DJ Support: Chris Stussy, Luuk van Dijk

Oh yes, Kepler in the house!
I’ve been a huge fan for years and when he sent me some unsigned tunes I knew I had to sign these.
Three slamming house cuts + an epic remix by no other than S.A.M. that makes you drive 50mph over speed limits. More

After Kepler’s RM12016 release on R.A.N.D. Muzik, we welcome him to the sublabel for 4 tracks of club ready progressive and tech house. More

The ever reliable Constant Sound is back this week, with Burnski's imprint serving up a full LP release by the ascendant Leeds DJ/producer Matthew Farrow aka Kepler. A solid selection of retro techno cuts are featured on Freedom Mills, and all for maximum dance floor impact. From the bleep techno euphoria of 'Fold', or the classic '90s house motifs of "Contact" to the dusty rolling beats of 'Professor Pace' and the sunset breaks of "Era" - they are all sure to bang the party. Tip! More

R.A.N.D. Muzik Recordings welcomes Kepler to the label with 4 modern takes on the classic 90s UK tech house sound. More

HOARD012 from Kepler. 4 bombs that will destroy the dancefloor More

Hot off the back of a hugely successful PT09 release, Pathway Traxx turns to good friend and rising minimal star Kepler. With a little help from Manhiem's hottest property Fabe and label boss Niko Maxen, this release covers all bases when it comes to smooth grooves and dance floor bombs More

Rapid-fire with the releases like it’s effortless, minimal donny Velvet Velour steps up with his latest 4-tracker. Strong tech house currents in a similar vein to Kepler’s recent ‘Lowlife’ EP, but with extra zonk - it’s a head turning label debut.

The growing catalogue of releases belies a relatively short time spent producing. That said, he’s already a key proponent of the sound’s contemporary vanguard and XK035 might be the most vital effort to date. More

Repress!

In dialogue with both past and future, Slapfunk protégé Julian Anthony drops his debut solo EP and touches down with a 4-track invocation of classic 90s house templates.

Tripped out sensibility meets sci-fi tendency as ‘Full Moon Fever’ and ‘Open Minded’ deliver full-bodied exercises in total dance floor immersion. Fractal fuel for the vision quest, they’re sophisticated like the finest dream house while channelling the buoyant, jacking heft of timeless Chi-town material.

Wide eyed but tuff, ‘Stormy Tuesday’ rolls in with more of the groove-forward drive that typifies Anthony’s best work. It’s just the kind of immaculate gear we've come to expect from the Dutchman, and evoking golden era Dream 2 Science, ‘Virtual Reality’ ploughs the same furrow of propulsive, ‘90s-indebted house. Deep space projections radiating togetherness and warmth from the start. More

Qnete’s back in the building for a third X-Kalay release and it’s an anticipated return for the prominent purveyor of prog. Four diverse but coherently related tracks with pit stops in deep house and electro territory.

We open proceedings with a dose of the lysergic sound that has become his trademark since debuting on the label in 2021. Evoking ritual and ceremony, ‘Going Short‘ commences with choral pads that beckon to the altar. A slo-mo exercise in dancefloor hypnosis with trace echoes of bleep.

Where ‘Wrapped’ takes a turn toward mellow, ‘Stepperals’, like its A1 counterpart, recalibrates trance tropes into something more chugging and restrained. Another example of Qnete smudging his third eye on a tunnelling, wormhole flex.

And finally, the Leipzig native signs off with a nod to the American Midwest. Opening cerebral gates in a way that recalls classic Detroit In Effect, closing track ‘Circuit Friends’ taps into the futurist utopia imagined by Detroit electro’s pioneers. More

Familiar Strangers founder Remotif heralds the 30th release, complete with a digital-only remix from Youandewan.

The first half finds the Bristol mainstay at his deadliest. Harnessing pure proggy momentum, peak-time scorcher ‘In the Blink of a Cosmic’ comes hurtling out the tracks. ‘It’s Inside U’ then keeps pace with more of that driving, fractal pressure. Tunnelling wormhole torque straight out the nether-realm.

