Oxia's classic 'Domino' gets reworked for it's ten year anniversary - in 2 vinyl parts.

A decade after initially seeing the light, Oxia's now classic 'Domino' get's reworked to celebrate it's anniversary. The new release features a new cut by Oxia himself as well as several remixes by none other than Frankey & Sandrino, Robag Wruhme and Matador. The EP will be released through Agoria's newly found record label Sapiens on February 24th.

Ten years ago the track made waves in the international dance music circuit, striking up chords with techno, trance and house DJs alike to quickly become an all-time classic. Having never expected the track to reach the status that it his, it's a very dear project to Oxia and he needed quite some persuading to give in and let Agoria and his team create something that was worthy of the original. The set of tracks are the first officially commissioned remixes by Oxia ever.

"Finding remixers took some time, the amazing Frankey & Sandrino who's track 'Acamar' is my absolute favourite of 2015, Matador that just launched his Rukus label as well is the multi-talented ex label mate at Kompakt Robag Wruhme. They are all incredibly gifted and fortunately patient enough to wait for this EP" - OXIA

Tracklisting Vinyl 1

A1. Domino (Original rework )
A2. Domino ( Robag's Lasika Cafa Nb)
B1. 4. Domino (Matador Remix)
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Tracklisting:
1. (A1) JOSS – Assessing (DE-Q20-24-00001)
2. (A2) Emanuel Satie – When I First Met You (I Knew You Were The One) (DE-Q20-24-00002)
3. (B1) Denis Horvat & Skarn – Triii (DE-Q20-24-00003)
4. (B2) Aöcram x Ramsey Neville – Brooklyn Structure (DE-Q20-24-00004)
5. (C1) Alex Bau – Antidot (DE-Q20-24-00005)
6. (C2) Redshape – Ghost Story (DE-Q20-24-00006)
7. (D1) Raxon – Year Zero (DE-Q20-24-00007)
8. (D2) Harald Björk – Aluco (DE-Q20-24-00008)

