Back Catalogue - shipping beginning by June 20


On their latest excursion, Last Year At Maienbad proudly invites you into the gloriously breezy, beautifully put-together world of Retromigration, who’s melodic abilities have put him firmly within everyone’s passenger seat as they shoot down a sun-kissed highway…

There are a number of artists within the present day whose names remain constantly on the tongues of music lovers, and Retromigration’s name has been there so consistently of late for a number of reasons. His music represents the nucleus of what dance music means to so many, a form of music that channels the soul, chimes deep within the mind, and makes the listener escape into the depths of their emotional palette. His songs have an ever present Jazz presence to them, but his sound has numerous components to it, with rhythmic feel being right at the heart of proceedings. Retromigration always finds a way to feel himself out within his records, covering an enormity of ground and allowing each track to interact with the next. This makes his tracks at ease with the listener, forging a vital connection that works with mood and the concept of listening intently – and feeling very content about it. The instrumental approach he makes is certainly something, and channels into the notion that his music can come alive in any context, swaying to the rhythm of life rather than the confines of space. With excellent releases on labels such as WOLF, Handy and previously on Last Year at Marienbad to name but a few, Retromigration has traversed the plains of human expressionism and conjured up some pure magic within his music, not least with this latest effort of his…..

2022 was a busy year for the producer, overseeing four releases including ‘Kush Calls’, which featured some truly exquisite and memorable cuts that lingered long in the memory. ‘Dead Tech’ sees Retromigration shift over into more clubby territory, but many of the motifs we all know and love him for make some notable appearances as we shift from track to track. Playful, emotively porous and ever-searching are perhaps some key features of the first two tracks, ‘BO’ and ‘Lapras’, which represent Retromigration doing a house in such a refined and considered manner. Powerful swaying rhythm sections interweave themselves with melodic excellence, including an inspired flute line that rides high within the EP’s opener. The intro then flows into a groove like no other, with the flute featuring prominently once again, with particular emphasis placed upon the breakdown, which dips the listener in such a glorious mood. The vocals that move in and around the groove are inspired, providing an additional level of narrative in which to dive deep within.

The title track anchors the album in the mid-section, and it takes the mood down to a softly speaking space. Effortless in its approach, the tune takes all the time it needs to saunter along, with a groove to ride upon and a collection of melodic layers that are so easy on the ear and the heart too. ‘Half Pure’ arrives next, and this one kicks the tempo up a few notches to the energies that persisted in the opening cuts. The vocals make more of a visible presence here, with the repeating vocal working very well indeed with the solid chordal arrangement. The melodies are once again handled with care and attention, their floating feel merging superbly with the rhythm as the listener is allowed to rise higher and higher. To wrap up proceedings, we have Da Poet on remix duties of ‘Half Pure’, and this one complements what has come before wonderfully. The additional glassy chords do wonders to the soul, with the bass line adding power and purpose to the groove. It’s a fitting end to a record that carries the listener along, showcasing all it has to offer from up high but also on the ground, with feelings reverberating from top to bottom – always shifting, searching and moving, no matter what.

Artists who remain on people’s lips are worth talking about for a reason, and with this latest effort, Retromigration continues his presence at the forefront of dance music in general. A record that is sophisticated technically, with the production second to none, but it’s the centre of the tunes that make it magical. The soul is laid bare in its various guises, from the up-tempo right through to the slow and steady, there is so much here to feel with and grow alongside, and for that we can all be pleased for this to pass through our mind. So go on, take a gander, breathe, and immerse yourself……

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Back Catalogue - shipping beginning by June 20

The wax is hot. The tunes are massive. Oath’s sub-label, Last Year at Marienbad, dispenses a foursome of punchy house tracks for its fifth release, lovingly crafted by some of the genre’s finest producers.

‘The Way We Flow’ by Sam Paradise pairs detuned, lo-fi samples with thumping kicks, and muffled drums. Just when those innocent lo-fi elements simmer, the drums slam back into your periphery harder than ever, making for an absolute dancefloor smasher.

‘De Nuit (3 A.M)’ by Nu-Cleo descends deeper. Swinging drums and chocolatey, indulgent keys lay the basis for a hypnotic acid bassline. Real tension builder.

Flipping over to the B-Side – careful, it’s hot – is ‘She Wrote’ by Gloved Hands. Seemingly just a ride through a well-made bouncing synth and house groove combo at first, this track soon shows off Gloved Hands’ knack for leftfield flavours. There’s an unexpected trap-esque vocal that gets re-contextualised for the club alongside piercing synths and a bulging broken beat.

