Alphahouse continues to release quality music, irrespective of style, genre, or trends. We’re honored that Cadenza co-founder Philippe Quenum joins the fray with this super-fresh two tracker straight out of his Geneva studio and into clubs, after parties, and living rooms all over the world.“Agbaja” is a Panorama Bar special. It’s big, freaky, dark, and loud. It’s made for places that don’t stop. It’s for that moment when the party is about to lose control. This is Quenum’s darker side. “A Day in Mumbai” is one of those tracks that defies description. Is it house? Is it techno? To us, it’s modern minimal music with personality. It’s soulful. It’s percussive. It’s loose. It’s quirky. Most tellingly, it’s highly personal look into the roots of a very talented African-born, French-raised musician. If you can’t get into this, get your head checked. More

In his long career as a pioneer of sound, The Advent has become a legend in every sense of the word. Back with a new offering for our revamping of Thema Recordings, ""Dorian Blue"" is the sound of an artist who truly hasn't lost their stride. Never afraid to bend around genres and cliches, he throws the whole of dance music history into a blender. As he is known for, The Advent breathes new life into different versions of his tracks, with back-splitting electro to 909 workouts that will leave your feet throbbing for more. We here at Thema are honored to work with such a master to help get us in touch with our roots. Play it loud, play it fast. Text by: Nathan Levenson" More

Oozing.. oozing soul, oozing feel, oozing the essence of rhythm and the body. This is what Elbee Bad is about. A native New Yorker who has long since transplanted himself in Berlin, Elbee Bad AKA The Prince of Dance is back on Thema Recordings with a masterclass mini album that will resonate for years to come. "Crossing Dimensions" is more than just a record, it is a philosophy on turntablism and what it means to be engaged in this culture. Sitting comfortably on the shelf next to artists like Mr. G, Moodymann, and DJ Sprinkles, Elbee recalls this genuine house feeling while adding a spice that could only be summoned out of his creative nuance. From the anthemic knowledge of "Request Monster" to the bass blistering sonnets of "Crossing Dimensions", Elbee showcases the sound of an artist who is deeply in touch with himself, the crowd, and the history of this music. No filler, no bullshit, just truth, love, and HOUSE. Text by: Nathan Levenson" More

We had a little pause on our release schedule, but without further delay we present with pleasure the next bomb by our good friend, DJ Spider! Thema 46 was hatched from someone so deeply ingrained in the underground that he barely needs an introduction. From his RA "label of the month" featured imprint Plan B Recordings, to his thoroughly played productions on labels such as Rekids, Killekill and The Trilogy Tapes, DJ Spider has been a mainstay on the murkiest, most disorderly dance floors for years. His sound is characterized by disjointed elements lurching around in a off-kilter yet magnetic way that forces you to move in ways you didn't know you could. From the hell scorched, pitch bent echoes of "The Final Revolution" to the lo-fi groove antics of "Distress Signal", DJ Spider proves once again that no one can do it as perfectly weird as he can. Text by: Nathan Levenson"
More

10 years of Thema is not a milestone we take lightly, and we have absolutely no intention of slowing down. In fact we will be celebrating with a string of releases commemorating this accomplishment starting with this EP and going through to our 50th release with an all star line up ready for battle. Sometimes there is a sound that lifts you so high you can’t possibly come down. It’s the kind of sound that many strive for, but few can ever reach. UK mainstay Aubrey has been hitting this pinnacle for years through his releases on renowned imprints such as Metroplex, Ostgut Ton, and Skudge, as well as his very own Solid Groove Records. “The Reflection” EP comes as no exception. As only a DJ and Producer of his stature can do, Aubrey goes above and beyond to take the listener through a spectrum of moods that culminate in a rounded and complex experience. From the uplifting, fast paced pads in “Peligro 45” to the disorienting rhythmic voodoo of “Roger Doger” and peak energy drive of “Train To The Fire” there is a sense of direction and otherworldly ambiance that will take any dance floor to the place it needs to be



