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Martin Davorin Jagodić (1935 – 2020) was a Croatian contemporary music composer and educator. His work includes theatre music, graphic scores, instructions for performances, multimedia installation art, radio art, electroacoustic music on tape as well as experimental film soundtracks. Despite a very long series of performances during the years, only one single LP has officially been released under his name, named Tempo Furioso (Tolles Wetter), a collage of electronic and ‘found sounds’ divided in two long movements (one for each side of the LP). Originally released on the Italian Cramps Records label as the 8th volume of the Nova Musicha series dedicated to contemporary avant-garde composers, Tempo Furioso is now made available again on Dialogo in a faithful reproduction of the original gatefold cover artwork, including also an inner sleeve with the English translation of the liner notes. From the original liner notes of “Tempo Furioso”: My first thought was to state that ‘Tempo Furioso’ is a version of the song entitled ‘Tolles Wetter’. But things are not so straight-forward (after all, what is a version?), so I prefer to talk a bit about ‘Tolles Wetter’. This way, I am sure that I will be able to avoid illustrating the relationships existing between the ‘version’ of ‘Tempo Furioso’ and the ‘original’, namely the music of ‘Tolles Wetter’. Reading the diagram of ‘Tolles Wetter’ will help in listening to the record. It will also explain why I am forced to avoid the terms ‘version’ or ‘variation’. These expressions, for several years now, have become faithful counterparts to certain compositions featuring ‘multiple possible versions’; they make us almost automatically think of any ‘Third Sonata’, ‘Klavierstück XI’ or other open works of this kind. Because all of this is very far from my work, I do not want to use any of these terms. They would inevitably mislead the listener [...]. I’m saying all this in order to reassure the listener, who might otherwise think they are in front of a second-hand work (a minor version) and would therefore feel deprived, almost robbed, of the original. So, what is ‘Tolles Wetter’? The actualisation of a (musical) situation – a place, an action – in which we are at home, well warmed up, in our room, while outside there is a storm. The disturbing elements – atmospheric or otherwise – are already there and will eventually find their way into our space. (Have you ever noticed that there are places, whole cities, that are penetrated by frequencies that create a particular kind of sound – oscillations that are in the air?). They can be fire, or some annoying ‘Tafelmusik’ (“what’s going on under my table?”), wood creaking, wind blowing, as well as lines connecting us with the outside world, far away as it might be (radio stations, for instance). Now, little by little, our situation becomes more complex. It is no longer a question of one story but of several. Bad weather has definitively stabilised (this does not mean that the action always has to be actualised in a violent way; not all possible actualisations are like ‘Tempo Furioso’). Weather and time-duration are confused, we are invaded by memories, by projects... The different situations appear more and more like crystallised and superimposed objects/images, as if one wanted to be everywhere at the same time. Zigzagging through time, stumbling, enlarging the picture... reading makes its way into this picture. Of course, not all actions can be performed at the same time. The overall actualisation/hearing will depend on the organisation of the connections. In sight of a global actualisation/hearing, roles are distributed, and the scripts of the different versions of the same story are written. At this point, we can already better understand the sense in which - regarding the relationship between ‘Tolles Wetter’ and ‘Tempo Furioso’ - the term ‘version’ has little meaning. Let’s say, therefore, that ‘Tempo Furioso’ is a possible actualisation that came to be because of its recording. This also explains why – and perhaps helps instigate – different and diverse possibilities of overlapping sides and records are proposed.

Overall close to NM. No Obi, with insert.

No Obi, with insert. Overall close to NM.

Bureau B present a reissue of Serge Blenner's Magazin Frivole, originally released in 1981. Cold, concise analog synthesizer instrumentals -- on his second album Serge Blenner remained true to his style, albeit shifting course slightly towards pop territory. The juxtaposition of dark harmonies and pop structures is what makes this album so appealing. In places, it feels like a blueprint for early Depeche Mode. Having seen his first album La Vogue (BB 324CD/LP) snapped up by the Sky Records and fast-tracked for release in 1980, Blenner delivered his second LP, Magazin Frivole, the following year. Mindful of the success of its predecessor, Blenner added the name of his debut in big letters to the front cover of the new sleeve. Blenner remained faithful to his musical style, albeit adding more of a pop flavor. Magazin Frivole would not look out of place filed alongside Depeche Mode on the record shelf, as a certain resemblance is undeniable. Moreover, Blenner was one of the few proponents of electronic music who preferred to keep his songs concise, in contrast to the meandering odysseys of many of his electronic contemporaries. The far better-known French artist Jean-Michel Jarre adhered to similar principles, yet although Blenner was often compared to his compatriot, he claims only to have heard his music long after La Vogue had appeared. Minor chords dominate his harmonies, the bass performs octave leaps which mirror the zeitgeist. Unexpected key changes abound, adding a restless, almost disquieting quality. Overall, Magazin Frivole is less dark than the preceding album, but a picture of cheerfulness it is not. Nevertheless, a poppy drum computer introduces a lighter note. From the very first track, chord changes pop up at unexpected junctures -- they seem to come in prematurely, before harmonic sequences have run their course. Blenner doesn't have any explanation for this curiosity, other than to note that "most of the music was played by hand, so of course it wasn't all perfect." "I did all I could to avoid being successful -- on a subconscious level, at least. Unpredictable metrics and irregular beats were definitely part of the process," Blenner admits with an enigmatic smile. Juxtaposed with Blenner's more recent works, one can see what he means. His latest album Musique de Chambre (2008) comprises modern classical chamber music, built on digitally sampled real instruments. Besides, Blenner points out, handling all of those analog devices was a convoluted and complex undertaking.

Overall close to VG+

Magic Ritmo returns with their second release, a highly demanded reissue of ‘G.F.X. - Eternal’ originally released in 1990.

Shrouded in mystery, the record has gained cult status among veteran ravers, record collectors and those who are allured by the spiritual and ethereal quality the record embodies. Magic Ritmo is delighted to lift the cloak and share the story of the record and artist through a fully licensed and remastered release.

