Peggy Gou’s Gudu Records is proud to present the label’s first ever album, from someone who’s been part of the family since the start: Brain de Palma. Born in Ukraine, settling as a child in Turin and spending three years in Egypt before settling in his current home of Berlin, Alexei Versino has one hell of a story. Musically, he’s been around for a decade now, releasing his previous music (solo as Panama Keys, and also as one half of the duo Stump Valley) on labels like Dekmantel, Soul Clap and Off Minor, before settling on Gudu with his Brain de Palma alias. But personally, his relationship to music goes much deeper: as a young child growing up in the former Soviet Union, a lot of European music was banned, so he relied on his well-travelled uncle to bring him back smuggled cassettes of Italo Disco, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Erasure and early DJ mixes – getting an illicit musical education behind closed doors as a child. He still carries that underground mindset to this day: the press release for his last Gudu EP, Purple Brain, reads: “dedicated to all the ravers, DJs, aficionados who had to go through the lockdowns … a shout out to people who keep on fighting for the underground culture!”. The perfect candidate for Gudu’s first album, then. Comprising eleven tracks made across the past year, Versino describes Rhythmption as “my redemption through rhythm”, and a tribute to “seeing people enjoying themselves on the dancefloor, that feeling of unity where people become one thing, regardless of their life path or social status.” Opening with the gorgeous ‘Thandolwami’ (featuring South African vocalist Sfiso Atomza), Rhythmption charts a path through sun-drenched Balearic house, stuttering drum work-outs, Italo-inspired synth romps, trancey house and even a touching tribute to his former home of Egypt, taking in every aspect of Versino’s journey to date. After all, it’s not all about the destination, it’s also the sights you see along the way. More

Following releases and collaborations from Maurice Fulton, DMX Krew and London’s JRMS, the fifth installment on Peggy Gou’s Gudu imprint introduces another new artist. Brain De Palma is the fresh alias of compulsive crate digger Alexei Versino, who - as one half of cult duo Stump Valley and solo as Panama Keys - has released on labels including Rush Hour, Dekmantel and Off Minor. Born in Ukraine, Brain De Palma’s parents chose to leave the area following the fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Settling as a child in Turin, the Italian ‘motor city’, Versino was immersed in the local techno scene in his teens and many more since, navigating Europe for decades, immersed in disparate musical corners, from the squat raves of early-noughties Bristol to the laid back charm of the Balaerics and the cultural contrasts of Egypt. Much as his life has changed, a heart-on-sleeve love of both music and cinema have informed Versino’s often spontaneous journey, just as they inform ‘Call Me By Your Nail’, his assured and sophisticated four-track debut EP for Gudu Recorded with imagination and much-needed optimism during the initial stages of 2020, ‘Particle Fever’ begins in earnest as a detailed introduction to the liquid smooth sonic aesthetic of Brain De Palma, with a warm, slow-trance atmosphere evolving to generate the sort of melodies that would sit front-and-centre on less refined productions. Instead, the intent is quietly anthemic, an understated approach that equally informs the blissful electronics found on ‘Farout’, an almost psychedelic exercise that finds ethereal tones and rhythmic peace in the analogue extremes of De Palma’s studio. These impulses switch from fluttering to fantastical on the title track, ‘Call Me By Your Nail’. Undoubtedly taking inspiration from Middle-Eastern styled arrangements and naturalistic sounds, De Palma’s adaptation, influenced by his time on the Sinai Peninsula, creates a refreshingly innovative sound palette in this offbeat machine translation. Finally, riding on only the slightest percussion, Versino creates a compelling, acid-tinged trip across ‘Clockroom’, rolling out suspense, tension and subtle euphoria often with only the subtlest of oscillations. More

Peggy Gou’s Gudu Records is proud to present the label’s first ever album, from someone who’s been part of the family since the start: Brain de Palma. Born in Ukraine, settling as a child in Turin and spending three years in Egypt before settling in his current home of Berlin, Alexei Versino has one hell of a story. Musically, he’s been around for a decade now, releasing his previous music (solo as Panama Keys, and also as one half of the duo Stump Valley) on labels like Dekmantel, Soul Clap and Off Minor, before settling on Gudu with his Brain de Palma alias. But personally, his relationship to music goes much deeper: as a young child growing up in the former Soviet Union, a lot of European music was banned, so he relied on his well-travelled uncle to bring him back smuggled cassettes of Italo Disco, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Erasure and early DJ mixes – getting an illicit musical education behind closed doors as a child. He still carries that underground mindset to this day: the press release for his last Gudu EP, Purple Brain, reads: “dedicated to all the ravers, DJs, aficionados who had to go through the lockdowns … a shout out to people who keep on fighting for the underground culture!”. The perfect candidate for Gudu’s first album, then. Comprising eleven tracks made across the past year, Versino describes Rhythmption as “my redemption through rhythm”, and a tribute to “seeing people enjoying themselves on the dancefloor, that feeling of unity where people become one thing, regardless of their life path or social status.” Opening with the gorgeous ‘Thandolwami’ (featuring South African vocalist Sfiso Atomza), Rhythmption charts a path through sun-drenched Balearic house, stuttering drum work-outs, Italo-inspired synth romps, trancey house and even a touching tribute to his former home of Egypt, taking in every aspect of Versino’s journey to date. After all, it’s not all about the destination, it’s also the sights you see along the way. More

