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[Pals FM: Floor Materials Vol.2] is the second dance music compilation from Walls AND Pals. The aim is to share various ideas of dance floors instead of lingering on a certain genre or style, and while being DJ Friendly, it also serves as an exchange ground where production techniques of artists co-exist. All four tracks in [Vol.2] correspond with the common purpose of bringing out ‘Floor Materials’, keeping distinct identity from each musician. In ‘Cofrica’, rapper and producer Simo of Y2k92 injects his long-time affection of Detroit flavor into a minimalistic form. Conversely, Dott from the Thai label More Rice brings intricate and complex rhythms centered around the step sequencer in ‘Antibody Movement’, walking a fine line between House and Techno while the essence of Tech House is preserved . And in ‘Pump It Up’, Acidwork demonstrates what the outcome would be when Electro runs through digital instruments and samplers. Last but not least, Seo John, who put out his first EP [dive] last year from the label Goddezz, follows up with ‘miQro’, creating a different side of Trance that is more adequate for clubs or concrete spaces rather than outdoor raves or festivals. In the same manner with the preceding release [Pals FM: Floor Materials Vol.1], [Vol.2] is a compilation executed by fellow Asian musicians across the region. Beyond the reopened borders, and just like the excitement and stimulus at unusual events, this compilation serves to contribute to the dancefloor as an interesting ‘Material’ than simply as a ‘Tool’.

A continuation of the extensive research project initiated last year between Sound Metaphors, Transmigration and surviving eye-witness/historian Ray Castle. An in depth analysis of the dancefloor landscape that developed in Goa during the 80s' and early 90's well before "Trance" became the unfortunate dirty word it is today. Before "trance" was even a genre, Goa was brewing a scene with unparalleled aesthetics, with a constant influx of dedicated collectors and DJs coming and going to this tropical underground dancefloor haven, filtering through vast amounts of emerging electronic music of the times and distilling only the finest of "Special Goa Music". Here is another compilation of our chosen most impactful tracks that would have been soundtrack to a very special and pure moment of freedom in dancefloor culture before the bastardisation of what we now know as "Goa Trance". A highly sought after selection of New Beat, Proto Techno, early Progressive/Trance, Industrial, EBM and House Music. Featuring photographs of the events presented in a double LP gatefold with poster and liner notes by Ray Castle himself. Re-mastered at Manmade mastering in Berlin. A generous body of research essential to any well rounded record collection.

Spray retires the eponymously, to instead seek Punctuality; a new label for ‘dastard club elegies in the dark’ hosted by the maestro himself. Blu:sh clocks in to provide the imprint’s inaugural extended player with U is for U and me, a pentagonal suite of nocturnal seductions for ‘U’, our dear listener, from ‘he’, its rosy-cheeked conductor.

B is for Blu:sh (sometimes Benoit B and Terra Utopia), a froward node in the artist’s trilateral soul whose previous charm offensives for Roza Terenzi’s Step Ball Chain and Rey Colino’s Kalahari Oyster Cult under the alias signalled the arrival of a new challenger to the ‘hits parade’. U is for U and me provides distinct variations on the theme of ‘club allure’, five tracks of sparkling body music that captivate in its relentless drive for kinetic salvation.

“A quick glance at the watch, and they’re off!”
AM PM strikes first more night than day, its throbbing bass line locks shoulders with precision rhythms within its psychedelic landscape. Whirlwind Mindsets is sassier, opting for more bump while the track’s aural mesh is grazed by sharp textures of live wires and melodious bleeps.

“... and they get back under way!” Magnetized Your Soul soundtracks the self-actualisation of sonic sophistication, applying the rave pressure with a current of discordant pads and haunted vocals bound by twisted attraction. Pixelated Pleasure Dome is pure sleaze, a wiggle-fested romp of leering subs and thunderous groove of pure self indulgence. High In Cloud City offers the finale of heads-down speedy exuberance with faint breaks and non-stomp pump right up until curtain call.

Written & Produced By Blu:sh
Mastering & Cut: Marco Pellegrino Distributor: One Eye Witness Artwork: Lucia Dominguez Release Text: Nevan Jio

Familiar Strangers founder Remotif heralds the 30th release, complete with a digital-only remix from Youandewan. The first half finds the Bristol mainstay at his deadliest. Harnessing pure proggy momentum, peak-time scorcher ‘In the Blink of a Cosmic’ comes hurtling out the tracks. ‘It’s Inside U’ then keeps pace with more of that driving, fractal pressure. Tunnelling wormhole torque straight out the nether-realm. Comparatively restrained but no-less mind-altering, the B-side embarks on a full-blown vision quest. Where breaks-fuelled cut ‘For Love or Money’ nods to early ‘90s bleep, ‘In The Möbius Strip Club’ ushers into a chugging, ritual-ready space. Proper third-eye dilating stuff.

