Repress!
Justin Cudmore is the latest in the line of midwesterners to emerge from the Brooklyn music scene, hailing originally from Illinois. And you can hear it in his music, that mesmerizing midwestern groove and deep heady thoughtfulness. More

Justin Cudmore’s “Are You Ready” is the track that’s making you stay at the party long after you started saying you should really get home. Justin tells us that “Are You Ready” is the result of some early experimentation with the studio setup in his old apartment and one of the first white label acid tracks he began playing out, even before his popular debut for The Bunker NY, “Forget It” was released. “The elements came together quickly in an afternoon session -- I had been recently inspired by a trove of acapellas I’d come across. I would say this is when arranging the track really clicked and I started truly assembling it with the dance floor in mind.” Over the next two years, the track became a secret weapon that made its way into the hands of DJs like Craig Richards, Mike Servito, Jackmaster, Derek Plaslaiko and Gerd Janson, becoming something of a sleeper hit.
As Justin made more music and time progressed it seemed that there wasn’t a proper home for “Are You Ready” so he moved on to other projects and the track was shelved until 2018 when he heard Derek Plaslaiko play it out again in Brooklyn and the idea for Derek to remix it was hatched. The sleazy vibe is timeless and timesuspending, rocking the darker corners of the afterhours with retro-minded, futurelooking vibes. Plaslaiko’s remix ups the sleaze serving a dubbed out mood that brings to mind Monday morning sunrises in Detroit, while Gunnar Haslam’s treatment snaps us all out of it a bit by sharpening up the melody and bringing the percolating acid line to the fore. More

For the 25th release in our Phonica White series, we are very excited to have three stunning tracks from Disco wizard Ron Basejam! When he’s not producing and performing with the legendary band Crazy P, Ron Basejam aka James Baron can be found putting out all kinds of dance floor power tools on labels such as Razor N Tape, Futureboogie and his own RBJ edits imprint, as well as delivering amazing remixes.

This release kicks off with ‘The Hurt Inside’, evoking late night Los Angeles highway cruises and the driving power of Knight Rider, it breaks down into a glorious euphoria for the breakdown before hitting Mach 10 again with the raw funk bassline and drums kicking back in. Over on the B-Side, proceedings begin with ‘Don’t Bus My Aux’ which finds Ron Basejam digging into a Deep House-in- fused world, drawing you in with Balearic pads before erupting with thunderous bass, vocal chops and chants that are expertly contrasted against soulful Rhodes-esque keys while the percussion grows into frenzy.

Rounding out the release, ‘Music People’ sets a call to the dance floor as its mantra, sitting some- where craftily between House and Techno with ease. The sung vocals flutter in the background with the marching drums and rumbling low end maintaining a cavernous groove. The track builds into an almost Boards of Canada-style warbling synth breakdown before sinking into the pounding percussion for the climax.

Artwork as always is supplied by the talented Pedro Carvalho de Almeida. More

Since 2017’s ‘Song For Mr Lewis EP’ on Phonica White, Austin Ato has dropped stunningly funky 12”s with ease on many respected house labels including Classic Records and Defected. We were waiting for the right track for his follow-up on Phonica White and when we heard ‘When Love Is Tender’, we knew it was the one - a huge disco house based on an obscure Philadelphia-style jam.

It’s the simplicity of the original mix that sets the tone with pumping and driving Disco drums backed to roof raising saxophone licks and soulful vocal snippets, with those all-important deeply moving Philly string samples that are restrained when necessary and released at all the right moments, especially when the drum drops. ‘All Night Long’ highlights Austin Ato’s sample chopping expertise. The drums roll effortlessly through the track as dusty Soul and Disco samples echo and repeat, conjuring sonic memories of Andrés and Pépé Bradock’s best work. More

Phonica White is back with a special four track EP from up and coming London-based producer Keisuke titled ‘At Last’.

Hailing from Manchester, Keisuke (aka Christopher Iwatsu) has a long and varied background in music. From an early age he learned and performed orchestral percussion, touring the UK and Europe. Then, while studying in Glasgow he became immersed in the city’s fertile club scene and began to fuse his percussive experience with dancefloor production, slowly honing his craft over the past decade.

For a debut 12”, the record is therefore a refreshingly refined statement of intent. The four tracks range from uplifting rolling rhythms (‘At Last’) to serpentine melodies (‘For Petre’) and bumping introspection (‘Going Nowhere’) to lighthearted complexity (‘Hatsu’). Every piece is carefully considered and executed, primed for the floor and the mind.

Artwork as always is supplied by the talented Pedro Carvalho de Almeida. More

Following a successful run of releases and remixes in 2019, London based production partnership Kassian return to Phonica White for their second release on the imprint. Continuing to focus on quality output, the pair put forward their ‘Shuffling Words EP’ which aims to expand on their evolving style of house music.