Comparatively restrained but no-less mind-altering, the B-side embarks on a full-blown vision quest. Where breaks-fuelled cut ‘For Love or Money’ nods to early ‘90s bleep, ‘In The Mo¨bius Strip Club’ ushers into a chugging, ritual-ready space. Proper third-eye dilating stuff. More

Repress!

Maara makes seductively uninhibited, proggy dance music. In fact, she’s quickly becoming one of its foremost exponents. Barely pausing for breath between releases, ‘Spiral 2 the Other Side’ finds the Montreal artist summoning divine feminine frequencies with a hypnotic, ritual-ready 4-tracker.

Some Maara productions are shot through with an almost radiant optimism, but here, darkroom throb prevails. Big on the gated vocals, ‘Spiral 2 the Other Side’ achieves cybernetic sensuality through trippy,

moire´-d electro, while ‘Take the Wheel Miss Sweetie’, with its driving, fathoms-deep approach, provides a direct take on the blueprint.

The Canadian assumes the role of high priestess on the flip. ‘Forget the world’ is a ritual incantation for bridging seen and unseen worlds; prog house magick with shades of ‘90s trance utopia. Rounding things off with a tunnelling electro tripper, ‘Doom Quest’ references the vortex-dwelling atmospherics of early tribal modes to mind-altering effect. More

Next up on X-Kalay it’s fresh heat from one of the finest among a current generation of prog-inclined producers. Guy Contact’s ‘Out of My Head (Into My Body)’ speaks to a sublime, utopian conception of dancefloor utility; dance music primed to achieve ascension through collective physical experience.

Navigating mystic, offbeat zones, Contact sets out his stall from the start. ‘Out of My Head (Into My Body)’ is as pristine as it is expansive, inducing trance states as trippy flourishes oscillate over driving rhythm in impeccable lysergic style. Then, with another dose of melt-on-the-mind groove, a radiant bliss-out arrives in the beautifully buoyant flex of ‘Sacred Mist’.

Taking its name from a part of the brain associated with emotional processes, ‘Amygdala Tongue Wobble’ propels into fractal introspection with dense, insistent pulse. Finally, ‘Optimystic’ finds Contact channelling new age spirits as he assumes the role of innerzone healer - wide-eyed downtempo to close things out. More

The first X-Kalay release of 2022 finds Melbourne’s Escape Artist traversing wormholes, complete with an assist from the ever-prolific Roza Terenzi.

Picking up where a 2019 Salt Mines debut left off, ‘Wanna Dance’ allows proggy tendencies to flourish across some mind-altering electro. Portals to higher planes of consciousness and uncharted star systems fling open as widescreen, celestial pads make way for lysergic climax.

Ramping up the intensity with her ‘Bassbin Mix’, Roza Terenzi jumps on remix duties; another electro workout, but this time more urgent, more propulsive. Bringing the tribal-breakbeat pressure in spades, it’s quintessential Terenzi.

More prog, but leaning further towards cosmic techno percolation, ‘Levitator’ finds mazy arpeggios in seemingly infinite ascent. ‘Time Knife’, on the other hand, is a radiant, beatless highlight. Deploying cascading synth arps to truly mesmeric effect, it sees the Antipodean achieve sublime tension in a rare moment of introspection. More

Lewis “LT” Taylor returns to X-Kalay and follows up 2019’s “Staminize” with his latest effort, “Disc Trail” - two tracks of blistering proggy techno and hazy breaks backed with a remix from fellow label artist No Moon.

Spanning the full A side and cut to a crisp 45, “Disc Trail” is an epic 9 minute peak time destroyer. A huge proggy roller complete with trance inducing breakdown, it goes for days and absolutely slaps at 140 BPM.
On the flip, Grain sees Taylor in familiar territory; lush enveloping pads cascade over a finely crafted breakbeat and pulsating sub - the adeptly syncopated percussion perfectly showcasing his first love and talent as a trained drummer.

