A globally-renowned selector whose ‘Mastermix’ series and impactful, diverse DJ sets have garnered a cult following for the past decade, Numbers co-founder Jackmaster has seen his focus shifted towards his blossoming discography of late, releasing material via Seth Troxler’s Slacker 85, The Martinez Brothers’ Cuttin’ Headz and CircoLoco Records, plus his own TDSR imprint. Here, he continues to showcase his studio nouse with an impressive label debut on Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels, unveiling two new original productions across his latest EP, ‘Don’t You Want My Lovin’.

Vibrant, deep and jackin’, featuring resonant stabs, skippy drums and soulful vocals at its core, the bubbly ‘Don’t You Want My Lovin’ is a punchy slice of house crafted for bustling dancefloors, while the airy and trippy ‘Ode 2 U’ takes things into more paired back territories and journeys through vast textures to unveil a wormhole of a production.

Needing little introduction, Chicago’s finest and house music icon, Mike Dunn, steps up on remix duties as he makes his first outing on the renowned imprint. His aptly titled ‘Blackball 303’ interpretation is precisely that: a wicked, acid-laced trip harnessing the original’s infectious vocal while offering an instrumental for those looking to keep things darker. More

Following an appearance on the Slacker 85's inaugural various artists EP earlier in 2023, Jackmaster returns to Seth Troxler’s celebratory new label with a full EP, ‘Party Going On’. Showcasing a trio of tracks worthy of the Glaswegian DJ and club music expert’s instinctive, genre-spanning DJ sets and also including a new remix from Tom Trago, thoroughly tried-and-tested internationally. Playful, powerful and elasticated with the Chicago influences that bounce close to his heart, ‘Party Going On’ unfolds as a Jackmaster calling card, a pleasure-seeking anthem built around a rousing B-girl vocal from singer Yvonne, responsible for a series of cult singles on New York’s prolific and influential house label, Cutting Records. With the assistance of a supremely cheeky original synth line, one that wouldn’t fail to move a crowd in any discotheque from 1989 until now, ‘Party Going On’ sees Jack Revill bridge generations of dance floors with contemporary energy. On the sturdy, sensual 'Freaky Like That', Jack teams up with longtime collaborator & regular B2B partner Jasper James, to pay homage to the outsized deep house of MK, Cajmere or Todd Terry with a seductive arrangement that builds and explodes on command, simmering and swinging towards valleys of jack that anchor then shake ravers with a powerful kick-drum. Finally, old friend and trusted voyager Tom Trago takes ‘Let’s Go’ on a cosmic journey. Initially appearing as a rolling anthem on the initial Slacker sampler, the versatile Dutchman’s extended reinvention offers a no-less than fifteen-minute trip that masterfully touches on territories including cosmic disco, Jersey garage and acid house. Continuing a mission to showcase the oddball, esoteric and diverse sounds that inspire Troxler, Jackmaster’s first solo EP perfectly captures the bubbling energy of Slacker 85’s vision. No posing, no pretense, just party. More

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. More

"Techno that tumbles towards ecstasy, courtesy of Matthew Dear." Pitchfork on Audion's 'Suck_sh' 2005 Matthew Dear’s Audion project stands proudly at the intersection between art and hedonism, realised over a decade long dedication to powerful and relevant dance music. Growing out of the vibrant DIY Detroit underground, Audion and his contemporaries were free to feed o_ the energy reverberating from UK and European dance_oors, but singular in their desire to create their own sound and spirit. An Audion release is techno in it’s purest sense - whether it’s pushing the bombastic limits, spinning the dance_oor out of control or elegantly toying with just a few sonic elements. ‘Alpha’ is Audion’s _rst artist album in 10 years and comes at the end of a period of fevered activity. The collective body of work standing as a marker in time and a de_ning moment in the life of the artist. Drowning out the noise of the outside world, ‘Alpha’ was a puzzle pieced together sonically in the shadows and wildly brought to life in a matter of weeks. The artwork for ‘Alpha’ has again been realised by Will Calcutt, Dear’s long time collaborator, who has a visual plan for the music that matches the sonic vision, completing the final critical piece of the puzzle.

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