Big Love boss Seamus Haji commits four of the label’s latest cuts to wax for the second edition of ‘A Touch Of Love’. Kicking off the A-Side, Dirty Channels’ dreamy disco cut ‘Let Love In’ sets the tone, soul-steeped with a heavy dose of funk. Up next, Seamus’ remix of Brazilian house legend DJ Meme ‘I Can’t Get You (Out Of My Mind)’ follows, a silky down-tempo cut with flawless composition. On the flip, Boston singer-songwriter Saucy Lady delivers ‘Reunite Under Starlight’, exuding confidence and sensuality on the 70s inspired cut. Finally, Razor-N-Tape boss JKriv closes out the EP with ‘Not That Serious’ featuring Angela Johnson, a soulful and uplifting dancefloor track that’s an authentic slice of disco goodness.

M-High makes his LOCUS debut with his four-track EP, ‘Enchant Me’.

With Amsterdam’s house scene continuing to flourish, M-High has seen his stock surge in recent months. Still young in the game, his releases and remixes via labels such as META, Moxy Muzik and Politics Of Dancing have seen him flying high alongside his fellow compatriots while also evolving from a label regular to A&R duties at PIV alongside founder Prunk. Having featured for the label’s New Year’s Day party in London, the Dutchman touches down on LOCUS for the first time with four fresh productions via his ‘Enchant Me’ EP.

Title cut ‘Enchant Me’ is a slick and classy effort fusing rich chords and skipping drums with zipping acid lines, while ‘Do You Even Groove’ pairs things back as rolling drums and sweeping electronics zig-zag through sparse textures. Next, ‘Endless Whispers’ combines sharp organ stabs with breezy pads and warm basslines, with the low-end heavy ‘Faded Senses’ closing the show and offering up yet more late-night dancefloor grooves.

Mint Condition - A record label focused on excavating the outer fringes of classic House and Techno. Unreleased mixes, classics, overlooked gems and never heard before material, mined from the last 30+ years of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. From Chicago, Detroit and New York to London and beyond. Mint Condition have got their digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been in your wants list for years. Dig in....

Tobias Menguser, AKA Leon De Winter, was a very influential figure in the 90's Frankfurt techno scene, releasing around 100 records under various aliases, including collaborations with Ricardo Villalobos, but it was his Leon De Winter alias that really caught the ears of legendary London label Eukahouse, who originally releases this 12" all the way back in 1997. A one-off, it is not only unique in its sound design but also genre defying, spanning deep house, tech-house, techno, electro and breaks.
A-Side 'Apollo Jazz' is truly that, sounding like it was composed from a freeform jam on a trip to the Moon. Opening with emotive chords, the track lifts off and builds, melodies effortlessly twist and turn, superbly pulling together a variety of well crafted synths, bass and percussion whilst keeping the energy to the fore. Over to the B-Side, 'Metamat', is bold and more playful in its execution, more sonic trickery abounds as the opening riffs and breakbeat percussion give way to a solid 4/4. The bass is as memorable as it is quirky, but again it's the strength in the way all the elements build and combine that creates some real tripped-out musical moments without ever losing its dance floor appeal.

This is one of Tobias's most sought after releases and it's no wonder his collaborative work with Ricardo Villalobos is legendary. The tracks themselves have remained exciting and relevant, achieving cult status amongst the most discerning DJs, record collectors and music heads alike. Legitimately re-released with the full involvement of Tobias Menguser, lovingly remastered by London's Curve Pusher from the original DATs especially for Mint Condition. 100% legit, licensed and released. Dug, remastered, repackaged and brought to you by the caring folks at your favourite reissue label - Mint Condition! 

Deeply ingrained into the fabric of the British electronic music landscape, Luke Vibert shows no sign of slowing down, after an illustrious career spanning three decades (to date!). Vibert returns to Hypercolour after 2020’s hugely successful trilogy series (Amen Andrews/Modern Rave/Rave Hop) with his 18th album (not counting albums released under his other monikers Kerrier District, Plug, Wagon Christ et al).

‘GRIT.’ finds Vibert in playful mode (and, let’s face it, whenever isn’t he!), as twelve tracks of acidic and squelching drum machine tracks come rolling out to play. Bouncy and hypnotising 303 jams of the highest order are served up here, with rhythms pulled from the electro, garage and house pools, all delivered in Vibert’s inimitable style.

