Introducing MASSIMO DI LENA

"FEAR NOT, HUMANS" reads the runout on Massimo Di Lena's slightly delayed release, providing four off-kilter techno cuts on the label he runs with some friends from Naples, Early Sounds Recordings. Massimo has had a series of top release on labels such as Clone Royal Oak, receiving support from the likes of Midland and Ben UFO.

'Hardlife' bubbles with oddly pitched vocals and filtered gritty percussion. It's the unquantised mercy-esque bassline that drives the track though. 'Halfway Ritmo' follows a similarly shaky format with ghostly undercurrents. Following the chugging rhythms on 'Insnty', personal favourite 'Fireflora' features distorted toms and flurries of hats with the signature oddball vocal excerpts.

Hardlife EP - Massimo Di Lena [Early Sounds]


Buy the 12" at Juno.

Featuring dBRIDGE

Few would have guessed that dBridge would be the next to join the R&S Records renaissance, which has been spearheaded thus far by the likes of Lone, James Blake, Blawan and Space Dimension Controller.

[RS1311] sees Darren Smith partner two chunky drum 'n' bass workouts with a more experimental cut in the shape of 'Plain To See'. Here's to hoping Smith will reappear on R&S in the future.

Plain To See - dBridge [R&S Records]


Available from Juno now.

On another note...R&S printed some really nice, Joy Division-inspired t-shirts to celebrate their 30 year anniversary. Click the image below to pick one up.

Featuring PERSEUS TRAXX / OPERATOR TRACEY

Perseus Traxx's label Future Flash has recently put out its fourth release, a single-sided record courtesy of Perseus Traxx himself and the unknown quantity Operator Tracey. First up, Operator Tracey delivers a cutting critique on the current EDM phenomena that is unfolding around the globe. The clear message being that EDM 'is nothing to do with us'. A stark comparison being made between the overpaid superstar DJs of this world and the underground artists producing innovative music with true artistic value. Asides from the important social commentary Operator Tracey offers up a top quality track that weaves 303 acid lines around a solid rolling bassline.

Label boss Perseues Traxx takes care of things deftly on his portion of the record. 'Across the North Sea' is a beautifully crafted piece of driving techno that constitutes an eight-minute-long nautical saga, overflowing with rich sonic imagery. Perseus Traxx has truly established himself as a master of his trade, his astute mechanical manipulations consistently produce the highest calibre of music.

Future Flash 004 – Operator Tracey / Perseus Traxx [Future Flash]


The release is available now in both vinyl and WAV formats and can be purchased directly from Bandcamp. The limited vinyl record comes with a wax seal on the label bearing the Future Flash logo. We're also very excited to announce that we have an exclusive mix in the pipeline from Perseus Traxx, so keep your ears to the ground for that.

Featuring ALAN JOHNSON

The two characters behind this project may be more familiar than you first realise, especially if you caught the mix they did for us two whole years ago (listen here).

Consolidating their collaborative work under the unassuming guise of Alan Johnson, the duo are about to release their debut 12" on Blank Mind Records. Both cuts occupy an unsurprisingly dark sonic territory and tread the line between dance floor and experimentation perfectly. A-side 'Goron Sound' is the one for us, an eyes-down affair that sounds like the ghost of UK funky.



[BLNK004] will be available soon. Don't forget to follow PYC Sessions & Anti-Long to keep up to date with all things Manchester.