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Partout returns to its UK series with « Two Minutes To Midnight », a strong ravey house / breaks EP by Bufobufo.

2024 gets underway, Oath are thrilled to share the imprint’s latest long play, which comes courtesy of rising star Moonee – and you better believe its a solid gold stunner…

Francois Lefevre, the producer behind the Moonee name – alongside his group projects Twice Movement and Simple Request (with French House royalty Tour-Maubourg) – really optimizes all that is bold and beautiful about the House genre. The release of ‘Wabi Sabi’ on Groovence in 2022, then ‘Primal Groove’ on Slothboogie last year, has already helped Lefevre craft a significant space for himself under the Moonee name. His sound is one of tremendous melodic feel, with a plethora of rhythmic patterns and atmospheres being utilised to help create a bountiful sonic universe. His attention to how the groove unravels and how progression can be used softly but subtly really comes over strong, immersing the listener in a very warm place indeed. As beginnings to discographies go, this start is immensely strong, and one which provides a rock solid basis for all sorts of excellence to come forth.

‘Sandquest’ provides the next step in the journey for Moonee, and as LPs go it contains the same kind of depth as his first two EPs, but on display is a kind of magic that producers really harness on long plays. The record is encapsulated in the fundamentals of house, but to say that it sticks to a singular formula would be to do it a massive disservice – Moonee leaves nothing unturned when it comes to serving up the goods. Broken Beat and skippin’ rhythms play a big part in breaking up the uptempo numbers, as as a balancing act its handled very well indeed. The melodic usage is expertly handled on all tracks, and when breaking down the record you can feel that the journey from track to track has been considered superbly – be it in the club or at home.

‘Ouzo’ kicks the album off, and this number helps the listener land with two feet in the experience. The broken drums are spacious, allowing for all manner of wondrous melodic lines to drift in and out of view – delicately poised, numerous and effective, everything you could wish for from an opener. ‘Balagne’ then lands, and this one moves into familiar territories as we sweep through into a beautiful house cut, with the drums ringing true alongside some inspired key work. ‘Light on Earth’ keeps the vibes going on strong, with an expressive opening salvo opening up into a similar atmosphere that grows and grows, sweeping across the horizon line with delight. ‘Black Roses’ is next, and this one presents a warped yet beguiling shift through an intriguing atmosphere – drifting along, not a care in the world, glorious.

‘Arcadie’ then lands, and this one speaks softly but beautifully. The drums cast a long shadow, swinging along with plenty of room for the glorious keys to come into view, and its a track you will want to dip your head into time and time again. The title track then arrives, which immediately places the listener in a fast paced, emotive soundscape, one which bubbles along the top ends and gives such feels, no matter what context. ‘Evening World’ perfectly captures the feeling of that late evening early morning sway, with deep set drums being served under a gorgeous repeating chordal arrangement. To wrap the experience up, we have ‘Abundance’, and this track is 7 minutes of acid-y, grooving excellence – a perfect ender to a truly wicked album.

Two EPs down, and now this fantastic long play. Moonee really flexed his style and craft on this record, one which constantly delighted at every turn, providing an enriching spectrum of sounds that stick true to his production technique and to his craft. Not for one second do you stand still, but merely carried along on a wave of melodic euphoria, simply pleased to be along for the ride. The dips from heavy hitting though to softly spoken at handled so well, and as a result we are left with a pretty damn good way to enter in 2024. Winter has arrived, but warm your heart with this stunner.

