quête:x mind

– Meow, Doc! Are you serious?!
– Hopefully, now we'll be able to program the cognitive processes of different creatures.
– The intranasal mutagen?
– With consciousness, too!

Spacelunch devoted all of his spare time to developing the virus. Once in the body, its molecules activate: they replace the configuration of neurotransmitters and start evolving independently. A small dosage of vapours reactivates brain navigation, whereas readings are taken from a nano-oscilloscope and sent to a tablet for further analysis. Augmented reality has long gone beyond virtuality, ladies and gentlemen!

The simulation of the collective mind has undergone a series of public tests initiated by enthusiasts from the Venus Biomolecular Institute. After a data leak from the lab's journal, the dangerous technology could have fallen into the hands of Aerospace Corporation, but luckily was intercepted by the Meta-Warp operational unit. Putting the development on pause, they shut down access to any information about the project. It remained unexplored, but the Professor's inquisitive mind wanted to understand the discovery that could change the future.

Emotional Damage EP, is the result of a collaboration between Alyhas & Occibel. Friends and now colleagues, they have decided to work together on a house, funk and electro EP. It's made up of 3 eclectic tracks: House, Funk and Electro-House. For his part, Tiago Walter took up the challenge of remixing the track Emotional Damage, bringing his own deeper touch to the mix, which takes the idea of this eclectic EP even further.

Kerri Chandler’s Kaoz Theory welcomes the return of Dj Steaw in January 2024 with his ‘Get Back To The Fonk’ EP.

Parisian House stalwart Dj Steaw has grown to become a widely respected figure in the field of
raw, underground, classic House over the past decade, racking up releases on many leading
imprints of the genre such as Hot Haus, Meta, Local Talk, Step and Phonogramme as well as his
own Steaward, Rutilance and House Puff. Here though he returns to Kaoz Theory following the
success of his ‘Colour Of Mind’ EP in 2022.

Title-cut ‘Get Back To The Fonk’ opens and sees Dj Steaw lay down a jazzy keys and stab
sequences, a bouncy bass line and heavily swung drums alongside an amalgamation of spoken
word vocals and chants. ‘Don’t Stop’ follows next and shift focus into deeper realms with warm,
fluttering chords, swaying subs and airy strings running atop of a robust rhythm.
‘In My Body’s House’ is up next to open the B-side, embracing a true House feel this time through
the use of organic piano melodies, sax licks and organ lines intertwined with a bumpy bass hook
and dubbed out vocal effects. ‘Grey Matter’ then concludes the original material, focusing on
multilayered dreamy keys, resonant flutters and skippy percussion.

Samurai Music regular Eusebeia was enlisted early as one of the prime technicians to be part of the Mindgames squad. Seb understood the brief implicitly and swiftly came up with the three tunes that make up MINDGAME 2. From the searing rave-tinged bomb - Way Back When to the soaring sample/beat workout perfection of Future Times, Seb nails the vibe while adding his distinctive touches.

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.

Supersanity is a safe space to explore your senses through the trance-dance experience; a state where the body and mind come together in unity.

2024 Repress

For Frenzy's 5th installment, we'll take the fusion of the past and the present even further. We present you a 6-track EP by Swedish DJ and producer 'The Miller', who was amongst the Nordic wave of early 2000s techno pioneers like Cari Lekebusch, Adam Beyer, and Joel Mull. Coming from an era where rave and nightlife escapism were blooming, The Miller possesses a vast backlog of old-school productions that embody the true Frenzy sound. We invited him to compile an EP with old and new material, accompanied by remixes from the up-and-coming generation to truly intertwine generations of dancefloor exquisiteness. Allow yourself to surpass the linear alignment of time within the next collision of decades on Frenzy 005. It's time to dance.

Starting out slow but steady on the A side, 'Kartong' gradually builds up the pressure with a playful mix of reversed phrases and thoughtful alignment of pitch levels. Tension transforms into motion as 'Apex' kicks in with big airy basslines and exotic drum elements that keep the early-day spirit alive. To complete the A-side, Stuttgart-based Rove Ranger presents a dub-influenced remix of Apex, accelerating the 00s story straight into the next decade. On the flip side, we go back to the old days as 'Complied' grabs hold of hips and minds with catchy repetition and a straightforward bassline. The Miller got us spellbound as 'Gate' follows up with a stripped-down steamy groover. To end the journey in full force, a powerful remix of Gate by the Greek-based ANNE is delivered, converting stripped down into the contrary for those big-room dancefloor moments.

