One of the most consistent new labels around, Cyphon Recordings, marks double figures with another standout release that gleans from the past, but faces the future. This time they look to the talents of Emotive Technology, a new alias from Chilean Massiande who provides a five-track EP of machine-wielding, soul-rousing techno from across the spectrum.

Although this may be the first release under his new moniker, Massiande has spent the last decade putting out productions with labels such as Housewax, Phonica, Freerange and Groovin. Firing on all cylinders from the get-go, ‘Rise’ kicks off the Walk Into The Light EP. A hyperspace melding of new beat, Italo and arp-operating techno that opens out into a slice of peak-time revelry.

The swirling textures of ‘It’s On’ follow, pushing you into the next dimension. A hypnotic, entrancing and arresting heads-down powerhouse. Crunchy and considered it's the kind of strobe-stuttering basement jam that turns heads inside out.

Two Detroit-leaning tracks ‘Your Zone’ and ‘Walk IntoThe Light’ are up next. The former is a heavyweight machine workout. Layered synth lines and crisp drum programming transfix, as that grooving low-end powers bodies into bedlam. The latter, a Motor-City-influenced tour de force. One that sees Massiande recode the circuitry to hit with a piano-laden stunner, balancing power and presence, with emotion and nuance.

Closing out proceedings, ‘The Swing’ sucks you in deeper. A resonating world of synth stabs, pulsating basslines and atmospheric electronics.

Doing the Emotive Technology namesake proud, Walk Into The Light is machine music hardwired with a heavy sense of soul. More

When it comes to the underground of electronic music, there's not much Kirk Degiorgio hasn't seen or done. 30+ years in the game, Degiorgio has more than made his mark on the scene’s landscape, both as an esteemed DJ and also as an acclaimed producer with releases on the likes of Versatile Records, Ubiquity and B12.

Cyphon Recordings draft in this true master of the craft for a three-track journey showcasing exactly why he's sustained the level he has for so long. A melodic richness and tactile makeup, whereby Kirk’s tracks more than move your limbs, but rather meld directly to your heart.

First up, a slice of soul-struck, deep house in the form of ‘All About U’. Poised yet powerful, iridescent arps layer upon sweeping pads and a bassline that locks you in from the off. Degiorgio holds the vocal refrain in the back pocket, letting it loose once he’s wrapped you up in the groove.

'Cidade Do Futuro' follows, a cosmic carnival, enticing dancers from the deep. Dynamic snare rolls marry with rising synths in mystical fashion, as Latin percussion moulds around an acid-tinged bass. Together they create a tension that builds and breaks, rising to its next summit before descending once again into outer space.

Closing out the EP, ‘Frayed Edge’. Sitting at the intersection between prog-leaning breakbeat and Detroit-flavoured techno this grooved-laden, lunar transmission is one for late-night dancefloor lovers.

In a sea of sterile, over produced new music, the Living On The Frayed Edge EP stands out as a beacon of dynamism and versatility, showcasing Degiorgio’s inherent knack in being able to craft songs that speak of something deeper than simply dancing.

DJ Feedback:

JKRIV/ RAZOR-N-TAPE: This is a very nice one. Really dig the electro Brazilian vibes of Cidade do Futuro.

GARETH SOMMERVILLE/ ATHENS OF THE NORTH: Kirk Degiorgio showing why he is held in such high regard with these three tracks.

HOT TODDY / CRAZY P: More great stuff from Cyphon, wonderfully warm, soulful, beautifully produced.

BILL BREWSTER/ NTS: Really nice EP, esp. the lead track. More

Cyphon Recordings continue their remarkable run of form with a brand new six track mini LP from Aussie powerhouse Ewan Jansen. With three decades of experience permeating his productions, Chroma Sea is a signature Jansen voyage - crisp, colourful, groove-heavy house and techno anchored by an analog weight.

A veteran of the scene, Jansen cut his teeth in the early '90s producing hardware-saturated house music drenched in depth and feeling. Having released on the likes of Moods & Grooves, Going Good, Freerange and Butter Sessions across the years, he’s also been captaining his own label Red Ember Records since 1997.

Leading the Chorma Sea odyssey is 'Salt Circuit', a squelching '90s tech house leaning track with a Detroit influenced touch, where bounce and power balance expertly with intricate synthwork and synapse-firing breakdowns.

