Step Ball Chain recruits the French maestro Batenko for a club cut EP, a kiss from the underground laden with tweaked tools exhibiting an already imitable signature sound. The inconspicuous producer based in Marseille reveals a four track feast dipping into corners of forward thinking techno, bass and unexpected dance delight, centered in flirty, freaky mastery. Gamma-Ray Bursts delivers delicious locked grooves for late night deviants; obscure vocal fragments fidget over driving basslines, momentary euphoria and a feverish pulsation that is core to the label. More

Step Ball Chain’s unconventional prototype band trickpony is the 11th release on the ever evolving imprint. An assortment of sensual cyber jams collaged together by the trio over timezones, birthed in Perth, Australia by Mike Midnight and Roza Terenzi; old friends joined by Helsinki’s visionary songstress Maria Korkeila. A trinity of alchemy blossomed into an audio rendition of exquisite corpse, layers of each entity glistening through amongst a united cosmos; trip hop atmospherics and downtempo drippings. The five track EP reveals a metamorphosis of nostalgia, a foot in the ever present and daydreams of future. A subconscious deep dive into lustful pop, guided by spine tingling vocal fantasies; textural hallucination, harmonic odes to the golden era underground and a flirtation with drum and bass, tribal percussive freakouts and dream tinged lyrics of desire. Pillow talk is a timeless exhibit of esoteric treasures, a portal to a private world of modern enchantment that reveals itself in new ways each listen, music for lovers created by a supergroup of innovators to be digested, shared and cherished. More

Busting into the Step Ball Chain domain is Naarm prodigy Mabel, who has already been making tectonic waves amongst the underbelly of clubland. Her signature psychedelic bratty-bass can be heard infiltrating doofs, raves and parties at feverish rates as everyone wants a taste of her slick, salacious sonics; Pleasure Phonetix generously offers five cuts for every spectrum of dance freak. Spanning tweaked out techno, stripped back electro flirtations and driving sophisticated psy-prog, Mabel never forgets to sprinkle a little vocal heat when it’s due - brace yourself for a rambunctious release. More

Your favourite lez-loonatics Roza & D. Tiff are back at it with the Tapestry Of Sound; Reloaded - revamped and ready to rock your local dancefloor. With 3 freaky sleek OG cuts from the dynamic duo and a deliciously danceable remix from the progressive prince Olsvanger, you’d be a stupid boy to miss out on this one. Expect all the classique Step Ball Chain-isms & more, tongue & cheek techno, percussive paradise and bass heavy bombs, with a few naughty noughties references for the True HeadsTM.

Don’t take yourself so seriously darling, it’s just dance music! In the words of Kelly... Let’s Pa More

Montreal’s sapphic mixxtress, the elusive mogul Maara, unveils her debut full length LP via Step Ball Chain. A pairing written in the stars, with twelve dynamically diverse and emotive soundscapes of downtempo bliss, spine-chilling drum and bass and elevated electronica - timeless anthems for sonic indulgence and reflection. Take a deep dive into the sensually charged inner workings of the already prolific producer’s mind.

An effervescent atmosphere envelopes it’s way through the records entirety, whether it be gloriously lush pads, melancholic words and whispers from her own lips or subterrantian bass. Maara’s world of sound showcases the wild spectrum of emotion, the empathetic passion of joy in Awaken, Plum Plum and Sapphic Rehabilitation Centre alongside the darkness of Insidious Force or Rough ‘N’ Ready. But like most things, the purest beauty can be found within the grey areas, where majority of this records lies. A powerful ebb and flow between cloudy twilight and it’s recurring silver lining, Nothing Sacred wraps you around it’s finger whilst Erotics Of Betrayal pulls you in unexpected directions sure to conjure feelings you didn’t know existed.

A masterfully united album from start to finish, each listen unveils endless intricacy, delicately and deliciously revealing the potent DNA of Maara. More

The bermuda triangle of Berlin; a meeting of medicinal minds for the inaugural splitstep. Byron Yeates, Roza Terenzi & D, Tiffany come Tag-teaming and steaming with licks of flirty tech, hard house, pumping prog and sleek, freaky techno bouncing off the walls. A true melting pot of deeply burrowed memories of dance, the trio collaborate in various ways to propel a new age wave of dance music; a delicious mix of rough, tough and playfully feminine which embodies Step Ball Chain.
Cheers queers!

