The first outing of the new label Way to France records, born in Leipzig and raised in Cologne (including an extra long puberty), comes from none other than Robert Johnson legend Lauer.
The title track Law High heads straight for peak time in classic Lauer style between synth-pop, wave and house. Extraordinary DJ Charlie from Berlin transforms Law High into an analog-sounding EBM-Italo stomper with her first remix ever.
On B1 Lauer shows his other side with Enso: Techno Soul in the melody-man manner. Enso got the remix treatment from Leipzig's highly talented Janthe, who (another remix premiere) pulls off a modern, froggy, timeless version that's playable on any occasion. WTF Records headquarter is more than proud (and happy) to have so much talent on their versatile catalog number 001.

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A new figure sashays their way into Bordello. In one hand, a bouquet of carnations, in the other a 12” record. Lauer. Philipp Lauer. Known for his incredible productions on labels like Running Back and Permanent Vacation, not to mention his collaborations, the German all around good guy delivers four gems. The title piece radiates warmth, clean drum patterns giving way to beaming synth bars with vocoder lyrics bopping to the bass. Light hi-hats and a wet snare are the fertile ground from which choral key shifts break to squelching acid in this addictively diverse work. The energy levels spike, like a cork spearing its way from a champagne bottle, for the unbridled enthusiasm of “Frizzante”. Piano stabs, pulsating percussion and an infectious groove. The Summer sun may have set, but Lauer is still at the “Playa” with his playful finale. An off-kilter melody ebbs and flows on a string of rhythms, dreamy tongue-in cheek synth play sailing this 12” off to the horizon. More

The venerable Philip Lauer (aka “Lauer”) makes his debut on Public Release this Fall with his latest EP Otto Zero. One half of T&P, another half of Tuff City Kids, and a full two halves of Lauer, we're thrilled to welcome him to the Public Release family. I’ve been rinsing his tracks in my sets over the years; a sound so recognizably his, warm and fleeting emotions — yet simultaneously cold and rigid— he masterfully toes this line. The EP is serious party music for any room, whether it be the dance floor or the kitchen... It hits wherever, whenever. More

After DGTL’s first ever Various Artists release it is time to hand over the momentum of the 9th release to one artist only: Lauer. Phillip Lauer has been producing and remixing for decades. He has over 250 remixes to his name, collaborations with Gerd Janson, Fabrizio Mammarella and Tim Sweeney and various EPs and albums under his Lauer moniker. For the DGTL release Lauer gives us the three-tracker Topo Chico doused with his signature sound. Starting off with Inkel Jet 880, maybe best described as a modern Italo track, but without the typical accented vocals, giving you a mean and lean vibe throughout. The thick and synthy bass-line combined with the sharp chords, thumping beat and two effective breaks make Inkel Jet 880 an energetic ride straight to the dance floor. The title track Topo Chico is a softer sounding track with a swinging bassline and high pitched arrangement that builds up to stretched out chords, giving it all a dreamy yet spirited feel. From here on the track continues to build up to various highs, by leaving out the chords here and there, but adding some bells instead, while slowly but surely the chords drop by again and makes Topo Chico all the more blissful. The EP ends with the Topo Chico Tribute mix which starts with an acidic bass line that drops into a bath of soft sounding bells and Lauer’s signature stretched out chords, while the arrangement gives the track a nostalgic vibe, turning more current later on in the track. The tribute ends where it all started, with the thick Acid bassline, making the Topo Chico Tribute mix a perfect ending to the EP. The sleeve of DGTL’s 9th release Topo Chico is yet again custom designed by the duo Boris Acket and Tim Straver. More

