Repress!

Rave ready techno. More

Lisbon is undergoing a lot of changes but its substance can't be stopped. Record label Para?so reminds us of that with its 12th release by label co-founder Shcuro who strips things back to assert what truly remains however much time may pass. 'It Lasts Forever' is the producer's ode to structural things in his inner life that will keep flowing on unchanged, be it the love for his wife; his reverence to techno - hence the use of classic drum machines like Roland's 909, 808 and 707; to friendship and community - having one of his dearest mates Steffi take part via the remixer chair. Dubbed-out, expertly sound-sculpted stabs punctuate 'Together' alongside a 808 boom bass, vocal cut-ups creating a versatile, instant classic vibration to open the EP. 'U.N.I.' takes us on a stroll to jacking rhythms in its fast-paced, tom-heavy fusion of rawer techno traditions and dub techno realness. 'We Are Eternal' delves deeper into sonic themes of bliss, gratefulness and hope, taking us on an emotional journey that feels smooth and intense at once. Utter legend of all things dance music Steffi picks up the opening track and adds propulsive percussion and further melodic elements to it, creating the perfect gem to close this record. More

Discos Perdidos - which translates as Lost Records - is a new series started by Lisbon label Paraiso, dedicated entirely to releasing archival music that, for a reason or another, never saw the light of day. The first outing on this adventure into the unknown is by none other than the legendary portugal-born, london-based techno instigator The Advent aka Cisco Ferreira. The three tracks on this EP were written in 1998 and were meant to be released on a label that another Portuguese techno legend - Jiggy - meant to start running, but other projects got in the way. Fast forward to early 2023, Jiggy showed the Paraiso crew the DATs containing these gems - immediately entrancing - and both him and The Advent agreed to give Discos Perdidos the honours of putting them out. Titled Shiolas, this three-tracker opens with 'Don't Do It', a relentless techno banger that, albeit its four to the floor drum pattern, feels swingy thanks to cleverly programmed percussion and claps. A concise but extremely effective bassline and synth lead guides the energetic smasher, with cut-up vocals, timely placed filters and hi hats giving it a final shimmer. It's followed by the Piano Mix, with an equally strong and raw arrangement and a new element - an alien, sound-sculpted piano that gives it an extra sense of urgency. The closing track 'Jacker' has more abstract leanings, although similarly dancefloor-ready, featuring an off-kilter yet driving conversation between stabs and bells in a display of expertly crafted dubby yet visceral sound design. A piece of dance music history is recovered - techno is now a story told more accurately. More

Mysterious, melodic and dark - Portuguese can-do-no-wrong-er Lake Haze is back, adding to his impressive catalogue a four-tracker EP named 'Coordinates Of A Decaying World' for Lisbon's ever-attentive Paraiso. Off-beat toms and rim shots paired with squelchy, slippery, acid make the opener, 'Galactic Federation', feel as bouncy and polyrhythmic as a non 4/4 track, playing a delicious illusion on the audience - completed emotionally by beautifully textured stabs and pads that speak of longing and perhaps of ethical space exploration to escape the pains of this Earth. Reverb-drenched arpeggio acid and digital choirs welcome the listener in a grandiose, almost goth-like way, offset by an improvisational, on-the-go arrangement spirit, an impression that is met by the track title 'Jamming in Dracula's Castle'. The B side opens with fat kicks and bass, its textures reminiscent of dutch and Belgian rave traditions; expertly merged with a Moroder-like synth-a-delic motif - always propulsed by that driving, taking-no-prisoners bass and acid lines. The last track of the EP takes us to sunlight-drenched territories in comparison, with a warm sub bass and classic breaks serving as a base to another one of Lake Haze's expertly programmed acid lines. The beautiful pads and melodies prevail, but the feeling in this closing number gives us an optimistic glimpse into a better future, after an EP that is about showing us some moodier, shadowy emotional rave bangers. More

