Montreal dream pop duo Footprintz have already captivated the world with their magical debut album on Visionquest ‘Escape Yourself’ and next single ‘Fear Of Numbers’ is about to keep the fire burning. As much a vehicle for a true remix master as a light shone on this album highlight, Leo Zero filters ‘Fear Of Numbers’ through his own Balearic vision and fuzzy warm lens across one remix and two alternative Dubs. Unveiling laid back percussive rolls and expansive grooves, the Zero remix is a slow, chugging masterpiece while the Alternative Dub imbues a digital folky pop feel with playful keys and a searing melodic synth-line. The ‘Leo Zero Remix’ has already been named Pete Tong’s Essential New Tune on BBC Radio 1 and the Visionquest crews have called it one of their favourite releases so far on the label, hammering it in their sets on the Visionquest Thirteen Tour. DJ/Producer Leo Zero has become one of the hottest remixers in the UK working with Lana Del Ray, Florence and The Machine, Azealia Banks, Paul Weller and Bryan Ferry to name but a few. Leo Zero’s extensive hand in the scene of underground disco / acid house has included running cult disco edits label Easter Bay, setting up the Faith brand and party series with Terry Farley, Stuart Patterson, Bill Brewster and Dave Jarvis and currently involves collaborative projects Mountain of One and Zarrylade. A solo album ‘Acid Life’ was released on Leo Trax in 2011. Clarian North and Adam Hunter aka Footprintz released debut album ‘Escape Yourself’ on Visionquest this March, to wide critical acclaim. On an alternative solo path Clarian released ‘The Chemical Gardens EP’ on Visionquest earlier this year.
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With a distinct coming of age theme, ‘Uncertain Change’ is a perfect slice of dreamy synth-pop. Anchored by a powerful bassline, uplifting melodies inflected with new wave nostalgia blend into softly spoken vocals heavy with melancholy as the underlying sense of what it feels like to be young and unsure is ever present. Warped electric guitar strums add to a creeping darkness, but this is kept at bay by an overriding warmth and depth of soul that filters through. ‘Uncertain Change’ will transport the listener to an age of innocence. The ‘Maceo Plex Reconception’ is endowed with the producers signature swing. Tailored for the disco, skipping pendulum beats and a heavier bass beat underpin the in tact phrasing of the original song leading up to a breakdown and powerful bassline drop. In The ‘Audion Loves You Mix’ Mathew Dear in his Audion guise deconstructs the song and pieces it back together with an entirely transformative minimal tapestry of sounds. An epic reimagining of sparse electronic bleeps and warped vocals build into a majestic framework of fizzing tension and textured soundscapes. Ultimately remnants of the original melody fuse with Audion’s epic groove as the track surges towards an optimistic end.
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The long awaited Footprintz debut album 'Escape Yourself' finally arrives! A piece of work that delivers on a level that many dance LP's aspire to reach but few attain; a 'proper' album with each song taking you deeper and deeper into what is an accomplished and well-rounded body of work. From the moment the opening chords of 'The Things That Last Forever' give way to a hypnotic bassline, you know you're on your way. Basslines form a key part of the Footprintz sound, acting as an anchor from which vocal melodies, synth lines and warm chords weave around in an often psychedelic style. Debut single, 'Utopia', exemplifies this ethic with its synth flirtations and optimistic vocal musings adding layers upon a solid core. Tracks like 'Uncertain Change' and recent single 'Dangers of The Mouth' tackle this subject head on, focusing on the insecurities that arise from growing up. 'Zanzibar' takes a lighter approach, touching on the innocence of youth that brings with it, its own simple pleasures. What becomes apparent throughout 'Escape Yourself' is a real craftsmanship to Footprintz's songwriting. Each track reveals a little more on each listen, aided by the slick production work, done predominantly by the guys themselves in their Montreal bunker studio full of analogue equipment, odd instruments and a fridge laden with 'special brownies'; which goes some way to explain a noirish-haze that permeates through the album.
TRACKLISTING :
01 The Things That Last Forever
02 Heaven Felt Like Night
03 Utopia
04 The Favourite Game
05 Private Enemy
06 The Invisible
07 Uncertain Change
08 Zanzibar
09 Dangers of The Mouth
10 The Fear of Numbers
11 The Nightingale
12 Keys to the Sky
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Footprintz are on a rich run of form right now, showing a craftsmanship in their songs that is so often lacking in modern day dance music. New single ‘Favourite Game’ is set to further buck this trend when it drops on December 3rd (general release). Montreal’s soon to be favourite sons, Clarian North and Addy Weitzman, meet at an after hours party at the age of 15 and haven’t looked back since. Their noir tinged synth pop has taken them around the world and back, and with a debut album in the pipeline (also on Visionquest) they look set to see it all again. ‘Favourite Game’ is the second single from the album, a new romantic jaunt with its foundations laid out by a beautifully hypnotic bass line right from the off. Percussive flares, delicately arranged chords and that distinctive Footprintz vocal delivery all weave in and out, resulting in a multi-faceted slice of psychedelic pop perfection that’s sleazy in all the right ways, in all the right places. Never one to shy away from a few top draw remixes, Visionquest drafted in Ivan Smagghe to put his own sonic spin on proceedings. His ‘On A Thin Line’ rework takes the original to a darker place, complete with distorted vocals and alarm noises for good measure. Visionquest’s own Ryan Crosson & Lee Curtis take the original into more club friendly territory, delivering a driving house rework sure to do some damage on dance floors worldwide. More

