Steve O'Sullivan's Mosaic label is back with a second volume of its dubs series, this time on nice yellow vinyl with Sub Basics and Fletcher given one side each to shine. Sub Basics goes first with 'Mediterranean', a lovely liquid dub with bottomless depths and perfectly smooth, frictionless drums. Lovely soft melodies drift in and out as the echoing hits and icy hi-hats help oil this most heady of grooves. On the flip, Fletcher offers up 'Sludge' which is a little more tense and menacing, with darker bass and more texture as well as distant groaning pads that keep you guessing and on edge.

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We're always glad to hear new material from undisputed dub techno don Steve O'Sullivan. This new one on his own Mosiac label finds him facing off with Paul Simmons on a pair of deliciously deep cuts. 'Inner Glow' is given the whole of the A-side to make its mark and it does - with a slightly more soulful sound than you might expect. Rather than pure heads down underwater deepness, it's got a heart warming vocals hook and brighter chord vamps over the signature drum smoothness. 'Stilll Burnin''is a quicker cut with more radiant chords and a soulful spirit, then a Bluespirit dub of the a-side zones things out nicely.

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The latest from Steve O'Sullivan and Mosaic's archive raiding series sees the first ever airing for an unreleased extended mix of the soft and soul-drenched 'Composure', plus two choice selections on the slip, the sleek sub-bass powered 'She Don't Do Chicks' and a dub mix of the equally streamlined 'Bumper Car'. If the A-side is a luxurious period piece of sorts - it could be related to Underground Resistance's 'Galaxy 2 Galaxy' for instance - then two on the other side could have been made yesterday they're so relevant and playable, coasting along with the kind of subtly jacking framework and dubby basslines that G Man made his own. All lovingly remastered at The Exchnage too.

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Berlin native and Rubisco label head Nick Beringer lays down some serious rolling beat science for Mosaic’s 5th LTDX edition. The EP kicks off in style in the shape of ‘Intercity’: straddling a square 4/4 house rhythm with an ‘Art of Trance’ spirit ? all brought together in contemporary style. Layers of subtly filtered melody pulsate their way throughout, rising and falling as minimal elements collide for maximal sonic impact.Switching to more familiar territory, ‘Time Shift’ reins things back a notch as tight 909 beats swing to well rounded bottom end, carrying the warm layers of evolving synths and chorded elements with precision effect. Ending on the introspective mood of ‘Counterclockwise’, Beringer displays an even defter touch, heralding the light fantastic as the spectre of night passes by.

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Steve O'Sullivan invites a trio of artists to lay down some serious head nodding beats for ‘Rhythm Method Vol.4’. Calling on one of Canada’s trusted talents and solid purveyors of deep grooves Jay Tripwire leads the charge with ‘Mung Bean Medley’. There’s simply no messing: pushing through a taught rhythmic workout, incessant toms and metallic tones etch deep into the mood - awash with dubbed out atmospherics and crafty touches that more than a give a nod to the dark house dubs of yesteryear. On the flip, ‘Hidden Sequence’ inject their creative flex, demonstrating the all important art of minimalist bounce with ‘Synchro’. The kind of fully swung beats and tripped out twinges that brighten the groove more often than not when 7am comes calling. The svelte bustle and soothing tones of ‘Makka’ from Fletcher by contrast, soothe the mind and leaves plenty of room to kick back as weary limbs take their toll: a fine tonic indeed.

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With the summer season well and truly in full step, Mosaic returns with two finely tuned cuts of classic dubbed-out minimalism. A Side "In The Night" is a typically understated affair from label boss Steve O'Sullivan under his Wise Caucasian alias. Propelled by a bass-heavy tone and lit by layers of percussion that build on each other you'll find yourself getting lost in the washes of sparse vocals, rhythmic stabs and splashes of delay that reach out over the dance floor. Far from providing instant gratification, this requires timely and repeated play to uncover the layers of subtle finesse and craftsmanship: perfect for keeping those feet moving at any hour of the night, or day for that matter. On the B Side, Steve teams up once again with fellow Londoner , Frazer Campbell on "Rise" which goes straight for the full smile effect as the duo conjure up one of those rare pieces of magic. Set to a melee of skippy percussion, high-pitched toms and warmly toned melody, the prophetic voice of Maya Angelou and her timeless poem "Still I Rise" resonates supreme, bringing a touch of thoughtful intelligence that's all too often forgotten. As the track hits it peak, you can't help but feel the deep elation a groove like this brings in the darkest of hours.

