HHV Exclusives 246 Items

This year’s label-compilation thematically revolves all about the rise up from the generic. It is about young talented artists who are still struggling on their way up and are out there to make a name for themselves.

A wild stallion fights it’s way up from the dirt and tries to receive recognition by separating itself from the herd. Breaking through the anonymity of the group to the freedom of running through endless land- and soundscapes into horizons of new sonic worlds.

The compilation includes IIIII (Five Eyes), KRTS, Sieren, my.head, FiJi, Long Arm, Kidkanevil, Daisuke Tanabe, Hanami, Julien Mier, Deft, submerse, opti, Den5hion, Tom Day, Monsoonsiren, Tendts, Thriftworks, DH the Mythicalifornian, PYUR, Rain Dog, Daixie, FauDeam, Jean du Voyage, Djéla, Pierre Harmegnies, Robot Koch, Robert Valsinger, Blossom, Neema, Tomika, How Green, Drogtech, Bruises, Night Logic, Deep Shoq, Stèv, Cass., Anna Marjamäki, Vitrion, and MockSun.

Find yourself on an interstellar trip away from the solitude and darkness of a wasted and depleted home-world on its final demise. During this journey you will not only move unbelievable distances through space and time but furthermore make unforeseen progress in your inner-mind and deepest parts of your psyche – questioning yourself and your perception on what it is to be real. These questions of self-doubt lead to an identity crisis that ultimately results in the hope of discovering a fantastic new utopian world that can only be reached through an incredible wormhole of a very special kind.
But what does reality mean in this blurry timeless vision?

Project: Mooncircle & Finest Ego have teamed up to establish a fresh new 12” producer series, entitled “Faces”. On every edition, you will find two different producers. Respectively, each producer will have their own record-side and unique cover artwork by the aspiring Bioniq, known for his surrealistic portraits, blending humans and elements of technology.

The fifth edition of our “Faces“ series comes with double the amount of producers as usually. One side we find Greek brothers and production duo Tendts while the other side is shared by the two young artists Daixie and Hanami, from Australia and the UK respectively.

- gnothi seauton | nosce the ipsum –
The oldest masks are more than 9000 years old and have been a part of earliest ritual ceremonies.
A mask disguises our true emotion and can also give the impression of fake feelings or make us appear emotionless. Strangely contrasted like the painted face of a clown, we appear sad and happy simultaneously. Moods and temper change rapidly, while there is nothing visible on the outside. We reflect ourselves in the image of others, project our ambitions and wishes but also fears into them, caring more about our perception by others until we don’t recognize our own image in the mirror anymore, instead of focusing on self-awareness and knowledge of self.

Where is the thin line between the truth and a lie? Do we all wear invisible masks during our everyday life? A story fractured into million pieces of a puzzle, waiting to be put back together.

If you were an idea, would you be a static one? An idea that never changes ?
An idea that tends to become something else ? An idea that becomes an obsession?
An idea can be an object, can be a sentence or just one word.
“Tendts“. What kind of word is that ? Could it be two words merged into one ? Or was it one from the beginning ? Let’s just say that the idea behind the word came up when two people were writing music in a room. In this particular room the only window that had a view of the outside world was always blocked by a rusty, dusty tent. Was this annoying tent worth becoming their artistic totem ? Maybe. But the one thing sure needed was a change. They had to transform the word into something else. They had to add something else. One letter.
Tent. Tend. TENDTS.

Hertfordshire based producer ‘Hanami‘ is set to stir things up in the coming months for the UK electronic music scene.
Now moving away from his days of working in a live electro band, Ryan Newton has decided to embark on an ambitious solo project. A direction that he has been meaning to pursue for some time. Whilst still keeping the use of sampled instruments and drum sequencers he is looking to bring a new lease of life to the increasingly generic sounds the scene continues to produce as the music becomes more popular.

Only 19 years of age and only producing for seven months now, Alex Xie, alias Daixie, is a young producer from Australia with a Chinese and Cambodian background. While drawing influences from many artists, his main inspiration comes from nature and his everyday personal interactions. His music, based heavily on field recordings, is a way of expressing his emotions – something that he has trouble doing in his day to day life. It is his release which allows him to feel more deeply about things he can not express by other means.

Bioniq is an artwork designer, DJ and producer from St. Petersburg in cold Russia and Project: Mooncircle’s special KGB agent. With his drawings he aims to create new horizons on paper and draws inspiration from historic tales, events of the present age but also possibilities the future might hold.

Limited 12” vinyl for serious collectors, DJ’s and record addicts only!

Here we go with the vinyl version of another quality instrumental set by Five Deez' very own Fat Jon, "Repaint Tomorrow", on orange wax.

One of the most popular releases in 2011, “The Mesektet” by London resident fLako gets the reissue treatment this summer, featuring a quantity of exclusive tracks only to be found on the reissue.

‘The Mesektet’, in ancient egyptian mythology, is one of the two solar boats used by the sun god ‘Ra’ to travel through the cycle of night and day and carry the moon across the sky. It is told that he died every dusk, had to fight the dark forces of the underworld and bring light to the dead souls as he passed through – just to be reborn in the morning. Just like the sun god, uprising producer fLako uses ‘The Mesektet’ to end the cycle of darkness and prepare for his own rebirth, marking the end of an era in his style of production and move forward into new musical directions, which he already started to explore on his ‘Mini Toolbooth EP’. This release includes a collection of previously unreleased or only digitally available works from the time up until 2008.

