Pressure is a new garage project produced by Dusky. Still typically resemblant of their trademark sound, this musical excursion looks back to their formative years and early productions that were heavily influenced by UK and US garage. Covering everything from murky 2 step sounds to uplifting vocal bubblers and soulful US influenced 4x4, the project includes collaborations with Manchester's garage revivalist Interplanetary Criminal, two-step pioneer El-B and London-based songwriter Mariella. "When we were writing our most recent album JOY we really enjoyed the process of creating 'Eros', one of the more garage influenced tracks on the album. It reignited our interest in the genre's sound world, so once JOY was complete we got stuck into writing a load of similar material and this project is the result.” - Dusky More

Dusky’s music has always been built on the pleasure principle, but JOY – as the title makes absolutely clear – takes that to new levels of purity and intensity.
Looking back to more innocent times and to rave music’s halcyon days, the duo of Alfie Granger-Howell and Nick Harriman have tapped into that special moment when raving was still a voyage into the unknown.

This project is a distillation of the spirit of people coming together in hard times, forgetting their troubles and celebrating life. All of the core elements here are familiar from the peak rave era and the birth of hardcore – the cascading pianos, the infectious bleep melodies, the Chicago and Detroit grooves, the rugged Belgian techno riffs, and the proto-jungle break beats – but retooled, rewired, and refreshed for this brave new world.

It’s both a natural development and noticeable evolution from the pair’s previous work. Natural, because these musical elements have always been apparent in Dusky’s sound, but a clear evolution in they way they are presented, with such an unreserved and joyous tone.

The result is a celebration - and expression - of the communal ecstasy of the dance floor experience. An expression of 18 months yearning to be back out there communing and celebrating. An expression of everything that dance music - and dance culture - is about at its very best.

JOY brings together all the finesse and subtlety that Dusky have honed while traversing the various corners of clubland over the past decade, all their understanding of fundamental dance floor dynamics, and channels it all to a single, unified purpose. At a time when we’ve all suffered, we’ve all struggled, and we’re all uncertain, we’ve never needed this sense of unity more. All the release we’ve so badly wanted is here: we all need JOY.
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Dusky are back with a new EP as we move towards the back end of summer. Following up on the massive release that was Life Signs Vol. 1 on Gerd Janson's Running Back Records, the duo now return to their own imprint, 17 Steps. The 'Imagine What' EP is their first 17 Steps release since the Aset Forever EP at the end of 2018 and marks the 25th release on the label. In their own words - "Imagine What is a personal journey through shimmering melodies, proto-rave vocals and shuffling drums, arriving at a deep, eyes-closed peak. L.I. takes classic electronica as it’s main inspiration, along with the deeper side of D&B. A chance experiment with an arpeggiator led to the main melody, while a solid wall of low frequencies and electro leaning beats propel the rest of the track. And Cedar uses sampled breakbeats combined with ambient soundscapes that touch on early Speedy J and Warp vibes.” More

Following their recent remix of KiNK’s ‘Perth’ for Running Back, 17 Steps bosses Dusky present their first original productions of 2018 in the five-track Aset Forever EP. Aset Forever is named in tribute to Jan Francis, a friend of Nick & Alfie who tragically lost his life late last year. Founder of the ATG graffiti crew and School Records (alongside Loefah) - Jan was responsible for Dusky's first London gigs both at ATG Warehouse parties and their Staunch residency at Corsica Studios. Covering hard synth driven grooves, tranced-out Italo, proggy techno and blissed out breakbeat house, the five track EP keeps things strictly dancefloor focused - again showcasing the duo’s unique ability to take a myriad of influences and wrestle them into new hybrids that sound their own. Lead track ‘Amongst The Gods’ has been a standout across their sets this year. Taking shuffling breakbeat house rhythms, classic sunrise melodies and 90s rave vocals, it builds to an understated but infectious warehouse crescendo. The EP swiftly moves onto ‘The Ace’ - Striking at 130 BPM, ‘The Ace’ is a hard hitting surge of twisted sonics and clipped rave samples. A dark slab of warehouse tech, ’Staunch' follows, with rolling Reese basslines, ‘ecstasy’ samples and eerie sci-fi chords. The second half of the EP sees Dusky take things deeper. ’Angles’ is a blissed out wash of Detroit techno stabs and vintage house textures, before ‘The Captain’ rounds off the EP with punchy Italo basslines and icy synths. More

