Maelstrom returns to Central Processing Unit for the fourth time, and it's the one born Joan-Mael Péneau's lengthiest drop on the Sheffield label yet. The French artist has been a mainstay in the European electro game since the 2000s, and Malestrom brings that experience to bear on new LP The FM Tapes. He goes about this album with the assurance of a seasoned pro, combining his mastery of electro production techniques with a trademark guile to craft an expertly-paced eleven-track affair. The first section of The FM Tapes sets out the album's stall with style and aplomb - listeners are in store for a rich feast of off-kilter machine-funk which will feature no shortage of intriguing detours. On opener 'Ondes Courtes' the mix throbs with all manner of strange electronic gristle: a distorted bass hum rattles the monitors; wisps of distortion float across the mix; eerily pretty keys wax and wane before giving way to a radar pulse. 'Ondes Courtes' is an ominous slouch of a scene-setter, and it lines things up perfectly for following cut 'Alt50ser' to lock in. This track's churning, gurgling mid-tempo rattle brings to mind the wacky insistence of Modeselektor. Maelstrom repeats the slow-fast one-two again directly afterwards - 'La Vie Sociale Des', a strange nugget that sounds like an early Eski instrumental stripped for parts and blasted into the cosmos, is an ideal prelude to the twitchy space-funk of 'My Digitone'. Maelstrom's staying power in the electro world comes, in no small part, from his ability to apply his delightfully idiosyncratic choices to some of the genre's staple production tropes. On The FM Tapes, he marks himself out once more as a pleasingly unorthodox talent by taking tracks in unexpected directions to produce surprising - and often rather moving - results. More

Repress!
Veteran French producer, Maelstrom made his Cultivated Electronics debut in 2018 with 'ECZO EP'. Now more than two years later and following a new album on RAAR, he returns with another EP, this time for CE's vinyl-only subsidiary, Cultivated Electronics Ltd. Joan-Mael Peneau has been making music for over fifteen years, with a history of aliases and side projects, illegal raves thrown in warehouses, fields and basements, but he soon came into his own under his Maelstrom moniker, releasing music on the likes of RAAR (the label he co-founded with Louisahhh in 2015), Cultivated Electronics, Central Processing Unit, Mechatronica, Private Persons and Discos Atonicos. Though his name suggests chaos, Maelstrom's music delivers intention, focus and precision that are evident on his 'Expression Directe' EP, which features four new tracks of deep and expressive electro-funk. More

Maelstrom links up with DeFeKT and Berlin syndicate Mechatronica, to deliver four bloodcurdling electro and techno cuts for the floor, forcefully designed to activate bodies and transport minds. Not for the faint hearted. More

Maelstrom is the latest artist to feature on the new Craigie Knowes offshoot 'C-KNOW-EVIL'. As expected the record is raw and intense with the full force of P?neau's production on display across both sides of this record. It comes in the same format as the first C-KNOW-EVIL release with 2 tracks pressed to 10" and slipped inside a sleeve design by Scottish graffiti artist, Rakem. More

RAAR is deeply proud to present the first full length album from label co- founder Maelstrom, entitled "Her Empty Eyes". Both an evolution of the producer's rich history and an intellectual departure from everything that has preceded it, "Her Empty Eyes" is a work that is uncanny, challenging and meditative.
Continuing upon the cross-media mission of RAAR, the LP is in fact the outline of a sonic novel More

he Vinyl Factory has teamed up with French label Zone for another rugged techno four tracker, this time from close associate and well established production talent Maelstrom. Though his name suggests total chaos, Maelstrom’s music belies intention, focus and precision. Often marked as ‘exciting newcomer’ to French techno, Maelstrom has actually been making music for over fifteen years. With a cryptic history of aliases and side projects, illegal raves thrown in warehouses and fields and basements, the artist has really come into his own under this moniker. The ‘Optics’ EP showcases metallic techno, acid house, industrial noise and stark ambient sounds, forging smokey machine music for those with a penchant for post punk and a soft spot for the spikier end of the techno spectrum More