'Brinewave' and 'Cybercanisco' follow, the former a head pickling, bass heavy, atmospheric electro joint. The latter a blinding yet blissful, Motor City channelling techno creation, that burrows deep down into your soul.

On the flip, 'Hydronexus' swallows you up in with a hit of absorbing space-age techno that envelopes your brain in layer upon layer of tactile sounds, before 'Faulty Gelfling' fires you out the other side into a twisted, robo electro hyperspace.

Closing out the release and bringing you back down to earth, 'Surabaya', where soft pads swell and oscillating synths wash over you, as that grooving low-end just keeps on rolling.
The Chroma Sea release expertly illustrates Ewan Jansen's ability to craft a vibrant blend of house and techno that nods across the ocean to the US and Europe, yet grounds itself down under. Earthly and analog yet explorative all at once. More

Following on from Anoesis’ standout Stasislogue EP, Cyphon look to the interstellar offerings of Ben Sun for the next release on the label. On an axis that Cyphon are fast becoming known for, Ben presents four spine tingling, celestial cuts that balance weight, precision and emotion with a distinct solar flair.

Having released on the likes of Housewax, Delusions of Grandeur and Utopia Records, Ben Sun has sculpted a sound that exudes warmth from it’s rays, whether plotting a disco trajectory or looking to the atmospheres of house and techno. The Apex EP sees Ben orbit the latter, with opening track ‘Tether’ as enticing an opener as you could ask for. Modulated arps and dreamstate voices build into a deep yet powerful techno-leaning cut, doused in engulfing pads and peaking toplines.

Following this, ‘Self - Other’ is a rich, Detroit-flavoured journey travelling from galaxy to galaxy. Marrying an electro funk feeling with synth strings and acid touches, atop a chunky bass and potent kick.

Take to the B side to see Sun hit deep space for the title cut, serving up a hypnotising slice of mind-bending electronica meets atmospheric techno. Otherworldly arps run your mind in circles, the bassline grooves across dimensions, before an enchanting breakdown opens out into a euphoric universe.

Closing out this trip, ‘Shores Of Minds’ serves up a 303-infused hit of mesmerising textures and glistening sonics. Heads down business, with Sun’s signature stabs anchoring this trance-inducing jam.

Blending the classic and contemporary, Ben Sun’s Apex EP hits that sweet spot that straddles the space and time between the two. As far in the future, as it is in feeling the past, with a gravitational pull that draws you in closer with every new element added. More

Having surfaced from a 20 year hiatus this year with two new albums, Anoesis continues his restored run of form letting loose a five track masterclass in IDM, electronica, house and electro on Cyphon Recordings. Showcasing a signature touch crafted across the ‘90s, the Stasislogue EP flies the flag for the fact that Howard Dodd has by no means lost the ability to make a dancefloor move.

Operating in a far flung corner of the cosmos, Anoesis was responsible for some truly mind-warping breakbeat and IDM across the ‘90s on labels such as D*Fusion Records and Octopus - releasing tracks that always felt like they were made in another dimension.

Continuing where he left off, the EP opens with ‘Track Thirty 7’, a production that could just as easily have come from Mars, as it could Detroit. Glitched out yet driving, conceptual yet considered, it’s got an ethereal urgency that moves limbs with purpose.

‘Callisto’ follows, part UR, part dream house - an emotive, eyes closed journey with soaring pads and glistening synths laid over a bubbling beat. Rounding off the A side, ‘May Eleventh’ gives a real insight into the modulated mind of Anoesis, a hardware-heavy, underwater electro trip that nods to the deep sea dwellers, Drexciya.

Flip it over to find ‘Space Watch’, a skippy house bumper with a grooving low-end and lunar transmissions hypnotising from the off, before a peak-time, dancefloor-focussed slice of mind-expanding electronica, ‘Places For People’, rounds off the package.

Honed in the ‘90s, yet firmly rooted in the present, it’s clear to see that Dodd’s ability to write absorbing, interplanetary machine music with a human heart at its core is as strong as it’s ever been. More

Cyphon is proud to bring you brand new music from one of Europe’s pioneers of techno and IDM, Stefan Robbers aka Terrace and Florence. His early releases for Djax-Up-Beats and his own Eevo Lute Muzique in the early 90’s were hugely influential striking a sweet spot between stark minimalism, majestic analogue lushness and dance floor grooves. In more recent years his own reinterpretation of the Detroit sound can be found on the highly regarded Dutch label Delsin.