Chloé Robinson & DJ ADHD still aren’t short on fuel. In fact, they seem to only be boosted further by their own supply. With such a weighty momentum driving forward their newly established identities, only one big question sits adjacent in the saddle: what’s next? It seems that Chloé and Alex already have the answer for today’s daily summon, and for the next Pretty Weird release, it’s a 4-track techno record reiterating the trusted adage of less being more. With an emphasis on space and silence placed intuitively, the first single from the ‘Steamin’ EP finally gets its much anticipated drop - including a killer remix from close friend Four Tet stamped on in classic, inimitable style.

‘Steamin’ is all serrated kicks, 909 drums and tenacious vocals that yell without inhibition, invoking the looseness of a party spiralling unphased into its collective apex.. ‘Redbull’ scales up on the pyrotechnics and rowdy behaviour, taking the sensation of several shots of caffeine and packaging it into a mean, raucous pick-me-up.

For ‘Pax’, Chloé and Alex continue on the stripped back disorder with white-hot conviction through rhythm and textures that find their power through no-frills, unpretentious simplicity. Kieran Hebden steps up for the remix, nodding back in appreciation to the past through the nestling of a sharply redefined ‘Pulse X’ sample alongside his addictive, punchy production all too suited to those can’t-go-home-just-yet stints.

Early support from artists including Four Tet, Peggy Gou, Jamie XX, Floating Points, Ben UFO, Caribou, Skrillex, Mary Anne Hobbs, Bradley Zero, Bonobo, Saoirse, Zenker Brothers, TSHA, HAAi, I. Jordan, Logic1000 and Pearson Sound.

"Saturday Love's timeless disco anthem "2 B Free" is remix catnip, and every producer knocked this one out of the park. The piano-soaked collaboration between Boston beatsmith Kon and New York vocalist Fiorious gets masterfully reinvented by heavyweights Oliver Dollar and Baltra. With Kon's extended disco mix on this record, the question now is how can you only pick one of these for your set?"

The defenders of psych-funk, Kanot is back with their first full length album on Höga Nord Rekords. “Textile Fantasies” is an interdimensional groove voyage to a parallel universe where the nineties never happened.

The beginning of the A-side represents the peaceful nature romantic side of Kanot where guitar licks are dancing like swarming mosquitoes round your head. You’re being onboard a canoe, in the early summer on Säveån, a river on the Swedish west coast. “Textile Fantasies” develops into a more dramatic scenery as the droning feeling in the tracks give way to more beat orientated music. Kanot is slowly approaching the city as the album goes on.

Every sound on the record is thoroughly picked and placed in the mix. Like laying a jigsaw puzzle, Anton Kolbe puts down the virtuoso contributions of Jesper Jarold, building a dynamic and playful soundscape. Every song is pleasant in it’s own way and contributes to broaden the Kanot-universe.

NO PRE SALE! RECORD STORE DAY 2015 RULES APPLY

Miami's TK Disco unleashes the official Todd Terje Edit of K C & The Sunshine Band's "I Get Lifted"

Limited copies. Only available to Record Store Day 2015 registered stores in the UK, France, Holland and the USA.

A. I Get Lifted

B. I Get Lifted - Todd Terje Edit

 

 

LIMITED EDITION GREEN VINYL 10" REPRESS

Miami's TK Disco unleashes the official Todd Terje Edit of K C & The Sunshine Band's "I'm Your Boogie Man"

A. I'm Your Boogie Man

B. I'm Your Boogie Man - Todd Terje Edit

London-based DJ and producer Jay Duncan collaborates with saxophonist Ben Vince on her debut release for Phantasy, introducing two wildly imaginative compositions alongside a simmering remix from Ricardo Villalobos.

From the first notes of brass, quickly melting into a lucid shuffle, it’s clear that ‘In Limbo’ exists on its own terms. Vince's virtuoso playing, a feature of former collaborations with the likes of Joy Orbison and Mica Levi, is here gradually manipulated by Duncan into a hugely ambitious trip. This meditative and mysterious approach draws listeners deeper into a liminal, minimal space somewhere between the Fourth World as imagined by Jon Hassell and four AM on a dancefloor in South London.

Duncan deftly raises the tension for the title track’s more percussive and arguably club-ready sibling ‘Anti-Purgatorio’, drawing out almost impossibly taut and inventive rhythms constructed around wormholes from which spill Vince’s instrumentation, washed downstream amid slippery modulations and a distinctive
analogue atmosphere.

