Beautiful cinematic electronix on this full length album by Lord Of The Isles inspired by the beauty of the islands of Scotland. Neil McDonald's love of the outdoors is a constant feature in his music, hence his Lord Of The Isles moniker, a direct reference to the Highlands and islands of his native Scotland. His vivid, effervescent and blissfully cinematic sound paints a soundtrack to unmade films, building imaginary worlds inspired by his childhood passion for science fiction. It is therefore no coincidence that the closing track 'Subtle Thoughts' samples the inimitable voice of Carl Sagan and is also the name of his forthcoming album on Lapsus Records. Subtle Thoughts' is an album of sumptuous melancholic electronica that, like all his previous works, avoids being pigeonholed. In it we find ambient and IDM, but also breaks and down-tempo 4x4 beats with deep ruminations, and even passages akin to new age and Balearic. In Neil's own words, the real concept behind 'Subtle Thoughts' is "The spaces in between. Listening to the quiet voices. Freedom of expression and being open. It also contains my hopes and fears for the future of our world, but mainly hope and love". Subtle Thoughts' will be released on 8 December with two advance singles: 'Open Mode' accompanying the album launch on 7 October; followed by 'Return to Yourself' on 4 November.

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'Night Of The Endless Beyond', the sophomore album by Lord Of The Isles AKA Neil McDonald for the ESP Institute, had almost become a mythical piece of work. The tracks very slowly crept into formation from the lowest depths of 2021, and once the completed album finally made the leap from creation into manufacturing, an entirely new onslaught of follies and delays awaited at the pressing plant. We began to laugh, for not only did Mario Hugo’s otherworldly sleeve artwork visually translate this music so well, but it was an uncanny premonition to the album being lost in space, falling through a black hole, evaporating into the aether like a dream that never really happened. But, at long last, ground control has confirmed contact! It did happen, it will arrive, and it’s not a myth. Listening to 'Night Of The Endless Beyond' now feels like the return of a strayed friend, one whose distance left us pining for an embrace. Although this Techno relies on unassuming means, there is a remarkably complex and persuasive emotional statement embedded here, insisting we learn to endure the long game and allow ourselves patience to investigate and appreciate the minutiae contained not only within the notes, but their negative space. From its introduction, through its mellow crests and valleys, there is a conveyance of restraint — subtle dynamics that quietly beg for attention, repetition so hypnotic that imaginary melodies are inescapable, transient peaks so deliberately scaled that we mourn the subsequent decay. In accordance with Neil’s ESP debut, 'In Waves', we never feel attacked by instrumentation but shielded from sharp edges, able to step inside the music, breathe the air it occupies and know its true intentions, whether bright or bleak.
Just prior to the album close, a film dialogue excerpt summarizes everything quite honestly by proposing, “The truth of the universe is waiting … the truth of what is … it’s all going to go away … everything … into blackness … the void … and nobody is in charge.” “…and what do you do with that?” We stare long into the 'Night Of The Endless Beyond' and answer… “You smile.”

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New record label set up by Lord Of The Isles. Inspired by the long summer nights of the northern hemisphere. Known as the ‘Gloamin’ in old Scots language. When the edges blur and colours become a white pink haze, the possibilities can seem endless. Melancholic thoughts of the past inspire unbridled optimism for the future. The unexpected is expected between sunset and the fall of night.

The first expansive motif laid down for the new Dusk Delay imprint is the Geoglyph EP by Lord Of The Isles himself. Clocking in at 39 mins across 5 tracks; It expertly fuses rare vintage instruments and effects with ultra-modern production techniques. Side A sees state of the art sequencers lead the antique machines on a merry dance through dub techno excursions and ambient jungle soundscapes. Side B utilises a more traditional approach, however, the results are no less beautiful or otherworldly. The creative inspiration here is the same - vintage meets modern - but this time it’s created using live improvisations woven into coherent arrangements to terraform a similar fictional landscape of sound that belongs to the same galaxy as side A.

Available in all formats 26 April 2021 – includes a limited-edition marble vinyl release with postcard.

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The third installment on the Lord Of The Isles DFSANT series.

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Restock

Our man Neil aka Lord of the Isles drops another face-melter for his recently birthed label Dfsant. Don't ask us what that means by the way, we have no idea. Here on the second 12". the laird treats to a further three tracks of sublime techno / house hybrids: the opener "Synth Plus" is a kosmiche throbber with a lick of motor city melodrama, whilst "To Here" comes on like a decidedly less shit-scary Black Merlin, and to close things out we have a slo-mo acid disco cut in the form of "Heyta Hota". Real nice stuff folks.





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DSFANT is a new label from Lord of the Isles

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McDonald’s long-standing relationship with Firecracker boss Lindsay Todd – dating back a decade to their joint residency in Edinburgh – has seen Lord Of The Isles records appear on both UNTHANK and Shevchenko, whilst he also contributed to the Scotch and field recording shenanigans of last year’s Mac-talla Nan Creag album. Now, McDonald will now graduate to the main Firecracker label for a full Lord Of The Isles debut due in December under the name Parabolas Of Neon. Taking shape as a six-track 12'', the record features glacial techno and downtempo, cinematic melancholia; a fitting tribute to peaks conquered, whisky-drenched travelogues, warehouse parties, long drives and fried afters.



