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The Japanese artist debuts in SNTS' label Sacred Court after her previous releases in Horo with a four-track EP of hypnotic shamanic rhythms and gridding sounds.

A reissue of a project Last Front debut work on Torema Records which was sold only in Japan in 1993, Now remastered for 2021 release. The member of Last Front was Fumiya Tanaka,Tamotu Ide,Takehito Miyagi. It’s hard to imagine now, but back in 1993, Japan was the only country where the first independent techno label could distribute vinyl and manufactured. We’re excited to be able to listen it together now after past years.

Detroit's stalwart Kyle Hall is back on Apnea Records with "Crimson Clouds," his second release for the label following the acclaimed "Cosmic Touch." This acid-infused record is a tribute to Detroit's electronic legacy, drawing inspiration from the 90s sound of labels like Matrix and Underground Resistance, all while injecting Hall's unmistakable modern flair. Tracks like "Acid Tea" showcase Hall's acid-driven approach, delivering a dancefloor twister that's pure bliss. Meanwhile, "Nimbus" stands out with its syncopated rhythms and soulful synth lines, and "Told Them Before" brings raw, head-spinning techno energy to the forefront. With "Crimson Clouds," Kyle Hall delivers another essential record that bridges classic Detroit sounds with his unique modern twist. A must.

Apnea 105 presents Kyle Hall in pure Detroit Techno explorations, deep and cosmic dancefloor burners crafted around Hall's signature syncopated rhythms, reminiscent of Detroit's 90s Matrix Records era.

Japanese artist Kosei Fukuda is back with his new series from his own platform. compilation of tracks with different approach towards experimental field in texture of sounds and beats. 1/5

Tikita celebrates 5 years anniversary with these lost and found tracks from the japanese legend.

Limited edition of 12′ vinyl release. Presents its sixth vinyl release with an interesting collaboration between a contemporary project such as Dot Product, the tandem formed by Adam Winchester and Christopher Jarman, and the Japanese legend of experimental rock and noise Kazuyuki Kishino. Known as KK Null, this artist had a first stage as a guitarist in several bands, it is worth remembering that at that time he collaborated with Merzbow in several albums and that years later he changed the guitar for electronic devices. 404 Not Found opens side A with a first cut by the English duo. Error Message combines grainy, strummed textures with a humanized sonic profile in which a beautiful melody makes its way in the face of bleak adversity. The second cut of this side is by KK Null, in this track the Japanese artist shows a high dose of metallic sounds that travel at the free will of the author to end up yielding in front of a complex and disorderly structured rhythm. Unlike side A, side B of this EP shows a work created jointly by Dot Product and KK Null. Pause Frames is an industrial cut, with hard percussion and numerous sound patterns such as pads, strong resonances and highly saturated components. 10-4-10-409-Conflict is the fourth and final track on the release, again employing a hard-hitting rhythm with a series of crunchy textures and a harmonic conjugation of dissonant chords. Picture: Stefan Alt / Salt (Ant-Zen) Mastered: Daniele Antezza / Dadub Written: Kazuyuki Kishino, Adam Winchester and Chris Jarman

The first bunch of remixes for Kito Jempere's Green Monster. The album itself was a versatile journey thought all music styles and patterns you can imagine, remixes are keeping the same direction.

EP opens with a remix from multi-talented and prolific studio genius Ewan Pearson, the man behind hundreds of remixes, production and studio engineering duties for artists like Tracey Thorn, Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, The Chemical Brothers and many many more. And Mr Pearson is taking Kabwato on a journey! Originally recorded as two and half minutes as some say mid-album filler, this boat (kabwato in chewa language) is going deep down the tropical river and through breezy morning rainforest valleys. A perfect trip for your midday staying home alone errands or for your early morning ray of light at the bar with a beautiful panorama.

Same track is getting treatment from the mighty Cable Toy! Unmistakable peak time euphoria manifest - going back to my roots-esque piano meets 90s cable tv dance show house party!

On the flip is the remix by The Dawless. The Dawless are Ramil' Goddeem from Laud and Sergey Gol'd, producer and owner of GoldxFish Music studio. They recently released their debut album "Broken Aux" on System 108, got remixed by DMX Crew and became residents of Loud Boyz label. The project has simple ethics: computers not allowed, only real gear and vibes. The duo has created a true rage rave anthem for Kito Jempere now. Having already been played in a lot of DJ-sets blasting through packed warehouses, now it became available to everyone.

EP closing opus is by Kito's frequent collaborator - UK born and Japan based producer Max Essa. Every Kito's album was accompanied by Max's remixes and this time he's delivering pure beauty again. Creating some Golden-era "8 1/2 weeks" vibes, Max transforms the track into a post-summer voyage anthem.

FREQ002 introduces a vinyl repress of the "Future in Light" album by Ken Ishii, a legendary producer from Japan known for his releases on labels like R&S Records. Ishii, a techno pioneer, has an inherent connection to anime, with iconic video clips directed by Koji Morimoto, famous for his work on "Akira" and "Memories." The FREQ team has reinterpreted the original cover and remastered those tracks while staying true to its original aesthetics. This album showcases Ishii's blend of techno and house, and even as a repress, it continues to point to the future with the intriguing sound designs featured on this LP.