Ricardo Villalobos adds to his own superlative history of remixes with a characteristically trippy take on ‘In Limbo’. Spanning nearly fifteen-minutes, the legendary Chilean-German innovator subtly reimagines this ambitious record in form true to both his own musical heritage as well as Duncan’s futurism.

Almost two decades since first adopting the name DJ Q, Local Action is proud to present Est. 2003, DJ Q’s first proper album since 2014.

Comprising 11 high-grade UK Garage tracks made both solo and in collaboration with his peers from either side of the Atlantic (including Todd Edwards, Finn, Shola Ama, Sharda & Hans Glader), Est. 2003 cements Q’s status as one of the UK's most important and enduring living artists, one whose musical DNA can be found in everything from contemporary UKG and pop to underground grime and bassline.

Simply put, Est. 2003 gets right to the essence of what makes Q so special. There’s no unnecessary concepts or narratives, no needless experimentation - it’s simply DJ Q, at the top of his game, flexing on everyone for a water-tight 36 minutes.

Derrick Carter's seminal Sound Patrol album originally released in 1994, "Sweetened - No Lemon", will see a re-release in January 2016.

The alias provided a place for Carter to explore deeper and sometimes more atmospheric styles. The Sound Patrol record originally came out via Chicago's Organico label, while Derrick Carter's own Arts & Labour is handling the reissue. The triple vinyl re issue adds four new unreleased tracks. The whole album has been re mastered for 2016. This follows a limited edition sampler 12" released in 2015 which contained another 2 unreleased tracks.

Luke Solomon, Classic Music Company co-founder has these words...

"I was asked to write some sales notes on Derrick Carter’s Sound Patrol album quite some time ago.

The whole concept of writing sales notes for something that you are so emotionally attached to feels like a rather strange juxtapose. I get it - you need to sell things in order for people to hear them - and with something that holds retrospective context, it’s all about discovery and re-discovery.

I had finally got my head around actually doing it, weeks, late, but doing wit non-the-less, then Bowie went and died, and well, things like this kind of took a back seat. But then it got me thinking.

Do I want to write an in depth geek out of what was made where, and how it was, made, and what’s the back story etc etc….to be honest, I don’t have enough details.

Do I want to write about what kind of impact this album had on my life.

Yes.

In light of recent events, the realisation of how important music is in my life, had become so incredibly prevalent. Firstly, if it wasn’t for this album, I would probably met Derrick under different circumstances, and our life long friendship may have been different. Classic may never have happened even. So with, with that in mind, this album is incredibly important to me.
From a musical perspective, well, I would say this was almost as important to me, but for slightly different reasons. It was the point where I felt an absolute and complete connection to dance music.

It was odd, different, left of centre, like nothing else around. It was emotive, clever, witty, sassy, long, contemplated, high, quirky…..all of the things I looked for in dance music, but never found in just one thing.

20 plus years later, this record is still incredibly important, not just to me, but to dance music. Especially right now, when I sit and listen to music on a day to day basis, and so much of it feels, well, calculated.

This was a time when people just made music just because they could.

Not just to drive gigs, not just to boost profiles …..and also not with a worry of whether it would connect with an audience, sell on vinyl, or get digital profile because the right names were attached.

I miss those days, and I long for dance music to be in that world again.

And that is why this album makes me happy.

You need it in your life more than ever

love

Luke Solomon"

US talent Serge Devant makes a welcome return to Crosstown Rebels in July with the three-track Hush Hush EP. Damian Lazarus’ flagship label is familiar territory for the NYC talent, where he’s made several acclaimed appearances since 2015.

Flashback feat. Forrest gets the show underway, as soft kicks live beside pulsing synth tones and Forrest’s echoing vocals throughout. There’s a soothing feel to the piece, making it well-built for both sunrise and sunset moments, whilst still retaining enough oomph to make it perfect dancefloor material. Hot Circuit comes next, taking the form of an out-and-out club-cut packed full of low-slung, Ibiza-ready groove, whilst Hush Hush continues in a similarly punchy vein to round off the EP on a techy note.

Serge Devant has an esteemed reputation in today’s dance music industry, from playing at DC-10 to his music turning the heads of Jamie Jones and Damian Lazarus, his talent speaks for itself. Emerald City, Knee Deep In Sound and Circus Recordings are just a few of the labels he’s released on, whilst performances for international brands such as Day Zero, Music On, Get Lost and Paradise prove his standing as a globally-revered DJ and producer.