More

Keeping up the urgent pace set by the Strength In Numbers collection, Thema now turns to a modern master of the JakBeat, D’Marc Cantu. Hailing from Ann Arbor on the fringes of Detroit, Cantu has worked for more than a decade developing a sound that carries the torch from the box jam originators of techno and house music. His first appearances were alongside the mighty Tadd Mullinix (better known as James T. Cotton) with their 2 AM/FM project, before bringing Traxx into the fold for the X2 venture. As a solo artist Cantu has shored up on labels as highly regarded as Crème Organization, M>O>S, Nation and Desire, bringing a rich, full-bodied sound laden with powerful synth hooks, crafty drum programming and a live, jammed-out delivery that overflows with imagination. Given his adventurous tendencies and punchy Midwestern finish, Cantu is a perfect fit on Thema and the six tracks that make up this record show a great deal of the diversity the man is capable of, from dancefloor burners to atmospheric introspections.

More

Keeping up the urgent pace set by the Strength In Numbers collection, Thema now turns to a modern master of the JakBeat, D’Marc Cantu. Hailing from Ann Arbor on the fringes of Detroit, Cantu has worked for more than a decade developing a sound that carries the torch from the box jam originators of techno and house music. His first appearances were alongside the mighty Tadd Mullinix (better known as James T. Cotton) with their 2 AM/FM project, before bringing Traxx into the fold for the X2 venture. As a solo artist Cantu has shored up on labels as highly regarded as Crème Organization, M>O>S, Nation and Desire, bringing a rich, full-bodied sound laden with powerful synth hooks, crafty drum programming and a live, jammed-out delivery that overflows with imagination. Given his adventurous tendencies and punchy Midwestern finish, Cantu is a perfect fit on Thema and the six tracks that make up this record show a great deal of the diversity the man is capable of, from dancefloor burners to atmospheric introspections More

Following up his appearance on Part 4 of our Strength In Numbers compilation, we are ecstatic to present some fresh material from no other than DJ Slip. A name that has been on the tongue of anyone entrenched in the US techno scene since the early 90’s, DJ Slip has entranced audiences for years with his brilliantly bizarre take on sonics. Remix duties this time around come from Berghain resident DJ and all around musical powerhouse, Answer Code Request. Planting the listener on some foreign stratospheres has always been DJ Slip’s expertise, and “Highland” comes as no exception. Echoed synth stabs detune into the dark while a barrage of claps and clangs provide an onslaught of percussive cleverness that is a signature of the Slip sound. “Aerial” comes at you like a plane colliding with the earth, a kamikaze of dissonance spiraling downwards and then in reverse. It’s driving tempo, surreal drones, and thudding toms cascade into an intense peak time experience. Answer Code Request provides the perfect counter as a remix, smoothing out the edges into a refined, psychedelic expedition that breathes and shifts as it tunnels deeper. All three tracks together create a diverse and gripping package with something suitable for all times of the night.

More

Rounding off the vinyl series that accompanies Thema’s label-defining Strength In Numbers compilation, Part 4 downsizes from 12” to 7” to present two distinctive jams that show some of the farthest reaches of the New York imprint’s sound. Laurine Frost may be best known as part of the nonconformist house and techno scene of Europe through releases on Perspectiv, Sharingtones and Nervmusic, but on this special creation for Thema he makes the perfect tribute to the city that gave rise to the label, with a little help from the racy diatribe of Amiri Baraka on “Your House”. By way of a truly special finale for the series, Minneapolis maverick DJ Slip graces the label with an all-too rare appearance, taking an altogether more primal approach on “X7” that channels his years spent conjuring up next level techno for Missile, Music Man and more into a taut and punchy electro excursion infected with tricked out effects and seductive sci-fi noir atmospherics. It’s the perfect example of the freaky fringes Thema has comfortably reached to over the course of the last forty releases.