UK House & Techno heavyweights Dusky return to their 17 Steps label with the classic house indebted ‘Square Miso’, picking up swiftly where this summer’s hugely successful ‘Cold Heart’ EP left off - the lead track an ever present in Gerd Janson’s summer DJ sets.
Already recognisable to many from Dusky’s festival sets as well as Jackmaster’s recent Circo Loco terrace recording, ‘Square Miso’ draws on the swing of classic NYC house with soulful, cut-up vocal samples and tightly programmed beats, whilst paying tribute to the ‘90s Italian House classics with its distinctive piano melodies - with a dash of Shades Of Rhythm-era UK Rave for good measure. As well as the club-ready original, a beat less piano and strings ‘reprise’ is also included.
A darker, Detroit-nodding club tool, ‘LF10’ blends heavy-hitting stabs, atmospheric melodic textures and House grooves. An immersive roller, like ‘Square Miso’ it serves as another example of the duo’s ability to blend different influences into unique hybrids.
With 2017 releases from B.K.R & Jamie Jones, Christian Piers, Bwana and Kiwi, Dusky’s 17 Steps has become an increasingly prolific outlet of forward thinking House and Techno - with support from Gerd Janson, Midland, Len Faki, Maya Jane Coles, Tiga and George Fitzgerald among others.

More

Dusky present the latest 17 Steps release with the ’Cold Heart EP’, a four track package that cements their ability to craft a unique range of house and techno soundscapes. Having spent last year releasing their ‘Outer’ LP, as well as delivering their second acclaimed Essential Mix and touring a new live show, the ‘Cold Heart EP’ sees the prolific duo return to their roots in textured house and techno with four powerful DJ tools. With a nod to vintage New York house through a carefully sourced vocal sample, lead track ‘Cold Heart’ is a blissed out, atmospheric house epic that blends crisp percussion, soulful hooks, washing pads and a hypnotic lead organ melody. A favourite from the duo’s recent DJ sets, ‘Psychic Life Coach’ shuffles with dubby grooves, skippy drums and ethereal vocal cut-ups, before ‘Bowed’ offers a high energy dose of cosmic disco and ravey techno flavours, Rounding things off, closing track ‘Balfour Betty’ is built around warm, swirling synth textures that meet at the intersection of Detroit techno and vintage progressive trance. More

Having recently played an eight hour set to a sold-out crowd at London’s Oval Space, the prolific Dusky drop a trio of moody club tool tracks on 17 Steps as they continue their European Autumn/Winter tour. A club tool in the most effective sense, lead track ’Lydia’ is dark, nagging acid groover that builds and builds throughout its 6 hypnotic minutes. With all the melodic material based around the Lydian scale, ‘Lydia’ was originally inspired by a bizarre, trippy dream Alfie had in which everything was all based on the Lydian scale. A homage to classic techno, ‘Bitter Lake’ is a hard-hitting surge of looping, percussive energy and Detroit-nodding rave stabs that build to a hoover-fuelled breakdown release. Rounding off the trio, the brilliantly titled and uniquely composed ‘Infinite Libido’ again explores Dusky’s more percussive tendencies and has been a regular feature in their DJ sets for the past year.
More

90s ambient icons Global Communication’s first production since 1997 arrives in the form of a remix. This is a super limited edition one off white label vinyl pressing... 250 copies worldwide. Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard’s 76:14 is one of the 90s’ most acclaimed electronic albums, while a cast of aliases (Reload, Jedi Knights and more) also orbited the project. Their last record came out in 1997, and although there was a live reunion in 2010, the new material we were promised is yet to emerge. Pritchard’s nowhere to be seen on this remix of Dusky’s ‘Skin Deep’ (it’s Middleton flying solo), but it’s still an occasion. According to Dusky, “we knew we wanted someone special and we knew we wanted someone who would get to the heart of the melodies and textures in the breakdown…. Global Communication made perfect sense. Tom has totally delivered, creating something that draws on the heritage of the ambient sound, but also feels current and modern.” More

