When great music minds get together, good things happen and this latest Freerange outing is testament to that. Bridging the gap between Toronto and Detroit, the Detoronto EP is the result of Mark Kufner aka Toronto Hustle’s vision of deep, underground house music and Sean Roman’s production prowess. With decades of experience promoting nights, DJing and running his own brilliant vinyl-only label Selections, Mark teamed up with production partner and fellow Toronto DJ, Sean Roman. Sean has worked with a diverse selection of imprints such as Nervous Records, Local Talk, Strictly Rhythm, as well as his own imprint Lately Bass.

On the vocals, Detroit’s ubiquitous Javonntte rounds out the artists for this heavyweight EP. Classic deep, raw, late night house sounds are the order of the day here. Deep In This is just the kind of fat, swinging groove to warm up the dance floor with. Simple yet robust, the square wave bassline brings the right amount of attitude whilst Javonntte’s vocal’s draw you into his world.

Next up, the duo give us their own Light Night Dub of Deep In This which strips out the harmonic elements, putting all the focus on the drums, bass and vocals. This makes for the perfect club tool, sounding massive on a nice system and guaranteed to get the floor locked into its unrelenting groove.

Flip over for a brilliant remix of Fall In Love by another legend of the Toronto house scene - Demuir. This guy is a production powerhouse whose soulful, funky, jacking house sound has seen him releasing on such diverse labels as Yoruba, Classic, Heist, Hot Creations, Robsoul and Desolat. Here he brings his trademark, loose and jazzy drums and funky AF Moog bassline which is accompanied by a beautiful, filtering piano loop.

Closing out this brilliant EP we have Fall In Love, another late night basement jam featuring the vocals of Javonntte. Classic rhodes stabs add a rolling energy to the chunky drum groove making this one of those classic B2 tracks destined to become a secret weapon in your sets. More

Jimpster delivered some great releases in 2023, most notably his Natural Child collab EP with Crackazat as well as his Tribute EP featuring South African vocalist Mavhungu and including heavy Osunlade remixes. He also produced some of his best remixes to date including Thakzin’s Don’t Let Me See, Blaze’s Wonderland and Detroit Rising’s Rocket Love.

It’s always a good day to announce a new Jimpster EP on Freerange and with two captivating originals plus a stunning Atjazz remix you’re in for a treat! You’re My Ecstasy sets the tone with Jimpster’s trademark deep Rhodes pads, punchy bassline and shuffling classic house drum groove. He once again manages to strike a great balance between soulful, musical, warm and just a touch moody.

Next up we have The Passion which builds a deep and jazzy mood around a 4 bar piano progression whilst the sampled interviewee gives his insight into how he maintains his passion for music. London based trumpet player KingCrowney adds some lovely horn parts, emphasising the jazz feel to compliment the spoken word.

Atjazz gets well and truly stuck in on his remix of The Passion. Reportedly completed in just two studio sessions the hardest working man in deep house (as Jimpster calls him) brings his well-loved deft touch introducing an beautifully syncopated bassline and classic Atjazz drums making for a clubby interpretation for the deep, discerning dance floors. More

City To City: Johannesburg is the first in a new series of V/A releases which will shine a light on exciting producers from a different city for each edition. What better place to start than The City Of Gold, somewhere synonymous with deep and soulful house and whose scene and artists have finally begun to get global recognition despite the relative geographical isolation. Labels such as Kid Fonque’s Stay True Sounds have been an important platform for South African artists and who can deny the incredible journey of Black Coffee. Deep house really is a way of life for many young people growing up in often challenging conditions and it’s been exciting to see many becoming known outside of their own country and starting to gig internationally.

Here on the debut City To City we showcase 6 tracks from 6 different artists hailing from Johannesburg, relative newcomers rubbing shoulders with more established names. Kicking off the release we have one such producer who has been slowly but surely stamping his mark over the last 10 years: KaySoul. With output having appeared on labels such as Shall Not Fade, Dirt Crew, Lazy Days and Tribe KaySoul is definitely making waves with his soulful take on the South African deep sound. Icey Baby featuring Mr Beale keeps things raw and minimal, letting the vocal stay front and centre, a naivety and playfulness giving an almost demo-feel to the production.