FREQ Records is the record label accompanying the manga "FREQ," created by Nicola Kazimir, illustrated by goodnewsforbadguys, and written by the legendary Dai Sato, who has written scripts for Ergo Proxy, Eureka Seven, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, among many others.

The setting of Freq's lore unfolds in a futuristic realm where the influence of sound frequencies governs all aspects of life. In this world,everything from traffic and AR visuals to electricity, warfare, and of course, music, is orchestrated through the manipulation and extraction of sound frequencies. The narrative unfolds within the sprawling expanse of Rephlex, a vast city featuring diverse districts, factions,and social classes.

Summer has arrived and with it our first club release in ages, a high energy burner by Kσito from Tokyo, Japan. We are more than excited to welcome this talented MPC finger drummer Keito Suzuki to fiery post-lockdown dance floors. He draws inspiration from the South African Gqom and percussive music, and in his own stately way he merges big room intensity with an experimental explosion of weirdness. Expect bare bones techno, full of earworm hooks. Tolouse Low Trax and Kӣr complement this record with a bunch of psychedelic remixes, creating a great balanced journey.

Artwork by Marta Marinotti.

Kasper Marott is featured on the second release by Courtesy’s imprint Kulør, a label whose introduction to Copenhagen’s fast techno scene, Kulør 001, contributed a long-sought spin on contemporary techno. With his Forever Mix EP, Marott offers a 14-minute musical expedition through the slower-paced “Drømmen om Ø (Forever Mix ‘19)” and a personal take on his hometown’s accelerated blue euphoria with the floor-crushing “Sky Dreams”. Artwork photography is by the Japanese artist Yoshinori Mizutani, and the vinyl will come with an A2 poster. Graphic design is by Spine Studio.

NO Us/canada. “Dedicated to the Island -soundwalk & music for Saunter magazine-” is a new album by Kaoru Inoue, a Japanese DJ/music producer also known as Chari Chari.

Initially released as a CD supplement to Saunter Magazine 06 “Yakushima 2023” issue, and through a new process, its vinyl record will be released for the first time on Record Store DAY 2024.

A gem of nine organic, electronic, balearic, and ambient techno tracks including “Mizukumi”, “Nagareru”, and “Hoshifuru” produced based on field recordings made in Yakushima Island.

180 gram audiophile weight black vinyl with a printed double-sided insert, RSD limited edition.

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Since being astonished by Yakushima Island when I first visited in 2002 for Final Drop’s recording, this was my 4th visit. The plan was to conduct field recordings and receive the coverage. I was reading “Introduction to Field Recording” written by Eisuke Yanagisawa, a book that had been the conversation topic among musicians around me, and I accepted the offer without a second thought as I was purely motivated by the idea of going back to Yakushima. However, it became an even more special project for me, as I eventually produced music from it.

“Soundscape”, a concept proposed by Canadian composer Murray Schafer in the 60s encompassed many ideas and matters, and the most interesting of which was its educational aspect: to discern the creativity of attentively listening to the environment and the action of soundwalking as its practice. I believe this trip was a perfect example of this. The music that was sounding faintly as I entered deep in the mountains and the environmental sound of Yakushima is the basis of this album.

(Kaoru Inoue)

*Excerpt from Saunter Magazine 06 “Yakushima 2023” issue*

perfectly groovin hypnotic minimalism. 180g Kai Kan is a Japanese minimalist who is known to serious vinyl diggers especially Minimal-house DJs. This time he delivers 3 tracks EP of experimental, abstract, stripped down grooves on his own imprint >Cough & Laugh<.

Beau Wanzer and Dan Jugel with the roughneck machine work. Small run, extra heavy pressing (70g). TIP!

Beau Wanzer and Dan Jugel with the roughneck machine work. Small run, extra heavy pressing (70g). TIP!

“This was traditional, transformative music, and music that made so much sense coming from EM’s epicenter.” ― Matt Werth / Rvng Intl.

"The A side lurches at you like a self driving car crash of Okinawan traditional with Bernard Herrmann's Taxi Driver." - Japan Blues

2022 repress, comes with new cover art.

Printed on special paper embossed with matte silver aluminium foil. Please consider the jacket illustration as an image as the texture of the original cannot be reproduced graphically. The disc is a translucent coloured disc with the image of the Okinawa sun. A charming set of double transformations on this 7". “Kajyadhi Fu Bushi” is a traditional Ryukyu minyo (Okinawa folk song), a joyous celebratory classic which is usually sung at weddings, with lyrics describing how “beautiful buds unfold”, using the distinctive Ryukyu/Okinanwa pentatonic scale. Typically performed by a small ensemble of a singer accompanied by sanshin, the Okinawan precursor to the shamisen, the A-side is has been transformed by jazz musician and conductor Jun Arasaki and his group Nine Sheep, with five sanshin, four winds, piano, guitar, bass, percussion and drums. Played only once, unrehearsed but perfect in execution, for a 1976 TV broadcast, this release has been taken from the only recording in existence. The B-side is yet another transformation, a remix by the Portland “fourth world” duo Visible Cloaks.