The Daniel Avery supported Russian DJ Dimitri Veimar preps his debut 17 Steps release, the ‘Planet EP’. Planet opens up with screeching atmospherics, chuggy percussion and a brooding bassline that works it’s way towards a breathless synth line perfectly suited for pre-dawn hours. Dean Grenier’s classy stripped back and sped up flip of the title track retains a crisp four-on-the-floor rhythm tailor made for the Berlin clubs he calls home. On the B side 'Snowfall’ carries on where the A side left off. Electro synths and muffled breaks portray the sounds of a UFO control deck transporting the listener to an other worldly utopia. The closing track ‘Alps’ is a stunning downtempo club tool that ends up forming the emotional centrepiece of the EP. More

Fresh from releases on his own Polymath Records, as well as Natura Sonoris and Sodai, that have seen support from the likes of Maceo Plex, Bicep, and ANNA; UK producer Third Son debuts on Dusky’s 17 Steps imprint with the ‘Machine Love’ EP. The synth laden 4 tracker utilises electro, acid, techno and breakbeat influences to provide a rugged and bold reflection of the current clubbing landscape; one that is set to melt underground dance-floors this autumn. ’Machine Love’s squelchy synths and gritty percussion build towards a chopped and skewed finale, that has proved a ferocious piece of club artillery in Dusky’s sets this summer. Next up is ‘Bloodsport’, a dance floor primed roller that consists of dusty breaks, squealing atmospherics and a meandering baseline. ‘I Hear Laurel’ follows, a cosmic alliance of ghostly vocals and hard hitting distorted synths that feels like meditative ode to rave music of the past. Closing the EP is ‘Ambiturner’, stacked with syncopated drums and twisting synths that scatter across the stereo stacks. More

Following the recent ‘Aset Forever EP’ by label bosses Dusky, 17 Steps announces its next release in the form of the ‘Off Peak EP’ by innovative Russian duo Formally Unknown. The three broken beat originals will be familiar to anyone who has seen label owners’ Dusky DJ recently. Lead track ‘Off Peak’ offsets a breakdown of deep, Detroit-nodding chords with thunderous bass, modular bleeps and broken percussion that will test the outer limits of any sound system. On the remix, Warehouse Music’s Mella Dee flips the original with 4x4 kicks, spacey pads and layered percussion that glides in and out seamlessly, providing the EP with a hazy, dubbed out techno gem. Industrial broken beat jam ‘Burnin’ again blends atmospheric chords with chopped samples to create a carefully crafted leftfield trip that feels like the perfect soundtrack to an industrial How It’s Made video. Closing things off ‘Arp Three’ brings things to a darker, stripped back close in a panic alarm buzz of broken bass and twisted FX - with distant rave divas crackling through the mix. More

Following their recent remix of KiNK’s ‘Perth’ for Running Back, 17 Steps bosses Dusky present their first original productions of 2018 in the five-track Aset Forever EP. Aset Forever is named in tribute to Jan Francis, a friend of Nick & Alfie who tragically lost his life late last year. Founder of the ATG graffiti crew and School Records (alongside Loefah) - Jan was responsible for Dusky's first London gigs both at ATG Warehouse parties and their Staunch residency at Corsica Studios. Covering hard synth driven grooves, tranced-out Italo, proggy techno and blissed out breakbeat house, the five track EP keeps things strictly dancefloor focused - again showcasing the duo’s unique ability to take a myriad of influences and wrestle them into new hybrids that sound their own. Lead track ‘Amongst The Gods’ has been a standout across their sets this year. Taking shuffling breakbeat house rhythms, classic sunrise melodies and 90s rave vocals, it builds to an understated but infectious warehouse crescendo. The EP swiftly moves onto ‘The Ace’ - Striking at 130 BPM, ‘The Ace’ is a hard hitting surge of twisted sonics and clipped rave samples. A dark slab of warehouse tech, ’Staunch' follows, with rolling Reese basslines, ‘ecstasy’ samples and eerie sci-fi chords. The second half of the EP sees Dusky take things deeper. ’Angles’ is a blissed out wash of Detroit techno stabs and vintage house textures, before ‘The Captain’ rounds off the EP with punchy Italo basslines and icy synths. More

