Potatoheadz Records come back, out of nowhere, with JCow’s ‘in my elem3nt7’. Often spotted cycling about town, it’s no secret that JCow is diligently & quietly (and not so quietly) crafting big tunes. This release is the sound of that inevitable 2020’s shut-in inspiration. Written during those periods, they are finally seeing the light of day. With focused time in the studio, some serious imagined musical landscapes are the result. Tracks designed for dance-floor breakouts and closed-eye catharsis. We’ve heard these tracks come a long way from inception. Cerebral and kinetic, each track has a unique character, functional yet bound to stand out in any set. Tracks like ‘a complex range of human emojis’ pay-no-mind in referencing the past with a sly smirk and an updated twist. Are we hacking? While the title track ‘in my elem3nt7’ conjures a certain mystical atmos - the tracks bold narrative shift midway is one hell of a notable payoff. Swerving boldly into new territory, the beats fade and return from new angles, sounds cutting and slicing through the speaker like angelic machine gun fire. The drum programming is truly used like a weapon in this one, with those majestic horn samples like calls from the ether. Exaels ‘swampbuggy’ reworking of title track on the B2 provides the perfect alternate universe, working its way from a sparse ambience into an inspired IDM-leaning breakbeat epilogue. More

The continent spanning Ozzy / Berlin label Potatoheadz are showing a certain flair with their curation that is rare to see. Launching 2020 with a split EP that continues the labels thematic approach with all tracks based around the concept of biophilia. Whilst packing the kind of dance floor punch that only the heart of nature can supply. On the A side Fibre Optixxx kicks off our (re)connection with esoteric environs with a patient dose of intelligent electronics in “Hive Activity”. A mid tempo Drum and Bass piece that is versatile, raw, and straight to the point. Next up, “Hibiscus” presents a more dubbed, subtle sound that is just as addictively danceable. In essence a post-modern reconstruction of Kotton the Cutie - think Baltimore club muzik but in planetary orbit. The B side comes from Melbourne resident DJ Life. His first “Lightning Ridge” is delivered with bags of attitude and is truly club certified as it twists into almost progressive territory, with it's quasi hypnotic nu-era electronics. Finishing off the EP “Butterfly” is classy, patient and beautiful with flashes of early Detroit. Another killer from Potatoheadz, a label carving it's name into the global scene. Musically deep and utterly fresh. A statement of intent for what's to come from them in 2020. A1. Fibre Optixxx - Hive Activity, A2. Fibre Optixxx - Hibiscus, B1. DJ Life - Lightning Ridge, B2. DJ Life - Butterfly More