From its opening notes ‘You, Me, Temporary’ announces itself as music from the soul reaching for the soul. The album recounts a modern day love story through the musical eyes of its protagonist, Sweatson Klank. It’s a story of love in the fast lane that touches on the good – innocence, romance, lust, sex – and the bad – drugs, debauchery, loss of self, despair – before closing with the peaceful beauty that comes with total acceptance of what is. ‘You, Me, Temporary’ is Sweatson Klank’s third full-length album in 10 years, and it shows just how extensive the Los Angeles native’s artistic growth has been. The music tight ropes between electronic, hip hop and futuristic R&B, sidestepping obvious boxes while finding its own effortlessly. ‘You, Me, Temporary’ transcends genres, balancing the vulnerable and sensual with the rough and jagged. The album has an emotive and sometimes pressing quality, in direct opposition to today’s disposable music mania. The hypnotic interplay of chords, melodies and rhythms draws you in and is equally effective in headphones as it is on the dancefloor. The warmth of analogue equipment flirts with expert sampling and chops that evoke the playful soul of ‘90s R&B and the heartfelt angst of classic hip hop while remaining forward thinking.

A wide cast of vocal guests help recount the different tales and stages of this story: Vikter Duplaix, Ango, Selfsays, Doc Illingsworth, Deniro Farrar, Anna Wise of Sonny Moon and Pat Parra. Upbeat and energetic songs sit next to hypnotic ballads, the sort most conducive to ‘baby making’ you might even say. The music is often elating, sexy and at times dreamy but also progresses to show melancholy and despondency in the sincerest way. Sometimes playful, sometimes serious the vocal tracks add a human dimension to the story that ‘You, Me, Temporary’ tells, completing its message and taking the album to that proverbial next level.

With this third album Sweatson Klank puts aside self-indulgence for simple honesty and the maturity that only comes with being a seasoned artist. ‘You, Me, Temporary’ tells a timeless story in a compelling way, and while its title hints at the trials and tribulations behind relationships, the overt concept lies in the impermanence of everything around us.

For her new album “Olvido”, although working with Robot Koch and Sneaky again, Graciela Maria kept much more control of the producing part. The result sounds even more organic and acoustic than her debut. The electronic elements are very subtly used and the arrangements sound like a minimal playing but orchestral sounding folk band.

This new album is calmer but more intense, like an intimate whisper in a church or cold water dripping in a cave. Only the song “Last Place” with its snarling bassline reminds of the earlier electronica and dubstep influences. More than the last album, ”Olvido” includes songs with Spanish lyrics, nearly half of the songs are sung in Graciela Maria’s native language, which once more increases the closeness of the songs. “Olvido” is life written in music, music that invites us to listen to the silent moments that pass unnoticed. The lyrics of this album embrace the empty spaces left by losses. It is a requiem to a past that cannot be grasped with words and that Graciela Maria holds with her voice to avoid looking into the abyss. This album is to be heard in solitude, to look inside one´s self and ask: What is it, that we see there? What do we listen to and who are we?

Graciela Maria writes free verses, not looking for exact metrics her voice is floating on piano lines, drifting through organic sounds and gliding on cello strings. She creates an atmosphere of a standstill in time, remembering what has been, listening to the hours gone by. The voice on Olvido should be followed… because it´s an echo of a lost century in which poetry was written to feel life with words and to be able to die every night.

2nd pressing on black vinyl! A child agrees then screams the name. Kid-o-suke. Did you hear that right? The music trickles in. It sounds like it was made in a toy factory. Hold on. Let me reach for the button over there. Childhood memories. The magical sounds of a roundabout sending you to sleep. The wonders of the world seen through eyes that don’t yet ully comprehend and ears that find musical potential in everything. Two kindred souls find each other, distance never the issue, they share and laugh the only way they know how.

In 2011 we saw KRTS breaking free from the boundaries of NYC's five boroughs, releasing his first EP, Hold On, with the Berlin-based label Project: Mooncircle. The five tracks of Hold On represent the organic, heavily emotional and lively style of broken-beat, fusion jazz, boom-bap, and dubstep.

With the end of 2012 comes The Dread Of An Unknown Evil, KRTS's first LP (limited, colored, double vinyl / uv-varnish print cover) for Project: Mooncircle. With bass-culture styles reflecting the darker side of everyday reality, the album explores themes such as fear, apprehension, doubt, angst, and sorrow, with the prevailing dread of an unknown and uncertain future—always there, peering around corners, waiting and watching.

"Your Eyes" features Stevee Wellons — a soulful diva and KRTS's own mother — telling the story of lost loves and abandoned hopes.
"Knuckle Under" is an immediate cinematic ride through the chaotic New York City underground, each bass line like an elbow to the shoulder, spinning you and pushing you down until it all turns black.
"Something New" featuring sibling Jon Hairston on vocals, is a plea to love and the risks involved when we hold hearts back.

The ten tracks of The Dread Of An Unknown Evil form an intimate LP from a musician battling to make it between cities, families, loves, losses, and futures — on to the next chapter.

A child agrees then screams the name. Kid-o-suke. Did you hear that right? The music trickles in. It sounds like it was made in a toy factory. Hold on. Let me reach for the button over there. Childhood memories. The magical sounds of a roundabout sending you to sleep. The wonders of the world seen through eyes that don’t yet fully comprehend and ears that find musical potential in everything. Two kindred souls find each other, distance never the issue, they share and laugh the only way they know how.

The wonderful pixelated world of a video game. Where does reality end and where does the imagination start? Somewhere in the distance an explosion can be heard, or was it a booming bass drum? There are birds singing a crystalline melody. One I heard before, in a dream perhaps. All of a sudden a child exclaims ‘come, let’s go’. Where did he come from? Is he real or another pixelated fragment of imagination?