Joe Danvers (aka Danvers) and Warren Cummings (aka Warren Xclnce) form a duo that through a mutual respect for each others musical tastes and prior successes, combine their influences into their own direction within electronic music. To date they chart continued support from the likes of Giles Peterson, Jamie XX, Detroit Swindle, Horse Meat Disco, Crazy P, DJ Seinfeld, Artwork, DJ Boring and many more...

The title track ‘Shuffling Words’, is a warm and soulful house joint characterised by a rolling bass and playful synths, delivering all the elements the duo have become known for. Next up is ‘Ex-Culture’ aligning more with Techno than their familiar House/Disco edits, this one is a clear progression in the duo’s production style which builds up to an enormous atmospheric climax and is designed for the dancefloors. Closing the EP is ‘U Make Me’. A rolling lofi house cut featuring an infectious reverberating vocal catching the ear throughout. This EP is set to kick start another strong year for Kassian, where they will aim to build on the successes of 2019.

Artwork as always is supplied by the talented Pedro Carvalho de Almeida. More

We welcome production partnership Kassian to the fold for the 20th release on Phonica White. Consisting of Joe Danvers (who has released records on Wotnot music and Boogie Cafe recently) and Warren Cummings (aka Warren XcInce), Kassian spawned from their mutual respect and a wide crossover in each others’ musical tastes, using their influences of Jazz, Soul, Broken Beat and Hip Hop to produce House with a more personal and innovative touch.
It’s a fruitful collaboration, with Joe’s background in the Bristol club scene and Warren’s experience at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM resulting in a nuanced yet functional take on the classic House sound, particularly evident on their new ‘Faux Polynesia EP’ on Phonica White.
“Their debut release in October for the well-respected Heist Recordings from Amsterdam was well received and amassed impressive support from admired selectors. They kick off their Phonica release with title track ‘Faux Polynesia’, a warm, rolling atmospheric House cut that has been getting many DJ plays. On the flip is the uptempo bumper ‘System’ with it’s spoken word hook and cheeky organ riff before rounding off the EP with ‘This One’s For You’, a truly special end of night anthem in the making! An excellent house EP with 3 strong tracks.”
Artwork as always is supplied by the talented Pedro Carvalho de Almeida.
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STL has been a firm favourite of Phonica Records ever since his first releases surfaced in the early 2000s. Although he is highly revered within the underground scene, he’s always kept a low profile and consistently pursued his own blend of boundary pushing abstract and experimental House & Techno. The majority of his music has been released through his own ‘Something’ imprint but his unique productions have also found a home on Perlon, Smallville and Detroit’s Echospace. The two tracks on ‘The Amplified Bleep Package’ EP marks his first contribution to Phonica’s white label series and we’re extremely happy have him on board. ‘Earworm’ on the A side is a rough and rugged house cut comprised of dusty analogue kicks, warm tape hiss and gritty percussion that locks you into an irresistible groove straight from the start. This is an energetic, club-ready late night stepper. Flipside you’ll find an entirely different vibe to the heavily distorted ‘Earworm’. Clocking in at just under ten minutes, ‘A Cat And Her Solar Life’ is a cosmic journey filled with beautiful synth melodies and harmonics.

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Phonica White returns with two extended cuts from their mainstay artist Iori. Monsoon & Rainfall mark Iori’s 5th contribution to the label and it may be his best yet. Monsoon on the A-side is a deeply hypnotizing piece of dub techno that’s destined to cause dance floor destruction. Steady kicks & toms open the track up before a relentless downpour of intricate percussion and low-end stabs lock you in for the track’s 10 minute duration...definitely one for the long nights in dark rooms. The B-side is a calming contrast to the A side storm. Deep and meditative, Rainfall comprises sparse modulating synth keys coupled with a bouncy rhythm section and airy spaced-out sound effects that create a dreamy atmosphere. This is Iori on top form.

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A new white label brought to you by a group of friends including Moire´, Disguise, etc. in collaboration with Phonica Records. This marks the debut release from the creative imprint NEVERSLEEP whose previous work includes the art direction and A&R of Moire´’s debut LP ‘Shelter’ - out now on Werkdiscs/Ninja Tune - plus various visual work from Disguise. On the A side - a massive floor remix from Moire´, melding rhythms and percussion with a driving bass and lead. On the flipside, Disguise makes an appearance first with a collaborative ‘PARTY GIRLS’ edit alongside Moire´ and then with his own take of ‘MOUTH SHUT’. This release marks the sound debut of Disguise, whose visual and video work on ‘Shelter’ helped shape the strong aesthetic root of the album. This can be seen again in the video mixtape on NEVERSLEEP’s website - neversleep.co - presented to complement the release online. More