Visionquest’s long-term friends, confidantes and resident party-animals Footprintz release the new single to be taken from their long-awaited debut album, ‘Dangers Of The Mouth’ You’ve come to expect dark and deep from the Visionquest sound and it’s with ‘Dangers Of The Mouth’ that Footprintz deliver. Tinged with Marc Almond-esque vocals and distant New Romantic influences, this is twisted synth-pop soul for the urban generation; production that stands on mystical plains removed from revered heroes. Plucking cosmic basslines from distant constellations, man of the moment Jimmy Edgar has warped ‘Dangers Of The Mouth’ into a thumping and distorted, slow motion techno slant. The second comes from Turbo’s head honcho Tiga who employs kapanlogo rhythms that open into breakbeat bass, destined for late-night sunsets and early morning sun-rises. Having met at an after-hours party at the tender age of 15, Addy Weitzman and Clarion North’s Footprintz project is an attempt to channel the far-flung kaleidoscopic dancefloors and cosmic parallels they’ve journeyed for the last decade, into tranquilised, 80’s tinged-pop in the only way they know how. Having already played the world over, Footprintz are a unique proposition; eager to take you to that deep and dark place in the early morning hours. Ready and willing to change the musical landscape with their debut album due in early 2013 on Visionquest, Footprintz show little signs of slowing. More

Rising Visionquest stars Footprintz cover Raid Over Moscow on Turbo's first ever seven-inch release. Featuring a remix by Ewan Pearson. To complement the recent Raid Over Moscow EP, we enlisted Visionquest signees Footprintz to provide their own take on "Rush to the Capsule", highlighting the excellent songcraft of the original while showcasing the sound that guarantees the Montreal duo will live up to the considerable hype created by their debut single, Utopia. For the B-side, we turned to Ewan Pearson, the producer of Footprintz's amazing debut LP (due later this year), and a consistently great remixer. Pearson uses his insider knowledge of the group's strengths, turning the synth-pop mastery of their cover into a "New Wave Moon Rave", complete with all the male-choir pads such a thing entails. Turbo Recordings. Smaller records. Bigger ideas. Similarly-sized success stories. This 7" will be a Record Store Day 2012 exclusive release. More

Visionquest returns in 2024 with a true meeting of the minds! Combining the superpowers of two world-renowned trios and resulting in a masterclass in musicality, patience, texture, and psychedelia… More

Label boss and international mainstay Ryan Crosson returns for Visionquest 088 under his Theoretical Speed alias. For over two decades Crosson has been lighting up dance floors with his sets and productions, from his native Detroit to Berlin and back again.

The EP starts off hot with the aptly titled “Take Me to Bed and Mix Me Forever”. Tough analog drums break into a trademark VQ vocal with deep moving sub bass. Step and Swing is the name of the game. After an overdrive odyssey midway through, the track is polished off with beautiful, murky, submersed synths drifting in and out.

Next up is the title track, “Dusty Rugs” featuring the inimitable John Camp on keys. Lovely melodic pianos cascade into a sick bass line that perfectly bumps and swings with the percussion. As the piano irons itself out the bass twists into a new groove with a punctuating vocal stab. It perfectly serves up Detroit/Berlin magic clearly influenced by the likes of Thomas Melchior.