Kiwi's sound is one defined by positive, kinetic feeling - joining the dots between Detroit Techno, Soul and Balearic. With previous releases on Futureboogie, Life and Death and Moscoman's lauded Disco Halal imprint, he's garnered several accolades including reaching number #85 in Mixmag's Top 100 tunes of 2017 and sitting at #1 in the genre chart for a total of 9 weeks with his 'Orca' EP back in 2016. Now - continuing on his ascent, Kiwi lays out a pair of rapturous, gooey House jams that lands right on time for the festival season. On 'Oooh' - Vocal lines swirl over a largely beatless backing track. A rich, balmy feeling unfolds behind synth chimes and layered delays which work together to form an irresistible summer DJ tool. 'Andromeda' then follows up and blends 80's soundtrack-tinged stabs with crispy drums and thick sub bass before being accompanied by a pulsating synth line that carries the track to a delectable crescendo. Hammer then closes things up with a somewhat hallucinogenic take on 'Oooh' with LFOs, analogue sweeps and blobs of acid bleeding together to cap off an altogether warm and woozy trip. More

Following Lo Shea’s industrial ‘Iterations EP’, Dusky’s 17 Steps welcomes the mysterious Polymod to the label family with a three track EP of club tools that draw on classic acid house and techno influences. Hooked with a vintage ’88 piano loop and tightly sprung bassline, opener ‘No Other’ has been ever present in Dusky’s sets since the autumn - already inspiring multiple posts in a certain well-known Facebook ID group, as well as causing one eager ID hunter to tweet Dusky with home played piano videos of the main loop. For all its catchiness, though, it maintains an understated approach that plays on dynamics and contrast - a driving club tool. Taking a darker route but maintaining the intensity, ‘TX’ goes for the jugular with a looping surge of acid and rolling electro rhythms. Completing the trio is the spacious ‘PG1000’ that joins the dots between '90s ambient, proto-house and Detroit machine music at its most dreamy. More

Fresh from his ‘Let’s Roll EP’ on Radio Slave’s Rekids, Hopeworks curator Lo Shea further cements his status as a true innovator of the UK underground with the ‘Iterations EP’ on Dusky’s 17 Steps. Leading the charge, ‘Iterations’ is 8 dark twisted minutes of tripped-out melodic techno that will sweat the walls of warehouses from London to Tokyo - drawing a lineage from The Omen, Atomic Jam and The Orbit through to Berghain, De School and - indeed - Hopeworks itself. On the remix, Stockholm’s Peder Mannerfelt takes it down an industrial rabbit hole of terror-core synths, rave sirens and sonic paranoia. Across rest of EP, Lo Shea flexes his sonic diversity with ‘Ornithurae’ offering an intruiging mix of bruising bass, twitchy layer loaded percussion and sinister soundscapes - somewhere between d&b don Dillinja circa ’96, early Claude Von Stroke, Radioactive Man and fellow Sheffield legend Oris Jay. Dark, soulful and ravey, ‘Higher’ closes things off with a uniquely UK hybrid that traces lines through militant Tresor-heyday techno, vintage Strictly Rhythm diva house and hardcore vibes. More

Exploring the hidden crevices between the hardcore continuum, muscular house and vintage techno, Hugo Massien delivers four tracks that crackle with energy and intensity on the ‘Ghost Note EP’ - released December 5 on Dusky’s 17 Steps. Having previously contributed EPs to the legendary XL Records and DJ Haus’ E-Beamz, Hugo’s unique sound has won him fans as diverse as Roman Flügel, Shed, Bicep, Annie Mac, Batu, Maya Jane Coles and, of course, Dusky themselves, who previously signed his ‘Restart The Sun’ to last year’s Floor To Floor compilation. A sign of Hugo’s instinctive knack for genre mutation, ‘Ghost Note’ signals a clinical groove hybrid of rolling jungle breaks and cyborg acid fire. Contrasting the breakbeat vibes with a stripped back techno surge, ‘Speak To Silence’ pulses with industrial soundscapes and clipped acid oscillations. Elsewhere the broken beat cinematics of ‘Broke The Cycle’ provide a more meditative excursion that blends rave motifs with classic ambient references, whilst the Transmit-nodding ‘Messier 77’ closes the EP out with vintage Detroit vibes. More