Yokatta desu. There’s a castle in the sky. Two boys team up to reach it, carried by the power of their dreams. The same dreams that marked their childhood and brought them to be men. If ever there was music worthy of becoming the soundtrack to a Ghibli movie this could be it. There’s a girl asleep on a plastic deer, going around and around. She reminds me of the hand drawn versions of the pixelated heroes of my childhood. I imagine her dreams filled with exciting adventures.

I swear I heard the sounds of Tokyo’s public transport. It told me we’d arrived at Shibuya yet I can’t see the neon bright lights when I look around. Oh well, I’ll just have to imagine them.

It’s an album, so of course it’s real. The music is the result of a desire to create regardless of outcome, for the simple fact that there is a story to tell. People will consume it whichever way they want. Is it this sound or that sound? Does it really matter? Stop for a minute and enjoy the music for what it is. A synthesis of two aesthetics joined not just by a love of music but also a love of the abstract and the childish, the things that remind us we were all young one day and things were simpler. Things like dancing as if no one was looking or making music as if the outcome never mattered.

Kidsuke is a collaborative project between the UK’s Kidkanevil and Japan’s Daisuke Tanabe. Their self-titled debut is released by Project Mooncircle in November 2012 on double colored vinyl LP and digital.

Project: Mooncircle & Finest Ego have teamed up to establish a fresh new 12” producer series, entitled “Faces”. On every edition, you will find two different producers. Respectively, each producer will have their own record-side and unique cover artwork by the aspiring Bioniq, known for his surrealistic portraits, blending humans and technology.

Faces number three will invite the two young producers Sekouia and Rain Dog to share sides on this disc and expose their musical crafts. Coming from Denmark and the UK, respectively, they are with certainty looking forward to long-lasting succesful careers. What they share is a an intrinsic feel for tiny musical details which give their music an intimate feel to keep the listener mesmerized for ages. On this record they experiment with different sounds and tempos to create a dynamic collection of unique compositions that congregate an EP of colourful, low slung and ambient tunes or simply ‘chocolatefudgebrownieplasticmusic‘.

Born in Düsseldorf, Germany and grown up in Detroit, Sekuoia is a project by the 19-year old danish producer Patrick Alexander Bech Madsen. His music, based on guitar melodies, deep bass, organic beats, and chopped and screwed vocal samples, is a take on various genres and he is best described as an experimental electronica producer. His debut EP “Trips“ was released in December last year.

Having originally studied as an artist, newcomer Rain Dog has spent the last couple of years experimenting with production software, building speakers, composing music for indie shorts and making beats out of various small bedrooms scattered across the north of England. Recently he has settled in London and with a release on Echodub‘s imprint, Cut and a track featured on Project: Mooncirlce‘s 10th anniversary box LP, he continues to develop his lowslung melodic compositions.

With over ten years’ experience in the music game, including three full length albums and a slew of EPs, Sweatson Klank – formerly known as Take – is one of L.A’s longest standing producers working at the periphery of hip hop and electronic music, a man who had a direct hand in shaping L.A’s beat scene in the 00s through the Sketchbook night alongside Kutmah. Whether or not you’ve heard his music before you’ll n have felt the impact of his work. After a two-year hiatus Sweatson Klank returns with the Elevate Me EP on Project Mooncircle, five tracks that further cement him as one of the nicest and most articulate producers in the game today. Elevate Me is both a departure from Sweatson’s previous output and a continuation of what has made him a unique voice in L.A’s thriving instrumental hip hop and electronic scene.

From the opener Always You the bar is set high with music that could only come from someone with musical savoir faire born of experience and hard work. The music is intricate and playful, the rhythms are hard to resist and the melodies perfectly match the uplifting mood, qualities that are carried throughout the EP.

Own almost feels like a band is playing yet it’s all coming from one man’s mind. The track references both Sweatson’s hip hop lineage and a deep understanding of the emotional potentials of electronic dance music. The tempo might surprise you at first but once you let the music take you in you’ll be pressing play again in no time.

I Can’t Explain is an ode to Sweatson’s love of hip hop, of the beat. The crunchy breaks will make your head nod before you’ve even realised it while the melodies and samples evoke images of sunny, lazy L.A days.

All of these ideas are further explored on My Love Is Here where certain tropes of popular dance music are put to use in a way that is rarely heard today. Instead of being the all-consuming focus of the song, the bass is used to reinforce the rhythmic foundations and combined with a beautifully emotive vocal sample that can seem jarring at first yet makes perfect sense. There is a subtlety to the music that really shines through on repeated listens.

In Between closes proceedings, winding things down with a smoother mood that’s still full of musical intricacies. Combining melancholic vocal samples with uplifting melodies and intricate rhythms, Sweatson manages to push through emotions that seem to burst out of the music, rendering any discussion of genre or style irrelevant.

Elevate Me is genuine, honest music born of emotions and offered to the listener with no disguise. It’s subtle and beautiful and it lets Sweatson Klank’s experience shine through in a way that will no doubt appeal to both old and new listeners. Jump aboard and let yourself be taken on a ride.

12" EP clear vinyl - Limited edition

Danish electronic artist Rumpistol, aka Jens B. Christiansen, releases his fourth and most ambitious album yet – Floating – a collaboration with LA based vocalist Red Baron that further explores the post dub-step vocal territories opened up on last year’s Talk To You EP. With tighter song structures, intimate lyrics and the Baron’s ecstatic vocal projections, the two create a parallel world in which the domestic breakdowns of wintry Copenhagen are filtered through surreal sun-bleached Californian dreams, resulting in a robotic and hypnagogic hybrid of soul.
The sound, while still recognizably “Rumpistol” in its organically unstable clicks and gurgles, marks an evolution in Christiansen’s thinking, shedding light on the interior landscapes of existential crisis and bliss that he’s been essaying over the last ten years.

