Fourth R.A.N.D. Muzik x Echocentric Records collaboration release is an album by DC Salas.

DC Salas' second album, To The Places I Call(ed) Home, is a deeply personal exploration of memories, grief, and the concept of home, blending house, progressive, new beat, acid, goa, and trance.

Crafted over two years in his Brussels studio and on the road, the album served as a healing process following personal losses and reconnects Salas with his father's Peruvian roots. It features collaborations with Curses and Moroccan artist Zaatar, and each track reflects moments that shape his life while honoring fragments of his past.

Despite its themes of loss, the album radiates positivity with bright dancefloor moments and new beginnings. More

DC Salas returns to his own Higher Hopes imprint with the ‘Pixelated Dream Theory’ EP. A club-centric, no nonsense four tracker, the EP is a collage of influences drawn from various strands of dance music knitted together in Salas’ imitable style.

Kicking off proceedings we have the aptly named ‘Acid Breathe’, a brooding number punctuated by spooky synth work and a gnarly (you guessed it) acid line that sets the tone for a release loaded with peak time madness. Next we have the title track ‘Pixelated Dream Theory’, a track that nods back to the rich heritage of the Belgian underground, effortlessly fusing some of the key motifs of New Beat & EBM with a modern perspective.

The B-side opens with a secret weapon of Eclair Fifi's ‘Blaes’. Named after the street Fuse is situated on, it is crafted with the institution’s dancefloor in mind. A bassbin warping, head spinning affair that’s sure to be a critical part of DJs sets throughout spring and beyond into summer. For the EP’s final stanza we have the impressive ‘Phased Dance’. A suitable closer, the track leans slightly more into house than previous offering with flourishes of progressive, balearic all whilst maintaining the chugging fundamentals of the EP, teasing whats to follow with Salas’ planning a new album for the second half of 2024. More

Second RAND Muzik x Echocentric collaboration. Four mesmerizing club tools for total floor control by the mighty Belgian beat smith DC Salas. Highly flammable, handle with care. More

Brussel's beat smith DC SALAS is back on the block - the Robert Johnson block that is! His 3rd release for LIVE AT ROBERT JOHNSON is also his 20th official release so far - so we have two things to celebrate spread over Diego Cortez Salas' powerful four-tracks EP called »Voces«.

Let's start with the title track: »Voces« is a call to alarm right from the beginning with its stabbing synth bass line and sirens. Add a couple of drum breaks and a heavy beat - et voilà: You have the first of four tunes to jump up and down to. Et oui, Salas surely knows how to build tension in a track - even in a voiceless track named »Voces«.

Next up is »The Lights« - and oh boy does Salas turn them on! These are quite trippy lights with a sound that could easily come from a twisted didgeridoo … The beat of »The Lights« is (of course) groovy as f*** - excuse our French. So let's turn on »The Lights«!

B-side opener »Metallic Glow« does just that: The track glows in bright metallic from the first second and features plenty of crazy sounds to do a crazy dance. Did we mention the groove? No? Well … just listen.

For »Safe Pace« Diego pulls out beautiful percussive elements and the 303 thus surfing on a not-so-safe pace to be honest: The last track of »Voces« is as fast and demanding as all the others.

DC Salas again managed to build four really solid stompers here to set any dancefloor on fire - without using any voice or vocal - these are REALLY SERIOUS SOUNDS you all should listen and dance to. NOW. More

Having already impressed via a slew of releases for Correspondant, Live At Robert Johnson and his own Biologic Records, DC Salas tees up an impressive release for Futureboogie. ‘The Weight Of Uncertainty’ EP illustrates the suave sounds that the Brussels born producer has become noted for, and comes backed with a remix from the supremely talented and always on-point I:Cube. In its original mix, ‘The Weight Of Uncertainty’ dips into a smorgasbord of sound, as touches of Belgian New Beat slide on up against balearic disco tropes for a spectacular body & soul workout. The legendary French disco architect and Versatile Records mainstay, I:Cube, floats in on a little fluffy cloud for a terrific ambient dance version, fuelled by the kind of IDM brain scrambling sounds once present in the DNA of producers like Carl Craig, B12, Black Dog and Autechre. On his two other originals, DC Salas gets raw and grungy on ‘Gliding Sound’, its distorted edge adding to the drama composed by the heavy hitting synth lines and the gnarly percussive pattern, whilst ‘They Don’t See It’ introduces some dark acid elements to the chugging rhythm and steely hi-hats anchoring the tracks off-kilter melodies.
credits More

