2023 Repress

Tracklisting:
A1 Djrum - Plantain
B1 Djrum - What I Was Doing When I Was Doing What I Was Doing

Sales Note:
2023 Repress of the Djrum 12" for Samurai Red Seal on a special Colour in Colour pressing More

2nd Drop Records release 'Seven Lies', the debut album by Felix Manuel aka Djrum (pronounced "Drum"). Its sounds are inspired by the rawness of urban London, influences of Portishead, DJ Shadow and The Cinematic Orchestra, jungle, minimal techno, classic house, broken beat - all seamlessly segued with a nod to jazz vinyl and film music.
Fans will recognise Djrum's iconic tropes on 'Seven Lies': widescreen atmospheres, dub chords, dusty and melancholic strings, obscure film samples. But this time its spread over a bigger, more luxurious canvas that dips like an undulating terrain of sound; techno troughs, bumpy hip hop breaks, euphoric drum and bass, all filtered through the Djrum node.
Felix would admit himself he is a not a prolific producer. Preferring to craft and hone, often allowing music to mutate and diverge down different paths, his tracks often top the 8-9 min marks in length. However, each track is never at risk of becoming staid or boring, quite the opposite as ideas mutate and evolve, subtle differences and nuances are evoked and explored.
Inspired by the sounds of Ninja Tune's Solid Steel radio show, Oxford born/London based Felix became involved with the free party scene and helped set up the seminal Yardcore nights in 2005. A night of wild extremes, it swept from acts as diverse as Hellfish, Andy Stott, Breakage and Various Production in one night. An aesthetic he still faithfully adheres to in his all-vinyl DJ sets, a seamless blend of techno, garage, dancehall, hip hop, old-school hardcore and jungle.
Just as the dominant dubstep scene was in a painful, if fertile, transitionary period in 2010, Felix made his production debut as Djrum with 12" singles on the On the Edge and Smokin Sessions labels. This would ultimately provide him with the perfect platform for his own hybrid sound. A sound that instead of reflecting the brash energy of his DJ style, turned inwards, almost ingesting and metabolising those sounds to create an introspective and more sensitive and tactile crossbreed.
The 2nd Drop label were lucky enough to pick up on his latent talent, drafting him to remix the wonderful lament 'Explode' by LV and Message To Bears ft Zaki Ibrahim, to widespread acclaim. In 2011 the 'Mountains EP' followed. A four track suite of music that captured the imagination of many: Francois K, Gilles Peterson, Craig Richards, Berlin's highly respected T++, and featured in end of year charts across the board. The 3rd part of the 'Mountains EP' came the following year - as 'Watermark' b/w 'The Darkest Hour is Just Before Dawn (Undercoat Pt2)' - completing an epic body of music and setting up the realization of 'Seven Lies', this highly accomplished debut long player.
The wonderful, celestial artwork is by an artist friend of Djrum's called Jaya Mansberger.
Seven Lies tracklist (available as triple pack vinyl):
1. Obsession
2. Como Los Cerdos
3. Dam
4. Arcana (Do I Need You)
5. Lies (ft Shadowbox)
6. Honey
7. Arcana (Coda)
8. Anchors (ft Shadowbox)
9. Thankyou

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Dino Lenny’s latest two singles for Belgian titan R&S Records get coupled together for a vinyl release. ‘Lose Control’ and ‘Washington Street’ are both served up with alternate mixes. The London based Italian producer fired out another irresistible club heater on the ‘Lose Control’ single, racking up Top Ten chart positions across the dance DSPs. On the Tea With Quincy Mix, legendary American musician Jerry Hey in drafted in to add his unmistakable horn playing to this version of ‘Lose Control. Hey is a highly seasoned orchestrator and session musician, playing on hundreds of classic recordings including Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, ‘Rock With You’ and ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’, and also playing with Earth, Wind & Fire, Donna Summer, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, George Benson and numerous others, including Quincy Jones, whom the mix title doffs its cap to. A special ‘4am Mix’ of ‘Washington Street’ from Dino Lenny himself sits on the flip side, a propelling and heavyweight dancefloor cut laced with seductive saxophone and climaxing with sparkling melodic electronics.
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Another legendary R&S classic repressed in very limited numbers only on a one-sided 12" vinyl. The original 1992 release from Dutch producer Jaydee was a 10 minute long Hammond organ workout - many remixes over the years but you cant surpass the original!!! More

Joey Beltram mega-ultra-classic, ‘Energy Flash’ re-mastered by Matt Colton. Pressed nice and loud on a one sided 12”. E.S.S.E.N.T.I.A.L.!!! (...still after all these years...)