G.F.X. is the alias of Geoff Waterston, a musician, producer and engineer from the coastal town of Whitley Bay, North East England. G.F.X. was born from a youth spent tampering with electronics, taping drum beats off the radio and resourcefully discovering his creativity. Performing originally locally, G.F.X. quickly became a name spotted on the line up of many acid house nights that were popping up across the North east, as the area began to receive their first transfusion of acid house.

Often hidden away from the archives documenting this time, the North East of England was a pivotal and culturally rich scene amongst the acid house movement. Most prominently, and fondly spoken of, was Middlesbrough’s ‘Butter Loggie’, a bizarre sounding party that grew to crowds as big 10,000 youths partying at the Herlingshaw Centre in Eston, a community centre by day and place of pilgrimage by night for those eager to experience the beginning of acid house. G.F.X. performed regularly at the Butter Loggie and recalls the impact and ferality of the event, a wild and loose party where the soundsystem shook through your bones. These early experiences provided Geoff with his first glimpses of spirituality, which provided much of the inspiration behind the EP’s title track ‘Eternal’.

The story and legacy of ‘Eternal’ lives on, remastered and reimagined through the lens of Magic Ritmo. Limited 500 copies. 180g vinyl including inserts.

We would like to thank Geoff and Zara for their trust in us and allowing us the honour of putting this important piece of culture back into the world.

"Eternal was a snapshot of a time when an opening up of alternative lifestyles, spirituality, political activism and music were creating an overall sense of freedom and separation from mainstream society. And for the first time in my life, I felt a sense of peace and belonging that I had never experienced before and that's where eternal emerged from"

Another powerful release from the Exist Dance catalogue, pioneering and shaping the sound of the US early 90's rave scene. A 4 track EP by High Lonesome Sound System - yet another project by Tom Chasteen and Mike Kandel - with a collection of different mixes of “Waiting For the Lights”. Overall a mighty rollercoaster ride in breaky prowess, playful sample wealth and driving synth riffs. Putting the Amen break to unprecedented monumental grandiosities on the dancefloor. Especially with the meticulous mastering on behalf of Manmade mastering. Can't go wrong, buy on sight.

»Tides« marked a radical change in direction for Arovane. After Uwe Zahn had made a name for himself with cutting-edge IDM rhythms and slick ambient textures on a slew of releases, his sophomore album saw the prolific producer opt for a sample-based approach that resulted in a more organic sound and laid-back downbeat grooves. Having reissued Arovane’s seminal »Atol-Scrap« as a double LP in 2021, the Berlin-based Keplar label now makes »Tides« available on vinyl for the first time since its original release in 2000 through the legendary City Centre Offices. The new version has been remastered by Kassian Troyer at Dubplates & Mastering and comes with a brand new cover artwork. It shines a new light on a release for which Zahn quite literally ventured into previously unknown territory — »Tides« is an album that emits a timeless, quiet calm and nonetheless stays constantly in motion.

»The idea for the album came to me after a vacation in France«, says Zahn. Inspired by the landscape, especially the coastline and the sea, he made field recordings throughout his trip that were also used on the record, giving it its sensual feel. The foundation of the album however, the loose yet gripping grooves at the heart of every track, result from Zahn working extensively with samples. »I wanted to make use of drum sounds and small excerpts from old jazz vinyl records«, he explains. He maintained the unique sound signatures and rhythmic flutter of the source material while building intricate beats with them. Most of the material was culled from the record collection of Christian Kleine, whose spontaneous guitar improvisations over the first musical sketches were recorded and edited by Zahn and can be heard on four tracks. Also employing the occasional cembalo or spinet sound, he worked with a hardware sequencer and a delay to integrate the different, discrete elements into nine tracks that feel both dense and light at once.

What’s astonishing still 22 years later is how spacious »Tides« sounds. This is due to the fact that Zahn not only paid close attention to the sonic idiosyncrasies of his source material, but also to what happened in between those sounds. »Mark Hollis’s solo album was a huge inspiration at that time«, says Zahn. »What I find fascinating about it until this day is how silence and the subtle hiss of the mixing boards were being used on that record.« Silence was also an important stylistic element on »Tides« and adds greatly to the overall atmosphere of an album that with the appropriately named »Theme« immediately sets the mood with intricate spinet melodies: Zahn opens a door for his listeners and invites them to follow him to see a specific part of the world through his very own lens.

As a whole, the album mirrors Zahn’s trip that took him along the steep cliffs on a foggy day (»Seaside«), to an abandoned house in which he found old maps (»A Secret«), along the coastline during a long car ride (»Deauville«), to a sleepy village and the slowly moving sea (»Tides«) and finally back home to his native Germany where he started reflecting upon his experiences, ultimately deciding to translate them into music (»Epilogue«). »Whenever I listen to this album now, the images and memories it evokes are incredibly vivid and vibrant«, he says. It’s not hard to see — or rather hear — why. »Tides« may have been a deeply personal project, but it effortlessly evokes universal feelings by (re-)building an entire world in the course of only a few pieces of music.