Sculpturedmusic steps up next with Midnight Talk. Another SA artist who has earned his stripes with some huge tracks including Sad To Think which deservedly became a substantial hit, Sculpturedmusic’s contribution to the release keeps things deep, percussive and rolling with an African vocal sample backed up by pensive piano chords.

With just a handful of releases on his own Herbal Soundz label as well as the much lauded vinyl label Adeen, SizLeCaude is one of the exciting up and coming artists worthy of attention. Taking a classic early 00’s deep house approach on Far Apart he reminds us of the output Ben Watt’s Buzzin’ Fly sounding both timeless and contemporary with buckets of warmth and soul.

Flipping over we have Love (Kinda Thing) from Radic The Myth whose harmonically rich take on house music brings a floating yet punchy feel to the release.

Persie Botta joins forces with Jade Nickels on the next track entitled They Never Loved Us. The duo deliver a sublime slice of true Joburg-style deep house with lush layers of pads, reverb-soaked pads, snaking sub bass and a powerful, low slung groove.

Last but not least we close out the release with Thabang Baloyi who joins fresh from releases on established SA labels Just Move and Basement Art. Lost In goes in DEEP with a syncopated snare groove and simple, repeating vocal line. More

Aroop Roy’s star is deservedly in the ascendancy! As one of London’s most exciting selectors, he’s managed to position himself in the sweet spot of being the DJ’s DJ and causing wild scenes wherever he plays, with headline grabbing sets at Defected Croatia, We Out Here, Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide and many more. As a producer, musician and label owner, he continues to excel, armed with a vast knowledge of outernational sounds, from rare African disco, jazz, funk, to house, UKG and seemingly everything in-between. His open-minded approach has led to brilliant releases and remixes for labels as diverse as Soundway, Heavenly Sweetness, Permanent Vacation, Club Bad, Delusions of Grandeur, Atjazz Recordings and his own Vive La Musique imprint. Having played a few gigs together, it was only a matter of time before Jimpster convinced Aroop to get an EP together for Freerange and the resulting Re Bulele EP couldn’t be any more satisfying! Leading the charge, 'Mama Mwana' captivates with entrancing thumb piano loops and a traditional African vocal all propped up by a subtle yet chunky house beat to lock the dancers in. 'Re Bulele' features the hypnotic vocals of Botswana native Fox Meropa. Aroop masterfully combines a deep, techy Afro House groove with glassy synth pads to form a stripped back instrumental with the vocals front and centre. Seemingly disparate elements shine on this wonderful alternative to the deluge of maximal Afro House tracks being released these days. Moroccan producer FNX Omar delivers the goods with a sublime remix of Re Bulele. Creating tension with layers of looping vocals along with a rolling, percussive groove. Like the original, this remix transcends genres and will create special moments on the dancefloor, whether it be in a dark, sweaty basement or daytime festival in the sunshine. More

New Zealander via Berlin Philippa is a producer and DJ whose passion for house music, tireless commitment to her craft and ear for what makes a dance floor tick is slowly and surely starting to pay off. With her recent release Rainy Nights on Slothboogie and Things I’d Like To Be for Razor n Tape getting a lot of love Philippa continues to deliver the goods and has led to remixes for Fat Freddy’s Drop (The Drop) and Roach Motel (Faith). Here on the Latent Magic EP we’re treated to three new tracks which highlight Philippa’s deft touch and musical approach to making interesting and left field house music. Opener Hold sets the tone with lush orchestral strings, crunchy drums and a bouncing analogue synth bassline which drives the track along perfectly. Latent Magic uses a similarly wide-ranging sound palette, mixing up the electronic and organic, but goes heavier on the epic, arpeggiating synths for a spacious and uplifting genre-defying track to lift the spirits. Closing out we have There It Is which has hints of Mr Scruff with looping horn stabs, live drum groove and rolling electric bassline. All in all another mighty fine Philippa release which reminds us of the early days of Freerange when artists such as Square One, Shur-i-kan and Jimpster were melding live musicians with electronics to make a refreshing, UK-centric take on house music. More

