"Plastic Love" often comes to mind as the quintessential example of City-Pop, originally written and produced by Japanese power couple Tatsuro Yamashita and Mariya Takeuchi in 1984. Later in 1991 it was covered with new Cantonese lyrics by Anita Mui, and now, over 3 decades later, the pursuit to give this song new aesthetics continues with yet another cover with Anita Mui's Cantonese lyrics but with a completely different feel. What could be interpreted as relatively raw production methods is turned into a refreshing take on this classic Japanese 80's anthem. Originally recorded during golden age of Japanese technology with a highly polished sound, Xiaolin gives it a new twist with a rougher edge established by the drum machines and saturated bass echoing video game soundtracks from a bygone era, beautifully juxtaposed with her dreamy vocals. Also included, a karaoke instrumental version on the B-side. More

Prodigal son of the ESP Institute, Juan Ramos, rises from the cesspool of a world gone mad with 'Agua Del Cenote', his fifth release with the label. Whilst many artists are following their inner light to bring us some much needed joy amidst these rotten times, Juan (being the little shit that he is) follows an inner demon and delivers listeners and dancers a demented clusterfuck of sadistic chaos. The title track opens with what sounds like a butane torch and we metaphorically freebase into oblivion. Our perception of reality unravels, writhing in abrasive textures smeared across a low-slung, mid-tempo erotic thump. Everything feels blurry and distant, as if we’re swimming through an underground aquatic tunnel, in a panic, searching for an invisible band of spirits whose tune summons us into certain annihilation. Following this is a remix from a decorated lord of 20th Century electronics, Harald Grosskopf AKA The Synthesist. Harald wipes away grit and lethargy to reveal elements hidden deep within the mix as well as softens Juan’s sense of terror by building up to an optimistic layer of added synth. We’d love to offer some relief with the balance of the EP, however, the remaining two tracks paint complimentary hues in the same cerebral palette. 'Let It Go (Freaks Only)' veers closely to House in terms of tempo and gestalt, utilizing a vocal sample from Third Generation (Kerri Chandler) and a healthy dose of sub bass, but Juan hardly apologizes for his masochistic tendencies and certainly never relents into an uplifting mood. Closing the EP, Juan serves an antidote of sorts with 'Cuko', as if suggesting a way out of the swamp, but leaves it up to the listener’s intuition to not only see the carrot, but actually follow it into the light, thus completing the quest. More

Oh, Juan. We love thee, we love but thee with a love that shall not die ‘till the sun grows cold and the stars grow old. Once in a blue moon, there is a star for whom we see limitless possibilities, whose inevitably long and fruitful œuvre all but insists we do everything in our power to nurture and provide support. We diligently examine that sky, seeking rarefied meaning from an often desperate and banal universe, and over this past decade you have surely proven one of the brightest, most wondrous and tenacious cosmic forces we’ve encountered. Your kaleidoscopic wealth of personality, your emotionally urgent storytelling, your obsessive-compulsive weaving of voices siphoned from the pop culture æther, your ability to synthesize teachings from the Atlantic Northeast, Caribbean and Fatherland to pen an ever-evolving musical autobiography; these superhuman strengths are not lost on us. The 'Oxford House' EP is particularly special, as 'Fahrt Im Himmel' was our fateful introduction to your work, and though that meeting in a writhing maniacal pit of half-naked sweaty bodies was nearly five years ago, it still lives romantically close to our hearts. We just know the world will fall in love and 'Let It Go', just as we did. It’s exciting to see you merge a musical adolescence with the now evolved Juan Ramos of 'Oxford House', recognizing your significant coming-of-age and never shying away from your roots, but rather confronting and embracing them at your every turn. We will continue to champion your creative process and output, in hopes of fueling your inherent quest to illuminate uncharted regions of your vision. With all our love, always and forever, the ESP Institute. More

