“As winter slowly draws to a close and the first rays of sun defrost our bones, it’s time to mark the end of hibernation with some warm and uplifting slices of analogue soul from Amsterdam-based musical provocateur… Maroki.
Fans of Flippen Bits and Shall Not Fade are no strangers to the infinite and intricate sounds of the Welsh producer and on ‘Plastic Brain’, his Ano Ano debut, we’re treated to another deep dive through electro, techno, acid and breaks.” More

Tracklisting:
A1 Maroki - Pots & Pans & Handstands
A2 Maroki - Hasnoot
B1 Maroki - Boiler
B2 Maroki - San Andras

Release Note:
Amsterdam via Wales DJ & producer Maroki unveils a darker, more eccentric side to his productions, this time opting for four bass heavy, left-leaning cuts of idiosyncratic dance-floor experimentation on LTFIRE. Nestled amongst the trees along the river lJ, Maroki is surrounded by influence, from the city's bustling streets to the tranquility of nature's boundless beauty; Maroki's work walks the tight-tope between these two spaces, a place where machines and human complexity meet.

'Pots & Pans & Handstands' opens up the A-Side with a highoctane journey, meshing breaks and shape-shifting bass with hoovering pads that sound like landing UFOs. 'Hasnoot'
continues this menacing theme, providing an immersive experience that feels compulsive and raw. Yet, there's elements of fun and flashes of colour, adding to the almost audio visual vibe Maroki can create.

The B side opens with 'Boiler' a nocturnal groove that sways ominously in the wind; If the UFOs were landing on the records A side, this is the soundtrack to their dystopian future. Maroki completes his metamorphosis with 'San Andras', visuals of large spaces with high concrete ceilings come to mind, where the track's mechanics can thrive, reverberating beautifully amongst the looming shadows of dancers. More

Maroki comes through with a 6-track serotonin boost for our Lost Palms series.

With its title meaning 'flower' in Dutch, Bloem EP sees Maroki depart somewhat from the colder acid and electro inflections of most of his previous releases, favouring instead a sunnier vibe and a focus on melody and texture.

'ICBT1' embodies this sugar-coated departure perfectly. High-frequency metallic synth plucks form a dynamic melody, making up just one element of a dense soundscape which also compiles a reverb laden cymbal break, elated flutes and pitched-up vocal chops. The title track, together with 'Forgot You' strips things back a little, both driven by an understated deep house beat. 'Bloem' sees the EP at its most gentle with bubbly xylophonic tinkles that evoke the hypnotic allure of K-Lone's 'Cape Cira' LP; whilst 'Forgot You' gets its melody from the low ends.

'Forgot Me' is its moody older sibling and the most minimal track of them all, showcasing the darker underbelly to Maroki's sound with eerie underwater arpeggios and hollow percussion. This atmosphere sticks around for 'Why': an entrancing full-bodied breaks track sure to be closing DJ sets this Summer.

Bloem EP drops 17th June 2022 via Shall Not Fade More

This EP will meet your requirements.

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Pablo Valentino steps up on Handy with Kai Alcé on the remix!

The A1 fuses funk, guitars & piano to great effect, creating a slice of classic contemporary house. Kai Alcés remix adds extra percussion and drums to take it down dancier route.

Low-slung beats, warm synths and lush pads play in harmony on the B1 to great affect, 'Not Yet' rounds off the record with an eerie vocal seriously trippy percussions whilst still keeping it danceable! More

Silky smooth house vibes here from Retromigration as you would imagine. Intricate synth & sax riffs combine with perfectly timed vocal snippets to give a lush A side that wouldn’t feel out of place on KDJ.

The Earl Jeffers remix adds a bit more beef to the situation, bringing chunky Omar S style kicks for a dubbed out chunkier rework of the original.

'Stop the Presses' is an anthem! Ridiculous vocal work and smooth as you like shuffled beats provide the perfect setting for an absolute summer slayer.

'You & Dion' jacks the tempo up a notch and uses arpeggiated bass-lines and classic Retromigration wind instrument sounds to amazing effect. More

Fresh new collaboration between friends Handy x Shall Not Fade, bringing together artists from each label to produce a side each for the VA.

Lining up for Shall Not Fade we have London's 9th House & Berlins Ruff Stuff and batting for Handy we have Trouble Makers Adam Curtain, Bobby Cazanova & a collab from Arthur Dudley and the ever on-form Retromigration.

As it says on the tin – “Keep it in the Family” More

Retromigration's debut on Handy comes in strong with a killer remix from Byron the Aquarius. Five silky housey and breaky cuts that will leave you in awe!

Nostalgic, dreamy and excellently produced, the on-form Retromigration delivers a killer 12” fit for various dancefloor occasions.

Moodyman-esque house flows through the A side with gorgeous and perfectly executed deep house, with Byron adding a little more euphoria and drive to the remix.

The B side notches up the tempo and takes us on a trip through slinky breaks, squelchy but subtle acid and precise sample work. More

The Handy Records crew return once again with a stunning EP from none other Mr Bobby Cazanova.

A1 is an absolute gem. Nostalgic, catchy, euphoric and all-round feels. Just what we needed after the 2 year hiatus from nonsense. It’s a speedy emotive number with all the bells and whistles for a great time. Definitely one for the 6AM sunset. Following; the A2 is a sub aquatic bubbler. Low slung bass and rich strings lead this into a deep technical groover. Again Bobby has nailed the feeling of having heard this before but never quite like this. The A3 is something quite special. Acid lines and driving bass make this an absolute heater for the floor.

On the flip we have another fast-paced rhythm. This time capitalising on the darker side of Bobby’s mind. Between pulsating baselines and inquisitive synths there is an emotive and paced production that is sure to get people moving. Rounding off the EP is a darker piece. Glistening pads and pensive arpeggiation make this a slow but sure burner for the dance floor. More

Handy Records returns for round two with another obscure electro flavoured EP. This time from the illusive, East London dwelling; Adam Curtain. Known for his own imprint ‘Troublemaker’ and his analogue heavy productions which dance between broken electro, huge sound design and cheeky melodies and rhythms. We are excited to have him up next with his offering for Handy Records. Teaming up with ‘UTTU’ Club’s very own DJ Haus for the remix duties this time round, it’s sounding rather naughty.

Opening the EP we have ‘Escape Velocity’ It’s a clear nod to the bleeps and bass scene of Adam’s native Sheffield stomping ground. A fusion of a paranoid electro-esque beat flecked with bouncing acidic squelching bass, ominous synths and mesmerising vocal hooks that dip in and out of the mix keepsit flowing. Following on we have; 'Pressure Point', from the go this is a weapon of a track, the creeping bass that sneaks around and follows the alarming leads. Minimal madness but also full and sonically curious.

On the flip we have 'Ratchet', bouncy baselines galore, reminiscent of 2007-10s darker garage and bass era and late 90s electro. Heavily syncopated rhythms, distant soaring synth lines and a 2 step beat make this an absolute gem of a production. Perfect for the nasty side really. 'Doping Scandal', another nasty one for sure. Adam’s characteristic haunting synth lines and squelchy bass notes flow endlessly over this clean and well thought out beat. With interesting synthesis and vocal cuts when needed. An excellent tribute to the music that shaped his youth.

Stepping up to the plate and offering us his take on Adam’s work is one of London’s finest, none other than DJ Haus. Taking influence from Adam’s synthesis and smashing it through the digital wonder machine that Haus’ has recently finished developing; the ‘Data Dump’. Haus has given us a slice of sonic madness for sure. Playing around heavily with the sounds of the original and applying that Haus touch, this one is sure to tear any dance floor up. More