The eleventh Phonica White release comes from Q.V aka Quiet Village duo Matt Edwards and Joel Martin! We’re big fans of both Matt and Joel’s various musical projects over the years so we’re particularly proud to present their latest collaborative release, the split 12” ‘Social Music / Change’. We can honestly say this 12” is quite a coup for Phonica! Joel and Matt are behind a number of important and highly original records, either together as Quiet Village and Maxxi & Zeus or under aliases such as Radioslave, Velvet Season & The Hearts Of Gold, Cabin Fever, REKID, The Machine and more for their individual projects. This marks their first outing as Q.V. The deep, hypnotic ‘Social Music’ slowly unfurls over its 9 plus minutes, ominous atmospherics swirling over drums, dubbed out jazz samples dropping in and out, resulting in a unsettling yet mesmerising track. Flip over for extended percussive masterpiece ‘Change’, another exercise in restraint as the latin-flavoured drums are eventually joined by otherworldly voices and screams, reverb-soaked vibraphone and submerged piano. These are two expertly crafted examples of Matt and Joel’s production capabilities just asking to be played loud, we’re sure you’ll agree!

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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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Luv Jam returns to Phonica White with a stunning new 12" and this time Prosumer lends his remix skills with his awesome reinterpretation of title track 'Quip22'. Luv Jam - the prolific Andrew Cole - has had a string of strong releases over the past few years for the likes of Throne Of Blood, We Play House, Tsuba, Blind Jacks Journey, Crow Castle, Rawax, Housewax and of course Phonica White. That 12" for Phonica - the squelchy acid deepness of 'Mature Oak' back with Cottam's remix - proved to be one of the most popular in the Phonica White series so we're delighted to announce his return. This time, the entire A-Side is taken up by Prosumer's captivating remix of 'Quip22', seven minutes of house mastery that builds slowly then bursts into life under a flurry of synth stabs. The originals grace the flip, kicking off with the melancholic 'Quip22'. It's a gradually building swirl of piano, percussive hits and dreamlike synthetic strings. The slow-mo robotic chugger 'Synth68' completes the 12" in fine early 90s digital style with plenty of snare roll. Limited vinyl pressing – hand stamped. Special artwork by Pedro Carvalho de Almeida.
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Phonica Records welcome the latest addition to their ever-growing stable of talent, Pick A Piper! The brainchild of one Brad Weber, usually found behind the drum-kit at Caribou’s live shows, Angus Fraser and Dan Roberts, Pick A Piper Combines dance-music structures, polyrhythmic percussion, atmospheric sound design, loopy melodies and a focus on electronics and production technique to create a sound poised between the organic and the synthetic and Phonica White have been blessed with two killer remixes to release on a limited stamped and numbered 12”. On the A-side one half of Junior Boys and increasingly prolific producer in his own right, Jeremy Greenspan delivers his first ever solo remix! His reworking of “Lucid In Fjords” is one of the most epic tracks we’ve heard in a while – clocking in high on the BPM scale, Jeremy pulls out all the stops with an acid-tinged and dubby remix complete with covert pan flute sample. On the flip Phonica fave Dan Snaith, dons his Caribou alias for an uncharacteristically abstract remix of “Once Were Leaves”. Moody and bass-heavy, it builds around two other-worldly vocal samples; one pitched down, one ethereal, working in tandem to create an atmospheric backdrop for Caribou’s downbeat drum programming. This is Caribou showing off a different side to his productions, one we personally would like to hear more of!

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Occupying the full A-side ?Moon? is an epic of a track. Clocking in at just under 11 minutes, ?Moon? combines all the elements of Iori?s productions that we?ve come to know and love; carefully sculpted (almost tribal) drum patterns, a seriously bottom heavy throbbing bassline, percussive fx throughout, subtle chords and even a pinch of acid. A monstrously heavy track that craves loud soundsystems. Flip over for ?Spread?, which contrasts brilliantly to the happenings of the A-side. Whereas ?Moon? is bolshy and gung ho, ?Spread? showcases subtler more restrained side to Iori?s character. Again we?re treated to intricate drum work, this time though, it?s all about the airy synths, gently pulsating bassline and the groove that captivates you from the off. This eleven minute journey just ain?t long enough? Limited vinyl pressing of 444 copies ? hand stamped and numbered. Special artwork by Pedro Carvalho de Almeida. More

Luv Jam - better known as Andy Cole - made his name through outings on We Play House and Lany Recordings, and 'Mature Oak' finds him in fine form; an epic, atmospheric track poised on a bed of analog synths and warm pads, driven by galloping drum mechanics that gradually give way to its climax, an irresistibly squelchy acid bassline that marks it as one of Cole's most memorable productions to date. On the flipside we get treated to Cottam’s first ever remix. Cottam has made an impeccable name for himself, with his signature colourful series of untitled 12’s and a contribution to the Story imprint. True to his roots, Cottam’s re-rub of “Mature Oak” is a slo-mo, motorik chugger that makes excellent use of the original’s acid line while taking the whole track a step further. It’s a proper heads down affair that begs for a soundsystem loud enough to do it justice. Limited vinyl pressing of 444 copies – hand stamped and numbered. Special artwork by Pedro Carvalho de Almeida.

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