Freerange regular Simbad is back with a new 4 track EP following on from his 2021 Peaceful Revolution EP which got big support from Ron Trent, Gilles Peterson, Osunlade and Horse Meat Disco to name a few. Having based himself in Cape Town the last 5 or so years, the French born producer and DJ is one of the most prolific artists in the scene having notched up countless EP’s, remixes and production work for labels like Apron, G.A.M.M. Faces, Hyperdub, Atjazz, BBE & Brownswood. His association with Gilles Peterson and Worldwide runs deep, hosting regular shows on WWFM as well as traversing the globe delivering his unique and eclectic sets from Africa to Asia and beyond. Lead track Nuphoria kicks things off in typical Simbad genre-bending style, sitting in a sweet spot between the Baltimore house of Karizma, the epic, uplifting techno of Laurent Garnier and the UK-centric rave sounds of Bicep and Kieren Hebden. Not an easy track to pigeon-hole but one that can’t fail to grab the dancers attention if dropped at the right time on a discerning dance floor. Up next we have Dream featuring SA native Sanele who delivers a beautiful, raw and intimate vocal performance which fits perfectly with Simbads’ roughed-up drums and chiming Rhodes chords. Flipping over Simbad delivers an alternate Pretoria Mix of Nuphoria which slows the pace of the original, adds a more rhythmic bassline and spoken word sample. A deeper alternative to the original which retains the euphoric quality thanks to its epic synth line and chords. Closing out the release we have Wake Up featuring Frederick of Fifty Fathoms Deep who contributes to a bright and breezy house track with soulful chords and bouncing square wave bass line. More

Two leading lights of UK house join forces for a special collaboration which delivers every bit as much as you would expect from anything with the Jimpster & Crackazat stamp on. Having been introduced to Crackazat’s vocal and lyric writing on his acclaimed Evergreen LP from last year Jimpster was keen to team up to bring some of that flavour to his own sound. Born out of a desire to stretch outside of their comfort zones, and with a mutual respect for each others productions, the Natural Child EP brings us two original vocal tracks and two dub versions covering a spectrum of moods from classic soulful to deep, atmospheric, contemporary house. Opening track Natural Child leads the charge with Crackazat’s trademark jazz-influenced piano part, swirling moog lines and vocal being complimented with Jimpster’s punchy drums and warm, rounded bassline. The result is a spacious and deceptively simple track which will wrap you up in its warm confines.Next up we have a completely different take on Natural Child which ups the BPM and adds a more live, percussive and rolling vibe which will no doubt get the house dancers throwing down. My Harmony comes next with its slick and soulful sound which draws inspiration from golden era NYC sounds of Blaze and Louie Vega while Nick Cohen’s live bass brings a bounce to the chunky, shuffling house beats. Closing out the EP we have a dub version of My Harmony which loops up the Rhodes part, strips back the groove and adds layers of FX and arpeggiating synths resulting in a heads-down deep and soulful track to warm up the dance More

Greg Paulus joins forces with fellow Brooklynite Taylor Bense for a new Freerange EP showcasing their left field, raw house sounds across three original tracks plus a bonus Martinez Brothers edit. With previous releases appearing on labels as diverse as Soul Clap, Let’s Play House, Ghostly International and Kompakt, the producer, DJ and trumpeter is perhaps best known for being one half of No Regular Play who have recorded LP’s and EP’s for Wolf & Lamb, Crew Love, and Let’s Play House. Never one to be confined to one genre, Greg takes influence from Jazz, Funk, Hip Hop and underground house to form a unique sound primed for discerning dance floors. Taylor Bense is an in-house composer and producer at the highly regarded Hyperballad Studios in Brooklyn, where he works and records a wide spectrum of music for everything from high end commercial work to EP’s for Wolf + Lamb and Soul Clap Records. The entire EP was recorded and produced at Hyperballad Studios over the past few years. Title track Heat Make Sense wears its Prince inspiration on its sleeve with a hooky whistled tune, crunchy live bass fills and punchy, raw beats. Next up we have Switch which features Brooklyn MC’s Stimulus and Malik Work on vocal duties and Greg’s own trumpet adding top lines to the deep pads and rolling groove. Marino takes us back to golden era jacking Chicago house of the 00’s but with Greg’s trumpet flourishes bringing a live, jazzy energy to the track. Fellow NYC mainstay Big $exy provides his trademark deep baritone vocal to give a little hip house flavour. Closing out the EP we have NYC’s Martinez Brothers providing an uptempo minimal edit of Do You Love Me, a track from Greg’s previous Freerange EP. The MB’s keep things rolling and stripped back for maximum club impact creating a useful DJ tool whilst allowing Greg’s musical and vocal parts to shine. More