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As Mosaic reaches release number 40, Steve O'Sullivan dives into another studio collaboration with his new label mate and expert hand, Mike Schommer - bringing in the talents of Rod Modell on remix duties. Etching two slices of dub heavy grooves that cover either side of the techno and house spectrum, their first effort emphasises the former on title track "Submerged" (B1). It doesn't pull any punches - precision moulded bass takes centre stage around evolving synths and classic delay action. Their 2nd "Depth Charge Dub" (B2) leans more towards the latter as the duo focus on the combination of a rolling sub, laidback percussion and subtle stabs that cycle gently around. The cherry on top comes in the form of Rod Modell's "DeepChord's Negative-Space Exploration Version" as he takes a 9 min trip to the hinterland of his sonic imagination, elegantly finding new layers and spatial effects. Call it what you will, 'dubbed out house with a splash of techno' or 'dubbed out techno with a splash of house' - this is heavyweight material.

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Deepchord co-founder Mike Schommer is back from a 15 year hiatus with an entrancing 12'' on Steve O'Sullivan's Mosaic Records. After withdrawing from production for an extended period, the enigmatic producer revives his legacy with an unrestrained session using analog synths, drum machines and cavernous sound manipulations. 'Invitation to Love' uses minimalist 4/4 percussion and unfurling delays whilst 'Remember When' explores echoed synth stabs in a broken beat framework. Lastly, tranquil stepper 'Into The Night' carries floating chords and cyclical melodies through airy acoustics. 'Anamnesis' presents three quintessential dub techno methods - offering a masterfully engineered package by one of the genres most revered figures


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With spring well and truly in the air and party season in step, Mosaic Records boss Steve O'Sullivan launches Mosaic's 38th release - joining forces with fellow Londoner Frazer Campbell for a new studio collaboration. Not content with letting the dust settle from his recent work alongside Ricardo Villalobos, O'Sullivan has stayed a little closer to his London home to work with Frazer Campbell for this latest tag team effort. A dextrous hand in the mix and producer in his own right, Campbell has a passion for all things that sit on the deeper end of the house, techno and electronica spectrum. In his own words, thought emoting music is central to his mission having launched Open Recordings and Elliot Project Records last year: a worthy sparring partner indeed. Since the start of the year, the pair had their heads down focusing on finding a happy medium between deeply swung grooves and the airy influences of Detroit - shaking out an interesting trio of tracks for their label debut. Far from treading the obvious path, the main event A1 'Hypnotonic' revels in a lighter touch as metronomic beat programming cycles endlessly to a held set of notes. Off-kilter bass pulses, warped out vocals and effect splashes all intersect to keep the energy input constant as they capture one of those less frenzied moments where the very notion of time seems to hold still. Make no mistake, this is a slow burn vibe. Head to the flipside B1 'Soultonic' to plunge yourself straight into hip twitching mode when the lights go down. A deep chord, syncopated hats and deftly tweaked synths echo as a full dose of shuffle inflicts its move. Simple yet so effective, this track will not let you down. Winding things back up a touch, the tougher edge of 'Alleyway Funk' pushes the feeling on thanks to a thumping kick and a deft nod towards UK Garage. Met with a soft glisten of a Rhodes piano and tweakish melody, the pair round things off in a boyant mood - fans of Soul Capsule and Schatrax will no doubt agree. Repeat play of this EP is recommended as its all the more rewarding for it.


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Steve O'Sullivan's Mosaic Split Series is back with a fresh instalment for you in 2017 as the boss continues to discover and compile music from artists new and old for the well-received series that marked his return a few years ago. Focusing on three slabs of high grade deepness for release number six, the A Side comes from a firm Mosaic favourite Dean Decosta, a long-time friend and contributor to the imprint. Hailing from California, his music has always held a timeless quality and subtlety that is in key with the label and Steve's ethos. Stripping everything back to basics, Recon feels like a tribute to the last days of summer and the warm coastal breeze that inhabits the shore in Decosta's native California. Filling the space with warm pads and twinkling synths, the bass end neatly pulses and tweaks throughout as it elegantly moves to a spatial groove that seems to freeze the very moment in time you inhabit. Complimented perfectly by Within Without, Leeds lad Bobby O'Donnell serves up an instant ace for the B side as he fuses a tough ended kick with dub tinged Rhodes chords, pattering hats and swirling melody: evoking the kind of uplifting vibe that won't go amiss with DJs and dancers alike. Expect some heavy rotation and smiling faces on this. Last, but not least, rising Swedish producer Sean Dixon lays down a fusion of Omar S styled synth jams to dub driven house. By taking elements of the classic and injecting a fresh angle, Dixon creates a unique space in the sound that builds and builds, deserving both your time and attention. With repeated play, you can't but help admire his craft. If you haven't already checked out his catalogue don't get caught sleeping.

