MARCEL DETTMAN - Seduction - Ostgut Ton

There are only few producers that represent the essence of techno and the hardness and gloom of Berghain as perfectly as Marcel Dettmann, the founding member of the Ostgut Ton family. After the release of the limited 12" "Dawning/Dawning (Revisited)" with Ben Klock, his long awaited second LP "Dettmann II" emerged on Ostgut Ton last year. For this remix EP of the album track "Seduction", featuring the English, Berlin-based singer Emika, Dettmann lets Deuce, Anthony Parasole and Ryan Elliot take control of the temptation. While the digital release hosts the short version, the long version of "Seduction" on the vinyl release brings the haunting and eerie character of this semi-ambient track to full effect, with the voice of Emika circling like a floating ghost. After the Deuce collaboration of Marcel Dettmann and Shed got a brief update on the "Dettmann II" album track "Aim", the duo now modulate the techno potential of "Seduction". The vocals of Emika are not only transformed into morbid soundscapes, the resonance of the bass power turns their version into a brutal monster between agonizing desire and panic phobia. Anthony Parasole is not only the latest member on the Ostgut booking roster, the man from New York also showed his verve for spooky sounds already with an EP on Marcel Dettmann Records, knowing how to impress with a reduced relaxation. His remix spirals into futuristic territory and targets the dancefloor with its dominant kick. Both the subliminal funk and the driving character, with its pleading vocal loops, evoke a mantra of black art. Ryan Elliot rounds the EP off with his interpretation. Starting with a throbbing kick drum, he flanks the subtle rumble in the background with dry hi-hats before the synth chords perform a courtship dance that spits out a bizarre but striking groove. In combination with the claps and the reverb on Emika's voice a fantastic theme crafted by a versatile arrangement emerges. Simoultaneously to the 12" the short movie "Seduction" will be released, a Parker Ellerman film with Cleo von Adelsheim, Sven Gerhardt and Stefano Cassetti, the artwork of the EP is a still from the movie.


Tracklist:

01 Seduction feat. Emika (Long Version)
02 Seduction feat. Emika (Deuce Remix)
03 Seduction feat. Emika (Anthony Parasole Remix)
04 Seduction feat. Emika (Ryan Elliott Remix)

FELIZOL & THE BOY - Like Cannibal Father Like Cannibal Son - Optimo Music

Optimo Music is usually known as a 12" label, but occasionally something rare and dangerous comes our way that compels us to release a full length album…

It's not exactly a dance album, although there is music you can dance to on it. It's more filmic in nature, with gads of references to wonderful directors like Kubrick and Carpenter that will enthrall a film buff, particularly if they're interested in electronic and dance music. There's a sleazy and unsettling feel to much of the tracks ("Tina Weymouth" is a sleaze-floor monster groove…), but we hope it will intrigue and delight!

The film references are directly relevant as Felizol and The Boy are film directors Yiannis Veslemes and Alexandros Voulgaris, who live in Athens, Greece and have composed music for numerous feature films. They also perform live in house clubs, heavy metal dungeons and hippy-friendly festivals…

They have this to say about their release: "We had a loose concept for this album and we compiled tracks that we've recorded the last 3 years that have to do with the cannibalism. Literally but also as a metaphor for the blessing and the tyranny of paying homage and influenced from music and films (and directors and musicians).

So these are songs about the agony of creating something new and personal when so much information and influences are fused in them." 

Tracklist:

01 Fungus
02 Tina Weymouth
03 Barry
04 The Boat Can Leave Now Tell The Crew
05 Giallo Greco
06 John Carpenter II
07 Like Cannibal Father Like Cannibal Son

CLAP! CLAP! - Tayi Bebba - Black Acre

After storming the gates with his warmly received Tambacounda EP, Clap! Clap! returns to Black Acre to deliver his debut longplayer.
Tayi Bebba is a highly conceptual work that manages to balance a highly cerebral concept with making some good old fashioned bangers. Tayi Bebba is an album tour of an imagined island each song representing a location, event or ritual. Sonically it’s a fast moving charge across the soundscape fusing field recordings and found sound with incredibly surgical drum programming.
Flavours of house, Footwork and Hip Hop punctuate your migration with a very specific sound palate giving this amazing work a cohesive feel.