The introduction of Red Baron does a great deal to carry this forward. Many of the tracks were written in partnership with the elusive vocalist on an almost subconscious level, through a process where different phrases were recorded until the atmosphere was properly expressed. It’s through the Baron’s heavily processed voice, hovering between male and female timbres, that the ghost of American pop culture finds itself here too. In this way Grace Jones stands tall in a frozen stream on I’m Not Listening, Lionel Richie gets stuck in traffic on a bad trip in Colors Breaking while Kanye pushes his auto-tuned bicycle through the blizzard of Floating. But as the arctic arpeggiated synths let you know, the album is more about the future than any past, a future where Rumpistol and Red Baron dare to take current genres from the post dub-step and wonky scenes and defy them with the human voice for a dystopic soul music of their own.

Project: Mooncircle, as the name reveals, has been on a journey to the moon since day one, exploring the frontiers of music and art, always looking for new discoveries and giving a different perspective to look at the earth. In it’s 10 year history the label has published roughly 100 releases by equally as many artists from all corners of this globe and, therefore, the selection of sounds on this compilation represents the development of the label from the past, present and going into the future.

Some of the artists featured on this compilation have been a part of the label from its very beginning, like CYNE, Manuvers and Jahbitat, whose song will be the last one he produced and published under this moniker, while others, like Robot Koch, fLako and Long Arm, are outstanding examples of its growing popularity and success. Furthermore, the box also features an exceptional selection of close musical friends and inspirational artists like Jehst, Dday One, Kwala and Ichiro_, just to name a few.

The logo and artwork represent someone who was very close to the label, especially in the early years but unfortunately passed on and whom this box is dedicated to. Featured on the compilation are artists such as Mike Slott x Diane Badié, CYNE, Sweatson Klank aka Take, Jahbitat, Robot Koch, fLako, Jehst, Beat Butcha, Long Arm, Kelpe, Pavel Dovgal, Blossom, Daisuke Tanabe, Dday One, Inner Science, Substantial, Arts The Beatdoctor, Rain Dog, Kidkanevil + Microkorg by Dorian Concept, John Robinson, Sorrow, Rumpistol, The Red Baron, Christoph El’ Truento, 40 Winks, Sina., 1000Names, DZA, Ichiro_, EAN, Tom Dicicco, Headshotboyz, Graciela Maria, Gards From KC, Sekuoia of Kilimanjaro, Sense of The Q4, Sneaky, I.V.A., Empt, John LaMonica, Mike Gao, Bambooman, Manuvers, Krts, Kwala, Soosh, Memotone, Sun Glitters, Called Understandable Souls & Szenario.
The limited box includes 2 white & 2 black vinyl LP’s with 32 tracks, 13 additional digital bonus tracks, a T-shirt (only at HHV) and a poster (with digital download code) all in a specially designed box that features a special light-reflecting varnish, which makes this truly a collectors and music lovers item.

Berlin-based label Project: Mooncircle and it’s two sublabels Project Squared and Finest Ego is an official label from HHV. It was founded in 2002 and is specializing in the conjunction between electronic and organic music. The label, at first envisaged as a compilation project only, soon released the first instrumental and vocal solo releases by such artists as The Q4, CYNE, Mr Cooper, Robot Koch, fLako, 40 Winks, John Robinson & MF Doom, DZA, Krts, Sina., Graciela Maria, Manuvers, Lambent, Lewis Parker, Non of Shadowhuntaz, Strand, Ta-Ku, Mika Gao, Onra, Obba Supa, Asusu, Furesshu, AnD. Kowton or Glen Porter. The work of illustrators and graphic designers such as Bioniq, Dan May, Iain McArthur, Ima One, LNY, Gordon, 44 Flavours, La Mano Fria, and The Binh create images that accompany the acoustic spaces.
Project: Mooncircle with its various producers & vocalist shall be an interesting experience for anyone looking for the extraordinary.

A&R: Laurent Fintoni, Jinna Morocha, Karolina Kaczor, Gordon Gieseking and Malte Tarnow. Mastering by Sven Friederichs. Artwork and original paintings by Gordon, LNY & Bioniq. Webdesign 2006 – 2012 by Thimo Hörster & Hendrik Stein. Animation trailer by Sebastian Muñoz.

Release date: March, 23rd.

10th Anniversary Showcase with Mike Slott, Robot Koch, fLako, Long Arm, Jehst, Arts The Beatdoctor, Sekuoia of Kilimanjaro, & Graciela Maria @ Club Gretchen in Berlin, Kreuzberg – March, 17th!

Project: Mooncircle & Finest Ego have teamed up to establish a fresh new 12” producer series, entitled “Faces”. On every edition, you will find two different producers. Respectively, each producer will have their own record-side and unique cover artwork by the aspring LNY, known for his surrealistic portraits, blending humans and animals.

Going to be released upcoming February, the second edition of our “Faces“ series will exhibit works by the two extraordinary producers Daisuke Tanabe and Mike Gao. Again, coming from very distinct biographical backgrounds – despite their obvious Asian descent – the two are connected through their artistic excellence and uncompromising musical creations and visions. In symbiosis with these nocturnal flying mammals they use their ultra-precise sonic waves to navigate imperturbably through dark nights, leaving their prey with no chance of escape.

Limited 12” vinyl for serious collectors, DJ’s and record addicts only!