On textstar+ Jan Jelinek brings together the material from the Cmyk series, four EPs he released between 1999 and 2002 under the pseudonym farben (the German word for both colours and paints), on a vinyl double LP for the first time. The selection of tracks has been remastered from the original tapes, joined by two additional pieces that appeared on compilations during the same period. ________________________________________ A Polaroid. Still life with tangled leads and consumer electronics, late twentieth century. Black and various shades of dirty white are the dominant non-colours. The image’s spatial depth remains diffuse, the links between its elements speculative. A note stuck to the wall (a legend, perhaps, or an all-explaining blueprint in text form?) is impossible to decipher. You can’t see what connects the picture’s signs. You have to hear it. farben says: Every sound is a text. A bearer of meaning in search of a reader. Hoping the ideas inscribed in its autonomous existence will be understood as intended. While its beauty lies precisely in misunderstanding, in reading the coded message a new way every time. A thousand colours of sound, a thousand different ways to hear, to see, to understand. On textstar+ Jan Jelinek brings together the material from the Cmyk series, four EPs he released between 1999 and 2002 under the pseudonym farben (the German word for both colours and paints), on a vinyl double LP for the first time. The selection of tracks has been remastered from the original tapes, joined by two additional pieces that appeared on compilations during the same period. Another new element is the Polaroid, showing the origins of a world: Jelinek’s home studio in Berlin at the time. farben says: Move your body! The project has its roots in Jelinek’s love of house as a reductionist vision of soul. Of four to the floor as a proposition that can be accessed anywhere. Of electronic dance music as a realm of possibility that can be continually expanded. farben was written as contemporary house music. As a text about excitement and euphoria. The arrangements were made directly while recording to DAT, on a twelve-channel mixing desk. Several track titles suggest a link to live concerts, coupled with the context of machine music and bedroom recording. Others affirm pop music’s most extravagant stock phrases about various states of love. Jelinek produced the tracks with the aim of making music for dancefloors. An idea that failed very productively. In the locations to which it was originally addressed, the project barely figured. But people did listen, and they listened all the more closely to this music that opened up new acoustic and associative scope for house. farben is the opposite of genre: a music spawning new terms (clicks & cuts, micro-house) that never manage to fully capture it. farben says: Signifiers. The four Cmyk EPs are designed as a network of references that cannot be missed but that can also never be precisely deciphered. The vectors of sound, word and image point to Isaac Hayes and Ornette Coleman, to Detroit and the first generation of the Red Army Faction, to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. So multifarious that they are distorted to the point of recognition. Overall we hear sonic docufictions whose appealing vagueness derives precisely from this oscillation between clarity and ambiguity, which is also the source of their poetry: the lyricism of the pure circulation of signs. The artwork is based on photographs of former Red Army Faction members, broken down into the four colours of the Cmyk model. The motifs dissolve into individual dots of a single colour, so close to the faces that their expressions are only hinted at. Taken together, the individual colours compose a new whole out of fragmentary material, defying definition and thus maintaining their vibrancy. The same occurs on the level of sound. The sampler Jelinek used for these tracks had to be fed with floppy disks, imposing a memory limit of 1.44 megabytes per audio quotation from soul or jazz records. As a necessary consequence of this, the individual references, like the dots of colour, are dissolved into details and abstractions. They appear as splinters that recombine in new ways to create new meanings. The joy of collapsing metaphors. farben says: New departures. Even two decades after its original release, textstar+ does not come across as an epitaph to the modern era. Instead, it appears as a euphoric affirmation of the utopias of the twentieth century, translated into new sound texts via the aesthetic strategies of abstraction, collage, networking and speculation. 1.44 megabytes of history, one thousand signifiers, one album. From “Live ...” to “... Love”. Arno Raffeiner, 2021

180 gram vinyl

Not many acts who continue for a few albums get a chance to go back and take care of what they might see in retrospect as mistakes or tentative starts — but there are always glorious exceptions. Thus the course of events that led to the Croatian surf-rock quartet The Bambi Molesters rerecording their 1997 debut Dumb Loud Hollow Twang in a ‘deluxe’ edition, with special guests, bonus tracks and more besides.

What might have seemed a quixotic exercise gets explained in the liner notes — the album’s original run, though popular in surf-rock obsessive circles, had not resulted in a reprint, while the group’s growing popularity resulted in further demand and attention for the start. The band themselves felt the debut was far too rushed — it was literally recorded in three hours as a one-take rip with instrument leakage and bad mixing ruining the impact — so with more time to spare and a chance to flesh out the sound, the result was 2003’s Deluxe.

The quartet’s command of the surf vernacular is unparalleled — guitarists Dalibor Pavicić and Dinko Tomljanović have the reverb down and rhythm section Lada and Hrvoje Zaborac shift between mania and moodout with ease. The guest musicians add just the right touches — keep an ear out for Neven Franges’s piano on the late-night menace of “Pearl Divin’”, as well as on the smoky Eurospy vibe of “Sun Stroke” and a trumpet/sax duo on a variety of songs adding some further sting.

If the overall effect is pleasantly reverential rather than a striking new reworking of surf and garage roots, it’s still a solid result that works beyond mere genre exercise. The bonus tracks are all covers, and winners they are — the Molesters collaborator in the Strange project, Chris Eckman, adds whispering menace to “Restless”, the album’s sole vocal track. Best song title of the bunch — “Beach Murder Mystery.” (Ned Ragget, All Music Guide, 2005)

Nothin’ dumb about this one! The Bambi Molesters hail from Sisak, Croatia, and they play a slightly dark brand of traditional instrumental surf music. They’re all about subtlety. Lead guitarist Dalibor Pavicić lays back in the mix, painting the sound with dreamy apparitions of melody and tone. How much of this was always part of their formula, and how much producer Phil Dirt created at the console, I don’t know, but either way they’re onto something good here.

All fifteen tunes were written by Pavicić and guitarist Dinko Tomljanović, and that’s surprising enough for such a young band, but on top of that, all fifteen are exquisitely crafted and fully realized. “Sun Stroke” is one of the most beautiful surf tunes of the year, filled with passion and power and delivered with a delicate touch. If you fancy a twist of spy in your surf, “Beach Murder Mystery” is the bomb. By the way, if you’re voting for great titles of the year, you may want to consider “Standing on the Nose in a Stylish Manner”, which also happens to be a killer surf tune. So add Croatia to your surf scene map and keep an eye on The Bambi Molesters, because they’ve officially taken their place in the book of who’s who. (DJ Johnson, Cosmik Debris, 1998)

A stunningly good set of tracks from the only surf band in Croatia. Their writing is melodic, pristine, well structured, and unique. I find their slower material to be the best, with its stellar beauty and delicate balance between lead and rhythm. I’ve been communicating with the band for about a year, and earlier this year, they asked me to produce their album. I was honored. They laid down 16 track ADAT in Croatia, and mailed them to me in the US. I mixed them here, and mastered them as well. Based on the DAT I’d received late last year, I was expecting good tracks. I was not prepared for just how good they’d turn out to be. This will be a classic of the future. (Phil Dirt, DJ KFJC)

Dancing Bear Band Information (from 2005)

Formed in 1995 under the influence of 60’s garage and surf classics, the Croatia based band The Bambi Molesters won sympathies of rock critics and underground rock audience with their first album “Dumb Loud Hollow Twang” which was released in 1997. Since then they have been playing regularly in Croatia and all over Europe and their fiery and energetic live performances have helped to build their reputation as one of the finest and most original contemporary instrumental bands.