Lisbon's purveyor of dance incantations Paraiso are back with an EP that packs a meeting of 3 legends of the local and global underground - a trio of fearless pioneers and cultural agitators from different eras. Yen Sung and Photonz have partnered up in 2020 to collaborate on new music and start a record label. Fast forward to today and this Paraiso EP is their third release, further exploring their mutual penchant for ethereal house music drenched in subtle but fiery grooves and acid basslines. Opener 'A Temperanca' taps into moody yet bouncy motifs, punctuated by crisp claps and an infectious 303 line in the vein of DJ Pierre's record 'What is House Music', their confessed influence for this track. Things get slower on the A2 where the title track gets reworked with alternative elements - aptly named Gravity Mix. The B side continues the metallic acid exploration via 'Akasha', twisting and turning like only expertly crafted basslines do before things blossom into a sunny house groover with enticing percussion and variegated hats. Legendary Angolan-Portuguese producer DJ Satelite steps in for remix duties, adding his iconic deep afro house edge to a wonderful effect, all blissful motifs and broken percussive sonics. More

Lisbon's Paraiso bring their A&R a-game once again with a stellar EP by one of the city's most beloved techno DJs - VIL - and a chef's kiss remix by the one and only queen of twisted dance, EDND from Algarve. VIL effortlessly strikes a balance between his seasoned raver's effective ammunition approach and his penchant for freshness that has accompanied him since his early days as a dubstep DJ. Concise elegance and banging inventiveness meet in the opener Rotari, as the A2 follows with detroitian levels of class and relentlessness, all ecstatic hats, warm stabs and beautiful percussion. Ghet09 closes the A side with tom-filled jack-infused beats and smooth keys with an instant-classic quality, all offset by eerie pads cause it's techno we're gladly witnessing after all. Anjos, the new Birmingham brings in-your-face energy in the tight drum programming and a dash of trippy, quasi-dubby melodic elements in an ode to Lisbon's tentative premier techno neighbourhood Anjos. Deranged yet loved-up, the B2 is a perfect peak-time dreamy mood-setter - proving we're in the hands of a skilled emotion-to-dance translator. The record closes with a stellar remix by one of Portugal's innovators, EDND herself, who drowns the opening track in mysterious waters and adds beautiful melodic elements, perfect for that much-appreciated deep dive moment on the dancefloor. There's a wonderful digi bonus for the heads, where oneiric pads are punctuated by vocal chops from a very familiar classic. More

Tracklisting:
A1 Tensal - Virgo
A2 Tensal - Molecular Base
B1 Tensal - Black Annis
B2 Tensal - Chromatic Aberration More

Tracklisting
A1 Slight Function - Dunkler Traum
A2 Slight Function - Sicofanta
B1 Slight Function - Adaptation Disorder
B2 Slight Function - Shuffle Ground

Sales Note
Slight Function = Krenzlin + Rhombic

Early support by: Alexander Kowalski, angel molina, Casual Treatment, Dave Clarke, Dj Shufflemaster, Eduardo de la calle, Kastil, MTD, Oliver Rosemann, pacou, R/D/V, Ryuji Takeuchi, Svreca More

Tracklisting
A1 A Thousand Details - The Puppet of The West
A2 A Thousand Details - Trifecta Bones
B1 A Thousand Details - Sandes de CQTF
B2 A Thousand Details - The Puppet Of The West (Sick Bastard Tool, Vinyl Version)
B3 A Thousand Details - Cornered Without Options

Sales Note
The very prolific ATD Records Founder, Gustavo Lima, brings 5 techno cuts on Tar Hallow for the first release of 2024. Early support by: Amotik, Answer Code Request, Ben Klock, Charlton, Chontane, Gary Beck, Kessell / Exium, Krenzlin, Kwartz, Leiras, Marco Bailey, Nastia, Perc, Steffi, W.I.R.E. and more. More

Tracklisting
A1 Gustavo Bassani - You Know The Rules
A2 Gustavo Bassani - Keep Going
B1 Gustavo Bassani - Swing Shift
B2 Gustavo Bassani - Sharpening More

Tracklisting
A1 Dynamic Forces - First Day Of Life
A2 Dynamic Forces - New Set Up
B1 Dynamic Forces - Plague
B2 Dynamic Forces - Tango More

Tracklisting
A1 Shabaam & Aladarus - Colossal
A2 Lenny San - Orbital
B1 OFF / GRID - Inner City Blues
B2 Rove Ranger - Onakum More

TRACKLIST:

A1. Ignez - Enchant
A2. Ignez - Bliss
A3. Ignez - Veiled Dreams

B1. Ignez - Euphoria
B2. Ignez - Oceanid

C1. Ignez - Drama
C2. Ignez - Scene

D1. Ignez - Delusional Bond
D2. Ignez - Awakening
D3. Ignez - Immersive Mind



(gatefold sleeve) Ignez makes his Token comeback for a new format yet again, presenting his first ever LP with the Belgian label. One of the scene's most intriguing artists to emerge in the past few years, the young Dutchman has paved his road to acclaim by experimenting with sonic narratives and interpreting them with dance floor efficiency. Constantly working the conceptual intentions of his records, Ignez offers a refreshing take on club music by giving it his unmistakable touch of cinematic storytelling.

