An EP of mind-massaging techno-trance futurism from Wata Igarashi. Capturing the energy of the UFO stages which indulge Dekmantel Festival's darker, experimental tastes, Igarashi turns out four shapely serotonin injections in his inimitable style.

There's an immediacy to the Kaleidoscopic 12" which rushes into earshot the moment the EP fires up with the insistent acid throb of the title track. The eternal undulation of a 303 provides the bedrock for Igarashi's fluttering brushstrokes, while a tough yet supple beat charges underneath. Cascading arps are a core element of the richly melodic sound on this release, reaching measured peaks of ecstasy on 'The Sailage' without ever taking a cheap shortcut. Understated, emotionally-charged eloquence spills out of every sequence. There's a softer, blurry-eyed sentiment to the synth work on 'Steaming', while 'Interweave' tempers classic acid techno tropes with gaseous atmospherics.

There are plenty of crisp edges in his tracks for the dancers to latch onto, but Igarashi specialises in a fluid motion that encourages less thinking and more feeling—a lysergic techno flow to truly melt into.

Dekmantel continues to shape out the return of its UFO series with this new wave of 12"s... keep watching More

Emotional Rescue completes the series of non-defined reissues where the label licenses an all-time favourite, remasters and then reappraised with new interpretations by contemporary producers for today’s collectors.

After the series started back in 2019 with Hawkwind’s sprawling psychedelic electronics, featuring deep drone mixes by the esteemed digger Cherrystones (ERC074), the bouncing cosmic-Balearics of Thomas Leer with wonderful reworkings by friend and producer Bullion (ERC075) and then the post punk dubs of The Embrace and Timothy J Faiplay’s brooding italo-dub excursions (ERC076), there was always one artist and producer left out. Finally, then the percussive excursion of the early 80s band The Impossible Dreamers and their cult B side jam, Spin, coming with 9 minutes percussion-dub extravaganza of an extended reversion, plus a dub heavy reprise, by label go-to Dan Tyler (Idjut Boys /Noid), under his NAD moniker.

Started by a group of friends while at Exeter University that centered around Caroline Radcliffe, James Hood, Justin Adams and Nick Waterhouse, their debut 12” record is one of just three on the 100 Things To Do label. The other two releases have already been covered with the Hamburger All Stars ‘Swinging London’ 12” (ERC114) of 2022.

Recorded before the move to West London, ‘Life On Earth’ was a raw post punk vocal pop cut, with influences of dub, funk, hip-hop and African music shining through, there were in their own words, “young music fans starting out, with no agenda”.

However, it was on the B side that things got interesting. Enamored by the growing trend of extended 12” singles, they decided, with the A side wrapped up, to have some studio experimentation by recording a drumming jam, with all the members playing percussion, followed by some overdubbing. Memories are hazy, but at the time the band was an 8-piece, so the results a chaotic explosion, capturing the essence of that time. Featuring Nick and James on 4 hand piano, plus Caroline on Oboe, with some additional hollering and wooping vocals, Spin was a 5-minute burst of energy.

In effect, self-released in 1982, the band didn’t expect much to come of it, but the 12” acted as a calling card leading them to London and later signing for RCA. At the same time, Spin was being discovered in the early eighties alternative club world. On a trip to New York, the track was heard being played Downtown, and on enquiring it was discovered the DJ was playing a 7” that was never an official release but cut in the US solely for the club DJs there.

Its resonance extended further, to Italy and the Cosmic club of the resident, an ever-searching Danielle Baldelli, before being picked up a few years later by a young Andrew Weatherall during his pursuit of an alternative “Balearic” beat during the late eighties Summers of Love and has even recently received the Joe Clausell edit treatment back again in NYC.

For the remake to fit the label series, it was only right to ask label friend Dan Tyler to do what he does so well, putting the original through his array of dub machines and pedals, extending and cutting with aplomb to create an incendiary ‘Reversion’ that will send dancefloors literally in a spin. Teasing the percussion incandescent, looping and teasing, the piano held back before finally releasing in a haze of dub effects.

This is followed by the ‘Riddim Reprise’. Working with London based drummer Matt Bruce (Claptrap), this is the perfect DJ tool, taking the original idea of the band, to just jam see what happens, twisting it full of space echo and reverb, to offer a perfect 12” Extended Mix. More

Fusing dub techno futurism with roots-minded spirituality, Dialog returns for a third release in their ongoing 12" series. The collaborative project finds Samuel van Dijk (VC-118A, Multicast Dynamics) and Rasmus Hedlund channelling their studio skills into a warm, expressive strain of soundsystem-spirited production voiced by Jamaica-born, Finland-based vocalist Benji. On this latest record, 'Better Way' leads on Side A with an upfront steppas pulse carrying Benji's meditations on the need for new solutions to society's enduring problems. On Side B, 'Child Was I' takes a deeper, more introspective route as Benji reflects on the impact lived experience has in shaping our decisions as we grow. Both sides follow the time-honoured dubwise tradition of featuring vocal and instrumental dub versions for maximum immersion in Dialog's intoxicating, immaculately rendered sound. More

Sales Note
30 years of Fuse. That's 1,560 weekends of love, techno, I <3 TECHNO, Motion Room, party flyers, La Demence, renovations, label nights, sound isolations, Jeu de Balle, long shifts, noise complaints, stylus replacements, after-hours, legendary b2bs, compilations, resident DJs, On The Beach, emergency loops, and an unfathomable amount of tickets boisson.
2024 marked the nightclub Fuse's 30th year of continuous operation on Rue Blaes in Brussels. Belgium is home to cultural visionaries, break-the-mould characters, and prolific producers who helped shape the foundations of the electronic music scene we enjoy today. As a result, Fuse's story traces the outlines of the house and techno history at large. Through striking visuals, quotes, research, and storytelling, this book connects the dots between the rise of renowned artists and uniquely Belgian characters that crystallised Fuse as a temple of underground dance music.
From Detroit to the Marolles, Ricardo Villalobos to DJ Pierre, Carl Craig to Trish Van Eynde, Daft Punk to Deg, Laurent Garnier to Charlotte de Witte, Warp to Music Man Records, even Depeche Mode to Bjork, this book documents not only the iconic performances and moments over the years but also the stories of those who took the risk of running a nightclub and the tens of thousands of dancers who poured their love, sweat, and tears into the labyrinthine walls of Fuse.
An essential for any raver or lover of electronic music history, this book is an archival work dedicated to the music heads who have kept their minds and ears open since 1994.
Keep on Fusin'.

Quote Jeff Mills:
Fuse is a testament to the theory that "important" things have a lasting power. The unique chemistry of a well-educated
audience, intuitive production, and a steady diet of masterful DJs through great curation make the club one of the best in the world. Being invited many times over the decades, I've never known The Fuse other than being a wild and adventurous atmosphere--it's addictive. (Jeff Mills, 2024) More

Collector, seeker and storyteller Charles Bals brings his curatorial finesse to Hamburg"s Bureau B with "Ambientale", a journey into otherworldly sounds from the years 1983 - 2000. Drifting effortlessly between digital exoticism, mellow fusion, new age groove and library electronics, the pieces range from largely obscure to utterly un-google-able, and coalesce into a stunning soundtrack to tranquil seas, desert sand and starlit skies. Cinematic & enigmatic, "Ambientale" is a stranger you"ve only just met but can"t stop thinking about. More