Gushing all over the A Side with a funk force of tech house, Roza Terenzi sticks her heels in and locks down The GrooveTM like no other, reduced tempo for the calm before the storm. Warming up the original just in time for the Byron Yeates remix; providing a stripped back, sped up, jacking rendition of Gush served hot and heavy. Bouncing into the B side, Byron causes the heat to rise to the top, Cauldron of Chaos simmering and ready to blow, use with caution. Rounding out this seriously hot record is Roza & D. Tiff with a tech leaning team up, Prude Pride hitting all the right spots for a manifested meltdown.

4 Club certified hitz, guaranteed to make you sweat. Don’t you dare sleep! More

Benoit B aka Terra Utopia breaks out into another auspicious alias for Step Ball Chain, Blu:sh - metamorphosed; coming in hot and heavy, sexy and sophisticated. Bass down, *ss up! The ambitious 6 tracker “Lovebite” fuses forms of dance; reworking elements from niche corners of the Step stratosphere that can result in freaky combustion. Breathing life and lust into every phrase, we are fortunate to be offered an intimate glimpse into a complex world of sound, filled with bold and brash inspired statements, rhythmically rolling the dice with snap lock precision. The cherry on top is served via a vocal collusion from fellow associate noff, the web expanding as the label delves deeper into futuristic tech territory, the prolific producer pushing their own boundaries and desires for new meticulous audio spectrum and ethereal realms.

The trio of flirtatious tracks laid bare on the A side read as a love letter to 4/4 naughty nocturnal testimonies. Opening auspiciously; Tighten Up dips into nasty grit, a sub centered excursion into the technological domain, sleazy and stripped back with modest tenacity. Candy Land sugarcoats the status quo of pumped up prog, playfully in the driver's seat and revving 100 miles per hour toward Hush highway; narrated by Greek cyber enigma noff.. An atmospheric deep trance kissed club chant. Opposites attract and find points of connection on the flip of Lovebite, the B side boasting a mutually slick sharpness permeating the record; blending sparse bass focused broken beat expeditions with liquid dnb; genially abstract mood boards of sampling mayhem; cut and spliced in addictive fashion. Flushes of gorgeous esoteric harmonic soundscapes fill out the rhythmical chaos, grounding and expanding the mind through a lush & plush tint woven in Recess and Heaven Spot alike.

A perfect prophecy destined for Step Ball Chain, Blu:sh’s first, yet expertly curated EP sets the bar high as hell. Divine dance music that can’t help but push boundaries; confronting and challenging our archival references and perceptions of genres and classifications, arguably the best kind of auditory statement. More

A subconscious inhale of precious tranquillity, Step No.4 hosts a rare and sentimental collaboration between Roza Terenzi and Australian virtuosic enigma jd. An intrinsic connection of friendship, understanding and mutual exchange of instinctive musical roots in the form of EP Third Nature. Divided by different continents, live recordings from a studio in Melbourne have been sent via cyberspace and sculpted into four genre expansive explorations, from new-age junkyard to devious dnb.

Textural research is extensively carried out through the records A side; polyrhythms galore as hand drums collide with shimmered shakers; forming tripped out tessellations. A leftfield nod to Madonna drools below the opening track, an anchor for mind-wandering timbre and chordal bliss, glorious saxophone trickles throughout an uplifting swell of suspended melodics. Constant evolution as things progress to a downtempo subterranean soundscape, A2 dropping deeper into pulsating bass, ricochets of drum cuts flickering in and out to haze out rhythmic stagnation yet maintain a complex flow. In contrast, the B side speeds soar, firstly a dreamy, steamy progressive peak timer; playful in nature yet packing a punch. The closer showcasing a sexy sinister side, dark drum and bass where pitched gongs hover and drip, rough and ready bass growls and breaks are sliced and diced with Michelin quality.

This highly anticipated pairing proves a contemporary form of analog/electric hybrid collaboration; an endless portal into groundbreakingly tweaked visions and the mergings of minds. More

Step Ball Chain continues to shake the system and flip the skritch with its third offering via MYKI’s follow up solo release “Delenya”. The undeniably intriguing Tel-Avivian Producer & DJ, also part of the Tofistock label family and member of Shen band, shares a consensual glimpse into his fevered brain over the course of a spellbinding week. Progressively exposing sensations rooted in paranoia and isolation of recent dystopian life, the EP is sonically metamorphosed into conscious expanding club explorations, percussively advanced and masterfly frenzied dance tools for the globe's memorable dance floors. With an additional likeminded remix from label-head Roza Terenzi, the 4 tracks embody a staunch riot signalling the optimistic restoration of movement and ferocity, highlighting the crucial role and release these sentiments provide. More