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Ada Kaleh, the Romanian composer and DJ, follows up on his recent releases for R&S Records and Apollo with a brand new single, ‘Unravelling’. Featuring the vocals of Fela Kuti at his most potent, ‘Unravelling’ also includes a featured performance from Eric Leeds, the American saxophone player most noted for his work with Prince, both in the studio and as part of the Purple One’s touring band. Ada Kaleh constructs a hypnotising and minimalistic rhythm, reminiscent of Tony Allen's drumming style, speckled with dubbed out complexions and kaleidoscopic sonics that provide the perfect bed for Fela Kuti’s distinguished vocal delivery and conscientious lyric. The illustrious jazz musician Eric Leeds lends his prowess to the main mix here, as his smoky saxophone tones glide across ‘Unravelling’ with pure professional class! More

Spanish sound designer and producer Architectural layers intense beat science and waves of ethereal tones across three stunning new tracks on the ‘Clothed in Light’ EP for R&S Records. Also known for his production work under the aliases Reeko, Humano and Neither (amongst others), the experimental producer has issued a slew of mind bending releases for labels like Music Man, Pole Recordings, Non Series, Ellum Audio and his own Mental Disorder imprint over the past two decades. The ‘Clothed In Light’ EP finds Architectural back on R&S Records, following his 2020 released ‘Planet Is But A Dream’ single. More

Four tracks of esoteric and spatial electronica are served up on Quartz’s debut release for R&S Records. Via releases for Metalheadz, Rupture London and System Music, amongst others, the ascending producer from Cardiff has impressed with his unique take on drum & bass, and more recently via grime influenced dubstep. A thrilling hybrid of sounds and rhythms are pulled together on the ‘Deity Spear’ release as Quartz deploys angular breakbeats, gargantuan bass tones, convoluted rhythms, and panoramic sound design across four mesmerising tracks. The opening track ‘Lilac Cobwebs’ is a reference and homage to his deceased mother, featuring a snippet of one of her last voice notes to him, and a reference to a colour he fondly remembers of her. A spellbinding and dense release from one of the UK’s most audacious producers. More

Manchester based DJ/producer Antagonist cues up a collection of dense and uncompromising electronic tracks on his R&S Records debut. The ‘Rites’ EP pulls together 5 new tracks that lean on the artist’s drum ‘n’ bass roots and influences, a sound that has informed his DJ sets and studio productions since he launched the project in 2004. Channelling his productions towards the more cinematic and darker side of drum ‘n’ bass and broken beats, Antagonist has released a strong run of EPs for labels such as Samurai Music, Ronin Ordinance, One.Seventy and his own Discipline imprint, stamping his hybrid sound across these well received releases. Layers upon layers of shadowy ambience and wistful tones are punctured by hard edged beat-science, as Antagonist goes in deep on the complex breakbeats, chopping back and forth knifelike loops and dynamic kicks. A highly accomplished debut for the R&S label from this sonically exciting young producer. More

What can be said about Joey Beltram’s ‘Energy Flash’ that hasn’t be said already! The track still gets rinsed, week in, week out, across radio stations, clubs and festivals, testimony to the sheer importance of this techno classic. Released originally in 1990 on the R&S Records label, ‘Beltram Vol. 1’ included the aforementioned ‘Energy Flash’, alongside three equally ground-breaking dance tracks that possibly get overshadowed by the big lead track. But tracks like ‘Subsonic Bass’ broke the mould and went on to influence a raft of rave and drum ‘n’ bass tunes, thanks in part to its use of the now legendary ‘hoover’ bass sound. The sinister acid of ‘Jazz 3033’ still sounds as fresh today as it did 33 years ago, and the menacingly titled ‘Psycho Bass’ reveals the EP’s most passive moment, as its solid breakbeat cuts through ethereal tones and chugging synths. ‘Beltram Volume 1’ has been remastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, and the release comes in an updated sleeve, faithfully recreating the 1990 packaging. More