Josh Wink is someone who needs little introduction having created some of the biggest and most influential club tracks over the past 30 years including I’m Ready, Don’t Laugh, Superfreak, Talking To You, Meditation Will Manifest and Higher States Of Consciousness to name just a few out of his never ending catalog. He has recorded on some of the biggest labels of house and techno including, Nervous, Strictly Rhythm, R&S, Bedrock, Cocoon, Ellum Audio and PokerFlat. In 1994 he started Ovum Recordings which is still as strong as ever, and is heralded as a buy on sight imprint for lovers of deep house, techno and acid. Josh and Jimpster first became acquainted when Jamie was asked by Josh to remix a track from his 2009 LP When A Banana Was Just a Banana, and the favor was retuned when Josh remixed Jimpster’s Alsace and Lorraine in 2011. The pair haves tayed in touch since, cut to 2023 and we’re excited to present you with a full signature sounding Wink EP made with Freerange in mind, right in time for the summer. Autonomic Journeys leads the charge with a track which hits that sweet spot between pumping Detroit techno, deep house atmospherics and twisted acid. 909 drums, 303 squelch and 106 pads ensure Roland is well represented in the track and all underpinned by a fat rolling bassline. Pan Gloss gives us a chunky slice of bouncy percussive house which exudes a positive energy as it unfolds over 7 minutes. Fat stabs sit front and centre while chiming arpeggios and acid line dance around the beat making for a track which makes you move as much as get lost in. Closing out the release things go deeper on San Guine, with a snappy groove laying the foundation for lush sine stabs, filtering pads and a hooky cross-rhythm analogue synth line. More

Following a string of big remixes for the likes of Underground Resistance keys man Jon Dixon, Dave Lee, Miguel Migs and his downtempo LP Birdhouse, we’re pleased to announce a new Jimpster EP entitled Tribute. Featuring South African vocalist Mavhungu and two remixes from Yoruba maestro Osunlade, the release shows Jamie Odell in fine form fusing deep, afro and soulful house on the lead track and rubber-bassline bouncing jazz and acid lurking on the B2. Leading the EP, Tribute is a track inspired by Jamie’s trips to South Africa, a country hailed by many as the deep house capitol of the world. Having played there many times over the years he always returns feeling energised by the sights, sounds and experiences. Having recently remixed a track for Foliage featuring Mavhungu it felt like a natural move to collaborate together on an original track and here she delivers a brilliant vocal celebrating the beauty of Africa in her native language Venda. Mixing up organic and electronic sounds is something Jimpster has always done to great effect, ensuring there is a looseness and bounce to the groove with contemporary sonic textures blending with classic Rhodes pads and analogue synth lines. Who better to draft in for a remix than the Yoruba Soul maestro himself, Osunlade. The producer and DJ whose music has been knocking our socks off since first hearing his debut LP Paradigms in 2001 stays true to his roots on two versions of Tribute. Th first goes heavier on the vocal, keeping the instrumentation and groove more stripped back leaving plenty of space for subtle Rhodes chords and synth flourishes to shine. His Jazzstrumental version switches up the groove and pushes a repeating Rhodes riff and chords to the fore, making for a rolling remix which will warm the dance floor with its soulful vibe. Closing out the EP we have another original track in the form of Jacidswing. With the clue in the title, this little gem sees Jimpster fusing a bubbling 303 bassline with swinging jazzy drums and washes of synthy ambience to form something deep, immersive and slow burning in the way he does so well. More

If anyone deserves to have the name Don, it’s Don Carlos. Responsible for one of the most influential and genre-defining deep house tracks of all time the Italian legend more than lives up to his name being a true master of his craft. In 1991 his debut release Alone was presented to the world via Calypso Records and quickly gained classic status, blissing out dancefloors worldwide with it’s euphoric piano stabs, sun-drenched strings and laidback groove. Establishing the blueprint for what would become known as ‘Italian dream-house’ Don Carlos would follow up a year later with another masterpiece in the form of a mini LP entitled Mediterraneo which took influence from the Chicago master Larry Heard but added a European ‘Balearic’ perspective which would pave the way for a wave of warm, emotive late night house tracks emanating from Bel Paese. Don Carlos releases have been fairly sporadic since his seminal early 90’s output so Freerange is very happy to bring you brand new material in the form of the I’m Steel Here EP. Across the three original tracks we get to hear him revisit the vibe from those early years whilst bringing things bang up to date for todays DJ’s and dance floors. The title track marries a driving Italo synth bassline with trademark Carlos strings and piano to form an uplifting club track which will lift the spirits of all who hear it. Azimuth comes next cutting up and filtering a piano hook calling the mighty Trackheadz to mind, a gated vocal sample adding a distinctly 90’s hook for a nostalgic slice of regal house. Closing out this gem of an EP we have In The Sky which loops up a classic feel good disco riff for a mid tempo house jam which bumps along nicely and will create the perfect mood in any warm up set worth its salt. More

