Territories: WORLD EXCL UK,US,CA,BENELUX,NZ,AU,JP


Tracklist: 01. Competitive Bastard 02. Not Gone 03. Turn The Earth 04. Seventeen Lines 05. Repercussions 06. Daughters Of The Golden West 07. Watts Moon Starr 08. Look Again 09. Come On Spirit 10. Radio Station 11. Queen Of Diamonds 12. The Aches & Pains Of Middle Age 13. Love In Any Language (CD BONUS TRACK) 14. Heathers House (CD BONUS TRACK)




Kelley Stoltz is an American songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and DIY innovator whose career stretches back to the late 1990s, when he began self-recording lush, psych-tinged pop and garage rock in his San Francisco home studio. Born in New York City in 1971, and raised in Michigan, Stoltz has released a remarkable catalog of albums on labels including Sub Pop, Third Man, and Castle Face Records often playing all of the instruments himself and drawing comparisons to the melodic craftsmanship of the major 60’s pop auteurs and the quirkiness of lesser known 80’s power-pop & new wave.


After issuing his 18th album, La Fleur in 2024 to critical notice, he returns in 2026 with his 19th full-length release, If You Don’t Know Me, Buy Now, a collection that continues his long exploration of hook-laden psych-pop, introspective lyrics, and richly textured arrangements that both honor his influences and push his sound forward, reinforcing his status as one of the most prolific and singular voices in underground rock. Guests Brigid Dawson of the Osees, Karina Denike of Dance Hall Crashers, Pete Straus of the Dwarves and Allyson Baker Dirty Ghosts and other guests provide backing vocals on several tracks.


Long a favorite of MOJO, Brooklyn Vegan, and John Dwyer… Stoltz is also a onetime Echo & the Bunnymen rhythm guitarist and currently Robyn Hitchcock’s West Coast drummer. Stoltz is also now the host of legendary radio station KEXPs weekly Bay Area Music spotlight show, “Vinelands”.


An extensive UK & European tour is scheduled for October – November 2026, with a key appearance live in session for Marc Riley on his BBC 6 Music show. West Coast USA dates to be announced.


If You Don’t Know Me, Buy Now will be released in May 2026 on LP & CD by Agitated Records in UK & Europe and Dandy Boy Records in the USA.

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Territories: WORLD EXCL UK,US,CA,BENELUX,NZ,AU,JP


Tracklist: 01. Competitive Bastard 02. Not Gone 03. Turn The Earth 04. Seventeen Lines 05. Repercussions 06. Daughters Of The Golden West 07. Watts Moon Starr 08. Look Again 09. Come On Spirit 10. Radio Station 11. Queen Of Diamonds 12. The Aches & Pains Of Middle Age 13. Love In Any Language (CD BONUS TRACK) 14. Heathers House (CD BONUS TRACK)




Kelley Stoltz is an American songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and DIY innovator whose career stretches back to the late 1990s, when he began self-recording lush, psych-tinged pop and garage rock in his San Francisco home studio. Born in New York City in 1971, and raised in Michigan, Stoltz has released a remarkable catalog of albums on labels including Sub Pop, Third Man, and Castle Face Records often playing all of the instruments himself and drawing comparisons to the melodic craftsmanship of the major 60’s pop auteurs and the quirkiness of lesser known 80’s power-pop & new wave.


After issuing his 18th album, La Fleur in 2024 to critical notice, he returns in 2026 with his 19th full-length release, If You Don’t Know Me, Buy Now, a collection that continues his long exploration of hook-laden psych-pop, introspective lyrics, and richly textured arrangements that both honor his influences and push his sound forward, reinforcing his status as one of the most prolific and singular voices in underground rock. Guests Brigid Dawson of the Osees, Karina Denike of Dance Hall Crashers, Pete Straus of the Dwarves and Allyson Baker Dirty Ghosts and other guests provide backing vocals on several tracks.


