before swerving o-road and into a futuristic hip-hop section; on No Longer Human, Ireen Amnes takes a dierent path at the crossroads melding hyperpop, trance, and sci-fi soundtrack atmospherics, Significant Other heads towards UK Bass and Dubstep, and France’s Willis Anne skims by the outskirts of footwork with a piece that is almost completely uncategorisable.
Yet more sonic experimentation comes from E-Saggila, Nadia Struiwigh, NVST, Solid Blake, and Viikatory who oer unique takes on the well-established electro blueprint, while Ryan James Ford, and Nit. both find ways to blend elements normally found in ambient pieces with those heard on a dancefloor.
The feel of the compilation is yet again reflected in the enigmatic artwork by Malik Arbab, where shapes and colours suggest animals and plants but in a world that appears to be transient and constantly evolving.

Very few electronic music artists can boast of spanning a wide musical spectrum as the UK producer Calum Lee aka Paleman / Fresnel Lens.Always emphasizing the percussive side (advantage of being a jazz drummer), and always with an innovative spirit, the releases of this authenticsound designer oscillate between the most abstract / experimental electronica and minimalist club focused techno, from atmospheric andintrospective works to the sickest dubstep / bass music.

As at 30D we declare ourselves absolute fans of Calum's music, we had a clear obligation to ask him to join our catalogue, specifically for the EyesHave It sub-label (we had especial interest in his interpretation of broken, dark and industrial techno). His answer was direct and unmistakable:"I've sent you a lot of pieces that fit with your label vision and the imagery that we love.. I've been studying existentialism a lot recently, so thesetunes are a reflection of my headspace at the moment!".

A true declaration of intent!And here it is, five perfect examples of obsessive tribal madness, overexciting synthetic broken beats and a lot of rawness. A pure musical gem.