Hope Works founder Lo Shea drops two murky cuts on Rekids with Thule and AE Recordings boss Thor on remix duties. On top of running his highly respected Hope Works event series in the North of England, Lo Shea’s reputation as a producer is unquestionable, with recent years seeing the Sheffield-based artist appear on credible imprints such as Phonica, Never Learnt, SZE, Transit and Dext Recordings. Metallic percussion is blended with growling bass in ‘Let’s Roll’ before introducing spooky synths to generate a mesmerising aesthetic. Energetic breakbeat drums and intricate melodies then forge ‘Tundish’ before Thor reinterprets ‘Let’s Roll’ by sucking you into a dub techno vortex; stripping shards off the original that cascade whilst driving you into an abyss. More

Sheffield's Hopeworks has become an essential melting pot for the cultural and musical future of a city whose electronic heritage has surpassed its industrial one. As creative director & resident DJ Lo Shea, returns to the vinyl arm of this warehouse institution with a blistering new EP Expertly programmed modern sonics possessed by the spirit of 90's rave & the UK's characteristic Bass influence abound here. From the syncopated and undulating 'A Way Through' to the straight up ravery of 'Mark X' on the A Side, to the hypnotic tribalism of 'Primitive Operations' we're looking at a crisply crafted modern Techno suite of the highest calibre. Bristol's Hodge handles a weighty remix of B1, amping the atmospherics and rounding off an EP of precision club tools par excellence. More

Sheffield's Hopeworks has become an essential melting pot for the cultural and musical future of a city whose electronic heritage has surpassed its industrial one. As creative director & resident DJ Lo Shea, returns to the vinyl arm of this warehouse institution with a statement of intent & a lithe follow up to last year's Deep Draw EP Following his successful Seaghdha series, Lo Shea continues to flesh out a distinctive sound which is informed and inspired by all those late nights. Expertly programmed modern sonics possessed by the spirit of 90's rave & the UK's characteristic Bass influence. Northern Lights leads the charge - a mechanised, syncopated stepper that could easily be a lost SunkLo release Elsewhere soundscape interludes sit alongside atmospheric, precision club jams, with the B Side struggling to contain the two stout A Side cuts it has to hold in place. A recent Resident Advisor podcast, winning plaudits across the board as well as away games for Phonica & Dext are certainly cementing a assured future for Lo Shea & Hopeworks ! More

Hopeworks opened just under two years ago, in the heart of Sheffield's former industrial centre This empty warehouse has since become the hedonistic epicentre of the city's vibrant all night clubbing scene As chief resident and director of Hopeworks, Lo Shea has built the ethos of the space from the ground up. Having hosted an enviable list of international guest artists as well as showcasing the best of tomorrow's talent, Hopeworks has become an essential melting pot for the cultural and musical future of a city whose electronic heritage has surpassed its industrial one. A platform to release the music inspired by the space and its loyal crowd, not to mention the artists who have contributed to its success, makes perfect sense. Who better to take the helm of this debut voyage than Lo Shea himself... Following his successful Seaghdha series, Liam continues to flesh out a distinctive sound that doesn't easily fit into genre divides, but which is informed and inspired by all those late nights. Often functional, always perfectly weighted - his productions have - given the diverse & astonishing energy of the space that feeds them - gained support from DJ's and dancers the world over... This is 100% Mixed In Sheffield & believe us, Hope, works. More

Long-time Phonica favourite Lo Shea follows on from his excellent contribution to the recent ‘Ten Years Of Phonica’ compilation with the four track ‘Adverse Camber EP’ on Phonica White. The ‘Adverse Camber EP’ sees Lo Shea taking his already unique take on Techno and House in new directions while remaining firmly focused on the dancefloor. The 12” starts ominously with the dark Techno monster ‘Lights, Plants, Action’, all deep growling bass and drums, the only brief glimpse of light cutting through halfway before dropping back into the murk. The relentlessly heavy ‘The Wind’ follows up and is a pounding yet melodic mini-master-piece, perfect material for the darkest of clubs. Flip over and the shuffling percussion and sub-bass of ‘MuVin’ kicks things off with an infectious abstract UK Garage/Techno hybrid sound. Finally, the stripped-back ‘Snake Inn’ is pure bleak British Techno, masterfully produced as only Lo Shea can! Lo Shea aka Liam O’Shea has had a particularly productive few years, completing his ten release ‘Seaghdha’ imprint in impressive style with the ‘A Deich’ 12” & ‘Distance’ CD package. That is on top of his ‘Steel City’ 12” on 100 Years as well as remixes for Mixed In Sheffield and Tamed Musiq. His track ‘Home’ was one of the highlights of Phonica’s 2014 compilation ‘Ten Years Of Phonica’. Limited vinyl pressing. Hand stamped. Special artwork by Pedro Carvalho de Almeida.