The LP comes with full island map and in depth story behind each track.


Tracklist:

1. The Holy Cave
2. Ashiko
3. The Rainstick Fable
4. Kwasi The Sorcerer
5. Black Smokes, Bad Signs
6. Conqueror ( action / assault / conquest )
7. Conqueror ( consequences / memories )
8. Conqueror ( remorse / withdrawn )
9. Burbuka
10. Sahkii (Xirhuu)
11. Sahkii’s Elevation feat. DJ Khalab
12. Kwasi’s Storm (kyanumj) (tape dub)
13. Universal Modulator (kujhmak)
14. Sahkii’s Knowledge
15. Universal Modulator (ujmubuam)
16. Sailing In The Seas of Wood
17. Kuj Yato

JASPER JAMES - Sneaky Ep - Optimo Trax

We return to Glasgow for Optimo Trax 009. Keeping the family business going so to speak, Jasper is the son of veteran and legendary Glasgow DJ Harri. While he can't help but be inspired by his dad's 30 year plus and still-going-strong dj career and musical knowledge, Jasper is definitely not riding on anyone's coat tails and very much has his own thing going on. A very talented dj and producer in his own right, Jasper is at the forefront of the current generation of Glaswegian dance ambassadors. Flatmate of Jackmaster and receiving lots of props from Skream amongst many others, Twitch was delighted to have the opportunity to release his first record, particularly as he has literally watched Jasper grow up, with fond memories of his dad taking him into record shops before he could even walk.

On his debut EP, Jasper unleashes three cuts of his signature bump n' grind atmospheric house music, all swinging drums and heavy basslines. The ep is rounded off with a remix by his dad with the help of another Glasgow (via South Africa) stalwart, Esa, as Hillhead Young Team; It's a family affair! Bright things are assured for Mr. James.


Tracklist:

01 Sneaky
02 Listen to My Buttons
03 V Moog
04 V Moog (Hillhead Young Team remix)

PERC & TRUSS - Two Hundred - Perc Trax Ltd

Almost a year after they unveiled their collaboration with the wall of sound that was the ‘Spiker’ 12” Perc & Truss return to their home on the Perc Trax Ltd label to serve up a fresh four track EP of live analogue jams. Once again the tracks were recorded in one take. All mistakes, happy accidents and bizarre unexplainable audio artefacts have been kept in place, with no post-production or further editing done once the first take was recorded. These tracks cover more ground than the three on Spiker, but the Perc & Truss collaboration is no experimental vanity project, with all four new tracks aiming straight at the dancefloor.
Title track and opener ‘Two Hundred’ leads the way with caustic acid providing the foundation for a classic London cabbie-rant vocal, whilst ‘Judd’ layers all manner of malfunctioning effect pedal sounds over a triplet rhythm track. On the b-side ‘Forever Your Girl’, a mainstay of Perc’s sets for months now, leads the charge, as rave interludes provide a breather from the kind of kick drum volley tailor-made for Awakening’s Gashouder home. Finally ‘Van Der Valk’ mixes hardcore stabs over an icy electro-tinged groove and crowd samples, stretching the Perc & Truss sound further than ever before.


Tracklist:

A1) Two Hundred
A2) Judd
B1) Forever Your Girl
B2) Van Der Valk

FABRIC 77 - Marcel Dettmann - Fabric Records

German producer and DJ, Marcel Dettmann takes the helm for the 77th part of the Fabric mix series.

Growing up in Fürstenwalde in the former German Democratic Republic, Dettmann has been influenced by various music styles since he was a child. His grandmother worked as a music teacher and inspired Marcel and his family to play instruments. In addition the radio at Marcel´s home was always on if there was already no record playing.
Little by little he discovered the likes of Depeche Mode, The Cure or DAF, then later Detroit Techno and Chicago House. As they only had a record player at home he obviously just bought vinyls. His passion led him to start recording mix tapes for himself and his friends, and he also began to organise parties in his hometown. When school and apprenticeships didn’t seem to work out he ran a small record store in the house of his mother. It was with this job that he financed the beginning of his own elaborate record collection.
Dettmann was DJing at the club Ostgut from the late 90s - the forerunner to Berghain. For a decade he’s been a resident DJ of the world renowned club in Berlin. Even though Marcel is involved with several labels such as Ostgut Ton, for the fabric mix he prefered to pick mostly unreleased material from his own imprint, Marcel Dettmann Recordings (MDR).