Following on from 2016’s excellent “Birsk” single on Futureboogie, Philipp Lauer returns to the label with a new three track single. The “Las Brisas” EP kick starts with the mechanical funk of “Pile”; acidic notes drip over heavy EBM drums whilst a hovering ‘Resse’ style bassline dominates, the influence of early house and industrial dance are ever present here on this belter of a track from the Tuff City Kids and Talamanca System player.
More acid pressure can be found on “Clipper”, a blazing and dynamic slice of anthemic Balearic dance. Searing pads and lustrous melodies pour over the robust drum machine workout, that’ll have dancers reaching for the skies! Real stirring stuff from Lauer, which continues with closing track “Tyco”. Ricocheting stabs and cowbell hits bounce off a sturdy kick drum as the track flourishes with more on-point melodies and a snaking bass. Dripping with emotive refrains, Lauer brings his very best to the table here, and rounds off an EP that’s most definitely all killer and no filler!

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It might be commonplace, but it holds some self-evident truth for the return of Lauer - to the album format that is. Three years after his debut "Phillips" on Running Back, the melody man from the outback of Frankfurt am Main presents Borndom: a thirteen track trip through a universe that is specifically his. Far from being a stranger to Permanent Vacation with singles like Delta NRG or Donnerlake being heralds of the things to come, it provides a home to their spiritual kinship and ethos. Rooted in pop music and mixed with the reactance and sound aesthetics of punk, while wearing dancing shoes, you'll be hard pressed to find lots of contemporaries that till a similar field. With a sound signature, a melodic repertoire and an emotional quality that is immediately recognizable, often yearns for vocals (a point of criticism that is minimized as you will see in just a second) and is if nothing else highly individualised, Lauer might one of the thoroughly honest indie dancers out there. More

The latest EP for Tee Mango’s SUPERUNKNOWN imprint shines a light on up and coming Mancunian DJ & producer Joey T. With the SUPERUNKNOWN label continuing to shine a light on artists Tee has met via his ‘FINISH YOUR F***ING EP’ coaching and mentoring program. This aptly titled STRONG TEAM EP combines original tracks from Permanent Vacation favourite Tee Mango & Joey T. It feels very much like a family affair, and comes fresh off the back of Joey’s sold out shows with Luke Una’s excellent E Soul Cultura. The lead track is by Joey T titled "When You Are Not On My Mind" (WYNOMM) comes in original (Maurice Fulton inspired) loose house flavour, courtesy of Joey himself. We are also treated to a Tee Mango remix, which channels Joe Claussell’s seminal Instant House via warehouse era Chicken Lips. The remaining x2 Tee Mango's trax are a left leaning electronica made in his inimitable style. Plenty of feel and colouring outside of the lines. This is house music for cultured dancefloors, sparse, minimally melodic and just the right amount of weird. Support from: Mixmag, Tim Sweeney, Crazy P, PBR Streetgang, Hot Toddy, Bill Brewster, Will Saul & Mano Le Tough with others sure to follow. More

The first full-length studio album by Richie Hawtin, who was 22 years old at the time and living in Windsor, Canada. It was first released in June 1993 under the F.U.S.E. name on Hawtin’s own Plus 8 Records imprint and again on Warp Records as part of the ‘Artificial Intelligence’ series.
Remastered back in 2019, the reissue features original artwork from Richie’s brother, Matthew Hawtin.

Growing up in Windsor, Ontario, Richie Hawtin aka F.U.S.E. would make frequent excursions across the border to Detroit in search of record shops and new clubbing experiences. Soon he would take up a residency at the small subversive club The Shelter and develop his skills as a DJ. Together with his close friend John Acquaviva they launched Plus 8 Records in 1990 to release their own creations and to support other up-and-coming, like-minded techno producers who were in search of a musical home. Richie started recording under the cryptic alias F.U.S.E.- abbreviation for ‘Futuristic Underground Subsonic Experiments’ - and released seminal tracks like ‘F.U.’ and ‘Substance Abuse’ (1991). The From Our Minds To Yours compilations released on Plus 8 would make a mark on the developing techno scene in Detroit and beyond. At age 22 Hawtin released his first full-length studio album under his F.U.S.E. pseudonym. Dimension Intrusion was largely inspired by science fiction films and a collection of available vintage synthesizers and drum machines. Playing with their electronic yet warm sound effects, the young producer in turn discovered some of his favourite instruments. His heady manipulations of the Roland TB-303 acid sound helped develop an influential style that would have a lasting impact on electronic music. The tracks on Dimension Intrusion range from club focused techno to soundtrack ambience and can be seen retrospectively as experiments leading to what would soon become Hawtin’s trademark acid-laced Plastikman sound.

