Introducing SLAPFUNK RECORDS

The Discogs profile page for SlapFunk Records doesn't beat around the bush, describing them as a 'Dutch based label foccused [sic] on RAW house music'. This much is evidenced on their latest release, 'Raw Joints #3'.

Contained within four tracks by four different artists is an adept summary of the SlapFunk aesthetic - jacking, techno-fuelled deep house rhythms that maintain a heavily-European flavour. There's a noticeably Dutch / Germanic styling to all four tunes, especially the opener, 'Splittin' Atoms' by Larry De Kat. It's punchy and straight to the point, dancefloor stuff that's full of soul.

Second is Samuel Deep's 'Djoembat', a bustling jiver that continues with the narrow focus laid out in the previous track. Reversed-hats mingle erratically with frenetic percussion to ensure the mood stays deftly on point.

This carries smoothly through to 'Old Stomping Grounds' by Anil Aras. All three tracks to this point maintain a concrete intention: to get people dancing. And they do this well. What's interesting however, is the broad sample of styles collated for this release; it's a smorgasbord of European, Detroit and UKG sounds, which all combine to pack a punch.

Closing the package is 'Stackin Papers' by U Know The Drill. This one is an out-and-out whomper, like early Objekt material sprinkled over a meaty 4x4 template - vicious basslines combining with a fat, analog percussion track. This is definitely the cut of the release, but all four tracks deserve airplay.

Raw Joints #3 - VA [SlapFunk Records]

[SLPFNK006] is available now from Juno.

Featuring A MADE UP SOUND

Livity Sound is racing through 2014 in much the same way as last year, gaining a vast number of fans by releasing its very own distinctive brand of tribal, totemic house. The momentum doesn't cease, with the label's remix series presenting two remixes of Asusu's 'Velez' by none other than A Made Up Sound aka 2562.

The perfect candidate to rework 'Velez', in his first remix, the Dutchman applies the sort of growling, bassy manoeuvres we've become accustomed to, albeit smattered with an oddly-hypnotic, disconcerting chime, which dips in and out of the entire track. The whole thing's gritty and full of life, embodying the characteristic AMUS swing, but retaining the unique texture that typifies the Livity Sound vibe.

Remix number two is a darker, and more cavernous affair, which ups the tempo and intersplices reverberating tribal-drums with zippy synth stabs. The latter are turbo-charged with static energy and the whole track feels as if it's ready to leap from its source - a flurry of electrons imbued with the power of some seriously shady juju.

Velez (A Made Up Sound Remixes) - Asusu [Livity Sound]

Two stunning reworks of an excellent tune as Livity Sound moves from strength to strength. Do the right thing and support the crew at Idle Hands.

A Made Up Sound plays at Soup Kitchen in Manchester on 24th May.

Introducing NOT SO MUCH

photo credit: Dan Reid

Mosca has come a long way since bursting onto the scene with the Night Slugs crew in 2010, gradually modulating his sound away from the grimey, garage-licked flavours of those early records towards a more direct, strictly-defined house and techno style. This change was typified in the excellent ‘A Thousand Years’ Wait’ on Delsin offshoot Ann Aimee late last year, and is further displayed here in the 'No Splice No Playback' two-tracker on his new label, Not So Much.

The first track is ‘Suckle (Twenties)’, six minutes of deep, driving house that could be mistaken for early Levon Vincent work - stomping, marching percussion punches out around a whirling synth. Though the metamorphosis towards 4x4 territory is in full-effect, the vibrant catchiness of earlier releases (‘Bax’ et al.) is still on show - the melodious ring to that main synth embodying what’s quickly becoming the ‘typical’ Mosca sound.

On the flip is ‘Vinny (Flamingo)’. An even more direct offering than the former, this one is a brooding basement lurker that pumps a stifled, padded kick through ringing bells and shuffling hats. Slightly more subtle, there’s scope for this to operate as a transitionary moment from lighter sounds towards the after-hours vibe.

No Splice No Playback EP - Mosca [Not So Much]


Overall, a strong start for Not So Much - check the vinyl on April 28th and the digital on June 2nd.

Words by: Matt Woods

Featuring AWESOME TAPES FROM AFRICA

Brian Shimkovitz unearths some of Africa’s finest musical gems. Sharing his discoveries on his blog and label of the same name, Awesome Tapes from Africa facilitates a beautiful journey from cassette to wax. Interestingly, its latest offering, 'Shaka Bundu' by Penny Penny, is something of an exception. A massive hit in South Africa, the album actually sold over 250,000 copies during its first run in the early 90s.