Here on his ‘Thermionic EP’ Terrace sings out with such intensity that minds are blown. Listen to the brutal, exhilarating sequences of ‘Territorial’ which leads the new EP, and you will receive that message loud and clear. While the music is as much about the consequence of soulful depth, it is also about edgy machines communicating intimately. Sweet chords fuse and then contrast with grainy acidic sonics, leaving the tempo poised at an irresistible pace like all our futures depended on it.

As you move next onto the more subtle electro pulse of ‘Thermon’, shimmering keys dance around a frame-by-frame remembrance of robotic disco in the 23rd century. The uplifting brilliance of ‘Woodward’ follows filling the void with an explosion of colour that is all about life-affirming instrumentation, hitting you fast and loose with a cascade of arpeggios, tough drums plus an incendiary surge of melodic distraction causing the airwaves to crackle with celebration.

Completing this stunning release from Terrace are the fierce, hotwired grooves forged by ‘Ritual’, conjuring up endless combinations of an analogue model rediscovered. The sheer dancefloor animation found within each of Terrace’s productions on this EP purposefully point to and enhance Cyphon Recordings own mission to explore, propelling the emphasis forever forwards.

DJ Support:

Sean Johnston, Kevin Reynolds, Vince Watson, Gareth Sommerville, Daniele Baldelli, Dj Rocca, Massimiliano Pagliara, Craig Smith, Jason Kendig, Rarish & Yoshi Horino

A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE / SEAN JOHNSON
Love this - proper techno!

GRAEME PARK/ THE HACIENDA
Wonderful slice of electro goodness. I love it! Especially "Thermon".

KEVEIN REYNOLDS / TRANSMAT
Basking in the gleam of Woodward, dopeness!

HARRI SUB CLUB
Love this techno release.

VINCE WATSON/ EVERYSOUL
Woodward is the one, sick

GARETH SOMMERVILLE/ ATHENS OF THE NORTH
‘Territorial’ is sleek, emotive body music and ‘Ritual’ is a groove that won’t stop. Ace.

MASSIMILIANO PAGLIARA / BLACK SPUMA
Great stuff!

CRAIG SMITH/ 6TH BOROUGH PROJECT
Woodward is the one for me on this EP

JASON KENDIG/ HONEY SOUNDSYSTEM
Wow!! new Stefan Robbers is cause for celebration! These are dope!! not enough exclamations!!!!

RARISH
Amazing tunes.

DR ROB/ BAN BAN TON TON
This guys a techno legend – I have a fair few of his earlier releases on my shelves

GINO GRASSO/ BBE
Super Techno release. Territorial I love this track Chicago style More

Cyphon Recordings welcome DJ, producer, musician, and D.KO co-owner Flabaire for the fourth outing on the label.

At just 29, the Parisian artist, already has a fair share of victories under his belt. On his acclaimed D.KO imprint, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year, he’s released three albums and several EPs, as well as charting releases for Organic-Music, Deeppa Records and South Street.

For his next solo EP, he brings his beautifully affecting and nostalgic blend of electro, IDM, and deep house to Cyphon. Doing what he does best, Flabaire’s ‘Entre-Deux’ is an EP brimming with emotion and atmosphere. Pulling at the heartstrings, opener ‘In Between’ layers an electro beat over lush pads with iridescent synth lines rising out of the haze. Cowbells swing into action, pads swell and glisten, making way for a squelchy 303 to bubble underneath.

‘No Minding’ moves into softer realms, a serene blend of deep house and electronica, it’s paced by a warm bass bounce and shuffling percussion sprinkled with chopped vocal samples and bright keys. Flabaire’s bass mastery continues ‘Click Plok’, as does his deftness at producing delicate, gliding pads, this time punctuated by tight bleeps, gentle open hats, and a meandering synth solo.

Closing out the EP the atmospheric ‘FBG’, a balmy syncopated groove joined by twinkling synth melodies that dance over dusty breakbeats and hushed vocal stutters.


DJ Feedback:

MAD MATS
Click Plok is really nice, small hours house music :)

DOMENIC CAPPELLO/ SUB CLUB
Click clock is a tune

MASSIMILIANO PAGLIARA / OSTGUT TON
Groovy!!