Topping things off No Moon is on remix duty, reworking Grain into a chugged out 4x4 with some expansive arrangement and jacked up bass >:) More

XK025 sees a fresh label debut in the form of Cloudsteppers - a collaboration between Toronto based artists Ciel and Dan Only. Born out of an impromptu jam session at Dan Only's NDG 208 Studio in late 2019, the pair quickly hit it off. Ciel brought her trusty Korg ESX-1 sampler, and alongside Dan Only's arsenal of vintage synths and samplers, they quickly wrote the first two cuts of what would eventually turn into the first Cloudsteppers EP. After getting great feedback from playing them on tour and sharing with friends, the pair wrote the last two cuts when lockdown restrictions loosened during the summer of 2020.

Both artists are instinctively melodically-inclined producers, so for this release they tried to focus more of their attention on the drums and fx, while limiting the amount of melodic parts in each track. Working within those parameters resulted in what is now their debut EP.

Title track, “The Limit”, is a huge undulating cut of 160bpm energy - it shimmies effortlessly between skittish jungle, breakbeat and techno rhythms, centred around a tripped out sample of Manchester’s finest physicist, Brian Cox. “Slinky Bork” brings a distinctly UK Tech House flavour reminiscent of Housey Doingz, Get Fucked and others of the Wiggle/Euka House era - underpinned by a solid 4x4, subtle rhythms and spacey atmospherics abound.

On the flip, “Diva Loops”goes in hard with a pounding kick, warbling bass and some massive clattering drums before breaking out into a playful melodic refrain. Closing things out, “Trigger Happy” is another functional 4x4 club cut full of skippy tech styles and punchy rhythms. A dreamy melody floats along into a tension building crescendo, complete with massive reese-ish bassline. Big! More

Rising Australian DJ and producer Andy Garvey debuts on X-Kalay showcasing her take on deep and breaksy electro. More

Another X-Kalay OG returns to the label this summer and we couldn’t be happier :) It’s not a huge overstatement to say that Lucas’ first record on X-Kalay, “Ataraxia”, was somewhat of a milestone in the development of both artist and label, and it has been a huge pleasure to see him go from strength to strength since its release just over two years ago. These days it’s fair to say that Lucas is one of the most exciting young artists in the game - with a finely crafted knack for electro, and the 303 in particular, pretty much second to none. We’re super proud to welcome him back with his next effort -“Lifeforms”.

The emotive opener is “Amongst us in Harmony” - steadily building through deep pads and bouncing arps, the now trademark Lou Karsh acid bassline ever present. Coming in over 8 minutes, it’s a truly galactic track. “Internally Vexed”is a more stripped back affair. The breaksy groove is underpinned by the snappiest of snares and shrouded in celestial pads, the masterful use of the 303 demonstrating one of the sharpest and slickest basslines you’re likely to hear this year >:0

On the flip, “Alien With a Subwoofer (Skyline Mix)” is pacey club material built around deep wobs, a seriously wiggly 303, and carefully constructed pads building subtle tension. The sound of aliens redlining straight through your hood. Rounding things off, title track “Lifeforms” is beautifully crafted deep electronica; full of emotion and lush pads, otherworldly atmospherics and yearning synths.

This is a special record, and some of Lucas’ best work without a doubt. Don’t sleep!
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It’s been long overdue but finally No Moon is back on X-Kalay and we are HYPED. A lot has changed in the three years since his debut on the label but Fred’s ability to turn in forward thinking and original electro definitely has not. This latest effort is the work of an exciting producer on the rise.

Opening the A side “CPU Limit 99” is full of jungley skittish breaks, acid bass and off kilter rhythms. By the time we hear the voice of Agent Smith creeping out in the first break we could be forgiven for casting our minds back to Metalheadz circa 2002. Next up, “Aoe_Rushin” is the pick of the bunch for us and continues The Matrix theme, albeit less explicitly, via a full on bonkers trip of searing acid, razor sharp drums and smashed up vocals.

On the flip Adam Pits switches up “Aoe_Rushin” into a pacey 4x4 club joint utilising some expansive arrangement and lovely speed garage-esque bass. Closing things out, title track “Set Phasers to Stun” winds things back and rounds up with a deep and meditative cut of melodic electro. More

Second repress of CoastDream’s debut X-Kalay release and now cult record, Soft Moon. With the title track now racking up 1.2m views on youtube (and counting), and both the original and first repress priced at £40 on discogs, we expect this fresh pressing to sell as fast as the first two. More

Kask returns to X-Kalay with an EP of deep and raw house. Features a remix from Rudolf C and plenty of nostalgia.