Long a favorite of MOJO, Brooklyn Vegan, and John Dwyer… Stoltz is also a onetime Echo & the Bunnymen rhythm guitarist and currently Robyn Hitchcock’s West Coast drummer. Stoltz is also now the host of legendary radio station KEXPs weekly Bay Area Music spotlight show, “Vinelands”.


An extensive UK & European tour is scheduled for October – November 2026, with a key appearance live in session for Marc Riley on his BBC 6 Music show. West Coast USA dates to be announced.


If You Don’t Know Me, Buy Now will be released in May 2026 on LP & CD by Agitated Records in UK & Europe and Dandy Boy Records in the USA.

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Territories: WORLD EXCL UK,US,CA,BENELUX, NZ,AU

LP / **LTD 'BOONE'S EYE' EDITION COLOURED VINYL

Tracklist: 1. Plan Ahead 2. Song 2B 3. White 4. Everything In Its Sweet Time 5. Now 6. Boone 7. Temple Of Doom 8. Heed The Dark Lord 9. Safe House 10 We War

If *Goodbye, Asshole* was the wild night—tequila-sharp riffs, sticky floors, and last-call chaos howled into the void of a disappearing city—then *Boone* is the merciless morning after. The sun cracks the blinds. The brain throbs. Every bad decision gleams in the hard light, raw and undeniable.

Fuckwolf’s second album pares their scuzz-wave blitz down to exposed nerves: Eric Park’s basslines stalk like a hangover pulse, Simon Phillips’ drums land like a palm slapping the alarm into silence, and Tomo Yasuda’s guitar wirings spit like diner coffee left to burn on the hotplate. The fog has lifted; the damage is inventoried. These ten tracks are crime scene Polaroids, tales of longing and woe, fresh mystery bruises and eulogies.

There’s no wallowing here, just the tight, terrible beauty of a band that’s stared down the void and come back swinging.

The party’s dead. Long live the reckoning.

Fuckwolf have been around the SF scene for a while, and it took Ethan Miller (Silver Current / Comets On Fire / etc) ages to get them to record the debut album, they then toured Japan and released a limited split mini with Green Milk From The Planet Orange. They reconvened late 2024 and recorded Boone..

This new album "Boone", polishes and extrapolates the fizzing psychedelia of their first album, and turns Fuckwolf into the heirs to the crown of mass-consumptive Sike-rock. This album is in the same vein as Mercury Rev's "Yerself Is Steam", Butthole Surfers' "Rembrandt Pussyhorse" and Flaming Lips "Telepathic Surgery", there's sheer pop in amongst the mind's eye rattling dollops of psychedelic wallop... the Koolaid was drunk and the songs were made.. plug it in, turn on...drop out.

Master by the one and only Mikey Young!!

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Territories: WORLD EXCL UK,US,CA,BENELUX,NZ,AU

LP / Black Vinyl

Tracklist: 1. Plan Ahead 2. Song 2B 3. White 4. Everything In Its Sweet Time 5. Now 6. Boone 7. Temple Of Doom 8. Heed The Dark Lord 9. Safe House 10 We War

If *Goodbye, Asshole* was the wild night—tequila-sharp riffs, sticky floors, and last-call chaos howled into the void of a disappearing city—then *Boone* is the merciless morning after. The sun cracks the blinds. The brain throbs. Every bad decision gleams in the hard light, raw and undeniable.

Fuckwolf’s second album pares their scuzz-wave blitz down to exposed nerves: Eric Park’s basslines stalk like a hangover pulse, Simon Phillips’ drums land like a palm slapping the alarm into silence, and Tomo Yasuda’s guitar wirings spit like diner coffee left to burn on the hotplate. The fog has lifted; the damage is inventoried. These ten tracks are crime scene Polaroids, tales of longing and woe, fresh mystery bruises and eulogies.

There’s no wallowing here, just the tight, terrible beauty of a band that’s stared down the void and come back swinging.

The party’s dead. Long live the reckoning.