GREG WILSON
This is a bit spesh!

KEVIN REYNOLDS
Click Plok is an absolute jam! That 909 shuffle, the pad and lead line are killer. Love it

RICHARD DORFMEISTER
The Flabaire-no minding version is the one for me …

JASON KENDIG/ HONEY SOUNDSYSTEM
No Minding is the highlight here for me. FBG rounds things out with a wonky shuffle that seems like it will be fun to play out.

CHRIS DUCKENFIELD.
I like it.

PHILIPPA/ FREERANGE
This is great. Will def play In Between in more expressive moments - gorgeous stuff.

HECTOR ROMERO/ DEF MIX
Solid deep grooves on this EP.

CRAIG SMITH/ 6TH BOROUGH PROJECT
Solid EP. Clik Plok is the one on the selection More

Hot on the heels of their sophomore release with DJ Rocca, Cyphon Recordings welcome Tijuana’s Cyborg Nerve to the family for the third installment in their busy label schedule.

A new project helmed by the Cedillo brothers - also known for their work under the monikers Soul of Hex and Mano De Fuego - Cyborg Nerve’s sound tips the hat to the roots of Detroit electro and techno.

The Vicario Musique Recordings bosses have already made a mark under their Soul of Hex alias, pushing their cosmic, vibrant take on deep house. It’s caught the ear of labels and artists across the world; the likes of Delusions of Grandeur, Freerange Records and Quintessentials have shared their music and they’ve even earned the Larry Heard seal of approval, with the legendary Chicago producer stepping up to remix their 2014 track ‘Lip Reading’. As Mano De Fuego they’re also getting their music into the hands of pioneering figures in the American dance music scene - summer of this year saw them release a shamanistic debut via the inimitable Underground Resistance.

For their debut outing as Cyborg Nerve, the pair deliver four tracks of old school electro grooves. Title track ‘Cristalizacion’ kicks things off. A slice of intergalactic electro; celestial pads soar above warm bass and staccato drum rhythms. Their eponymous track follows and takes the energy levels up a notch: a warbling bass line drives the track forward, whirring and revving while crisp hats fizz overhead.

‘Tijuana 3000’ is another cut that's custom-made for the dance floor. As with the title track, the duo call to mind the interstellar jazz-tinged electronics of Detroit outfit Galaxy 2 Galaxy, as they pair cosmic twinkling melodies with a hypnotic acid line that takes centre stage. ‘Machine Effect’ brings the EP to a close. Like its name suggests the track is powered by a raw, machine funk groove and precise drum programming - no bells and whistles, just pure cosmic vibrations to move your body. More

A1 – Forever
A2 – Mojito
A3 - Hug Close
B1 - Illuminated Night
B2 - Stay With Us

Tokyo-based DJ, producer and sound artist Yuu Udagawa inaugurates the freshly launched Cyphon Recordings with her debut EP, ‘Forever’.

Growing up on a cocktail of everything from rock, hip-hop and Latin jazz to techno and house, Yuu’s immersive musical output draws inspiration from this diverse pool of influences to create ‘uplifting and healing’ music for the mind and body. There’s an elegance and sophistication to her productions, which stems from her desire to make music guided by the Golden Mean philosophy of finding a middle ground between two extremes: excess and deficiency.

Active as a DJ since the millennium, which saw her playing at clubs, festivals and fashion shows across the country, she soon turned her attention to music production and has since self-released a handful of singles and contributed audio commissions for Sony Playstation3, museums, theatres and apparel brands. Yuu’s meditative pallet of sounds instantly grabbed Cyphon’s third ear which led to the tracks that make up ‘Forever’: a collection of analog slo-mo electronica and leftfield minimal house that strike a perfect balance between warmth and depth.

The release opens with the titular track: a deep, emotive electro cut punctuated by a twinkling synthline and blissful vocals. ‘Mojito’ continues the EP’s voyage into the deep, matching softly spoken word with jazz-tinged chords and meandering melodies, before ’Hug Close’ strips things back, guided by a crunchy minimal groove, warm, resolute keys and reflective synths.

