“Faith is waiting for you to find it" N. Hill

Nationally adored Australian dance music producer Cassettes For Kids (Zak Degenhardt) has delivered his most thorough body of work to date, releasing EP Turpins Falls via Gallery Recs.
 
Turpins Falls is a vast array of moods that ebbs and flows in energy, texture, power and emotion, wrapped in an archetypal, Cassettes For Kids glaze of hardware driven house music. Every track has its own unique deeply human feel and bounce, as evocative synths, swinging bass lines and driving, varied percussion layers fall effortlessly together, giving audiences an intimate insight into the mind of one of Australia’s most talented and prolific producers.
 
“As much as I wish this didn't have as much to do with the pandemic, so much of this was written during this period of my life and since then, I haven't made anything like the tracks on this EP,” Cassettes For Kids stated.
 
“This all made sense at the time. Tones and textures that all clicked then have ceased to happen again, yet I'm as proud as ever to have written as honest of a reflection of the frustration and lack of mental respite that I couldn't otherwise express, documented over these five tracks.”
 
Opening with ‘I Was So’, the atmospheric peak of the record. A track that boasts production prowess and confidence, it sees Zak lean heavily into groove and swing heavy house music for the first time. As I Was So closes with unadulterated bounce the title track arrives, Turpins Falls. Written while reflecting on a deeply intimate personal moment, the universal feeling of being blown away by context and the environment's intrinsic relationship to infatuation and love. As Zak reflected on the environmental awe of Turpins Falls in Kyneton, Victoria 'Turpins Falls’ featuring Nyla Hunter was born. 
 
Next are the unquestionable floor fillers. Already garnering support from names such as DJ Boring, DJ Seinflied, Haai, ‘Tranquil’ evokes the nostalgic elements we’ve all come to know and love from the power of a dance floor, with its late landing bounce providing a deeply human feel. It's quickly followed by the magical, undisputed and tested dance inducing ‘Heard This Calling’, a vocal driven fast house track that has taken clubs by storm over the past few months. Rounding things out is ‘Losing Balance’, leaning heavier into the proggier side of production the track is minimal and efficient in its purpose, one that balances a rampant bass line with intricately tapped and curated melodic elements. 

Ecuadorian musician, sound engineer and producer Andre Salmon collaborates with Teddy Wong, Jorge Andrade, Le Roi Carmona and Michael Joseph for their first collective release on Hot Creations. The three-track EP is a rumbling journey through club-ready tech house, shaped by glistening beats, thick basslines and groovy melodies.

The title track simmers with a chunky bassline and a giggly vocal sample, in tandem with Spanish lyrics and a catchy melody. Co-produced with Teddy Wong, The Wonx follows suit with a more laidback mood and a twinkling synthline. Snappy percussion and glitchy vocals add a clubby feel. On the flip, Andre joins forces with Le Roi Carmona and Michael Joseph on La Piel De Salmon. A weird and wonky melody ensues, aligned with Hot Creations’ signature take on house music. Ethereal Spanish vocals build tension in the breakdown before erupting into a colossal, bass-heavy groove.

New York DJ, producer and Maya Records founder Joeski returns to Crosstown Rebels in December. Jah Unite pays tribute to Joeski's long-running appreciation for Reggae dub with two tracks of stripped-back house with a roots twist.

The title track opens with minimal drums and a saxophone-led melody. Joeski stitches reggae vocals across the breakdown, evoking a gorgeous, sun-kissed soundscape. On In This Life, the producer layers snappy percussion with distant drum rolls and laidback keys while Reggae vocals wind through the atmosphere. An irresistible groove.

Brooklyn-born Joeski began his DJing journey in 1989, honing his craft throughout the 90s in some of the finest New York-based clubs like Limelight, Tunnel and The Roxy. Today, Joeski is an established producer, selector and boss of the long-running label Maya. He's released classic to contemporary sounds on labels like NRK, Ministry of Sound, Defected, Bedrock, Nervous, Cajual and KMS, further adding to his credibility as a critical talent in the house and techno realms. As a DJ, Joeski has performed across the Americas and Canada, building a loyal fanbase. Although he's been on the scene for over three decades, Joeski doesn't rest on his laurels. He constantly evolves his approach while staying grounded in the process. In other words, he's a real one.

Industrialyzer drops ‘Snake Whisperer’ on Rekids, backed with two Radio Slave remixes

Industrialyzer, real name Ricardo Rodrigues, is a Lisbon-born, Amsterdam-based DJ and producer who has released music on the likes of Ben Sims’ Symbolism, Tronic, Suara, and his Groove Matters imprint, under both his Industrialyzer alias as well as one half of The Advent. Arriving on Radio Slave’s Rekids for the first time, the DJ/producer delivers one hard-hitting original track backed by two stellar remixes from the label boss.