Riding unashamedly poppy keyboard hooks and call-and-response vocals, Penny is undoubtedly the star of the show. Having risen from janitor to politician, the South African also stands as a leading figure of the Tsonga disco scene. Penny’s trademark laugh and almost slurred delivery is at its best on key anthems ‘Zirimini’ and ‘Shichangani’. Alongside bright female chants, Penny’s own wails and yelps are just as infectious as the tracks' feel-good synths. Indeed, it would be a shame to only shower Penny with praise; his producer, Joe Shirimani, clothes the album with its distinctive slow house rhythms and resultant summer warmth.

For a taste of Awesome Tapes check out Brian's marvellous Beats in Space mix and his Boiler Room appearance, featuring two tape decks and a mixer.

Shaka Bundu LP - Penny Penny [Awesome Tapes From Africa]

Penny Penny's 'Shaka Bundu' is available from Juno.

Words by: Isaac Rangaswami

Featuring AL GOBI

'Pueblo Grande' is the debut release from new UK-based label Constant State. This first 12" comes from label heads Al Gobi (Ian Blevins and Phil Moody). The pair had a pretty stellar 2013 with releases on Disco Bloodbath, Rothmans and Audio Parallax.

First up in this instance is 'Cup Of Tea', a fantastic example of imaginative track-naming if ever we saw one. A heady piano score rolls onerously through proceedings and a host of timpani back things up percussion-wise. Underneath it all is a subtle and wobbly bassline that ensures the groove remains firmly on track.

Cottam takes over the entire A-side of the record. Dismantling Gobi's efforts for his 'Ruff Treatment' remix, he chops that bassline and dips it into a healthy amount of acid, morphing it into something of a monster. Bigger and ballsier than in the original, the bass now gnaws its way through a thickly-padded kick drum. That same piano roll makes an appearance, in a seemingly more morose guise.

The second of Al Gobi's tunes to make it onto the release is title track, 'Pueblo Grande'. They've perhaps done a better job in naming this one - think sandy ruins and desert heat as stunted drum beats and stuttering bass weight play out across the landscape. Straightforward deepness with no frills, that now familiar piano makes an appearance again, except its use is sparser, lending itself to the track's barren and ritualistic feel.

Pueblo Grande EP - Al Gobi [Constant State]

[CSV001] is available soon via Juno.

Interview: KESPER & SLIPSTONE RECORDS

Local record labels seem to be a dying breed of late. The financial costs too high, the returns too low. Fortunately, there are still some people wanting to make a go of it. Enter Slipstone Records. I caught up with founder Chris I'Anson and label debutant Kesper (aka Chris Pawlik) about Slipstone, the release and drunken house party agreements.

Good to talk to you guys. To start off, what was your inspiration behind starting the label?

CI: At the end of last year I was getting a bit sick of the same sounds being used and churned around. There wasn’t anything that I wanted to hear really - I was being sent promos that all sounded like each other. It all just got a bit old. I was bored of seeing the same names on the same labels. Don’t get me wrong, the tracks were good, but it wasn't anything groundbreaking. Then, I had a little trip abroad to Berlin, and I’d be lying if I said that didn’t influence me. When I was there I just heard a lot of really, really good stuff. When I came back I was hearing the same old house sounds, and I thought, I could do something new. Felt like the right sort of time too, university work was growing a bit stale, and I didn’t want to go into that straight away. So I thought, what do I love? Music, so I’m gonna do that.

Nowadays, a lot of people starting labels shy away from vinyl because of the expense and the perception of it being a dying art. How important was it that your label was going to revolve around vinyl?

CI: It’s very important. For me, playing vinyl is more fun than playing digital tunes, but it’s about the whole experience - the cover, the sleeve. Doing an arts degree, being able to do the creative side of the record, it can be my creative output; the vinyl, the cover, all the extras you’ll get with the record. I don’t know, digital is kind of throw away. I just love vinyl, and at the end of the day, you’ve got to do what you love.

Very true. I’ve been meaning to ask, what was the reasoning behind the name?