Artist, producer, DJ and cultural trailblazer Peggy Gou returns with her latest single “Find The Way” on Gudu Records. The first new track since the release of her debut album I Hear You, this latest single builds on her recent sonic terrain. Making a midsummer bid for song of the season, on “Find The Way” Gou addictively blends her featherlight breezy vocals with a balmy, technicolour 90s house beat lush with mellow keys, acid tinged synths and hypnotic basslines. 2024 has been a huge year for Gou already with the release of her hotly-anticipated debut album I Hear You on XL Recordings in June. Alongside glowing reviews from The Observer, NME, The Line of Best Fit and more, she’s also graced the covers of Billboard (US), Vogue Germany and L’Officiel Italia. A huge year for her in the live arena too, having played to over a million people in 2023, 2024 has seen a string of high-profile appearances at the likes of the Coachella, Ultra, EDC and Primavera festivals alongside a headline slot on Glastonbury’s Park Stage. More

“I Go” is an incredible piece of club-focused electronic music and showcases a very different sound to previous single “Nabi”. Described by The FADER as “the kind of dazzlement you get from light dancing off of ocean water on a hot day: pure dopamine activating bliss” and Resident Advisor as “a refreshingly low-key jam”, “Nabi” was an evocative piece of slow-burning, 98bpm electronic pop, inspired by 80s synth classics, the piano pieces of renowned composer Erik Satie and the 80s and 90s Korean songs Gou's mother used to play at home during her childhood. “I Go” takes inspiration from a similar era but this time the energy comes from Gou’s love of 90’s dance anthems, many of which she revisited during lockdown and an enforced break from touring. Both retain the hallmarks of Peggy Gou’s unique take on electronic music; at once both nostalgic and totally modern. But on “I Go”, the tempo, 808s and 909s are dialled right up for a self-motivating anthem that is set, to soundtrack a summer when we can all hopefully dance together in our thousands again. TRACKLIST: A1. I Go, B1. I Go (Instrumental) ,B2. I Go (Acapella) More

Following her contribution to this Spring’s Gudu & Friends Vol. 1 compilation, Lady Blacktronika steps out with a full EP for Peggy Gou’s Gudu label. Whether operating as Lady Blacktronika or her Femanyst alias, Akua Grant has built a deserved reputation as one of house and techno’s most daring and unique artists - one that dates back 25 years now, when she first debuted as a vocalist. “House and techno” can be a cliched catch-all term, but in Grant’s case, she really has explored the extremes of both sides. Her early Lady Blacktronika work, when she earned the nickname The First Lady of Beatdown, saw her produce and narrate a style of deep house that was both sensitive and transgressive, while as Femanyst, she explores some of techno’s darkest corners, all distorted kicks and serrated edges. Her EP for Gudu kicks off with some serious intent: ‘Baby I Got It’ chops its vocals rough and raw, pairing them with marching drums and the sort of idiosyncratic synth-work that feels like a Blacktronika signature at this point. ‘Sing the Blues’ and ‘Hold My Hand’ take things smoother, but without ever deferring to type — as ever with Grant’s music, she works with such sleight of hand that it’s easy to skip back three minutes previous and wonder how the hell we got here. Her tracks are just that hypnotic and hallucinatory. Closing the EP, Octo Octa provides a remix of ‘Hold My Hand’ that extends things to a full 12 minutes (note: slightly shorter on the vinyl due to time constraints), taking us out with crushed percs and held pads over some undeniable drum work. This EP marks the final release of Gudu’s busiest year to date, with music on the label in 2023 coming from Special Request, Matisa, Mogwaa, Hiver, Matrefakt, DMX Krew, Dukwa, Brain de Palma, Lady Blacktronika, Salamanda and Closet Yi. More