In 1999 the band signed the record deal with Dancing Bear. They released their second album called “Intensity”. The same LP was also released in Germany on Kamikaze Records. Both “Intensity” and “Dumb Loud Hollow Twang” gained positive reviews in the music press and were nominated in various categories of the Croatian music award.

In December 2001 The Bambi Molesters released their 3rd CD “Sonic Bullets: 13 from the Hip” (the LP version is from 2003) with the following guests: Peter Buck (REM), Scott McCaughey (Minus Five, REM touring band), Chris Eckman (The Walkabouts), Terry Lee Hale and Eduardo “Speedo” Martinez (The Flaming Sideburns). Just like the previous one, the new The Bambi Molesters album was published by the Croatian record label Dancing Bear. The CD got excellent reviews in various magazines (Mojo, Uncut, Pitchfork, ...) and received the Croatian journalist award for the best album of the year 2001.

In June 2002 “Sonic Bullets: 13 from the Hip” was licensed by ACE Records and was released on their Big Beat label.

The Bambi Molesters’ songs are regularly played on American (KFJC, KFAI, KXLU, WREK, WHUS) and British (BBC RADIO 1 in London) radio stations. The song “C Alpha E” was included in the movie called “The Treat” by Jonathan Gems (screenwriter for “Mars Attacks” and “1984”). Their music can also be heard in videos (“Cross Cuts” for Tonix Pictures and Dragonfly BMX video). Three songs from the first LP are included in the movie “Barabe” (Viba film, Slovenia). During the last couple of years the band has played more than 100 gigs and supported well known acts including The Cramps, REM, Chrome Cranks, Man or Astroman,...

In July 2003 the band played as a support at the R.E.M. European tour. The Bambi Molesters played at three gigs in front of 50000 people altogether.

In June 2004, together with The Walkabouts singer Chris Eckman they formed The Strange. Their debut album “Nights of Forgotten Films” is out on Dancing Bear.

Overall very close to NM

Out of the clear sky, the vinyl nerds from skylevel deliver two beautifully crafted gems of dance music, keeping the overall vibe of the originals alive without being afraid of deconstructing and rearranging heavily. The A Side features a concentrated, groove oriented arrangement that slides from part to part smoothly, playing with a certain rock attitude while holding back a few surprises. The

Overall close to NM

Vinyl with a couple of light scuffs. Cover with sticker residue on the front. Overall copy closer to VG+

SNTS Is An Underground Techno Label, Commitment To The Vinyl Format As The Main Pillar And Overall Bring The Electronic In The Anonymity.

It's been three years since Swiss producer Michel Cleis conjured a storm with "La Mezcla", a Cadenza hit cemented into house canon as it was swiftly reissued by Strictly Rhythm, bringing the sabor latino into clubs worldwide. Some more 12"s and a number of high-profile remixes (going from tracey thorn to skunk anansie,for labels like rekids , bronswood or Aus) later, he's now teaming up with DJ Koze's crew for his next move: a colorful, crescendoing 12-minute tune that's ready to make a splash in your summer soundtrack. "Mir a Nero" begins with a steady, upbeat kick underlying a simple piano arpeggio - like if Philip Glass make dance music - but then some accents of vibrant hand percussion loosen up the vibe, soon progressing into rhythmic layers that cause the energy to swell. By the 4-minute mark, a subtle, buzzing synth permeates the background, contrasting the track's overall organic feel, leading into the playful piano chords and colombian vocal hook. Simply put, this is Latin House with that anomalous Pampa Records swagger, drenched with flavor like Sangria-soaked mango. Flip that baby over and you get "Amaranthus", named after the famed flower that represents immortality. This piece stands as a color-negative of "Mir a Nero", an unwavering stomp with just shadows of the piano sample heard earlier. Freeze-dried rather than sun-ripened, "Amaranthus" is a dubby, more technofied counterpart to the A-Side, crafted for deeper and darker moments on the dancefloor.

SNTS Is An Underground Techno Label, Commitment To The Vinyl Format As The Main Pillar And Overall Bring The Electronic In The Anonymity.

Repress - SNTS is an underground techno label, commitment to the vinyl format as the main pillar and overall bring the electronic in the anonymity.

It takes a lot to achieve the status of legendary or era defining in dance music, its sands shift so quickly artists, genres and labels have often come and gone before you realise.
So it's with some pride and deserved justification that Yoshitoshi marks its 20th anniversary with celebratory remix packages of its most iconic tracks.

Already riding high in the Beatport charts with the success of the Uto Karem and Robosonic mixes of Eddie Amadors House Music, the latter of which has spent the past month in the overall top 5, the label now plans a one, two punch with the follow-up: Alcatraz seminal Giv Me Luv.

We thought long and hard about how we scheduled this 20th anniversary project, says label boss Sharam, little point launching big and then following up with a whimper so we deliberately chose Alcatraz for this difficult task.

But the challenge didnt end there; a massive record still deserves a massive remix and I think its safe to say we found the perfect woman for the job...
Step forward undisputed techno titan Nicole Moudaber who leapt at the opportunity to remix the track.

Ive got so many fond memories of Giv Me Luv, it was one of my favourite tunes from my formative clubbing days, recalls Nicole happily, so, when Yoshi mentioned the idea of me remix-ing it I just couldn't say no.

In fact I was so familiar with Alcatraz I was already awash with ideas of what I could, or should, do with it.

As I got into the mix one of those ideas just grew and grew, namely an extended breakdown that constantly builds; layering the memorable vocal to an intense pay-off and (hopeful) moment of real dancefloor drama. Nicoles humble description doesn't quite do the end result justice, which is a modern, masterful take on the classic.
Her iconic techno beats, dark twisted stabs and arrangement of that bassline drive toward the mentioned break, which will undoubtedly rival the fireworks of any impending NYE celebrations.

In fact, expect this track to be THE soundtrack to many a dance floor come the all-important hand-over to 2015. And, just in case that weren't enough, Yoshi has also secured the skills of Tent Cantrelle to deliver the perfect deep house foil to Nicoles techno ferocity as Sharam concludes, We wanted a real slice of contemporary funk from the companion mix.