On the flip, the B side starts out with Silverlining’s “Swung Dub”. The UK underground veteran delivers a dope dubbed out version of the original. In this offering, the drums notch up the swing and consistency while the keys shimmer in and out of the foreground. A masterclass in restraint and depth.

H-Foundation, a duo that needs no introduction, put their signature stamp on another “Dusty Rugs” remix to round out the EP. File under infectious classic grooving dubby house. Shuffling drums bounce with underwater synth stabs in perfect syncopation, giving us a fantastic completion to another great cut of VQ wax. More

Visionquest is back for VQ X EP III their third installment of the epic acclaimed various artist anniversary series.

It kicks off with the sublime “The Serpent and the Jaguar” from a master producer who is constantly on the forefront of electronic music, Deadbeat. Perfect dubby bounce intertwines with wooden synth delays and murky deep low end to bring the listener the aural bliss he’s so well known for.

For A2, Berlin supergroup Triptease team up with frequent collaborator and highly regarded bass player Yonathan Levi on the track “Amniotic”. Robust upright bass leads the listener into a dreamy soundscape punctuated by crisp analog percussion. As the track picks up, icy keys and rolling pads move with beautiful walking bass that conjure up memories of classics like Bitches Brew.

The pace picks up on the B side with world renown house maestro Tuccillo. A long time label friend, collaborator and Ibiza stalwart. Tuccillo has been synonymous with quality for the past 20 years. Tucci comes in hot with a bumping house tune which may have come from “Outer Space”. The drums dip in and out of a breaks feel, oozing with subtle sophistication.

Rounding out the EP is the lovely “When Will We Meet Again” from the fantastic
Visionquest mainstay Wareika. Beautiful jazz steeped percussion and guitars segue into more clubby low end bringing the listener closer to the dancefloor but somehow remaining mysterious in form.

VQ087 is an amazing continuation of the boundary pushing series on a label that’s constantly moving on the cusp of modern electronic music. More

May 2020 sees Gianluca Pegoiani drop his Visionquest debut in the form of the "Fifth Room EP". Pegoiani has been collecting records, analog machines and hitting the clubs since the mid 90's, taking inspiration from the greats like Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin and Derrick May. He has lived all over the world and has worked as a promoter at Mazoom / Le Plaisir, Vice and Blok in Brescia, Italy. In addition to collaborating with duo Polydrum for Skream's "Of Unsound Mind" label he has also produced releases for NGtrax and Rebirth Records. The Fifth Room EP comes in hot with the fast paced A1, "One Room". Filling the space with rising and falling rhythmic sounds secured by a fat kick. Ethereal, almost choral pads emerge that give way to a skittery, chopped up vocal. In the second half of the track, the gate on the vocal opens up and the sound fills up with even more drenched pads. For the A2, Berlin staple and fellow Italian DJ and producer Hubble checks in with his take on "One Room". The remix enters with methodical kicks and shifting bass tones, as seemingly 'found sound' percussion scrapes through the dense bass. The vocal peers in from a distance as the back half of the track undulates between bass tones, vocal and metallic percussion. On the B2, "One Key", begins with reversed strings where u can almost hear the bow sliding back and forth. An indistinguishable vocal loop brings the listener back into the kick/snare and ricocheting percussion hits that bounce around the spectrum. New reversed strings jump in giving a nostalgia drenched Mediterranean vibe that somehow brings a tense energy. The tension continues to build until the end, leaving the listener excited and in anticipation for the the artists next offering. TRACK LISTING: A. One Room,, A2. One Room (Hubble Remix), B. The Key More