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Here it is, the tenth and final chapter in the Seaghdha story, as Lo Shea wraps up a monumental series with a special, limited 12" & CD Compilation package First up we get four more new tracks on the wax, It's On is an atmospheric, driving House jam complete with melodic guitar effects, which ride the groove and combine with the devilishly deep low end to startling effect Got Swagger strips things right back to the bone, a skeletal rhythm framework, those trademark atmospherics and rock solid low end. Buchsheff sees us back in familiar Lo Shea territory, with a powerful warehouse rattler. Finally To Be Sure brings it all home with a cinematic ambient piece. As if that wasn't enough we also have a hand-stamped CD Comp, featuring those classic cuts from the earlier part of the series, which are now fetching serious change on the second hand market It's a great package, and a serious send off for what has been a hugely successful & widely supported musical endeavour More

Like the face-painted Celtic hordes that succesfully repelled all invaders, Seaghdha continues to dominate the high ground and provide sonic sustenance for rave caves the world over As the series continues to pick up new fans and plaudits aplenty, the modus operandi remains the same - precision club workouts, which ricochet between UK flavoured jams, to clean cut Techno & stripped down House Dirt Chambre, a loose translation into English from a Gaelic phrase which would make even the most hardened warrior chief blush is a robust, clank-a-thon of the highest order, submerged vocals, dustbin lid metrooimics and a rudimentary lawn mower preside over what unfurls into an irresistible dancefloor piece Full Swing takes usinto skeletal Mood II Swing territory - a nifty rhythm track number punctuated with vocal chops and atmospheric ear candy On the flip, Corner Jams sees a Kevin Saunderson 'E-Dancer' style snaking bass underpin a rusty tracked ghost train ride into the depths of the dankest dungeon Finally Someday gives us a taste of what Kenny Dope might be kicking out if he hailed from South Yorkshir einstead of Brookyln. An impossible to resist skin slapping groove with twisted brass refrains and an unrelenting march into the holo-deck for a spot of android Salsa More

The seventh instalment in Lo Shea's series of 10 vinyl only releases on Seaghdha. You know by now how this goes - precision club workouts, which ricochet between UK flavoured jams, to clean cut Techno & stripped down House. Vasquez leads the charge here, less about the legendary captain of the Soundfactory, and more the soundtrack to a drug deal gone bad in downtown Miami.
'Like Her' flails around a bowel troubling low end and crisp snare double act, piling on the pressure with an unrelenting groove and some deftly applied distortion
Elsewhere 365247 is in more familiar Lo Shea / Seaghdha territory, with some expertly manipulated, atmospheric sampling laid over a spare, shuffle-happy Herbertesque workout.
Finally Flash gives us a glimpse into sleepless basement, inhabited by addled humanoids, playing glass bottles More

100 YEARS is a new label and venue set up by esteemed Sheffield promoter, producer and studio engineer Liam O’Shea. The fist release features two tracks by him as LoShea and comes as a celebration of Sheffield’s enduring association with both techno and stainless steel. It was 100 years ago this year that stainless steel was invented by engineer Harry Brearley of the Brown-Firth research laboratory in Sheffield while seeking a corrosion-resistant alloy for gun barrels. As for the first release, it couldn’t be more Sheffield or more techno, frankly. Lo Shea took himself into the heart of Forgemasters Sheffield – a huge steelworks – and made field recordings that he then took away and turned into two powerful tracks that evoke the feeling of their environment - sweaty men in overalls lugging lumps of steel into blast furnaces, rumbling cranes, tumbling 100 tonne pipes and a generally oil stained air of coal fuelled industry. ‘Steel City’ starts of with the hum and throng of huge machines and blasts of hot air bursting through. Then come the pummelling, over sized kicks and ticking, jostling percussive sprinkles to form a wiggling but heavyweight groove straight from the heart of a smoggy factory. 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

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.

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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’.

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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

UK production duo Alfie Granger-Howell and Nick Harriman aka Dusky drop 4 of the finest remixes from their Outer album campaign of last year on heavyweight white label vinyl.
T. Williams’ cult grime alias Dread D alias and Livity Sound mainstay Kowton lend their hand to 2 heavyweight remixes for the Wiley collaboration ‘Sort it Out Sharon’ whilst the talents of Bwana and techno don shed take to the buttons on ‘Ingrid is a Hybrid’ 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.
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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