Fuckwolf have been around the SF scene for a while, and it took Ethan Miller (Silver Current / Comets On Fire / etc) ages to get them to record the debut album, they then toured Japan and released a limited split mini with Green Milk From The Planet Orange. They reconvened late 2024 and recorded Boone..

This new album "Boone", polishes and extrapolates the fizzing psychedelia of their first album, and turns Fuckwolf into the heirs to the crown of mass-consumptive Sike-rock. This album is in the same vein as Mercury Rev's "Yerself Is Steam", Butthole Surfers' "Rembrandt Pussyhorse" and Flaming Lips "Telepathic Surgery", there's sheer pop in amongst the mind's eye rattling dollops of psychedelic wallop... the Koolaid was drunk and the songs were made.. plug it in, turn on...drop out.

Master by the one and only Mikey Young!!

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Tracklist 12":

A1) La Isla Respira (Extended Version)
A2) Acercate a mi (Extended Version)
B1) Baby I Want You feat. Edson Sean (Extended Version)
B2) Cuentame (Extended Version)

FIMIANI is an Italian music digger, passionate DJ and producer with an unmistakable House, Soul and American influences from black music, funk, soul and disco.

FIMIANI is one of the best DJs in the TOY TONICS camp.

His track “Disco Music” is a hit. Played by DJs like Palms Trax, Folamour, Louie Vega of Masters at Work, Horse Meat Disco, Seth Troxler, Mousse T. and many others.

Combining the original NYC house sound from the 1990ies with the best of Italian Disco history. Turning it all into a very contemporary flow of afro-american and Italian music based on funk, soul, melodies and rhythm. Just listen to his 2 EPs he did on Toy Tonics and you understand. All played live with musicans (no samples) this sounds like the best organic house tracks you can get at the moment.

Fimiani lands a major milestone with his remix of John Julius Knight’s Find a Friend (Sulfuric Trax), hitting number 1 on the Overall & House chart via Traxsource.

Check also FIMIANI’s edits of extremely rare Italian disco on his own imprint Caffè Corretto edits. Under the name BPLAN.





















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Call it soulful dream pop, proto-trip hop or downtempo jazz - "Tender Rain" is the follow-up LP to the successful "This Is" album and continues to deliver Ghia's unmistakable sonic magic. On this release, the band shares a selection of previously unreleased vocal songs alongside instrumental pieces, all carried by their trademark chilled and almost meditative atmosphere. Most of the recordings date from the early 1990s, while early demo versions of "New Love" and "Teardrops in Your Eyes" may reach back as far as the late 1980s.

The album opens with the title track "Tender Rain," where smooth vocal jazz harmonies merge effortlessly with soulful pop elements. The track originally appeared only on CD in 1993 on the small Mikado label run by renowned German guitarist Ulli Bögershausen. The band recalls that the piece was first pre-recorded using MIDI equipment and a Tascam 16-track recorder before being completed in the studio with drums by legendary drummer Mickie Stickdorn (Carsten Bohn's Bandstand, Cyklus, Elephant, Lake), percussion by Corinna Ludzuweit, and the final touch-Lisa Ohm's remarkable vocals.

At the time, Mikado was also looking for instrumental material for radio and synchronization use. They selected the track "Tropfstein" for a sampler CD and requested more pieces. In response, "und recken ihre schlanken Glieder" (roughly translated as "and stretching their slender limbs") was composed especially for the project, as Frank Simon remembers. Both tracks appeared on the now rare Mikado sampler CD under the alias z. Zt., short for "zur Zeit" ("at present" or "these days").

Several further pieces in a similar vein were created during this period, including the previously unissued "Auf unserm grünen Sofa," "Reise bei Nacht," and "Was ich Dir noch sagen wollte." These tracks are beautifully crafted downtempo pieces featuring smooth, jazzy piano lines combined with touches of ambient and New Age aesthetics. "Auf unserm grünen Sofa" stands out in particular and will likely resonate with all downtempo enthusiasts. Lutz Boberg recalls that many of these recordings were captured during a single afternoon in the studio, fueled by spontaneous ideas and creative momentum.