Cocoon Recordings presents: Dots And Pearls 8
This year's Dots And Pearls once again impresses with its broad spectrum. From minimalistic grooves and melodic house to dark techno and even EBM influences back to playful tunes for the heart. The musicality of this long-player is a beautiful showcase of the depths and expanses to be discovered in the Cocoon Recordings universe.
Kyivian producer JOSS breaks the first ground with "Assessing". A sweet opener that immediately reveals its emotional but happy core. As the song progresses, it gradually immerses you in its world of smooth and phasing string pads. The rhythm groove, while fluffy, also manages to create a sense of intensity that keeps the listener engaged throughout. Emanuel Satie joins with a groovy tom rhythm complemented by a heavenly and angelic choir that adds a touch of ethereal beauty to the composition. This combination creates a sense of enchantment as if being transported to a place where love reigns supreme. "When I First Met You (I Knew You Were The One)" is undeniably a love
song, capturing the essence of affection and infatuation. A musical message delivered with sincerity and genuine emotion that paints a heartfelt picture of a love that is destined and undeniable. Denis Horvat and Skarn have joined forces to create an electrifying track titled "Triii" that ventures into a realm of edginess and artistry. Metallic bells add a haunting and mysterious layer to the sound, while
the stripped-down beats keep the rhythmic foundation strong, perfectly complementing the edgy vibes. One of the most distinctive features is the inclusion of Slavic vocals, which bring an ethereal and otherworldly dimension to the track. When combined with the dwelling effect sounds, these vocals create an enchanting and almost hypnotic effect, further enhancing the song's allure. Each sound is
meticulously placed, creating a well-defined sonic landscape that showcases the artists' attention to detail and creative vision.
The following collaboration between AÖCRAM and Ramsey Neville in their track "Brooklyn Structure" takes us through the depths of NYC's compressed techno. Sequences morph throughout the track's progression, seamlessly transitioning between layers of sound and adding a sense of intrigue to the overall arrangement. Driving claps that pepper the track play a crucial role in propelling the momentum forward, further intensifying the infectious energy that permeates. "Antidot" is an electrifying peak-time thriller by Alex Bau, a monstrous techno track that commands attention and ignites the dance floor with its wicked bassline and explosive energy. This relentless and formidable low-end presence sets
the tone for the entire track. The use of FM synth percussions adds a unique touch to the rhythm, creating layers of complexity, and contributing to the acceleration. Banging snare drums hit with force and precision, driving the rhythm forward without any mercy, although the 909 rimshot pattern adds a classic touch.
As we float on to the third part of the compilation, Redshape’s "Ghost Story" cuts the surface. Let’s delve into a realm of tales and mysteries through mesmerizing and enthralling soundscapes. The synth melody tells a captivating story, creating a narrative that unravels like a spheric saga while an EBM-like bassline serves as a pulsating and energetic guide, injecting a dose of liveliness. Despite its haunting undertones, "Ghost Story" manages to maintain an untroubled vibe, striking a balance between a mysterious ambiance and a lively spirit. "Year Zero" blends elements of the characteristic Raxon sound with a fresh and futuristic twist, resulting in an unusual and excellent addition to his discography. One of the notable aspects is the raw bassline that undulates up and down throughout the track, gently combined with some soft percussion with lots of delay, making it a perfect track for kick-off. His contribution undoubtedly explores new sonic territories for Raxon. It stands out as an unusual and excellent addition to his repertoire. Harald Björk rings down the curtain on Dots And Pearls 8. From the very beginning, "Aluco" reveals an atmosphere shrouded in darkness, inviting
listeners to embark on a hero's journey. Intricate beats pulsate with a magnetic allure, drawing us into the heart of the music. The track's somber aura creates a tantalizing sense of anticipation, hinting at something grand waiting just beyond the shadows. But as the piece unfolds, Björk's expert composition takes us through a series of transitions that elevate the mood from mysterious darkness to soaring heroism. The track gradually shifts gears, as if the protagonist of the story has discovered a newfound strength and determination. A theatrical synthesizer melody manifests as the guiding force amidst the shifting. It swells and transforms, it becomes a beacon of hope and inspiration. The beat evolves and the melodic motif gracefully intertwines, building up an empowering energy that beckons the listener into a triumphant ascent, enveloping us in a world that feels simultaneously familiar and otherworldly.
As we reach the final moment, we are rewarded with the perfect closing. The track finds resolution, leaving a lasting impact, and ensuring that we culminate in a satisfying and memorable conclusion.
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12“ Vinyl

GENRE/S: Electro/Techno

TRACKLISTS:
A1) Extrawelt - Riverrun
B1) Extrawelt- Midi Waters

SHORT INFO:
Arne and Wayan of Extrawelt hardly need an introduction, yet their latest release is notably special as it marks their debut on Marc Romboy's Systematic Recordings imprint.
Renowned for their releases on Cocoon, Kompakt/Speicher, and Border Community, they masterfully blend techno with rich sound structures, harmonies, and intricate arrangements.
Their new track "Riverrun" features a captivating bass line that twists and transforms throughout the piece, showcasing their skills as sound architects. Alongside, "Midi Waters" delves into a darker, deeper soundscape that commands respect from Detroit Techno enthusiasts with its powerful, dystopian narrative. Experience the sound for yourself with this unique two tracker.

VITAL SALES POINTS:
- Debut EP from Extrawelt on Systematic
- Strictly limited vinyl (300 only)
- Special Sound Mastering by LUPO More

12" vinyl with full cover print

TRACKLIST:

A1. Don't Be Stupid Day (Herbert's Brain Dub)
A2. It's Time (to Move Your Body) (Cromby Remix)

B1. Gamma (Glaskin Remix)
B2. Blackjack (Cromby Remix)

INFO:

This third and final installment of the Fusion remix series sees Len Faki personally select from his most beloved producers to expand on his ambitious album project Fusion that was released as a double LP in 2023.