We hope you’re sharing our enthusiasm for Milton Jackson finding his creative flow again after several years hiatus. The Scotsman has played a key role in helping shape the sound of the label since his first release on Freerange back in 2006 and we’re proud to continue bringing you his chunky, warm, deep house sounds you know and love! Here on the Closure EP we’re treated to three tracks of jazz-flecked summery grooves to move to. Kicking off with Need Your Love, Milton teams up with London keys-man and producer Ski Oakenfull for a bouncing piano house track which sounds like Roy Ayers jamming out with Kerri Chandler and Larry Heard over stripped back beats and an infectious bass line. Next up is Day In, Day Out, just the kind of sun-drenched soulful groove that MJ does to perfection with building strings, euphoric synth stabs and a little vocal hook for that icing on the cake. Wrapping things up in fine style we have the EP title track Closure which pushes the jazz influences to the front, and even adding a touch of gospel flavour in the heartfelt chord progression and organ pads. Crisp, punchy, swinging beats and MAW-style vocal hits keep things rough and ready and before you know it you’ll be bouncing along with a massive grin on your face. Brucey bonus for the vinyl heads… we’ve added a favourite track of ours from his last digital-only EP to this release. Birdsong is a low-slung tropical delight which is one of those grooves that can’t fail to nice up the dance! More

New Zealander via Berlin Philippa is a producer and DJ whose passion for house music, tireless commitment to her craft and ear for what makes a dance floor tick is slowly and surely starting to pay off. Having been a prominent DJ and promoter back in New Zealand she relocated to the European mecca of electronic music in 2013, where she embraced not only Berlin’s nightlife but also its rich heritage of synthesisers, samplers and sound design. She immersed herself in a new world which saw her lecturing at an institute of arts and technology by day and creating beautiful and unique house music by night. Launching At Peace Music in 2019 led to her music falling on the ears of Jimpster who was suitably impressed and eager to hear more. Cut to 2022 and we’re proud to present There’s A Ghost In My Synthesizer, an EP which showcases Philippa’s musicality and production nous across 4 tracks which takes in funk-infused, rolling grooves, blissful, string-heavy atmospherics and crunchy disco beats. On the title track Philippa goes heavy on the strings and horns bringing some welcome Philly Soul vibes to a track which is guaranteed to bring something special to the party. I Guess I Have Boy puts a live bass line front and centre whilst sweeping pads keep things deep and warm. The uptempo funked up groove of Dimes follows, giving us a little hint of Philippa’s love of jacking Chicago house but with her own unique twist with that live, jazzy feel which she does so well. Closing out the EP we have Slow It Down which brings a smooth, soulful touch to the release with lush strings and vocal from Mo Van Zandt. More

Yannick Roberts is a Dutch producer who popped onto the Freerange radar following a rather tasty release on S3A’s excellent Sampling As An Art label. Yannick’s own take on the deep, disco-influenced Detroit house sound spearheaded by fellow countrymen Dam Swindle, Fouk and Nachtbraker is warm and punchy with a big sound which feels like the perfect fit for Freerange. This four track EP kicks off with title track I Can’t Hide From Myself and rolls along perfectly with the help of an infectious roughed up bassline, crunchy hihats and saturated claps. Next up we have the shuffled bumpy groove of Glorious Illusions reminding us of early Dam Swindle complete with sampled stabs and neck-snapping beats. Flipping over we’re treated to Femme Fatale which continues the dusty chopped up MPC sampled vibe in fine style with looped up vocals adding bags of extra energy. Closing out the release we have Desalniettemin which treads a similar path but with a more jazzy approach cutting up some classic Philly soul and reimagining it into a late-night, heads-down basement jam. More

