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! More

B From E, the enigmatic producer from Denmark has been turning heads and rocking parties across Europe, showcasing his amoebic demeanour via his all-encompassing sets and rave-centric soundtracking. The Danish darling has found his sonic home, in deep digging for rave-tinged 90s garage and breaks, and channelling them into his own concoctions, using their educative, lucid inspiration. ‘Amnesia’ is the culmination of his latest musical direction, threading the twines of acid debauchery and old-school beats through a groove-tinted prism. B From E helps you to forget about your future, and live in the hallowed past.

The title track ‘Amnesia’ takes no prisoners from the word go. Sitting somewhere on the fence between Gat Decor and Kamaya Painters, the ceaseless melody transforms from phase to phase, thematically touching melodic, acid and trance virtues and encapsulating pure rave sensibility. Track 2 is the oddly named ‘Ootheca’, a downtempo acid-driven creation of polymorphic vitality. Drawing influence from classic 90s house as denoted by the mellifluous chords and arpeggiated keys, the result is a head-nodder of unstoppable nature. Third up is ‘Symetrix’. Cranking the journey into 6th gear, the overtly intense arrangement waxes and wanes, underpinned by pumping percussion and an unapologetic bass refrain. Rounding the EP off is ‘Prophecy’, a deep foray back into the downtempo realm, once more ringing truer than true with B From E’s crystalline 90’s influences and breaks majesty.

Let this music soothe you. Nothing we remember is ever forgotten. And everything forgotten is gone. ‘Amnesia’ is the light at the end of your tunnel. Or maybe it's just the beginning. More

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. More

Life begins at 21. So today, it’s time to turn the page with HAWS021, and become enraptured by the mysterious musings of Admo as Haws enter their next phase. Out of Grenoble but based in Berlin, Adrien has been sporadically sharing his developing talents with top labels in the last few years, steadily gaining traction and strong support from tastemakers and party-goers alike.

The Elysus EP really tech’s the house down, drawing on minimal elements and classic vocal hooks, succinctly threaded and aligned through distinctive Admo characteristics. ‘Distance’ ignites the record, blending haunting chords and mischievous keys, wrapped around IDM-like clicks and wobbles and punching percussion. ‘Club Cabane’ is next, re-confirming the tech-house themes with neat, minimal beats and subtle yet iconic acid lines, permeated by a dastardly bassline of epic proportions. Track 3 is ‘Synchronising’, turning the dial up and heading towards 2023 and the nouveau styles of house music. Shuffling hi-hats and snares relay the transmission via an atmospheric essence, yet the styling harks back to A1 with its eerie, foreboding composition and acid infrastructure. The record ends with ‘One Twenny’, reinstating the iconic ‘Wiggle’ vibes and inducing a head-nodding monster of defined and mature proportions.

Admo has given us a masterclass in production. Don’t expect any info on his methods, this one’s just for your ears and souls. Coming to all the raves near you, imminently. More

The 18th segment of Haws’ sonic anthology comes from a hot piece of artistic talent you will know as Anderson. The US-born producer featured on the labels Viral Syndicate digital compilation series back in 2020, and they’ve had him in the crosshairs for a full release ever since. Unsurprisingly, Anseron’s output has been prolific in the last two years, breeding fire for labels such as the force-majeure ‘Wex’, as well as Day By Day and Tresydos.

The A1, ‘Sunbeam’, is a new mix of the track originally released in 2020. It has been revisited and refined but the core remains the brilliant same; dynamic prog littered with acid squelches, iconic jungle samples and beautifully arpeggiated keys perforating the backdrop as the new sun rises. ‘It’s Time’ is your reminder to attend the party. Classic intoxicating house with crunchy breaks and doofing kicks. A vocal that never gets old, and is also a mantric verbal formula. Dance, chant and live by the words of the 90s.

Protoza kicks off the B-side, a trippin’ acid lowrider with a wonderfully body-wobbling percussive touch. Swampy synths, some rave-classic chords with a balearic feel, what more could your afters desire? Finally we have your Electrified Encounter. Unequivocally trancey elements have been painstakingly rebuilt and embedded into a magnetic creature at the top end of the chug-ometer. Throw in pulsing acid for good measure and the power is unparalleled. Use wisely to avoid a voltaic overload. More

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? More

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. More