CI: I was having a lot of trouble coming up with the name really - I thought for ages. I’m an outdoorsy guy so I wanted to give it an outdoorsy feel, but the names I came up for that didn’t really work. Then I thought back to when I grew up, and near there, there’s a climbing crag called Slipstone rocks. I always loved going there and I loved the name. So I thought, let’s have that. I really like the name and so far the people I’ve talked to like it as well.

Yeah, I'm a fan. A question to both of you - Who approached who when it came to the first release?

K: I think I commented on one of Chris’ mixes on soundcloud.

CI: Yeah it was a bit weird really.

K: I don’t think we’d have found each other if I hadn’t…

CI: Yeah you commented on my mix, then I checked your tunes out. I messaged you - you had a profile picture that didn’t show who you were - but I assumed it was probably someone I knew from BPM or the Leeds scene. Turns out we hadn’t met. This was about six or seven months ago, and when I decided to start the label, I thought Chris would be right for it.

K: Yeah, you approached me at a house party.

CI: Is that where it was?

K: Yeah…I told you had I had some tunes for you.

CI: I can’t remember...

Where all the best relationships start….

CI: Haha yeah. We were just dancing in the main room, Chris was right next to me but I hadn’t realised. 

Kesper [photo credit: Bryony Eacott]

Kesper, have you always produced the same sort of music that's being put out on Slipstone?

K: Well, one of the first ever tracks I remixed - an Anton Lanski tune - kinda kicked things off for me, the structure of the track, the way it sounds. Ambience and atmosphere have always been a huge part of my productions so I wanted consistency, that floaty-ness and breath of fresh air you get with those sort of tunes. So I’ve just been sticking with that, and I feel this release is a result of the tunes I’ve made before - lots of different sub-genres, minimal techno but also the ambient side of things too. Yeah…we just did it, just happened.

I know you’re associated with the Bristol-based Banoffie Pies - how influential were they in your release?

K: Those guys have been massively inspirational. They just had this idea and they went for it, and you know, I’m kinda following on from that they’ve done, but up in Leeds. 

Are you thinking long term with Slipstone, Chris? Anything lined up, future releases?

CI: I’m kind of taking it easy at the moment. I’m not doing this to churn releases out, to get content out there. If I’m approached or I find some good stuff, I’ll get in touch and try and get something out, but at the moment I’m in no rush. I have got my eyes on a few people, but no solid plans at the moment. We want to focus on quality output, the pressing, the artwork, everything.

The artwork seems like an important part of the release - you’ve mentioned previously about getting local artists involved?

CI: Yeah, I want to get as many people involved as possible - if we can make it a community label, it’s more likely to succeed, and the easier it is for people to promote their sounds. It’s difficult in the music scene and I feel it’s important that people help each other out, so I want to do that as much as possible.

I noticed from the promo video that there seemed to be a space theme, was that deliberate? 

K: Yeah, we wanted the EP to have a concept. 

CI: A lot of people are starting labels but there isn’t a unique selling point. With this release, the sound, the image - it all works together. 

K: Yeah, we wanted to make it concrete with the first release, we felt it was important. It was in line with our own vision and other people’s feedback.

Have you got a date for release?

CI: May 4th and we’re doing the launch night on May 7th.

You must feel like it’s gone incredibly quickly. What is it...six months from conception to release?

CI: Yeah, it’s gone so fast. Rather than thinking a week in advance, at the moment I’m thinking months in advance.

K: It’s hard to stick to that plan as well. There’s always delays, issues…

Well, I commend you for it.

CI: Thanks. We’re trying to add as much value to the vinyl release as possible. Hand screen-printed artwork and a few more treats that are going to be in there…yeah. If you’re going to invest in a physical piece of media, you want to get your money’s worth. 

Appreciate you talking to me today guys. To finish, Kesper - favourite tune at the moment (and not your own)? 

K: It’s actually a free download, by these two amazing eastern european producers, Gorje Hewek & Izhevski.

And Chris, if you could sign anyone to your label, who would it be?

CI: I love the sounds and have been inspired a lot by Oliver Schories, a guy who's not got much of a rep round here compared to on the continent. He, and sounds similar, are a huge inspiration to me. But maybe not for the label, well not yet at least...

Moonwalk EP - Kesper [Slipstone]

[SLIPSTONE001] is out May 4th.

Introducing AS IT IS RECORDS

Kogui presents three slices of acidic, deep house for new French label, A(s)I(t)I(s), with a remix from HH favourite Steven Tang.