First up is Herbert's trippy rework of Don't Be Stupid Day, one of the album's most memorable vocal cuts. Herbert's Brain Dub transforms the track slowly and playfully, using the witty lyrics for crafting catchy hooks.

Irish powerhouse Cromby has two appearances on this EP, getting to revamp the more house-leaning productions from Fusion. His take on It's Time (to Move Your Body) is grooving grand, its bubbling acid riff and dancing hi hats teeming with life. Meanwhile, the Blackjack remix further energizes the original's shiny centerstage synths, crazily riding the pitch up and down for an all-out party.

Finally, the brotherly duo Glaskin are reshaping the ambient album highlight Gamma into a highly effective, reduced but propulsive, tunneling techno affair.


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Territory: WORLD

FORMAT 12” 180g vinyl, printed labels,
A4 printed inlay 170gsm, dl code,
black innersleeve, white outersleeve

TRACKLIST

A. Maintain 04:56
B. The Golden Ratio (Version) 04:43

INFO

Cybotron has re-emerged in our contemporary cybercultural age when artifactual futures begin a transition into a new era of
"Meta".

By combining their knowledge of philosophy, science fiction, and mechanical engineering, at a time when electronic instrument
companies were only just beginning to distribute their products to the masses, two prosumer audio technicians named Juan
Atkins and Rik Davis were able to re-engineer Cybotron – a combination of the words “Cyborg” and “Cyclotron” (an atomic
particle accelerator) – to be used as a home studio performance music that would change the course of independently produced
and distributed electronic music.

Dissolving the boundary between singer, songwriter, and producer, Juan Atkins named Cybotron’s future forward funkadelic
sound “techno” in reference to Alvin Toler’s concept of unlikely “techno rebels” against technocracy. Techno is music that
sounds like technology, and its purpose was to help society survive our collision with a universally felt “future shock” by inserting
an audio virus into the cultural matrix.

Techno’s blueprint spread across the Detroit-Berlin Axis between Metroplex and Tresor. As human society began its transition
from a post-industrial to an information-based market economy, Cybotron enabled a thorough system override of the human
senses towards a tangible man-machine hybridity and showed the world how to channel their emotions and imaginations into
new sound technologies and create new ‘sonic’ spatialities where listeners can transport themselves out of the physical world
into the future. The cover of their debut album Enter (1983) transmitted a fragmented view of a body in motion being digitized
mid-stride, dissolving physical and virtual reality into sonic fiction.

Today, the man-machine hybridity of Cybotron is still the truest form of techno, coevolving in conversation with the technological music they created and inspired. The latest data disk marks a new chapter that reflects a techgnostic musical expression of
the knowledge acquired during their decades-long hiatus. Unlike the dance music industrial replications of the Model 500
formula, acknowledging the content marketing expectations that segments music into specific, sellable genres, this techno
music is self-aware. Cybotron processes dance music tropes spawned from its very own blueprint with a meta-tactical precision
out of sync with our current rave new world.

Cybotron’s return demonstrates a studied engagement with what techno was and should be with a peerless update of Juan
Atkins’ initial inventive idea of do-it-yourself electrically reengineered music xeroxed onto both sides of the 12” – uploaded
directly into the alleys of your mind.
- The Rhythmanalyst





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Format Notes: 2023 reissue, 140g vinyl, remastered from the original Vertigo Master Tapes for this edition by Simon Francis, original gatefold die-cut sleeve replicated in fine detail

Territories: Worldwide no restrictions

Track List:

A1 : 1916 (1:11)
A2 : Elastic Rock (4:05)
A3 : Striation (2:14)
A4 : Taranaki (1:38)
A5 : Twisted Track (5:19)
A6 : Crude Blues (Part 1) (0:54)
A7 : Crude Blues (Part 2) (2:38)
A8 : 1916 (The Battle Of Boogaloo) (2:58)
--
B1 : Torrid Zone (8:41)
B2 : Stonescape (2:39)
B3 : Earth Mother (5:15)
B4 : Speaking For Myself, Personally, In My Own Opinion, I Think… (1:31)
B5 : Persephone’s Jive (2:14)

Release Notes:

Nucleus's Elastic Rock is undisputedly a milestone in Jazz-Rock. A beautiful and vital debut album, it was first released on Vertigo in 1970. Original copies are now very tricky to score and, like all the Nucleus records, it’s aged ridiculously well. This Be With re-issue, re-mastered from the original analogue tapes, shows off just why this deserves to be back in press.