Mike Gao is a music technology researcher, holds a Masters degree in Music Technology at Stanford and is pursuing his PhD in Electrical Engineering at UCSD. After a career as underground Hip Hop and Scratch DJ in Chicago (working with such names as Qwel, Mestizo and Luckyiam) he began partaking and winning in numerous beat battles, Low End Theory being the most prominent one, which makes him one of the best kept secrets in the Los Angeles beat scene. He released music on labels such as All City with Tokimonsta, Galapagos4, Project: Mooncircle and many more…

Tokyo resident Daisuke Tanabe, a former art student who also lived in London for a while, developed from his techno/breakbeat background into a very unique sound between Hip Hop, Electronica, Folk and Jazz. He released music on labels such as Ninja Tune, BBE, Project: Mooncircle and Brownswood Recordings, performed with Zero DB and remixed artists like Elan Mehler and Aaron Jerome.

LNY is an artist living and working between New Jersey and New York. He makes art that is drawing based, social and open to the public in general; hence his drawings can be found pasted on buildings all over the world as well as in galleries and on 16-year-old kids’ tumblrs all over the internet. He is one half of Doodledrag, a New Jersey based doodling collective and always welcomes collaboration.

Limited edition of 300!

The Invisible Architect is the third full-length album by like minded production duo and long-term friends 1000 Names. Unlike their previous releases, which focused more on technology and machinery, they drew their inspiration for this album from the unconscious moments that just happen during live shows or studio improvisations, those happy accidents when the music emerges out of the chaos with no traceable origin. In these unconscious moments, it seems, the invisible architect – a mysterious natural power – creates this untouched and raw music, almost like the geological formation of rocks in a mountain or the trees in a forest are formed by the fundamental forces of nature.
In their own words: “It’s a mystery where the music comes from and why it sounds the way it does. We look for the answer in the garden of the invisible architect – and try just to be…“

“From Love To Dust“ is a two side EP of Barry Gordon, Ireland / UK based producer. He grew up listening to classic rock like Led Zeppelin & Rolling Stones and played in several bands. Barry fell in love with hip-hop after hearing Wu – Tang Clan for the first time, and started making music as Sina. in 2009. He owns and plays many different music instruments and has got a wide range of music influences, anything from blues and folk, to ambient and hip – hop.
The 6 track EP, set to drop in November, bleeds creativity, with influences from all aspects of music being incorporated in the works of Sina. He lets you submerge, full body, into impeccably produced, brittle clean sound with amazing groove control, touching and emotional. Thus, From Love To Dust never bores and features remixes of Switzerland rising star producer Gards From KC, UK beat smith Kelpe, and UK-based producer Soosh, who has had a collab with Gards From KC for Project: Mooncircle earlier this year.
Sina.:
“I suppose the tune “From Love To Dust” (a play on the funeral phrase “From Dust To Dust”) is about the idea of human love as eternal, or at least as continuing to have a life when we are gone- through family, friends, art & music. “Remembrance” is a wistful song about the rare personal moments when we realise the beauty of the world and our life in it, and of the importance of remembering those moments when things seem darkest.“

Special uv varnish artwork print. Limited edition: 300 copies.

HHV exclusive for the "Berlin Record Store Day 2011"" November, 5th at our SelectedStore!

‘Carving Away The Clay‘ impresses upon the idea of an ongoing process in which raw material is stripped off of anything superfluous or impeding until the essential parts of ourselves are exposed. It is a never ending process of striving for perfection in all areas of life.

HHV exclusive for the "Berlin Record Store Day 2011"" November, 5th at our SelectedStore!

Berlin producer Robot Koch is back for his third full length release, “The Other Side”.

Although Robot Koch has an international reputation as being “One of Europe's finest producers of the beat generation“ (Low End Theory), he is much more than just a beatmaker… “(Post)-dubstep infused Electronic Hip Hop“ is far too constrained a label to understand what this producer is all about. Instead of following the sound of his previous albums “Death Star Droid” (“Essential listening” – Bobby Friction BBC) and “Songs For Trees and Cyborgs“ (“Music for a modern age that has rarely sounded so good” – Boomkat), Koch takes the genre defying ingredients from these previous records to another level. There still are some of those “Galactic ten ton beats and space age melodies“ (Dazed and Confused) that made the previous albums staple drops in the playlists of Mary Anne Hobbs, Starkey, Daedelus and Gaslamp Killer to name a few, but there is a new dimension to Koch's production and songwriting that didn’t show on his previous records.

The cinematic vibe of tracks like “Nitesky”, the quirky and moody feel of “Bugs” and the electricity of “Tapedeck” show how Koch more than ever manages to create intimate and timeless pieces of music that are soulful, deep, mysterious and that will appeal to fans of cutting edge Electronica and modern pop music alike. This is the most personal record of Robot Koch to date. Instead of going for big name features Koch teamed up with lesser know artists like Kansas based vocal talent John LaMonica, long time friend and theatre composer Nielson and mexican singer/songwriter Graciela Maria to find the right voices for his compositions. John LaMonica infuses his whimsical and heartfelt melodies that breathe an air of darkness and nostalgia with Koch's fresh and forward thinking instrumentals to create something that fans of Radiohead, The XX and Jamie Lidell should not sleep on.

After the release of the John Robinson collaboration album (“Robot Robinson” – Project Mooncircle) earlier this year, it seems surprising how extensive Robert’s output is, but don’t be mistaken, this album is a longer term project than just releasing the songs Koch made in the last year. Some of the songs found on “The Other Side” were made seven years ago.

Berlin producer Robot Koch is back for his third full length release, “The Other Side”.