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To the untrained ear a collaboration between Mosaic boss Steve O'Sullivan and minimal house maestro Ricardo Villalobos may not seem like the most obvious sound clash. However, dig a little deeper and you'll find that both these artists have a long history and shared love of stripped back aesthetics and dubbed out rhythms carving out respective sounds that have never strayed far from their roots. Sullric is the result of a daylong session at the end of 2016 where the pair plugged in, switched on and set everything to cycle: recording several hours' worth of material to tape with an edit of their favourite passage worked into two versions in post-production. As you'd expect from anything Villalobos turns his hands to, the sound palette is fully laden with dreamy tinges of warped audio, pulsating synthesis and psychedelic tinges that are as equal as they are diverse never failing to surprise. O'Sullivan's input shines through in the rhythmic feel and the application of effects throughout, holding the entire track together as they hit on a moment that truly captures the spirit of joint electronic enterprise. The Side A edit totals 10 mins and leads with lighter touch hat work that evolves in layers and builds, focusing more on the bass edged tones and vocals that envelope the senses throughout: the use of meditative gongs and a large stringed breakdown cutting through the mix to maximum effect. Side B, titled the deeper dub, stretches over 12 mins and is slightly denser in feel as the rhythmic chug is brought to the fore - driving the track into a sparser territory that gives more ground and emphasis to the breakdowns when they drop. Either way, if you're seeking some heavy beats with weird shit on top look no further.


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Long-time influential techno label Mosaic is back with a fine new EP from Germany's Andre Kronert. The Odd/Even boss has been turning out dubby and atmospheric EPs for ten years now, and here he adds three more such sumptuous tracks to his discography. A Track Called Jinx is first and is an economical but effective roller with vast drums, subtle hi hats and a wonky lead synth line that brings a trippy feel to the groove. Perfect for basements or warehouses alike, it works on both head and heel in style. Bottom Line is more forceful and hard hitting thanks to slamming drums and a nervous, twitching, haunted synth sound off in the distance. Racing along and taking you with it, the urgency of this one really is compelling. Finally, Pressure Dub is somewhere in the middle, with rolling kicks looping down low, scattered percussive hits up top and unsettling synth motifs all layered up into a smooth dub techno classic. Spacious and spooky it is another effortlessly essential cut from Kronert and Mosaic. Available on limited edition 180 yellow vinyl only.



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The first in a series of special 12's to mark the 20th anniversary of the labels inception sees much sought after tracks from Mark Ambrose , Kumquat Kids and Steve O'Sullivan reissued in remastered and edited versions. Deep minimal rollers for those that know.

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Jorge Zamacona returns to Mosaic with three sublime slices of raw techno flavoured house.


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For the third volume of the Mosaic Red Label Series Drumcode's Alan Fitzpatrick provides two slices of perfectly crafted main room jackin techno. Limited to 500 copies and pressed on 180g purple vinyl in a special collectors edition sleeve.



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The resurgence of Mosaic continues in proper form with the fifth installment of the Split Series. In keeping with the theme of pairing lesser-known artists with more established producers, Part Five welcomes Annie Errez back to the fold after her appearance on Split Series: Part Four and teams her up with Clandestine, the production duo consisting of UK house/techno mainstays, Neville Watson and Justin Drake (of Peace Division fame). Needless to say, this is a very special collaboration, indeed. A1 - Annie Errez "Discovery Inn" Following up her two blazing cuts for Split Series: Part Four, Annie blesses the A side of Part Five with a pulsating, dub inflected groove in the true Mosaic tradition. Simple yet infectious in a Blue Train style, "Discovery Inn" bumps along with classic stabs that fill the space between the bass with finesse. This is one of those grooves that can go on forever and never get old - pure quality. B1 - Clandestine "Slave to The System" Neville and Justin get right down to it with dirty, swinging, old school vibes. Raw, saturated beats snap and shuffle as gritty synths punctuate the patterns. As the title implies, this one is designed for a proper sound system, kicking along unapologetically on behalf of those who seek rough and tough sounds that reside in the zone between house and techno. As they say, "Let the rhythm hit 'em." B2 - Clandestine "Vengeance" Keeping the raw grooves alive, "Vengeance" is nothing short of a disco/techno excursion of epic proportions. Classic drum programming frames a menagerie of chopped sample bits, making for a loopy head-trip of sonic goodness - once it gets into your mind, there's no stopping this tune. This is some prime time weirdness (of the best kind) that is sure make the freaks come out of the shadows.