Genius trumpeter and visionary composer Ian Carr was one of the most respected British musicians of his era. He was a true pioneer and saw the potential in fusing the worlds of jazz with rock, just as Miles Davis and The Tony Williams Lifetime did in the US. In late 1969, following the demise of the Rendell-Carr quintet, and tiring of British jazz, Carr assembled the legendary Nucleus. Regarding music as a continuous process, Nucleus refused to “recognise rigid boundaries” and worked on delivering what they saw as a “total musical experience”. We can get behind that.

Under bandleader Carr, Nucleus existed as a fluid line-up of inventive, skilled musicians. This constant evolution and revolution was all part of the continuous musical exploration and discovery that took jazz to new levels. And the music has kept relevant. To steal a line from a review of our re-issue of Roots, when it comes to anything Nucleus “it’s basically already hip-hop”.

The very title Elastic Rock could be regarded as the group's MO, describing a melting point between their rock and jazz impulses. Indeed, housed in a memorable gatefold jacket designed by Roger Dean, the die cut molten teardrop shape on the front sleeve opens to reveal a fiery volcanic crater. On the back, Dean's drawing has Carr with saxophonist Brian Smith, guitarist Chris Spedding, drummer John Marshall, bassist Jeff Clyne and sax, oboe and pianist Karl Jenkins in a circle, the central core of a movement and the basis for its activity.

Recorded over four days in January 1970, Elastic Rock didn't sound like any other British jazz album. Exploding out the gate, "1916" opens with Marshall's frantic pounding before melancholic horns enter. The smooth title track, "Elastic Rock" is just a gorgeous electric blues track. Light drums, gentle melodic horns, piano and a solid bassline serve as the perfect bed for Spedding's graceful bluesy guitar melodies. The serene "Striation", a Clyne and Spedding collaboration, is led by bowed bass and is the epitome of calm before the late night laid back vibe of "Taranaki" breezes along sweetly and smoothly with great trumpet and tenor.

The truly emotional "Twisted Track" is elegant with horns, while guitar is gently played with drums and bass. Initially deeply soothing, it gradually builds with various solos and duets. "Crude Blues (Part 1)" features an excellent oboe part by Jenkins with laconic guitar helping out. "Part 2" is livelier, with a heavy backbeat and great wind parts. "1916 (Battle Of Boogaloo)" features a steady bassline and great call and response parts from the horn section.

The highly-charged centrepiece of the record, the mesmeric epic "Torrid Zone" features an hypnotic bassline and hi-hat with some of the ensemble's best soloing. Brilliantly encapsulating the jazz fusion aesthetic so desired by the group, the rhythm section is rock-influenced but magically retains a laid-back jazz vibe. Just perfection. Spacey jazz in the style of In a Silent Way, the semi-ambient "Stonescape" features smooth, muted brass, warm, smokey keys and a barely-there rhythm section. Heavenly.

The bubbling, fragile restraint of "Earth Mother" partially utilises the "Torrid Zone" bassline but takes the energy in a different direction with Marshall's frenetic drumming and Spedding's unpredictable riffing. Next comes the very idiosyncratic drum solo track by Marshall in the appropriately-titled "Speaking for Myself, Personally, in My Own Opinion, I Think." The album closes with the raucous "Persephones Jive", a track that ends the album frantically, riotously, just as it began.

This Be With edition of Elastic Rock has been re-mastered from the original Vertigo master tapes, Simon Francis’ mastering working together with Cicely Balston's cut at AIR Studios to weave their usual magic with these wonderful recordings. The stunning die-cut gatefold sleeve has been restored in all its molten glory.
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