Although Robot Koch has an international reputation as being “One of Europe's finest producers of the beat generation“ (Low End Theory), he is much more than just a beatmaker… “(Post)-dubstep infused Electronic Hip Hop“ is far too constrained a label to understand what this producer is all about. Instead of following the sound of his previous albums “Death Star Droid” (“Essential listening” – Bobby Friction BBC) and “Songs For Trees and Cyborgs“ (“Music for a modern age that has rarely sounded so good” – Boomkat), Koch takes the genre defying ingredients from these previous records to another level. There still are some of those “Galactic ten ton beats and space age melodies“ (Dazed and Confused) that made the previous albums staple drops in the playlists of Mary Anne Hobbs, Starkey, Daedelus and Gaslamp Killer to name a few, but there is a new dimension to Koch's production and songwriting that didn’t show on his previous records.

The cinematic vibe of tracks like “Nitesky”, the quirky and moody feel of “Bugs” and the electricity of “Tapedeck” show how Koch more than ever manages to create intimate and timeless pieces of music that are soulful, deep, mysterious and that will appeal to fans of cutting edge Electronica and modern pop music alike. This is the most personal record of Robot Koch to date. Instead of going for big name features Koch teamed up with lesser know artists like Kansas based vocal talent John LaMonica, long time friend and theatre composer Nielson and mexican singer/songwriter Graciela Maria to find the right voices for his compositions. John LaMonica infuses his whimsical and heartfelt melodies that breathe an air of darkness and nostalgia with Koch's fresh and forward thinking instrumentals to create something that fans of Radiohead, The XX and Jamie Lidell should not sleep on.

After the release of the John Robinson collaboration album (“Robot Robinson” – Project Mooncircle) earlier this year, it seems surprising how extensive Robert’s output is, but don’t be mistaken, this album is a longer term project than just releasing the songs Koch made in the last year. Some of the songs found on “The Other Side” were made seven years ago.

"I would never fallen in love with the spring, if I wouldn't know the autumn. I would never leave my home, if I wouldn't feel how dear it is to me. The world is full of contrasts. Every day is full of conflicting emotions and events. And all of these leaves an imprint, and leads to the world formation in my mind. World - where dreams meet reality, and where the white can't exist without the black." - Long Arm

Recorded, mixed and arranged by Long Arm | Georgy Kotunov in Orenburg, RUSSIA. Remix versions by Krts, Daisuke Tanabe, FiJi, Eugenia Peters. Vocals by Graciela Maria, Teknical Development & Tinavie.

Project: Mooncircle & Finest Ego have teamed up to establish a fresh new 12” producer series, entitled “Faces”. On every edition, you will find two different producers. Respectively, each producer will have their own record-side and unique cover artwork by the aspring LNY, known for his surrealistic portraits, blending humans and animals.
The very first installment of the “Faces” series will feature the two prolific beathsmiths Pavel Dovgal & Ta-Ku. Coming from backgrounds which could not possibly be any more different – Ta-Ku has Philippine roots and grew up in Australia while Pavel was born in Russia and moved to Ukraine at young age – these two artists share a common connection through their relentless work-ethic and individualistic creative approach to making music. They have been fighting for international recognition with their extravagant beats, just like the Megasoma & Hercules beetles fight for female recognition with their extravagant horns.

Limited edition of 300 copies.

Sasha Kholenko is DZA, a Russian beat-maker and producer at the forefront of the scene in Russia and quickly invading the rest of the world with his unique electronic hip-hop creations. At the beginning of 2010, Jus Like Music made contact with DZA and then met with him at the Red Bull Music Academy in London where he was a participant. DZA submitted his track, Shifty, to the Oscillations compilation released last year by Jus Like Music Records. Since then, DZA has gone on to create releases for Error Broadcast and Black Acre Records, but now he is back with his Supershark EP.
A joint release between Jus Like Music Records and Project Mooncircle, the Supershark EP, is a hectic array of electronic mayhem with synths, bleeps and heavy beats. This release stands apart from the crowd with its exceptional layering of anarchic sounds over strong, unwavering, hip-hop-influenced beats and breaks. DZA’s ability to weave electronic sounds to create atmosphere and feeling is nothing short of astounding. 16 minutes of pure inspiration that will make even the most seasoned heads look up and take note.

Limited white vinyl!

‘The Mesektet’, in ancient egyptian mythology, is one of the two solar boats used by the sun god ‘Ra’ to travel through the cycle of night and day and carry the moon across the sky. It is told that he died every dusk, had to fight the dark forces of the underworld and bring light to the dead souls as he passed through – just to be reborn in the morning. Just like the sun god, uprising producer fLako uses ‘The Mesektet’ to end the cycle of darkness and prepare for his own rebirth, marking the end of an era in his style of production and move forward into new musical directions, which he already started to explore on his ‘Mini Tollbooth EP’. This release includes a collection of previously unreleased or only digitally available works from the time up until 2008.
The artwork design was created by surrealistic painter Dan May, known for his hairy fantasy creatures possesing humanlike features.

Join 40 Winks on a road trip to anywhere. Bring your music player and tell your honey you won’t be home for dinner. It’s the trip, not the destination.“
About 40 Winks:
No hay banda! (“there is no band”, Mulholland Dr. 2001) pretty much sums up where 40 Winks aims to go with its instrumental hip hop: meticulously chop and paste samples together, to create an atmosphere of beats and vibes which steps beyond unimaginative loops. 40 Winks hit the scene in 2002, with a whole slew of laidback beats. Eager to share their sound with the world, they released a couple of albums independently. The attention they got from this, allowed them to build with people from around the world. One of these independently released albums, More Than Loops, got reissued in Japan on Swamp Records, after that the ball kept rolling. On their first worldwide release, Extended Pleasure on Escapism Records (2005), they reached listeners well beyond the (instrumental) hip hop community with the song “Melancholia”. After appearances on compilations, like Weapons Of Hope on Little-D (2006), they got a chance to do their thing on the renowned label, Merck Records with Sound Puzzle (2007). All this led them back to Europe, where the German based Project: Mooncircle welcomed them with a spot on the compilation Heart On The Right Spot (2007) and a full album The Lucid Effect (2008). In 2009 they took some time off, doing solo stuff and remixes. In 2011 40 Winks is back with a double LP called It’s The Trip (2011) on Project: Mooncircle.
Artwork By Afreux.