Born and raised in Kanagawa, Japan, Iu Takahashi is a sound artist based in Tokyo. She produces her own musical worldview mainly using synthesizers, ambient sounds, and voices.

Iu Takahashi used to do her artist activities as a vocalist before, and now she has created mainly ambient music since 2018, provided her tracks to background music such as exhibitions and introduction videos.

Inspired by Japanese ambient music such as Hiroshi Yoshimura and Satoshi Ashikawa, Iu Takahashi, too, creates beautiful works based on Japanese ambient music.

And under the concept of soundscape, she always keeps in mind to deliver music that is considerate of the listener's thoughts and feelings, or music that is conscious of the unconscious mind.

Locked-In's fourth release beckons you to dive deep into the distinctive sound of Session 4000 with the "Get Down" EP.

Launching the dancefloor manifesto on the A1 is 'Panaka,' a relentless groove brimming with infectious energy. The bassline asserts its dominance, while the synth patterns showcase a pure, playful mastery.

Progressing to the A2, 'Second Skin' unravels as a mind-bending revelation, leaving an enduring imprint. Session 4000 skillfully weaves intricate layers that captivate from the initial drop to the final fade-out.

Flipping to the B side, 'Get Down' lives up to its name, beckoning with a bumping rhythm and spraying synths. It's a decisive call to action, destined to be a certified dancefloor weapon tailor-made for late-night club escapades.

Concluding the EP on the B2 is 'Mr. Freeze,' as cool as its title implies. This track leaves an indelible mark, providing a memorable conclusion to this electronic narrative.

Mates now for many moons - Mr.G and Duncan Forbes met at the time of Duncan’s Animated project; forging a friendship through weekly record shopping trips; a love of Soho; and regular banter over Duck and Rice. But it was their chance meeting at Glastonbury a few years back which finally sparked them to work together; since leading to a string of remixes for both Phoenix G and 49North, and culminating in their first, combined studio creation, ‘Curry Nite’, in late 2022.

Fast forward to Spring 2023, and what we have here is their first, collaborative full-length on vinyl - artist album, ‘All Under One Moon’. Conceived and created in Duncan’s studio on a long, full moon weekend with cosmic forces at play; the pair - both chomping-at-the-bit with excitement and no real plan or outcome in mind - set about creating, with a pure love of making music and the freedom to go wherever it might take them as their only guide. As G sums up for us…

“Two friends of old with a shared love of music ,having fun making music together in D’s studio. It was a long time coming but in truth caught us both off guard… the sum of both parts being sooo much more (y). The beauty of being free, making music. What a great moment”

So, on paper, we have - two mates, excited to play away in the studio with their favourite toys until they have to come up for air. But on record, what we actually have is - two close friends, united by a deep love of House, Techno and everything between / beyond - relishing a rare opportunity to jam, and with freedom…. it’s only when you consider quite how almanack-like our two music-obsessed pals are anyway, as individuals; that it begins to dawn on you, just how mind-meltingly rich and stylistically explosive - an album, that’s the sum-of-their-parts - is inevitably going to be.”

With his sensational full length debut, now well and truly bedded in - Duncan now treats us to the first of two, super special ‘Return of The Strobelight Kid’ - Remix EPs.

Taking pride and place, as the sole rework on side A, is Mr. G’s beastly ‘Changing Timez’ dub of ‘Rise Above’. A track full of poise, playful experimentalism and sub-licked attitude - it’s one that positively writhes in its own, wonderfully succulent, analogue filth.

Then, kicking off Side B proceedings and taking on album closer - ‘The Future Of Love’ - we have the refreshingly singular, duo-driven talents of Bodhi; who, full of confidence and clarity of vision - boldly choose to take the delicate, soul-quenching OG into unexpectedly fierce, propulsive and heads down Techno territory… a roll of the dice mind, that pays dividends and then some.

And finally - wrapping up Side B on this first ‘Return Of The Strobelight Kid’, remix EP - is Duncan himself…who here we see re-mould, ‘Quantum Particles Falling From Space’, into an even more incisive, heavily snarled and intensely rifling slice of forward-thinking Jungle-meets-Techno weaponry.

