Rotterdam’s Machinegewehr strikes again on Bordello A Parigi! Two club bangers with beautiful artwork from the man himself. More

Ricardo Baez draws on many influences. Electro, house, synth-pop and italo are pillars of the Italian artist’s unique style. The Florence based musician arrives at the Bordello with On and On. Featuring Curses, the opener is a floor-filler. Known for his EBM-stained wave works, this vocal mix is a late night Summer romp. Crisp percussion and warm bass lines usher in addictive hooks and throaty vocals from Luca Venezia. The original version follows. Lyrics are stripped back allowing the upbeat synth play to take the limelight. Cascading notes announce the flip. “Sfida Notturna” is built on delicate drum patterns and arc of string before breaking to a heady dawn. “Dietro L’orizzonte” brings the curtain down. Toms and cinematic synthlines introduce rasping rhythms and vocoder samples. The piece is perfectly measured, fragile keys ascend next cymbal crashes and computer voice. Sumptuous sounds from the north of Italy. More

Repress!

The Jolisa EP marks a significant shift in Luca dell’Orso’s sound. Although the electric hooks and rolling rhythms that characterise the dutchman’s signature style are still present, new avenues are explored. One notable change is the addition of vocals, care of the EP’s namesake: Jolisa. The opening, “Sixteen”, smoulders with a palpable intensity. Steady beats and textured pads support synth stabs as impassioned vocals recant a tale of past lessons. “Reach Out”, on the flip, is a different animal. Big and daring, chords chug next slicing snares while lyrics brim with hope. Two instrumental works balance the four tracker. “Nighttime” is perfectly sculpted with a soulful melody and clean percussion, vocoder lyrics giving a sorrowful slant to track. A true epic closes: “Tomorrow’s Already Here.” Bold keys and racing rhythms collide in this 80s steeped extravaganza, electro-disco and car chases in this incredible end. A defining EP from Luca dell’Orso. More

Panthera returns to Bordello, their identity still shrouded in secrecy. Following on from the four tracks of Synthesizer Hits, this unknown entity is back with a further quarter for Synthesizer Hits Vol. 2. Rich melodies and pulsing percussion characterise the infectious “Demon.” Key shifts and samples linger as textured toms and crisp snares keep the energy high. The tempo lowers for the considered “Stallion.” Bright and hopeful bars ascend before breaking to shimmering dawn. The juddering arpeggios and drum rolls of “Newlook” draw us back to the dancefloor. Melodies glow overhead in this celestial composition. The finale is steeped in the unforgettable tradition of italo. A heartwarming tribute to spaghetti dance, Panthera delivers an addictive rift, sparking synthwork and rhythms that are crisp. A perfect end by an artist who is garnering deserved attention amongst the faithful. More

Following on from Melodic Motion, Martin Matiske returns to Bordello A Parigi with a track that first appeared over a decade ago. Released on his first album on Stilleben, “Dimension Phantasy” has been dusted down and given a new lease of life. This extended version bubbles with the same energy as the original. Steady kicks give way to scaling chords as a racing piece of future gazing brilliance takes hold. Melodies are addictive, yet cold, with a common ground between disco and electro being forged. Sharing the 12” real estate are two good friends, each offering their own remix. Captain Mustache is a musician who can turn his hand to any style. Here the French producer remains true to the Matiske’s version, adding layers of warmth while maintaining the Springtime coolness of beats and harmonies. The flip is given over to Play Paul, a trailblazing figure in electronics. BPMs are reduced as sweetened lines take flight in the “Oh Lord! Remix”. Arpeggiators rumble before bold keys and heartfelt vocals enter in this emotive reinterpretation. The finale strips back lyrics to focus on those succulent synthesizer sounds. A celebration of past, present and future on one very special release. More

Having featured on the Riviera Disco compilation series it’s time that Donald Dust returns to Bordello. This time the Scottish artist is back with a five track EP in the form of Nausea. Bending ideas and styles, the Edinburgh producer serves up a sample strewn, italo-infected grenade. Clean chords and percussion are sullied by hoarse vocals as arpeggiators grind and growl. Drum patterns stagger and stumble in the bleary eyed house-streaked “Sick Your Own Mix” of the original. The listener is never sure where Mr Dust is going to take them with influences and surprises coming in equal measure. “Noise in the Stairwell” is an electro stalker, bolts juttering and jangling in this work of vocoder-scented giallo funk. The styles continue to be melted into new sound forms on the flip with two versions of Jupiter Jack. The “Groove Mix” takes the staccato stabs of new beat and supercharges them with punishing percussion and a good helping of dancefloor devilment. Leading us in to the wee hours of the after, the “Jupiter Mix” leans on the darker tones and rusted up rhythms for a final body jack before the realisation that work starts in eight hours. More

Official reissue of the Belgian synth-pop evergreen ‘Love In Motion’ (1984) by 1000 Ohm. The band kicked-off in 1979 with their successful debut A.G.N.E.S. / Look Around and later on developed their style from New Wave to Italo-Disco influenced Synth-Pop (‘The Claim’) and a decade later even touches of New Beat (‘You’re The One’). ‘Love In Motion’ is a beautiful mixture of 1000 Ohm’s repertoire. The release comes with remastered versions of the original 12" version, instrumental and on top a DJ friendly ‘Vanzetti & Sacco’ edit. More

