Belgrade-based Laars marks his first solo vinyl release over a sensual 4-track tale honouring the merits of faith, discipline, and the satisfaction of taking your sweet time. Drawing from the vibrant sounds of the 90s and 00s progressive trance and house scenes, he discovered a kindredship with those who have since then primed and perfected their own modern takes on the definitive genres.

The proggy trance/house opener “Breath Control” sighs into existence, emerging like the head-rush of euphoria that accompanies surfing the sadistic tease between suspense and bliss. High resonance and acid sounds punctuate the track, supplying a dominant bodily cue amidst the melodies, gated vocals and loops. “What If You Fly” observes the void below and decides to jump anyway, finding its faith rewarded in a free-fall through chords and synths that knit into a dark, groovy soundscape - soaring over an underscore of conga drums as though caught in exhilarating flight.

On the B-side, “Concur” looks up from the void back into the ether, embracing the danger of the pale blank space above. At 135BPM it glitches and dances through a cyclone of atmospheric synths, pads and cult sci-fi film samples, grinding like a serrated blade under a soft-focus lens. For the close, “Delight” flirts with the comfort of another, tantalising its approach before erupting in slow-motion from its amniotic state. It blisters, bubbles and gasps - and then takes a roll-eyed descent into breakbeats and arps that glide like menacingly slow fingertips over hot skin.

The record from Laars has a precious message: when was the last time that you really let go and listened to the steady rise and fall of your own breath, or sank into the discomfort of not knowing, but continued anyway? The outcome is still the same: jump.

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The next phase of Cardiff-based label Haws’ metamorphosis emerges via four proggy, psychedelic cuts on their latest V/A offering, with three previous alumni making their returns and newcomer Maara landing her debut appearance on the imprint.

Kicking off the A-side is Adam Pits with the flickering ‘Swings & Roundabouts’, an opener akin to rolling headfirst down a rabbit hole and somehow finding yourself sailing above the clouds. Maara adds another dimension to the trip with ‘You’re So Delicious’, dimming the lights with dreamy synth-lines amidst brilliantly flashing melodies.

On the B-side, Guy Contact steps up to the wheel with ‘Initiate Sequence’ - an oozing, toe-tapping track that settles into romantic, purring manipulations and surrealist loops. Solar Suite rounds up the synaesthesia with ‘Greens Pool’, sliding through an internal soundscape of tension and release owed to the spectral guidance of horns, flutes, piano chords, against a soothing, steadfast bassline.

Close your eyes and step inside: the only journey is the one within.

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
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DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Run since the fall of 2012, Evanton is the italo/synthwave project of Greek electronic producer Evangelos Zacharopoulos (aka Binalog Frequency, Bionic Breaker etc.). With numerous releases under his belt over the years, Evanton has established himself as a leading force on the current new retrowave scene.

On this EP Evanton delivers 5 fresh, unreleased tracks, ranging from modern italo-disco and hi-NRG to 80s-style electrofunk and (surprisingly) downtempo 90s balearic-style sounds. This is definitely the most diverse release of this artist and surely an EP you just can't miss!

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Thump! Check your periphery, because a heretofore entity has arrived on this earthly plane. Asphalt DJ has added another notch to the Haws bedpost, with the actualisation of his ‘Eternal Flower’ EP. The prolific DJ has really turned his attention to production of late, churning out a slew of sumptuous releases and features, neatly coalescing with his excellent mixes and underlining his clear-cut talent. His wizardry and acute ear for high-octane beats knows limitless bounds, and the majesty of ‘Eternal Flower’ continues his cartographic foray into pumping prog.

The EP begins with ‘In My Mind’, a cataclysmic cut channelling late 90s trance and acid techno, defined by incessant 303 lines and raging percussive force. A2 is the title track, ‘Eternal Flower’. This one edges back into the realm of house, with the shuffling drums beautifully accentuated by balearic vocal chops, sustained classic trance keys reminiscent of the legendary Manuel Goettsching and a surging bassline. Re-progging the EP is the wonderfully named ‘2 De Wave’, continuing the thematically crystalline sonic vision of the Asphalt DJ. Thudding kicks and dreamily programmed chords fluctuate conduct and distil the rave monster, forming a foot-stomping creation of ceaseless energy. B2 is ‘Sonic Endeavour’, an EP closer of the funkiest order. Retaining all the unequivocal elements from its forebears, the weighty concoction effervesces and erupts into a dancefloor demon of 4 x 4 glory.

Now, next time you step off the kerb and onto the asphalt, remember that intimacy is always on the edge. Do not fear the unknown, as music is our eternal flower.

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
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DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Solar Suite has something to say about liminal spaces. It’s that eerily familiar transitory state between here and there, where a shift occurs and the thrill of the change perforates through the atmosphere like a dreamy fog. Some find this anticipatory realm uncomfortable, but some find it as the means for creative inspiration. For the 17th release on Welsh imprint Haws, Naarm-based DJ/producer Solar Suite explores the playful liminality of dusk and dawn, taking locked grooves and prog sounds as the tools to transform the strange into something exhilarating.

‘Clear Skies’, ‘Tasman Transmission’ and ‘Still Life’ comprise the record’s club-ready tracks. The EP’s opener is expansive and uplifting, with an elated stride and synths that roll away like sheets of clouds finally departing a new-born sky. Meanwhile, ‘Tasman Transmission’ and ‘Still Life’ sink into lower, stubborn grumbles, signalling the spontaneous bursts of energy for those who haven’t quite yet chosen to head to bed yet.

Balancing out the up-tempo rhythms, ‘Subtropique’ and ‘Contact’ deliver the slow chuggers of the release. The former heralds the wide-eyed expectancy of a memorable night ahead, while the closing track preserves the threshold moment where night and day make brief, electrifying contact for all but an instant.

Five tracks with dedicated circumstances to be plucked out from record bags and presented to a willing crowd. The only question left: what occasions personal to the selector will they rear their heads?

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
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DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Always open to experimentation, Welsh imprint Haws welcomes Wyatt to the family. Comprising five evocative, glossy cuts, the ‘Netherwood’ EP is a time capsule back to his hometown, turning memories into alchemical moments experienced under a blazing sun or by the light of a full moon.

The opening ‘Sewell’ sails through a sensory voyage of stripped-back breakbeat, travel intercom samples and earworm melodies. ‘Netherwood’ snakes into a trippy pace, carving an indefinable sculpture of synth melodies nestled between weightless ambient.

On the B-side, ‘Mousehold’ launches into a peak-time club number, its initial drive of drums and bass tempered down by emotive accents that feel like a coy dance between yin and yang. ‘Tombland’ slinks into a shadow-cast realm of melancholy and introspection, joining the hands of broken beat and synth lines into a melodic collaboration drunk on its private thoughts. To close, ‘Heathgate’ retreats into a hopeful murmur, reflecting its quiet, percussive optimism back at itself through tear-stained melodies and a glassy bass.

Sometimes, existential introspection happens through external movement. ‘Netherwood’ is a catalyst for those epiphanies.

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Conatct: [email protected]More