Alex Smoke returns with the release of 'Lux', his eagerly anticipated third album on his own Hum+Haw imprint.
It has been almost four years since the release of 'Paradolia' and in this time Alex has expanded his studio to incorporate more hardware to fully push the parameters of his sound. 'Lux' is the result of his hard work and delves into more abstract and experimental territory whilst retaining the melancholic musicality and cohesion of its predecessors. The development of his own Hum+Haw label has been pivotal in giving him the freedom and opportunity to realise his creative vision and to solidify his reputation as a true electronic music innovator. Since 'Paradolia' his approach to production has changed significantly and on 'Lux' he has devised his own techniques and programs for sound creation. Upon listening to 'Lux' this progression is evident and he has crafted a consuming and haunting album that weaves modern classical harmonies with angular technoid rhythms and intricate electronic abstractions. Alex continues to be active in classical production realm and recently composed the entirely orchestral piece 'Akesis' for the renowned Scottish Ensemble. He is currently working on a new project with them at the moment. The melancholic Smoke sound prevails throughout 'Lux' and deep techno variants nestle alongside evocative electronica. Alex formulates a dense and original atmospheric piece that invades your soul and melts your mind. The tracks range from the introspective beauty of 'Nothing Changes', 'Physic' and 'Filla' to growling floor fillers such as 'Blingkered' and the mighty orchestral 'Paracelsus'. The defining title track 'Lux+' is a next level Alex Smoke production in which he twists and warps his own vocals beyond recognition. The result is an alien scrambled lullaby that has been drowned in a miscreated voodoo pit of symphonic gloom. With 'Lux', Alex Smoke has achieved his most accomplished and forward thinking work to date.


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Alex Smoke returns to the fore with his new single 'Lux+' in advance of his third album 'Lux' which will be released Feb 2010. The new album is the result of his hard work and delves into more abstract and experimental territory whilst retaining the melancholic musicality and cohesion of its predecessors. The development of his own Hum+Haw label has been pivotal in giving him the freedom and opportunity to realise his creative vision and to solidify his reputation as a true electronic music innovator. The melancholic Smoke sound prevails throughout and deep techno variants nestle alongside evocative electronica. Alex formulates a dense and original atmospheric piece that invades your soul and melts your mind. The defining title track 'Lux+' is a next level Alex Smoke production in which he incorporates his own techniques and programs for sound creation. The result is an alien scrambled lullaby that has been drowned in a miscreated voodoo pit of symphonic gloom. This single release contains the maximised album version and Alex's own 'Light Of Lights' and 'Concert Hall Mix' plus remixes from Hum+Haw artists Unknown Wanderer and Automaton (digital only exclusive). The 'Light Of Light Mix' is an epic reconstruction that contorts the vocal into a cyborg chant before exploding into a cacophony of noise and melody.


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Glaswegian Alex Smoke aka Mr. Menzies, the man who helped kick start Vakant in those blissfully uncorrupted early days, returns with a fresh no-frills attack since his last Hanged Man EP, VA013, 1 ½ years ago. It’s all glory minus the glam and trans-fats. Smoke, adding to the current relentless Vakant onslaught, makes every reveler feel as limber as 14 year old Russian gymnast.

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The following release is the 'Shminimal EP'. With this twelve alex really explores the parameters of his unique sound and delivers three club killers. The EP begins with the anthemic 'Titti', here he builds a relentless, driving groove with a penetrating bassline and scuzzy melody. Next is 'TV Is Pish' a demented discoid cut-up that freaks irresistably. The pulsing 'Slippers & Slappers' growls this superb EP to its conclusion.

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First up is the 'Shwingnut EP', here Alex opts for advanced tricky rhythms to deliver three superior slices of reduced funk. 'Serious Like Plague' comes on like a schizoid Sleep Archive release, dense, moody and guaranteed to infect the dancefloor. Following on the flip is the sub-aquatic 'What Can I Say'. This erratic mind-melt bubbles with a tripped out groove.

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Glasgow's minimal madman Alex Smoke returns to vakant with five brand new blasts of schizoid techno. For the 'Ring.Click.Tink EP' he has produced his darkest work so far. Kicking off with the venomous 'You're A Bit Rough', a gnarling beast which will guzzle the dancefloor. Next, 'Horizon' is a crispy minimal killer with crunchy percussion and scuzzy melodies. 'Gypo' on the flip is another sleazy, mutant hunk of subterrainian filth and the EP is completed with the epic 'Neds' a compelling mind-fuck that twists and throbs throughout. This is Alex Smoke at his most sinister and deadly.

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12” (full cover + download) - Incl. Remix by OCB from Casa Voyager.