More

All bets are off with the third vinyl sampler from Thema’s Strength In Numbers compilation, as the wide-reaching nature of the NYC label truly reveals itself with four varied and striking diversions into critical house music. As a veteran of the hypnotic groove, UK producer Mr. G is never more at home than when he’s twisting out a spiritually-charged jam like “A Little Grainy One”, riding on an insistent combination of looping, psychoactive samples and straight-talking drums. Also hailing from across the Atlantic, in his Raudive guise Oliver Ho takes a flamboyant approach on “Carved” as he bounces chunky drum machine percussion around a kinked groove with a devilish line in leftfield synths and vocal snippets. On the flipside, Cesare vs Disorder reveals a side that might not be familiar to those who have enjoyed his stripped-down releases for Serialism and Stock5 over the years, as “All Night” throws down a boogie-infected neon-lit burner. Keeping the mood shifting, Thema’s house duo Suburb draw on their strength in crafting sublime deep house rich in melancholic melodies played by warm and soothing sound sources. “Odyssey” follows on perfectly from their two previous EPs for the label, not to mention successful turns on Frank Music and Freerange.



More

The second vinyl release to be taken from Thema’s Strength In Numbers compilation finds the Brooklyn label drawing on four master craftsmen of subliminal house music with equal amounts of soul and surprise in their arsenal. Stealthy operator Earl Stine delivers “Get The Curb”, which balances the perfect amount of percussive energy and dreamlike synths, impeccably demonstrating the considerable body of work he has turned out under a more familiar name for Smallville Records, Mule Musiq and Pampa in the past. Kosme operates in equally ethereal ways, although “Red Beard” comes on soft and sinister with its light drum tones and brooding synth work, following on from his first release with us, April Moon (THEMA038) on his own Cosmic AD. Madcap French house maverick Ark has been in the game for a long time, pasting every possible kind of style to his hard grooving canvas in a fine tradition of collage for Perlon, Circus Company and many more. “Themark” shows just how wide he can reach for sound sources without losing focus on the essence of his unique floor-friendly style. Having contributed to Thema over the past few years, Martin Bellomo’s “Howl” comes on strong with its powerful vocal hits and a woozy line in synths, with a little finishing touch from Caramelo regular Konstantin Sibold to feed the track with enough energy to captivate a hungry dancefloor.

More

The first installment in the vinyl edition of the Thema compilation Strength In Numbers finds the New York label reaching into its deepest corners to deliver four psychoactive cuts for the most discerning of DJs and dancers alike to lose themselves in. Norm Talley has been a mainstay of the Detroit electronic music scene since the mid 90s, and the sublime, pad-enriched tones of "Space Talk" perfectly sum up the mysterious soul he has made his name on. Damien K. Sahri shares the A side with Talley, and despite being a newer talent previously seen on Little Helpers and ADltd, his slender and immersive "Everything" joint stands up to comparison with the caliber on this record. Oskar Offermann has been busy building a career around releases on his highly-regarded leftfield techno imprint White, and with "Riseouse" he excels in channeling unusual sound sources into a tense and unnerving atmosphere that flies under the radar of obvious dancefloor tropes. Donor / Truss too understand how to get under the skin of the listener with a storied background in minimal techno for the likes of Perc Trax and M-Rec, and with the dubby undulations of "Discern" the Brooklyn-London duo provide the perfect distillation of their uncompromising style. More

Thema’s latest 12” welcomes back an esteemed and prolific deep house artist, Christopher Rau, with another fellow member of the Thema extended family, Detroit’s Norm Talley, on remix duties. Choosing to go only by his surname, Rau crafts a sexy, undulating track entitled “Lost In Brooklyn” that marks his second release on the label from the same Big Apple borough. Thema is known for its quality take on dance music, marked by decades of experience and careful listening, this release is of the same elevated calibre that we’ve come to expect from the internationally renowned label. It’s layered, complex, and completely essential! A syncopated pattern of stabbed chords remains the benchmark of the track, anchoring a groove that initially builds using off-kilter, intentionally grating background noise. As resonators get turned up and tensions mount, the moment when the funky, hi-hat led percussion finally arrives around the 2:20 mark is met with the kind of exuberant release that dancefloor-heaven is rooted in. “Lost In Brooklyn” continues to ebb and flow throughout its remainder, with peaks and troughs that power through until the end and renders it more than a bit of DJ weapon. Besides Rau, Norm Talley is also back on Thema and with a kind of focused fury that only he can sustain. He infuses Rau’s upbeat production with his Motor City hypnotic soul and reworks it for a deeper, later hour. The motif that makes up the A-side is eschewed in favor of subdued pads, skittering cosmic washes drenched in delay, and driving drums that straddle the line between house and techno. The contrast between each side of this vinyl plays off the other nicely, but they both retain the sophisticated charisma that ties everything on Thema together.