Danny Corten and Youri Parker head up our next 12” vinyl adventure on Bonzai Records with a duo of pumping tracks to get the floors rocking on Love Is An Ocean. Danny Corten aka Danny C is a Belgian DJ and producer with a plethora of releases under various labels. He and Youri have been collaborating in the studio for many Years, and he formed part of the Cherry Moon Trax collective. His DJ skills took him all over the world, performing in top spots with top rated DJ’s. Producing music has been somewhat of a success for Danny, his track, I Want You, climbed high in the Belgian charts with the follow-up, In My Mind, soared in the French charts. His tracks have also gained solid support amongst his peers, and he continues to churn out only the finest quality sounds. Youri Parker was influenced by the early 90’s rave and house music sounds. He started to spin vinyl in 1992 and soon after he gained a residency in the legendary Cherry Moon club, where he would stay for over a decade. During this time, he spun alongside some of the world’s most famous jocks and he also joined the mighty Cherry Moon Trax, which consisted of some of the biggest names in Belgium. He has produced a raft of track with many different artists, most of which got picked up and championed by the likes of Carl Cox, Tiesto, Sven Vath, Jeff Mills and more.

Love Is An Ocean gets the floor moving right from the off as heavy beats, spritely percussions and teasing acid flavours lay the foundation. The track builds nicely alongside ethereal vox and airy pads before a mighty, gritty synth line takes control for the duration. Pure pumping adrenaline that does not disappoint. First released in 2020, Reactivate proved popular and so getting cut to vinyl was a no-brainer. The track dishes out an upfront groove filled with energy and drive, with the intro boasting classic rave stabs and a teasing, underlying 303 lines. A short build up takes us to thumping kicks which ramp up the energy levels to critical mass. The main break imposes an infectious hook which, when coupled with the kick drums, unleashes a pounding groove straight to the pleasure receptors. The track oozes retro charm with a contemporary structure, something that will delight the crowds no doubt.

Edition of 500. Includes insert.

It's been a true pleasure but also a rather chaotic experience to follow the progress of Blod from a close distance since the beginning. I have fond memories of receiving the odd cassettes from the early days, like the severely fucked up Unga Röster (later issued as an LP on Förlag För Fri Musik) and the awfully mesmerising Prat Om Depression recording. Returning to Leendet Från Helvetet for the first time for long a while, it's quite evident that the album marked a new phase in the troubled Blod universe. There's few traces left of the found tapes/audial voyeurism and brutish stop/rec editing that made up the first few releases, instead we are served with what is pretty much a proper album in a, sort of, traditional sense.

The record opens with a sole beat from a hand drum soon accompanied by a beautiful and very Blod-ish subtle melody from a glockenspiel but it only takes a few minutes before Gustaf's past as a free jazz aficionado is noticeable with the rather rough saxophone burst of 'Natten'. It's not until the title track that things kicks off for real though, most likely the first example of the sound and, maybe more so, very special feeling that I would say most people associate Blod with nowadays. To me, it's the sound of growing up in Sweden in the 80's; having two channels on the TV, eating brown food, rainy summers, taping commercial stuff on the radio, playing D&D in a purple tent in the garden. Memories of that certain bright light that can occur during the Scandinavian summers, those warm days when the skies are foggy. Long windswept grass and a very peculiar feeling of utter boredom. Arguably, Blod has never sounded more Blod than on this track, this is the very essence of the man's work right here. The progamm continues on side B with the solemn piano piece 'Lust', another saxophone rager and then the flipside's centrepiece 'Tro, Hopp & Kärlek' which pretty much mirrors the title track in it's larger-than-life scope and pure beauty.

The third and final sampler takes no prisoners and starts with THE hit of the year 2008: 'Toca Me' (Inpetto 2008 Remix) by Fragma, played by absolutely any DJ worth his or her salt in that era, including a certain DJ Tiësto who made it one of his favourites of that year. Linking this Dutch connection up nicely is 'Solid Session', by Format aka Orlando Voorn, a true techno and house master of the 90's who is one the few Europeans fully adopted by the techno pioneers of Detroit.