‘Hard Deep’ by Rick Wade is an obvious one. The stalwart of the house scene serves up another of his zesty, masterful grooves. Shimmering, effortless keys steer a tight drum groove while a subtle bassline nestles between the kick’s low end.

Four cuts from four house experts. Is there much more a dancefloor could ask for?

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Back Catalogue - shipping beginning by June 20


Picture this – the light in the room has moved into the golden hour, where the sunlight sits so easy on the walls, soaking up the wooden floors, illuminating the plants, and making the crystals in the drink feel that oh-so sweet. The wavelengths that reverberate around the room flow into the sun-drenched evening sky, blue and warm to the touch, easing the mind as smiles abound on those all around the floor. All this and more can be found in the expertly curated vibe that is KX9000’s ‘The Sofa Lamp’ EP, the latest perfected atmosphere from Oath sub-label Last Year in Marienbad.

KX9000 is the primary alias of Kerim Ben Mustapha, who for a good while now has been serving up the kinds of Jazz tinged, softly undulating dance-y cuts that expertly nail the orange hues that frequent the finer moments in life, regardless of whether its the hottest dance floor or a fun-fuelled home exercusion. His previous efforts have all impressed, with a finely stuck balance found between rhythm and melodic features. Mustapha’s framework picks from a wide range of motifs, all of which touch upon a number of cornerstones within the contemporary electronic melting pot. What comes out of the process is a sound that is elegant, effortless and infectious, cutting through pre-conceived contexts and aligning itself with the mood that comes from people being together. His previous efforts cover it all – the peak time, the down times and that middle ground that simply gets things going, its dance music that is both emotionally and rhythmically intuitive, and as you dive deeper there is always more to be elaborated on and enjoyed.

‘The Sofa Lamp’ is the next serving that Mustapha has come to the surface with, and it has all the hallmarks of his established sound, but with plenty of scopes bolted on that make this a throughly well-rounded and delectable audial experience. The EP spends no time messing about, with the opener ‘Sauce Pepe’ throwing itself right into the mix, with its engrossing percussive palette doing much to get the vibrations flowing. The bass line adds weight whilst the melodic outlay that develops up top consists of jazz laden chords, snazzy horns and deep set chordal patterns, and its easy to say this will be doing the rounds come summer. ‘Locha’ arrives next, which features Cosmonection, and this one kicks the tempo up a little bit. The beat swings expertly, providing a basis for a grooving bass line to meander through the bottom ends, all the while sun-kissed chords lap over the top with such feverishness. The layers are collated and managed for maximum effectiveness, with the breaks provided allowing for those bona fide hands-in-the-air moments. ‘April’, which features man of the moment Tour Maubourg, keeps the rhythmic flavours flowing from the previous effort, with the emotive quality of the chords traveling deep into the neurons. The gorgeous lead line adds a ear worm that will last for days, and with that the key ingredients persist for an inspired dip into the dance. Last but not least, ‘Everw*day’ caps off the experience with purpose and emotional presence, with the music operating beautifully been expansive deep house notions and the rhythms of Balaeria – it does much to leave a long-lasting impression on those who encounter this collection of tunes, and we for one feel all the richer for sticking by it for these four excellent cuts.

If enriching environmental dance music is what you are after, then this is the EP for you. This EP sees KX9000 in peerless form, helped along by some inspired features that add density to proceedings and allow for the most well-rounded of experiences to prevail. If there ever was a record to soundtrack the good times, the ones where you feel at ease with your surroundings and melt into the sunlight, then this is the one for you – so go on, give it a spin.

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Back Catalogue - shipping beginning by June 20


As we stumble into 2023, Oath sub-label Last Year At Marienbad stands tall with this wondrous new mini-album from the multi-faceted and talented Ben Hauke, with a collection of tracks that make the head turn and the soul yearn.

Ever since his debut back in 2013, Hauke has been chasing a sound that is fed into from multiple angles and reference points, so much so that it feels like he has been making music over the course of many lifetimes. Hauke operates within that contemporary House realm where the genre is broken down and reconstructed within differing images, but there is a continuity that threads it all together, a deep mystifying presence that knits skylight emotions with superb drumming patterns. His craft as such feels elastic and boundless, leaving the listener finding all they could ever wish for and more with every release, the flow from one record to the next only bounding people more to his effortless emotive breeze. There’s a haziness to his work that persists within the sampled feel of many elements within his tunes, which provide an earthiness to proceedings and provide vitality in all its forms. So much has been covered within his soundscape yet there is always room for growth, such as Hauke’s vision and his control over how his sound will develop and morph. He has released on a wide variety of labels, including Far Out, Church, Hear Other Sounds, Melodica, Co-Operation Recordings, and YAM. The founding of WOOP records would go on to see Hauke further experiment with his style, with UK Garage, Jungle, and Breakbeat all making an appearance on this wonderful series of wax releases which only further Hauke as a go-to producer for keeping you on your toes and for taking you deep within the dance.