Tracklist
A1) Tightrope
A2) Tightrope (OCB Remix)
B1) Freefall
B2) Spiral

Infotext
Joonam is here. The new project from fellow NY friends Elon Admony & Nima Khalilian is landing its
breaks and techno laden debut EP on Vakant this Summer. On remix duties we welcome OCB from
Casa Voyager.
Fotography by Expreso Nova (Valentín Rodríguez)

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12” (+ download)

Tracklist
A1) Superior Things
A2) Heatwave
B1) Chappers Said So (Voiski Remix)
B2) Chappers Said So

Infotext

CYRK, the Belgian-German duo of Sammy Goossens and Pascal Hetzel, is giving its debut release on Vakant with three fast-paced no-holds-barred electro jams topped off with a remix by French producer Voiski.

'Superior Things', the eponymous title track, kicks off the EP with driving funk and and acid lead synths, followed by 'Heatwave', another futuristic high-tech-funker. On the flip we have 'Chappers Said So', a sublime homage to classic Detroit electro and last but definitely not least Voiski's remix of the latter, an immersive and trance-inducing techno re-work for you to get lost in.

Artwork by SEO – www.artseo.de


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12” (+ download)

Tracklist
A1) Ate-Up
A2) Crisis Engine
B1) Alex, Why? (Maenad Veyl Edit)
B2) Alex, Why? (AQXDM Remix)

Infotext
Forever cursed with “deep-“ and “tech-house” labels by the press due to decisions taken 10 years ago before he had any idea how this industry worked, Avatism returns mildly angrier than ever before with ‘Ate-Up’, an EP the producer actually started writing during an MDMA-induced lucid dream after Vakant label boss spiked his drinks in 2011.

To give his poor soul some credibility, we’ve enlisted AQXDM (Aquarian & Deapmash, fresh from their storming debut on Bedouin Records) and the mysterious Maenad Veyl (Veyl, Pinkman, Death & Leisure) on remix duties.


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Excellent 12" Package with 2 (!) Vinyl Only Remixes + manually stamped + download + A2 poster!

Tracklist
A1) Let's Go Program Thomas
A2) Let's Go Program Thomas (The Exaltics Remix) - VINYL ONLY
B1) Pranic Lift 777
B2) Pranic Lift 777 (Evigt Mörker Remix) - VINYL ONLY

Infotext
Kenneth Scott finally making his debut on Vakant, long overdue, such a great DJ and repeated guest
at Vakant parties. Phew.. Remixes by The Exaltics, co-owner of acclaimed electro imprint Solar One
Music, and Evigt Mörker of Northern Electronics fame. The Exaltics & Evigt Mörker Remix will only
appear on the vinyl.

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Tracklist:
A1) Dinner with Bogdan
A2) Ararapira Jazz
B1) Ararapira Jazz (Spacetravel Remix) - VINYL ONLY
B2) Desorientado feat. Sabino

Infotext:
Cesare vs Disorder, one half of Azimute and Serialism label head, returns to Vakant. The remix by Perlon artist Spacetravel will only appear on the vinyl.

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12" (stamped + download)
Tracklist:
A1) Lone
A2) Sib
B1) Hord (Convextion Remix) - VINYL ONLY
B2) Hord

Infotext
Tolga Fidan returns to Vakant. Remix by Convextion (vinyl only).


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Tracklist:
A1) Seria A2) Mais Sus B1) Cu Balans (Varhat Remix) - VINYL ONLY B2) Cu Balans

Infotext:
Consistency and a diverse but functional aesthetic have kept Berlin based record label Vakant ahead of most imprints operating in the same space. Having released records since 2004 they have focused on working with only a select number of artists as they believe this is the only way to endure in a scene which is susceptible to trends, with Premiesku being part of the family as well as the likes of DeWalta and Avatism. Having already released a highly successful EP on the label in 2014, and more recently being a part of the labels latest anniversary compilation, 10 Years Vakant, the Romanian trio return with a driving four track EP. This EP features catchy melodies, vivid emotion and driving, floor-focussed percussion, which consists of three original tracks as well as the ever-dependable Varhat stepping up on remix duties. One of Frances most exciting exports, Varhat has already released a string of impressive records on labels such as Mulen and Howl. His interpretation of 'Cu Balans' brings a signature sound which portrays a lighter more bouncy feel to the track.
Premiesku which consists of Livio & Roby and George G are a Romanian joint alias that have been releasing and performing together for over nine years. Their widespread influence on the flourishing underground scene is no secret, their innovative live performances, and constant flow of cutting edge productions remain one of their nation's leading lights in the field.