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Steve O'Sullivan recently resurrected his much loved Mosaic imprint, and with it comes the Red Label Series. Following on from a first release by Ben Sims comes this new three track EP by Markus Suckut. In the last four years, German Suckut has established himself as a fine techno producer with credits on labels like Stroboscopic Aretfacts, Figure and his own SCKT. His grooves are tight, atmospheric and expertly crafted for maximum impact.
This EP kicks off with 'Turn On', a hunched over, hurried and minimal techno shuffler with doom laden spoken word snippets beaming in over the rubbery kicks. 'Tune In' is less direct, instead seeming to rock back and forth in one sport, with feint industrial sounds and distant rumbles permeating the thick groove, before finally 'Drop Out' is another dubbed out, shadowy and oppressive groove riddled with muted sine waves and rippling chords. Hugely textured, humid and inviting, these are three more killer tracks from Suckut and Mosaic.

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The next instalment of this nine part series sees Mosaic take a diversion into darker techno territory with contributions from Ed Davenport, Aubrey and Ozka. Over the last few years Ed has been quietly gaining respect from those who like their house splashed with a good dose of techno. The Berghain regular's "Bloodchild" rides the fine line between both genres perfectly with a dark twisted bass line driven groove and eerie vocal line that typifies his unique sound. Next up is Aubrey who has provided a storming techno monster of a remix of Ed Davenport's unreleased "Islands." A very welcome return to the label after a 17 year break and when seen alongside his recent Ostgut Ton, Ferox and Metroplex appearances it is no wonder that people are calling 2014 his best year yet. Belgian techno wizkid David Nizet (aka Ozka) provides the closing track to the EP. Despite having recorded for the likes of Dave Angel's Rotation and Mowar this guy has been bubbling under the radar for some time . With forthcoming contributions to John Beltrans Dado and Arne Weinberg's Diametric coming up we are sure his talent won't go unnoticed for much longer . Check out the wonderful bass line driven dub-stab-fest he has given us in "Thirteen years" if you have any doubts!


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London's Silverlining returns to his solo-only home, Silverlining Dubs, for this two-tracker that sees him exploring previously unexplored sonic territories for him. ‘Comares’, written in the rolling hills of Andalusia, draws influences equally from the rhythms of UK breaks from the past decade, as it does the blissed-out melodies of early nineties halcyon rave. ‘Downtime’ heads straight for that centre right spot of the dancefloor, right in front of the booth, where the heads congregate. Its snappy 909 drums, heady bassline, tearing acid line, and cut-up vocals blend perfectly as one hearty underground broth. This is the first original release to be produced and mixed in Silverlining’s new Cabin Studio in South London. We'll spare you the list of names but this has had early support from some of the industry's finest!

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Tracklisting:
A1 Sweetness - If We Will Take The Time
B1 Sweetness - Can't Tell You Why

Sales Note
Written and produced by Richard Misseijer and Jos Soethout (RIP) the two original songs were performed by the Dutch disco trio Sweetness. Released in 1982 is the perfect embodiment of timeless soul-boogie, quickly becoming essential for Radio and the finest DJs and later one of the genre's rarest records. The producing duo was prominently featured on the cult imprint Rams Horn, set up as a fellow US importer of outputs such as Brunswick and Prelude. The official reissue remastered from the original source comes courtesy of Richard Misseijer himself on the baby bird Emilian-Neapolitan label Baba Records.

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You know Krash Slaughta right? The man behind the recent wildly successful DOOM/Sugacubes mash-up LP Sugar-Coated DOOM, not to mention his unofficial remixes of the Wu’s K.R.E.A.M. and P.L.O. Style and collab. 45 with Phill Most Chill, Rebel Base? ‘Is he at it again?’ the monkey hears you ask. Yes, he is at it again, though the closest of the the three aforementioned releases to what he’s about to drop is the Wu remix 45. And what he’s about to drop is Diggin Deeper, not a single this time but a whole remix album of one of his (and the monkey’s!) all-time favourite hip-hop LPs – to wit, Niggamortis – more usually known as Six Feet Deep (especially in the U.S., though minus the best track under that name) by hip-hop supergroup Gravediggaz.