Nous'klaer Audio is proud to present a stellar line-up of remixers for Nadia Struiwigh's third album Pax Aurora. DJ Nobu kicks things off with his mind-bending IDM version of Nana. Followed by JakoJako's pulsating hypnotic metamorphosis of Dreaming About Rollercoasters. On the flip, Om Unit turns the healing sounds of Organic into a powerful club tool fusing influences of jungle, dubstep & electronica. The record is completed by Norwegian classical artist Julia Gjertsen, whose layered pianos playfully transform Feroit into a stunning kosmische track.

This extraordinary vinyl release showcases four original tracks that push the boundaries of complexity and sonic exploration with a mind-bending remix from Anthony Linell. This EP invites listeners to embark on a captivating journey through intricate soundscapes.

OOO002 - second, vinyl-only release debuts dark, galactic grooves featuring heavy bass lines and experimental elements from artists Chad Andrew and Len Lewis.

A1: “Battle 303”
Inspired by the soundscape of the 90’s techno scene, Battle 303’s punchy bass drums hold you captive as its sine wave bounce lures you into hypnosis with a progressive rhythmic beat. The track’s rolling 303, pyramid’s a myriad of elements before awakening you to the crisp subliminal vocal, just shy of the midway point. Battle 303’s multidimensional fury of movement refuses to slow its pace, inducing pure cardio for both the mind and body, inspiring peak dance performance.

A2: “Area 15”
Area 15 intros the swirling ambiance of dark, atmospheric, easy listening as it gradually accelerates into a journey of the unknown. Utilizing distortion effects, eerie drones and chimes, coupled with the rhythmic pattern of arpeggiated synths brings about a sense of intrigue that lends the listener the flexibility to determine their personal musical trajectory and experience.

B1: Battle 303 (Len Lewis S!th Remix)
Battle 303 (Len Lewis S!th Remix) is an introspective, sonic journey that slings you through a brooding origin story of tribal, galactic funk that echoes iconic samplings spanning over 5 decades seamlessly merged into one futuristic bop. Maintaining it’s old school, breakbeat roots with a driven, heavy bassline, claps and snares, Lewis remains true to his S!th style, by altering path and speed with his signature, unexpected musical transitions, highlighted by timely breaks and experimental elements. Be prepared to move and groove as this track reaches hyperspeed early on, stimulating intense movement and journey from start to finish.

B2: Battle 303 (Len Lewis G.H.M. Remix)
Battle 303 (Len Lewis G.H.M. Remix) leads with traditional, minimal components and a suspenseful bassline, laced with piercing elements and garbled synth vocals, creating a sense of awareness and urgency that gradually builds in intensity before throwing you into punchy, sinister darkness.
This groove, set against the backdrop of deep space and all its musical element oddities, mimics the drive of the original 303’s rolling bass line while seamlessly exploring Lewis’ S!thstylings of metallic synth scales and spooky drone effects, keeping you captivated as you strut the dance floor

From that indescribable connection between Science and Electronic Music, France’s Mascarpone oriented this EP towards all the imagery that these themes can generate in our minds. Themes that already catched the attention of techno and electro founders many years ago, showing that this link has been present since the beginning.

Electronic music is based on science and the scientific method is utilized in its creation. Theories and hypotheses are put forth and if they are practical and plausible they will be tested to verify them. Some theories work and some don’t,

but no theory is considered too abstract. All is considered. The more radical the better.

Gerald Donald

Solee - Rumors / Stimulation (FUR13)

For the next journey on Future Romance, we are proud to announce the arrival of another impressive 2-tracker by labelhead Solee. The leading track „Rumors" is a peak time banger with all necessary components to set the dancefloor on fire. While the electro-influenced „Stimulation" comes much deeper but still strong, armed with a big bassline and beautiful melodies.

Something for your mind, your body and your soul. Embark on a journey and get lost. Early DJ support by Joris Voorn, Marc Romboy, Camel Phat, Quivver, Kevin De Vries, Eelke Kleijn, Timo Maas, Einmusik Guy Mantzur and more.

3LP in gatefold sleeve + download code including the full mix.Created over the span of two years, Balance 032 marks a creative high point in the career of Madrid-based artist Henry Saiz, and this marks his third appearance for the hallowed compilation series.

Closely following a busy 2023, GiGi FM announces her brand-new record label, offering “Kiwi Synthesis Diary Vol. 2” to mark the debut. Sea~rène takes aim at dreamlike and ethereal electronic music to reconnect the subconscious and the cosmos through immersive storytelling. As the identity quote of the label says itself “We are Sea~rène swimming in-between supernatural tides, forever following the emotional waves of the universe”.