More

Suburb return to our shores here at Thema with a new clutch of tracks drenched in their trademark swirling soul and assured groove. Embracing earnest vocals and a hand-played ethic in their music, THEMA038 cements the fact that these two are rising in the ranks of adventurous deep house producers. Hamburg-based Christoph Vogel and Levente Pavelka last appeared on Thema back in 2011 with the Vorstadt 12”, but more recently they have delivered the goods for labels as esteemed as Freerange, which should indicate where their richly melodic sound is pitched. “Like” is destined to turns heads wherever it gets played, thanks in no small part to the distinctive lyrical turn from Lazarusman, previously found collaborating with Stimming amongst others. It’s a love letter that anyone can relate to, and beyond the heart-warming message the soothing chords that define the track compound its emotional weight. That such arresting creativity is stitched to a tender but irrepressibly funky house groove peppered with fulsome bass makes the feeling all the sweeter. “Just Believe” instantly sports a lighter tone, driven by a beat decorated with crystalline chimes and miniature flutters of human croon. Meanwhile “What Can I Say” marks a ramp up in energy for the record with a swift tempo and a sound palette that looks equally to techno as it does to house. The plush square wave bass is the calling card of this track, running joyously through a filter for the duration to provide the peaks and troughs. As an additional digital exclusive, “Closer” offers another slice of impeccably delivered house music loaded with moody chords, a hooky 50s crooner sample and an irresistible Rhodes-led breakdown that truly shows off the compositional skills of this fast-rising duo
More

With France’s long-fallow club scene back in international resurgence as Paris storms back into fighting form, Europe now has found a new source for yet-unheard music. It was a long time brewing, but names like Concrete, Katapult, Zadig, and Society of Silence, have begun to appear in the international clubbing circuit, and the growth is not limited to the capital. Further south in Lyon, a city quickly gaining its own renown for busy club parties booking bigger names, there exists a smaller circle of energetic operators whose name is also spreading rapidly and whose recent accomplishments include Nuites Sonores, Boilerroom and more. Spearheaded by Kosme, a DJ and producer of quickly increasing notice, the provincial powerhouse has already turned heads throughout France as Kosmo’s Caramelo Records was snapped up by legendary Parisian distributor Syncrophone; he has a new label set to launch in 2014. It is with this background in mind that THEMA proudly offers Kosme’s international debut, the “April Moon” EP. Kosme comes to the table with six tracks of low-slung Detroit-referencing house music laced with extra grit. “Fondamental” rides shuffling hats and a building acid line to dramatic heights. “Ever Shake My Mind” is slower and dirtier yet, with crushed hats and a bottom-lurking bass between Theo Parrish-esque drum-machine-down-the-stairs breakdowns. After an interlude, “Mothafunka” resumes the beatdown with a talkover house track that escalates uncontrollably in intensity as drums shuffle before breaking down in congos & pads. “Deep Function” dials down to sexier sounds with sultry vocal samples and sampled hiss, but it doesn’t lose the drum kink. Finally the digital bonus “A Thought for Yvonne” is the most subdued and skeletal of all with echoed drums and a lonely bassline tumbling over each other in slow motion. Following the explosion of new sounds from the capital, it is no surprise to find the movement spreading, and THEMA arrives first with the freshest France has to offer.