Juan Ramos opens his debut album with The Problem With Ambiguity and Finding Space—speaking to a societal confusion, a fragmented sense of self, and a pull toward many (often unwelcoming) directions—this turmoil in which he’s spent considerable time, sees him invest grave e?orts to express the inexpressible. Changing Hands is a time capsule of that dark period in his life, an overtly honest musical diary which puts his emotional coming-of-age on full display, hoping to reach kindred listeners. While his previous output for the ESP Institute used a certain level of complication to push limits on the dance?oor, this immersive work cuts deep in to a frayed psyche, dismantling our preconceptions of Juan and plunging listeners deep into a stew of jarring textures, incomplete phrases, and circus-like abstractions of pop culture. There is a nonchalant and unhurried experimentation that accumulates over the album’s ?rst half—disconnected and anxiety-riddled personality traits constitute various musical roles, sporadically converging in ?eeting moments of optimism although never fully climbing out from the abyss—and yet amidst this chaos there is a watershed moment in which the artist successfully gleans a golden morsel of hope from his emotional junkyard, guiding us across the threshold into the album’s second half while diligently protecting the glow of this rock bottom treasure. Juan begins to reveal his inner b-boy—a distorted view on golden-age Hip Hop roots, an a?nity for muddy break-beats, sultry loops and metaphoric interludes—the crown prince of a newly-found safe space. It’s as if he had us searching on all fours for a misplaced joint, but now that it’s ?nally lit, he assures us that everything’s going to be alright. More

Juan Ramos speaks twelve languages and loiters at the zoo. This is his second offering for the ESP Institute. Last year his debut dropped us at the edge of oblivion and this follow-up release picks up right where he left us—ATKM pumps right from the start with a collision of elastic percussion, tubular clinks and cranks under what sounds like fragments of our androgynous tour guide’s speech though a malfunctioning PA. Halfway through the chaos she makes a left turn toward Belgium where the drum programming fattens up and we acquire an optimistic shimmering of chords. On side B, Globalizacio´n A´cido conjures imagery of a moonlit expedition on the hunt for lord-knows-what. Many producers rely on jungle sounds, loosely appropriating some misguided sense of mysticism, but Juan rules his own kingdom where he creates an ecosystem through synthesis and digital manipulation. The narrative quality of his production knows no limits and his ability to twist machines into this chorus of cyber-creatures puts him at the top of the food chain, however, no animals were harmed in the making of these two songs More

Juan Ramos lives on planet Earth but channels voices from the aether. This is his first offering for the ESP Institute. On side A, Last Of The Natives shows us just what we’re dealing with, a master manipulator of sound and consciousness. Juan culls the toughest kick drums and thickest latex bass slaps from a deep burial in our psyche and peppers them with alien chants and fleeting electronic flutes—a combustible sense of spontaneity that may at first appear chaotic but after fully immersed in Juan’s demented world, we find ourselves willfully under his control. On side B, Enemy Of Enemy Is Friend also sets off from a disorienting place where a slow progression of acid, shakers and toms takes a good minute to allow us some footing around the groove. Once settled into his sophisticated rhythm, Juan opens the door to a glorious combination of chords, clanking guitars, shakers that scrub back and forth and the occasional smear of paranormal synth. We at the ESP Institute are enamored by Juan’s seemingly infinite skill for crafting mood and extracting optimism from darkness, but seriously, what color SpeedoTM should she wear this summer? More

Originally released in the mid 80's on UK cassette label Bite Back!, this nearly lost gem finds new life 30 years later on Cocktail D'Amore Music. Steve has cobbled together a superbly melancholic electronic concept album. Wistful melodies often evoke sentiments of a lost childhood and hazy English mornings. Each song within remains untitled allowing full perceptive freedom as to what they all communicate, a language for the feelings that have no name. Untitled A1 - A6 leads one along intimate soundscapes of pattering drums and tinkering piano, a sense of closeness and trust develops with the introduction of each new idea much like the beginning of a bed time story. Untitled B1 - B3 then begin to breathe more openly awash in angelic colours before abruptly turning downward on B4, a wall of booming drums and atmospheres from the furthest reaches of the galaxy before the last trio of songs settles gently back on Earth. More

After a stint of regarded releases on Public Possesion DJ City returns to Cocktail demote Music with Giuda Iscariota.The title might evoke images of the eternal betrayal but DJ City seems fully devoted to his crowd. Fueled by the distant memory of his regular sets at Cocktail, City touches on an array of moods and styles keeping his foot on the pedal. Giuda Iscariota emulates the selection choices of DJ City during his many sets at the party with a no nonsense focus on dance floor drivers while Nattens Tysta Timmar slathers on the queer vibe by sounding like a lost Pet Shop Boys deep cut. On the flip Sophies Theme picks up the pace again with acid laden house grooves and Archeoicae’s head down hands up arp driven frenzy. More

