Genres: Dub Techno, Techno, House


ZentaSkai and Laura Merino Allue return to Mask Records as Cuddling Monsters with volume two of their vinyl-only house and techno series


Tracklist:
A1 Dark REM
A2 Monster Talk
B1 Event Horizon
B2 Temporal Aura

Arriving on a limited 200-copy translucent orange vinyl, 'Dark REM' on Cuddling Monsters’ second release on Mask Records is a hunched-over and direct dub techno cut with forceful drums and deft percussion, adding texture next to warm, sustained pads.
There's a real sense of urgency in this most frictionless groove, which means it cannot fail to cast a spell on the dance floor. The fantastic 'Event Horizon' is then infused with the aura of deep space - sustained chords with a cosmic edge add vast scale to the well-programmed deep techno drums. 'Monster Talk' is a mid-tempo dub track with underlapping drums and rattling, rusted chords that disappear to infinity. It's cavernous and evocative, with myriad little details occupying the mind. 'Temporal Aura' is another standout sound that blends deep techno, dub, and minimal into a serene soundtrack that encourages inward reflection while driving onwards through the cosmos.
Mask Records founder ZentaSkai and his creative partner Laura Merino Allue are Berlin mainstays helping shape the underground. Cuddling Monsters is a new project that debuted on the label in March. It is all about crafting music with analogue instruments, which they believe "offer distinctive sonic qualities, creative constraints, and genuine sound reproduction”. They explore Detroit-infused house, dub techno and minimal soundscapes with raw edges and a great sense of atmosphere. Cuddling Monsters' 'Cuddling Monsters_CM Vol. 02' releases via Mask Records on 6th December 2024.








Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Releasing a first EP at 35, after more than 20 years listening to alternative music and 10 years of DJing, could only result in something matured - something fermented. Fermented Beats EP is a blend of raw club energy and emotional textures, where grooves meet melodies. Rooted in club music but infused with influences from across genres, it reflects years spent absorbing music from a lot of different angles, distilled into a few tracks that speak both to the body and to the mind.

A1 Road Workers
A2 Lambiek on Paper
B1 Rally Rally Ride
B2 Dutch Mussel Drive


Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Tracklist:
01 Lucky Star
02 Crystal Growing
03 Floating Tank
04 Analog Dreams


MASK’s ZentaSkai & Laura Merino Allue announce vinyl-only underground house and techno series as
Cuddling Monsters.
Cuddling Monsters serve up the first vinyl-only volume of a new self-titled series on Berlin-based Mask Records. All
four cuts explore deep and classy techno, dub and house soundscapes with the aim of rediscovering the soul of
electronic music and forming new bonds between human creativity and technological innovations.
Cuddling Monsters is the coming together of creative partners ZentaSkai and Laura Merino Allue. ZentaSkai is the
MASK founder recognised for his immersive, hypnotic groove, and Allue is a fashion and graphic designer. They are
newly assembled under this alias but have a long-time love of vinyl and analogue machines, which shows in their sounds.
"Crafting music with analogue instruments holds profound importance in the contemporary musical landscape. Despite
the omnipresence of digital technology, analogue instruments maintain a pivotal role, offering distinctive sonic qualities,
creative constraints, and genuine sound reproduction. The tactile, hands-on connection." - Cuddling Monsters
The superbly deep and atmospheric 'Lucky Star' is a dubby minimal cut with a deft rhythm and warm pads that are
perfect for cosy back rooms. The absorbing 'Crystal Growing' is another stripped-back techno roller with rubbery drums
and pensive chords that lock you into a state of meditation. Up next is the powerful 'Floating Tank' which pairs gorgeous
ambient synths with driving drums. It's a great coming together of the physical and the emotional that will take dance
floors to the next level. 'Analog Dreams' shuts down with more perfectly smoky pads and grainy lo-fi atmospheres as
slick but driving drums power onwards.
Cuddling Monsters ‘Cuddling Monsters_CM Vol. 01’ releases via MASK 29th March 2024.





Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Artwork and Typography by Stefan Marx

We are very happy to welcome Lb Honne from Switzerland to the Smallville circle, bringing a superb 4-tracker for the special dancefloors. Including a full Cover Artwork by Stefan Marx.