The making of a maiden album can be a capricious process. One moment of outright musical flow paired with another period of sustained creative struggle are feats experienced by seasoned producers the world over. So when Miraclis was forced to hole away in his makeshift studio - in the midst of a global pandemic - the stage was set for something magical. Now it will see the light of day for the very first time.

Having released two singles on Secret Teachings to critical acclaim already this year, Chilean talent Miraclis will accomplish a milestone achievement in July with the release of his debut album: Origin Of Truth.

Difficult experiences were fundamental to the creation of such work, as were Miraclis’ inherent musical interests. He explains: “Origin Of Truth had its birth during the pandemic. I created it as a way of communicating to myself the sensations and feelings that were spinning around my head at the time. I've always been inspired by Bristol trip hop, as well as classical rock, and these genres definitely contributed to the making of these melancholic tracks. In a way I wanted to fuse all the musical influences that were part of my childhood, up until this point now, so this album really means a lot to me. It was my way of communicating, when there was a lack of social contact and communication itself was hard to come by.”

It's this meditative quality that initially drew Damian Lazarus to the project. “It’s a record that has its roots in electronic music, but it’s a very alternative, very deep, melancholic album. I find it both soothing and stirring at the same time, and that’s a quite interesting juxtaposition in that it feels edgy but delicious at the same time,” says Lazarus. “The fact that this was written in this place surrounded by the most incredible desert landscapes makes this a very important piece of work to me. It doesn’t sit in any particular genre, which is why it feels right for a Secret Teachings release. It hints at so many genres that I as a DJ am quite into, and it feels like a first as it’s unique and unclassifiable. That mystical, esoteric, edgy feel makes this a perfect release for the label.”

Sonnet opens proceedings, with ghostly vocals residing next to raw instrumental elements throughout. Miraclis’ signature guitar riffs soon converge on saddened keys, paving the way for Scienter. It takes the form of an instrument-based, electronic-inspired cut, building slowly before reaching a crescendo midway through via an enrapturing acoustic solo.

Floating Child comes next, brimming with a darker intensity courtesy of broody synth pulses and rhythmic hi-hats, as Shiver arrives next. There’s a rock-leaning sensibility to the piece that gives way to earnest lyrical offerings, opening swiftly into the breakbeat-esque world of Perceptions. Hard-hitting drums act as the focal point, with electric chords adding depth and intrigue, whilst Bright continues in a similarly heartfelt vein.

Introspective pads leave us feeling pensive, ahead of Interstellar taking us on a celestial journey through warped bass tones. Acting as the LP’s penultimate number, it’s a four-and-a-half minute showcase of guitar-based musical goodness and one that perfectly sets the stage for Trapped, a closing saga of suitably emotive proportions.

Miraclis earned his stripes as a DJ under the name Max Clementi in his native Chile, as well as Spain after a stint at the Barcelona SAE Institute. Playing and writing music since his parents gave him his first guitar at age twelve, he found himself inspired by synth wave, electronic pop, trip hop, and psychedelic rock of the ‘80s and ‘90s, drenching himself in music by the likes of Massive Attack, Tricky, Depeche Mode, and Nine Inch Nails. However, it wasn’t until he had to move back to Pucón to take care of his father during the pandemic that he began working on what would become Origin Of Truth.

Serendipity seems to play a large part in Crosstown Rebels’ new label Secret Teachings. Just look at the story of how Damian met Miraclis in the first place. It involved a chance midnight encounter in Pucón, Chile at a woodland campfire after the DJ was locked out of his hotel room. This meeting of minds was the start of a remarkable friendship, where Miraclis invited Lazarus to stay at his house and break bread with his family. The two kept in touch, exchanging music and ideas as a result.

Pretty Girl is in some sort of purple patch. Storming off the back of stellar releases ‘Arc’ and ‘Sun Phase’, the Naarm neophyte has officially arrived with her debut EP ‘Middle Ground’. What is now becoming somewhat of a signature, the artist lathers the debut in her very own saintly vocals. This is a four-track exposé of emotive dance music. 
 

The A1 ‘Arc’ sets the tone. Flexing her muscles in sound design, PG pieces together a shimmering house runner. Featuring laser-like chords and delectable drum patterns, ‘Arc’ sends you skyward. Racking up giant streaming numbers and snaring features on more than 20 Spotify Editorial playlists, this one’s an underground bullseye. 
 