On tracks such as "Teardrops in Your Eyes," "New Love," and the haunting Dark Spirits Mix of Ghia's song "What's Your Voodoo?", singer Lisa Ohm delivers soulful pop performances with her clear and captivating voice. "Change Your Sex," the third track previously featured on the Mikado sampler, leans more toward late-1980s funk and was aimed at radio and DJs at the time. Its subject matter was relatively daring for the period, telling the story of someone contemplating a change of sex "to get rid of the troubles."

Together with "This Is" and "Curacao Blue", "Tender Rain" forms another essential chapter in the rediscovery of the band's work. More than thirty years after their creation, these recordings still sound strikingly fresh, reflecting a unique style that in many ways anticipated the rise of trip-hop in the early to mid-1990s.

" VITAL SALES POINTS:

- Follow up to the successful albums "This Is" and "Curacao Blue"
- All tracks unissued on vinyl
- includes the Dark Spirits Mix of What's Your Voodoo?


Tracklist:

Side A
Tender Rain
Auf unserm grünen Sofa
Teardrops In Your Eyes
Reise bei Nacht
Change Your Sex

Side B
Und recken ihre schlanken Glieder
New Love
Was ich Dir noch sagen wollte
What's Your Voodoo (Dark Spirits Mix)
Letzter Tanz


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Tracklist
A.Kerri Chandler - Kerri Kaoz Beats *
B. Dee Dee Brave - My My Lover (Tony Humphries Dub)*

(*Previously unreleased)

Info:
Two lost cuts from the orbit of Tony Humphries surface at last, pulled straight from acetates in his private archive and pressed here for the first time. Unearthed like messages from the booth itself, they capture that raw, transitional moment when club music was still inventing its own language night after night.
On the A-side, Kerri Chandler with “Kerri Kaoz Beats”, a stripped, swinging tool full of basement pressure and early-morning intent. No excess, no compromise, just Kerri doing what Kerri does best. Flip it over for Dee Dee Brave – “My My Lover (Tony Humphries Dub)”, a previously unheard Humphries reconstruction that stretches the vocal into something deeper, moodier and unmistakably floor-ready. Spacious, patient, and quietly euphoric.
Two pieces of house history that never made it past the acetate stage until now. Not revisions, not edits, but originals finally stepping into the light. Essential documents from the roots that still point forward.


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2026 Repress

FORMAT 2LP black vinyl, full printed sleeve, download code

TRACKLIST
A1 Internal Empire 03:23
A2 Minus 05:22
B1 Within 03:10
B2 Home 07:32
C Rek 03:46
D1 Chase 05:59
D2 Spirit Levels 05:05

Release Info:
This album holds an undeniable significance, serving as a cornerstone of both techno and Tresor's legacy. Its story is deeply entwined with that of the label, following Robert Hood's Waveform Transmission 2 under his The Vision moniker, released just one year earlier and reissued on Tresor in 2023. On Internal Empire Robert Hood perfected his signature sound already present on Waveform Transmission 2, marking a pivotal moment in techno's history. It elevates its maker as master, sharing an irrefutable singular magic, sounding as present and indispensable as when first created. To understand this work fully is to stand back and celebrate its impact.
Originally released in 1994, the album marks a point of transition for Robert Hood moving on from his previous collaborations within Underground Resistance. Robert Hood advanced, uncovering the power of true minimalism. Deep soul through a simplicity that showed how much could be done with so little. The devastating rhythms of this album forge the unmatched spirit of this sound, influencing generations to come.
"I was faced with the challenge of following up on 'Minimal Nation’. I cancelled all my tour dates for that summer, set up my studio in the living room and began to work on 'Internal Empire'. My intention was to create something distinctively different. Looking out my living room window in Detroit watching people go by gave me a new perspective. It made me look at the world within myself. Years later I am still discovering.”
– Robert Hood

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12"