Tracklisting
A1 Zeta Reticula - Dial That Number
A2 LUZ1E - Data Motions
A3 Serge Geyzel - I Don’t Know You, But I Know The Symptoms
B1 Ufaze - Non-Stop Overstimulation
B2 Vertical67 - Tear Down Those Walls
B3 Aura Nox - I Should’ve Known

Sales Note
The first record in a new series of VA releases from Mechatronica, Constellations Vol. 1 features Zeta Reticula, LUZ1E, Serge Geyzel, Aura Nox, Vertical67 and Ufaze. More

Tracklisting
A1 Viikatory - Cartesian Space
A2 Viikatory - Universe
A3 Viikatory - Universe (Luz1e's alternate universe remix)
B1 Viikatory - Cold Mountains
B2 Viikatory - Equinox
B3 Viikatory - Equinox (Poly Chain remix)

Sales Note
Viikatory debuts on Mechatronica with an intergalactic set of electro explorations, backed by Poly Chain and LUZ1E remixes. More

Tracklisting
A1 Noroi - Bullet Head
A2 Noroi - Hammer Antenna
A3 Noroi - Breton Seaside Weather
B1 Noroi - Heart Under Blade
B2 Noroi - Sectorial
B3 Noroi - Black Tsubasa

Sales Note
Noroi debuts on Mechatronica with a uniquely futuristic collection of razor sharp, forward-thinking rave tracks across electro, left-field techno, bass music, broken beats and more. Cut-throat club hybrids for the heart, mind and floor. More

Tracklisting:
A1 Poly Chain - Leopard 2A4
A2 Poly Chain - IRIS-T
A3 Poly Chain - MiG-29
B1 Poly Chain - Tryton
B2 Poly Chain - ATACMS
B3 Poly Chain - CAY CESAR

Sales Note
Poly Chain aka. Sasha Zakrevska presents a blistering set of cold, radical and introspective electro tracks on one of her most entrancing records to date.

Weaving influences from a wide palette of styles across electro, IDM, techno, trance, breaks and experimental sounds, the Ukranian composer and DJ builds stories and shapes patterns seemingly from another dimension, yet clearly close to heart.

Undoubtedly a commentary on experienced hardship, strong willed hope, unjust conflict and most importantly the power of expression through music, SMART-155 is a testament to possibilities and a reminder of the importance of unity.

Poly Chain is an alias of Sasha Zakrevska - a composer, curator, DJ and graphic designer from Kyiv, Ukraine. She is currently based in Berlin due to full-scale invasion. More

Tracklisting:
A1 Second Storey - Disrupted Dialect
A2 Second Storey - E Honda
A3 Second Storey - Cold Snap
B1 Second Storey - V-Runner
B2 Second Storey - Lotto KiX
B3 Second Storey - Oddball Midi

Sales Note
Speedy electro, bass music, IDM influences and bleeped-out machine funk fluidly come together in absurd, playful and rattling ways, as Second Storey explores spotless broken rhythms and fractured forms of sonic expression from the future. More

Tracklisting:
A1 Credit 00 - Count 8
A2 Credit 00 - Ratlife In The Sunshine
B1 Credit 00 - Breathe One Two
B2 Credit 00 - The Mental Voice
B3 Credit 00 - Cosmic Ghetto

Sales Note
Following up on his Data Phobia and Beats For The Streets EPs on Mechatronica, Credit 00 returns to the Berlin label with a mind-bending blend of past, present and future, carefully pieced together in a way that could come from no other. From the mind to the floor, from dark and cold machinefunk to blazed-out sun grooves, Credit 00 leaves no sonic traveler yearning.
More