Zodiac Childs present their debut album “Atoms To Atoms” on Zodiac Wax across three pieces of vinyl in a full and vivid expression of the pair’s passion for classic breaks and the UK’s hardcore legacy. Zodiac Childs have been cultish in their release schedule previously - releasing sell out vinyl on their label Zodiac Wax which aims to work within the standards of rave culture’s key fixtures - records that are made to be played loud in the dance. ‘This album is a proper snapshot into the mind of Zodiac Childs & the foundation of what’s to come. It’s all about a genuine vibe, a feeling, a love for playing with energy & emotion. A rich tapestry of sound, not being confined to a specific genre & a constant obsession with analogue synths & hardware reverbs’ - Zodiac Childs Released on triple vinyl, cut by Simon Davey at The Exchange with a precision-perfect tri-fold sleeve designed by Ben Rix - the release has been executed in the most sonically and dynamic process as possible in a highly elegant package. In addition to presenting 8 new original tracks, 4 of ZC’s best received previously released works that have been remastered for the album - Goblin, Circuits, O to the M and Basic Process. The album is designed to move the listener through the moods and feelings of a full night of rave experience - with an atmospheric opener in Submersion setting the tone. Circuits follows - a pure anthem for the convoys of cars, filled with weekend warriors riding their first chemical waves. The release moves through the emotions and sounds that ZC are about - building off their hardcore style breaks and moving between touching melodies, wiggling 303 lines, guttural low end frequencies and spacious hardware reverbs are a constant theme in ZC’s work. Atoms to Atoms is designed to take you through to the iconic spaces and movements of a transcendent party experience - from the inner city warehouses that set the scene for Breach all the way to the energy of abandoned northern English factories and mills, rusted and empty like on Northern Fury. It’s a timely reminder of the sheer heights of joy and ecstasy that UK dance music culture was designed for produced and presented in an expert package.

Club Glow co-founder Denham Audio is no stranger to linking up with friends. Running the label alongside fellow breaksmiths Mani Festo, LMajor and Borai, the rave-focused producer has established the imprint as one of a leading name in acid hooks, lairy basslines and whiplash-inducing breakbeats, and here - on Cheeky Sneakers - he readies the release of five varied cuts of lowend pressure and sky-high euphoria alongside Swankout, Thugwidow and Coco Bryce. 'Good Time' does what it says. A cut of happy-hardcore inspired breaks beamed straight from the Midlands; there is just enough headsy energy to keep the chin-stokers entertained, whilst inspiring an emotional, smiling release for those whose infatuations lie closer to ravey keys and Bangface Weekenders. Swankouts second collaboration - 'Keep On' - is a growling slab of screw-face electro and breaks, highlighting both producers' knack for finding the sweet spot between varying forms of UK music - fast, hardcore and dutty, it's a surefire party starter. Thugwidow is introduced on 'Testing My Patience'; the producer has been making a name for himself with some excellent releases on Sneaker Social Club and Circadian Rhythms, and here he and Denham Audio combine on a chugging steamroller of malfunctioning, soulful riddims. It's a dreamy meet on 'Close 2 Me' - Coco Bryce recently collaborated with Amy Dabbs on an excellent jungle EP which received support from BBC Radio 1 and more, and here the Netherlands produce brings his native hardcore spirit to the surface on a pitched-vocal cut of jungle-techno. Seeing out the release is a remix from emerging producer Ravetrx, who has recently enjoyed sessions on Rinse FM and NTS alongside Roni and Hooversound Recordings co-label head Sherelle.

After we have been rolling out three singles and two remixes, it’s time to present to you the full album by the Belgium duo Pelace, titled ‘Echoes’. The digital version drops October 7 and to make it even better, the album will appear on vinyl too at end the of 2022, which will be the first ever vinyl release on Infinite Depth. The album represents the energetic sound of Pelace (Jordy Cosemans & Janick Warnier), hailing from Hasselt. Besides being Pelace they are very good friends in life, which is playing big part in their tracks. They dug deep into their own experiences and emotions that have been influencing their lives and this resulted in the album. The careful composed collection of tracks forms a 10-track story of uncompromising breaks, deep and compelling melodies and beautiful repetitive vocals. The album starts off with ‘Trapped Forever’. An ambient intro to immediately show their characteristic raw and uplifting synthwork. When it stops it makes sure you want to carry on listening. After the intro, ‘Deep Sea Dreaming’ follows, through which they bring forward their strong breakbeats and firm basslines. Where ‘Deep Sea Dreaming’ is pretty low-key, the next one titled ‘Patterns’ is one of the more compelling tracks on the album. Long-stretched bass lines are forming a solid base, on top of which uplifting arps and pads are making this track very lively. The fourth track ‘Kali’ goes a bit deeper. The track was written and produced when there was the news that clubs were allowed to open in Belgium again. A hard 4×4 kick, raw percussion elements and a driven bass are the key elements. After this it goes through to ‘Forever Together’. This one is about always being Pelace together. It’s a break track with a suppressed, but also very special energy. ‘Break Ups’ represents the more calm and dreamy side of the album. The regular beat gets broken up by a breakbeat, after which it continues in its lo-fi focused four-the-floor pattern. Throughout the track harmonious pads are melting together with high pitched synths, giving you a hopeful and warm feeling. The main song ‘Echoes From The Past’ defines the signature sound of Pelace, a blend of all kinds of electronica. Broken beats, intertwining synths, an appealing repetitive vocal and a reese bass, combined to evoke intense moments on the dancefloor. The eighth track is called ‘Floating’ and refers to old-school no-nonsense electronica. A pulsing and stabby synth, a powerful jungle kick and the up-tempo rhythm are providing a powerful energy. ‘Pushing You Away’ brings us back to the duo’s characteristic drum parts and vocal use, but with a deeper lower part and a somewhat trancey and ravey higher part. Then the cooling-down begins in the form of the outro ‘I Won’t Hesitate’. A very hopeful end to this story told by Pelace.