UK House & Techno heavyweights Dusky return to their 17 Steps label with the classic house indebted ‘Square Miso’, picking up swiftly where this summer’s hugely successful ‘Cold Heart’ EP left off - the lead track an ever present in Gerd Janson’s summer DJ sets.
Already recognisable to many from Dusky’s festival sets as well as Jackmaster’s recent Circo Loco terrace recording, ‘Square Miso’ draws on the swing of classic NYC house with soulful, cut-up vocal samples and tightly programmed beats, whilst paying tribute to the ‘90s Italian House classics with its distinctive piano melodies - with a dash of Shades Of Rhythm-era UK Rave for good measure. As well as the club-ready original, a beat less piano and strings ‘reprise’ is also included.
A darker, Detroit-nodding club tool, ‘LF10’ blends heavy-hitting stabs, atmospheric melodic textures and House grooves. An immersive roller, like ‘Square Miso’ it serves as another example of the duo’s ability to blend different influences into unique hybrids.
With 2017 releases from B.K.R & Jamie Jones, Christian Piers, Bwana and Kiwi, Dusky’s 17 Steps has become an increasingly prolific outlet of forward thinking House and Techno - with support from Gerd Janson, Midland, Len Faki, Maya Jane Coles, Tiga and George Fitzgerald among others.

More

Following Dusky’s ubiquitous ‘Cold Heart’ EP 17 Steps presents Kiwi’s ‘Marmora’s Theme’ EP - the London producer’s debut on the label.
Having recently released on tastemaker labels such as Futureboogie, Correspondent and Optimo Music, Kiwi’s distinctive sound is a physical mix of Italo disco, techno and electro influences. Carried by a pulsating Italo bassline, lead track ‘Marmora’s Theme’ is a cosmic epic that rides crisp piano melodies and sci-fi synths - and is already garnering support from Gerd Janson, DJ Tennis and Annie Mac. Transporting the original’s piano euphoria into darker, rave referencing territory, the Tuff City Kids remix calls on growling reese bass and ’92 hardcore style pianos.
Offering some alternative vibes are the deeper, dirgy warehouse grind of ‘OTH’ and the beautiful, reflective electronica of ‘Reservoir’.

More

Dusky present the latest 17 Steps release with the ’Cold Heart EP’, a four track package that cements their ability to craft a unique range of house and techno soundscapes. Having spent last year releasing their ‘Outer’ LP, as well as delivering their second acclaimed Essential Mix and touring a new live show, the ‘Cold Heart EP’ sees the prolific duo return to their roots in textured house and techno with four powerful DJ tools. With a nod to vintage New York house through a carefully sourced vocal sample, lead track ‘Cold Heart’ is a blissed out, atmospheric house epic that blends crisp percussion, soulful hooks, washing pads and a hypnotic lead organ melody. A favourite from the duo’s recent DJ sets, ‘Psychic Life Coach’ shuffles with dubby grooves, skippy drums and ethereal vocal cut-ups, before ‘Bowed’ offers a high energy dose of cosmic disco and ravey techno flavours, Rounding things off, closing track ‘Balfour Betty’ is built around warm, swirling synth textures that meet at the intersection of Detroit techno and vintage progressive trance. More

Panorama Bar regular Bwana unites his dual loves of vintage ‘90s electro and classic progressive trance on this three track EP for Dusky’s 17 Steps label. Achieving widespread critical acclaim with last year’s techno homage to the Akira soundtrack - ‘Capsules Pride’ - on LuckyMe, Bwana has since released EPs on his club ready home Aus and Fort Romeau’s Cin Cin, as well as appearing on 17 Steps with a cult remix of Dusky’s ‘Ingrid Is a Hybrid’ - itself something of a Panorama Bar favourite.
On this EP, the illustrious producer presents three contrasting but cohesive tracks in the dark acidic ‘Three Way Is The Hard Way’, hypnotic dark trance builder ’Hell Is Other Robots’ and classic electro homage ‘On Patrol For Their Control’. Completing the package, the inimitable Avalon Emerson bends ‘Three Way Is The Hard Way’ into a glitchy, percussive groover that builds crunchy layers of dark drums around the original’s twisted sonics. More

One half of Laszlo Dancehall with Leon Vynehall, Christian Piers returns to Dusky’s 17 Steps with three tracks of machine driven music aimed at the dancefloor.
Leading with the heavyweight techno of ‘Detachment’, the package also includes the dark mechanical rhythms of ‘Expanse’ and drum workout ’Strain’, as well as Trevino’s stripped back dub techno interpretation of ‘Detachment’. More