Already quite accomplished in her milieu through an acclaimed release on Bambounou’s Bambelabel, where she explored the relationship between bodily technologies and music, as well as through her residency on NTS Radio where she explores inter-dimensional sounds and shares her own musical palette, GiGi also continues to perform at strings of performances in the past years in settings like Berghain, Rural Japan, Draaimolen, Fabric, De School, Primavera, The Bunker New York, and Sustain Release. The French/Italian artist takes her productions further with this first release of her imprint. A continuation of her first self-released project, “Kiwi Synthesis Diary 21k,” in 2021, GiGi FM celebrates the exchange between her, as the owner of the journal, and its reader through euphoric soundscapes and vibrant psychedelia. Taking a step back from lockdown introspections, blurred lines between dream and reality like ambient and drony atmospheres, GiGi gives us a bent club record full of colors and life.

GiGi FM guides us through dreams of sonic environments and the adventures to be had through them. Some are characterized by evolving fractals and shifting landscapes like in the healing mushroom journey of ‘Amadamushies’ and the mythical Japanese Heron ‘Tsuru’. Combining steady rhythm and immersive ambiances, the result intends to soothe into a state of openness through kindly familiar territories. Sifting through the tracks, we find ourselves traveling fast through cosmic ecosystems like in the spiritual and cosmic teaching that “Tevora'' represents, as well as ‘Househopping (Keroppi)’ and “Sly Xupete Di Barcelona,” conveying the urgency to feel and create, even within difficult circumstances, while “Spazio Teletrasporto'' takes us on a hypnotic whirlwind trip into the depths of the cosmos and our inner consciousness. Through these chapters of a journey, a connection between the mind and the beyond is implied, and its importance is highlighted.

Deeply influenced by astrology, philosophy, and the cosmos; for GiGi, music is both a tool for expression and introspection. As a multi-hyphenate artist, she continues on her quest to push artistic boundaries and hold space for unique audience experiences. Whatever medium she may adopt, the result is a rich embodiment of the interconnectedness of sound, color, movement, and metaphysics.

Alex Israel's new 'Uncertainty Manipulated' release on Somnambulant Drift features generative music he has crafted by "building elements of arbitrary length that work together melodically but do not correspond in time. As the individual components replay, they overlap coincidentally, resulting in music that makes itself." The result is four tracks of sublime and escapist ambient with no beginning and no end but plenty of heart-aching piano chords, harp strums, hazy drones, mindful synth smears and meditative moods that offer comfort but also encourage inward reflections. It's a perfect coming together of man, machine and absorbing minimalism.

This release is also a reflection of my musical past combined with lots of field recordings made in the last two years. But for this release I wanted to have a combination of deeper, more abstract dancefloor minded compositions and experimental rhythmic noise. A journey for that open minded people. Trying to blend a mixture of tribe, goa, techno but also rhythmic noise, ambient and drone.

The title name is based on this cycle of reincarnation, but getting back to earth again and starting a new life. So there is not a new entry into the next realm or dimension, hence the name "Kept in Reality". Also your soul wants to go at some point, somewhere it seems your are not ready or not allowed

Zenit is a jazz ensemble from Krems in Lower Austria, founded in 1976 by Hannes Treiber and Willi Langer. Their music was celebrated locally, but to reduce them to their local fame would be a shame: After all, their first two LPs, Stimmungswechsel (Change of Moods) and Früchte (Fruits), quickly gained them a much wider audience of discerning listeners. Arguably, however, Zenit's third and final LP Straight Ahead is the most special of their records. It initially came out in 1986 on the producer's label Spray Records, and is today one of the hardest-to-find Austrian jazz records. Its centrepiece is the infectious slow-motion disco piece 'Waiting,' with vocals by American jazz singer Linda Sharrock. Effortlessly bringing together pop, soul and new age vibes, this is a record that is as unique as it is difficult to date. Does it sound like from the 80s We're not sure. To our minds at least, it could also be from the future.

Welcome Paul K on Hashplant - HPR013 - Limited Edition

Early support: Suciu, Charlie, Praslea, Mihigh, Raresh

Dance Floor Rituals kick things off strong with the first release on the label by a producer that will be no stranger to people in the know.

DJ and producer, Jorge Gamarra, has been crafting his skills for the best part of a decade. You can quickly notice his dedication to interesting sounds and strong baselines whilst listening to DFR’s first release. 4 tracks tailored for dark dance floors and long after hours. Emotional tracks with spiritual feeling and built intuition. The perfect music and artist to kick things off for this new label.