Triptease have steadfastly become a staple of the ever impressive Berlin electronic music scene. Comprised of four multitalented musicians, (Topper, Francesco , Jacopo and Hugo), they have become known for their marathon live performances that can sometimes reach 8 hrs in length and incorporate special guest musicians from around the world. Their home bases are the infamous Club der Visionaire and Hoppetosse, where they have honed their craft by bringing almost the entirety of their studio onto the dance floor for long range jams that contain a mixture of some prepared material and a hefty amount of total free form improvisation. Using guitars, synthesizers, drum machines, samplers and a vast array of efx pedals they create a soundscape completely fresh while retaining the signature sound of the city they call home. Their first full length LP and debut on the mighty Visionquest label perfectly displays a sound that they have crafted in diverse locations across the globe, including a week of recording in Tenerife, right under the Teide Volcano, the secret mountain of Guanche Mythology. The album title Mescaleros is, in their words, "a concept we like to use to indicate an approach to making music and art in general, inspired by spaghetti western aesthetics and 60’s lysergic emancipation put through the lens of modern technology and science fiction. We translate that approach into long improvisational jams where we try to feel music as something alive that can and must change from time to time and also within the same performance. A1. Drumses III, A2. Bobby Peru, B1. Tony Little Something, B2. Pseudomartyrs, C1. Duodular, C2. Lo Siento, D1. Song with No Name, D2. Teide featuring Greg Paulus
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Growing up in Southern Germany, DeWalta began playing french horn and taking cues from his grandfather's jazz record collection at an early age. He eventually transitioned to the saxophone and joined the esteemed Musikhachschule Hanns Eisler conservatory in Berlin. Soon after he immersed himself in electronic music, creating music for Vakant, Cynosure and his own label, Meander. Since then he has traveled the globe playing everywhere from Resolute in New York to Sunwaves in Romania. Mike Shannon hails from Ontario, but resides in Berlin and has established himself as a true pillar of the scene. A highly respected DJ and producer, he has released music on plus 8, Wagon Repair, Cynosure and a host of other top notch labels, including his own imprint, Haunt Music. Mike's impeccable DJ skills are only complimented by his ability to A&R and introduce the world to new artists. Upon meeting, the duo quickly forged a seminal production team and live act based in Berlin, which led to releasing multiple EP's. This record has that perfect Berlin bounce. That classy, sexy swing that keeps people dancing for hours. More

Lee Curtiss has been in the game since your mother bought her first techno record. An undeniable fixture of the scene, with a vast career that has brought him from Detroit to Berlin to LA, Curtiss has played the best festivals and clubs the world over and released on countless top labels such as Spectral, Get Physical, Wolf + Lamb, Classic Music Company and of course the label he co-runs, Visionquest. As part of that all-star crew he has released classic remixes for Tracey Thorn, David Lynch and the epic "Good Voodoo" by Kiki. Steingold grew up in Detroit listening to The Wizard, Jeff Mills on the radio and began honing his dj skills at Detroit fixtures like Alvin's, The Shelter and Motor. He moved to LA in the early 2000's, and formed Hard & Soul, during which he connected with Peanut Butter Wolf and toured with Common and Lupe Fiasco. Hard & Soul remixed Mayer Hawthorne's Tuxedo project for Stones Throw and Steingold went on to work with SPNCR and Curtiss thereafter, resulting in releases on Repopulate Mars and Soul Clap Records respectively. He currently tours all over the world with Mike D of The Beastie Boys, playing festivals ranging from Boston Calling to Primavera Festival in Barcelona. The duo start off the EP with "Dream Adjacent", which pops right in with snappy, sexy percussion and that lovely Roland descending airplane sound. The future 80's type sound is foreshadowed by a synth that sounds like it jumped out a certain old video game involving two cave men. When the synth comes back in full time it's perfectly complimented by a fat bassline and a dashing arpeggiated figure that dances around the spectrum. Add some synth strings to the mix and you've got a jam! Next up, full on legend Doc Martin turns in a remix of "Dream Adjacent". Staying true to the core base of the song, Martin jacks up the percussion, adding swirls, beeps, acid arps, a string pad and a sultry vocal that feeds into the breakdown. The EP finishes with "Talk", a bumpin' jam with a nasty bassline and a reverb and delay drenched vocal. There's plenty of space in the track, and that perfectly allows one to sop up as much of that bassline as you can get. Some reversed hats slide back and forth amongst the crispy forward pattern. A subtle, reverbed saw bass pops around the back half of the track, giving just the right amount of lift when it coincides with whooshing noise. It's a standout EP that rightly brings that future funk we all love so much More