It's hard to believe DC Salas has yet to appear on Pets. A kindred spirit of Catz 'n Dogz, their paths have crossed many times and their sounds have crossed even more. Sharing a similar vision for deep, explorative, exciting and innovative house and techno, a release like this was only a matter of time. Following big releases on Slowciety and Correspondant, Salas eases us into 2021 with four more wide-ranging cuts. 'Le Réveil' rings the alarm and wakes us up. An electrified maze of melodic layers and arpeggios, there's a great sense of mid 90s German house sounds that would eventually spill into the trance diaspora. Majestic, playful and crystal clean. 'Her Smile' takes us even deeper down the rabbit hole as acidic entrails weave in and out of the beats while more cosmic leads layer over the top. Reaching a great melodic crescendo mid-way, it's yet another great storytelling tune. And it's backed by two more late night delights: 'Another Chapter' takes us deeper and darker into the mix with a soaking wet, jelly-like bassline and big pads and chords that are reminiscent of Justin Martin or Ben Watt before 'The Morning Dance' brings us back home. Broken drums, clipped horn leads, a jacking spirit and an acid breakdown you could cook your breakfast eggs on. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening and goodnight. A release like this can be played at any time of day. More

DC Salas’s second EP indeed is a tale of beautiful feelings: After his last year’s debut EP on Live At Robert Johnson called The Complicated Art of Dreaming, this fresh four tracker is a proof to his creative continuity. A1 Did They Listen rhythmic structure banks on a pounding and effective combination of bassdrum, conga and cowbell, joined by a mildly distorted bass line figure, which embeds itself in a panoramic soundscape. A2 Beautiful Feelings introduces a remarkable striking sawtooth sequence, with repeated filtered and resonating variations, alternating throughout the track. On the flipside, B1 Within employs yet another bubbly bassline, keeping the soundscape wide-open to retain enough sonic space for that eerie, yet highly energetic Cosmic Disco touch. B2 Liquid Perception signature is a liquid acid bassline introduced in the second part of the track, perfectly befitting its track title. All tracks of this monolithic EP, thanks to its consistent approach to sound design, could easily be mixed subsequently with each others. DC Salas is thirtysomething year old Diego Cortez Salas, a skilled talent with peruvian origins hailing from Brussels. A regular DJ at C12 and Kiosk Radio both in Brussels, Diego also co-runs Biologic Records with his mate Abstraxion since 2014. More

Live At Robert Johnson deploys a very true to its school release by one of Brussels finest, DC Salas. „The Complicated Art of Dreaming“ tells a four-track tale of joyous and airy nights on the dancefloor. A few euphoric sixteenths and a few quirky acid lines, lush pads and irresistible drums—it’s all about giving you that driving and energetic feeling, with more than one genuine hands in the air floorfiller at your disposal. Things are what you expect of LARJ: Driving high quality tracks with an emotional twist, a nod to the luscious moments on the wooden dancefloor. — DC Salas is thirtysomething year old Diego Cortez Salas, a skilled talent with peruvian origins hailing from Brussels. His four-track EP „The Complicated Art of Dreaming“ delves into classic territories, an eclectic amalgamation of his musical inspirations in 15 years of digging and DJing. A regular DJ at C11 and Kiosk Radio both in Brussels, Diego also co-runs Biologic Records with his mate Abstraxion since 2014. More

Support from Cocoon juggernaut Sven Vath to mobilee's multi-skilling deep tech lass Maya Jane Coles as well as Seth Troxler and Luciano. The youANDme rmx is their best to date. DC Salas 'Positive Shade EP' by Doctor Vinyl records. Pick your favorite!
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Sub-label to the ever-flourishing Semi Delicious and the brainchild of Demi Riquisimo - A Lifetme On The Hips returns for VA number five – the biggest one to date – releasing on 4th October.

Featuring singles from L.P. Rhythm, Mad.Again, and ROKAR, this VA effortlessly bridges the gap between raw, peak-time club hitters and deeper, more introspective cuts—all designed to keep the dance floor grooving.