“I mixed it at home with 2 CD players, as most of the tracks are not available on vinyl yet.
The mix is mostly based on unreleased MDR demo tracks, which I’ve carried around with me for the last few years. For example the ROD track, I’ve had this one for at least 3 years. Now it is finally a good opportunity to release those tracks and they will all come out on MDR.” - Marcel Dettmann

Marcel chose to incorporate a variety of techno sounds in this mix – including tracks from fellow MDR artists Answer Code Request and Norman Nodge, to younger names in the industry that he's recruited for his label, such as Wincent Kunth, and a number of his own remixes, tied together by releases by the likes of Terence Fixmer and Robert Hood’s Monobox.
Fabric 77 is a well-balanced snapshot of current techno in a master’s hands. It may surprise some listeners with its vibrancy, delicacy and range that reaches far beyond the sound you would expect in a dark sweaty club at 6am.
It’s a perfect personal reflection of Marcel’s love of all music and techno in particular.

Marcel Dettmann will launch fabric 77 at fabric on Saturday 30th August (tickets: http://www.fabriclondon.com/club/listing/947) and at Berghain on Saturday 6th September.


Tracklist:


1. Ryan James Ford - Arthure Iccon [MDR]
2. The Persuader - Sun Position [Concrete Music]
3. Terence Fixmer - Inside Of Me [Planete Rouge]
4. Marcel Dettmann - Apron (PAS The Rhythm Remix) [MDR]
5. Answer Code Request - Transit 0.2 [MDR]
6. Dario Zenker - Nearlin [MDR]
7. Monobox - Film [M-Plant]
8. FBK - It’s Not The Point [MDR]
9. Marcel Dettmann - Radar (Byetone Remix) [Ostgut Ton]
10. Rod - RSPCT [MDR]
11. Paperclip People - Country Boy Goes Dub (Marcel Dettmann Remix) [Planet E]
12. Norman Nodge - BB 1.0 [MDR]
13. Francois X - Rising [MDR]
14. Marcel Dettmann - Lightworks (Phase Remix) [Ostgut Ton]
15. Lockertmatik - M_Lock 4 [MDR]
16. Wincent Kunth - Carlre [MDR]
17. Joey Anderson - Repulsive (Marcel Dettmann Edit) [Dekmantel]
18. Marcelus - Flash [MDR]
19. Vril - Torus XXXII [Forum]

XENO & OAKLANDER - Par Avion - Ghostly International

Brooklyn Duo Xeno and Oaklander are a minimal electronics girl/boy duo from Brooklyn, NY.
They began writing music and soundtracks in 2004. Liz Wendelbo is French / Norwegian and Sean McBride is from Maryland.
They record their songs live in their Brooklyn studio and play analogue synthesizers and instruments exclusively.
This summer, Xeno and Oaklander bring their minimal electronic sounds to Ghostly International with new album Par Avion, their first for the label, July 14th. The album's title is a reference to postcards — it translates as "by plane", and was used to mark airmail sent from exotic places. The songs are postcards of love for a cold age — shimmering moments from the present, romantic messages from the past, and love mementos for the future. Together, they make up an album of contrasts — the songs move from upbeat to downbeat, slow to fast, light to dark.
Par Avion's rich diversity of sounds comes at least in part from the fact that it's an album-long ode to synesthesia. As singer Liz Wendelbo explains, “Sound makes me think of a scent, which makes me think of an image, which makes me think of a certain kind of light.” The sensory experiences are palpable: "Jasmine" calls to mind the intoxicating scent of jasmine flowers that bloom at night, "Nuage D'Ivoire" sweats under a tropical sky full of clouds that hold the key to the past and the future, "Sheen" glistens with reflections dancing in the water and with inner visions of romance, where light and dark meet in the pupil of the eye.
Adding to the sense of exoticism, Wendelbo's whispery vocals are sung in both French and English, calling to mind Jane Birkin and Françoise Hardy. Again, there's a contrast between dark and light — the alluring, tropical warmth of Wendelbo's vocals is juxtaposed against duo's signature icy cold, ultra-modern synth sounds. Those sounds have a new component for Par Avion — synth wizard Sean McBride uses an analogue Serge modular synth to create washes of sound that recall '90s shoegaze. The result is an album that stimulates and fascinates throughout, a rich feast for all the senses, a world to get lost in again and again.
Par Avion will be released in LP, CD and digital formats. A special edition vinyl version, limited to 350 hand-numbered copies, will include flesh colored vinyl and a rose-scented art perfume insert, allowing further personal exploration of synesthesia.
Sean McBride talks synthesizers in an extended interview from Robert Fantinatto's upcoming documentary I Dream Of Wires.