What can be said about Joey Beltram’s ‘Energy Flash’ that hasn’t be said already! The track still gets rinsed, week in, week out, across radio stations, clubs and festivals, testimony to the sheer importance of this techno classic. Released originally in 1990 on the R&S Records label, ‘Beltram Vol. 1’ included the aforementioned ‘Energy Flash’, alongside three equally ground-breaking dance tracks that possibly get overshadowed by the big lead track. But tracks like ‘Subsonic Bass’ broke the mould and went on to influence a raft of rave and drum ‘n’ bass tunes, thanks in part to its use of the now legendary ‘hoover’ bass sound. The sinister acid of ‘Jazz 3033’ still sounds as fresh today as it did 33 years ago, and the menacingly titled ‘Psycho Bass’ reveals the EP’s most passive moment, as its solid breakbeat cuts through ethereal tones and chugging synths. ‘Beltram Volume 1’ has been remastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, and the release comes in an updated sleeve, faithfully recreating the 1990 packaging. More

lThere are techno classics, and there are techno classics! It’s without doubt that Joey Beltram has played a pivotal role in the growth of the techno sound that gestated in Detroit and was lapped up in Europe during those early years. Beltram spearheaded a darker sound that became a staple in the UK and European rave scene in the early 90s, and a sound that continues to come back around for revival and a new twist on the genre from the producers and DJs of the day. ‘Beltram Volume 2’ was first released on R&S Records in 1991, and despite the huge success of the ‘Energy Flash’ single, released a year prior, ‘Volume 2’, some say, is ‘Beltram’s definitive release on R&S’. Deep, dark and deliciously hypnotic, all four cuts on this EP still sound as raw and devastating 30 years later. Big tunes at seminal clubs like Rage (Fabio & Grooverider) and the network of UK raves soundtracked by the likes of Carl Cox, Colin Faver, Eddie Richards et al, Beltram’s unique sound help spawn the bass heavy drum & bass genre that was also burgeoning at the time. ‘Beltram Volume 2’ has been remastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, and the release comes in an updated sleeve, faithfully recreating the 1991 packaging featuring Christel Brodahl’s now legendary oil painting. More

lThere are techno classics, and there are techno classics! It’s without doubt that Joey Beltram has played a pivotal role in the growth of the techno sound that gestated in Detroit and was lapped up in Europe during those early years. Beltram spearheaded a darker sound that became a staple in the UK and European rave scene in the early 90s, and a sound that continues to come back around for revival and a new twist on the genre from the producers and DJs of the day. ‘Beltram Volume 2’ was first released on R&S Records in 1991, and despite the huge success of the ‘Energy Flash’ single, released a year prior, ‘Volume 2’, some say, is ‘Beltram’s definitive release on R&S’. Deep, dark and deliciously hypnotic, all four cuts on this EP still sound as raw and devastating 30 years later. Big tunes at seminal clubs like Rage (Fabio & Grooverider) and the network of UK raves soundtracked by the likes of Carl Cox, Colin Faver, Eddie Richards et al, Beltram’s unique sound help spawn the bass heavy drum & bass genre that was also burgeoning at the time. ‘Beltram Volume 2’ has been remastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, and the release comes in an updated sleeve, faithfully recreating the 1991 packaging featuring Christel Brodahl’s now legendary oil painting. More