As many will know, this LP with its horror-movie fixated lyrics gave birth to a whole hip-hop sub-genre – that of ‘horrorcore.’ However, none of those who came after seemed to manage the lyrical humour of The RZArector, The Grym Reaper and The Gatekeeper (a.k.a. RZA, Poetic and Frukwan) and the only bit of production by The Undertaker (a.k.a. Prince Paul) that they seemed interested in was the sub-metal rap sludge of the shouty Bang Your Head – i.e. the LP’s one weak spot. But don’t worry, Krash isn’t interested in that sort of thing. Not only does he avoid rap-metal beats for Bang Your Head, he doesn’t use any on the LP at all – hurrah! What he does do is employ, arguably, as eclectic an array of sample sources as Prince Paul on the original – though with an entirely different end result. Bang Your Head with its apparently sixties garage band-derived beat for example is one of the standouts. The skeletal piano skank of 6 Feet Deep is another, while a beat featuring spaced-out eighties synths forms the new musical backdrop to Constant Elevation. Two more of the monkey’s favourites on this one are Here Comes The Gravediggaz, now underpinned by double-bass-led funk and the glorious inappropriately joyous bounce of Blood Brothers. The result? Your favourite cuts on this one might not be the same as your favourite cuts on the original. Two different versions of a much-loved LP, then; it’s why people remix hip-hop. All the vocal stems were created by Krash and the ultimate intention is to do a limited vinyl release. Cover art is by the Dead Residents’ Junior Disprol.

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Bitin’ Back is Micky Finn’s debut release. Originally written in 1989, it wasn’t released until 1991 on Fokus Recordings. Heavily played in the warehouse parties, illegal parties and pirate radio stations at the time, these are two breakbeat tracks that are made to make you move.

The record is presented in a full colour housebag designed by Micky himself, which includes the opening lines of the Six Million Dollar Man printed on the bag, the source of the vocal sample on ‘She’s Breaking Up’.

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Through 35 hedonistic highlights stretched across three volumes, Music For The Radical Xenomaniac delivers the first ever deep dive into The Netherlands’ colourful house sound of the 90s and the under-celebrated producers and record labels whose music soundtracked a countrywide cultural movement.

Plenty of books and documentaries have celebrated the riotous raves, legendary clubs, high profile DJs and promoters who shaped The Netherlands’ hedonistic house scene throughout the 90s. Music For The Radical Xenomaniac dares to challenge these narratives by shining a light, for the first time, on those who created the scene’s kaleidoscopic, game-changing and globally influential soundtrack.

Leading the charge were a disparate group of key creators who not only forged links with their counterparts in Detroit, Chicago, New York, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom, but also became celebrated figures on the worldwide electronic underground (Eric Nouhan, Aad De Mooy, Orlando Voorn, Stefan Robbers and Steve Rachmad). Alongside key underground imprints (Stealth Records, Basic Energy, ESP, Prime and Outland Records included) and lesser-known producers, these pioneers gave flavour to a radical musical movement via open-mindedness, unheard-of creativity and a genuinely futuristic ethos. All of these artists and labels are represented throughout the series.

So, what defined this hedonistic house sound from The Netherlands? Stylistically, it was varied – as the series so emphatically proves – but was defined by a set of distinctive sonic characteristics: emotive musical motifs, high-frequency synth sounds, mellow basslines, pulsating rhythms and more than a touch of hallucinatory intent.

Volume 2 contains a wealth of notable tracks and slept-on gems. These include Q’s ‘From Within (Body Mix)’, a lesser-known cut from the trio better-known as Quazar (Gert van Veen, R.o.X.Y co-founder Eddy De Clercq and Eric Cycle), Eric Nouhan’s melodic masterpiece ‘Technobility’, which is appearing on vinyl for the first time since 1994, and a rare collaboration between regular production partners Maarten van der Vleuten and Mike Kivits (better known as Aardvarck), which was initially released on a special R&S Records’ offshoot set up by the label’s co-founder, Renaat Renaat Vandepapeliere (Integrity II’s ‘Living In Fantasy’).