For his sophomore effort with the Visionquest family, Bodj teams up with fellow Greek native and audio engineer, Roksi, to create the Weird Science EP. The four track EP starts with title track "Weird Science". The slow burner emerges with etherial pads, tight percussion and warm sub bass, as toms and a reverb drenched vocal emerges. Atonal synths pop in and squelch as the track drives forward, keeping the uptempo momentum high. A2, "Otis AX", keeps the tempo poppin', with beautiful chords dropping in, supported by a nice, round bass that bumps the pads along as synths enter and sprinkle away. The track stays bouncy with chopped arpeggiated synths, tactfully dipping their toe in the water. The B1, "Flowtec", indulges the listener in the dirtier, late night club vibe that we all enjoy so much, while minimal textures, murky vox and bleeps and synths stab in and out. Minor chord rhodes stabs pop in and out until deep pads fill out the sound in a luxurious way to finish out the track, without losing any of the steam it started with. "Tomodachi" rounds out the EP, keeping the vibes high and quick with another dope bassline. This offering stays true to the bassline and delayed chord stabs, and acts more as a bumping dj tool for the release, sure to keep the vibe going. One things for sure this standout release won't be putting anyone to bed! More

This June will see the release of Deadbeat's "Jacks and Slow Dances" EP on Visionquest Records. The EP kicks off with massive bass, big toms and cascading synths and effects that build with the "Boom Jack" vocal, until diving into a driving kick. The patient tension continues and the repeated synths rise and fall as the rhythm of the vocal becomes more frequent and more manic, sure to excite the dance floor. For the A2 Shaun Reeves' remix of "Keep On Dancing" drops a 4/4 kick on the track and adds a classic Berlin low slung bass line that bumps along with some added sub bass, while delayed keys drift across the top. It's perfect for summer sessions at Club Der Visionaire, which is a frequent haunt for both artists. The B side kicks off with the original mix of "Keep On Dancing", and sounds as though the listener is dropped into some remote jungle in the middle of the night. Monteith's beautiful and casual vocal arrives drenched in reverb while the minimal percussion accompanies his thoughts along the way. The song continues through the night as an arpeggiated bass synth leads the listener toward the 4/4 kick and the delightfully swung hi-hats that follow. The EP is rounded out by "VQ Infinity Dub, an uptempo jam that starts with his mature building of percussion and cascading synths and vocals that drive and pulsate the track forward. Foregoing the typical use of the big clap/snare, Montieth instead relies on the kick and shakers to keep the track moving and it just goes to show how effective his unique and unconventional his style can truly be. More

Many moons and stars have passed since VisionQuest co-founder Ryan Crosson last took to the controls on his own label for a full solo trip... ‘I Hope You Will’, his first EP on the label since 2015’s ‘On The Rise’ We’d say he was making up for lost time. Except the time was never lost in the first place. Ryan’s renowned for his creatively prolific output as a DJ and producer. Continually touring and working under a variety of aliases and collaborations, and releasing on the likes of Leftroom, Nervmusic and Number 19, Ryan refuses to sit still.... Just like his music. Forever in momentum and progression. This EP sums up where he’s at and where we can potentially be. Molten grooves with open dynamic agendas where anything can happen. Each track a transition from one place to another as Crosson introduces different elements, tones and grooves. ‘ITYC’ writhes with that sexy Detroit lucidity that makes eight minutes feel like 20 seconds thanks to its strong physical hypnosis, ‘Janet’ plays the ultimate switch up as we’re suddenly jacked from heads down tunnelling foggy, grainy techno to deep breathing, rolling house music at the flick of a snare while ‘Favogo’ provides the final bubbling adieu. Primed with drums so smooth and liquified they’re almost silky, iced with lingering melodic elements so atmospheric they feel like vapours, it’s the perfect way to bring another stark, singular and personal EP to a conclusion. Rest assured he’ll be back again. Who knows how many moons will pass meanwhile... More

A new year, a new VisionQuest excursion: rising Romanian Floog is our navigator for this mission and he’s coordinated a precision interstellar trip to ease us into a new season. The timing couldn’t be better. Momentum made via his debuts on the likes of Crossed Grooves and Atipic, ‘Suprapus’ is Floog’s boldest, furthest reaching EP to date as he continues to map his own name around the cosmos. ‘Suprapus’ takes the lead. Romanian for superimpose, it lives up to its title as layers weave with natural ebb and flow. The sense of timelessness is another strong superimposed weave as we’re immersed in a haze of foundation elements and a strong rolling funk while driven by future focused beatcraft and production. This theme is continued on ‘Staring At The Sun’. Another wistful piece that stares up with hope but runs with such groove hypnosis you lose any temporal senses, it’s both heads-down and shades-down as Floog rolls out into the centre of solar system. Finally ‘Premiza’ brings us back home. Darker, gruffer, trippier and relentlessly driving. There’s some serious noir magic at play on the tweaked drums, creepy arpeggios and overall sense of tension. Transition in 2019 complete, but don’t get too comfortable... Another VisionQuest excursion is awaiting imminently. More