The first two Kogui tracks are simple yet powerful experiments in 303 modulation, which find themselves paired with droning, melodic accompaniments and frenetic percussion elements. 'Afw' sees the smooth, acidic lines of 'Implied Reference' shaken to the core. These notes remain, but quiver all over the track as Kogui's tinny hats press matters forward.

'F88' is the final piece from Kogui. Keeping acid as the primary focus yet looking to explore murkier depths, the tempo slows, and the result is a brooding sub-aquatic affair that bubbles its way through the deep.

Implied Reference To Fundamental EP - Kogui [As It Is]

Emphasis Recordings boss and Smallville contributor Steven Tang lends his own breed of languorous house to 'Implied Reference' with a tidy 'Mixdown remix'. Here, the sting of Kogui's acid stabs is nullified slightly and instead of shuffling ceaselessly all over the place as in the original, Tang chooses to isolate a singular note and work his sound around that.

A strong start from both Kogui and As It Is - go check the release out at Juno.

Introducing BABA STILTZ

Studio Barnhus is a Stockholm-based label run by a trio of Swedes, of which Axel Boman is one. On this latest release, fellow countryman Baba Stiltz is at the controls with 'Palats'.

On 'Palats', Stiltz lures you in with an occasional vocal snippet peppered into the textured, velvety chords, which themselves are coated generously in the snap and crackle of tape recording. These chords build until they eventually make way for crisp percussion, knocking its way throughout. And then comes the bassline, a hybrid of the fire alarm at a nuclear power plant and the foghorn of the SS Titanic. Complete mayhem ensues for the next five minutes, mayhem that finds itself enveloped between those aforementioned synths.

The flipside, 'Crypt', takes a slightly gentler approach. Heavenly synths whisper across a bassline that never appears to simmer too far above the surface. After the blitzkrieg-carnage of 'Palats', Stiltz is opting to tell a different tale. This one's more the calm after the storm, as the dust settles and the clouds realign to the sound of Baba's static-drenched melodies.

Palats - Baba Stiltz [Studio Barnhus]


Keep an eye out for this in the record stores - the patchwork-quilt sleeve art by Theodor Johansson should help. If you're shopping online, grab it from Juno.

Featuring HOUNDSTOOTH

Houndstooth was something of a runaway success last year, storming out of the blocks with quick succession of releases. The aim of the game for Houndstooth is seemingly to push genuinely original music from a variety of (mostly new and up-and-coming) acts.

Saying that, one of the core reasons for the success of the label to date is not attributable to a fresh-faced newcomer - instead, it's down to an absolute veteran, Paul Woolford, who since late 2012 has found a new lease of life operating under the Special Request guise. But you already knew that, right? Woolford's foray into jungle-revivalism has been heavily documented, and rightly so.

Joining Special Request on this release is an act that we'd attribute much of Houndstooth's early success to - Akkord. With the hype Special Request's album, 'Soul Music', received, the debut self-titled LP from these Mancunians slipped under the radar slightly. The group recently produced a FACT mix and it's really worth your time if you're looking for boundary-bending electronic sounds that defy genre conventions. First time we heard the mix we were taken aback by its individuality. This latest Houndstooth release carries through with this notion, executed with a slick nonchalance I've not seen for some time.

The two tracks found here are taken from a larger seven-tracker, with the limited vinyl pressing looking to concentrate on the talents of Akkord and Special Request alone. The 'HTH vs HTH' concept pits the production processes of Houndstooth's artists against one another. Firstly, Woolford takes on Akkord's 'Destruction'; it's a grizzly, booming, fire-and-brimstone assault on the original, ice-cold amens and deadly bassline rhythms pulse and squirm their way through a drum track that's equally as heavy. What makes this effort so visceral and so potent is the way Woolford warps and bends the breakbeat framework Special Request tracks generally work within. The track isn't full-on jungle nostalgia, it's a subtle and simple nod to the era, with the result sounding both fresh and hard-hitting in equal measure.

The flipside is a role-reversal, as Akkord battle with the stems of Special Request's 'Lockjaw'. The group's razor-sharp approach to sound design is in full effect here. Clattering drums and stuttered pads are the primary elements for the first half of the track, before the entire thing opens up, making way for a more comprehensive percussionary attack that's all stainless steel and titanium. Sonic minimalism done right and done effectively, the simplistic power of Akkord's work is pretty tricky to define in words alone.