(This double LP is cut in reverse, plays inside out) Jeff Mills Presents his new album 'The Trip', The World's First Cosmic Opera. What happens on the cosmic journey toward the black hole? What is on the other side of the black hole?Jeff Mills is set to explore these questions through a performance and an album release, that appeals to the auditory and visual senses.

An art performance focusing on being lost In space

``The Trip'' began about leaving Planet Earth and searching the cosmos for a new locations to live. Now, at 23 years later, we are entering a new chapter of the project where we encounter The Black Hole "Black Hole". A black hole is a celestial object whose gravity is so strong that no information leaks out, so it was impossible to observe it, and it was only a theoretical existence, but its location was identified for the first time in 2011. The latest research shows that it rotates on its own axis. Black holes are physically contradictory entities that are difficult to imagine, but what Jeff Mills is trying to deal with in ``The Trip'' also overlaps with singularity, which is the beginning or possible end of time and space. Displayed in 5 theoretical scenarios of what could happen after entering through the Black Hole and exiting on the other side.

Special guest: Jun Togawa

The provocative vocalist artist Jun Togawa was invited to participate by Jeff Mills as one of the highlights for this project. Among many talents such as acting and modeling, she is a trailblazing artist representing Japanese new wave, and her emotional songs have an unparalleled impact and continue to break down generational barriers. She is one of the greatest influences on Japanese avant-garde music and media, and her career spans over 35 years.

Jeff Mills, fascinated by Jun's unique way of singingas well as a commanding stage presence, approached her through the right channels and by the evening of the same day, Jun Togawa agreed and the lyrics had been written. The recording sessions of the collaborated songs which were conducted remotely between their locations in Japan and the US, went smoothly.

Two songs are: "Contradiction" and "Hole." For both songs, Jun added the vocals to the rhythm originally composed by Jeff Mills, and the final synth pad added by Shinichi Yamaguchi was edited by Jeff Mills. On "Contradiction" (Long Radio Mix), he wanted to include a guitar similar to the style of rock and roll legend Bo Diddley, which is masterfully played by Kazuhide Yamaji of the current Yapoos.

Simple Symmetry, Nicola Cruz, Roman Flügel. From the moment of its release, Iñigo Vontier’s El Hijo del Maiz has become one of the most gripping albums of the moment. With South American and Middle Eastern sounds and his conception of music as ritual, the Mexican DJ keeps electronica in check as a valid mix of influences. The EP El Hijo Del Maiz (Remixes) marks the end of an episode which started, in good company, last autumn on the Lumière Noire label. The second track of his album, Bo Ni Ke, is distinguished by its original - almost implausible - universe, with a Japanese-inflected vocal filter and oriental flutes taking the beats into a crazy trance.

Shanghai’s forward-facing Svbkvlt turn out a killer surprise drop from Hyph11e and Kode 9 after their raucous Gooooose & Dj Scotch Egg throw down. Last spotted on a body-spinning split session with Slikback for Hakuna Kulala/Svbkvlt in 2019, Hyph11e’s Tess Sun renders her most polluted atmospheres over panel-beating mutant techno rhythms in ‘Barnacles’; spending the first half fulminating amorphous, cranky sound design before emerging from the chthonic murk with a foul head of industrial bashment. As an avowed fan of Svbkvlt’s aesthetic, and a regular visitor to their region, Kode 9 is the ideal candidate to rework ‘Barnacles’, refitting it with signature wavey top line and recalibratiing the rhythm to a hybrid of rolling mid ‘90s hardcore breaks, nippy 2-step, and glyding UK Drill bass graffitti that firmly marks up his first outing since 2019’s ‘Digging In The Cart’ reworks of Japanese computer game soundtracks.

Colleagues in Japan provided us with sample product of the following audio artefact – file number ST015 – believing that it may be relevant to the Safe Trip Institute’s ongoing research in this area of study. After rigorous testing and analysis, we would like to offer the following observations:
The artefact contains two related pieces of music, which appear to be the work of a high profile pseudo-scientist known as Hoshina Anniversary.
If you listen carefully to the first piece, “Hakkenden I”, the first thing you will notice is how the lead electric piano line and repetitive electronic motifs – known in colloquial slang as “acid lines” – follow the same melodic pattern, as if Hoshina Anniversary was sending the same powerful psychokinetic instructions to a number of instruments at the same time.
In contrast, “Hakkenden II” is darker and more hallucinogenic in tone. The use of restless, arpeggio-style bass and creepy-sounding chord sequences suggest that Hoshina Anniversary momentarily lost control of his psychokinetic powers before wresting back the initiative as the recording progressed (the return of the melodies and instrumentation heard in “Hakkenden I” in the second half of the piece supports these findings).
We invite colleagues the world over to analyze and test this audio artefact further in order to increase our understanding of this thought-provoking item and its unusual Japanese creator.