Visionquest embark on a brand-new voyage as founding member Shaun Reeves takes the mantle once again. Reuniting with kindred spirit Tuccillo for another no-rules, boundary-blurring session, it’s their most explorative collab EP to date. Picking up where previous collaborations such as ‘Seclusions’ and ‘Smile’ left us, the lead track ‘Shade’ reminds us of the duo’s innate ability to lure you deep into their groove unwittingly. Misty, and pensive, this one’s deep coded with unmistakable Visionquest atmospherics as each element gradually unfolds. Elsewhere amid the ageless shadows we have the stark, sensual stripped-back struts of ‘Cavernous’, an uplifting piece where a restrained-yet-bumping groove is laced with garage style vocals and a sublime synth twist midway. Deeper again we strike more mystic noir…. ‘Superstitions’ rolls out over a stately 8+ minutes, building gradually with percussive hypnosis and the dark art of subtlety while ‘Tessera’ brings the EP to a close with strong levels of funk and feel good. A reference to their own collaborative project Shantu, it’s a devilish fusion of velvet android bass, evocative humanised textures and beat that draws you in but leaves more than enough room on this voyage to take in each perfectly considered and sculpted element. Enjoy the view… More

Fresh names to Visionquest, but certainly not new to the game; More Than Material is the promising new project between two bonafide French selector statesmen who collectively boast decades of dancefloor and studio science: Jedsa Soundorom and Gauthier DM. Launching their new alias earlier this year on Zingiber Audio, their signature has been tangible from the off; deep weighted grooves, warm dynamics and total immersion. ‘Intimate’ says it all; realising its title’s close connotations with a dubby, physical groove and a rollcall of soul rolling elements, it’s the sound of a crowd locking in en- mass. Low ceiling, heads down, lights low. ‘Godsa’ follows with similar moody momentum and another hypnotic weave. This time over much more of a stately techno noir soundscape as its persistent jack is laced with subtle acid details. Next, we hit ‘Doctor High’, an ageless deep house groove peppered with nuances of uplift, trippiness and a drum arrangement that taps deep into the foundations. Once again, the track relives its title’s implications. Finally, we sign out with a precision revision from Fuse resident Archie Hamilton who refixes the pace and density of ‘Doctor High’ with more of a driving peaktime aesthetic that remains fully respectful of the original’s weight and clarity. More Than Material by nature, spirit and name. More

2017 saw Cesar Merveille & Ryan Crosson deliver their second long player in the shape of ‘Cerulean’, drawing on their modern classical, jazz, ambient and abstract influences to create yet another unique listen featuring collaborations with a classical pianist, trumpet, guitar and double bass players. Here we see those original parts eschewed into something entirely fresh from friends and close associates of the duo. Leading on the release is Cadenza boss Luciano’s ‘Sous Le Sol’ interpretation of ‘ARP’, which twists and turns through the hypnotic chimes and emotive piano chords of the original whilst stirring in Lucien’s signature modulating and intricately evolving rhythmic style. Following is a collaborative rework from New York’s Phil Moffa and Seth Troxler which employs ethereal synth drones and stuttering vocal cuts alongside a bumpy percussive drive and pulsating subs. Perlon’s Bruno Pronsato steps up next to remix ‘Even Tides’, delivering his typically raw and emotive style via glitched out, mind-bending percussion, elongated bass drones and cleverly reshaped cuts of the original’s cinematic elements. L.A’s Clovis then closes the package with his remix of ‘Nordic Bummers’, employing shuffled hats, lumpy subs and crunchy claps at it’s core whilst horn swells and aiy atmospherics ebb and flow throughout. More