HTH vs HTH - Special Request & Akkord [Houndstooth]


Go take a listen for yourself and grab the 12" at Juno.

Featuring UNTIDY

The Untidy project appeared for the first time last year, offering 4 cuts of beefy house tracks with a heavily Germanic flavour. The release was vinyl-only and came with a fair amount of mystique, whilst being very well-received by many of the scene's big hitters. So it was strange to see the project disappear almost as quickly as it surfaced.

Promo Mix - Untidy


The music contained within the first Untidy release is heavy, dubby and expertly produced - suggestions are that the project could be an alias for Jonas Kopp. Thankfully, after almost a year, Untidy returns for 002. This second attempt replicates the techno-house hybridity of the first: gritty, cavernous stompers, all likely to do some damage this year.

There's a fair amount of variety on display here - A2 is a mellow roller that uses percussion alone to generate a dark, brooding mood. However, our favourite is the B1, a prolonged piano piece that builds continuously before falling back in on itself, looping seemingly ad infinitum and drenched heavily in reverb-soaked hi-hats. The final track is the most direct of the bunch, tribal drum patterns operate beneath wavering, oscillating synth lines.

Preview and pre-order [UNTIDY002] the release here. Excitingly, it appears a release on Skudge is also on the horizon.

Featuring HAPPY SKULL

The Kelly Twins really are great DJs and selectors, reaching for a wide range of choice acid and jaunty electro cuts. It's no surprise then that their label Happy Skull has been very well received with initial releases from Systems of Desire (Kowton and Hyetal) and Adjowa (with a gritty Funkineven remix).

Rhythmic Theory haven't strayed far Bristolian labels Brstl and Idle Hands, and fit nicely with Happy Skull's machine-funk aesthetic. A-side 'Decadence of Delay' features distorted drum machines and whispering synths, whilst B-side 'Endocrine Creatures' hits harder with a resolute acid line.

Decadence of Delay – Rhythmic Theory [Happy Skull]

All three releases are available now from Juno.

Featuring SUNKLO

The Sunklo series, a project designed to showcase exclusively the production talents of Boddika and Joy Orbison, had a quiet 2013. The imprint sprung to life in 2012 with a series of powerful dancefloor weapons, released strictly on vinyl and selling out everywhere double-quick time. Tracks such as 'Mercy' and 'Dun Dun' were played ad infinitum in clubs around the globw, with the former being given a slick remix treatment by Boddika himself, and re-released on Bleek's own Nonplus.

The absence of a single release last year seems strange, but not completely surprising when considering that the pair played an incredibly packed DJ schedule, with Boddika also reinvigorating the Nonplus concept with the impressive compilation album, 'Think and Change'.

The return to Sunklo offers us two tracks, the first entitled 'More Maim'. The opener seems to lack the arresting originality that was found in tracks on the previous releases. However, it seems that the two tracks on Sunklofaw are slightly subtler affairs than their predecessors. Nevertheless, they're as booming as you'd expect, with the kick drum of 'More Maim' reverberating ceaselessly throughout proceedings. The production is still powerful and suited to those dark warehouse spaces, it's more that the means through which this sound is crafted is more restrained. Save for a strange, out of sync melody that rears its head around halfway through the track, gone are the catchy riffs to be found in previous Sunklo tracks - all that operates here is loud, stomping music that makes up in oomph for what it lacks elsewhere.

photo credit: Paul Clement

The flipside, 'In Here' delivers more of the same. Brooding, eyes-down vibes come to the fore with a staccato, eerie vocal snippet mingling with a metallic drum palette that focuses on a padded, quivering kick. I feel like the release is operating as a blueprint for the direction Boddika and Joy O are looking to push things in, a gentle relinquishment of ties to the current Swamp81 sound. The omission of 'Tricky's Team' from Sunklofaw is notable, but perhaps fitting with this excursion away from a four-to-the-floor template.

Either way, I reckon there's plenty more like 'More Maim' to come in the upcoming year, both from Sunklo and from Nonplus. Boddika announced recently the roster he was hoping to assemble for the latest Nonplus project, including the likes of Daniel Avery and drum and bass veterans Source Direct.

Sunklofaw might lack the recognisability of previous iterations, but a move towards more DJ tool material would be a welcome and interesting development for the label.