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Lord Of The Isles, a.k.a. Neil McDonald, has spent the better part of a decade steadily producing and releasing beautiful music.The ESP Institute has always wholeheartedly believed in Neil’s work ethic and his journey as an artist who constantly refines his vision, and when we inevitably approached in hopes of working together, we were enamoured by the sheer breadth and depth of work he had 'in progress’. There are two types of artists. One internalises their process, endlessly perfecting their work while finding the endpoint a massive hurdle, in turn they produce immaculate yet very little art.The other is continuously inspired, so full of ideas they can barely work fast enough to articulate them all.The art becomes by-product of their larger trajectory and not just a collection of endpoints. Lord Of The Isles seems to be both, always in an evolving state of process where the work is constantly shed to make way for the new layer growing beneath, yet he holds his cards closely, cherry picking when and with whom he releases his art into the world. Neil is simply prolific. He shared with us a vast catalog of unheard beauty, which over a long span of time was collaboratively shaped into his debut album “In Waves”.The title speaks to Neil’s process both intimately and from afar, it speaks to the emotional ebb and flow of the music itself, and ultimately it speaks to the listener. This album will gift you with something new upon every listen, a concept that is
also gracefully interpreted into the album’s artwork by New York City artist, Hassan Rahim.The visceral aesthetic Neil portrays throughout these 15 songs is most certainly a landscape, an assemblage of intimate stories that, as a whole, give us this wider view of his intense drive, his multi-faceted quiver of skill, and his ultimate obsession... beauty.

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Lord Of The Isles, a.k.a. Neil McDonald, has spent the better part of a decade steadily producing and releasing beautiful music. The ESP Institute has always wholeheartedly believed in Neil’s work ethic and his journey as an artist who constantly refines his vision, and when we inevitably approached in hopes of working together, we were enamoured by the sheer breadth and depth of work he had 'in progress’.Ahead of the album’s release, we are proud to share with you the single ‘Weh-In’, a mesmerizing arpeggio melody that opens and closes, purrs and barks, and plays nicely with its percussive accompaniment over more than 10 minutes. This lengthy single version of the track is joined by a dark and stormy, exclusive non-album cut entitled ‘Pik’, as well as a big room rave remix by ESP Institute resident Ian Blevins, which take us to a slightly more frantic place while retaining the euphoric essence of the original.

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Scottish producer Lord Of The Isles surely dropped some jaws in the last couple of years with some widely praised releases on excellent labels such as Ene records, Firecracker, Phonica, Cocktail d' amore or his own label Little Strong. Permanent Vacation welcomes him now with an expansive five track ep that shows his talent in the full monty. Cinematic soundscapes between Planet E-styled Techno, Bubbling Electronica, floating ambient and analog warehouse roughness that fits into the amazon jungle as well as into the Scottish high lands. Strike your weapons resistance is futile.

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For the second release on Lord Of The Isles’s Dusk Delay imprint we see the Kimochi Sound and Hanagasumi regular, Shine Grooves deliver one of his best organic electronic odysseys to date. Spanning 6 tracks; it masterfully traverses an exciting intergalactic sonic landscape. Aptly titled ‘Pictures Of Mood’, the EP conjures vivid imagery through evocative deep experimental introspection, soul enhancing optimism and eyes-closed dancefloor dreaming.

Limited vinyl run with Riso print.

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New record label set up by Lord Of The Isles. Inspired by the long summer nights of the northern hemisphere. Known as the ‘Gloamin’ in old Scots language. When the edges blur and colours become a white pink haze, the possibilities can seem endless. Melancholic thoughts of the past inspire unbridled optimism for the future. The unexpected is expected between sunset and the fall of night.

The first expansive motif laid down for the new Dusk Delay imprint is the Geoglyph EP by Lord Of The Isles himself. Clocking in at 39 mins across 5 tracks; It expertly fuses rare vintage instruments and effects with ultra-modern production techniques. Side A sees state of the art sequencers lead the antique machines on a merry dance through dub techno excursions and ambient jungle soundscapes. Side B utilises a more traditional approach, however, the results are no less beautiful or otherworldly. The creative inspiration here is the same - vintage meets modern - but this time it’s created using live improvisations woven into coherent arrangements to terraform a similar fictional landscape of sound that belongs to the same galaxy as side A.

Available in all formats 26 April 2021 – includes a limited-edition marble vinyl release with postcard.

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United Lions Conquer Studmission

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Originally released in 1988 as a side project from members of Münster rock band The New Colours. New Harbours was produced by Graziano Mallozzi, member of influential Italian darkwave group Kirlian Camera. The result is an irresistible melancholic synth pop anthem. Due to an extremely limited pressing, the track never received the attention it deserves aside from within Discogs digger circles or in the bags of a few virtuous DJs, including JD Twitch of Optimo who introduced us to the record.The 2025 reissue features a stunning club remix from Berlin’s own Italian darkwave master Curses.