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Tracklist
A1) I Was Warned About People Like Us
A2) Self Control
B1) Gunmetal Grey
B2) Too Patient To Wait

Infotext
After a 3 year hiatus from his Avatism moniker, Thomas Feriero, one half of CW/A and owner of Parachute records, returns with an EP for his home label Vakant. A rough yet refined release, unassuming in its effort, Thomas channels both his previous solo work and his CW/A project into a tightly wound package with 4 solid cuts. Various influences converge yet a straight line is etched for all to follow. These are up-front, hard working tracks. Body Music with an undercurrent of breakbeat. His first EP on Vakant since his album. File under need / want.


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Tracklist:
A1) Octogonal Library
B1) Betelgeuse Descent
B2) Black Head Junction

Infotext:
Vakant comes back with a very special release from an unknown group of creative entities. Three cuts of tribal space techno weaponry aimed at the dancefloor. We have received a message from entities lost in between the stars in the vacuum of interstellar space. The transmission was encrypted in an ancient code we were able to translated into frequencies understandable to earthlings. A psychic telegram has been sent to us, activating the body and the mind, divided into aggregations of codes that form three tracks of straight in your face, high-octane fueled, acidic tribal techno, riding on solid bass lines, trippy synths, shiny percussions and abstract ambiences.


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Tracklist:
A) Contemporary State Of Mind B1) N.M.K.S B2) Midnight Arguments

Infotext:
Expectedly powerful three tracker from the Belgian Sons of Tiki who are slowly shifting their sound to a little more subtle but yet driving direction.


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VINYL INCL DOWNLOAD CODES
Tracklist:
A) No Such Key B1) Fold B2) St3am
Infotext:
State-of-the-art techno from Nico Purman. The Argentinean's vision of contemporary club music has always been located somewhere between techno and electro. His Pattern Recognition EP turns out to be Nico's most uncompromising work since his early releases on Vakant and scores with three bold and infectious tracks for the club.


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Tracklist:
A1) Electricity Reshape A2) Singular Reshape B1) Tidal Reshape B2) Modal Reshape
Infotext
Romanian house business at its best. Livio & Roby return to Vakant with this 4 tracker after their last excursion as Premiesku. Gotta love them either way!


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12" Tracklist:
A1) Three-man Attack A2) Three-man Attack (Malin Genie Remix)
B1) Don't Reach Back B2) Don't Reach Back (Dorian Paic Remix)
Infotext
Belgian duo Sons of Tiki bringing the heat to the dancefloor with their new EP. Featuring remixes by Malin Genie and Dorian Paic.


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EAN/UPC: 827170588264
12" Tracklist:
A1) Vortex A2) Unreason B1) Vortex (Cristi Cons Remix) B2) Vortex (Fango Remix)
Infotext:
It's not a simple thing to write about your own tunes. Your concept is innate, the music itself is in your mind and comes out as a natural flow, talking about it is a different thing. This time I wanted to come up with something different for my new EP on Vakant. Something unexpected for the ones who know Cesare vs Disorder's sound. I wanted to make a few tunes that reminded me about those lost feelings of the 90s, when electronic music was made not only for the clubs but also for the soul and the mind, not directly for a purpose but as a natural answer to time and space. After the classic "orientation" battle with head-honcho Alex we finally agreed on these tunes "Vortex" and "Unreason", one I would say more spaced out and heavy orientated, the other almost resembling those Electronica times when I really enjoyed flying with my brain and my emotions.

We finally also agreed to add a couple of remixes of Vortex by Romanian rising star Cristi Cons and Italian talent Fango. They both delivered unique stellar interpretations and I am happy to present the project to the world.

Cesare


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UPC 827170562165 RD: 15.09.2014
12" Tracklist: A1) Conducting The Method A2) Sothis B1) Modern Conflict Theory B2) Sothis (Dead Heat Remix)
Info:
After first performing together at Sonar Festival with what was essentially a live version of our respective "B.O.A.T.S." and "Adamant" albums, Thomas and I decided to expand on these ideas for something more broad and improvisation-centric. After months in the studio drinking nothing but amaretto and working on new music for this purpose, our new live experiment (now simply called CW/A) was ready. The reception on these shows was so (thankfully) positive that Vakant eventually pressured us into releasing some sections as tracks. "Conducting the Method" is nothing other than a sample of what this new project is about: a collection of three excerpts taken from this year's performances. To round things off, we invited over our friends Dead Heat for a reinterpretation of one of our tracks. We can state with confidence that we are excited these tracks are no longer confined to our club and festival performances and can't wait for everyone to hear them. Hopefully you will enjoy them as much as we enjoy playing them out.
Francesco