Berlin based co-founder of Visionquest Shaun Reeves has gradually carved out his unique take of raw, minimalistic house music over the years via releases on Dorian Paic’s Raum...musik, One Records, his new Shantu label alongside Tuccillo and of course his own Visionquest. Here we see him pairing up with Canadian duo Maher Daniel and Amir Javasoul who together as Creatures Of Habit have been picking up attention from the likes of Ricardo Villalobos, Zip, Raresh and Apollonia amongst others. Here marking the debut of their collaborative ‘Creatures Of Shaun’ guise the duo offer up their ‘Mind Over Matters’ EP, the title-track leads and lays down mind bending, modulating percussion and synth swirls alongside bumpy bass grooves and hypnotic atmospherics whilst stirring in a tripped-out spoken word vocal sample to further fuel the psychedelic house feel. ‘Blink’ follows and tips the focus over to resonant subs, stripped-back organic percussion and murky vocal swells, again resulting in something mesmerizing and groove-led before ‘Out Of Orbit’ reduces things even further to refined shuffled hats, minute rhythmic modulations and snaking bass flutters. More

Detroit duo Ataxia offer up their ‘Kodak Moment’ EP via Visionquest this March, accompanied by an edit from label co-founders Shaun Reeves and Ryan Crosson. Eric Ricker and Ted Krisko aka Ataxia have been at the forefront of the contemporary house and techno scene for some time, racking up releases on some of the leading labels across the globe such as Leftroom, Nervous, Culprit and Play It Say It, making the duo one of Detroit’s finest exports in recent years. Here we see them making their debut on Visionquest, the label of fellow Detroit natives Ryan Crosson, Shaun Reeves and Lee Curtiss. ‘VHS’ leads the package with murky synth swells, resonant synth sweeps and fluttering square wave bass tones at it’s core as shuffled drums carry the ever-evolving hypnotic groove along. The original mix of ‘Kodak Moment’ follows, shifting the focus over to snaking bass lines, mind-bending, modulating synth whirrs and dynamic, choppy percussion throughout. Reeves & Crosson’s ‘Edit’ of ‘Kodak Moment’ then rounds out the release, stripping things back to ethereal atmospherics and shuffled drums whilst subtly stirring in the original’s hooky bass groove as the interpretation unfolds. More

Merveille & Crosson return to Visionquest this October with their second long player, entitled ‘Cerulean’ and featuring nine original compositions from the duo.
2012 saw the release of Cesar Merveille & Ryan Crosson’s critically acclaimed inaugural long player ‘DRM’, seeing the pair veer their output into abstract realms and embrace a more eclectic left on centre production style. Here five years later the pair return with their second album ‘Cerulean’, again tipping the focus over to a modern classical, jazz, ambient and abstract aesthetic, featuring collaborations with Juliard trained classical pianist Julien Quinten, No Regular Play’s Greg Paulus on trumpet, Wareika’s Henrik Raabe on guitar, Yonathan Levi on double bass, Moritz Baumgartner adding additional drum work and Berlin’s Signum Saxophone Quartet.
Across the ‘Cerulean’ project Merveille, Crosson and all involved offer up an amalgamation of sounds and styles from the freeform jazz odyssey styles of ‘Even Tides’ and ‘Nordic Bummers’ to the ethereal ambience of ‘Intro (Almost Raw)’ and ‘MCYH’ whilst subtly nodding towards their minimal roots with ‘Acid Pal’ and ‘Qaudra’. The pair also radiantly display their love for the New Age modular synth style with ‘ARP’ and ‘Life In The 80’s’ with intricately programmed, dynamic melodies throughout, all in all resulting in a truly unique and forward thinking project from an array of talents. More

This September will see Visionquest return with Alexi Delano’s ‘Water Colors’ EP, accompanied by a remix from the Persuader aka Jesper Dahlba¨ck. Chilean born, Swedish raised, New York adopted and Amsterdam based producer and DJ Alexi Delano has an impressive back catalogue dating back over two decades and featuring releases on labels such as Laurent Garnier’s F Communications, Richie Hawtin & John Acquaviva’s Plus 8, Ghostly International’s Spectral Sound and M_Nus as well as Visionquest where he returns to here following his collaborative ‘The Breeze’ EP alongside label co-founder Shaun Reeves in 2013. Title-track ‘Water Colors’ opens the release, a smooth and gradually unfolding composition fuelled by an amalgamation deftly programmed multi-layered melodies which ebb and flow throughout the sturdy rhythmic foundation. Following is The Persuader’s take on ‘Water Colors’ which dubs things out to create a murky submerged feel in contrast, utilizing the original’s hypnotic melodies whilst subtly working in a rugged 303 line throughout. ‘Communicate’ then rounds out the package with a groove-led feel, bringing a squelching acid bass, hooky vocal chop and modulating synth flutters into the limelight as the shuffled dynamic drum machine workout carries things along. More