This is not one to be missed. Be quick!

Talla 2XLC is always at the top of beatport sales trance charts with his inventive originals and mouthwatering reworks. His next release Welcome To The Future on That’s Trance is an excellent update of the Schiller’s side project Nova released in 1999. Get ready for a magnificent uplifting euphoric trancer with infectious main melody to blow your mind and uplift your senses. Welcome To The Future employs psy trance sharp basslines, punchy booming kicks and classic trance percussion to create its intense drive while on top piano chords, gated trancy voices and nice synthy hooks are added to create a starling infectious result.

The breakdown is a magnificent cinematic journey with warm strings, airy pads, spacey sound effects and beautiful spoken female vocals describing a better future without the ugly side of our society. The finest highlight of the track is the incredible euphoric synthy riff that has the darkness and melodramatic tones that we all adore in our trance. When the beat strikes back this unforgettable melody is supported from additional melodic layers, piano chords and energetic acid over tones to toughen the proceedings. It’s one of those tracks that will easily crawl under your skin and become part of your trance DNA recalling the great epic Frankfurt trance sound with its industrial and high tech feel to it.

Welcome To The Future is Talla’s outstanding track out now on his own imprint That’s Trance.

The Amsterdam-based duo of LYMA and Rebiere aka LIKEMINDS follow up their debut album On My Way with versions from its predecessor.

Sometimes life throws you a curveball and you still gotta make it to first base. That’s what happened when Rebiere’s laptop was stolen, along with all the recordings of their original debut album. The pair made a brand new album from scratch, but they kept coming back to the demos from the lost recordings. They started to rework the sound as a whole, adding finishing touches, including additions from Bo Floor and Gino Groeneveld from Jungle By Night. The demos weren’t the same as the stolen tracks, but they learned to love the imperfections all the same.

The Lost Tape takes you on a journey - through low-slung beats, party jams, soulful. melodies and woozy synths, all masterfully woven together with samples and field recordings from Amsterdam’s watery canalways. It’s also the story of how the duo met, at a time when LYMA felt lost at sea with his collection of unreleased tracks, before Rebiere threw him a lifeline and brought some focus and clarity. Sometimes finding a like-minded
friend can make all the difference.

Heads High keeps up the good early work with a third interesting offering, this time in the form of a meeting of the fiendish minds of Mike Misiu and Eddie Smilie, aka Wednesday Club. They offer up late-night club sounds with plenty of musical nouse and worldly nuance that comes as a result of late-night sample mining across the African musical landscape. Their tunes are crafted on nice analogue gear so have that lovely freed edge feel and from the space-house of 'Magic Body' to the swaggering dub of 'Magic Dub' via the cosmic expressiveness of cruising groomer 'Love & Care'. This one gets dubbed out to close a fine dance floor adventure.

Following much love for his EPs, remixes and club sets, the virtuosic DJ/producer Simo Cell’s debut album 'Cuspide des Sirènes' doesn’t disappoint. In fact, it takes things to a whole new level.

With a fantastical menagerie of anthropomorphism, sounds create characters and tools; the mermaid-like Sirens, the mind controlling Octopus and the Magic Conch Shell:

“Have you heard of the legend of 'Cuspide des Sirènes'? This is not a simple tale, but an incredible tapestry woven over many years and through countless wondrous adventures. I will recount the legend as it was recorded in the ancient scrolls.

The album’s story explores the themes of magic, enchantment, charm, and allure, but also personal fears. The protagonist (me) embarks on a quest to find the hidden lake and confront his own demons, in order to understand and master his own power.

The protagonist is armed with a powerful conch shell. As he embarks on his journey, he will encounter Sirens who will teach him various chants. These melodies hold unique powers and grant the main character the strength to confront and overcome any danger that may arise.” Simo Cell

Musically, the LP is a continuation of Simo’s journey that began with the ‘YES.DJ’ EP, with a synthesized/modernized take on noughties hip hop, bass music, trap, ghetto house and ghetto tech – but here he broadens the scope, massively.

Exploring new pathways through magical landscapes, via infused melodies, emo and pop, the sensations are bright and addictive, like a sugar and endorphin cocktail. There’s a screen sheen and video game quality too, sounding like the high-octane score to an action flick from the year 3000, with unimaginably wild SFX.