Yoshi is synonymous with exploring the line between deep house and techno, perhaps no more so than during its formative years, so this re-mix completes the package perfectly.

SNTS is an underground techno label, commitment to the vinyl format as the main pillar and overall bring the electronic in the anonymity.

Limited 10 year anniversary repress with black/white artwork. In May 2014, Icelandic producer Yagya released his fifth album, Sleepygirls, across three slabs of vinyl on Dutch label Delsin. It's a deep, spacious and dubbed out affair that stays locked at a pleasingly sedentary tempo throughout. Since 2002 Yagya has been crafting lush electronic albums and always manages to find pure bliss and beauty and his simple, nature inspired soundscapes. "I wanted to create an album that's atmospheric, repetitive, and easy to listen to over and over again," says the man himself. "Something that works well in the background (e.g. when concentrating on work), as well as up close in a big sound system. I also wanted to learn how to make my music sound better than before, since I'm a huge sound-nerd, so that was a part of the goal for me personally." The album is a fine fusion of tropes from Yagya's earlier albums, features jazz instrumentalists that improvise beautiful melodies over monotonic, almost drone-like, techno beats and also uses live recordings of Japanese vocals, saxophone and guitar to counter the repetitiveness of the rhythms. Right from the rolling bliss of the opener, you're suspended in a womb like pillow of sound that is soft, warm and serenely beautiful. As tracks roll on, the pace stays the same but themes vary from upright and summery to more elongated and insular. This is natural, organic dub that is a delight and a pleasure to listen to. The vinyl versions of each track have been specially mixed with random LFOs, sonic quirks and unique fingerprints making them the subtly different to the CD version, but overall this is a brain soothing and mind melting album that can soundtrack lazy days, long summer afternoons and warm winter evenings in equal style.

Overall close to NM.

Unmixed Double 180 gram Vinyl (Includes download code to the Jon Hopkins mix and full unmixed tracks as wav/mp3)

Requiem for a dreamstate. It’s possibly somewhere between heaven, hell and high water, down the Thames Delta towards Eden. It may involve techno and a distorted state or simply mates sat listening to music together, drifting on the open sea of their minds. This is Jon Hopkins’ world, not so much joining the dots as colouring the whole damn picture in.

After releasing his debut album 'Opalescent' at the rookie age of 21 in 1999, he’s gone on to work with Brian Eno and David Holmes, produced King Creosote and via Eno, worked on three Coldplay albums. He released the breakthrough album 'Immunity' in 2013, which was nominated for the Mercury Prize.

The story arc with which Hopkins succeeded on 'Immunity' makes its appearance on Late Night Tales too with a perfectly sculpted excursion on this widescreen mix. . Opening with the unreleased 'Sleepers Beat Theme' by composer Ben Lukas Boysen, ghostly pianos skip elegantly hither and thither, among rising strings, as on Darkstar’s ‘Hold Me Down’. Nils Frahm is here, his sonic palette perfect for the job, while labelmate A Winged Victory For The Sullen contribute ‘Requiem For The Static King Part I’. Sigur Ros offshoot Jónsi & Alex’s heroic ‘Daniell In The Sea’ sends us forth towards the Baltic with tears streaming.

Beats occasionally appear, as on the Grace Jones-sampling ‘Yr Love’ by Holy Other or the pair of Black Country acts Bibio and Letherette, whose ‘After Dawn’ is almost spry in comparison to the minor key symphonies on display here. The perfect contrast to this comes from Alela Diane’s wistful ‘Lady Divine’ or even Four Tet’s mesmerising ‘Gillie Amma I Love You’, with its enchanting kids’ choir. Exclusive to this release, Jon Hopkins provides a startlingly vulnerable new piano version of Yeasayer’s ‘I Remember’.

Poet and fellow Brian Eno collaborator (their joint album 'Drums Between The Bells' was released by Warp in 2011) Rick Holland narrates the exclusive spoken word closer 'I Remember', underpinned with additional sound design by Hopkins.

"Putting this album together was a unique opportunity for me to present music that I have been listening to for years, free from the constraints of a club setting or from trying to stick to one genre. I chose tracks not just because they have been important to me but because of how they sit together, putting as much thought into the transitions and overall narrative as I did into the track choices. I mixed by key and by texture more than anything else, using original sound design, pivot notes, and often recording new synth or piano parts to link things together in a way that flows as naturally as possible." - Jon Hopkins, December 2014

A hypnotic voyage through modern and classical composition, experimental electronics, jazz, dub techno, soundtracks and soul; Frahm's Late Night Tales haunts and beguiles. It’s not mixing, so much as gently layering, like a particularly fluffy goose-down duvet folding in on itself, the folds part of the attraction, the layers part of the overall picture being painted.

Many of the tracks have been edited, effected and re-made. The subtly overdubbed parts on Rhythm & Sound's ‘Mango Drive’ adding to the haunting hypnosis, while choral interruptions aid Miles Davis’ ‘Générique’ on its journey towards the light. Meanwhile, on Boards Of Canada’s ‘In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country’, the tempo is somewhat sluggish, the organs slurred, as Frahm slows it down to a funereal 33rpm that nevertheless fits perfectly. The purring of his girlfriend's cat Cleo transitions playfully between Nina Simone's definitive version of 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes' and unearthing the gentle electronics of Dub Tractor.

Eddy Arnold’s ‘You’re The Only Star’, a country tune that sounds like its transmitting from a mid-west diner wireless circa 1947, is straight from the soundtrack to an imaginary David Lynch movie, comforting and dismaying all at once. This crackly reality abounds, as on Finnish band Gentleman Losers’ ‘Honey Bunch’, that adds an unsettling texture, with a sound that is modern but as nostalgic. Frahm's own tracks bookend the mix, opening with an inspired "rework" of the infamous silent John Cage piece '4:33' ("I sat at the piano in silence and worked from there. I listened and took in the atmosphere and this is what came out of it") and ending with a solo piano version of 'Them', taken from his recently released score of the film 'Victoria'. The traditional Late Night Tales spoken word epilogue is voiced by actor Cillian Murphy (Inception, Batman, 28 Days Later), reading a short story by Edna Walsh (Hunger, Disco Pigs).