For twenty years, Dynarec has been pushing the boundaries of electro on some of the best known labels. Little will his listeners know, there is another side to this prolific French producer’s machines. Speakwave is a lesser known, and heard, moniker of this analogue artist and the debut vinyl release of this nom de plume is set for release on Bordello A Parigi. Fans of the Dynarec sound are treated to the same wonderous compositions and melodic structures with something else added. “Cartographic Venture” is a ten minute introduction to this new style. Crisp drum patterns support cold flourishes and stabbing synthlines before distant vocals arrive. The track balances the frostier edges of electronics and wave to create a lonesome and longing synth pop ballad. “Coming On Monday” has a different energy. The pop element of the predecessor remains, lyrics are vocoder dipped while confident key shifts are countered by strong rhythm patterns. The closer, like the 12”, defies definition. Burbling notes and sharp snares give an edge to “Exposition to Revolution”, but there is also a more inviting nurturing side coming through in the spiralling skyward melody. A release that shows another fascinating side of this multifaceted musician. More

Bordello Travels presents the second volume of ‘Buone Vacanze’ with your tour guides Ali Renault, Sen~or Chugger, Back From The Wave & Umatik and CT Kidobo. Comes with San Remo Casino sticker cover. Andiamo! More

A new figure sashays their way into Bordello. In one hand, a bouquet of carnations, in the other a 12” record. Lauer. Philipp Lauer. Known for his incredible productions on labels like Running Back and Permanent Vacation, not to mention his collaborations, the German all around good guy delivers four gems. The title piece radiates warmth, clean drum patterns giving way to beaming synth bars with vocoder lyrics bopping to the bass. Light hi-hats and a wet snare are the fertile ground from which choral key shifts break to squelching acid in this addictively diverse work. The energy levels spike, like a cork spearing its way from a champagne bottle, for the unbridled enthusiasm of “Frizzante”. Piano stabs, pulsating percussion and an infectious groove. The Summer sun may have set, but Lauer is still at the “Playa” with his playful finale. An off-kilter melody ebbs and flows on a string of rhythms, dreamy tongue-in cheek synth play sailing this 12” off to the horizon. More

It’s been nine years since Antoni Maiovvi released Trauma on Bordello A Parigi. Since then, and before, the Bristol born artisan has been honing and refining his audio craft with explorations into electronics, soundtracks and rock. Now, in his latest musical incarnation, Maiovvi returns with Birds of Paradise. This avian themed four tracker is beyond anything you’ve heard from this synthesizer wizard. Complex, deep and layered, the EP is testament to a talent rarely heard. From the sheer elation of “Flycatcher”, which pivots and weaves, the listener is taken away. Throbbing rhythms and astral melodies are unfurled, arpeggios rumble as key scale ever higher in the heady notes of “Widowbird”. A steady kick is the morning song of “Streamertail”, warm computer tones scudding next chords that trill with optimism. Birdsong, a feature of the EP, is ever present in this agile and textured close. Drawing on his predilection for movie scores, “Quetzal” completes this feathered foray. Pulsating, drums offer the updraft for a spread of sounds and shape to takes to the wing. A unique record from an artist soaring to ever greater heights. More

Castelli is the musical moniker of Milan’s Stefano Castelli. His debut album, Anni Venti, combines all the synth history of his native Italy with soulful song writing. Produced by Luca Urbani, the record draws on inspiration from the analogue sounds of pop and wave whilst commenting on our contemporary condition. Rumbling basslines and clean beats are elevated by the glorious chorus lines of the opening “Festa.” The tracks on offer are short and bursting with energy, like the lilting “Cosmonauti” or the addictively upbeat duet of “Wave Goodbye.” A retrospective future dawns in the vocoder and rhythmic pulses of “Cani,” electro echoes of a man machine world. A range of styles are drawn on to create Castelli’s signature sound, his band background merging with synth warmth in “Paradiso Tropicale.” Italy’s famed soundtracks come to the fore in the measured drama of “Quando Guardi I Film.” What permeates the collection is a tender hopefulness, one that culminates in the enthusiasm and electronic exploration of “Nave.” A ten track journey from the heart of Milan. More

In a future that is closer than it may seem, a vessel is sent back to earth, to find out what caused the final demise of human kind. Reporting and recording their findings, Lords of the Future are sending us tunes of sad robots, lonely algorithms and artificial intelligence in moral conflict with itself. More

Ma Spaventi is a wonderfully versatile artist. Over his decade-long career, the Italian musician has turned his capable hand to everything from ambient to techno. Once again, he is expanding his sound palette and challenging expectations with Vicino Lontano.

Across eight tracks, an array of ideas and influences are explored with additional guitar work coming care of Odeon’s Michele Righini. The reflective hues of “Solitario” give way to the warming strings and peaceful brightness of “Crepuscolo.” Written and produced in Amsterdam between 2017 and 2019, beautiful memories of the past are the source of inspiration. Radiating Summer sunshine bathes “Bring Me Back” in a comforting glow, while “Velvet Lights” teases rhythm sections with thick bass lines and shimmering synth work. Moments of introspection arrive in the elegant gliding forms of “Bomber” and “Intermezzo.” The rumbling “End Line” finds harmony amongst a spread of styles, cascading chords and rich textures, all combining beautifully. A moon rise closes, the grand curtain falls on “Bidderosa”, calling time of this stunning collection. More