'Cuspide des Sirènes' is the kind of record to stop someone in their tracks, to ask “what IS this?”, provoking bass face, perplexion, fascination and manic glee, all at once. Not so much organised chaos as intricately-crafted-borderline-unhingement, the album is slightly bonkers, in a very good way. There’s a boundless sense of childlike, unencumbered imagination at play, and an abundance of fun, but there are moments of serious-deep-beat-science for the heads, and introspective passages too.

There’s a lot going on, with detail, layers, flourishes, arrangement, melodies and myriad fresh sounds – but it’s never too much; just a really engrossing listen – the kind that that ruins ones appetite for prosaic, vanilla dance music, rendering such 2D pursuits boring and obsolete.

Ideally, the album is meant to be experienced as a seamless narrative from start to finish, so leave any inhibitions or preconceptions at the door, and let the pied piper of electronic futurism lead you way down the rabbit hole.

K S R introduces this pulsating collection features Lee Holman's EP, showcasing his mastery of the genre. Don't miss the mind-blowing remix by "Kaiser", the label owner. Brace yourself for an exceptional auditory adventure. #KSR011

Having been re-discovered as a groundbreaking slice of proto-grime from 1994, Dylan Beale’s legendary soundtrack for the SNES game Wolverine: Adamantium Rage finally gets the reissue treatment it deserves via Sneaker Social Club.

When the game came out in 1994, Beale’s soundtrack for the SNES edition stood out from the pack for its gritty beats, deceptively weighty low end and edgy orchestra stabs, but few would have guessed how certain tracks would predict the shape of music to come. Around 2016, the ‘Tri-fusion’ track in particular was picked up on by London-based producer Sir Pixalot as a mind-blowing slice of Eski beat coldness. To prove his point, Pixalot ran an acapella from J-Wing over the track and the results spoke for themselves.

While ‘Tri-Fusion’ is a straight-up accidental grime sheller, there’s scores more heat packed away in Beale’s soundtrack for Adamantium Rage. The limitations of the space on the game cart meant Beale had to get creative with the most limited samples. Fortunately his background producing UK hardcore and jungle in Rude & Deadly and Stuck To Your Lips meant he knew his way around the restrictions of an Akai s950. Fuelled by the inspiration of jungle and West Coast rap, he worked on the game soundtrack with a similar spartan attitude, limited to 200kb with which to load up the music engine for the game, samples and all.

Given the importance of minimalism in the effectiveness of soundsystem music, it’s not surprising tracks like ‘Cyber’ and ‘Dark Queen’ pack a punch which could absolutely set a dance off. Watch out for ‘Weapon X Lab’ too - another stand out bomb creating a deadly machine funk out of the tightly clipped bass samples and weird animal groan loops. Alongside the full, original soundtrack, this first issue of Wolverine: Adamantium Rage OST comes with additional tracks never used in the original game which widen out the styles Beale was exploring within the shockingly limited means at his disposal.

“I vividly remember when we first played the soundtrack on a bigger set of speakers to the boss,” Beale recalls, “his initial reaction was one of amazement that we had created something so ‘real’and different in comparison to everything else out there in terms of video game music, which I remember with great pride and fondness. Comparing to everything out there, it was totally unique- a moment in time.”

I Talk To Water, the fifth album for Kompakt by Danish producer Kölsch, is the artist’s most personal statement yet. While all the trademarks that make his music so popular and powerful are still present – lush, melodic techno; swooping, trance-like figures; sensuous, shivery texturology – I Talk To Water is also a deep and intimate rapprochement with family and history, a beautiful, finely detailed document of loss and memory, and a tracing of the long, unbroken thread of grief that runs through our lives once we’ve lost those we loved.

The emotional core of I Talk To Water, then, is a cache of recordings by Kölsch’s father, Patrick Reilly, who passed away in 2003 from brain cancer. With time rendered elastic by the pandemic and its associated lockdowns, its sudden, alienating shifts in everyday living, Kölsch found himself reflecting on his father’s passing and ongoing spiritual presence, thinking about how best to memorialise such a significant figure in his own life. Those recordings opened a gateway, of sorts, for Kölsch to move through – a way to bring past and present together and entwine them in a sensitive, poetic manner.

Kölsch’s father was a musician – “touring in the sixties and seventies, in the Middle East especially, he was doing the whole hippy trail, playing guitar, and wrote some songs over the years,” he recalls. “But all in all, he decided to focus on family rather than pursue a musical career.” Reilly kept playing and writing music over the years, though Kölsch hadn’t listened to the material for some time: “I’d never had the guts to listen to it, because I just felt too fragile listening to his voice. It’s such a tough thing to go through.”