- Spec Black 2LP Vinyl in polylined inner sleeves in wide spine outer sleeve with 12” poster insert

[4th October 2023] Today, Warp announces reissues of two more albums from their Artificial Intelligence series: Dimension Intrusion by F.U.S.E. (aka Richie Hawtin) and Ginger by Speedy J. Both records were originally released in 1993, and these new vinyl editions mark their 30th anniversary.

Although unique records by distinctive artists, there are some strands that tie the two albums together. Dimension Intrusion was the fifth album in the Artificial Intelligence series, originally released on 7 June 1993, whilst Ginger was the sixth album in the series, coming out two weeks later on 21 June. Whereas the rest of the series focused on elevating underground electronic producers from the UK such as Autechre, B12, Black Dog Productions and Polygon Window, these two entries in the series added an international dimension, representing North American and Northern European takes respectively on the techno genre. Both albums were also released in Canada on Richie Hawtin’s own fabled Plus 8 label, with Paap putting out a domestic edition of Ginger in the Netherlands on his Beam Me Up! imprint, echoing the accidental Star Trek reference in Warp’s own name (actually a shortening of original name Warped). Both artists would go on to record for NovaMute, a dance music subsidiary of Mute Records.

The concept that unites this music above all however is the idea of crafting electronic music for home listening, charting the evolution of a musical form that had started out purely dancefloor-focused. Both Paap and Hawtin had started to make tracks with this idea in mind independently, and it chimed perfectly with the series that Warp founders Rob Mitchell and Steve Beckett were putting together concurrently to showcase exactly this development. The compilation that gave the series its title and kicked things off, housed in a striking sleeve featuring a robot reclining in an armchair, surrounded by album sleeves, succinctly communicated the central idea with a certain amount of tongue-in-cheek humour. It was after Paap had contributed to Artificial Intelligence with Speedy J’s “De-Orbit”, alongside Richie Hawtin making an appearance using his UP! pseudonym, that Mitchell and Beckett invited them to come on board to the series with full artist albums for release on Warp.
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Debut studio album by Dutch electronic music producer and DJ Speedy J (real name Jochem Paap), Ginger was originally released in June 1993 as part of Warp Records Artificial Intelligence series.

Remastered in 2021, the reissue contains the original design by longtime Warp collaborators The Designers Republic.

Rotterdam-based Jochem Paap began creating techno tracks such as “Three O’Three” and “Something For Your Mind” in his hometown to play out in clubs, and chose the artist name Speedy J as a reference to his DJ skills. As commented on by All Music, Paap's clear intent with Ginger was "to take his music out of the rave and into the home-listening environment," and balance elements of the manic energy that defined his early releases with a lush sound palette. Writing and recording on his own in The Plant studio, the album was released on a number of different labels internationally and brought his minimal but melodic production style to a far wider audience, with critics noting his meticulous attention to audio design, skillful use of track interludes (the “Fill” tracks on Ginger, something Black Dog Productions also explored on Bytes), and a careful balancing of four-to-the-floor grooves with ambient textures. He released a second album with Warp, 1995’s G-Spot, and has continued to make a diverse range of electronic music, included releases on labels such as Mike Paradinas’ Planet Mu and Peter Namlook’s FAX +49-69/450464, and showcasing a more experimental strand of releases via his own Electric Deluxe imprint. The music on Ginger has been highlighted as a seminal release in a number of retrospective features by the likes of Pitchfork, The Wire and FACT. More