Japanese DJ mastermind Hironori Takahashi emerges with a new vinyl release for Kin-Ben Label. It is an effortless, seductive, hypnotic and floaty piece of work. Simply put, the entire EP is exceptionally DJ friendly. The one and only remixer on the record is a Spanish techno powerhouse and Tsunami Records founder Christian Wunsch.

The Moon Dance' Mark's the come back of one of Chi Towns most innovative and iconic figures to Apnea Records. Jamal Moss (Hieroglyphic Being) sound's were first released on Apnea in 2007. Now, in 2023, he's back with this double 12'' album flooded with synth jazz and cosmic acid explorations in his signature and irreverent style.

Arriving on transparent blue vinyl, the fourth installation of Figure’s Hardspace series brings six new re-interpretations of Len Faki’s favorites via his Hardspace alias.

Starting with a true classic, the gem that is Josh Wink’s Sixth Sense picks up on the original’s tight plastic groove and creates some serious low end rumble.
A less obvious choice, Aoki Takamasa’s minimalist dub from Japan, gets a complete makeover in the Hardspace edit, using driving percussion to morph the pensive blueprint into an upbeat peaktime slammer.
One of the most iconic basslines of the last decade, DJ Yoav B’s Energize is a standout on its own but paired with the relentless groove of the high-energy Hardspace remix it unlocks new levels of rave potential.
Huxley’s Weapon 3 was maybe one of the darkest tunes ever released on the otherwise house-centric catalogue of UK label Aus, which Len Faki already played back when it was first released. The Hardspace Mix merges a feeling explosive force with the originals sultry ambiance, catapulting the track back onto today’s dancefloors.
Colourful, dubby synth stabs are what keeps the momentum on peak time roller Funktion by French producer Tuttle, which in its Hardspace version packs even more heat, as Faki employs his signature claps and tunes up the original’s enervating siren sound, squeezing out every last drop of energy.
Originally released in the 90ies, Mike Parker’s Shakuhachi Two is as techno as it gets. Only now sounding even more powerful and dynamic, as the Harspace Mix keeps all of the original goodness while stacking additional propulsive percussion for a sweaty floor workout.

HAKAI is the new project from Joey Blush (BLUSH_RESPONSE) and Jagoda Nagel. Inspired by their mutual love for Japanese culture and aesthetics, Hakai’s first 12″ is a brutal and noisy debut for Blush’s new label MEGASTRUCTURE_. The HAKAI sound is one born of destruction. The A side of the EP opens with the 100 bpm pounder Anxiety, driving the beats further and faster at 140 bpm with Ningen. The intensity continues on the B side, with Invading Executioner bringing a dreamlike edge to the industrial beats, only to awake in the alien dimension of the final track, Bury Me Alive. Bury Me Alive is an emotional ballad inspired by loss and the futility of life itself. How do we let go when there is so much left we couldn’t do? MEGASTRUCTURE_ is BLUSH_RESPONSE’s new label. A home for sounds on the fringes of reality, MEGASTRUCTURE will act as a haven for those attracted to unusual sounds.

Gnashing hardcore spirit meets razor-sharp sound design in a keen collab between Svbkvlt MVP Gooooose and chiptune survivor DJ Scotch Egg, with searing remixes by Slikback and Seven Orbits & Tsvi. The debut collaboration between the Japanese and Chinese mentalists, ‘jac’ was forged in the wake of Nyege Nyege Tapes’ 2019 festival, where Shigeru Ishihara aka Scotch Egg’s playful sense of drama proved an ideal match for Gooooose’s precision-tuned, bespoke software in the studio. As mainstay of ‘00s electronica, with recent credits in Seefeel and WaqWaq Kingdom, Ishihara appears to lend a sort of cryptic sci-fi story-telling to the exacting, super-crisp contours and pointillist percussion of Gooooose across six surprisingly emotive works that provide a rocket fuel for the remixers, spurring Slikback to run riot while hard drum guys Tsvi & Seven Orbits double down on their already excellent work for Svbkvlt.

Born from my meeting with japanese artist Vega Voga, ‘Toyoko No Kuni’ builds a bridge between our two cultures by creating a musical epic sounding like an imaginary, acid-drenched Toshiya Fujita movie. By homaging the 70’s Avant-garde scene and by channelling Akiko Yano and Midori Takada’s music, Tokoyo No Kuni combines a western approach to japanese traditional instruments in which lyrical vocal samples, synth lines, supersonic percussions and razor-sharp guitars drench the country of Chrysanthemums in an unsolved mystery. Remixed by Nicola Cruz, Michael Mayer and Wolf Müller, ‘Tokoyo No Kuni’ acts as the opening act of my new album Piscolabis.