It only makes sense for Hauke to release his latest masterclass via the one and only Last Year In Marienbad, which has blessed us with two excellent records from Retromigration and Jesse Bru thus far, with ‘Save The Date’ acting as yet another impressive step forward for both the imprint and Hauke. The record is, as always, seeped in dynamic boundary defying moods and breezy, steppin grooves, moving easily from club floors through to sun kissed walks and deep hued evenings. There’s the broken beat masterclasses in the form of ‘Make Up Break Up Bench’ and ‘Let’s Move On Bro’, both of which contain swings that could move mountains and a sombre yet uplifting top layer of keys and flutes which really tie into that sampled feel we know and adore Hauke for. Then there’s the upbeat house numbers, and they really are something – from the fast talking ‘Watch Me Now’, with its gorgeous filtered melodic lines and evocative vocal elements, through to the 90s leaning ‘Forever Me’ with its electronic Sax taking centre stage as we welcome the morning light, through to the title track and its driving wobbles and emphatic piano lines, there is much to be said about the spaces that can be inhabited within and around these tracks. There’s even time for a break halfway through, with the sub-1 minute ‘First Snow’ showcasing Hauke’s love of Hip Hop , and within a sea of energized grooves its joyous to be provided with a differing side to the story, recharge if you will.

Ben Hauke has really harnessed a particular something during his career to date, and it is no surprise that he continues to push out top-quality recordings that feel very much in his own image, and for us ‘Save The Date’ feels like his most complete and accomplished release to date, and that is saying something when compared to the quality he has provided us with before. Heart-inducing, pulse-setting, all bound within a easygoing atmosphere that washes away the fears and sets the mind on a brighter path – a path we are so very willing to traverse. So why not take a gander and be whisked away on a sea of only the finest House laden Vibrations – Mr. Hauke has you covered…..

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2 x 12"

Tracklist 12":

A1) The Barking Dogs - Mamarracho feat. Marcelo Burlon (Hot Version)
A2) Munk & Kapote - Misterio (Severino Horse Meat Disco Remix Hot Version)
A3) Dimitri From Paris & DJ Rocca - Ero Disco Theme

B1) Capablanca & T. Keeler - No Hay Ritmo (Hot Version)
B2) The Glimmers - U Rocked My World (Pete Herbert & Tristan da Cunha Remix)

C1) The Deadstock 33s - Underneath The Pines
C2) Mercury - Spiritual

D1) Leroy Hanghofer - Pin (Hot Version)
D2) Daniel Avery & The Deadstock 33s - Eric Zann Revisited
D3) The KDMS - Never Stop Believing (Nicky Siano Remix Hot Version)

TOY TONICS continues with re-releasing the best tracks of GOMMA RECORDS. The German label that between 2001 and 2015 was one of the key imprints of the then so hyped indie dance, new wave funk and proto disco sound (along with James Murphy’s DFA, Trevor Jackson’s Output records and later Ed Banger records). The Y2K sound.. that now starts to become in demand again.

The most important releases on Gomma were by Peaches, WhoMadeWho, The Rammellzee, James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem and Nick McCarthy of Franz Ferdinand. Their Gomma-tracks were on the first two parts of this GOMMA DANCEFLOOR GEMS compilations series on Toy Tonics.

Now here comes a 3nd compilation part with music by Dimitri from Paris who also did several EPs on Gomma in the 2000s. Also legendary Belgian disco DJs The Glimmers are featured (they had one album on Gomma in 2008) and UK legend Justin Robertson aka The Deadstock 33’s and one of the first ever releases by Daniel Avery (also on Gomma back then). You find remixes by Nicky Siano (Studio 54 DJs legend) and Horse Meat Disco who back then just started their party series and already were connected to Gomma records. The is an amazing Flamenco Disco track by Spanish producer Hugo Capablanca and T.Keeler that has been hammered by everybody from Optimo to Ivan Smagghe back then and Italian music diggers The Barking Dogs together with now fashion designer Marcelo Burlon are featured with an amazingly catchy Electro Pop track. Of course also Munk who was the founder of Gomma records is on the compilation. Munk is Mathias Modica and as you might know since a few years works under the name Kapote. He was the co-founder of Gomma and later Toy Tonics records. Toy Tonics actually starts as a mini sublabel of Gomma records in 2013 but took over later. While Gomma has been closed since 2015.