HIPS005 delivers six gritty, no-nonsense club tracks, making it a dream release for any dedicated raver. With a tracklist that includes both familiar names and emerging talent, this latest VA encapsulates the label's unwavering dedication to pushing the finest in electronic music. More

Demi Riquisimo’s ‘A Lifetime On The Hips’ sub-label returns to make it a hat-trick of releases for2023 with the impressive ‘Body Move' V/A featuring eclectic club cuts from Dreamrdreamr, SY, Papa Nugs, Elfenberg, ABSOLUTE. & YSANNE.

Dreamdreamr’s emotive ‘Zone 4 Booty Call’ kicks off the a-side. A track that effortlessly fuses elements of deep house, trance, and R’n’B, it sets the tone perfectly for an EP not bound by the borders of genre. The title track ‘Body Move’ by SY is up next. A no nonsense house chugger with flourishes of Italian 90’s progressive and acid - a perfect modern interpretation of a foundational strand of club music. The A-side wraps up with one of 2023’s most exciting prospects Papa Nugs and the vocoder infused, percussive, twisted jam 'Loosey Goosey’.

The flip picks up right where the A-side left off with Elfenberg’s ’Solarplexus’, a cosmic, evolving and psychedelic interpretation of house. UK mainstay ABSOLUTE. is up next with ‘Devastating Rhythm’, a peak time techno floor filler that sounds like a Frankenstein mix of seminal imprints Dance Mania & D’jax-Up-Beats’ output - proper gear. Drawing the curtain on the ‘Body Move’ V/A is YSANNE’s ’Tisno Tango’. A slightly more introspective cut but with more than enough groove to make you dance, a perfect closer. More

Holo is an Australian multi-instrumentalist, producer and DJ based in Berlin. Falling in love with music early on, he studied classical instruments until picking up the guitar as a teenager, which features often in his productions today. He was first discovered by YouTube channel Houseum who posted his track ‘Atlas’. Shall Not Fade soon took notice and released his debut EP, featuring ‘In My Dreams’ which became an instant classic. His next two EPs via Noire & Blanche & Houseum Records had similar success. A constant shapeshifter, each of his releases have been markedly different from the last, and his upcoming album on Houseum Records is no exception.

Ever since relocating from Melbourne to Berlin, Holo began to refine his craft as a DJ, playing often in clubs across Europe and in Berlin. Like his productions, his DJ sets are dynamic and colourful; a story set across many times and places.

His debut album is a mixture of old and new tracks, so it contains a diverse set of influences, styles and ideas. It’s this inconsistency, however, that brings the album together. Whether it’s the sudden piano in ‘In Tokyo’, overdriven guitars on ‘Roses’ or percussive video game sounds in ‘Super Nice’, every track has unexpected, contrasting elements that subvert the audience’s expectations and force their attention. The album is as much an expression of his love for music in all its forms as it is a rejection of tropes in electronic music, and it's his best work to date. More

One day early in the global lockdown, Frédéric Blais scribbled four words on a Post-It note and pinned it up in his studio. When he headed to a studio in the mountains north of Montreal to start work on his fifth album as Fred Everything, those words went with him. They would not only provide inspiration during two weeks of isolated music-making, but ultimately provide the subsequent album with its title: Love, Care, Kindness and Hope.

Those sentiments – a positive mantra during a period of personal and collective vulnerability and isolation – resonate throughout the album, a gorgeously warm and beautiful affair that counts as Blais’s most personal, musically expansive, mature and sonically detailed set to date.

While each of the tracks began as a rough sketch laid down during Blais’ retreat, they evolved considerably over the months that followed. Blais reached out to a handful of carefully selected guest vocalists and collaborators, including Stereo MC’s, Robert Owens, Sapele, James Alexander Bright, Wayne Tennant, string arranger Pete Whitfield and multi-instrumentalist Finn Peters. He also lent his voice to several tracks, a first in a career that stretches back to the 1990s.

The results are magical, with Blais not only offering subtle variations on his own trademark deep house sound, but also nods to complimentary music styles and classic electronic albums from the late ‘90s and early 2000s.

Naturally, much focus will fall on the album’s high-profile guests, whose contributions work perfectly with Blais’ cultured dancefloor electronica and soul-soaked broken house grooves. Robert Owens – “the voice of house” himself – expertly delivers lyrics full of compassion and reassurance on recent single ‘Never’, Sapele infuses ‘A Long Time Coming’ with lashings of soulful spirituality, and UK hip-hop/soul legends Stereo MC’s make their presence felt on the subtly Latin-infused dub house excellence of ‘Soul Love’.