Tracklist:

A1 Brücke
A2 Not Tonight
B1 Deeper
B2 Rue Du Belfort

All tracks written & produced by Lb Honne
Vinyl cut by Helmut Erler at Lathesville


Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Tracklist
A1
A2
B1
B2



Berlin’s ZentaSkai continues his slew of limited-run 200-copy vinyl releases via his Mask Records this July, presenting the ‘JIMMY’ EP, and following up last year’s ‘Bob’ EP and two instalments from his Cuddling Monsters project with Laura Merino Allue.

Across the four tracks on ‘JIMMY’, ZentaSkai delves deep, placing mysterious, foreboding synths over crunchy taped drums and exploring a variety of tempos. Dub influences are rife, its elements echoing across carefully laid-out Techno grooves while minimal shifts subtly build the energy. With ‘JIMMY’, ZentaSkai once again offers a journey through sound already supported by Luke Slater, Blasha & Allatt, Truncate, Elisa Bee, and many more. ZentaSkai (aka No Mad Ronin, Matt Nowak, and MASK) is a German DJ and producer active since 1997. Based out of his studio in Berlin, ZentaSkai runs the Zaijenroots label and, since 2017, the Mask sub-label, which houses his stunning 2023 ‘Architecture of the Mind’ LP as well as his Cuddling Monsters alias - with other credits including a release on Jerome Sydenham’s Ibadan Records and support from the likes of Richie Hawtin, Joseph Capriati, Marcel Dettmann, Luke Slater, Laurant Garnier, DVS1, Ben Sims and Radio Slave.
ZentaSkai ‘JIMMY’ releases via Mask Records 4th July 2025









Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

3LP, triple gatefold


Tracklist:

Side A
01 Mind Mapping
02 030

SIDE B
03 Fügung (feat. Laura Merino)
04 Flow Dreaming

SIDE C
05 Structural Understanding
06 Quiet Reflection

SIDE D
07 Geruda Dub
08 Boiling Range
09 Interlude

SIDE E
10 Karl-Marx-Allee (ZentaSkai & Jeremy Reinhard)
11 Dynamic System (ZentaSkai vs. Palawan)

SIDE F
12 Apeiron (ZentaSkai & Sebastian Klenk)
13 Parallel 30 (ZentaSkai & Apoena feat. Yucuma)

Release Info:
ZentaSkai unveils stunning, high-concept house album on Mask Records.
ZentaSkai undertook a period of research into the underlying structure and organisation of the human brain
before writing ‘The Architecture Of The Mind’. The Berlin-based artist then took what had been learned and
kept it in mind when writing the music that marks Mask's first album release. It comes with extensive
background notes on each track, and an operational manual of sorts - notes from the artists as to the effects
each piece will have on those who hear them.
"The message conveyed by this album is that life itself is filled with music, but our egos often prevent us from
being in harmony with this symphony. Inner chaos and silence can be challenging to bear, leading us to seek
solace in external noise. We have constructed a barrier between our inner and outer worlds, causing us to
lose touch with the rhythm of harmony. However, by embracing the illusion of separation and dancing to good
music, we can rediscover harmony with ourselves and our environment. To fully experience the essence of
the album, it should be played loudly on a proper sound system or high-quality headphones. By immersing
themselves in the music, individuals can engage with its transformative power and potentially find a deeper
connection with their own minds and surroundings." - ZentaSkai
The gorgeous 'Mind Mapping' opens up with deep and dubby drums and lush harmonies that soothe you to
your core, '030' then has more raw, heavy drums with many layers of glowing synths, glassy melodies and
organic found sounds. 'Fügung' keeps the deep and introspective moods coming before the crisp tech of
'Flow Dreaming' ups the ante with more drive and layers of vocal whispers, hi-hats and smeared dub chords.
Elsewhere the likes of 'Quiet Reflection' lean into the groove with swirling pads and one-word vocal sounds
drifting through the air over propulsive drum loops, and 'Boiling Range' suspends you in deft synth loops
amongst the stars over a prickly house beat.
The superb synth craft and well-designed grooves continue through the dusty deep house of
'Karl-Marx-Allee' and minimal dub of 'Dynamic System' before the elegant melodic techno of 'Apeiron' and
dreamy synthscapes of 'Parallel 30' close the album in a reflective fashion.
This is a deeply evocative album with a fully realised concept that is as thought-provoking as it is immersive.






Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

180 Gr. Vinyl ! / Electro, Grime, House/Techno, Neo-Trance

Veteran of many scenes, Liar returns from a prolonged hiatus to dip his toes in TonTon's rising wave. His contribution ranges from balearic breakbeat workouts & intimate dub siestas, to impish takes on world music & electrofunk. Liar's knack for cultural & stylistic interbreeding pervades throughout - you will hear Paisley Park homages, falsetto crooning, comical cuicas, city pop ornaments, 70s radiophonic psychedelia & Final Fantasy samples alike, flamboyantly converging into an artifact of stubborn hope, love & peace.

A1. Clean Energy
A2. Neon Brown
B1. Sailing the Seven Nanseas
B2. Templexiti


Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

TERRITORIES: WORLD minus UK

FORMAT 2 x 140g black vinyl, full printed special color sleeve (gold & blue pantone), download card included

TRACKLIST
1. / A1 Serpent Void 05:42
2. / A2 Soul Fire 06:06
3. / B1 Divine Shadow 05:36
4. / B2 Forgotten Gods 06:12
5. / B3 Dying 03:05
6. / C1 Infinite Eye 06:26
7. / C2 Triple Threat 06:35
8. / D1 Empty Cloud 04:29
9. / D2 Fall 04:57

RELEASE:
Two years after releasing the acclaimed Crash Recoil, Anthony Child aka Surgeon returns to Tresor with new LP, Shell~Wave. Retaining the minimal equipment list and studio-version-of-live-show-sets approach of the previous album in order to focus on
the work itself, Shell~Wave is a deeply personal document of both where Surgeon is and has been, converging three decades of experience with a continued curiosity in the untested.
“To make this project, I had to dig really deep in terms of what my relationship was to techno; I’ve been involved with it for a really long time and there’s a lot about it I feel dislocated from, so I had to really think hard about what techno is to me. I often
get asked “what is techno to you?” but I can’t answer that with words; this album is the answer.” From the complex, twisting track Infinite Eye to the caustic Soul Fire, the eight tracks that make up the body of the album are single-take explorations of the
vast, hard yet minimal techno Child is synonymous with.
Neatly dividing the record in two, the emotional centre of the record comes in the form of Dying, a vibrating, beatless piece that with a mantra-like vocal loop steeped in reverberating effects. Further echoes of dub production appear throughout the record
as tracks like Divine Shadow, and Empty Cloud have an almost ever-present mist of reverberation, driven by the appearance of a new delay unit in the equipment list; while much of the philosophy of Crash Recoil’s creation is present, the process and the
instruments have changed as Child again switches up his approach to studio work.
This insistence on trying novel techniques doesn’t preclude returning to old ones, as this use of modern digital machines with live, hands-on takes that are as inspired by 60s producer Joe Meek and 70s reggae as they are by this year’s synthesiser expos.
“For me, it’s an interesting experience returning to old techniques again after 30 years. [I’m] always exploring and finding myself back at the beginning. Connecting the present with the past.”
This philosophy of ‘time travel’ is inherent to the music itself as the synchronised loops repeat while the delay and effects branch out, forming unique eddies; distinct quantum moments within the circular whole; the future leaking through the spaces
between the sounds. All of the concepts on the album are perfectly communicated through the painting by Taiwanese artist Jazz Szu-Ying Chen which suggests the movement of water, sound waves, and the chitinous shells of sea creatures.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Tracklist 12" :
A1: Patch 2
A2: Hross
B1: Franco alley
B2: Yellow



Short info:
Andy Ash is a long time contributor to the sound of Quintessentials, with his album "All the colours" being the highlight of his work. Until now! The Liverpudlian shows superb diversity on his new EP called "Silent Planet". The opener, "Patch 2" is a stripped down masterpiece of Dub Techno and a perfect club tool. "Hross" can be called Acid House, and you know we love that! The B-side shows more of a relaxed vibe with the beautiful string-laded "Franco alley" and the smooth low BPM track "Yellow". This silent planet has something to say and shows great variety of styles and Andy's skills as a producer - and yes, all AA releases have his own artwork!












Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More