From a laments perspective you can call this Jahcoozi’s Robot Koch meets Scienz of Life’s John Robinson. However we here at Project: Mooncircle like to see this as two dynamic forces of nature coming together in parallel universes, delivering cosmic opted sonics with science-fiction narrative conventions in a metaphysical tone. Robot Robinson is the FUTURE from Earth to Mars to Venus to Jupiter and Beyond, this project spells out the attempts to bring a different pitch of vocals to the world of Electronic Music. Robinson being no stranger to the scientifical lyrical approach along with Robot’s evolutionary voyage prone soundscapes this one is a sure shot! The Future of Music is in Good Hands.
All tracks produced by Robot Koch. All lyrics by John Robinson.
Artwork and original paintings by Ima One (Japan). Design by Gordon Gieseking.

From a laments perspective you can call this Jahcoozi’s Robot Koch meets Scienz of Life’s John Robinson. However we here at Project: Mooncircle like to see this as two dynamic forces of nature coming together in parallel universes, delivering cosmic opted sonics with science-fiction narrative conventions in a metaphysical tone. Robot Robinson is the FUTURE from Earth to Mars to Venus to Jupiter and Beyond, this project spells out the attempts to bring a different pitch of vocals to the world of Electronic Music. Robinson being no stranger to the scientifical lyrical approach along with Robot’s evolutionary voyage prone soundscapes this one is a sure shot! The Future of Music is in Good Hands.
All tracks produced by Robot Koch. All lyrics by John Robinson.
Artwork and original paintings by Ima One (Japan). Design by Gordon Gieseking.

‘Mini Tollbooth’ is inspired by a novel called Phantom Tollbooth. The film adaptation from 1961 is so beautiful. I like to get lost in these childish worlds of freedom, where everything is possible. This modern fairy tale is about a young boy named Milo who is bored by the world around him. He feels everything is a waste of time. He comes home from school one day to find in his bedroom an anonymous package containing a miniature tollbooth and a map of the Lands Beyond. He takes the map, drives through in his toy car, and instantly finds himself driving on a road to Expectations. Enjoying the ride, he pays no attention to his route and soon becomes lost in the Doldrums, a colorless place where thinking and laughing are not allowed. He is having plenty more adventures like watching Chroma the Great conduct his orchestra in playing the colors of the
sunset or meeting The Awful Dynne, a genie who collects noises for Dr. Dischord. – fLako

All Songs produced by fLako.
All Vocals by Dirg Gerner.
Except Vocals by Shuanise.
Art Design by Iain Macarthur.

After last year's release of his debut full length album entitled “Death Star Droid” Berlin stromtrooper Robot Koch kept himself hella busy. In 2010 alone he dropped the new Jahcoozi album “Barefoot Wanderer” on BPitch, released his EP “Listen To Them Fade“ on Project:Mooncircle, did a bunch of remixes and productions for both major and indie artsits and played stunnig live shows everywhere from Low End Theory in LA to the Sonar Festival in Barcelona.

And now he's back to do some serious damage with his 2nd LP “Songs for Trees and Cyborgs”.

The album shows Robot’s versatility as a producer – it mixes and blends fresh, forward thinking electronic beats with heartfelt melodies and organic live instumentation.

On choice tracks Mr. Koch teams up with the likes of Boxcutter (Planet Mu), 1000 Names (Black Acre), Doshy (Robox Neotech), RQM (Baby Sumo) and Graciela Maria (Project Mooncircle) to present the point where dubstep, hip-hop and its myriad of influences fuse into a kaleidoscopic collage of sounds.

Artwork by 44 Flavours.

After last year's release of his debut full length album entitled “Death Star Droid” Berlin stromtrooper Robot Koch kept himself hella busy. In 2010 alone he dropped the new Jahcoozi album “Barefoot Wanderer” on BPitch, released his EP “Listen To Them Fade“ on Project:Mooncircle, did a bunch of remixes and productions for both major and indie artsits and played stunnig live shows everywhere from Low End Theory in LA to the Sonar Festival in Barcelona.

And now he's back to do some serious damage with his 2nd LP “Songs for Trees and Cyborgs”.

The album shows Robot’s versatility as a producer – it mixes and blends fresh, forward thinking electronic beats with heartfelt melodies and organic live instumentation.

On choice tracks Mr. Koch teams up with the likes of Boxcutter (Planet Mu), 1000 Names (Black Acre), Doshy (Robox Neotech), RQM (Baby Sumo) and Graciela Maria (Project Mooncircle) to present the point where dubstep, hip-hop and its myriad of influences fuse into a kaleidoscopic collage of sounds.

Artwork by 44 Flavours.

This is a story about a young Russian girl named Jinna Morocha who had a vision of one day flying to the Moon.
Many years ago during the hard times of life in Moscow, the young girl saw the Moon consciously for the first time and at that very moment the dream began. These vivid thoughts remained in her mind and she started to ask herself “How can I get to the Moon?“. Soon she found the label Project: Mooncircle over the internet and told them her story, at once she saw a chance to come a few steps closer to her dream. By now Jinna lived in Germany and it was possible for her and the label to meet, her key question was “Can you bring me to the Moon?“. The answer was a faltering “No, but maybe we can let you fly to the Moon in your mind. Let’s build the soundtrack to this vision, close your eyes, clear your thoughts and let us begin on your journey“.