Visual Art and Music have historically shared an important, entwined relationship; often posing questions of which provoked which in a project? What about when the imagery is a medieval surrealist, hyper coloured XTC wonderland? Genre-blurred and stirred, daring and dynamic dance music for the twistedly imaginative minds and bodies! The Tapestry of Sound is an audio tribute to the liquid lockdown Tapestry of 2020, a wall-size mixed media art piece originally intended for a live-stream backdrop; despite not being completed in time, it became the epicentre of communal creative junction & release - no limits or logical sense. The result, a sonic terrarium cultivated by longtime partners in crime D. Tiffany and Roza Terenzi; with the help of friends, weaving their sapphic magic into something wicked and new for STEP02, Tapestry of Sound.

A maypole is a tall wooden pole often erected as part of late 19th century European Midsummer folk festivals, around which a dance often takes place; coinciding with Summer Solstice, or in Corona-era... Scrollstice. The A-side presents two contrasting offerings of the Maypole Theme, opening with the Surrealist Piano Roll Mix; an effortless euphoria gliding and twirling amidst a rolling 2-step garage routine, playfully anticipating melodic ecstasy via black and white keys. A complementary contrast offered by the Looming Giant Mix; sleek and deep. A hot-femme fiasco, driving and deviating between 4/4 and a freaky broken plot-twist; evoking imagery of the night, skipping fiercely round the pole; which was often considered a symbol of the union between masculine and feminine energy.

Wasp Of A Woman initiates the B side blowout, stripped back and sensual, but don’t be fooled; this is a straight-up b0mb. Low end throbbing underneath ferociously swung drums, topped by microphone assassin Kaylin with the fire lyrical content, a true upcycle of genres to set the mood for a flammable dancefloor. Cooling off, only slightly for a cigarette break, is Inhale, Exhale the final track from the EP. The tempo finally settling down but bumping up the groove with thumping toms guiding a playful party-starter, rhythmic and melodically inspired; infectiously cheeky with subliminal naughty memos teasing their way in through the backdoor.

Let your mind run wild with this effortless collaboration, two minds sharing the same obscurely forward-thinking visionary, the Tapestry Of Sound; a Meta Musical Time Capsule. More

Repress!
Tracklist:

A1 - Roza Terenzi - Cosmology
A2 - Roza Terenzi - Stylish Tantrum
B1 - Roza Terenzi & D. Tiffany - Chosen Family Feud
B2 - Roza Terenzi - Illusions
B3 - Roza Terenzi & Saoirse - Sxc Saloon


Sales Notes:
Popping The Cherry of 2020’s latest modern-contemporary record label; Step Ball Chain, is Roza Terenzi with “Stylish Tantrum”. Suggestive title to set the tone; the 5 track EP insisting sharp, sassy, high-tempered bombs with full bodied bounce. Unexpected tempo and timing variations, flared-up bpms, half time drum cuts and slicked modular flourishes, Terenzi’s signature cheek ramps up to an extra twisted club climate, atmospheric and evocative in texture as always. Featuring collaborations with D. Tiffany and Saoirse, the release covers extended dancefloor territory, assertive anthems delivering femme finesse, choreographed to perfection.

The A side fires up with an exuberant 4-by-4-2-the-floor routine, Cosmology. Vocal cuts from the queen Fiorella, billowing bells and dramatic synthetic sweeps to form fluidity over the tight bouncy low end. Whilst flirtatious melodic notions come and go, zip-lock percussion and commanding drumwork hold it down; squeaky steeze not-so-politely letting you know what’s to come. Deceivingly dubwise introductions soon furiously interrupted with Stylish Tantrum. Ricochet rhythms and bone breaking clap backs echo around your head, electrifying percussive fills and vocal spills snatching your attention before the everything glues together vicious harmony, baseline pulsating underneath a whiplash drum display - one for the dangerous deejays.