'Empathy’ is the next to arrive. A call and response record that walks a lovely tightrope, perfectly balanced in both vocals and production. As the name suggests, the piece is stacked with deep motif’s that act as a window into Pretty Girl’s day-to-day. Her standout vocal production to date is met with her distinctive driving percussion and melancholic chord progressions. 
 

'Lavender’ is a sharp percussive creation and a fitting welcome to the B-side. A one-line affair that burrows deeper and deeper. Once again, showing off her prowess in production, PG plays masterfully with sub-bass and glitchy drums resulting in a stellar display of late-night audio. 
 

Although devoid of lyrics ‘The Only Way Is Through’, brims with feeling and is the perfect climax. Here’s a record full of hope and promise. Manipulating an array of judiciously chosen synths, PG shapes a vast interstellar space. Over the 8 minute trip, a palette of tight drum patterns come knocking, pleasantly surprising you with each visit. With time on her side, the producer gives each sonic element its moment in the spotlight. And girl do they shine! Where there is light, there is darkness and PG plays with both moods to perfection. Listen closely and you can almost hear the concentration involved in piecing this moving galaxy together. 
 

With staggering streaming numbers across multiple platforms along with additions to some of the world’s most sought-after playlists, the time is now for Pretty Girl and the release of ‘Middle Ground’.

AVNU (UK) follows up his fantastic recent single on Ellum Audio with a long-awaited and hugely adventurous new album, ‘Tough To Love But Worth The Effort’.

AVNU (UK) is based on the East Coast of Scotland and has been deeply immersed in music for twenty plus years. He has a love of everything from rock, soul and blues to disco, electro, techno, trance and rave. All of that comes out in his innovative sounds, which range from sweat-inducing club tracks to hooky and feel-good grooves. This album finds him working his magic across 15 tracks that bring plenty of fresh perspective to house, electro, synth, techno and pop. They add up to a storytelling record filled with left turns and tracks that work in a range of different contexts.

'Surprise!' opens with a glossy electro beat and shimmering 80s synths that set the tone for the whole record. 'I Love You' brings a French touch influence with plenty of filtered synth loops and crisp drums under a soulful vocal, then 'Supaflake' cuts loose on an old-school funk vibe with nods to early Daft Punk. This most colourful of records plays out through the likes of sombre cosmic techno offering 'Bad Karma,' the longing chords and heavy-hearted electronica of 'Odyssey Jam' feat Mariel Ito and distorted bass of 'Phlegm In The Street' which comes with laser-like synths and menacing vocals.

The future styles continue on 'Yo E, Check This Out' which collides jungle breakbeats with brain-melting sine waves, while 'Wilkie' is a moment to catch your breath amongst bright and shiny synths and deeper drums that suspend you in a celestial sky. 'Proud You’re Mine' is a perfect electro-dance-pop gem that has potential to be a summer festival anthem and the title track closes down with six minutes of enchanting and mystical synth lines and hypnotic drums.

‘Tough To Love But Worth The Effort’ is a spectacularly broad and accomplished album that lives in a world of its own.

French dynamo LB aka Labat returns for his second EP on Steel City Dance Discs. The Lyon-based artist delivers another collection of eclectic productions, displaying his trademark ability to source and integrate individuality and soul.

Skincare’s title track of the same name is a pure house throwback featuring labat’s trademark punchy 808’s, swirling synths and hypnotic vocal line guaranteed to have you moving on any dancefloor.

Early Experiments sees Jackmaster release a collection of music recorded during lockdown, a particularly abundant period spent getting to grips with his home studio. After years of honing his craft solely as a DJ, lockdown saw him dive headfirst into exploring music production and sound design. As you would hope, the results draw from as many strains of influence as his wide-ranging club mixes do.
 
The A Side opens with ‘Face Your Fate’ which sees Jack call in Keith Tucker from Aux 88 and Blak Tony to further cement the Glasgow > Detroit bond with a classic short & sweet vocal delivery. Next up is the polished loopy techno of ‘Vizor’, reminiscent of close friend Artwork’s Grain project meeting Chain Reaction, the EP moves through Dutch electro-funk, Detroit influenced pads and chords and even the sounds of UK Garage. ‘SBS’ pairs a clever monologue sample with hard-hitting percussion and a floor friendly breakdown, inspired by his his formative years dancing and watching in awe when the likes of Lory D, Claude Young and Jeff Mills would pass through Glasgow.
 
The tempo rises to 140 on the menacing ‘A Tribute’, with sharp synth programming recalling the foundational Mixed up in the Hague CD’s.