Hot on the heels of the recent Normalizm EP and 4-tracker that topped vinyl charts for Kerri Chandlers Kaoz Theory, Art Department drops a 3 track vinyl-only offering for this year’s Record Store Day, simply titled ‘A Record For Records Sake’. The release kicks off with a warm, filtered and looped sample work out featuring disco guitar licks and a simple, infectious key melody executed in typically raw Art Department fashion. The song comes with a “Dolled Up Mix” which sees subtle changes in filter work and mixdown to extract a different emotion from the record. The EP closes with a straight forward house offering in “d’igualada “, a stripped back and deep affair with muted jazz undertones and relentless rhythm section. A perfect vinyl contribution to celebrate Record Store Day from the veteran Art Department. More

For its next release, No.19 Music welcomes one of dance music’s most celebrated contemporary artists in Ryan Crosson for a new single coming on vinyl and digital. Crosson is a true techno tastemaker who hails from Detroit. He’s released on long established labels like Minus, as well as going on to form Visionquest with Seth Troxler, Shaun Reeves and Lee Curtis, and the label of the same name where he also put out key EPs and LPs with Merveille. From headline sets at festivals round the world via club gigs at the most tasteful venues in the scene, he is a real giant of underground dance music with studio skills to match, as this standout three tracker proves. Superb opener ‘Comet Pills’ is a deep and thoughtful track that encourages your mind to wander off into the cosmos. Slick drums and melancholic chords set the tone, while the bass fleshes things out and sci-fi details bring out a cinematic quality. The brilliantly mysterious ‘Roscoe’ is expertly stripped back and reduced house music that takes you on a trip. It's quick and smooth, with watery sound design, soft hits and muffled vocals adding intrigue to a track that is both cerebral yet designed to make you move. Last of all, ‘Snake Oil’ is another fully realised offering which journeys to the edges of the galaxy, with long lingering ambient pads suspending you in mid-air as squelchy synths and shuffling drums keep one foot on the dance floor. These are three terrific cuts of seriously atmospheric house and techno. More

Sonny White’s Art Department returns this March with his first solo EP in nearly 3 years, the first of a string of releases planned for 2018. The record features three inventive new tracks, including one produced in association with New York house pioneer Toddy Terry and vocalist Roland Clark. First is ‘Sour Jazz’, a cut which intimately shows off White’s originality in the studio, delivering a sublime production rooted in driving, weighty drums and twisted bass. Up top, pained synths bring a sense of real emotion to the groove and as things unfold, keys run down the face of the arrange- ment. Clever breakdowns build the tension and the palpable heat, sweat and intensely of being lost in a packed dancefloor oozes out of the track, flooding you with feeling. The brilliantly bristling ‘721 (Queen St)’ shows off White’s ability to programme an essential and absorbing drum line: it is bouncy and big, elastic and lively, and cannot fail to get under your skin thanks to its instantly classic sound and old school flavour. The physical nature of those drums are offset with deft chords which dance up top and bring light to the track, while sax lines gently drift in and out for extra musical flavour.
And so to ‘Roots Deep’, a collaboration that spans the decades, back to the roots of house music with Todd Terry and Roland Clark. Reminiscent of earlier Art Department records with unforgettable hooks tied down with tough percussion, it is an immediately timeless anthem done as only this man can. Waves of synth and echoing vocal stabs set the stage, but it’s when the famous ‘in the beginning’ vocal starts that hands will go skyward and the club will erupt. It brings a near religious edge and gospel feel to the track, whilst a standout bassline tumbles down the scales to finish things in robust style. Once again here, Art Department combines a true understanding of dance-floor dynamics and house history with a unique sense of vision that ensures this is an EP packed with vital and inventive new sounds. More

Nitin has spent 20 years deeply immersed in music, working as a DJ, producer, label owner andpromoter. He has a singular style that is fresh and forward thinking, fusing the deeper elements ofhouse and techno. As a DJ he has traversed the globe, playing everywhere from fabric toPanorama Bar, Warung to Output (NYC).Kicking off this heavweight package is the original of Sunday Grey, a beautifully atmospherictrack where rolling drums have you swaying as gentle synths pan left and right. A backdrop ofsubtle vinyl crackle sounds like waves breaking and adds to the soothing effect whilst the crispperc and dangling hi hats suck you further into the mix. Some tender and heartfelt chords gentlyjoin the picture in the second half and mark this one out as truly beautiful.In the accomplished remix from leading producer and label boss Art Department, things are moredirect and energetic. The drums are big and rubbery, the hi hats rip up the groove and the synthsare rounded and bulbous. Its a masterfully menacing version with cosmic keys adding colour andfinishing it in style. Wagon Repair and Perlon man and master live technician The Mole then getsto work by layering in waify synths, hiccuping drums and plenty of rich textures and intricatedetails that make for an infectious micro-groove.Last of all, Nitins absorbing Black Sand Beach is a soft and lush deep house affair with resonanthits, pinging drums and droning pads that are propulsive yet perfectly smooth and serene. More

Ahead of the release of his much anticipated second album on No.19 Music, legendary Canadian DJ, vocalist and producer Kenny Glasgow serves up a scintillating single from it.
The album comes seven years after Glasgow’s last legendary LP, A Taste of the Low Life, and in that time he has found global fame both as a solo producer and part of Art Department with Jonny White. Someone known for his beguiling vocal work and stripped back, slick and metallic tech house style, this limited, vinyl-only single is a truly mouth watering taste of the excellent full length album, Circus Tales, that is to come in summer. ‘Prototype’ features firm drums that are perfectly programmed to sound busy and urgent. Up top is a melange of Kenny’s beguiling singling, wordless and wooing vocals and unhinged synths that will freak out dance floors. The whole thing is full of subtle effects and little twists and turns, as well as playful ad libs from a charismatic female voice, and it is all expertly layered so as to make you want to move your every limb. Well crafted for maximum dance floor impact but also richly detailed with sounds that keep your mind more than occupied, this is another stunning single from Glasgow and No.19 Music that will have the world in excited anticipation of the full length to follow. More