Then there’s ‘Breathe’, where UK singer-songwriter James Alexander Bright and backing vocalist Wayne Tennant rise above punchy broken house beats, Blais’ trademark square-wave bass and Pete Whitfield’s swelling strings on ‘Breathe’. By the time kaleidoscopic, sun-down breakbeat brilliance of ‘A Good Day’ arrives to draw proceedings to a close, you’ll be overflowing with Blais’ “love, care, kindness and hope” – just as he intended. More

Rising contemporary electronica musician Holo will be releasing his new In Limbo EP via Houseum’s sub-label Ellipse Records on the 25th of February. The Australian producer burst onto the scene in 2019 after seeing his first track 'Atlas' uploaded on the Houseum YouTube channel and after releasing his debut EP of the same name, with house music heavyweight UK label Shall Not Fade’s sub-label Lost Palms. The EP featured the deep house classic ‘In My Dreams’ that earned over 2 million streams on Houseum channel.

Hugo Horwood (Holo himself) is originally from Canberra and is currently living in Melbourne, Australia. His music draws from unexpected genres, including pop, classic rock, acid and 90s hip hop, to create a sound that is truly his own.

‘Bleu’ is the first introduction into the kaleidoscopic EP that will subvert your expectations from the get-go. With a gradual start, the listener is rewarded for taking the extra time to lean back into the song and explore the multilayered tones of chilled vibes and an inescapable otherworldly realm. The first hint at the artist’s vocal talents, the single leaves the listener begging for more.

‘In Limbo’ is the epitome of holidays: luxurious soundscapes and unhurried production at each turn. Join us as we venture down a long, winding road that hugs the mountains on one side and showcases a vast aquamarine world on the other. Just above, around the bend, you know there’s a house party waiting for you that promises sunsets and good vibes but for now, the road stretches on and there isn’t a rush in the world. Why would there be, when you’ve got Holo on the speakers?

It took a long time to get 'Supersonic' sounding the way Holo wanted it to, particularly dialling in the bass sound he could hear in his head. It reminds him of Fatboy Slim's 'Right Here, Right Now' or Robert D's 'Clubbed to Death' (from that scene in The Matrix with the woman in the red dress) with its swirling bassline and relentless drums. The guitar parts at the end are inspired by the intro to Pink Floyd’s Shine On You Crazy Diamond'.

Holo once had this “Airbnb for music gear” business idea and tried to validate it by buying an original Roland TB-303 to rent out to other producers in Melbourne. He ended up stopping that project but found he was way too in love with the 303 to sell it, and he's glad he didn’t because it's been a constant source of inspiration, and it’s all over this track. He’d been mucking around with an acid line over “In Limbo” and found that the 303 line worked brilliantly with the drums and bassline by themselves, so he immediately saved a new version of the project and didn't look back! More

A1 - Big Baba
A2 - Gulab Jamun
B1 – Blame
B2 – Halloumi

Israeli DJ and collector Elado makes his debut on RNT with a pack of impossibly rare edit heat! A relative newcomer to the scene, Elado made some waves recently with a stunning entry on Eddie C’s Red Motorbike, and he’s clearly no novice when it comes to digging as this exceptional pack of tunes shows.

With rarefied material ranging from Africa, India and the Mideast, Elado works these 4 tunes with a careful editor’s touch, nipping and tucking only where necessary to let the incredible source selections shine through, but rendered eminently DJ-friendly. Already supported by Antal and many others, this 12” is the first essential add of 2021! More

Tal Fussman’s first EP for Rekids, ‘Definition’, kicks off with ‘Freedom Defines House’ - a contemporary reimagining of the classic NY house cut. Big, drummy and complete with a House-focused spoken vocal, the track channels classic Tenaglia and Vasquez sounds, just with added mix-down punch and flair.

On ’The Royal’, Survival Tactics label-boss Fussman runs with the expansive sound design and power percussion that feature across the whole ‘Definition’ EP but delves into Techno-influences with a soaring set of staccato strings and stabs. ‘Pace’ builds on ’The Royal’s Techno references but contrasts the captivating leads with a tunnelling, heads-down vibe created by rhythmic filtered hits. The closing track, ‘Even Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day’, wraps up the Definition’ EP neatly with a light but driving tone punctuated with yet more anthemic string sections.