The B side has legendary written all over it with the beast that is 'Tone' by the undisputed master of acid Emmanuel Top (also known for 'Acid Phase', 'Turkish Bazar', etc.). 'Tone' is definitely one of the greatest records of this music style, with Sven Väth making it his very last track to close the 10th anniversary of the Omen in 1998, a legendary moment for many German clubbers. 'Tone' is followed by a nice surprise on this sampler in the shape of 'Zorgoonn' by Total Groove. This At The Villa classic is the pearl of the early years of Gregory Dewindt, a true giant of our scene who also collaborated with DJ master Phi Phi on the classic 'Jesus Trip'.

On the C Side we find another 'Made in Belgium' hit with 'Monotone' by Monotone feat. L.A. Work, a timeless and super effective classic that's impossible NOT to play! 'Monotone' is followed by a genuine beauty in the pure state of trance, one of the classics of the Yeti Records label, the magnificent 'Pure' by Rebirth, bringing us almost 12 minutes of pure emotional pleasure.

And finally on the D Side we keep the quality very high with 'My Lexicon' another masterpiece by Sander Kleinenberg and a true gem of progressive house played and compiled at the time by Sasha & John Digweed, which says a lot! Concluding this extraordinary series of samplers what could be better than a legendary title composed by the God of trance himself under his alias West & Storm? 'Moose' was indeed one of Tiësto's projects and became one of the most emblematic records of Extreme on Mondays. One for the real trance heads who will be over the moon to see this one reappear here!

The first sampler gets off to a flying start with the A side featuring the absolutely legendary track 'Ten Seconds Before Sunrise' by Tiësto, repressed here for the very first time since its original release. For the second track on the A side we are going for 'Made in France' with 'The Milky Way' by Aurora Borealis, a true rave classic originally released on Laurent Garnier and Eric Morand's label F Communications.

The B side is all about 'back to basics' with the classic house track 'One Kiss' (Fathers Of Sound One Mix) by Pacha, one of the many guises of UK house legend Dave Lee, best known as Joey Negro. Equally classic is 'Hablando' by Ramirez, closing the B side in true 90's house style.

On the C side we are going all out with the exceptional inclusion of a cult Jam & Spoon record 'Odyssey To Anyoona', released back in 1992 on Belgium's legendary R&S Records. A glorious return to our roots, completed by Ransom's 'My Dance', a pure house gem and one of La Rocca's greatest hits.

Finishing on a high note the D side kicks off with the timeless piece of music that is 'Shed My Skin' by D*Note in the ubiquitous Pete Heller remix, who is of course also responsible for the hit 'Big Love'. O.T. Quartet's 'Hold That Sucker Down' is the final piece of the first sampler. A giant of a track straight from England, composed by Rollo (member of Faithless) and Rob Dougan, who went on to write the music for the film 'The Matrix'.

Next up is Intuition, a contemporary techno/trance duo from the coast of Catalonia, Spain. This hard-hitting release features the iconic Arcana 17, a pure hard trance anthem that debuted at KI/KI's Amsterdam Boiler Room back in2022, as well as Soulstealer, their take on a rolling, hypnotizing monster. Aeryeen (1/2 of the duo) is in charge of the B-side, taking a more emotional approach with dreamlike pads and ever-evolving arpeggios backed by psychedelic atmospheres.

Two track EP from the Italian early 90's cult label, Interactive Test, helmed by legendary Falsini brothers. Both sides going generously past the 8 minute marker and well into the upper 120 BPM class of affairs, "Farf-Ability" is another show case of the experimentally excursive approach to the early Italian progressive sound, this time on behalf of Francesco Farfa. Two flavours served confidently: uplifting daytime ravey on the A side, and darker trancier night time on the B side, heavy on the percussive samples. Remastered and re-issued with new full cover artwork, featuring photographic evidence of a special moment in time for Italian rave culture.

James Asher is known for his individual and and distinctive approach to creating tribal drum music. He has had multiple library album releases for Bruton Music, Dewolfe, Abaco, Southern, Girasound and this year Kpm/emi with the album Global Village Percussion. He combines a confident grasp of fusion and worldbeat with a crystal clear audio production style. For the first time since Asher`s best selling releases « Feet In the Soil » and « Shaman Drums », Sleepers Records are delighted to be the first purveyors of his work in vinyl form, with six dazzling tracks which are earthy, grounded and compelling. Mastered by Gwyn Mathias @ GBdb