More Maim / In Here - Boddika & Joy Orbison [Sunklofaw]


[SUNKLOFAW] is available soon via Juno.

Introducing STENNY

Formed by the Zenker Brothers and Mueller in 2007, Ilian Tape is a German-based label that brings a variety of club-focused techno from artists based around the globe. The latest 12" is no exception, providing four cuts of heaviness from Turin local Stenny and constituting his second release for the imprint.

The first track doesn't look to warm up proceedings gently, jumping right into the deep end with an after-hours bomb - crushed breakbeats and a heavily saturated, pounding kick resonate among the sort of breathless and airy chords Ilian have become know for over the years. It's a great way of working dark and light shades together into one track, with the results being an oddly pleasing mixture of spacey, gliding musicality with earthy and claustrophobic grittiness.

Moving on to 'Boulders' and the formula stays very much the same. Those breakbeats remain prevalent, again they've been thoroughly smashed to pieces and glued back together with some semblance of a melody that just about holds things together. This second track is a far more frenetic and urgent affair than the opener, desperate to get deep and driving straight off the bat.

Flipside - first you'll find the peculiarly named 'Local Fields'. An apt title perhaps, as Stenny grants his drums slightly more room, letting them breathe alongside the accompanying elements. Heavily-filtered, luscious chords pan out around the entire track with the whole affair feeling a little more roomy and patient than the first two pieces.

Finishing off is a Zenker Brothers remix of the title track. The two siblings hereby make no attempt to wash out the dirt and grime of Stenny's original. That isn't to say that the finished result lacks punch, rather that it feels less cluttered and frantic than the opener. Instead, the pair apply their own methodology, streamlining the entire track and removing all but the most essential components in order to craft a subtle, grooving jam that could stomp its way effortlessly through any club you dared chuck it at.

Eternal Restriction - Stenny [Ilian Tape]

[IT022] is available now from Juno.

Introducing ONDO FUDD

The Trilogy Tapes went from strength to strength in 2013 and Will Bankhead’s label found itself occupying the higher echelons of pretty much every notable end-of-year list. The outfit’s penchant for experimental explorations in off-piste house and techno has garnered them a steady following and aided the rise of artists such as Antony Naples, MGUN and Kassem Mosse.

Looking to start the new year as they left the last, they bring an EP from new alias Ondo Fudd, who presents the ‘Coup d’Etat EP’. Now, a brief Google of the moniker doesn’t appear to offer much in explanation as to an identity. However, we’ve heard whisperings here it could be Call Super pushing the buttons. Super dropped ‘The Present Tense’ on Fabric's label Houndstooth last year and the record featured exactly the kind of churning, stuttered beats that wouldn’t have felt out of place on Trilogy Tapes. Though I wouldn’t like to speculate too much, there’s certainly enough here to make the link a sensible suggestion.

The EP starts with the title track, ‘Coup d’Etat’. From the offset there’s the typical crunching drums that often characterise Trilogy Tapes records - this then gradually combines with swirling, teetering synths that wobble amongst one another to give proceedings a faintly cosmic flavour. This is where suggesting the music is the work of Call Super makes sense, as there’s definitely enough within this opening track that appears reminiscent of the Berlin-based producer’s previous work.

Ondo Fudd - Coup d'Etat [Trilogy Tapes]

Following on is ‘Harbour’, where the sci-fi feeling of the opening track is continued. As before, there’s still the slightest hint of groove and melody here, the likes of which Trilogy Tapes’ records can at times disregard. Operating around this are sparse, tin-pan percussion elements and twinkling, bleeping stabs that ensure things are kept ice-cold.

The last track is ‘There Will Be a Time’, which of all the tunes on the EP is most classically aligned to the style Trilogy Tapes is known for. For the first three minutes all that’s really discernible are crackling, heavy drums that stomp through a broken and stuttering rhythm section. Gone is the sense of other-planet airiness and desolation - that is until half-way through, when the track opens up amongst those by-now familiar bloops and squeals that sound like R2-D2 after a bad pill. This is really where things get very interesting. Wood-block percussion taps the groove and though there’s still signs of those plodding drums. There’s none of the claustrophobic shuffling found in the first-half of the track and Fudd pulls something strangely funky out of the bag, in a really off-kilter, sci-fi mould. The ‘Coup d’Etat' EP is the kind of jam that feels really at home on the label. The record continues the label’s unspoken merit of producing interesting, often weird house rhythms that are capable of working on the dance floor, just in all the ways you wouldn’t usually expect.