Glass Coat is a solo project from a Parisian producer who has been living abroad for more than ten years, in Copenhagen, Atlanta, Seattle, Taipei, and presently Shanghai. Inspired initially by 90’s electronic giants from the Warp label (Apex twin, Autechre) and the trip hop school of Bristol as well as Scandinavian electro-pop from The Knife to Djuna Barnes and Royksopp, the project has taken a new direction over the course of the last two EPs, inspired now by experimental and drone music. The new sound is based on static, pieces of found sounds and digital glitches processed through analog equipment. The name of this sophomore EP, «Ghostlines» refers to the ghost culture in Taiwan (the EP was recorded between Paris and Taipei) as well as ghost notes, and the ghost lines, i.e. lines that a writer will not fully complete in an unfinished text. The EP is also inspired by environmental disaster and the weight human presence has exercised on our common planet. The works of JG Ballard (particularly «The drought») have been an inspiration for this record. The cover photography is by Taiwanese artist Yehlin LEE, from his book «Raw Soul», published by the Japanese publisher akaa-sha.

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

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

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

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

Galcid - Hope and Fear is the long awaited sophomore album of Japanese techno-artist galcid. Although completed in 2019, the release date of the album was delayed by Covid-19. This was due to both practical and artistic reasons—the titles and identity of each composition reflect various ways in which galcid reflected upon the pandemic. Music is by galcid Produced by Hisashi Saito In the 4 years that have passed since galcid’s debut album hertz (2016), galcid worked on various EPs and albums as Saito. Juxtaposed to the black and white minimalism of hertz, the palate of Hope and Fear is decidedly more colourful, laden with emotional undertones. The depth of the sound created by galcid’s exclusive reliance on analogue machines invites the listener to follow their own journey along the resulting soundscape.

Optimo Music excitedly unleashes Japan’s GǼG and their Anarcho Disco volumes 1 & 2 into the world. We thought we were done with 12” single release, at least for now, but then these tracks showed up and it was instantly obviously Essential that they get pressed up on big fat twelve inch singles. Every single track here has been tried and tested and caused delirious delight on the dancefloor over the last year. Now it is time to share them with YOU! Truly Anarchic, Psychedelic dance music for the open-minded and genre-free crews.

GǼG say –
Disko Klubb boss Monkey Timers, who leads Tokyo’s underground disco scene, and Keita Sano, who has been gaining attention for his releases on labels around the world, have started the project “gǽg”.

Using a variety of sampling and unique FX, our music has created a unique GǼG sound that is psychedelic and anarchic.

This subversive sound is sure to be the key to shaking the dancefloor.

Optimo Music excitedly unleashes Japan’s GǼG and their Anarcho Disco volumes 1 & 2 into the world. We thought we were done with 12” single release, at least for now, but then these tracks showed up and it was instantly obviously ESSENTIAL that they get pressed up on big fat twelve inch singles. Every single track here has been tried and tested and caused delirious delight on the dancefloor over the last year. Now it is time to share them with YOU! Truly Anarchic, Psychedelic dance music for the open-minded and genre-free crews.

GǼG say –
DISKO KLUBB boss MONKEY TIMERS, who leads Tokyo’s underground disco scene, and KEITA SANO, who has been gaining attention for his releases on labels around the world, have started the project “GǼG”.

Using a variety of sampling and unique FX, our music has created a unique GǼG sound that is psychedelic and anarchic.

This subversive sound is sure to be the key to shaking the dancefloor.

The Swedish label Fasaan Recordings reinvents itself once again with a 4-track EP from the Free Arts Band. Still rummaging around in the general field of dance music, but now with a touch more avant-garde on their palette. The faceless entity that is the Free Arts Band introduces us to the simple idea of bringing a drum machine to art school. Infused with the creative space of the white-painted studio, a healthy dose of post-modernist pondering and the depth of traditional lineage, these four jams seem oddly timeless. Each of them riding on the verge of reductionism, they seem to ask: how funky can this get with as limited means as possible? Opening track "Cool Grey" offers synthesized new age jazz with some sundazed guitars, while "KADK" strips everything down to their primal elements and lets the rhythms do the talking, pierced occasionally by a woozy keyboard figure that perfectly mimics the gestures of someone walking in on the wrong party. With lo-fi gloom, the heavyweight of the EP, "Inhouse" rolls along on a beat that gently approaches the aesthetics of a West Coast low rider cruising track. Closing the cycle is a sequel to its opening track, and walks you out into a Japanese garden of British new wave guitar twang and brightly colored Badarou-style synths.

The original track is an industrial and distortion experimental project of the owner label Federico Amoroso which contain a really metallic and dark sound. Positive Centre his remix it's a Dark walk into Industrial noise and distortion audio bites, with ambient moments and powerful destroy counter. The first track of B side it's remixed by Italian producer Plukkk which heavy dominating with relentless attitude and distortion driving kick - drum, with big impact for the dancefloor. The last remix is a collaboration with the Japanese producer Yuuki Sakai which has an original idea to add a lyrical singer in the middle of distortion broken techno beat.