Joe McBride AKA Synkro has built up a hugely impressive catalogue of releases over the last few years. Via albums and singles for Apollo, Exit Records and his own Synkro Music imprint, the Manchester based producer and sound architect has amassed a dazzling archive of elaborate, emotive and intellectual soundscapes drawing in influences across a spectrum of bass culture and electronica. On the ‘Information’ EP, it’s business as usual, as Synkro deploys four fresh and forward thinking tracks that slither across the genres with ease. From the frantic percussion and dubwise tones of title track ‘Information’ to the absorbing textures and crackling ambience of the beatless opener ‘Cycles’, the attention to detail and the depth of layered sonics across all four tracks afford the listener a truly mesmerising experience. The dusty and dark skank of ‘Signal’ is a real mood piece, whilst ‘Last Breath’ closes the EP drenched in sanguine sentiments. More

Originally released on R&S Records in 2006, Chizawa Q revives his ‘Asia’ release with the surfacing of a new remix, the ‘Asia 4 (Lost Q Mix)’. The Japanese producer, who has enjoyed a modest string of releases for F-Communications and Deka Traxxx, fires out an epically irresistible remix that is sure to soundtrack the summer clubs and festivals ahead. With its roots in the Detroit school of techno, it’s easy to hear the influences of such legends as Underground Resistance and Rolando, and the melodic style of jazzy techno established by artists like R&S Records’ Dave Angel, Vince Watson and Steve Rachmand, but the ‘Lost Asia’ EP is no pastiche. Emotive and musical, delivered with the purity and spirit often lacking in modern techno, Chizawa Q’s music is a reminder that the authentic sounds always rise to the top in the end. More

Operating on the outer rim of the drum & bass scene for over a decade, Blocks & Escher have been designing intelligent and forward-thinking electronic dance across a multitude of releases for labels such as Metalheadz, Digital Soundboy and their own Narratives Music. Their first release of 2022, ‘Shot In The Dark’ EP, pulls together four outstanding cuts of shadowy breaks and abstract electronica. Otherwise known as Phillip Smith and Will Hansen, Blocks & Escher distilled their sound into the critically acclaimed 2018 album ‘Something Blue’. Released on Goldie’s Metalheadz imprint, the long player displayed a confident maturity of sound, and a more than capable accomplishment of pulling the visionary sounds of drum & bass into a new era. The industrial breaks and hoover bass of ‘Shot In The Dark’ anchor a wave of cinematic synth sweeps, fashioning an arresting opening track on this accomplished EP. The ingenious beats continue to unfurl across ‘Abyss’ and ‘This One’, as brooding atmospherics wash over in waves. The finale of ‘Dance Girl’ ramps up the BPMs and beat complexity, as a breathless assault of rhythm and sound captivates and rewards in abundance. More

1991 techno classics - repressed and reissued for 2021!
Second Phase (aka Joey Beltram and Mundo Muzique) are 2 legendary producers whose output shaped an entire generation of ravers, DJs and producers minds. 'Mentasm / Mind To Mind' is one such influential release, literally creating new styles, new directions and impacting on dance music for decades to come. Unique programming and fresh sounds made their records stand out head and shoulders above everyone else's output. 'Mentasm' particularly broke ground with it's now infamous 'hoover sound', influencing house, techno and trance music to come and even spilling over into the nascent hardcore, jungle and D&B scenes where it was often imitated or sampled by producers who wanted that ruff, visceral feel for their own tracks, but didn't know how to create it themselves. A new energy was born and it emanated from this milestone 12". 'Mind To Mind' on the flipside is equally as deadly, but in a deeper, more spaced out realm it maneuvers and pulls into a trippy early morning space, the yin to 'Mentasm's yang. This is a quintessential techno record, a glimpse of innovation from back in the day. File under 'classic'. This special 2021 edition is reissued by R&S Records from original master sources, remastered by Curve Pusher. More