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UPC 827170555969 RD: 28.07.2014
12" Tracklist: A1) Pe Dos A2) Noococ (Sons of Tiki Remix) B1) Pe Dos (Avatism Remix) B2) Trandafirit
Info
Sitting down and writing about our latest EP was a fun but challenging exercise, we scratched our heads and this may sound bad but we couldn't think of deep, dark interesting stories on how we made these tracks or what they represent. These jams are simply a combination of previous and random happy accidents that have come together and saying anything else would be a lie. This however does not mean that the thinking behind them is completely random, the three cuts that we selected for this EP we feel are a journey of experimentation and a culmination of unexpected sounds and feelings. A word that we found best described the EP was 'Irony'. The most ironic thing we feel is that the main basis of these tracks were born on the stage during our live performances and they have now been reworked and moulded into a record. We however feel that this brings an interesting element to the EP that yes it is recorded and set, but you are not quite sure where the next sound or feeling will come from. A hi hat? A kick? It is pure 'organised randomness'... I suppose we should talk about some of the music and try and explain what we mean! We start with 'Pe dos', which in plain English means inside out and it was a track that we had started back in 2011. We were flicking through our 'curiosity closets' one day and found it, we played around with it and heard a kick drum that was not arranged correctly in the sequence due to a random manipulation of the sequencer. Our first thought was to just change it, but then we decided to wait..... when all the other sounds of the tracks came together we threw the kick back in and BAM, Even the acapella voice of the track was screaming. Therefore it was a simple for us to name this track as we worked on it in a completely back to front and "Inside Out" way! The other two tracks on the EP were born in a similar way, reborn again out of the dark corners of our packed 'curiosity closet'. The track 'Noococ' is perhaps the track with the most irony on the EP. Having been made originally after an amazing gig at Amnesia in Ibiza in 2012, we were in a recording frame of mind which gave the song its basis but we would still play it within our live shows. 'Noococ' has been therefore from recorded track, to live and now back to recorded in a quite weird but groovy journey. The final track, 'Trandafirit' has no such meaning. It is again a raw track stemming our live show some time ago that inspired us to recreate and retouch. Again through experiments and lots of head banging on walls, we recreated and accomplished a track that stayed true to the original writing of it but also embodied change which in a way is symbolic of the development of our project over the years. Now, we did warn you at the beginning of this wordy mess that it has been 'organised randomness' that has brought us to create these tracks and this EP, but one thing we are sure about is that we knew we would love to and be very honoured is to be able to put out this collection of cuts via Vakant. A label that has been close to our hearts and heads for a long time. We hope you enjoy the EP and that the music can help translate some of the shit above.
Much Love!
Livio, Roby & George


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UPC 827170548367 RD: 10.06.2014
12" Tracklist: A) Quantum Entanglement - Acid Thunder feat. Mentrix AA) Quantum Entanglement - Need You feat. Fink
Infotext
For the second instalment from Quantum Entanglement we delve into the misty past, a time when moving parts ruled the dance, when the power of the night rested on a needle and a bassline, and before CDJs calculated the bpm for you...you had to touch things, buy things, and the bassline ruled over all. Acid Thunder, a classic by Fast Eddie, was the first dance record i ever bought. It was important. The guy who sold it to me, at the time a spotty school kid in his school uniform, was called John Stapleton, and the shop was Sidetrax in Bristol. Mentrix totally gets the kinda NY sluttiness of the original, and brings it right up to date....less of a cover, more of a homage, the entanglement of then and now. Need You is an entanglement of two very unlikely BFFs... John Lee Hooker and Joey Beltram. This isn't really a cover, it's more like the offspring of many things, times, and moments - it's like the grandchild of John Lee Hooker's track dated the nephew of Joey Beltram's track and lived in Neukölln. Again, Direct - "Techno Gone Mad" on R&S was another of my earliest techno purchases - at the time it was considered "Dutch Hardcore" but now, it's almost cute....
Quantum Entanglement....recycling other people's good ideas since January 2014"
Fin Greenall


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UPC 827170536968 Release: 17.03.2014
12" Tracklist: A1) Avatism - Serpentine (Clockwork (C/W) Remix) A2) Avatism - Adamant (Lake People Remix) B1) Avatism - Laments feat. Federico Rizzo (DeWalta Remix) B2) Avatism - Bitter Reminiscence feat. Clockwork (C/W) (Fairmont Remix)
Hey everyone,
It's me again. I'm sipping coffee and staring at this Mac's calendar, suddenly realising it's already been more than 4 months since the release of "Adamant". I think thank-yous are way overdue so I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge everyone involved in the project as these have been a really amazing four months. Enough nonsense and let's back to business, or the purpose of this text: I (drumroll) proudly present the final 5 re-interpretations from some talented friends. It's an honour for me to have Francesco's techno, David's modular madness, Jake's synthwork and Martin's melodies all in one package, but being both fan and friend of everyone on board I'd be blatantly biased in describing this record's contents. So, since it's 2014, why don't we switch banalities, skip the "description" and "let the music do the talking" (ugh, did I really just write that?)
Thank you all!
PS. Seriously, does anyone read these anymore?
T



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