Berlin's Cocktail d'Amore and Tokyo's Ene Records have come together once again to present the music of Solidair. The duo of Cocktail alumni Luigi Di Venere and Jules Etienne present three tracks aimed to induce a dance floor hypnosis. Orgonite (Riding the Waves) does just that, a slow build awash in the ebb and flow of acid tinges, just enough to wet your whistle on a Saturday night. The original mix keeps the skeletal support but throws in a life preserver of 8 bit gaming synthesis. Frisky arps call and respond to each other before making way for sinewy pads to lift off. Tiger's Eye sets itself onto cruising speed incorporating elements of late 90's acid techno with the sleek and smooth clubbing aesthetics of modern day Berlin. More

Jonathan Kusuma makes his return to Cocktail d'Amore with a love letter to his Indonesian homeland. Each song is steeped in the ancient textures and timbres of the gamelan, brought to life through modular synthesis. 'Awalan' opens the EP with a delicate touch - otherworldly chirps and aural colours of an early morning sunrise. 'Roda Rodi' as Mr. Kusuma explains is his interpretation of interlocking as a traditional Indonesian way of life - "Gotong Royong" or "Mutual Assistance". The idea of mutual assistance is the sharing of burdens between the member of community. Modular sequences tightly fitting into one another, helping to support one another in the structure of their momentary existence. 'Kerontang' and 'Racacak' are two cuts which have Jonathan's signature sound design printed all over them. Big, booming and full of enraptured percussion. We're treated to a haunting close on 'Lorong K'. Menaced tones rising and falling, small fragments piercing through as to be bits of disintegrating concrete falling off the walls of a lost city. More

After a 5 year hiatus, Tel Aviv based artist Naduve, returns to Cocktail d’Amore Music with Hypogeum. Each of these tracks facilitates its own special part in the life of party. Starting off on a hypnotic and forward driven note Echo Wave Bay leads dancers perfectly into hypnosis with its trance inducing melodies which wave upward and downward. Title track Hypogeum begins to pull on the heart strings with its soft synths floating over pastel textures before giving way to the aptly titled FX Jungle, a deep trip into the low lying canopies of your imagination. Ending where we began Thursday Gem explores the same cyclical themes as Echo Wave but in a subdued fashion making it a perfect choice for winding down any raucous party. More

Lion's Drums full length exists as en exploration in multiple dimensions. First by challenging the notion of the album format by presenting a body of work that lies snuggly between remixes, edits and original works and secondly as a means to delve into the transcendent potential of the drum. The album sets the tone by putting these two concepts fully on display with its hypnotic chant, swaying one into ease over the first two songs. In orderly cue folding and unfolding, meditatively through, melodies as muddied pastelle whispers cast over the measured language of the drum. Breaking away from the musing themes of the opening songs we find an ecstatic ritual in "Tanz der Korperlinge" and "Journey to Middle Earth", two distinct varieties but both of the same perennial species. Inky ether seeps back in through the second half of the album with a peak of frenzied tumbling toms and incongruous textures hovering above in the Manos Tsangaris' collaboration "Crying Tafel" and his re-imagining of Tullio De Piscopo's unhinged drum excursion "Fastness". The closing exemplifies the edit/remix/original ethos proposed for this work with Lions Drums drawing from tapes and original material of electronic pioneers Suzanne Ciani and Roberto Musci. Drawing from unreleased music and song sketches by the original artists as well as field recordings from travels & studio sessions made by Roberto Musci & Manos Tsangaris in the 80's and early 90's he constructs a side winding journey through playful textures and ethereal moods. More

Cocktail d'Amore Music returns from a short hiatus with a new release from Russian producer TMO. The three tracks are tied together by a propensity for heavy rhythm construction and distorted acid lines, executed to great effect. Opening with "Last Moment Jam" , a searing main room projectile, TMO presents what is heavily inspired by early Chicago acid track. For those looking for something on the trippier end, "Drums Jam" provides a low bpm hallucination full of delays. Closing is, "Buchla 909 Jam", a 10 minute slow burn exercise in analog fundamentals for late night fantasies. More

REPRESS ALERT: Lury Lech is a transdisciplinary artist of Ukrainian origin part of the few pioneers in the Spanish electronic and digital audio-visual scene that began to develop during the 80's.