More

Oskar Offermann and his frequent collaborator and label mate Edward are two of the brightest rising stars in contemporary deep house music.
As head of the esteemed WHITE imprint, Offermann has an envious catalog spread across his own label, Aim, and Japan’s storied Mule Musiq; Edward has mostly confined his releases to WHITE apart from a single drop on the mysterious Giegling, and some outstanding remixes on other powerhouse labels. Since their appearance in 2007, the pair of Berliners has only one collaboration record between them in spite of a close association, large individual discographies, and frequent pairings behind the decks. It is thus with great ceremony that THEMA announces their North American vinyl debut with the four-track EP, Verses. We’ve been following Oskar and Edward for quite some time now, and even given our familiarity with their music, the ominous, shadowy chug of the intro track “What Have We Become”, is a contrast to the studied, Smallville-esque deep house that they’re better known for. Aside from a lonely keyboard melody and an occasionally- comprehensible monologue low in the mix, the throbbing bass and druggy feel of the opener are left remarkably alone for the duration. “Paranoid” is similarly darkened,a slowed-down, droning house piece that begins in unnerving, acidic ambience and steadily brightens by its end as more traditional deep house melody enters in the pads. Two contrasting versions of ”Sunrise“ fill the second side: the first an old-school leaning minimal acid track, and the second an “Underwater Dub” that’s unexpectedly the most extroverted of the four. The repeating sequence of the original version is echoed in a high-pitched acid line that slowly changes timbre over the duration, with the only major shift occurring at the midpoint with the addition of a single-syllable vocal sample. It’s heady stuff best suited for deep afterhours but unashamedly tailored for the floor. Centering itself around crunchy, slowly jacking percussion, the haunting acid takes center stage for the dub mix, and again vocal samples provide a subtle impetus and change while the circling drums power to the end. Surely this is music whose origins are found in unending Berlin nights, but we at THEMA are proud to bring it across the Atlantic for new ears. Here or there, Oskar and Edward’s talents stand unquestioned and their reputations entirely earned.

More

He’s been in the game for 15 years now, and throughout Ark has proven he’s not one to spread himself thinly. Leading up to 2010’s Arkuarium on THEMA, he had released a string of collaborations that wandered enthusiastically and whose experimentalism culminated on that record. Apart from a few celebrated remixes since then, Ark has been busy in the studio crafting a new batch of focused heat, mostly alongside his brother Pit Spector, himself a respected producer and DJ known from associations with Circus Company and Minibar. As we finish exploring a heavier sound with our well received Re:Vision Series, the sophisticated deep house tracks on Ark and Pit Spector’s new Call of the Horns EP announce a new direction for the artists and a direction we seek to illuminate as we define the different shades of the spectrum at THEMA. Continuing with this metaphor, opener Wrong Way certainly makes use of the many colors of deep house music. There’s the yearning, faraway vocal, the spacey piano chords, the dusky-voiced monologue, and the funky bass, but it is all delicately interwoven with dense layers of ambient sound and effected, sweeping pads. Like its title, Velours moves in a sexier swing with nearly-nonverbal vocals moaning against liquid pads and a chugging, organic rhythm executed with extra, slinky details that get more frantic as it moves along. The disco-sampling, discofied feel of Clark Kent finds the producers thriving in the witty kind of groovy house Ark has played with so much before. They wait until the very last bar to deliver the punch line, but until then it’s a rollicking, wacky ride filled with squealing synthesizers, slap bass-style licks, and chirpy vocal samples. They Ruff again looks to its own title with a firmer stomp in the rhythm section that contrasts their continued use of subtle production touches. The breakdown is unusual, unexpected, and downright dirty, and with the interlude reprise of BKorizon that closes, it brings the EP to a strongly assured finish. Here at THEMA, we’re once again happy to be reunited with old friends, and the feel-good dancefloor vibes from Ark and Pit Spector warmly confirm this camaraderie with all of its history and detail. As a statement of intent and a revelation of a partnership, Call of the Horns signals both commencement and continuation of a bright future for THEMA and this duo.
More