Gudu Records label continues a 2023 for the books with Dream Universe, a new four-track EP by Italian duo Hiver. Based in Milan, Giuseppe Albrizio and Sergio Caio have spent the last decade honing a very special take on electro and machine funk, driven by the duo’s trademark basslines, glossy strings that drip with emotion and an overall utopian nature. On Dream Universe, a “tribute to early ‘90s house and trance”, built around trance elements, acid bass and Detroit-inspired rhythms made on iconic synthesizers like the Alpha Juno, Juno 106 and the Roland 303, 909 and D-550, they pack more energy and emotion into their music than ever before, from the high-emotional vocal that defines the EP’s title track, to the raw bass hits that drive ‘Lodash’. At this point, Hiver’s sound is so distinctive that you know one of their tracks the minute you hear it, but Dream Universe feels like the high water mark of their work to date; a duo in complete control of their craft More

Gudu Records is proud to present remixes of Special Request and Novelist’s grime-meets-techno Summer anthem ‘Sliver’ - by two of club music’s modern-day heavyweights in KETTAMA and Tim Reaper. In Special Request’s words: “I chose Tim Reaper and KETTAMA because they are both 100% top-table practitioners of machine funk. They both delivered the goods in completely different ways and illuminate new paths with this song. Both mixes have been causing havoc in our sets and I can’t wait for people to hear them.” Both remixes are out now on all platforms, with a limited 12” release available to pre-order now. It continues a stand-out 2023 for Peggy Gou’s record label, which has already seen releases from Special Request & Novelist, Mogwaa, Matisa, Hiver, Matrefakt and DMX Krew, as well as the inaugural entry in Gudu & Friends - a new annual compilation series which introduced Salamanda, Closet Yi, Lady Blacktronika and more to the roster. More

Gudu Records is proud to welcome Special Request - aka Paul Woolford - for his first release for the label, a collaboration with constantly innovating London MC Novelist. Pairing Novelist’s unmistakable cadence and flow with classic grime square-waves and booty house-esque drums, ‘Sliver’ has been a highlight of both Special Request and label boss Peggy Gou’s recent sets, climaxing in a tempo change designed to turn the dancefloor inside out. As potent in intimate dark rooms as it is festival main stages, you’ll be hearing this one all Summer and beyond. More

Two of dance music’s most innovative minds, Special Request (aka Paul Woolford) and Mumdance join forces on a new EP for Peggy Gou’s Gudu Records. Between them, Special Request and Mumdance have been responsible for some of dance music’s most exciting, game-changing and downright thrilling releases of the last 15 years, both driven by a restless desire for creativity and collaboration and an innate knowledge of what came before them. Running through their individual back catalogues would take all day, but ‘Vortex’, ’Offworld’, ‘Soul Music’, ‘Bedroom Tapes’? ‘Take Time’, ‘1 Sec’, ‘Twists & Turns’, ‘Proto’? At this point, these are dance music heritage. Started initially as a Mumdance remix of Woolford’s classic ‘Erotic Discourse’ that morphed into something else entirely, the pair’s collaboration ‘Exotic Golfcourse’ opens the EP. A six and a half minute epic that’s been stunning crowds for the best part of a year in both artists’ sets (not to mention Peggy’s), it’s precision-tooled for peak-time moments — forget twists and turns, this is handbrakes, donuts and loop-the-loops. Speaking of twists, Special Request then teams up with South London MC Novelist (who previously collaborated with Mumdance on game-changing grime collaborations in 2014 and 2015) on ‘Sliver’, finding the sweet spot between classic grime synths and booty-house-esque drums, and climaxing in a tempo change designed to turn the dancefloor inside out. Finally, Mumdance closes things solo on ‘Four Years’, working a Bangalter-esque loop for all it’s worth on the EP’s most outright emotional moment. By the time those chopped vocals, drum rushes and guitar solo (!) have played their part, and the track comes back in for that almighty second drop, it’s an outpouring of capital F Feelings that few can match. Exotic Golfcourse is two of dance music’s brightest minds and most impassioned souls on their absolute A-game — expect to hear these tracks all Summer and beyond. More