Other highlights include Exposure’s ‘Love Quest’, a highly sought-after 1991 track by The Hague-based DJ/producer Maurits Paardekooper, and an ambient-infused Andrew Weatherall favourite originally released by Stealth Records in 1993, Hole In One’s ‘Spiritual Ideas For Virtual Reality’.

Packed full of forward-thinking 90s gems remastered for today’s dance floors by Alden Tyrell, Music For The Radical Xenomaniac Volume 1 is a life-affirming celebration of a distinctly Dutch musical movement, whose rich textures and melodies are still inspiring new generations of DJs and dancers today.

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Selected Songs 1997-2003 compiles some of the finest moments in the recording history of Hydroplane, the Melbourne-based indie-pop three-piece that operated alongside The Cat’s Miaow through the second half of the nineties. It’s the third release in what feels, now, like a loosely planned series by World Of Echo, documenting the music made by this group of friends in Melbourne sharehouses (The Cat’s Miaow’s Songs ’94-’98, 2022), or in the case of The Shapiros (Gone By Fall, 2023), while traversing the International Pop Underground.

Hydroplane would be familiar to anyone already following these breadcrumb trails – Andrew Withycombe, Bart Cummings and Kerrie Bolton were the group’s core, all members of The Cat’s Miaow. With Cat’s Miaow drummer Cameron Smith itinerant, having moved to London, the trio used this opportunity to expand their music. It’s a subtle, but important shift. If The Cat’s Miaow was about the perfect, minimalist, two-minute pop song, Hydroplane’s music was far more open-ended, embracing the loops and drones, sampled house-y shuffle beats, the burbling of a Roland Jupiter-4 synth, all of which the trio joined, effortlessly, to their endless capacity for moving, elegant melodicism.

They may have only planned to release one seven-inch single, but the sound Hydroplane created was so bewitching, so compelling, that the project’s lifespan ran for around half a decade, and they ended up releasing three albums, including a self-titled debut recently reissued by Efficient Space, and seven singles. There are all kinds of compelling things happening in the music compiled here – the hazy repetition of the gentler side of Krautrock is in here, somewhere, which also suggests Stereolab at their most intimate and disarmed; the gently drifting guitars, gauzy and oneiric, set the songs adrift and floating, each one lost in its own imagined, distracted world. Songs like “The Love You Bring” set indistinct tonal floats across dance rhythms, in a way not quite heard since My Bloody Valentine’s “Instrumental” – but with the added gift of Bolton’s gorgeous voice.

This loose coalition with dance music, and the quiet experimentalism at the heart of Hydroplane, also gestures towards peers like Hood, Acetate Zero and Other People’s Children, and releases on renegade labels like Wurlitzer Jukebox and Enraptured. Like those groups and labels, The Cat’s Miaow were reconciling independent pop music’s past – sweet melody and melancholy, chiming and droning guitars – with the futures promised by DIY electronics and nascent digitalia, the interface of indie and IDM that led to some of the underground’s most blissful, texturally swoonsome music. All that is here, but also, the poise of the melodies is pure Cat’s Miaow, though, with Bolton’s voice sailing, pacifically, over some of the most pared-down, gorgeous music made during their decade.

It was a time, too, when such music could make waves – “We Crossed The Atlantic”, one of their early singles, was picked up by John Peel, who played it repeatedly on his legendary radio show, the song reaching #13 on his 1997 Festive 50. That the song itself was a cover of a tune by 1960s Australian beatnik-pop-poet Pip Proud felt even more perfect – a group of outsiders paying tribute to another outsider, played on the radio one of the few broadcasters brave and human enough to take a chance on this music. But it was a time where everything was up for grabs, and genres were flowing into each other: folk songs went drone; indie re-discovered noise; ambient pop floated, again, out onto the dancefloor. And while they may have been sequestered away in Melbourne, Australia, Hydroplane felt core to that scene, a quietly driving force.

Compiling material from across their brief but mercurial career, this double album perfectly captures the magic and mystery of Hydroplane’s dreamlike, perfect pop songs.