Curating an organically-inspired match between two of UK house music's most outstanding and musically refined artists in recent years, Freerange invite Cody Currie to commence proceedings with his typically deft interpretation of 'Everybody Talks'. The London-born producer has made an enormous impact on the dance underground since emerging in around 2016, releasing a flurry of jazz- inspired titles on benchmark labels including Toy Tonics, Razor N Tape, and Classic. Making his Freerange debut, he elegantly reframes the track while retaining the essence of the original. Gently nudging the drums to add a touch of floor-focused gravity, he carefully spaces out the instrumentation and effect- laden vocal, allowing driving chords to power the US garage-inspired groove deep into sun-kissed dancefloors. Next to appear is Crackazat's original version of the title track, a song that perfectly encapsulates the intelligent pop-centric focus of the forthcoming album. 'Everybody Talks About It' explodes with emotion, with its searing vocal rising over shimmering pads and bass before building to a horn-filled crescendo. The composition sees Crackazat at his song-writing zenith, adding an irresistible crossover sheen to the propulsive club groove. On the flip, we find Crackazat's 'Mana's Dub' of 'I'm Easy', stripping back the vocal and adding bite to the drums as looped instrumentation and celestial synths build to a club-ready fervour. As with the previous single, the inclusion of this well-crafted instrumental transports the track into dubbed-out realms and is sure to hit home with admirers of the vintage Crackazat sound. Finally, the deep disco of the original version of 'I'm Easy' sees blissful chords glide over weighted bass as the vocal powers across the panorama, bursting with Quincy Jones-inspired horns above delicately woven keys and raw house drums. More

Time to welcome Black Loops back once again for his third release on Freerange. Riccardo continues to impress with a consistent and evolving output on labels such as Shall Not Fade, Atteral, Gallery and Madhouse, his warm, bouncing beats and basslines working their magic in a broad cross-section of DJ’s sets the last decade or so. Here on These Changes he teams up with young London producer and vocalist Cody Currie, known for his releases on Classic, Razor n Tape and Toy Tonics. These Changes is an uptempo, shuffling house track with a deep, rolling mood which doffs the cap to classic NYC sounds but with a distinct contemporary spin. The People treads a similar path with a repeating vocal hook and snipped and chopped jazz fusion sample adding the ear candy whilst punchy beats and echoing synths keep the floor bouncing. Think Charles Webster meets Joshua Iz on Guidance in the late 90’s and you’ll get the idea. Closing out this sublime release we have Driver which puts all the focus on a simple, compelling bassline pushing the groove along and creating a deep, emotive late night mood to move to. More

Sasha & Super Flu join forces for electrifying new single, ‘Astra’. Last Night on Earth label head Sasha is proving to be as innovative as ever in the studio of late. The globally renowned producer and game-changing DJ continues exploring rich new musical ground while retaining his signature sense of melody, drama, and energy. He has also made his label an outlet renowned for its quality output and backs that up here with a new collaboration alongside Feliks Thielemann & Mathias Schwarz, better known as Super Flu. The German pair has a sound that knows no bounds and breaks all rules. They tinker with music-making gear, draw from diverse musical influences and are underground mainstays with an enviable discography on numerous key labels. The electrifying 'Astra' is awash with smart effects and filters that smudge and stretch a vocal over rising synth tension. The heavy drums jostle for your attention as the chord vamps twist and turn, ramping up the pressure as they go and building towards a dramatic breakdown. It locks you in the moment before setting off again on more tightly woven drums and synths. The Sasha Daydream Mix is a more blissed-out and late-night rework with shakers, floating drums and deft synth lines drifting about up top to soothing and atmospheric effect. More