The fourth part of our Re:Vision series. Moving to Europe circa 1998, techno was a 10-year established phenomenon, and Heiko Laux and his storied Kanzleramt label were at the height of a continent- wide movement that shows no signs of abating. Innovation was everywhere, whether in the dark vaults of Tresor where homage was paid to the Motown roots, and in many other forms that still speak to this day. Laux’s hard-edged industrial anthem Re-Televised is a sound very much of its time, but it is also one whose relevance to the present stands without question. Thus, in finding talent to take on this Re:Vision, we looked to the most futuristic contemporary producers to bring fresh angles that connect with the source material as well as today’s most current sounds. Lucy, Donor, and Truss occupy a broad geographical slice of today’s techno, but in the last few years they have distinguished themselves as the least compromising and most forward-thinking of their generation. Our Re:Vision of Heiko Laux’s Re-Televised reaffirms the original’s forward-looking intent while emboldening the next step in techno’s history. While countless peers reach for similar ends, Lucy and his Stroboscopic Artefact label have made records that consistently stand apart for vision and experimentation. Lucy himself is without doubt the wildest of the bunch, and by halfway through his remix of Re-Televised, when it makes a left turn into damaged pyschedelia featuring flown-in vocal snippets over a pounding techno beat, it’s easy to see what sets him aside from more conventional operators. Likewise, Brooklyn’s Donor and the UK’s Truss have both been making waves for a heavy, dirty style of techno that refuses to recognize restraints, and when the many layers of their rerub coalesce into a dystopian, swung lurch in the second half, listeners can revel in the dirt and disorientation their ideas bring to bear. From this, it’s obvious that Heiko Laux’s 1998 original is a 15-year step into the past, but we can’t help but be intoxicated
as distorted drums and echoed zaps roll forward to smash everything in their path. Digital DJs get a second, more floor-oriented mix from Donor and Truss... if they can bear the extra pressure on an EP that’s already as subtle as a punch to the gut. As an overview of today’s best talent, a re-evaluation of past accomplishments, and a look into things to come, THEMA’s Re:Vision looks back to the past while still moving unstoppably into the future.
More

Re:Vision series restarts with Steve Poindexter’s timeless classic “Computer Madness”. We are very honored and excited to be able to re-release this beast of a track! It’s hard to imagine that this was really created over 2 decades ago. So the task at hand was to find the right contemporaries to revise this masterpiece, we didn’t have to look far to find the man for the job: Function is an old friend here at THEMA, and things got even better when he brought in Jerome Sydenham to co-produce the second treatment. It’s thus with great pride we announce our Re:Vision of Computer Madness, featuring two resolutely modern reinterpretations of Poindexter’s classic. The original by Poindexter dates all the way from 1989 and is a brief, headlong rush into drum machine-fueled raw acid and has long been a staple of the genre for many as well as the first release on the seminal Musique Records. We wanted to start off with a stomper, so for the whole A side, we have Function with occasional co-conspirator Sydenham with an unstoppable driving interpretation that straightens the busy drums of the original into a pounding techno pulse and takes repeated, changing portions of the original acid line as its central riff. Much of the action here occurs in the dirty, growling bass the pair add to the lower register; this is peak time damage for the most unrelenting floors. On the flip side we start off with Function’s deep, dubbed out reinterpretation, but it soon strides forward into the style of psychedelic but jacking techno familiar from his recent, more extroverted output. Even at almost double the length of the original, there’s still a palpable aura of reverence to the way he approaches the track; it should come as no surprise that he ranks it highly in his favorites list. Then of course we finish off with Poindexter’s original 1989 version, with all its original bang and glory. Still sounds fresh and as inspiring as it did the first time we heard this way back when...Functioning as a reunion for friends as well as a re-evaluation of past and present achievements, Re:Vision looks back to the rich past while still moving unstoppably into the future. Look out for the next 2 releases in the Re:Vision series that’s following up next! It’s been awhile since we at THEMA visited our Re:Vision series, where we pay homage to those that have influenced us and bring historical accomplishments into contemporary focus. It started with DJ Slip’s classic “Available Light” (THEMA017) featuring two incredibly well sought after remixes of the celebrated original by Franco Cinelli and Mikael Stavöstrand. Now revisiting the series with renewed dedication, we’ve carefully selected three classic underground tracks that reverberate in past and present for re-evaluation by a cadre of contemporary techno’s finest talent.
More