Luigi's Primo and Unconditional Beauty both made their way through the charts to become number one in the techno charts and we are tipping Magic Land to do the same! Storming his way back onto Drumcode Luigi Madonna closes off the Summer with a 2 track EP smasher that will see him welcome in Autumn with a bang.

Each track contains the solid, raw drums that are the backbone to each track Luigi has conjured up.

With a brooding undertone, the simplicity found in each track gives the lead lines and ideas more space to breath, which overall creates a unique and charismatic submission that can only be found from the Italian.

New Zealand based crate digger Frank Booker invites good friend Julien Dyne to drop the second release on his new imprint Down In the Basement.
JD picks up where The Man Called Booker left off on Vol 1 and gets straight up to speed cutting up rare boogie, disco and Afro jams and employing his trademark raw cuts in an old school style, while lacing oodles of FX 'n stuff into the mix.

The overall sound is reminiscent of the early Idjut Boys material, which is so close to Mr Booker's heart.

Cititrax is excited to present the first in a series of 4 song samplers showcasing the talents of some of the most innovative producers of the moment. Cititrax: Tracks Volume One features Amato, an edgy new project brought to you by The Hacker, Tzusing, a young producer from China known for his hard-hitting L.I.E.S. releases, our beloved Berlin based former New Yorker An-i, and Oliver Ho’s stunning Broken English Club. The overall sound can be described as modern, uncompromising and guttural. Each artist reinvents dance music by bringing their own unique vision to the floor. Artwork designed by Veronica Vasicka and sourced from Polaroids shot in NYC clubs in the 1980s.

Cover and vinyl are close to NM.

Italy's fastest rising name in house and techno returns to the respected Drumcode imprint with this blistering new 4- track EP, Climax.

Featuring a distinctive vocal sample crescending over a typically thumping bassline, opening lead track Climax grows gradually with the introduction of a single synth note and skipping hi-hats.

Two beatless breakdowns increase the pressure whilst a new synth melody is introduced in the second half of the track, making for a powerful ending as all the elements join together.
Boost starts out deep and dark, with a high-pitched call echoing over a determined beat. The track changes course mid-way through with the introduction of a bassy, low-pitched synth melody, helping Boost evolve into a catchier, more playful track.

First up on the B side Spectre is a no-nonsense piece featuring a jittering synth note, rattling hi-hats and a trademark tension-filled breakdown.

Rounding off the EP Over The Clouds as its name would suggest, is the gentlest of the four tracks. Filled with dusty textures over a rumbling bassline, twinkling synths move in waves before lower-pitched chords join, adding a real sense of depth to this production.
Overall, Climax is an outstanding example of Faraone's ear for detail as a producer: his experience as both a resident and touring DJ clearly feeds into his skill for manipulating tension in his productions like he does on the dancefloors.

Having recently warmed up for Adam Beyer at Tenax, Marco Faraone's relationship with the iconic label continues to grow...

5 years old, born, raised and based in Berlin, but all at home in the club. Nitam’s debut Retold EP (U-TON 06) already set the tone in 2015, and here we are three catalogue numbers and 14 months later with his second 12" release on Unterton taking a similar line as his debut four-tracker did: new varied sonic themes with an overall fresh sound. Although still being young of age, Nitam outlines once again his interest in dance music from the late 80s and early 90s, presenting himself schooled by classic Detroit House as well as Chicago Acid House, but all without limiting himself to a restricted pallet of styles or catering towards musical expectations.

Flash Atkins hits hard with the second 12" to be taken from his critically acclaimed "The Life and Times" album on Paper Recordings.

This time he pulls in three of the world's best producers of underground future disco and all of them step up the the plate to score a bullseye with their first throw.

First up The Emperor Machine has taken Summer of Love to analogue heaven with arps, heavily treated vocals, electro bass and wacked out beats. The track's stripped back dynamics keep changing as it's deep drug chug rocks out for over 10 sublime proto-disco minutes.

Man of the moment Fila Brazilia's Steve Cobby is enjoying a renaissance after two albums that have ruled 2014 / 15.

On Forbidden Flesh he takes Crazy P's Danielle Moore's vocals and lays them over a soulful techy track that will fit any after dark occasion with devastating results. And it's got loads of cowbell.

After the veterans it's time for a young gun to nail his colours to the mast. Iceland's B.G.Baarregaard has been one to watch and his blend of good time disco has been lining him up as Todd Terje's heir apparent.

This remix is peak-time nu-disco that wears it's musicality lightly and sacrifices nothing for sheer playability.

Overall, a 12" that takes the Flash Atkins originals and breathes new life in to them for three cuts that will smash anything they are thrown at.

For the 9th installment in the PRRUKWHT series, Holland based ''Dubiosity'' makes his re-appearance on the Planet Rhythm imprint with the 4 tracks spanning ''Denying The Antecedent EP''. For the A1 ''Richter Scale'' the Dutch producer goes into very atmospheric territories with a pad based track that keeps on building whilst maintaining an overall mellow vibe. Title track ''Denying The Antecedent'' is a more dubbed out operation which cleverly uses non 4X4 drum patterns and crawling synth blops. This track is also based upon an utterly atmospheric pad sound. ''Juxtaposed'' is a more firm track that's somewhat tense but also with a smooth ambiance. ''Sunk Cost Fallecy'' serves as the more aggressive and paranoid closing down.

Strong contender for dance record of the year- Red Rack’em’s incredibly wonderful and fantastically wonky, Disco Banger, was rereleased on Classic this year.

After a few months of slowly embedding itself in people subconscious, it returns with new mixes.
First up in the marvellously talented KiNK - Strahil is no stranger to Classic, having made a stamp on the label many years ago with his remix 3rd Face. He's gone from strength to strength with his productions which have been accompanied by his glorious live performances. Kink goes in, heads down with some proper techno Wonk. This is indeed a beast.