Mogwaa returns to Peggy Gou’s Gudu label with Drifted, his second EP for the imprint and a perfect summary of what makes him one of Korea’s most exciting contemporary artists - complete with a remix by Klasse Werks founder Mr. Ho. A staple of Seoul’s electronic scene, Mogwaa’s catalogue takes in everything from ambient to jungle - but at the centre of his music, there’s always a distinct sense of melody and pure compositional chops that defines his music regardless of style or tempo. Put simply, you know a Mogwaa track when you hear one. Quicker in tempo than his last EP for Gudu, Drifted opens with ‘Driven’ - a combo of chopped-up breaks and a relentless riff that does just what the title implies - before Mogwaa really flexes those melodic chops on ‘Chances for Bounces’, getting heady with synthesized voices and an almost Detroit-leaning bassline over an 808 groove. ‘Rushing’ takes things further into peaktime with an acid bassline and some nifty automation to keep things ascending, before Mr. Ho’s remix of ‘Driven’ closes the EP on a dreamy techno tip. Following several European runs last year that saw Mogwaa perform at Warehouse Project, Pleasure Gardens and more, plus a Boiler Room in Seoul alongside Anz, Sharda, Finn, Closet Yi and Seesea, Drifted is another snapshot into the sound world of this remarkable talent. More

Today [21st March 2023] DMX Krew announces his return to Peggy Gou's Gudu Records with a new four-track EP, sharing the dreamy, Detroit-inspired title track, ‘Return to Jupiter’. The full EP - out 14th April 2023 - will be his second release for the label and Gudu’s first release of 2023, set to be the label’s busiest year yet. Ed DMX made his debut for Gudu with 2019’s Don’t You Wanna Play? EP, becoming the first artist to release on the label outside Peggy herself. Ed and Gudu have retained a regular working relationship ever since: he mastered Indonesian crate-digger Dea’s ‘Glazer Drum’ release for Gudu, contributed a pair of remixes to the reissue of Riff’s South African electro curio ‘Jacks Jive’, and now returns to the label with Return to Jupiter, a new original four-track EP. Ed has been one of electronic music’s most respected faces for over 25 years. Debuting in the mid-1990s, he released his first decade of music almost exclusively through Grant Wilson-Claridge and Aphex Twin’s Rephlex label and his own Breakin’ imprint, but recent years have seen him ply his trade across a who’s who of dance music’s most respected underground labels: including Hypercolour, Balkan Vinyl, Central Processing Unit and, of course, Gudu. Inspired by the futurist funk and vivid synthesiser epics of classic Detroit, ‘Return to Jupiter’ is dripping with richness and colour, driven by the sort of thick analogue basslines and distinctive melodies that have come to define Ed’s catalogue. The EP’s title track sets the tone for what’s to follow, introducing a language of sorts for the record - before ‘Altered Chords’ turns the funk up to 11, ‘U Ain’t Down’ aims its distorted kicks and wiggy, manipulated lead straight at peak time dancefloors, and ‘I Love Juan’ closes the EP on a star-gazing tip. More

A staple of South Korea's electronic scene, Mogwaa debuts on Peggy Gou's Gudu label, following well-received singles on labels like Klasse Tracks and Star Creature. Follows the release of Peggy Gou's 'I Go' remixes (Soulwax, DJ Koze & Maurice Fulton) and new EPs on the label from Hiver and Brain de Palma. More

Peggy Gou releases a remix package of her acclaimed 2021 'I Go' single, it’s a stellar release featuring some of the most respected names in electronic music - Soulwax, DJ Koze and Maurice Fulton. Named by Pitchfork as one of 2021’s best electronic releases among a host of other accolades (“Her vocals are gentle, but her promise of persistence (“I go I go, I go I go”) feels powerful. Throbbing drum machines further bolster her energizing message, turning a personal pep talk into a lull-crushing banger. A six-minute ’90s dance megamix that feels 10 minutes too short, it definitely goes”) Peggy’s original was an incredible piece of club-focused electronic music that showcased her love of 90s dance anthems. The remix collection has been personally curated by Gou herself, choosing some of her favourite heroes to put their own unique stamp on “I Go” Peggy Gou: “I love 90s house music - which was a big inspiration for I Go - and I love remix culture. For these remixes I reached out to some of my favourite artists and they really delivered! Soulwax, Koze and Maurice are dance music legends and the results are sick” More

Peggy Gou releases a remix package of her acclaimed 2021 'I Go' single, it’s a stellar release featuring some of the most respected names in electronic music - Soulwax, DJ Koze and Maurice Fulton. Named by Pitchfork as one of 2021’s best electronic releases among a host of other accolades (“Her vocals are gentle, but her promise of persistence (“I go I go, I go I go”) feels powerful. Throbbing drum machines further bolster her energizing message, turning a personal pep talk into a lull-crushing banger. A six-minute ’90s dance megamix that feels 10 minutes too short, it definitely goes”) Peggy’s original was an incredible piece of club-focused electronic music that showcased her love of 90s dance anthems. The remix collection has been personally curated by Gou herself, choosing some of her favourite heroes to put their own unique stamp on “I Go” Peggy Gou: “I love 90s house music - which was a big inspiration for I Go - and I love remix culture. For these remixes I reached out to some of my favourite artists and they really delivered! Soulwax, Koze and Maurice are dance music legends and the results are sick” More