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Numbers welcome New York’s Jubilee to the Glasgow based label - Main Character EP features ‘Trippin’’, a collaboration with Jersey club Queen UNIIQU3. One of the most vital voices in American underground dance music for over a decade, Jubilee brings her South Florida rave roots and East Coast sensibilities to the imprint.

Born from the dizzying emotions of love and grief, the EP opens with the cheeky cackle of UNIIQU3 on ‘Trippin’’. Marking their hotly-anticipated first collaborative release, ‘Trippin’’ bridges Jubilee’s Miami bass heritage and UNIIQU3’s Jersey club sound to create a playful lead single featuring tantalizing vocals.

Starting to work on Main Character in 2019, Jubilee revisited the project during an intense period of change and loss. Bringing in further influences from electro, Baltimore club, 90’s dance and techno to create her signature sound, Jubilee channels the fun, drama and chaos that comes hand in hand during challenging times. A deeply personal release, Jubilee looks to her friends and family for inspiration, including a sample of her parents on ‘Lucky’.

Jubilee’s debut on Numbers continues a stand-out year for the dynamic artist who released two stellar EPs earlier this year alongside celebrating 10 years of Magic City - her party series and record label which was awarded DJ Mag’s ‘Best Record Label’ in 2023 - with a run of records, merch and events across the States.


Artwork by Ben Drury

Photography by Daniel ”Squid” Gallego

Produced by Jubilee

A1, B2 Produced by Jubilee & UNIIQU3, Additional production by Evan Sutton

A1, B1, B2 Mixed by Evan Sutton

Mastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven

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Mall Grab & False Persona's much-anticipated collaborative effort "Crazy" finally sees a release, packed with catchy vocal hooks and emotional synths, accompanied by two stunning garage-tinged club tracks.

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Gramrcy and John Loveless return to Phantasy with a double-A single, ‘Lucid / Feel So’. Three years on from their festival-rupturing hit ‘Highdive’, which found regular rotation in the sets of 2ManyDJs, Peggy Gou and Daniel Avery alongside soundtracking shows for Moschino and Hugo Boss, two new tracks expand the sound of the Berlin pair’s studio partnership. ‘Lucid’ features a unique vocal turn from Tony Morris, a former teacher, taxi driver and contemporary cult figure in Glasgow’s underground scene. Having begun DIY production only in his late sixties, he has since released on the city’s peerless Optimo Music and has been profiled by the BBC and NPR, alternately described by The Scottish Herald as “Scotland’s most unlikely pop sensation” and by himself as “a deviant cabaret artist”. Morris’s hypnotic repetitions prove to be an earworming anchor for Gramrcy and Loveless’s pressure-cooker arrangement, a bubbling concoction that represents their most formative influences, combining the sheer bassweight of FWD-era UK dance with the ISDN-line scramble of the most out-there electroclash. Rich in rhythm and textural weirdness, ‘Lucid’ captures the sound of a deeply satisfying intersection of rave outsiders. Eschewing the dreamy psychedelia of its counterpart, ‘Feel So’ instead tips the scales back toward the outright ecstatic. The influence of esoteric disco and post-punk percussion rides on a throbbing bassline that builds toward supreme dancefloor release, paying tribute to a legacy of hi-NRG, spanning Chicago to Rimini.

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Decades on, the time has come for Island Issues, in collaboration with Onis, to proudly dust off a selection of César de Melero & Mr. Claude’s productions that have shaped the highs of countless nights.

Side A opens with D.O.D.’s “1, 2, 3, 4”, a trusted tool for DJs worldwide since 1997. While the elusive “De Pompidou’s Mix”, previously only available on the Sónar ’99 CD compilation, makes its first appearance on vinyl, revealing a deeper, late-night dimension. On the flip, D.D.D.’s “Moovin’ (Bisexual Mix)” channels pure 1996 rave energy, turning the core sample shared with the A-side into a raw and infectious groove. Closing the record, “The Struggle” weaves a James Baldwin speech into layers of warm, old-school deepness, sustaining tension and purpose until the very last bar.

Dedicated to Pro-Zak Trax founder Alex Lamarque.

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Berlin’s mpeg returns to R.A.N.D. Muzik Recordings to celebrate both the label and artist’s firs LP - a journey through mpeg’s take on tech house, crafted for the dance floor but losing nothing heard in solitude through one’s headphones.

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Hiss Is Bliss returns to Modern Hypnosis with a solo 12” featuring his masterful techniques in forging dub techno and house music across three tracks: "Buy My DVD," "813," and "Deep54." The mysterious French producer maintains a refreshing low profile, allowing the music to do the heavy lifting. They utilise analog synths, a Redson Echo EC 25, a Korg Signal Sd-400, and a DIY spring reverb crafted by the infamous ‘JB,’ while also running certain stems to tape to create immaculate soundscapes with low-end frequencies primed for sound systems.

Built for the dance. Enjoy!

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