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Strut presents an exclusive release for Record Store Day, an 11-minute previously unreleased version of folk-soul gem ‘Fishman’ from 1972 by legendary Caribbean funk band The Beginning Of The End.

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3 classic and rare chicago cuts plus another recent, searched after house anthem. More

After 8 years Georgian pioneer George Dzodzuashvili is back as Post Industrial Boys with a new album. It's his most personal record to date and opens up its own world: a world full of memories of a bygone time and observations so precise you almost feel like you are living and capturing them yourself with a Super8 camera. More

Today Chicago-based percussionist, composer and producer Makaya McCraven announces the details of his new album In These Times, which is set for release on September 23rd via International Anthem / Nonesuch / XL Recordings. The first offering from the new album is a song tiled "Seventh String," which encapsulates the various musical dimensions present on McCraven's new album, a career-defining body of work that is a remarkable new peak for the already-soaring McCraven. In These Times is a collection of polytemporal compositions inspired as much by broader cultural struggles as McCraven's personal experience as a product of a multinational, working class musician community. It's the recording that he's been trying to create for 7+ years, as it's been consistently in process in the background while he's put forth a prolific run of releases including: In The Moment (2015), Highly Rare (2017), Where We Come From (2018), Universal Beings (2018), We're New Again (2020), Universal Beings E&F Sides (2020), and Deciphering the Message (2021). With contributions from over a dozen musicians and creative partners from his tight-knit circle of collaborators - including Jeff Parker, Junius Paul, Brandee Younger, Joel Ross, and Marquis Hill - the music was recorded in five different studios and four live performance spaces while McCraven engaged in extensive post-production work at home. Featuring orchestral, large ensemble arrangements interwoven with the signature "organic beat music" sound that's become his signature, the album is an evolution and a milestone for McCraven, the producer. But moreover, it's the strongest and clearest statement we've yet to hear from McCraven, the composer. Profiled in the New York Times, Vice, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, the Guardian, and NPR, among other publications, Makaya and the music he makes today is what Passion of Weiss explains, "is part of a necessary conversation about the next evolution of the Black improvised music known colloquially as 'jazz.' He's found the threads connecting the past with the present, and is either wrapping them with new colors and textures, or he's plucking them gleefully like the strings of a grand instrument." McCraven, who has been aptly called a "cultural synthesizer" and "beat scientist," has a unique gift for collapsing space, destroying borders and blending past, present, and future into poly-textural arrangements of post-genre, jazz-rooted 21st century folk music. In These Times encompasses his artistic ethos, his experiences, identity and lineage, while pushing his music to new heights. More

Madrid-based beatmaker Big City Lover presents a 13-track album filled with lo-fi flavored beats and influences ranging from classic house to 90's hip-hop. A collection of beats and tracks recorded on tape between 2020 and 2023 using an MPC, vintage synthesizers, and fx pedals.

Mastered by Damian Schwartz at Lyrebird Audio. More

There are certain occasions when you can truly feel the stars align. One of these is when the interstellar voyager of cosmic soul Jimi Tenor finally lands his spaceship at full force on a Timmion recording. In 2024, he will be serving us two spaced out album sessions recorded together with Cold Diamond & Mink. Jimi is no stranger in these space ways as he has operated behind the Timmion scenes for years, furnishing several of the label's artists with his flute and reeds artistry. The first album out is titled "Is There Love In Outer Space?", which begs the question with the force of five extended tracks that are guaranteed to blow your mind to the stratosphere. The pieces are loaded with whooshing and glistening synth noises and span from lofi space funk to cinematic soundscapes. The sweetly floating title track is like some of those galactic ballads that rare soul collectors are spending their pensions on. At the other side of the spectrum, album closer `What Are You Doing?' sounds like Sun Ra sat down at a JBs session, and is straight up meant to get that booty moving. Combined with the raw soul prowess of CD&M, Jimi is able to refine new shades from his already impressive repertoire of talent. Even if you are a friend of his previous work you might not have heard him get down quite like this.

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