The EP will be released 30th Jan - you can grab it at Juno.

Featuring DELSIN RECORDS

Delsin wrap up their centenary EP series with a fifth selection of cuts from BNJM, Delta Funktionen, Herva, Bleak and John Beltran.

BNJM's opener operates solely as a prelude, a delicate snippet of ambience that builds towards Delta Funktionen's 'Petrol'. This one's a heavy, bristling affair with a heady kick thudding between metallic percussion and space-age synth drones. It's the sort of industrial, electro-soaked techno that Delsin do so well, so it makes complete sense for it to feature within a celebratory series of releases that aims to encapsulate the dutch imprint's particular and specific vibe.




Herva's 'Radio's Mutterings' keeps proceedings deep - the feeling amongst all the tracks on this release is as much underwater as it is underground. A sonar bassline crawls through the depths whilst rippling melody echoes around it, soaking in reverb.

Following from that, one of Sweden's finest, Bleak, takes the buttons with 'Keep Me Close'. This one's driving and direct, with a elastic, tungsten-coated melody that loops across the duration, rising and dipping amongst frenetic drum-sounds and isolated vocal stabs. (Check out HH Mix #032 from the man himself.)



Finishing the release is John Beltran, who presents 'Return to Nightfall'. Harmonic pads sound out into the murky nothingness whilst hi-hats jostle amongst a thick, padded kick.

100DSR/VAR5 - V/A [Delsin]


a1. BNJMN - Dive
a2. Delta Funktionen - Petrol
a3. Herva - Radio's Mutterings
b1. Bleak - Keep Me Close
b2. John Beltran - Return To Nightfall

100DSR/VAR5 rounds off Delsin's 100th release celebrations and is available later this month on 12" at all good record shops. Additionally, the label have released an unmixed 2xCD to cap the 100DSR series, available 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 DELSIN

Delsin Records celebrate an incredible 100 releases with a run of five limited EPs featuring various artists. Seventeen years on from their first release, the label has pushed quality music from the likes of Hush House favourites Redshape and Mike Dehnert.

The first limited 12" comes in transparent white, and kicks off with 'Fighting the Blind Man', a driving but spacious effort from Manchester's Claro Intelecto. Up next, Gerry Read provides a scuffed cut of house titled 'Granny Bag', featuring flangey synths and bustling percussion. In keeping with the atmospheric but dancefloor prepped theme, Siberia's Unbroken Dub offers the machine workout 'Spacing', with thick synth chords and prominent drums.

All five EPs can be bought as part of a boxset, and future contributors to the series include Delta Funktionen, John Beltran, Conforce and Herva.

100 DSR/VAR 1 – Claro Intelecto / Gerry Read / Unbroken Dub [Delsin]


Check out Delsin's vast back catalogue of amazing music, and buy the limited 12" at Juno.

Featuring UNKNOWN ARTIST

Idiosyncratic Norwegian label Sex Tags and its various offshoots rarely disappoint. This one accredited to 'Unknown Artist' is an absolute stunner, so simple but so perfect. C2 is a beaut as well. If you've got a spare 50 quid you can grab the record on Discogs. No audio for the flip side on the internet but i would bet my house on it being just as lovely.

Featuring B.I.S. RECORDS

NYC radio show, Beats In Space, has been broadcasting weekly since 1999 and has since spawned club nights and a record label. Last summer the label expanded to include B.I.S. Records, an offshoot strictly for exclusive bootlegs and special edits, after radio show host and label boss Tim Sweeney took a trip to Italy. There he met DJ Steve, butcher by day and resident DJ at a local nighclub by night.

"This guy was the real deal. He was playing dubplates, vinyl, cassettes, and reel-to-reels. All special edits he had done over the years. I couldn't believe what I was hearing." - Tim Sweeney

Special Cuts #3 & #4 - DJ Steve [B.I.S. Records]

A handful of those edits and dubplates were recorded in NYC after DJ Steve appeared on the Beats In Space radio show and became the starting point for the Special Cuts series. The first 12" came out at the end of last summer and this month sees cuts #3 and #4 become available on very limited vinyl via Juno and Phonica.