Tracklist:

01 Interface
02 Lastly
03 Sheen
04 Par Avion
05 Jasmine Night
06 Reflections
07 Nuage d'lvoire
08 Providence
09 G. Bruno

WILL SAUL - Pedal Power / Valhalla - Aus Music

Up next for Aus is label head Will Saul. Following his vocal-heavy collaboration album as CLOSE for !K7 last year, this 12" see's Will venture back to the dance floor for some light relief.
With anticipation for the release of his DJ-Kicks mix in June growing, he lets these two tracks loose to tide listeners over. The high-octane "Pedal Power," which also features in his DJ-Kicks mix, and the weighty but spacious "Valhalla".
Both tracks were born out of a number of live jams on a small outboard setup with a laptop used only to record. A Jomox Xbase 999 drum machine triggering a Moog Minitaur for bass, all running through a number of highly tweak-able pedals and outboard fx units with a Roland Juno for pads.
It was a refreshing low maintenance change for Will following the CLOSE album and there will be a few more 12"s of this ilk released over the coming months.

This summer sees Will embark on an extensive world tour to promote his DJ Kicks album and look out for another CLOSE EP at the end of August which features 3 collaborative tracks with Second Storey (Houndstooth) and vocalist Kid A with an extra special remix from Seven Davis Junior.


Tracklist:

1 - Pedal Power
2 - Valhalla

WOLFGANG VOIGT - Rückverzauberung 9 / Musik für Kulturinstitutionen - Profan

A fanfare of cautious grandeur rings out as if it were the opening for indeterminate festivities, only to be immediately reflected by itself. In ever new mirrors. In the hall of mirrors. The room inside a room inside a room...

Time is a very elastic concept. Narcotic brass loops, almost imperceptibly modulating, reel towards infinity. A 70's kraut electronics sequencer feeling coquets with James Last's muzak sound and Cheb musicians on valium. Stoic, infinite, limp. Programmatic boredom as rhetorical device of befuddled bliss. Only the occasional cloud of atonality suggests the abyss behind the blue skies of (pop)ambientish other-worldliness.

- limited pressing of 500 copies.


Tracklist:

1. RÜCKVERZAUBERUNG 9.1
2. RÜCKVERZAUBERUNG 9.2
3. RÜCKVERZAUBERUNG 9.3
4. RÜCKVERZAUBERUNG 9.4
5. RÜCKVERZAUBERUNG 9.5

LUKE SOLOMON - Stop The Riot Ep - Classic

‘Stop the Riot’ is the first EP in a new series from Classic head honcho Luke Solomon featuring vocalists Nick Maurer and Sam Lynham, due to drop on 21st July.

After dropping his artist album ‘Timelines’ in May last year Luke sets out a new journey of pure dance floor madness via a fresh series of singles.
Expect some punk-funk and infectious live grooves seamlessly crafted by a collection of musicians alongside Luke including Moodymanc, Martin Romford and Andy Neal.
First track ‘The Acid Games’ features Greens Keepers and Hitsafe vocalist Nick Maurer – the gentleman partially responsible for notable Classic tracks such as ‘Phillipino Phil’, ‘Lotion’ and ‘Sing I Sing Like This’.
The track itself is a grinding, jumbled house cut layered with an intoxicating brew of gnarly 303 lines geared for dance floors that like things punchy.
The title track ‘Stop The Riot’ is a funk-filled affair, which features the legendary Gramme vocalist Sam Lynham.
Luke and Sam’s relationship bubbled out of Solomon remixing a single taken from the current Gramme LP. Fostered through tinkling percussion from Moodymanc and guitar licks from Luke’s Mother Rose partner Andy Neal the track makes for a groovy house cut sure to move plenty of dance floors into excitment this summer.