GENRE/S: House

TRACKLISTS:
A1: Muv It
A2: Gruv It
B1: Get Up
B2: Get Dub

SHORT INFO:


Berlin-based producer and DJ Benjamin Fröhlich returns to his own Pleasure Principle imprint with the long-awaited vinyl edition of The Muv It EP -
Rooted in dusty, dubby house music and inspired by the open spaces and raw energy of a recent desert trip, the EP channels warmth and groove in equal measure. The title track Muv It sits at the heart of the release - a driving, hypnotic floor-burner that showcases Fröhlich's instinctive feel for rhythm and texture.
Alongside it, Get Up raises the energy further, bringing a higher-octane dancefloor urgency to the EP's middle section. Its dub counterpart Get Dub then strips things back - a spacious, reverb-drenched variation that lets the groove breathe and reveals the track's deeper, more meditative side.

The vinyl edition comes with an exclusive bonus track: Gruv It - a stripped-down, atmospheric rework of Muv It that trades hands up moments against a hypnotic rolling vibe.


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Format: 12", 45RPM

Tracklist:
A1: Allein (Augen Zu Und Durch... Remix By Sascha Funke)
B1: Allein (Rolling Luggage Mix By Swayzak)
B2: Allein (Original Mix)

hello,

'Allein' by Quarks is a timeless piece of German electro-pop culture that captures the nostalgia of Berlin’s wild & spaced out 2000s like no other!

Originally released on the duo's third album "Trigger Me Happy", the single was later released as a 12" with two massive remixes that were only available on vinyl.

Whether it's Sascha Funke's haunting minimal techno masterpiece or Swayzak's colourful & electrifying banger - both remixes leave no doubt that this 12" will bring goosebumps & tears of joy to every dance floor until the end of time!

With all original masters & DATs lost, this reissue has been carefully restored & remastered from the original vinyl by Dubplates & Mastering. Sounding crystal clear & ready for the club in 2026!

goodbye.

Pressed at MPO.
Labelartwork & cover redesign by Julian Gertenbach.

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Tracklist 12" :
A1: Ammaro
A2: Need
B1: Ammaro (Ralph Session Boogie Down Remix)
B2: We can figure it out


Short info:
Ready for a hot summer? It will get hot when listening to the new Mat Chiavaroli EP called "Ammaro"!
Mat has a long time connection with Quintessentials and released his first ever album "No stranger to madness" back in 2017. His new sound is more driving and club friendly, ranging form the mediterrainina inspired "Ammaro" the the UK garage styled "Need" to the classic deep house tune "We can figure it out". To top if off, Quintessentials buddie Ralph Session adds a NY influenced remix to heat things up even more! And yes, artwork provided by Mat's son Divo, a real family affair!













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12"


GGENRE/S:
Techno

TRACKLIST:
A Chris Liebing - Higher Things (FJAAK Remix)
B Chris Liebing - Higher Things

SHORT INFO:

Following the release of Chris Liebing's 'Evolver' album this spring, German duo FJAAK rework 'Higher Things' which appeared on the full-length, releasing via CLR on 29th May 2026. Long established as a formidable force within Techno, FJAAK are known for crafting high-impact, floor-focused tracks, often via their self-titled imprint, with the Berlin artists now joining a star-studded cast on Chris Liebing's latest full-length, including photographer and film director Anton Corbijn on photography, and collaborations with Charlotte de Witte, Luke Slater, The Advent, Speedy J, Terence Fixmer, Pascal Gabriel, and
Daniel Miller.

Their remix reshapes 'Higher Things' around a rattling dub techno framework, where molten chords soften the weight of mechanical kicks while resonant stabs and swelling textures steadily intensify. The result is a hypnotic yet forceful reimagining, balancing atmospheric depth with anthemic, warehouse-ready pressure.