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LP

Electronic

Tracklist:

SIDE A
1. Fallen Angel - DJ Python
2. Sword - Ana Roxanne
3. III - Ana Roxanne
4. The Veil I - Natural Wonder Beauty Concept
5. Natural Wonder Beauty Concept - Natural Wonder Beauty Concept
SIDE B
1. The Veil II - DJ Python
2. Young Adult Fiction - Ana Roxanne
3. Driving - Natural Wonder Beauty Concept
4. Clear - Natural Wonder Beauty Concept
5. World Freehand Circle Drawing - DJ Python


The life of the solo electronic artist is equal parts privilege and loneliness. You hurtle across
the sky to spend a few hours in a dark club, behind the decks or on stage at the microphone.
A brief grasp at transcendence, then the lights are on. Afterwards, you chat with friends you
made last month, last year, or an hour ago. Back on the train, the plane. A couple weeks of
this, then home. Repeat. It was against this backdrop that Ana Roxanne and DJ Python (Brian
Piñeyro) struck up a singular friendship and collaboration, culminating in the shared musical
language of their new project, Natural Wonder Beauty Concept.
Brian and Ana met in New York City in the winter of 2020. They’d respectively put out
critically acclaimed albums but due to extenuating global circumstances, the real-world
implications of those records were yet to be seen. Ana’s debut LP, Because of a Flower,
released in fall 2020, trades in both ethereality and directness, stretching timeless pop and
R&B forms into shimmering ambient magic. When the Bay Area-born, Mills-trained artist
sings, on record or live, time slows down and we enter a languorous yet ecstatic present.
The second album from Queens-based deep reggaeton innovator DJ Python, Mas Amable,
also subverts easy temporality. Released in spring 2020, Mas Amable floats in liminal space
—not quite a dance record, a downtempo record, nor an ambient record—unfurling at a
wistful pace, naturally suited for a strange period when each day felt the same yet wildly
different.

Well-loved albums aside, no one was playing shows, and a general listlessness and
disconnection prevailed. Roxanne had recently moved to New York, and while the pair had
previously interacted online and expressed admiration with each others’ work, they were
now able to meet in person for the first time. A quiet understanding developed between the
two artists on their initial hangs – they drove around the outskirts of NYC, listening to
Telegram by Björk, HTRK, Portishead, all manner of melancholy acoustic indie songs. They
pulled over in Filipino neighborhoods to eat. Periods of volubility were punctuated by
silence, laughter interspersed with wide-eyed pondering. For Brian and Ana, studio
experimentation was the instinctive extension of a friendship finding its feet.
The duo’s preternatural communication was present from the start. In early, open-ended
sessions at Gary’s Electric Studio in Greenpoint, they arrived on a moody, novel sound
encompassing trip-hop, synth-pop, brittle IDM drums, and samples of classical music.
Piñeyro threw out ideas at a breakneck pace. Ana impacted the sound with subtle,
monumental chord shapes and textures, eventually singing over strange and beautiful beats.
“There was lots of time to make music during the first year we worked on the project,” they
remember. “The winter in New York felt quite vacuous, so we spent a lot of time reflecting
on feeling too much and feeling nothing at all.”

Then, after a heady start on a prospective album, the world reopened. Roxanne and Piñeyro
parted ways for most of 2021. Ana embarked upon her first headlining tours across Europe,
North America, and Australia, quietly commanding large rooms. Python was a fixture in the
sleepless European electronic club circuit. Ana moved away from NYC and back to the Bay
Area. Alone again, they experienced the exhilaration and fatigue of the road. Their lives, and
the project, were in flux.

After a smattering of sessions on the rare occasions they found themselves in the same city,
Brian and Ana converged on Kranky label manager Brian Foote’s home studio in Los
Angeles in the summer of 2022. The songs were taking shape. Dreamy, densely layered
drum programming and atmosphere, redolent of Seefeel and Boards Of Canada, washed against jungle and oddball ambient landscapes. They listened to tracks-in-progress while
driving through the hills at night, lights flickering out in the expanse. The writing process was
entirely collaborative. Ana sang, Brian sang. They dashed off lyrics together, reflecting an
increasingly shared mental state. “You me you / falling in deeper blue / running through a
circle that surrounds you / mango jelly flowers all around you.”

Later that fall, the duo traveled back to Brooklyn for a last round of sessions with engineer
and producer Al Carlson (Oneohtrix Point Never, Jessica Pratt). Their longtime friend CZ
Wang (Parquet Courts, Huerco S.) mixed and finalized the songs in early 2023, and then a
name for the project materialized. Natural Wonder Beauty Concept was “something Ana saw
in the universe.” The self-titled album does not resemble the previous work of either artist –
Ana’s celebrated ~~~ EP and album; Piñeyro’s various releases as DJ Python and DJ Wey or
his recent EP with Ela Minus. Instead, it’s a sui generis work built block by block over two
years. It’s the longest DJ Python has ever worked on a record, and the shortest period of
time Ana has ever dedicated to a project.