During the pandemic, though, Kölsch listened through the fragmented body of work that his father had produced over the years. “I decided I’m gonna finally release my dad’s music twenty years after his passing,” he reflects. “This whole album is about the process of loss, and for me it’s been one of my main driving forces in my musical life, the whole emotional aspect of whatever I’ve done has been based in that feeling that he’s not there anymore.”

Recordings of Reilly appear on three songs across I Talk To Water. His guitars drift pensively across “Grape”, offering a lush thread of melody that Kölsch wraps with clicking, driftwood rhythms and droning, melancholy bass. “Tell Me” is a lovely three-minute art song, a sadly beautiful reflection, minimally adorned with gentle keys and a muted pulse. And on the closing “It Ends Where It Began”, Kölsch lets his father’s acoustic guitar take centre stage for a lament that’s unexpectedly folksy, a guitar soli dream, which Reilly originally recorded in 1996. “He actually recorded it for my first album that never came out,” Kölsch reveals, “and I had it sitting around forever. That is purely him.”

These three imagined collaborations between father and son are poised and delicate. But their relationship also marks the gorgeous music Kölsch has made across the rest of I Talk To Water, from the itchy yet lush “Pet Sound” (titled in tribute to one of Reilly’s favourite albums), the flickering synths and yearning vocal samples that slide through “Khenpo”, the ecstatic shuddering that marks “Only Get Better”, or “Implant”’s slow-motion pans and subtle reveals.

There’s also the title song, where Kölsch is joined by guest Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction, Porno For Pyros), singing a mantra for internal reflection: “I talk to water / Searching for myself / Looking for answers / Oceans of you.” Farrell’s appearance brings another timbre, another spirit to the album, aligning neatly with his recent interest in electronic music. “He was completely taken by this idea of talking to water,” Kölsch says, thinking about the ways we collectively lean towards the natural world as a comfort and a listener, a guide through mourning, a way to map out the terrain of the heart. This mapping is something that Kölsch has proven remarkably adept at through the years; dance music for both body and mind, but also both for the here-and-now, and for the hereafter.

“I Talk To Water”, das fünfte Album des dänischen Produzenten Kölsch für Kompakt, ist zweifellos das persönlichste Statement des Künstlers bislang. Während alle Markenzeichen, die seine Musik so beliebt und kraftvoll machen, immer noch präsent sind – üppige, melodische Techno-Tracks; schwebende, tranceartige Elemente; sinnliche, fiebrige Texturen – ist “I Talk To Water” auch eine tiefe und intime Annäherung an Familie und Geschichte. Es ist ein wunderschönes, fein ausgearbeitetes Dokument des Verlusts und der Erinnerung, und es verfolgt den langen, ungebrochenen Faden der Trauer, der durch unser Leben läuft, sobald wir diejenigen verloren haben, die wir liebten.

Der emotionale Kern von “I Talk To Water” besteht aus Aufnahmen von Kölschs Vater, Patrick Reilly, der 2003 an Hirnkrebs verstarb. Durch die Pandemie und ihre damit verbundenen Lockdowns, die plötzlichen, entfremdenden Veränderungen im Alltag, fand Kölsch sich in Gedanken an den Tod seines Vaters und seine fortwährende spirituelle Präsenz wieder. Er überlegte, wie er eine so bedeutende Figur in seinem eigenen Leben am besten verewigen könnte. Diese Aufnahmen öffneten ihm sozusagen ein Portal, um Vergangenheit und Gegenwart miteinander zu verbinden und sie auf sensible und poetische Weise zu verweben.

Kölschs Vater war Musiker – “er tourte in den sechziger und siebziger Jahren, vor allem im Nahen Osten, auf dem Hippie Trail, spielte Gitarre und schrieb im Laufe der Jahre einige Songs”, erinnert sich Kölsch. “Aber alles in allem entschied er sich, sich auf die Familie zu konzentrieren, anstatt eine musikalische Karriere zu verfolgen.” Reilly spielte und schrieb jedoch im Laufe der Jahre weiterhin Musik, obwohl Kölsch das Material lange Zeit nicht angehört hatte: “Ich hatte nie den Mut, es anzuhören, weil ich mich einfach zu zerbrechlich fühlte, seine Stimme anzuhören. Es ist so schwer, das durchzustehen.”