Gomma not only was a record label, but was also a home for cutting edge design, wild T-shirt styles, underground exhibitions with new artists from the Berlin scene and crazy poster and fanzine design.

Gomma not only preceded many musical trends by experimenting with club music and mixing up different styles but was also very respected for the graphic design work and almost initiated several graphic design trends of the last years in their poster and sleeve designs. And many record and street wear labels of today look a bit like Gomma was looking before ...

The Gomma visuals world was exposed in a couple of exhibitions around the world and at a big exhibition at Museum Haus der Kunst München before the label was closed in 2015.





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GENRE/S: House, Deep House

TRACKLIST:

[12” vinyl]
A: Stay Here
B: Writer

Two of the most sensitive and sweet big room bangers to ever fill a floor, here’s Stay Here and Writer, the results of a recent machine jam between heavyweights of emotional dance music, Fort Romeau and Gold Panda.

Stay Here strikes first with slowly simmering synthesizers intertwining with slinky guitars and delicate vocal samples, while b-side Writer shows up to the party loaded with restrained euphoria, steady beats paving the path for the fragile acoustic elements of its glorious, beatless ending.

All of this spiked with just the right amount of acid to keep things constantly entrancing!

The record comes wrapped up in designer Eliot Axelsson's blurry shapes and vivid colours, arriving on vinyl and in digital form through Studio Barnhus on November 8.


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12” vinyl with full cover print

TRACKLIST:

A1. Quintessence
A2. Elusive
B1. Diminished Dub
B2. Unattributed


INFO:

On Figure X45 we are presenting a new up and coming artist, Jancen. With only a handful releases under his belt, this promising young dutchman delivers immaculate productions that veer between the deep and the jacking, always powerful and driving but with a strong sense of groove pervading throughout.

His opener Quintessence leans on the hypnotic side, distilling the effect of a mesmerizingly simple loop reduced to the beauty of its essential elements. Racking up the momentum is tightly bouncing Elusive, riding a funky acid riff that transforms the track into one of those unexpected moments of raising the energy mid-set.
On the B-side, Jancen showcases his talent of building mind-expanding dub-techno excursions, as the echoes of Diminished Dub roll out while even packing some proper propulsive percussion on top! Final track Unattributed takes us way down the rabbit hole into atmospheric trippy territory as searing hats pave the path ever further into the belly of the beast.
For buyers of the digital package, Frostbite sits somewhere in between all of the above, combining sparse stabs of resonant synths with thumping kicks and a pumping rhythm to find that complex equilibrium of depth and charge…

Stay tuned for more tracks from Jancen to keep you warm later this winter, coming right here on Figure.




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Territories: Worldwide no restrictions

Format Notes: Part of Bobby Caldwell Reissue Campaign, 2023 first time reissue, 140g vinyl

Track List:

A1 Coming Down From Love 4:01
A2 Wrong Or Right 4:56
A3 To Know What You've Got 3:08
A4 You Promised Me 4:01

B1 It's Over 2:56
B2 Open Your Eyes 3:43
B3 Mother Of Creation 5:05
B4 I Don't Want To Lose Your Love 4:35


Release Notes:

Bobby Caldwell's second album, Cat In The Hat, from 1980, is one of his greatest moments and another masterwork of soulful sophistication. Featuring the eternal "Open Your Eyes", brilliantly sampled by J Dilla for Common's "The Light", it's about as essential as records get. Like its eponymous predecessor, it's been out of print for far too long. To finally release the hugely-anticipated reissue is one of our sincerely proudest moments.

Whilst Ned Doheny is known in Japan as "Mr California", native New Yorker Bobby Caldwell has always been "Mr AOR" to his Far-Eastern friends. His distinct charm is an irresistible blend of soul, jazz, and pop influences. He possessed phenomenal songwriting prowess, smooth vocal performances, was both a great soul guitarist and dextrous keyboard player and known for genius chord progressions. It all added up to a multi-layered brilliance entering the studio, and the singular sound he landed on was laced with soulful, sweeping strings and funky horns, touching lightly on disco, while allowing his supple voice to carry the stunning tracks he'd crafted.