The original mix of ‘Snake Whisperer’ leads the release, bringing floaty bleeps, pounding drums, and grinding synths across the A-side. For the first of his remixes, Radio Slave extends elements of the original into a 10-minute trip with hypnotic low-end colliding with razor-sharp percussion. Rounding out the release is Radio Slave’s ambient version, which sees the Rekids head honcho stripping all percussion and emphasising the gorgeous pads and vast, reverberant atmospherics.

Newly-founded Icelandic imprint NIX welcomes Swiss talent Chlär for its sophomore release as he drops a trio of dynamic productions across his ‘Dance Instructor’ EP.

An imprint with an ethos of showcasing fresh, singular material from across the electronic spectrum, NIX looks set to make a statement as a label to watch in the months ahead. Founded in 2021 by Reykjavik favourite and bbbbbb alumnus Árni, who combined with fellow Icelandic talent and synth-disco producer Hermigervill for the label’s first release, the label now opens its doors to its first international guest in Berlin-based, Swiss DJ, producer and label owner, Chlär. Fresh from releases on Mutual Rytm and Welcome To The World Loop, the Bipolar Disorder co-owner flexes his muscles as he serves up a trio of driving yet nuanced productions across his ‘Dance Instructor’ EP.

A1 ‘Galvanizer’ is a loopy, hypnotic tunnelling ride through classic and modern techno soundscapes as rolling drums and icy hats guide vocal snippets down a descending groove, while ‘Vital Force’ showcases his studio talents and wide-reaching sound palette as skittering percussion, snaking low-ends, and further warped vocal interjections drive the production into the peak-time hours. The B-Side is home to title track ‘Dance Instructor’, serving up a seven-minute cascading dive through vivacious, spirited percussion arrangements, resonant lead stabs and sharp claps to draw from cues in its title and serve up a production set to make dancers let go and lose themselves to the groove. Tip!

Chlär ‘Dance Instructor’ EP drops via NIX on 27th January 2023.

Spanish DJ and producer Indira Paganotto has unveiled her new EP ‘Lions Of God’ out on vinyl early 2023.

A four-track release, ‘Lions Of God’ kicks off with ‘Legend’, a pulsating, high-energy club cut that taps into Indira’s trademark ‘psytechno’ sound. Setting the tone for the rest of the record, it is followed by the slamming techno meets spiritual vocals of ‘Diabla’, hypnotic, highly emotive vibes of ‘Angels Never Die’, and finally the title track ‘Lions Of God’, a pumping techno cut laced with poignant breakdowns. She returns to KNTXT following last year’s ‘Himalaya’ EP.

“Indira is baaaaack!” says KNTXT label head Charlotte de Witte. “I’ve been playing these tracks for a while now and they’ve been slaying every single dance floor. In my opinion, this is her best work so far and I’m very excited to have her on board for another psytrance influenced EP on KNTXT. She’s been killing it worldwide the past couple of months and it’s been an honor to follow her journey from up close. Big things are coming!”

“‘Lions Of God’ EP is the perfect summary of these twelve years of experimentation with my own psytechno sound,” Indira adds. “You will enter the depths of my mind with these tracks, and you will experience four different stories but with the same beginning and end, the search for truth, hope and love. Low riding as if a horse were taking you running without stopping, you feel melancholic and hopeful, hidden messages that if you know me you will know why they are there! I hope you have a good trip with this EP! Thanks to my sister Charlotte and the whole KNTXT family for your support and sharing my music and my being!

One of Spain’s hottest young dance talents, Indira Paganotto’s sets are full of elegance and effusive danceability, with a quality selection that spans 90s disco to the most current underground techno music.

‘Lions Of God’ sees Indira Paganotto illustrate why she is one of the hottest names on the scene right now.

The Mothership has come! It has arrived in the form of the strictly limited collection box “Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe”, containing all singles released on the label between 2019 and 2021. The Höga Nord – galaxy resounds of all good between strict electro and loose jams, fluffy krautrock and moist world music to underwater techno and space funk. Although, what it is that defines the Höga Nord sound is not genres, instead it is, to cite Mathias Nilsson, founder of and boss for the label, music “strongly connected to fantasy, to the creative world.” Creativity over profit!

The collection is an overview on Gothenburg’s underground music and on an international scene that breathes similar air as the local Swedish acts that Höga Nord Rekords has chosen to highlight. The kinship between Jesse’s 80’s varnish sports car-electro and Purple Desert Rain God’s more traditional mountain sound can appear distant but the artists come together in their free spirited approach to their own productions – what all acts on this collection has in common is that they move toward something new, something beyond the genre they are in.

“Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe ” mark the closer for Höga Nords first run. The 2010s are over and the 2020s lies open for further investigation of the cream of the Swedish and international of underground scenes!