Peggy Gou is proud to announce the launch of her own independent record label, Gudu Records. The label’s first release will be the Moment EP - a two-track 12” featuring the tracks ‘Starry Night’ and ‘Han Pan’.
Moment’ sees Gou continue to explore the charismatic facets of her musical and personal identity, drawing on her Korean heritage and language and her love for house & disco’s Eighties heritage, with particular nods to the output of labels such as Prelude and West End Records in the decade’s nascent years.
Gou’s own singing voice, known to so many from last year’s ‘Once’ EP, returns here to confidently guide the rhythm on ‘Starry Night’. Mixing both Korean and English vocals over a tumbling cascade of percussion and piano house keys, the track builds to incorporate layers of instrumental samples and subtle acid lines. Romantic, anthemic and timeless in its feel, it reaffirms Gou’s skill as a songwriter with appeal that resonates beyond crowded dancefloors, not to mention language barriers.
'Han Pan' follows as an instantly rhythmic affair that draws energy from a memorable and delicately tuned pan-drum. Alongside some expert and understated arrangement, as well as another, contrasting vocal performance, ‘Han Pan’ transmits a different but equally powerful energy.
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Gudu Records continues a busy start to 2022 with Italian due Hiver’s debut for the label - a high-definition EP that draws on classic electro and techno, following the group’s acclaimed past releases for Curle Recordings, Bokhari and Deeplabs. A record that both marks and celebrates Hiver’s 10 years of operation, ‘Wave Sliding’ wears its influences on its sleeve: lead track ‘The Initiative’ is a “tribute to Detroit’s Hi-Tech Funk of the early 2000s”, lead by the sort of ostinato bassline and legato strings that have become Hiver’s trademark. ‘Vapour’ and ‘Entangle’ continue the EP’s retro-futurist outlook, drawing on sci-fi imagery and themes of travel, while ‘Stateless’ looks to the “easy-trance” sounds of 90s dancefloors for inspiration. Together, the tracks mark a perfect summary of Hiver’s vision of the dancefloor - bound together by vibrant colours and a starry-eyed, utopian nature. More

Peggy Gou’s Gudu Records presents a landmark EP of original music by Dea - a legendary Indonesian DJ and artist who counts DJ Harvey, Mr. Scruff and Gilles Peterson (who famously claimed that Dea was the best DJ he’d seen in a decade after watching him spin in 2017) among his admirers. Making his name in Indonesia’s Sun Down Circle collective, Dea has gone from one of his country’s best-kept secrets to one of the world’s most respected diggers and DJs. His EP for Gudu is his most extensive collection of solo music yet, backed with a transcendent remix by I:Cube - the few-more-acclaimed French artist famed for trading remixes with Daft Punk in the 90s and decades of brilliant solo music since. More

Peggy Gou returns with 'Nabi' - her first single in over two years and the follow up to 2019's global crossover, 'Starry Night'.

'Nabi' is an incredible piece of slow-burning, 98bpm electronic pop, inspired by 80s synth classics, the piano pieces of renowned composer Erik Satie and the 80s and 90s Korean songs Gou’s mother used to play at home during her childhood. Showcasing a less familiar side of Gou’s diverse sound and influences, it retains the hallmarks of her unique take on electronic music; at once both nostalgic and totally modern.

‘Nabi’ - which translates as ‘Butterfly’ - is also Gou’s first ever vocal collaboration, as she teams up with fellow Korean sensation OHHYUK, the lead singer and guitarist in Hyukoh. It’s set to build on the widespread acclaim for her 2020 production collaboration with Baltimore techno legend Maurice Fulton (on his ‘Jigoo’ release for Gudu), ‘Nabi’ is the first of two songs Peggy Gou will release over the coming months.

While the forthcoming follow up is set to dial up the tempo, kicks, 808’s and 909s to soundtrack a summer where we can all (hopefully) dance together in our thousands again, ‘Nabi’ is very much the sound of now – a lowkey anthem fuelled by feelings of hope, freedom and positivity for what’s to come.

Tracklist

A : Nabi

Produced by Peggy Gou
Written by Peggy Gou & OHHYUK
Lyrics by OHHYUK & Maktoop
Mastered by Frank Merritt at The Carvery
Artwork by Inji Seo
Typography by Colin Doerffler More