No introduction needed here, the collectors version of 2 previously re-issued LPs on Transmigration no available as one double LP. Now complete with Obi strip and insert.
Susumu Yokota's vision of techno - house, lovingly collected in collaboration with Space Teddy and the Yokota family. Presented through linear notes in English and Japanese with archival photos from Uwe Reineke and Mijk Van Dijk. All tracks have been remastered by Steffen Müller.
Very limited quantities!

Nobu welcomes Japanese sound artist Doltz to his Bitta imprint for a full pack of hypnotic techno. Doltz started his musical career in 1998 as a drummer in a hardcore punk band, and had a fateful encounter with DJ Nobu, who shares the same musical roots, when they were billed alongside each other at a party called 'Broad' in Fukuoka-city in the winter of 2022. Impressed by Doltz's live performance, DJ Nobu immediately booked him for his residency party 'reprise' at Womb Tokyo. Set the stage for Doltz's sensational debut in Tokyo. The two hit it off and began exchanging tracks, with DJ Nobu actively playing out Doltz's tracks while touring across the world and receiving a good response. This first EP on Bitta consists of four of such tracks that were tested and proven. Doltz has already released several deeper techno and ambient works under the alias, but his encounter with DJ Nobu has allowed him to show his new potential on trippy and powerful tracks that are more dancefloor-oriented, and he has made rapid progress as an electronic music producer over the past year. More to come.

The Rephlex alumni and Rinse.fm resident DMX Krew channels Prince’s spirit in this new electro-pop maxi on Cold Blow.

Picking up his electro-pop and synth-funk hat from where it was laid on 2022’s Party Life LP, Ed DMX is switching gears and picking up the pace with four dance-inducing tracks. Another one of the brilliant releases that we’ve become to expect from the consistently hot Cold Blow! The titular track “Still Got It” is a brand new production with vocal and dub versions of driving bassline and Linn fills, exclaiming “I still got the music in me, and it sets me free!” amidst heartbreak. Teardrops on the dancefloor, anyone?

On the flip side, we are treated with an archive gem from the Rephlex era! The Telex-like pacey vocoder synth pop “Paranoia” was recorded around the time of “We Are Dmx” album in 1999, and what a treat it is!

The closing track is the only previously released one. A dub version of “Cold Love” borrowed from the Japan-exclusive, CD-only 2005 album “Kiss Goodbye” which Cold Blow has announced to be reissued soon!

Following releases by label boss Paul Ritch and Portuguese producer Cardao, Quartz Rec welcomes a new addition to its roster, DJ Sodeyama, with I Wanna Dance EP. DJ, producer, label owner & founder of ARPA records, Yoshifumi Sodeyama started Djing in the early 90s in his native Tokyo. His well crafted productions have been released on Japanese and international labels, including a recent appearance on Nina Kravitz's Trip compilation I Have A Question. On this EP, from the building tension of the opening track, to the beautiful acid sounds of the last, DJ Sodeyama manages to create great atmospheres using repetitive patterns with drifting sounds that will surely make the dancer's mind wander.

Chiming, bubbling and beautiful, 'Zzzz' is a 15 minute piece that was initially composed as healing music for a sick friend. After lengthy deliberation (and one particularly fun demo listening session in Amsterdam) the accompanying B side tracks were finally decided upon, making up a thrilling set. 'Wwww' goes straight into Nobu's menacing side with a looping, brooding piece of wired paranoia. He finishes off the triptych with 'Cccc' a psychedelic drive down the darkened roads master Nobu is often known to navigate through when in murder mode as a DJ. BIG TIP!
The artwork is from a painting by Syoujou Ooido (Nara, Japan) used with kind permission.

Referring to Karel Capek's satiric 1936 novel ,,War with the Newts", the sixth record of the YAPPIN chronicles is DJ Neewt's second attempt to transfer Capek's dystopian imagery of suppression and monetarisation onto a sonic level. This EP is a pass to deep and psychedelic spheres, a clash of despair and hope, hegemony and appetite for freedom and independency, an alternation of tension and relief, of simplicity and complexity. Distant, reverberating voices wallowing in broad synthesizer soundscapes, incisive bass lines twining percussive patterns - everything is cyclic but yet somehow progressing. The three tracks on ,,Mud Voices" are not just functional tools to inject some trance and breaks into your DJ set, they are the creative outcome of DJ Neewt interrogating Karel Capek's view on totalitarianism, postcolonialism and social Darwinism - an attempt to put a sonic complexion to the marvelous science fiction story the Czech author had told in dismal and desperate times. - B. Kaemmer

Domesticated and Open Space collaborate to release DJ Fitness - The DJ Fitness Programme.

For the fifth release of Organic Signs, we pay tribute once again, in an even more special way, to our beloved Digitalis, aka Seb Taylor. Two years ago, we launched the first EP of our label, Digitalis - Soma Junkies, recovering a gem from the British artist. This time, we wanted to go further by presenting a new album concept with impeccable sound, thanks to the mastering by Damian Schwartz. Comprising both released tracks and some unreleased material, The Fourth State serves as a tribute and evolution of Digitalis's only album released in 1998, reminding us of the urgent need to remain vigilant against the most insidious powers of social control.