Next in line in the Snaretrade series is an EP by one of our favourite people: Gols.

He operates the Hoot label, has released with Ghent label/party Ojoo and has been crafting tracks low key for a long time.

We start out with dessert: In Au bain marie we’re given some elegant yet hard to follow instructions on how to make the perfect chocolate mousse. DJ and Knetterbar operator Yentl kindly lent her voice, not knowing the recording would be used as a final take. In Hundreds and Thousands, Gols weaves thick layers of percussion and synths, forming a dense and deep structure that pulls us in. In the midst of moving his music studio, this track was the last one to be recorded before pulling the plugs and boxing the gear up. On the flipside, Regrooved is a shuffling, sneaky and amusing bit of house that never really admits if it’s just arriving at the party, or just about to leave. After-hour fare for those who like something sweet after dinner.

Belfast-born, Rotterdam-based producer Kessler is back by popular demand. Endless EP - his second SNF release - sees him continue in the spirit of the previous one, deftly capturing moods and building worlds through breaks.

Some of these enchanting worlds are cushioned by warm tonal melodies and an instrumental quality ("Endless"). Others are harder to navigate, with skittish drum workouts which clatter around an already-complex soundscape ("Mare's Nest").

On "Aspect", things get emotional, not a far cry from the provocative nature of Overmono's music. Speaking of which, Belfast producer Optmst is drafted in to close proceedings, reimagining the title track and continuing in the same vein with emotive pads and pitched-up vocal licks.

Introducing a limited imprint showcasing Andy Jagger's electro, breaks, and acid-infused four-track masterpiece, limited to 300 exclusive copies with no repress planned.

Bassline veteran and all-round soundsystem sorcerer Marcel Deptford lands on Sneaker Social Club with two ruff-n'-tuff rave-n'-b re-flips that run as a prelude to big things to come.

This is the first time you will have heard a record under the name Marcel Deptford, but he's got serious skin in the game with an imposing history in the legendary bassline scene from the late-00s. His records as DS1 are the stuff of legend for anyone keyed into the Niche-centric sound, but more recently he's put out some serious heat as Haider running his own Breaker Breaker label and popping up on Aus and the like.

If you're a fan of millennial RnB there's every chance you'll recognise the vocals that breathe life into Deptford's two tracks for this Sneaker release. Moving beyond simple edit territory, the voices are bedded deep down into gritty rave productions that boast the kind of dirt bag sonics that call straight back to the OG days of breakbeat hardcore. 'Rock The Boat' has bloated bass pushing into the red, clattering breaks chopped up with a rugged swagger and a dreamy, haunted dose of dub poured all over the vocals.

'Make It Hot' has a lighter, swung feel which nods to garage, but there's still plenty of weight on the low end. Once the lead vocal sample steps back to open up the space, Deptford's knack for strong melodic hooks comes through in a blown out arp line which the bassline dutifully follows.

Hitting every sweet spot from the low-down dirty rave receptors via moody head-nodding restraint on to iconic vocals, Marcel Deptford shows exactly what he's capable on this release ahead of a more extensive dive into his legacy, due further down the line.