Right from the off, it's easy to tell that Cat In The Hat is a deeply special record. It's fantastically produced and incredibly well-rounded, carving its own lane with deep soul, warm jazz and a stunning vocal delivery that really helped Bobby reach out to some big new audiences at the time. Goosebumps at the ready for the rolling power-piano funk of "Coming Down From Love", opening up the album with a track as good as anything Steely Dan or The Doobies ever crafted, with a vocal performance from the heavens. Pumping AOR wonder "Wrong Or Right" is up there with the slick, classy rhythms of prime Ned Doheny whilst the cool, skipping soul of guitar-drenched "To Know What You've Got" is a funky ballad par excellence, with elemental traces of "What A Fool Believes". No bad thing. Closing out Side A, the folk-funk of "You Promised Me" is a bright, soulful strut with a wonderful vocal coda that just builds. Sensational.

The delicate bounce and falsetto self-harmonising of "It's Over" offers a truly delightful introduction to Side B, and serves as a great precursor to what follows. Bobby's dynamite "Open Your Eyes" is likely the reason you're all here. As if he needed it, the eternal J Dilla further immortalised Caldwell in the hip-hop canon with his production of Common’s epochal “The Light,” which heavily samples the magical “Open Your Eyes.” On a post paying tribute to Bobby in March 2023, Questlove claimed that he "got word Brother Bobby loved it". Bobby's original has seen new life even more recently from the likes of Dwele and Kendrick Lamar and deservingly so, as its insistent drums and staccato piano created a modern-soul classic. You'd think that would be hard to follow, wouldn't you? Not so, when you're Bobby Caldwell. Indeed, the horn-drenched stepper "Mother Of Creation" is absolutely ace, and, whisper it, possibly the album's finest track, all funky piano and guitars with horn lines to die for. Exquisite ballad "I Don't Want To Lose Your Love" rounds out the album beautifully.

Bobby sadly passed away on 23rd March 2023, after a long struggle with mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress, due to an adverse effect from a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. The reissue of Cat In The Hat will be available on vinyl across the globe, ensuring that fans of his incomparable talent - and soul music enthusiasts worldwide - can radiate in the deep beauty of this seminal album. Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possibly quality at Record Industry in Holland.



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GENRE/S: Techno, Ambient Techno, Melodic Techno

Exclusive artwork design by Deutsche & Japaner

TRACKLIST:

A1. Recondite – Shun (5:43)
A2. Recondite – Tide (6:05)
B1. Recondite – Dust (Album Version) (5:13)
B2. Recondite – Karat (5:25)
C1. Recondite – Vait (5:30)
C2. Recondite – Introsepct (5:35)
C3. Recondite – Atma (Album Version) (4:59)
D1. Recondite – Uvanet with Chris Avantgarde (6:08)
D2. Recondite – Cut (Album Version) (5:12)
D3. Recondite – Falling (Album Version) (3:37)


INFO:

Feeling the deep and the hi simultaneously. Not craving for the extreme - finding balance instead. Indifference.
The word reflects what I often felt in recent times. Not just a feeling but a desire for things less pointed. It seems to be a general zeitgeist phenomenon but as I am part of the electronic music scene, I reflect a lot
about what is happening within this genre. There has been an urge for the either really hard, driving, fast and aggressive, or the extreme opposite.
Catchy vocals with a pop music feel, very direct and relatable melodies, soft grooves, piano chords. Either way - it feels like it has to be very distinctive - aggressive or soft - as long as it is extreme. It seems to be a moment in time where in whatever you do - it HAS to be in the face. All of this is fine of course - but never was my nature or personality. There is a reason why I chose to the adjective "Recondite" as an artist name because I could identify with the meaning of it. "hidden, obscure, not in the obvious”.
“Indifferent” is opposing this Zeitgeist and is representing driving techno with minimalistic melodic atmospheres, deep, haunting vibes, reserved yet strong and decisive within its own language, floating between melancholic desperation and hopefulness - music that lives right in between the hard and the soft... the aggressive and the neat... not black or white.
Not separated but INDIFFERENT.


SHORT VERSION:

“Indifferent” is opposing this Zeitgeist and is representing driving techno with minimalistic melodic atmospheres, deep, haunting vibes, reserved yet strong and decisive within its own language, floating between melancholic desperation and hopefulness - music that lives right in between the hard and the soft... the aggressive and the neat... not black or white.
Not separated but INDIFFERENT.


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