B.K.R is the techno project of Simon Baker, presenting four dancefloor fillers on Dusky’s 17 Steps. The EP starts with ‘Bubble & Squeak’, a collaboration with Jamie Jones which is a groovy number flecked with gentle synths. ‘Fly’ is a techno track, where dark and broody tones push through a continuum of crashing percussions. ’Dis’ is punchy, energetic and bold, and ’Das’ rounds off the release, with B.K.R skillfully playing with layers of percussion and a serene melody. More

Dusky’s 17 Steps present Floor To Floor. Featuring tracks from Velvit, Trevino, Lo Shea, Hugo Massein and Alan Fitzpatrick, Floor To Floor compiles 12 tracks that approach the modern house and techno aesthetic with a UK edge. Joining the dots between electronica-leaning sounds, melodic house and warm-up grooves to moody techno, looping tech house tools and broken beats, Floor To Floor represents a snapshot of current UK House and Techno sound worlds - all heavily road tested in Dusky's DJ sets. Carefully compiled over a 12 month period, each track combines artistic individuality with dancefloor utility. On the second sampler, UK techno powerhouse Alan Fitzpatrick delivers a nostalgic nosebleed rave banger in a modern style on ‘Where Haus?’, XL signing Hugo Massein deals in rolling tech nastiness on ‘Restart The Sun’, Lo Shea’s shuffling, sci-fi beats elevate ‘Thousand Foot Waves’ while Moniker take things deeper on ‘Moving’. More

Dusky’s 17 Steps present Floor To Floor. Featuring tracks from Velvit, Trevino, Lo Shea, Hugo Massein and Alan Fitzpatrick, Floor To Floor compiles 12 tracks that approach the modern house and techno aesthetic with a UK edge. Joining the dots between electronica-leaning sounds, melodic house and warm-up grooves to moody techno, looping tech house tools and broken beats, Floor To Floor represents a snapshot of current UK House and Techno sound worlds - all heavily road tested in Dusky's DJ sets. Carefully compiled over a 12 month period, each track combines artistic individuality with dancefloor utility. A statement of intent for 17 Steps future dancefloor visions, Floor To Floor journeys from the dark, brooding atmospherics of Velvit’s ‘Looking Glass’ and Dusky’s own stripped back ‘Mount Belzoni to the quirky warehouse techno of Christian Piers’ ’Tooth Decay’ and Trevino’s militant ‘Ojak’. More

Having recently played an eight hour set to a sold-out crowd at London’s Oval Space, the prolific Dusky drop a trio of moody club tool tracks on 17 Steps as they continue their European Autumn/Winter tour. A club tool in the most effective sense, lead track ’Lydia’ is dark, nagging acid groover that builds and builds throughout its 6 hypnotic minutes. With all the melodic material based around the Lydian scale, ‘Lydia’ was originally inspired by a bizarre, trippy dream Alfie had in which everything was all based on the Lydian scale. A homage to classic techno, ‘Bitter Lake’ is a hard-hitting surge of looping, percussive energy and Detroit-nodding rave stabs that build to a hoover-fuelled breakdown release. Rounding off the trio, the brilliantly titled and uniquely composed ‘Infinite Libido’ again explores Dusky’s more percussive tendencies and has been a regular feature in their DJ sets for the past year.
More

90s ambient icons Global Communication’s first production since 1997 arrives in the form of a remix. This is a super limited edition one off white label vinyl pressing... 250 copies worldwide. Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard’s 76:14 is one of the 90s’ most acclaimed electronic albums, while a cast of aliases (Reload, Jedi Knights and more) also orbited the project. Their last record came out in 1997, and although there was a live reunion in 2010, the new material we were promised is yet to emerge. Pritchard’s nowhere to be seen on this remix of Dusky’s ‘Skin Deep’ (it’s Middleton flying solo), but it’s still an occasion. According to Dusky, “we knew we wanted someone special and we knew we wanted someone who would get to the heart of the melodies and textures in the breakdown…. Global Communication made perfect sense. Tom has totally delivered, creating something that draws on the heritage of the ambient sound, but also feels current and modern.” More