Luke Solomon 'Stop The Riot' EP drops on Classic on 21st July 2014.



Tracklist:


1. Luke Solomon feat. Nik Maurer ‘The Acid Games’

2. Luke Solomon feat. Sam Lynham ‘Stop The Riot’

SUNDOWNERS Feat MYSTIC BILL - Jungle Line - Classic

Eats Everything and Dungeon Meat re-work a Classic Music Company gem in ‘Jungle Line’ from Sundowners featuring Mystic Bill.

 Carl Giammarese and Mystic Bill originally wrote ‘Jungle Line’ back in 1995.

Giammarese is best known as the lead guitarist and vocalist for The Buckingham’s while Bill grew up in Chicago’s club scene to become one of it’s fundamental figures with releases on labels such as Trax, Relief, Club House and Rong Music.
 The original played a prominent part in Classic head honcho Luke Solomon’s sets throughout his early years playing alongside Kenny Hawkes on their Girls FM radio show and at their infamous midweeker Space at London’s Bar Rhumba. When Luke got in touch with Bill to include the track on his forthcoming compilation ‘Unfinished Business’ they decided instead that it was the ideal time for a complete re-issue alongside a couple of heavy hitting remixes. 
Dungeon Meat is the moniker of Parisian Brawther & Leeds lad Tristan Da Cuhna who between them stack together an impressive back catalogue of work with releases on labels such as My Love is Underground, Balance, Secretsundaze, 20:20 Vision, One Records and Gomma Dance Tracks.
 Blurring the lines between old school and new the guys deliver a punchy low down house cut with broken rhythms and shuffling percussion. 
The powerhouse that is Dan Pearce aka Eats Everything jumped at the chance to remix ‘Jungle Line’ and doesn’t disappoint in dropping a weighty re-imagining. Dan rolls with the reiterative spoken words of “J-J-J-Jungle Line” from the 90s original, gradually building towards a mighty breakdown into scattered snares and a warm whacked out rhythm that begs to be moved to. 
The final offering from the EP is the initial track itself – a rowdy arrangement of percussive clamours and muttered intonations all laced around that spoken vocal to create a thunderous original.



Tracklist:


01. Jungle Line (Dungeon Meat Downlow Dub)

02. Jungle Line (Eats Everything Modernisation)

03. Jungle Line

APPLICATION - System Fork - Dust Science Recordings

‘System Fork’ was designed around the principle of Itamae. From a visit to Japan, Application learnt about how these students (Itamae) would watch the Sushi Master for 5 years before being given their first task. In the same way, every detail in ‘System Fork’ was described and thought about before any work in the studio was done.
Application are Martin & Richard Dust, two of the three-parts that make up The Black Dog. But these groups are not musically interchangeable in any form. The Black Dog have no plan or rules, when they go into the studio they do what they want. With Application that isn’t the case, there’s a set of rules and an internal manifesto that took two years to fully realise before any creative processes started in the studio.
Having rules meant ideas are abandoned a lot quicker than with The Black Dog. But they rules aren’t constrictive, approached as an opportunity for creative freedom rather than something oppressive, it’s seen like a set of walls around a field. This system created an interesting internal conflict between artist and designer.
The setup is also entirely different starting with custom drum racks and bass sounds built specifically for Application. Everything is built from the ground up starting with the bass and drums, and everything is drive by those patterns and grooves.
Working with Human & Shaun Bloodworth, Application also applied more design aesthetics into the artwork, videos & photographs. These will all become the prototypes to a live show with video and visuals.
 