His open and unclassifiable style made of eerie sonic atmospheres, arrhythmic structures and dense textures create hypnotic ambiance and a new way to conceive experimentalism.

Wrongly described as New Age music at that time, "Musica para el fin de los cantos" is a stunning and deeply emotive ambient work, that stares down at the eternal enigma, giving a glimpse of Iury Lech's classical music of the future.
Iury recorded this blissful masterpiece in his Barcelona's studio in 1989. It was then published in 1990 by the unique Spanish label Hyades Arts.

It's 2017 and it's time to unearth this magical piece of vibrating chords to please your sensitive yet hungry ears. Sit back and enjoy the meditative state.

More

Notorious Discodromo helmed session CockTail D'Amore celebrate their 10th birthday with a compilation that highlights many different aspects of the much loved and musically adventurous Berlin party. The Garden is where the energy of the club becomes exuberant and open, making Tornado Wallace's stomping robo-disco burner "Start Again" a perfect open air treat. "Sleeping Bag In New York" hits on a freestyle flavour clearly indebted to Arthur Russell and Will Socolov's seminal label, courtesy of Greenvision. Bon Voyage Organization have a sweeter disco mood to impart that sounds custom built for roofless celebration, and Bell Towers channels Blake Baxter to great effect on "In The Garden". More

Notorious Discodromo helmed session CockTail D'Amore celebrate their 10th birthday with a compilation that highlights many different aspects of the much loved and musically adventurous Berlin party. In the main room, you can expect the energy to be big and imposing, which Jonathan Kusuma clearly understands as he throws down the big bad thrust of "Energi Hall". Sleep D and Samo DJ bring something of a trancey mood to "No Mans Land" - all heavy drama and a strong sense of melody. Mascaras X Powder is a potent combination that builds up a kind of tribal intensity peppered with wild cosmic flourishes. DJ City's "Torreyson Drive" finishes things off with a startling jacker loaded with big synth lines and whipcrack drums. More

A regular at Cocktail d'Amore, Bell Towers is a Berlin-based Australian producer best known for his long-lasting collaboration with Munich's Public Possession. Next to that, a number of projects under different monikers - namely Rim Boys, an evolving b2b with Andras. "I'm Moving To Berlin" is his first EP for Cocktail d'Amore Music. It's a sparkling celebration of the party; its influence on the city and on the producer's life tangents. "It's too late now / There's no turning back / I gave it all for Cocktail d'Amor..." Rohan confesses, while a hybrid EBM-synth pop sonic adventure unfolds. What happens next is presented in "Sexual Intruder Alert" and "Approach and Identify". The first comes through as a quirky multidimensional future-disco tale, while the second plunges deep into the cosmic hole with punchy percussions and an euphoric groove pattern. More

Apparently eight years in the making, "Costellazione K78" is the collaborative effort of Discodromo and Massimiliano Pagliara. It's a truly cosmic affair that channels a generous amount of warm, 70s sound into its component parts as it sets a course for the stars. The A-side houses the original throbbing epic in its pure form, restrained in parts but with a bold narrative arc that reaches further out with every passing bar. Meanwhile on the flip you can feast your ears on the more boldly defined dub version, which amps up the FX and synth vamps for a truly interstellar space trip. More

Cocktail D'Amore showed the breadth of their tastes when they reissued Ukranian composer Iury Lech's 1990 album Musica Para El Fin De Los Cantos last year. Now the label has commissioned a raft of remixes from some label regulars, with wonderful and diverse results. Powder drops her signature snaking rhythmic trysts over "Barreras", while "Cuando Rocio Dispara Sus Flechas" benefits from an abstract, ambient reworking from Suzanne Kraft. Hatchback takes to "Posmeridiano" with a delicate touch, all lingering 80s synth motifs in a beatless reverie, and Zavoloka lays the cinematic intensity on heavy with the icy strains of "Ukraina". More