That was the beginning of “The Moon Comes Closer“, come embark upon this voyage with us lead by the next level soundscapes of:

Robot Koch, fLako, Pavel Dovgal, I.D. 4 Windz, John Robinson, Lambent, 813, Nienvox, Juj, Mr Cooper, MyOwn, Long Arm, Daisuke Tanabe, Graciela Maria, Scienz Of Life, Andy Kayes, Abnormal, Capella, Comfort Fit, Kansano, Gards From KC, Puzzle, Sense of The Q4, Sotu The Traveller, V. Raeter, Himuro Yoshiteru, Skyence, Dexter, Portformat, 40 Winks, Dela, Brazzaville & Killing Skills.

This is a story about a young Russian girl named Jinna Morocha who had a vision of one day flying to the Moon.
Many years ago during the hard times of life in Moscow, the young girl saw the Moon consciously for the first time and at that very moment the dream began. These vivid thoughts remained in her mind and she started to ask herself “How can I get to the Moon?“. Soon she found the label Project: Mooncircle over the internet and told them her story, at once she saw a chance to come a few steps closer to her dream. By now Jinna lived in Germany and it was possible for her and the label to meet, her key question was “Can you bring me to the Moon?“. The answer was a faltering “No, but maybe we can let you fly to the Moon in your mind. Let’s build the soundtrack to this vision, close your eyes, clear your thoughts and let us begin on your journey“.

That was the beginning of “The Moon Comes Closer“, come embark upon this voyage with us lead by the next level soundscapes of:

Robot Koch, fLako, Pavel Dovgal, I.D. 4 Windz, John Robinson, Lambent, 813, Nienvox, Juj, Mr Cooper, MyOwn, Long Arm, Daisuke Tanabe, Graciela Maria, Scienz Of Life, Andy Kayes, Abnormal, Capella, Comfort Fit, Kansano, Gards From KC, Puzzle, Sense of The Q4, Sotu The Traveller, V. Raeter, Himuro Yoshiteru, Skyence, Dexter, Portformat, 40 Winks, Dela, Brazzaville & Killing Skills.

Numaads sounds different, looks different and thinks different.

Esperanzah is like a siren calling the listeners to her as she floats on the ocean of sound, created by her long time friend and musical partner Sense (of The Q4 and Shahmen). Her smooth earthy rap voice and angelic singing are carried beautifully by the strong drums and atmospheric vibes, and speaks to us of realignment with nature, with our roots and with ourselves.

Sense skillfully combines original use of sampling, interweaved with organic instrumentation, to sculpt a sound that carries an almost mystical atmosphere. He is a craftsman who has been perfecting his art for many years and is now coming forth in to the light.

The record features four original songs and two remixes of the title song Now, by renowned producers Robot Koch and J Rawls.

After last year's release “Death Star Droid” Berlin stromtrooper Robot Koch kept himself busy. He finished off the new Jahcoozi album “Barefoot Wanderer” which is coming out on BPitch this spring. Coinciding with the release of his “Death Star Droid Remix EP” (incl fresh mixes by Loops Haunt, Blue Daisy etc). Robot Koch was on tour in the USA and Mexico, stopping by in LA for a stunning gig at Low End Theory and finally settled down for 2 months in Mexcio City, where he found time to work on new material with his girlfriend and singer Grace . Visiting some ancient Maya and Atztec sites and Pyramids sure added to the spaced out magic of the new EP. The new material is dark, percussive and surreal. Like an audible painting my leonora carrington. Its dubby but not dubstep, rather next step maybe. The songs are heavy and dripping with analog and organic sounds…. Lo Fi field recording mashed up with heavy bass and unquantized grooves. Live sounds like guitars work like samples. Vocal talent Grace, that was already featured on the Death Star Droid album and the last EP brings in a dark and yet soulful gospel vibe over Koch’s twisted beat concoctions. This EP is only a taster of the new album that should be ready to drop in october on Project: Mooncircle. In the meantime Koch will keep himself busy with playing shows (with Dorian Concept, Stagga, Darkstar, Boxcutter) and festivals including a live show appearance at this year's Sonar Festival.

The Q4 is a Dutch production trio consisting of sampling specialists Sense, Arts the Beatdoctor and STW. Although their collage of sounds covers bits of many genres, it is generally perceived as hip-hop or trip-hop. Numerous of obscure records are worked into every song with the greatest of care, often accompanied by live instrumentation or scratches giving their music an organic feel.

The Q4’s name refers to the quadraphonic sound systems that where used in the seventies, as one of the earlier forms of surround sound installations. Hence the title: Sound Surroundings for their critically acclaimed debut that was released on the 22nd of January 2010 through Project: Mooncircle. Aside from instrumental songs the album also features a number of guest vocalists, ranging from rappers to flamenco and blues singers.

Their upcoming release Darker Days however will be fully instrumental and features four original new tracks and two remixes. The 12 Inch comes with a promotional cassette (yes, a cassette!) on which another new TheQ4 song can be found, as well as an introduction to Shahmen, one of Sense’s solo projects which will be released in April/September through Project: Mooncircle.

Out of the Netherlands now comes forth a new generation of Dutch Masters: The QuadraphoniQuartet.

This is the clear vinyl edition plus an autographed art print, exclusively available at HHV, limited to 100 copies!