Tracklist:

01. Ambient A
02. Flange 7
03. Steve Reich’s Ice Cream Van
04. Front End
05. Siren
06. Swuth
07. Theme From
08. Format
09. Cron Job
10. Ambient B

SHANGHAI DEN - The Sun / Vale W Group - R & S Records

'R&S welcomes Shanghai Den to the family, for his killer debut single 'The Sun / Vale W. Group'.
It's safe to say that Shanghai Den's music is a little out of the ordinary- in his own words he describes it as "the fear inside of all of us mixed with a constant stream of chemical self medication."
From the opening of 'The Sun', the harsh beats, strobing filter sweeps and tripped out pads with lysergic overtones, immediately evoke a state that might well be described as 'slightly euphoric', while on the flip side, the apocalyptic lament of 'Vale W. Group', with its buzzing reece bass and mournful synths starts to slow down the respiratory and central nervous system, blocking pain messages to the brain.
Perhaps this narcotic obsession has something to do with his exposure to Falty DL's Drew Lustman, who gave SD his first break on their skronking collab 'King Brute'.. One things for sure, this release marks the debut of a singular and strange new voice in dance music, and we're confident that you can expect a fresh dose of SD's high grade material very soon.


Tracklist:

1. The Sun
2. Vale W Group Bench

ANSWER CODE REQUEST - Code - Ostgut Ton

“Code“ is the debut LP from Berlin producer Answer Code Request on Ostgut Ton. Whether his DJ sets, the increasing appearances as a live act or with impressive releases on Marcel Dettmann Records and his own label ACR – as an emergent Berghain resident, Patrick Gräser is also one of the new exciting faces on the label. After the “Breathe EP“, his debut release on Ostgut Ton, his first long-player was not only a matter of time, but the next logical step.
“Code“ is a statement that coquettishly plays with the crucial question of electronic music – which tasks and perspectives a techno album should demonstrate – it also challenges current listening expectations. Even though the primacy of functionality seems to be engraved in stone as a paradigm, ACR turns his back on just a mere collection of dancefloor tracks. All created during the last year, the twelve tracks introduce a genuine, reverent and adult sound concept which presents itself as an fog-shrouded journey through time – combining Gräser’s influences and history with several genres of dance music: From Detroit-inspired elegies over the UK Sound with its break beats and IDM references to the warm side of Berlin techno from the 90’s. Despite the occasional nostalgic depth, „Code“ is shrouded in a shadowy aura and a mystical mood that runs like a common thread through these tracks.
Following on from the calm of title track, “Blue Russian“ unveils Gräser’s verve for detailed structure. His synthesis of swirling sci-fi sounds and stoical percussion develop a seething climax, which is constantly fed by his dramatic pads. “Field Depth“ with its tandem of warm synths and the precise, powerful bass drum clarifies that ACR’s author-focused techno goes way beyond the composition of mere sketches. The UK-influenced design between warm and dark sounds evokes a mix of claustrophobia and restlessness while enchanting shades converse like they are hailing from a foreign galaxy. “Odyssey Sequence“ sets foot on disturbing terrain where an ambient synth arrangement unfolds itself in the manner of a sound painting in atmospheric gliding flight. “Zenith“ emphasizes the drum-based focus of his compositions, whilenext to its rigidity a melodic figure communicates in the background like sparkling moments of longing and hope.
“Relay Access“ continues this fragile magic in a downtempo-driven way where each beat, each soundscape and even the rudimentary, swirling spirals enjoy sufficient room to develop. Euphoria or frenzy remain only as skeletons because Gräser’s trademark is distinguished primarily by his interest for harmonic motifs. For him the superiority of the 4/4-kick is not an inviolable rule, in “Status“ he just indicates the floor as a fixpoint from where to carry out some grumbling bass modulations in unison with mechanical hi-hats and oracular soundscapes. Both the rattling breaks of “Haul“ as well as the mantra-like prayer “Spin Off“ embody a non-conformist ritual, before the British artist and singer Elizabeth Bernholz, known from her project Gazelle Twin, brings her impressive timbre between whispers and choral meditation into heavy pulsation backed by some heartthrob beats on “Axif“.
As the final sounds of the dreamy “Thermal Capacity“ fade away, the moment has been reached where “Code“ is halfway deciphered. Patrick Gräser’s debut adds a pondering and sublime facet to the Ostgut Ton catalog, while also being emancipated from the dancefloor. Despite the references to historical roots, Answer Code Request combines his passion for break beats, IDM nuances and complex drum patterns to create a modern listening record that breathes the modern aspects of the present with thoughtful impetus. Fresh and timeless!