The B-Side steers things on a soulful course. The dark, enveloping atmosphere of ‘Illuminated Night’ is lifted by bright synth stabs and harmonic R&B-flavoured vocals. These influences continue on closer ‘Stay With Us’. Slowing down the pace, the track is a wash of shimmering funk-inspired chords and shuffling rhythms, laced once again with effortless, soaring vocal tones.

Radio:

Ed Banger – Apple Music’s Ed Wreck show "Brillant record! Very ecelctic I love love it!"

Mr Beatnick – NTS Radio

Matthias Hellwig - RBB Radio Eins / Kaleidoskop


DJ Feedback:

Joyce Muniz - Nice one!

Andrew Wowk - "Mojito" is awesome - such a nice groove (followed up)

Geordie Elliot-kerr - Some really interesting stuff in here. Digging the whole thing.

Simon Caldwell - Cool and different.

Paul Beller - super star release.

Fred Peterkin - Dope...

Alex Barck - Sounds fresh to me

Ruben Mandolini – Nice

Gabriel Izarraraz - great music will play for sure

Kristijan Molnar - Very nice!

Chris Loxton - superb

Danton Eeprom - Really love the production and original vibe of this record. bring it on!

Raymundo Rodriguez - cool release More

Cyphon Recordings continue their deep dive into the rich heritage of UK and Detroit electronic sounds with their second label release, this time from Danny Was A Drag King label boss DJ Rocca.

Active since the 90s, the Italian producer is a dedicated explorer of the Italo Disco-inspired sounds native to his home. He’s been plotting his sonic journey for decades, making pit stops at labels across Europe including Rekids,Toy Tonics, Slow Motion, Rotten City Records and Roam Recordings. On top of his solo outings, collaboration has played a big role in his production journey to date. He’s worked with artists like Howie B, Jazzanova and Zed Bias, as well as joining forces on ongoing projects with fellow Italian stalwart Daniele Baldelli and Dimitri From Paris, the latter under the name Erodiscotique.

Now back on his solo pursuits for Cyphon, Rocca proves he’s still very much at the top of his game. The four cuts on ‘Code 041’ explore all shades of electro, from raw, old school machine funk to futuristic cosmic sounds. It’s electro done the Rocca way.

The title track sets the tone. An eerie bass line crawls along, providing a bed for reflective pads to glide and mysterious synth sounds and echoing vocal samples to ricochet above. ‘No Gym’ greets us next, bringing that Italo flair Rocca’s mastered so well. It’s the most vibrant track on the release, matching colourful pinging synths and tropical-tinged melodies with a signature driving acid bass line.

On the flip, ‘The Bigger Lake’ takes the EP in a different direction, on a trip through dark glistening pads, tittering percussion and sub aquatic bass before the dusty breaks and moody, jazzy keys of ‘Omega’ bring the release to a close. Mirroring Cyphon’s label ethos, Rocca showcases the best of the past and present of a timeless sound.


DJ Feedback:

Hammer / Feel My Bicep - This is sounding absolutely great! x

Laurent Garnier - Twisted funkyness… Great stuff

Pattn / Fabric Resident - These are quality productions, sounding crisp. Really like the No Gym track.

Josh Cheon / Dark Entries - loving the first track!

Cormac / Polari Records - enjoying the no gym track

Justin Cudmore / The Bunker NYC - I am liking this release! I'd love to play this.

REES / CWPT - Big lover of this one!

Ryan Clover / Homage NYC - Sound a bit too lo-fi for my tastes when it comes to electro.

Ngoni Egan / United Identities - Really solid release. Love the Omega track. The pads are lovely in it! Arrangement and journey of the track is great :) More

An example of globalisation's ultra exoticisms: a Guinean hit that changed the perception of African music in European dance charts (selling over a million copies), covered by a Hongkongese pop star two years later, the perfect recipe for ensuring heavy frothing amongst diggers and collectors worldwide. Besides its aesthetic novelty, it's also highly effective on just about any dancefloor, a theme that sounds so familiar to many but then with the added unexpected surprised factor of the lyrics being sung in a female voice and in Cantonese -- a hard moment to forget on a well helmed club floor. Another generosity of this release amongst the other 3 tracks is a display of heavy Cantonese ballad prowess in the Adult Contemporary landscape, especially with a cover of Gamble & Huff's "When Will I See You Again", huge on the couples' slow dance scene, shameless drama. More