Yuri Shulgin is a multi-instrumentalist music producer from Tajikistan. His discography includes a small number of releases from the Greek label Modernista and the French Escapade Recordings. Animal Planet is his contribution on Cocktail d'Amore Music. This EP is a live-recorded masterpiece that will lift dance floors into heavenly heights. A1 takes the record title. It's an acid based, genre-blurring piece of music, enveloping and disorienting at the same time. Infinite strings melt together to a constant build up, reminiscent of Steve Reich - Double Sextet/2x5. Boogie Space feels like the continuation of the previous track, evoking a cloud of glitter in absence of gravity. Walking starts off the B side. Its funk future jazz-influenced groove is supported by an organic, as bouncy as timeless bassline. While the stripped down Dubby Body goes to deep realms, the outro Recordtake closes this surreal EP.
More

"Pushing Movies is the collaborative project of Jeffrey Sfire and Dimitri SoEmotional. Half of Studio Luce, Dimitri gave light to Defender X along with Franz Scala from Slow Motion. You might remember of Jeffrey Sfire, the man behind the homonymous legendary hit from 2014. Thinking About You is a nostalgic piece of Italo-inspired synth-pop music. A driving groove, involving guitar bass chords, tingled with reverse effects, supports the bright and sexy synth lines. You are suddenly projected to the Italian Riviera sometime in 1980s; pulsating colorful disco lights are cheering up the dance floor on fire, Sabrina Salerno's drinking champagne by the pool while Toni Esposito's staring at the full moon wearing a flowered linen shirt. Lauer and Fort Romeau are on remix duty for the B-side of this 12". If Fort Romeau's interpretation will take you to ultra-space realms, Lauer seems to soundtrack a flashy bumper cars drive. More

Melbourne Industrial/EBM scene representative, master mind behind Power Station/Power Cuts Kris Baha, contributes to Berlin based imprint Cocktail d'Amore with Autora. Intensely disturbed, sleazy and dirty, the title track follows the lead of the most traditional EBM beats. Autora barks with distorted oddities perfectly mashed to an involving balance. A factory ambiance out in the forest under a starry sky is Brink Reality. A slower paced gem for cosmic, stomping dance floors. While the beat-less A3 Happiness Disaster could open a scene of Twin Peaks 2999. 10Ways settles with a thundering bolt of crushing steel, bouncing percussions and a vocal worth of Front 242's legacy. Closing the EP on a romantic and sweet note, Start Over is an italo/wave hybrid ballad tinged with hope and brightness. Arp2600, Dave Smith Poly Evolver/Pro 2, Oberheim Obxa are few of Kris's partners responsible for this outstanding expression of contemporary music. "
More

After his appearance on Born Free Records, Rollerboys Recordings, and Rett I Fletta, Johannes Wilkstrom aka Yourhighness contributes to Cocktail d'Amore Music with Stratofortress. The Berlin based imprint gathered techno guru Rrose, Born Free Records owner Samo DJ, and international Japanese wave representative Gonno, to offer an EP with a wide range of interpretations of the title track. The original mix is an acid based, industrial influenced techno banger. Highly energetic, for sweaty late-night dance floors. On the same side Samo DJ transforms the techno blaster into a funky EBM ballad, characterized by a deep male voice and a breakbeat groove. Rrose is on remix duty on the B-side. Stratofortress suddenly turns into a dubby, everlasting build up, that eventually implodes in the depth of a black hole. Closing the EP Gonno offers a slow-mo rework. Deep and very cinematic, this remix will please every Cosmic Hole connaisseur.
More

Berlin based Cocktail d'Amore Music and Ene Tokyo join forces for Greenvision's debut - The Italo-American duo formed by Trent and Juan Ramos. pENE d'Amore Pt.1 is the name of their first 12 inch. This is one of those records that makes you start questioning matters of genre and music construction. Sit back, press play and enjoy this ultra-cosmic adventure. The different rhythm patterns included in Surdinia melt organically with the acid lines, the high UFO whistles and spaceship-like sound effects, exploding into an unexpected and comfortable piano house line, solving the puzzle and leaving you thirsty for more. Meccanica is a slow tempo gem, It combines elements of industrial and Balearic with a touch of submarine-like soundscapes. Ramos and Trent's music-making philosophy is as special as unique. The multitude of elements that compose each track has its own life cycle, its own ecosystem. More