Tracklist:


01. Code
02. Blue Russian
03. Field Depth 



3:58 / 4:43


04. Odyssey Sequence
05. Zenith
06. Relay Access
07. Status
08. Haul
09. Spin Off
10. By The Bay
11. Axif
12. Thermal Capacity

PARTIAL ARTS - Taifa - Kompakt Records

Returning to the Kompakt fold after the much-acclaimed 12" releases TRAUERMUSIK (KOMPAKT 149) and TELESCOPE (KOMPAKT 171), Ewan Pearson and Al Usher aka PARTIAL ARTS continue their adventure in the borderlands of kraut disco and romantic house: with TAIFA, the two renowned producers present another wonderfully undulating, pop-bred jam backed up by a vibrant floor rework from the master of analogue head games Andrew Meecham aka THE EMPEROR MACHINE.
TAIFA starts off with a somewhat oceanic feeling, thanks to its opening set of sunny guitar licks glistening to the backdrop of whale-like drones. Soon, a friendly shaking beat joins the proceedings and triggers all kinds of melodic synth flourishes, held together by the cut's rolling groove and its penchant for sonic metamorphosis.
Just like the Radio slave and Alter Ego revamps (on "Trauermusik" and "Telescope") before it, the EMPEROR MACHINE EXTENDED MIX takes things in a decidedly energetic direction, making skilled use of hypnotic sequencing and charged drumming to rough up the original's laid-back vibe in the most alluring manner.
Ewan Pearson and Al Usher both have illustrious paths as producers, mixers and remixersbut rarely release their own productions.This is their third release for KOMPAKT, the first since 2008’s “Telescope” (KOMPAKT 171).
Ewan Pearson has had an amazing year behind the scenes having recently finished studio production and mixing work for new albums from Jagwar Ma, TV Baby & Ben Watt. With nearly 100 remixes under his belt he has already reworked Tensnake (feat. Nile Rodgers), Röyksopp and S.R. Krebs in just this year!
Emperor Machine delivers one of the biggest acid tracks you will hear this year following his recent smash remix for Erol Alkan on Phantasy.


Tracklist:

A. Taifa
B. Taifa (Emperor Machine Extended Mix)

GUILLAUME & THE COUTU DUMONT - The Fight Within - Circus Company

Dear Listeners,

Here it is, one more 'gain, yours truly up at bat for the good people of the Circus Company. I thought I could drop a few lines myself about the inspiration behind this new EP to offer a lil' personal touch..

A Single String

So I'm light years away from being a specialist on the string theory but the idea of having everything and everyone interconnected by vibrations appeals to the imagination of the musician (and the dirty hippie) in me. Sharing a sunrise on a terrace or a hot and sweaty night in a club is all about this vibration. "A single string" is dedicated to that feeling, the one that makes you think : "wow, we're all in this together". It rolls, it bounces, and that synth line will hopefully make your little fingers reach up for the stars, and strings.

Keys for Hanuman

This one will be a personal mystery until the day I die. Last fall I returned from an Asia tour to work on some new music in the studio, at first I did as always after a hiatus in production and listened to the last stuff I was working on before I left. And though I have a relatively organized numbering system and decent memory (which may be on the downhill now due to mileage), I had no recollection whatsoever about starting, recording, or even thinking about this tune, at the time titled "Keys For Me". Regardless, it hits the spot just right as I had been thinking about coming back to this sound I used to love years back - more relaxed and stripped down, more hypnotic. Every artist channels inspiration in their own way, and sometimes it rains on you from unknown places. This song is dedicated to Hanuman, the Monkey God, faithful protector of Rama. And by the way, Hanuman also appears on the great cover artwork by Léo "Peanut" Butler.

Winning all the Battles (But Still Losing the War)

I remember a time when we all wanted was to be heard. It seems to me that this time has surely come, but somehow along the way, we may have lost some pieces of the core values that gave us our stride. Time to go back to the essential? Refocus our act? Step out of the limelight and dive deep into the stuffy, obscure, low-ceiling groove box? Maybe so. Winning while losing? Maybe no.


Tracklist:

A1. A Single String
A2. Keys For Hanuman
B1. Winning All Battles (But Still Losing The War)