Tracklisting:
A1 Ctrls - You Win
A2 Ctrls - The Wash
A3 Ctrls - NP Soup
B1 Late Night Approach - L Ultimo Ritmo (Ctrls remix)
B2 Ben Pest - Strict Saws (Ctrls remix)

Sales Note
Ctrls lands on Mechatronica, and fiercely mutates forward-thinking electro with machinist bass music into a cold-blooded and carefully programmed record, for the mind and for the floor. More

Tracklisting:
A1 Alex Jann - Psy Culture
A2 Alex Jann - Data Exploit
A3 Alex Jann - Infomaterial
B1 Alex Jann - Kill Disk
B2 Alex Jann - Let Us Control Your Mind

Sales Note
On a futuristic backdrop of piercing electro and sinister machinefunk, Alex Jann lands on Mechatronica with a dystopian vision of the weaponised nature of software, and its mind-altering powers to exert control through data exploitation and infomaterial manipulation. More

Tracklisting:
A1 Black Dot - Morality Of Violence
A2 Black Dot - Black Dot (Version X)
A3 Black Dot - Black Dot (Cardopusher remix)
B1 Black Dot - Kiss Of The Leaf
B2 Black Dot - Hatred
B3 Black Dot - Autumn Remembrance

Sales Note
Induced with hopelessness by power structures from the future, Black Dot lands on Mechatronica White with a deep rooted urge to wrestle institutions, soak in isolation and escape into the cosmos. Backed by an all consuming Cardopusher remix.

Black Dot is a collaborative effort by Christian Kroupa and Le Chocolat Noir. More

Tracklisting:
A1 Luz1e - Intro
A2 Luz1e - Escapism
A3 Luz1e feat. DALO - Sonic Impact
B1 Luz1e feat. DALO - Language Of The Unheard
B2 Luz1e feat. DALO - Sensitivity
B3 Luz1e - Sensory Perception

Sales Note
Luz1e debuts on Mechatronica with a breakout blend of delicate electro and dystopian machinefunk, carefully reinforced by DALO's haunting vocals and drenched in futuristic atmosphere More

Tracklisting:
A1 /DL/MS/ - Canvas
A2 /DL/MS/ - _? ??
A3 /DL/MS/ - IC-1101
B1 /DL/MS/ - Play With Us
B2 /DL/MS/ - Come Again
B3 /DL/MS/ - S.I.T.G

Sales Note
/DL/MS/ debuts on Mechatronica with a radiant blend of forward-thinking electro cuts and futuristic bass music. More

2022 Repress

Release Info:
A1 Credit 00 - Let It Roll
A2 Credit 00 - Islamatronic
B1 Credit 00 - Streets
B2 Credit 00 - Electromotive Force


Release Info:
Merciless machine funk, haunting soundscapes and rugged electro styles, drenched in concrete and vigorously fortified by the iconic German producer's sonic development through 90s street culture. Credit 00 moves like no one else. More

Tracklisting:
A1 Ben Pest - 8 Octavial
A2 Ben Pest - Amirite
B1 Ben Pest - VCS Wig
B2 Ben Pest - Strict Saws

Release Note:
Ben Pest debuts on Berlin's Mechatronica with four lethal electro cuts, built to morph minds and move bodies. More

Tracklisting:
A1 No Moon - No Way Back
A2 No Moon - Small Moves
A3 No Moon - Go 2 Bed
B1 No Moon - Vegetarian At The BBQ
B2 No Moon - All Roads Lead to Here

Release Note:
No Moon returns to Mechatronica with an intricate blend of tripped-out machinefunk, colorful breaks, obscure bass music slo-chuggers and outsider electro, following up on his Sirens EP from 2018 on the Berlin based label and collective. More

Zeta Reticula returns for his third release on Mechatronica with a dystopian blend of cold machinefunk and ominious electro rollers. More

2022 repress

The ever-potent duo returns to Mechatronica with a fistful of murky electro bangers, following up on their Vapour Waves EP released on the Berlin label last year. Watch your bins! More