Early on in Natural Wonder Beauty Concept, we hear Python singing for the first time, over a
woozy, Actress-influenced beat. He’s a portrait of alienation. “Isn’t it strange that I kind of feel
nothing at all,” he muses. Ana responds to Python’s call: “Wouldn’t you say that I’m a person…
giving you the time…” By the song’s conclusion, Roxanne’s vocals are an enveloping force
over a lilting street bass. “The project gave us a creative license of freedom,” the pair say. “It
was an opportunity to try anything out, whatever we happened to be feeling or influenced
by.” Python and Ana are both known for bittersweet, contemplative electronic music that
feels like a companion in quiet times. With their new project, the two artists have found their
natural, if unexpected, counterparts. Natural Wonder Beauty Concept is the sound of two
brilliant artists learning to be alone, together

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Walls & Birds‘ debut on the Berlin label Beatbude! Recorded with the aid of “The Whitest Boy Alive” keyboarder Daniel Nentwig at the local Butterama Recording Center, the vinyl is accompanied by a fold-out poster and a digital bonus track.

Much like their previous releases, “Less than a kilometer away” is Walls & Birds’ new take on popular music today. The first song “Wearing a Dress” touches on the theme of modern clothing habits, while questioning relationship patterns still widespread in popular music lyrics. The surprising element of new found love is also one of the themes of the B-side “Heads & Tales”, telling the story of a late night after work taxi ride with the chorus contemplating about the eternal either or question, plainly answered with: love. The cheerful upbeat digital bonus track “Summer 2002” is as meaningless as most nice pop songs these days.

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Santilli returns to Mad Habitat after a European sojourn on Growing Bin! The Eora-based multi-instrumentalist is one half of Angophora, but his solo work exists in the lineage of electro-acoustic visionaries like Steve Tibbetts. With each subsequent release, Santilli strikes the balance between mining his well-defined personal aesthetic and expanding his vision.

The instrumental palette of this record is centered around guitar and synthesizer, bolstered by an incredible array of idiophones and membranophones. There is no shortage of spellbinding moments, like the glacial synths that pan across “Mirrors”, the cascading beauty of “Colours” or the woodland symphony of “Hollow” - the latter even recalls the environmentally-focused work of Waak Waak Djungi’s Peter Mumme.

There’s a common thread across this album in the way it evokes the expanse of nature that Santilli spends much of his time in. All 9 tracks feel like a glimpse into an exquisitely realized scene and across all of them, Santilli's music is suffused with an unhurried sense of ease. The music here feels immersive and panoramic as a result, and we’re grateful to share a glimpse into the worlds Santilli captures.

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Cover versions of international songs have long thrived in South Africa’s music industry. Often unable to license the original tracks (until the early 90s the result of an international boycott of the country) labels instead hired producers and session artists to re-record them for the local market. Early house music in SA was no different.

When Ron ‘Robot’ Friedman, former bass player for local rockers Rabbitt, was winding down his label On Records in the early 90s, he reached out for new inspiration as the popularity of ‘bubblegum’ disco waned. For one of the label’s final releases he hired young DJ/producer Quentin Foster, obsessed with the new soulful house sound coming out of the US, to take the reins on a studio project dubbed Citi Express.

On Robot’s insistence it included a cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Living for the City’ (from 1973’s Innervisions) as the title track. Foster set to work in his home studio, dubbed Tone Def, selecting and re-working other US and UK tracks — ‘It’s Too Late’ (originally released in 1989 by Kelli Sae), ‘Love is the Message’ (influenced by the 70s soul anthem and credited to Gamble & Huff but bearing a closer resemblance to Better Days’ 1990 release written by Steve Proctor), ‘People of The World’ (recorded by Sorell Johnson in the UK in 1990) and ‘Victim of Your Love’ (released in 1990 by Gary Vonqwest as ‘Victim of Love’) — adding some signature South African touches in the process that foreshadow the imminent rise of kwaito. One original composition was added for good measure, ‘Open Invitation’.

The result offers a glimpse into those early days of house, a uniquely South African take on a global sound that still resonates today — reissued for the first time on Afrosynth Records.

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