On the flip Luke Solomon joins forces with Bristol’s very own Eats Everything and Lord Leopard, creating a Bristol “Circle of Three.” The Luke Eats Leopard edit adds a slight bit of conformity to the drums and the arrangement, without taking out too much of the Wonk but taking it ever so slightly into “house “ territory.

Overall this is a monstrously Wonky package - and just in time for Xmas too.

The Israeli producer Yotam Avni, though not one of the main players in the Stroboscopic Artefacts story to date, nevertheless shows that he is definitely here for a reason: having contributed with an entry in the Monad series back in July,he returns with a new set of tracks that fit perfectly into the label's overall aesthetic of evolving hyper-reality, while also being a strong personal statement.

"Cellular Automata" is the new album from Dopplereffekt (Rudolf Klorzeiger and To-Nhan), their first in ten years since 2007’s Calabi Yau Space on Rephlex. Cellular Automata approaches mathematical growth and decay as an iterative process, with each data input considered individually relative to the overall model. The result represents one of the group’s boldest creative endeavors, defying expectations while remaining unmistakably Dopplereffekt. Cellular Automata is the third Dopplereffekt release to come via Berlin’s Leisure System label, following 2013’s "Tetrahymena" and 2014’s "Hypnagogia".

As we gradually build toward the release of Rebekah's debut album on Soma, the hard hitting DJ/producer drops her 3rd single in the shape of the Code Black EP. Rebekah is on somewhat of a frenzied run of form at the moment with not only an exhaustive touring schedule but a slew of releases that stand as a testament to her dedication to Techno.

Title track Code Black hits the ground running with ice cold percussion and thunderous kicks running the show before a more jacking vibe is introduced backed by some seriously perilous pads. Disaster looms even more as Relapse Paradigm tears in next with clunking beats and straight percussive workouts as screeching synths and hooks give an overall foreboding atmosphere. X Confessions closes out the EP in no less vicious terms and Rebekah sets out on the warpath utilising pulsing rhythms and calamity inducing sequences to really rip into the dance floor.

Los Angeles based up-and-comer Oxóssi excels in utilizing his lifelong exposure to a diverse range of music, which has allowed him to successfully craft his highly eclectic, ambient and bass heavy style; one that blends his deeply rooted musical upbringing with his own creative individuality. His atmospheric and unconventional take on raw bass music production enables his listeners to be transported beyond the music itself into different mental spaces, facilitating a form of meditation on music. With releases already on Banana Stand Sound (BSS001), Crucial Recordings (CRUCIAL005) and Silent Motion (SMV001), Oxóssi is well on his way to infecting the underground with his unique musical personality.

Oxóssi is making a valiant return to Sleeper’s Crucial Recordings imprint for his newest release, CRUCIAL011. This blistering, four-track EP sees the rising bass music artist shattering genre boundaries and abandoning stylistic expectations with its unorthodox, yet equally infectious and highly volatile grooves. Oxóssi’s CRUCIAL011 boasts mercurial melodies jam packed with avant-garde moods, undeniably fresh attitudes and energetic, forward momentum; forcing listeners to rethink what they’ve come to know about bass music. While “Escher” and “Fall of Mevia” deliver relentless, dynamic and vivacious beats to CRUCIAL011, “Nightmares” and “&” add a much darker, more jarring tone to the overall personality of the release, resulting in a collection that’s as multifaceted and complex as it is innovative and powerful.

Ilpo Väisänen (Pan Sonic) and Dirk Dresselhaus (Schneider TM) retitle themselves die Angel for Entropien 1; their eighth LP of electro-acoustic music together, and the duo’s debut for Shapednoise’s Cosmo Rhythmic label. Accompanied by skilled improvisor Oren Ambarchi on two tracks, die Angel model a complex physicality through raw, elemental inputs, exploring a flux of reactive feedback processes and mutating, unstructured sonic states generated from crackling fusions of electronics, drums, electric guitar and field recordings warped and riddled with FX. Taking its title from both the Finnish word and German plural for entropy - in physics, the measure of thermodynamic disorder within a system - Entropien 1 renders seven examples of their kinetic systems in elusive action, keening from arrhythmic mulch to sloshing brownian motions and a brilliantly towering 15 minute exploration that tips into billowing, white hot feedback with scintillating effect. The amorphous results document and describe a freeness of energy travelling from body to machine and diffused across alternating acoustic environments. Each player works as controlled, external variables which act upon and interact with the different acoustic conditions to tempestuous impact, convulsing between squashed, recursive diffractions in Roha, to the sublimated roil of jazz drums and electric guitar wail in Terminen Kevät, before harnessing sloshing feedback chaos in the combustible, diaphanous two parts of Entropia - both North and South - which bring the LP to its logical, compelling conclusion.With the addition of Wold or KTL-like metal emulsification and lacquer-bubbling grain in Kitka, and Ambarchi’s plasmic overdubbing in the burning plasmic plong of Silvaticum, the overall impression is like auditive DMT, dissolving the senses and the ego - simultaneously theirs and the listeners - to better snag us in the music’s metastable potential and aid our unanchored exploration in those dimensions. Entropien 1 is dedicated to Mika Vainio.

Overall close to NM.

It is hard to believe, but Waldeck´s signature album “Ballroom Stories” is 10 years old. The people at Dope Noir Records feel that this marks the perfect occasion to celebrate its anniversary with the release of a legitimate successor going by the name of “Atlantic Ballroom” - due later in 2018.
For those curious what the new album might sound like the wait will be sweetened by this very “Stay Put” EP available on 150 gr vinyl & digital formats.
Four brilliant downtempo tracks, all of them featuring Waldeck´s new chief-chanteuse Patrizia Ferrara whose extraordinary vocal performance will give you goose bumps right from the beginning all the way through.
Ferrara, being half Sicilian & half Austrian spent the better part of her musical career in Brooklyn, NYC. Asked for a comment Waldeck simply smirks:
“She is a real million-dollar baby”
As with previous releases this one once again hits the spot and highlights Waldeck´s ability to create a whole new sound universe. “Electro-Blues” meets “James Bond- in Casablanca”.
The first track “Stay Put” is quite obviously inspired by the legendary blues & swing icon Fats Waller and captures the mood of the early days of swing, when Al Capone allegedly hi-jacked Waller for a couple of days to play exclusively on one of his private mob parties.
Followed by “So it shall be” – a real beast - that lures with a snake charming seductive Ethiopian groove.
With “Rough Landing” Waldeck then time travels to the 21st century. It could well serve as a title song to the yet to be finished Bond movie “James Bond in Casablanca” (2024).
The last song “Je t´aime beaucoup” is a super slow downtempo blues that haunts you with a longingly whisper for love. A late night in Paris…. no questions asked.
Waldeck dwells on smokey Jazz riffs & bluesy piano lines. He likes to keep the overall electronic feeling subtle, but yet present.