Presenting a special limited edition reissue of a stone cold classic from the R&S vaults, 1993 style, remastered and repressed on special transparent wax. Capricorn aka Dutch producer and DJ Hans Weekhout originally released the '20Hz' 3 track EP on R&S sub-label Global Cuts to much acclaim.
A record that was literally everywhere in '93 and still rocks any club today, '20Hz' is undoubtedly an all-time anthem with it's combination of rolling, thunderous drums, glacial marimba-like melodies and a tense trance inducing atmosphere that literally lifts the dancefloor to another place. 'Didn't I' is also a proper old-school peak-time stormer, it's uptempo, dripping in positive vibes with sampled soulful vocals and chopped up drum breaks all encapsulated within a real rave sensibility. Closing out the EP we are treated to 'For The Soul, Body & Mind' which is a much darker, deeper and menacing vibe than the previous cuts. More in line with the earliest fringes of jungle, hardcore and bleep tehcno the track takes us on a journey into the heart of the night with it's bass heavy and intricate sound programming and breakbeats, proving that Hans Weekhout was an extremely versatile and open minded producer. Overall, a truly classic and essential EP from the heyday of European house and techno that still packs a punch today! This special 2021 edition is reissued by R&S Records from original master sources, remastered by Curve Pusher. More

Master sampler Fed Conti has a way of making grooves sound as light as a feather, elevating kraut and jazz phrases to dreamy realms where the imagination is tickled. To kick off the forthcoming debut PROGedia album, revered producer and remixer Charles Webster adds his inimitable touch to the single ‘We Are The Night’, expanding on Conti’s heartfelt arrangements, playing with beats and textures, as he travels smooth melodic lines. PROGedia is the newest alias of the Italian producer Fed Conti, also known as Mahjong and Nardis. After having played his Hammond organ with several jazz deities, and produced samples for Coca Cola and Universal, he is finally unleashing his kinky musical imagination in the PROGedia album; ‘We Are The Night’ kicks off a mixture of kraut, psychedelic grooves and nu jazz, tied together through clever arrangements and a refined sampling process. ‘It’s an escape from modern decadence,’ says Fed, who adores the authentic and offbeat. It only makes sense, then, that the first track of his upcoming album is called ‘We Are The Night’; during the darkest hours PROGedia’s retro extravagance can claim a foothold, offering a warm breeding ground for quirkiness, infatuation, and musical liberation. The renowned producer Charles Webster, too, is a real music fetishist; he got his first instruments at the age of 13 and went on to collaborate with the likes of Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, founding his own Love From San Francisco project and following with two decades of classy and sophisticated music productions. For this occasion, he has added his unmistakable touch to the ‘We Are The Night’ title track, complementing PROGedia’s infectious grooves with poignant rhythms and motley textures. More

Two titans in UK breakbeat culture, Loxy & Ink were both present at the inception of the birth of UK dance music and continue to be torchbearers. With ‘Manifested Visions’ the duo does exactly what the title suggests; transcending the boundaries of genre, roots dub meets hip hop and in-your-face drum and bass to create a five-track EP that will make you submit, revel, rave and float. More

Repress coming soon!

Next on Coming from… Returning to… DIN - Fantastic Planet. Originally released on DOVe records in 1992 gets it’s long awaited reissue.

“Fantastic Planet represents the first international release by DIN, the disko project of Pupka Frey, formed in 1987. Inspired by the surreal Czech animated film. Fantastic Planet is an artificial soundtrack to a space-horror fantasy. Albeit predictably, the music is completely electronic, with emphasis on analog textures reminiscent of the 70’s electronic movement. New elements have been added, most notably the very fashionable tekno sound.“

Excerpt from Fantastic Planet’s CD Booklet
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On ALPHA WAVES, AUX88 ventures into uncharted sonic territories by subtly incorporating 432 Hz alpha wave tones. This forward-thinking approach to sound exploration is a testament to their creativity and commitment to pushing the boundaries of electronic dance music.

It is believed that 432 Hz is the healing frequency of the universe and has the power to improve our bodies' natural healing abilities. Similarly, alpha brain waves are associated with restful, meditative states and are believed to reduce depression, combat anxiety, and increase creativity. By blending these healing frequencies with their classic techno-bass fusion, AUX88 offers listeners a unique auditory experience that is both soothing and energizing, especially powerful during their all-sensory-consuming live performances, where fans can fully immerse themselves in the music and experience its transformative effects. More