Chosen Family Feud opens the B side, a collab with seasoned associate D. Tiffany, showing off a bossy stomping brigade. Mumbling voices, waspy sirens and spooked out synth lines haunt the beginnings of the track, stripping back to a bassline breakdown before wailing vocals and clattered percussion take over, cymbals bursting. B2 is a moment to reflect, Illusions brings the energy down, low slung metallic backbeats thrown over encompassing, effortless pads and soaring resonance. The downtempo atmosphere crept up on by a double time d’n’b re-jig, softly gliding in over the growling sub, chopped breaks reflecting and falling. Closing out the record is another joint effort, recorded in Melbourne with Saoirse; Sxc saloon dashing back to the dancefloor, hot and deep. Throbbing bass married with slick galloping drums, sensuous fleeting whispers looping to draw you into hypnosis before a climactic tempo plummet intended to turn heads. STEP01 is kicking its heels up, stomping, strutting and trailblazing for what’s to come.olog More

Official reissue from the catalog of legendary UMM Records. Sub Authority Records is back with a true anthem of all House music lovers: ""Desafinado"" from Rhythm 3 Request. This project draws on their unwavering knowledge of dancefloor culture and the quality of individual sounds. An ode to the legendary imprint of old school and house music, that builds infectious arrangements with ease before falling into an irresistible four-on-the-floor club sensation.


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‘Threads’ was my 1st album as Om Unit and this 10-year re-mastered anniversary edition comes around at what feels like a similar time for me of experimentation and finding new ways to connect sounds. Something of a full circle of sorts but then again I am marking time with this re-issue at a time where I can look back and feel very proud of the work still sounding so convincing. Now even better thanks to Subvert Central’s Robert Macchiochi!

Reflecting on the past 10 years since this record came out, I can say it’s been an incredibly fruitful journey, with the most striking element of it all being the opportunity to travel and meet so many people from so many different backgrounds with different world views and stories. I found that ‘Threads’ for many was their first insight into my music, and for some people was something of a milestone in their journey of exploring music itself with tracks like ‘The silence’ and ‘Governor’s Bay’ having been mentioned over the years as amongst favourites alongside some of the work released on Cosmic Bridge and Civil

I want to take a moment to give my Love and gratitude to all the featured vocalists. Thanks to Simon Jinadu for his angelic voice on ‘The Silence’, to Charlie Dark MBE for his reflective words on ‘The Road’ and to Alex ‘Bogues’ Rendall aka MC Jabu (of Jabu) for his intense delivery on ‘Patients’ as well as Jneiro Jarel for his self-reflective narration on “just sayin’” All 4 are still outliers in their own field and upstanding creative forces to boot. I feel blessed to have been able to capture them on this project.

Threads was made in a bedroom of 2a Station Rise in Tulse Hill, a flat I shared with journalist and writer Laurent Fintoni, in a space that had such a great sound to it that I’ll always miss that room. I hope that you feel the warmth that I felt then whilst making it. It’s been an adventure since and whilst I’ve moved on from a lot of the tropes intrinsic to the album, it will always remain a body of work that is dear to my heart.


Enjoy!
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Building on their shared exploration of forward-leaning UK club sounds, EM + STAV herald the arrival of their new label JoyLift with the Endless EP. Having entrenched themselves within the free-spirited landscape of Bristol’s music community, the pair home in on a focused sound which draws on the city’s storied bass mutations as a springboard for their own take on modernist dance music.

There’s a tough, brooding quality to Endless EP which speaks to the meditative pressure of soundsystem immersion, but equally EM + STAV build out evocative, shifting narratives within that club-ready framework. From dubwise processing to deft sound design, a broad church of processes are wielded to shape out these pieces, and physicality comes in many forms whether in weightless sub lines or pointed, angular drum programming. Given their long-standing connection to developments within the underground music scene, there’s a keen instinct for the dynamic shifts which can set a dance alight, while the ill- defined shape of the wider genre-not-genre allows plenty of space for movement and experimentation.

Alongside the three original productions from EM + STAV, kindred spirit Forest Drive West steps up for a remix of ‘Odd' which aligns with the aesthetic intentions of JoyLift while demonstrating the idiosyncratic qualities associated with the scene’s most vital artists. The cohesive feel of Endless EP extends to Luke Griffin’s artwork, in which natural source material undergoes heavy processing to wind up in a striking new form, shot through with colour but ultimately shrouded in a moodiness that harks back through the lineage of hardcore-rooted UK dance music.

By its very nature the future is unwritten for JoyLift, but EM + STAV’s new project commits itself to an ever-evolving palette of sound, rendered as music with a strong sense of identity - tracks to shake the dance without resorting to obvious tropes, responding to and feeding into the inspiring tides of ideas emanating from the environment around them. More