Spacehop, the starting point. In 1994, after hearing a demo tape, Andy Guthrie (aka 100th Monkey / Funkopath) connected Digitalis with the team of the Spacehopper party at the Que Club in Birmingham. There, Digitalis quickly became a resident, dazzling audiences with his live sets. A premature first track from the early days of his career was never officially released, but many had the chance to enjoy it live on numerous memorable nights.

In Loup Garou, the exquisite taste and mastery of breakbeat rhythms manifest. It's an explosion of rhythm interwoven with trance patterns, and you can also listen to an unreleased digital version, exclusive to Bandcamp. Closing the first side of the record is Repeater, the first track ever released by Digitalis, which laid the foundations for his distinctive sound.One of the most surprising parts of the album unfolds on the B side. Just as we had finalized the selection of tracks, Seb surprised us with a message revealing that he had found old tapes.

This led to a collaboration with Hugh Newman, rich with influences from his alias Shakta, featuring vocal and acid synths that open the portal to a new dimension of auditory frequencies. Osho Drums combines live percussion from Osho, half of the Japanese group UNI, with psychedelic trance riffs and breakbeat rhythms that intertwine without relying on typical formulas.

Figments Of Reality (Trance Mix) would bring the vinyl album to a close, featuring nearly 146 BPM of trance and synth sounds that resonate like thrown objects falling from the sky, landing on the rhythmic grill.

As a final addition to the release, we also present Genetics, a digital exclusive track, another unreleased gem from his early days that deserved to come out of the vault of memories.

Our eighth chapter of Small Great Things is introduced by our resident, David Silver. The limited vinyl and digital release, titled the 'My Japanese Friend EP,' features four exquisite original tracks. This EP seamlessly blends deep and classic house vibes with contemporary beats, ensuring a refreshing dance floor experience. Starting with the A1 side, 'Trademark' initiates the journey with a solid house groove complemented by stabs and a robust bassline. Transitioning to the A2 track, the title piece 'My Japanese Friend' assumes center stage with its infectious groovy bassline, piano chords, and captivating drums, enveloped by ambient jazzy melodies. Turning over to the B side, we encounter two more enticing house compositions. On B1, David's 'U Move' delivers a fresh, dance floor-ready cut, featuring vocals and guitars. B2 takes the spotlight with 'Peace & Low,' a finely crafted deep house gem.

This 2LP set and CD from EM Records chronicles the legacy of underground Japanese techno legends Cycheouts - pronounced ‘psyche outs’ in English. Originally formed in 1994, the group quickly became a centerpiece of Osaka's underground electronic scene. Led by main producer Akira Ohashi, Cycheouts melded influences from jungle, drum'n'bass, digital hardcore, and experimental noise music, all of which are explored in this compilation of tracks painstakingly selected by two true Cycheouts experts. Cycheouts' music and live performances went on to inspire a number of successful Japanese dance music acts, and can be seen as an origin point for the "nerdcore techno" movement of the early 2000s. This archive of the early work of Cycheouts provides an essential look at the birth and development of hardcore jungle in Japan, including multiple tracks featuring the full Cycheouts lineup with original vocals and multiple MCs. Most of these tracks are available on LP for the first time, and have been newly remastered for the format; the set also includes extensive liner notes in both English and Japanese.

Approaching 20 years since its original release (2007 via Smallfish), now remastered to pure analogue bliss from the original ampex tape masters.

The sound on display here I could imagine as a soundtrack while submerging in a submersible diving deeper than the Marianas trench!

The B side now features an epic live version captured @ AIR, Tokyo, Japan. Made in the heart of Detroit, with love!

Junki Inoue presents the second release on his recently founded label Saisei from prolific Japanese producer Takuya Sugimoto under his COLOGNe alias. Deep Talk EP features 6 tracks originally released on Japanese CD only label Viola in 1999 and is a snapshot of the elevated warped-techno meets IDM productions Sugimoto is so respected for. Famous for releasing under many synonyms including COLOGNe, Web and Sammansa it was his EVA EP - the first release on FatCat Records in 1996 that stands out in his recording history. The tracks were in fact licenced from Syzygy Records in Japan, which was one of the main Japanese labels including Viola that homed his work during the 90s era he was most productive in. More recently German label Acido released The Sound There, a mini album of previously unreleased Web material recorded between 1994 and 1995 which was released last year in 2020. Deep Talk EP presents 6 tracks of intelligent and elevated techno, which show the balanced and intricate approach Sugimoto applies to his output. It has all the warmth and positive essence of the 90s era of electronic music - combining deep and beautiful sounds with headsy and intricate constructions. This is the first time this music has been made available on the vinyl format. Saisei is a Japanese word which translates to ‘reproduction’ and ‘to play’ (as in playing records). Japanese culture is widely known for its traditional nature just as much as it is for being forward into the future and this label’s concept does justice to exactly that. Having started digging for records as early as 16 years old, Inoue delved into productions from 1990s Japan to uncover these native gems. Saisei’s core concept is to recapture and reintroduce unique pieces of Japanese electronic music onto vinyl, to an audience it never reached before as most of this music was only released in Japan.