Having released on Laurent Garnier’s COD3QR, Innvervisions, Drumpoet, and Dyinamic, Tal Fussman has already established himself as an artist to watch, but this memorable love letter to Detroit and debut for Radio Slave’s evergreen Rekids label sees him take things to the next level. More

Italian techno sensation Alignment is back with a fifth EP Close Your Eyes on Charlotte de Witte’s KNTXT label out on Friday 31st March. Close Your Eyes is four tracks of thrilling all-out industrial assault from the Barcelona-based artist. Title track ‘Close Your Eyes’ rips into a slamming turbo-charged beat accompanied by metal textures and warehouse atmospherics. Next up, ‘Deep Space’ is pure evocative melodrama, riding on a wave of ghostly vocals and piercing synth stabs. ‘Dance For Me’ ups the ante with a trance-tinged roller underscored by slamming bass, before ‘Fight For A New World’ closes out the EP with an epic journey to euphoria. “I really thought of the Close Your Eyes EP as a travel in my current dreams and maybe a bit of my nightmares as well.” Alignment explains. “For this EP, I tried to combine the “original” Alignment influences with a touch of the new hard techno sounds.” Charlotte de Witte adds: “Alignment is back, and his 5th release on the label is an absolute killer! I’ve been playing these tracks all over the world for the past couple of months and they don’t disappoint. I’m very excited to finally put them out there and have Alignment on board again!” Italian-born artist Alignment, whose real name is Francesco Pierfelici, has emerged as an unstoppable force in the techno world in recent years. He has had an outstanding array of vital productions - with four previous EPs on Charlotte de Witte’s KNTXT label, including 2022’s acclaimed Attack - and his sound helps carry forward the diversity and musical identity the label stands for. Describing his style as “a journey to the dark corners of one’s inner self”, Alignment’s industrial techno is reminiscent of an endless post-apocalyptic warehouse rave. ‘Close Your Eyes’ is another exhilarating offering from the new school techno giant. An EP you won’t want to miss. More

Tracklist:

Sida A
1. Ojinga’s Own
2. What To Do
3. Stay Away
4. Uncomprehensidensible
Radio-Matic Woman
5. Neighbour Jean
6. G.o.-Go

SIDE B
1. Massacura Man
2. Woman A Dead Ya Fuh Man
3. Ka Duma
4. I’ve Got To Be Somebody
5. No Intention

The 1974 debut album Ojinga’s Own and single Basa Bongo/Black Pepper by Guyanese Afro-Folk band The Yoruba Singers has been remastered for vinyl and digital.

The Yoruba Singers formed in Georgetown, Guyana in 1971. Despite their name they were not from Nigeria, but identified strongly with the area from which so many of the African diaspora in Guyana and neighbouring regions were originally descended.

The group started adapting Guyanese traditional folk music as well as writing their own - blending a mixture of protest, social commentary, blues, and genres inspired by the times. Beginning with about 12 people sharing vocal duties, most of the early repertoire was inspired by folk songs that started life on plantations or in religious settings accompanied by a few sparse musical instruments.

Integral to the Yoruba Singers’ sound are echoes of Obeah traditions which are very closely related to the Santería religion of Cuba and the Orisha and Shango traditions of Trinidad and Tobago. Calypso and steel-band culture from nearby Trinidad and Tobago was to some extent part of the musical DNA of the group, but they were naturally also influenced by the massive volume of rocksteady and roots-reggae coming from Jamaica.

For Fans Of:
Sir Victor Uwaifo, Francis Bebey, Fela Kuti More

2023 Repress!

Out of the clear sky, the vinyl nerds from skylevel deliver two beautifully crafted gems of dance music, keeping the overall vibe of the originals alive without being afraid of deconstructing and rearranging heavily.

The A Side features a concentrated, groove oriented arrangement that slides from part to part smoothly, playing with a certain rock attitude while holding back a few surprises. The flipside, well, obviously lifts things off the ground balancing innocent melodies and sheer funk madness.
Very DJ friendly. More

Repress!
Thrice is nice for Dimitri the Brooklynite-By-Way-Of-Paris, who comes correct with his 3rd 3-packer of disco edit deelite for RNT! Filling up the A-side is KETTLE AMERICA, a cheeky bit of south-of-the border uptempo disco funk. I KNEAD YOU is a stomping and sermonizing version of a cherished classic, completely redone with a chorus of handclaps and gospel piano, and the record finishes with WITHOUT ROB for some re-touched dancefloor doo-wop gold! More