A freshly constructed Something analog disk has landed on planet earth in good faith and with the target to shift emotions, bones and your interiors. Join the overall thrilling tune of this 12″ with open ears and it will flow neat-sticky through your ready made receivers directly into intuitive grounds with the purpose to move, amaze and captivate. The sounds on Stephan Laubner’s new Something Vinyl are raining down straight out of deep blue skies. It’s unusual approach is coming nice yet mind-boggling and will vibrate your inner corners as soon as you’ve spotted the musical language within these STL translated rills.

When Harold Boue aka Abstraxion invited Fantastic Man into his studio after playing together the night before he didn't knew he was planting the seed for a new project. As he recalls, it was "a day of intense sun in Marseille with not enough sleep", but the result was so great that it inspired Harold to work on new tracks around the idea of creating music to reflect his city: a bit rough, but luminous and influenced by elements of Mediterranean, African and Northern European cultures. This has translated into a heavily percussive sound, in which tribal disco grooves invoke the spirits of voodoo-techno. Three cuts driven by warmly distorted rhythms, bursts of primitive drums, rubbery synths and uplifting chants that overall feel like the first sunrays after an excursion through a dark cave: both blinding and blissful. The project's name is a tribute to the astrological sign of Harold's son, who was born at the same time as the music on the EP. It was the definitive signal he needed to convince himself it was the right time to start something new and different. And an event that for sure helps understanding the vibes that this music transmits: as pure, fresh and powerful as only a new beginning can be.

Ascetic Limited is shifting gears, focusing on solo EPs dedicated to the artists that form the collective. To kick it off they present an EP from renowned Milanese techno producer Wrong Assessment, who throughout his career in techno has proven himself to be one of the most interesting producers coming out of Italy. From his collaborative works with the late Max_M as Overall Severity to his solo works as Wrong Assessment, his tracks are always unique. Influences ranging from minimal to hard pounding techno bangers, through house grooves and ambient arrangements, he still is able to transmit his sound and vision with his music.

The debut album 'Pyramids' comes out worldwide on limited double, green vinyl (including download code).

Pyramids. Jagged teeth pushing through immaculate skies. The ever-changing light. The expansive sense of freedom. The wide open spaces. The textured landscape seen from above. Mountains. Watchful and immobile for thousands of years, weathering seasons, transcending change.

It's December 2016. I've left the London madness to hit the reset button and compose new music in a tiny village in the Swiss Alps. I'm over 10,000 feet high, it's minus 15 degrees and the snow is scintillating under a rich blue sky. I turn around and suddenly this gigantic pyramid-shaped peak is towering over me, staring me in the face. Mind blown. Senses overwhelmed. Perspective. Lightbulb moment. I have my album concept.

I wanted to put into sound my cathartic experiences of the mountains. Every track title was chosen before composing. The title would be a catalyst for visual memories, narrative and overall vibes. I continued developing the tracks on occasional trips to Switzerland, but mainly back in the gritty habitat of London's Hackney Wick. The urban-nature contrast had an impact on the music too.

I use a lot of found sound, stuff I have collected over the years, and a lot of resampled guitar sounds and textures. I love imperfections in sound. Detuned synths. Distortions and glitches. Rhythmic flutters and percussive frenzy. 'Manual' cut-ups. I love moving to house and disco and getting lost in the more melodic side of techno. I love polyrhythms and melodic counterpoints. I love the energy and rawness of a live rock band. I channel all this to create my own sonic palette.

Artwork by Jimmy Turrell, graphic artist and video director who combines a love of handmade collage, drawing, screen printing and painting alongside digital techniques. He has worked for Universal Music, Nike, Lexus, Levis, MTV, The New Yorker, Intro, Capitol Records, The New York Times, Green Peace, Beck, The Prodigy/XL Recordings, Channel 4, The Guardian, GQ, The Times, LA Times, Newsweek, Getty Images, Adidas, Sony Music, New York Magazine, Wired, Glastonbury Festival, and Vanity Fair amongst others.

Platform 23 launches with the reissue of the seminal Alternative Funk compilation series, presenting a selection of music across 2 volumes.

Known for the highly heralded "Folie Distinguee" album in 1985, what is often over looked is the fact there accompanied 2 further "Alternative Funk" cassette compilations that same year. Coming within the Audiologie series on Vox Man Records, these "Various Artist" selections were indicative of labels that sprung up in the early 80s around the DIY post-punk scene.

As founders of Vox Populi!, Axel Kyrou and Francis Man, working with close associate Pierre Jolivet's aka Pacific 231) VP 231 label, released a number of cassettes, 7" and LPs between 1982 and 1988, as much to self-release their own music as to push new or contemporary artists.

Here then is a snapshot of the Alt Funk albums, selecting songs that avoid recent or upcoming reissues, to dive deep in the series from industrial to cold wave, proto-dub percussion to avant spoken word pieces. Featuring the likes of Son Of Sam, Philippe Laurent, Fist Of Facts - with a long lost first ever recording - and Human Backs, stepping out from semi-cult name dropping to sit alongside unknowns and never heard from again in Scoop!, Kosa, Zoohtee and the wonderful Randall Kennedy.

What is apparent is an idiosyncratic nature to the selections. In the same way many independent labels of the time - such as Auxilio De Cientos' Terra Incognita volumes or Final Image's Nightlands - created a label snapshot by pulling together far and wide contributions but retaining an overall 'sound'.

The Volume 1 and 2 reissue achieve that, mixing experimental with electro, post punk with noise, to offer more than the sum of their parts - an Alternative Funk.