Session Victim need little by way of introduction having been releasing on Delusions consistently for the last 10 years and becoming the undisputed poster boys for the label in the process. Despite their regular appearance however, it’s always a real treat to announce a new record from the German duo and we have to say, the Screen Off EP may well find them in their finest form to date! Coming hot off their latest downtempo LP entitled Low Key, Low Pressure for Night Time Stories, you can tell Hauke and Matthias were ready to take things back to the dance-floor and have delivered an EP which looks set to become a future classic and no doubt big in the box of discerning DJ’s the world over. Screen Off is really it’s own thing, living somewhere on the long and winding road between the Bar Kays and the Bad Brains, suffice to say that what it lacks in easily definable attributes it makes up for in sheer energy and raw attitude. Hauke and Matthias re-invite Jamaican poet and vocalist Ras Stimulant, who contemplates our screen addictions and urges us to disconnect and be present in the moment. Matthias’ rolling bassline provides the backbone, whilst hints of crunchy Moog and chopped guitar samples all bring a sense of urgency to the track. Light The Way acts as an antidote, bringing a sense of calm melancholia in contrast to the title track’s low-end, funked-up fervour. A soft focus and almost distant drum groove draws us in whilst arpeggiating synths add a sense of optimism, reinforcing the tracks title. Closing out the release we have Session Victim’s studio partner, good friend and all-round top producer Iron Curtis in for a remix of Light The Way. Johannes takes an interesting approach for his Illuminati interpretation, enhancing the breakbeat feel and mixing up chopped samples with classic 808 drums. A muscular bassline adds extra weight to his remix but without losing the subtle musicality and positive vibe of the original. Being the vinyl purists they are, Session Victim and Iron Curtis top up the physical 12“ EP with the exclusive Screen Off Acapella and an additional Iron Curtis Remix Reprise. More

The 1st Single....
Analogue Stories Vol 1 kicks off with“That Real Live” a spoken word riff from a classic New York film, depicting a tale of the Warriors street gang traversing the five boroughs in an effort to get home, sets the tone for this analogue excursion. Wrapped in “Abacus” synthetics and dub echo guitars. Warm, rich deepness for your solar plexus! “Ignition sequence starts…” Channeling “Sun Ra” Austin cooks up a hypnotic lo-end wiggler filled with arpeggios and synths, topped off with haunting melodies and rhythmic nuances. To quote “Sun Ra” ….Space is the place “ On the B Side “Blacktronica”… a homage to the Belleville 3, The Detroit second wave, Wally Badarou, Herbie Hancock, George Clinton and all the melanated electronic experimenters past and present. Abacus concocts some machine funk for your soul. Rounding out the Analogue Stories is “In4mation”, a play on word structure begging the question “Do we all get the same information?” With subtle grooves ,warm stabbing synths and a fluted rushes of melody , this one will make you say ummm.... More

Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels imprint announces, ‘Portrait of the Obscure’, the stunning new album from Oceanvs Orientalis.

Following three superb singles on the label across the past four months, the nine-track LP offers a comprehensive exploration of the Instanbul-based talent’s rich, globally-infused and captivating sound, with the project set for release on 26th April 2024.

Safak Oz Kutle, known as Oceanvs Orientalis, is a producer and live performer based in Istanbul. His musical style intricately weaves together diverse sonic tapestries of wide-spanning genres and cultures, and through his creative fusion of these influences, he crafts an immersive world that takes you far away from the usual club music references. His music serves as a celebration of his musical heritage, and this has never been truer than on his superb new album ‘Portrait of the Obscure’, which again pushes traditional boundaries within the electronic sphere. Set for release on 26th April via Damian Lazarus’ renowned and celebrated Crosstown Rebels imprint, the nine-track LP project features a showcase of solo and collaborative material alongside close friends such as Tooker, Idil Mese and Tilahun Gessesse, delivering a journey into the creative mind of one of
the scene’s most intriguing talents.

The bold and riveting project kicks off with the captivating synthscapes, fluttering strings and plucked bass of the gorgeous ‘Pulse Antique’, before ‘Ministry Of Midnight’ cuts loose on more jumbled rhythms and intricate organic lines warmed with wordless vocals. Next up are two of the lead
singles - the tense and intricate house sonics of ‘Neutrality’ and the haunting atmospheres and ethereal synth lines of ‘IL Lupo’ featuring Tooker, while ‘Conritmo’ continues to bring exotic new string sounds, leftfield melodies and warped bass to this most vibrant exploration of candle-lit house sounds. ‘Soul of Calypso’ blisses out on far-sighted cosmic chords with sonorous bells and late-night spoken word musings that add all-new character to the innovative grooves. Then comes the laid-back, jazz-infused house of ‘Heart Pieces’ feat. Idil Mese, a deep and jazzy jungle shuffler
in ‘Mercury’ and the playful horns and lumpy, dub-wise swagger of ‘Lanchi Biye’.

An album project encompassing its title perfectly, ‘Portrait of the Obscure’ is just that - a magnificent snapshot of the unique musical mind of Oceanvs Orientalis. More