The original version of Chris Liebing's 'Higher Things' appears on his debut solo LP, 'Evolver', released 27th March 2026 on CLR. Marking a distillation of over three decades at Techno's core, the album pairs introspective depth with immediate, floor-driven impact, bringing together contributions from the likes of Luke Slater, Charlotte de Witte, Speedy J and The Advent, while ultimately remaining rooted in Liebing's singular vision, channeling the raw, industrial energy of classic club spaces into a refined, forward-facing long player.


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Tracklist
A1. Jennifer Loveless - Satisfaction 07:01
A2. ROKAR - Bedroom Headliner 05:44
B1. Rudy With A Hoodie & J-Land - The Rhythm 06:45
B2. PAURRO - Chik Fresa 06:39


Life and Death launches Peak Time Archives, a new vinyl and digital various artists series shining a light on rising producers and the next wave of label-affiliated talent.

Info:

This first edition moves across the full spectrum of the dancefloor. Jennifer Loveless — Guardian 'Artist To Watch', Mixmag Track of the Year recipient, and alumni of !K7, Future Classic and Butter Sessions — opens with "Satisfaction", a warm, body-moving indie dance reinterpretation that feels at home as much at Ibiza sunset as it does on a festival main stage.

UK mystery producer ROKAR follows with "Bedroom Headliner", a garage-rooted house cut that blurs the line between intimate and euphoric, already earning BBC Radio 1 plays and support from Marco Carola, Skream and Chloé Caillet.

Rudy With A Hoodie & J-Land deliver "The Rhythm", a driving, hypnotic peak-time weapon built for main stages, drawing on the analog warmth of Red Axes and DJ Tennis.

Mexico City's PAURRO closes the record with "Chik Fresa" — playful, punchy indie dance with personality to spare, from an artist who has performed at Tresor and Boiler Room and released on Cómeme and Nervous.

Four tracks. Four distinct voices. One dancefloor.---




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Tracklist
Side A
A1. Jomanda – Make My Body Rock
A2. Mae-1 – Sweet Feelin’
B1. Billy “Jack” Williams presents Utterance – Grant Me Utterance *
B2. Precious – Definition of a Track
B3. Man-Machine – Elektro-Genetik
C1. Jay Williams – Sweat (Sweat the Club Mix)
C2. Kerri Chandler – Kerri KAOZ Beat (Acetate Instrumental)
D1. Romanthony – Falling From Grace (Tony Humphries Demo Mix)*
D2. Ed The Red feat. Passion in Fashion – 1-900 (Instrumental)
E1. The Brotherhood – Love Will Make It Right (Club Mix)
E2. A Slice of Life – You Make Me Feel So (ASOL Mix)
F1. The It – Donnie (Hardy Mix by Ron Hardy)
F2. Cisco Ferreia – Cisco’s Groove

(*Previously unreleased)

Info:
Telling a tale of house music’s early days or roots without mentioning Tony Humphries as a club DJ, remixer and radio disc jockey would make it an incomplete, forged and most of all a bit of a yawn.
Born in Brooklyn in 1957, Humphries’ musical journey is synonymous with New York City’s dance music history and the evolution from uptempo soul music to house: from being a dancer at David Mancuso’s infamous Loft parties to becoming a mobile DJ and getting the call from Shep Pettibone to become his right hand at
the then new Kiss FM radio station, followed by countless remix offers and a legendary residency at Newark’s Club Zanzibar. Next to that one, is was especially his work as a radio disc jockey for said station during most of the 1980s until 1994 that gave him majestic clout. Breaking new records week in, week out,
putting New Jersey acts like Adeva and Jomanda or countless up-and-coming producers from there on the musical map, while simultaneously playing the hottest imports from Europe, trax from Chicago, dance classics and all things straight from New York’s music factory that never seemed to stop.