Während der Pandemie hörte sich Kölsch jedoch durch das fragmentierte Werk, das sein Vater im Laufe der Jahre produziert hatte. “Ich beschloss, die Musik meines Vaters zwanzig Jahre nach seinem Tod endlich zu veröffentlichen”, reflektiert er. “Dieses ganze Album handelt von dem Verlustprozess, welcher für mich generell eine der Hauptantriebskräfte in meinem musikalischen Leben ist. Der ganze emotionale Aspekt von dem, was ich getan habe, basierte auf dem Gefühl, dass er nicht mehr da ist.”

Auf “I Talk To Water” sind Aufnahmen von Reilly in drei Songs zu hören. Seine Gitarren ziehen nachdenklich durch “Grape”, bieten einen üppigen Melodiefaden, den Kölsch mit klickenden, treibenden Rhythmen und dröhnendem, melancholischem Bass umwickelt. “Tell Me” ist ein schönes dreiminütiges Kunstlied, eine traurig-schöne Reflexion, minimal geschmückt mit sanften Tasten und einem gedämpften Puls. Und auf dem Abschlusstrack “It Ends Where It Began” lässt Kölsch die akustische Gitarre seines Vaters im Mittelpunkt stehen, ein überraschend folkiger Klagegesang, den Reilly ursprünglich 1996 aufgenommen hatte. “Er hat es tatsächlich für mein erstes Album aufgenommen, das nie veröffentlicht wurde”, enthüllt Kölsch, “und ich hatte es ewig liegen.”

Diese drei erdachten Kollaborationen zwischen Vater und Sohn sind ausgewogen und zart. Aber ihre Beziehung prägt auch die wunderschöne Musik, die Kölsch im Rest von “I Talk To Water” geschaffen hat, angefangen bei dem nervösen, aber üppigen “Pet Sound” (benannt als Hommage an eines von Reillys Lieblingsalben), den flimmernden Synthesizern und sehnsüchtigen Vocal-Samples in “Khenpo”, den ekstatischen Erschütterungen in “Only Get Better” oder den langsamen Schwenks und subtilen Enthüllungen in “Implant”.

Es gibt auch den Titelsong, in dem Kölsch von Gast Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction, Porno For Pyros) begleitet wird, der ein Mantra für die innere Reflexion singt: “I talk to water / Searching for myself / Looking for answers / Oceans of you.” Farrells Auftritt bringt eine weitere Klangfarbe, einen weiteren Geist in das Album, der gut zu seinem jüngsten Interesse an elektronischer Musik passt. “Er war völlig fasziniert von der Idee, mit Wasser zu sprechen”, sagt Kölsch und denkt darüber nach, wie wir kollektiv zur Natur als Trost, Zuhörer, Führer durch die Trauer neigen, um die Gelände des Herzens zu kartieren. Diese Kartierung ist etwas, in dem Kölsch im Laufe der Jahre erstaunlich geschickt war; Tanzmusik für Körper und Geist, sowohl für das Hier und Jetzt, als auch für das Leben danach.

Mike Agent X Clark returns to Third Ear with four new tracks. His first release for the label in six years, after the River People Edits. The quality and variety which is typical of many Detroit releases is very evident here. Is it house? Is it techno? Is it disco? These genre-defining labels don't really come into the minds of many Detroit producers when making tracks, the music they create often seamlessly blends many genres. What is recognisably Detroit is the weight and the swing of these releases; they do not mess around, and Mike Clark is a master of this.

Dead Fader is the alter ego of John Cohen - former Brighton resident, now based in Berlin - who has worked relentlessly since 2007 to realise his vision of electronic music. His tracks are characterised by pioneering sound explorations, which on one hand oscillate between sonic extremities and on the other hand carefully craft cinemascope sound worlds. The album became a very personal exploration for Cohen, as the themes are inquiring emotional states, and the writing process was predominantly influenced by falling in love whilst making the album. Furthermore, the film Interstellar visually influenced the album, mapped as an image for Cohen's tracks to exist in. I have watched his talent, his confidence in his ability and his output just grow and grow beyond what most humans are capable of imagining, never mind making. I think that comes from a place of wonder and exploration, a place where emotion, energy and experience are important, the long and narrow, the deaf arena, the blood forest and the glass cathedrals. Dead Fader rips you backwards through the portal as existence explodes around you, but you don't perish in the fire. It's just a ride.' - Barry Pendergast, former partner in Dead Fader T