Coldgeist's music on Unknown Bodies is an intimate reinterpretation of coldwave, techno and dark ambient codes, uttered with strength, guts, and an underlying romantic soul. Inspired by nocturnal runs of "bosozoku" bikers clans, who stem from this japanese subculture of the late seventies ; Coldgeist has created a series of soundscapes and songs that evoke speeding through foggy nights and fluorescent lights. Haunting repetitions and stiffness of the rhythms as a metaphor of mechanical gestures, of bodies turned into units of consumption, stranded from the life and passion they crave. The frustration of a youth that only finds relief in extreme experiences, danger, and the sexual tension of speed and crashes. With analog and digital instruments, field recordings but also his own voice and songs, Coldgeist has bred a truly unique record.

1998 Japanese deep techno EP originally released in limited quantities on the short lived Tokyo based Metro Juice Records. To date it remains the sole release of Sohei Nagasawa aka Cocoo, becoming a favourite for fans of stripped back percussive and earthy techno. Includes two new remixes.

Russia’s Paval Milyakov, aka Buttechno, tends to his screwier, inquisitive side for TTT with a gauzy batch of ambient, folk and house experiments, swerving between the lines of his records for Japan’s City-2 St. Giga, Collapsing Market and his Gosha Rubchinskiy AW16 soundtrack, to the dankest parts of his bedroom-baked club sound.

This is music for hanging out on cold, concrete corners in your most flammable trackies, taking in pastoral electro-folk meditation Gosha Medvedeva, his Pole-esque Slow Dub, and the skinny, bone-pinching swing of K4 on the one hand, before decorating those skeletal structures with more fleshly samples of Russia pop in the low key seduction of Poleva, and something like a roadside house rave played on empty vodka bottles, oil drums and cardboard boxes in the Brinkmann-like Metallo, and a nervily grubbing, spooked-out house ace named Super Siziy King.

Tetsu Shibuya, better known as simply Tetsu or Brisa is a Japanese producer and DJ known for works on the iconic Japanese Jazzy Sport imprint, King Street sub-label Nite Grooves and his own Brisa Music. Leading the EP is title-track 'Stir', in collaboration with Turbojazz Brisa delivers a classic slice of deep house built upon layers of bright stab sequences and loose organic percussion. Detroit's beloved Jon Dixon turns his hand to 'Stir' next, encapsulating the soul of his hometown in reshaping fragments of the original composition. The original of 'Reverie' opens the B-side, laying down a broken rhythm, low-pitched vocal hooks and elongated bass grooves for a more bruk tinged feel. Byron The Aquarius then extracts the core of 'Reverie' and spins it into bumpy, subtly nuanced house workout. Lastly the third original 'Flux' rounds out the release, shifting deeper in funkinfused realms with a playful plucked bass groove and heavily swung drums.

After three standout EPs on Atomnation, Japanese producer and live artist Ryunosuke Hayashi a.k.a. boys be kko serves up his long-awaited debut album. Hensa is a serene nine-track electronic trip that oozes musical charm. He makes his music in a studio with its own roof terrace and counts the likes of &ME and Bonobo as fans while Running Back boss Gerd Janson has remixed him in the past. This new album finds him expand on his always emotive, clean and futuristic fusion of house, disco and melodic techno in alluring new ways. This is a brain-cleansing, soul-enriching work of melodic electronic perfection from boys be kko.

The music coming from Vrsion & Nikol’s collaboration captured our attention from the very first listen. With this tenth O.C.D release, we strive to showcase timeless music that we feel will be appreciated as much now as well into the future.

Together they are ‘Body Copy’, a collaborative project between two artists which blossomed in Leeds. Gavin Herlihy (Vrsion), a name that won’t be new to those who were around the early 2000s when he was releasing his music with the most interesting labels of the time and lately on Craig Richard’s The Nothing Special label.

Chris Nicholls (Nikol), resident of the Leeds-Barcelona project MASS has taken steps into his production career with promising results on their first record. For us, this EP has a very special flavour, expressing darker tones compared to the latest EPs on the label.

For this sixth release we prepared something special and very close to our hearts. While digging deep into the obscurities of French House music a few years ago, a friend pointed us to a label, Labo Music which had just a few releases in its catalogue and was run by an artist called “Bo’”. Through a series of synchronistic events, we managed to get a hold of the very first 2 releases produced by Bo’ himself, and since that moment we got lovestruck with the music contained in those records. It was later Bo’ himself to tell us that the music in LABO001 and LABO002 was capturing a very special and delicate moment of his life, while he was going through personal challenges and changes, that took him into musical directions that he was not used to pursue.
We don’t know what force he channelled with those sessions, but the music resonates so much with us, that we felt it should not be heard just by a few lucky ones and thus decided to pick our favourite tracks and reissue them on OCD.