Going to his vast and almost complete archive of radio shows from way back when he graced those airwaves, we at Running Back Records have picked original recordings that symbolize his importance as an industry giant and ambassador of this style of music.
„But one thing I would like to point out is that, as a DJ, the music I play is not my music. I want to make it perfectly clear that it is music that is released, and it’s everyone’s music. I do not take any other credit than being the middle person exposing this music.“
(Tony Humphries in: What Kind of House Party Is This?, Jonathan Fleming, 1996)



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LP (black vinyl+ lyric sheet)

Tracklist:
A1. HXLDING TIME
A2. REGRET EVERYTHING
A3. IS THIS REAL feat. Meldamor
A4. ECHXES
A5. SHADXWS BITE feat. Castelli
A6. XBLIVIXN
B1. THE GRAY
B2. AMPHIBIENS feat. Contre Soirée
B3. UNDXNE
B4. REVXK feat. Filmmaker
B5. LIMINAL


Info:
After the raw, instinct-led release of ‘JXDY’, which was initially never planned as a longplayer, NEVER returns with his sophomore album ‘THE GRAY’, a more thought-out and expanded body of work. Out on VEYL, the record keeps its roots in post-punk and darkwave, but opens up into a broader space, both sonically and emotionally. For the first time, NEVER brings in outside voices in a more central way. What started with experiments outside his own music, like the remix for Years of Denial’s ‘City Lights’, now becomes a core part of the process, making ‘THE GRAY’ feel less isolated and more like a shared ground shaped by different inputs. The collaborations mark key moments across the album. ‘IS THIS REAL’, the collaboration with Arizona duo Meldamor leans into a more direct, dancefloor-oriented approach, with Mel’s vocals bringing a restrained, atmospheric presence that shapes the track’s tone without overpowering it. ‘RXVOK’, together with Filmmaker, goes darker and rougher, pulling in industrial weight with black-metal-tinged vocal textures.
On ‘SHXDOWS BITE’, Castelli brings in a colder, 80s-leaning mood, keeping things melodic but restrained. ‘AMPHIBIENS’ with Contre Soirée pushes in the opposite direction, more raw and abrasive, with French vocals cutting through a dense and pressured backdrop. Around these tracks, the album moves as one piece rather than separate moments. Themes circle around love, loss, memory and a sense of collapse, without ever fully resolving. It stays in that inbetween space, where things don’t quite settle.
The artwork comes from Francesco Goats, known for his work in Xerox art, adding a visual layer that fits the tone of the record.
With ‘THE GRAY’, NEVER moves into a more open phase, where collaboration plays a bigger role and the overall direction feels more defined, without losing the edge of earlier work.

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Tracklist
A1 - Bubble Bloom
A2 - Warm Waves
B - Secret Signal

MASK Records founder ZentaSkai joins forces with Berlin-based creative Laura Merino Allue under the name Cuddling Monsters, a project centered on analog processes and tactile sound design. Debuting in
March 2024, the project explores Detroit-infused House, dub Techno, and minimal soundscapes shaped by raw texture and spatial depth. Working exclusively with analogue instruments, the duo prioritise
warmth, imperfection, and presence over polish. Alongside her music work, Laura Merino Allue is also a graphic designer, bringing a strong visual identity to the project’s wider aesthetic.
‘Cuddling Monsters' is inspired by real-life experiences — the raw, imperfect, beautiful moments we move through. We believe in staying present, feeling everything deeply, and embracing the analog flow of the
now. It’s about living the moment fully — and like a cuddle on the dancefloor, creating a space where sound holds you, warmth surrounds you, and even the wildest monsters feel safe enough to soften.’ -
Cuddling Monsters
The Cuddling Monsters ‘Vol. 3’ EP opens with ‘Bubble Bloom’, a melodic house track featuring warped, filtered synth tones that set a hazy foundation before a dub-leaning beat settles in. It’s layered with
aquatic, bubbly textures and fragmented samples, adding warmth and movement. ‘Warm Waves’ shifts into a lighter, more atmospheric space, increasing the tempo slightly while maintaining a restrained,
ethereal character. The B-side closes with ‘Secret Signal’, a long-form techno piece stretching over ten minutes, where evolving synth lines gradually merge with soft, dubby drums and analogue percussion,
building steadily without excess before easing out.








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