'Tides' is an ode to his personal connection with nature, and each track represents a shift in energy and emotional ambiance, rising and falling with each transition. With this approach, it only makes sense to release a project of this length; Ignez is able to tell his story through waves, washing over assertive rhythmic work with far off keys and soothing pads. Songs like the album's introduction 'Enchant' and 'Delusional Bond' inspire curiosity of what lies beyond murky waters and the impactful aftermath of these tracks explains the untameable quality of ocean tides through erratic percussion and razor-sharp sound design like in 'Bliss'. Ignez's synth work throughout 'Tides' is elusive if anything, swimming through his arrangements in an unpredictable manner. He tells the story of an environment that imposes the sometimes harsh rules of its territory with restless elements ready to jump out at any given moment. This feeling of almost powerlessness can be felt in 'Awakening' for example, a record that's bent on intrigue and suspense over a stomping four to thefloor kick. Curiosity, anticipation, discovery: these are all things that can describe the chosen theme and, of course, Ignez's work as a composer. The album serves as a look into the respect the artist has for unstoppable energy and his translation of it thereof through the expressive sound design and thick atmospheres that propelled him to the forefront of his scene. More

Macadam Mambo 5th release is ready to rock! After the success of our first four issues, we are proud to introduce our new selection of edits. Featuring disco adjustements by : Raphael Top Secret with “Love & Compute”, a robotic dancefloor killer boogie, very cosmic. Roger Suchard with “Tout En Emotion”, super “electromotive” new wave British Style Synth-pop. Bob Bernard with “Jewish Party”, a psychadelic & kitch monster Hebraic groove. Albion with a hudge obscure Indian electrofunk “Welcome Welcome”, pure Bollywood - meets - the beat style!Guillaume des Bois made the last one, “Conan le Berbère”, magnificent Ambient and Balearic tune digged out of Library. More

Rhythm On The Loose “Break Of Dawn” is quite simply one of House Music’s all time classics. Producer Geoff Hibbert was inspired by seeing dawn break on an Italian coast line to draw inspiration from Moby’s anthemic “Go” and disco gem “Let No Man Put Asunder” by First Choice to create his loving homage to the UK Rave scene. Network set up a label “The One After D” to release a limited edition press of the instant classic to create demand. One of the first copies was picked up by Kevin Saunderson and his relentless playing of the track helped fuel interest in the USA. The first release on Network in 1991 established the track as iconic. That original mix is here and still sounds as fresh as ever. Perfect in fact. The 12” also contains remastered versions of the 1995 remixes by Rhythm On The Loose, Strike and Stonebridge. More

Dutch disco dons Kraak&Smaak make their debut on Razor-N-Tape with a pair of boogie originals pressed to wax for the first time ever, featuring two remix gems from Ben Sun and Tiger & Woods! The soulful vibes run deep on Way Back Home, with Ben Sun and T&W taking us to Frankie and Shepp town, respectively, on their mixes. And with its synthy uptempo disco stomp, Seb's Party rounds out this wonderfully varied 4-tracker perfectly. More

Albion, the “Continental Disco” wizard, is back on Macadam Mambo with a new EP, proving, with those 4 mysterious killer nuggets, that he is definitely the boss to put out weirdo obscurities. And, giving us again the feeling that the level of the tracks on Macadam Mambo, is getting higher record after record.
A new masterpiece on Macadam Mambo!!

More

The Hacker and Italo Moderni join forces with a masterful electro EP, guided by the French G.O.A.T. from Grenoble. Infused with techno vibes and featuring a remix by the renowned Terence Fixmer, this EP is a testament to the cutting-edge fusion of styles. Drawing inspiration from Liaisons Dangereuses, The Hacker weaves intricate basslines and rhythms, exemplified in the track ‘No Señor.’ ‘Me and My Sequencer Part 1 and Part 2’ unveils a clandestine narrative, a hidden tale shared only between The Hacker and his synthesizers—revealing the magical connection cultivated over the years. More