No.19 Music offer up the first new single from Kenny Glasgow since his departure from Art Department earlier this year, giving a sneak preview of what to expect from his forthcoming LP ‘Circus Tales’. Kenny Glasgow has spent the last 5 years as one half of dance music duo Art Department, releasing records on some of the biggest labels around and maintaining a tour schedule that encompassed almost every key festival and club on the planet. Spring 2015 saw Glasgow and musical partner Jonny White go their separate ways with Kenny returning to his solo roots with a raft of new material inspired by his time on the road and forged in his new Toronto studio. The new year will see Kenny come home to No.19 Music for his second solo album, the follow up to 2009’s stunning ‘Taste of the Low Life’ and in anticipation of this the label now offer up the first single in the shape of ‘In Too Deep’. The release opens with ‘Sexxy’, a pulsating electronic opus that marries deep rolling rhythms with subtle melodies and some wonderfully disembodied saxophone lines. Hypnotic and genuinely enchanting, this is a record that offers up a perfect balance of musicality and dancefloor sensibilities and is sure to be hit in and out of the club. The flipside sees Glasgow lay down title track ‘In Too Deep’, a spacious and ethereal offering built around a soundscape of rich undulating bass, razor sharp percussion and understated layers of effects. Simple vocal incantations join the mix to bring a sense of human warmth and the overall effect is mermerising. Expectations are bound to be high for the first solo release from Kenny Glasgow in many years but this point perfect single exceeds them at every turn, delivering something truly special. More

The package opens with Nitin's original mix, a brilliantly understated slice of dub house that marries sparse drum programming with drawn out chords and subtle FX. This is deep house as it should be, blissfully emotive and truly hypnotic and all conjured from a handful of sounds, perfectly arranged. The remix package kicks off with a vinyl only mix from Dutch techno stalwart Steve Rachmad under his Parallel 9 moniker. He brings a darker, metallic feel to the record with taut percussion and filtered stabs driving things towards the floor as the swirling pads of the original take on a more menacing note. Next up Montreal dub minimalist Deadbeat takes the reins, turning in a version of ‘Dubbed Out’ that stays true to the name with a flurry of tape delay, a rolling rhythm section and a spacious yet relentless vibe. More

The latest musical offering from DJ Qu comes in the shape of ‘Cycling (I’ll Wait)’ a six and a half minute electronic jam that explores the outer reaches of analog excellence whilst keeping one eye squarely on the dance floor. Swirling psychedelic synths, disembodied vocals and an array of FX are married with a hypnotic rhythm section tipified by pulsing sawtooth bass notes and 808 fueled percussion. This is a truly unique piece of electronic music that denies classification and is sure to delight fans of house, techno and electronica alike. No.19 Music have hit the mark once again with this superb release, catch it while you can! More

After debuting on No.19 Music in 2012 with his still excellent 'So Good EP', Mexa Records boss and serious Mexican house talent Louie Fresco is back on the label with a brand new release, 'Arabian Sexcapade'. This single is the second off his forthcoming full length album, due for release on No.19 Music in May and comes backed with not one but two remixes from house godfather Dennis Ferrer, plus one from highly respected duo Frank & Tony aka Francis Harris and Anthony Collins. Louie Fresco has been helping define the contemporary house scene for a couple of years now, with his fun, sample heavy beats managing to unite dancefloors across the world and this new one is no different. 'Arabian Sexcapade' is an otherworldly brew of subtle Middle Eastern sounds, just as the title suggests. It percolates intriguingly, with occult synths and broken beats wrapping around each other for the first few moments until a kick drum finally lands and sets the track into its groove. Arabic percussion and strings make for a truly cultural musical experience that sounds like no other track out there. It's beautifully beguiling and impossibly captivating and really marks a step up in production for the already accomplished Fresco. Objectivity boss and bona fide US house legend Dennis Ferrer's first remix is a monster in the making. Sure to be caned across the globe in the months to come, it sees him strip things back a little to allow the echoing strings to really breath above tight tech drums. Sirens and muffled voices bleed in from the sides and make for a stunning dark atmosphere. Ferrer's second version, the 'Drums Mix' is unsurprisingly even more paired down but is just as devastating and headline grabbing. The crisp percussion cuts out a pattern above heavy, purposeful kick drums and it's hard not to see whole dancefloors marching as one to this. These are two stunning remixes from Dennis Ferrer that reiterate once again, just why he is so incredibly well respected. Frank & Tony, who have seen success on Scissor & Thread with their intimate and sensitive house, serve up a fantastically lush dub version. They add more lingering and sombre pianos and allow the drums to churn awkwardly yet invitingly with what sounds like DIY kitchen sink percussion up top. It's super organic stuff that sounds like it was done in one live take and is a genuinely visionary way to rework the original into something heartfelt and honest sounding. This is an expertly considered and cultural package from No.19 that sees them offer a refreshingly original new single from Fresco complete with, as ever, wisely chosen remixes.
More

This will be Eric's first solo outing for the label after contributions in the past, but no-one quite saw these standout tracks coming despite him also releasing well received sounds on Visionquest, 1trax & Dirty Bird. Now based in Berlin, Volta maintains his own unique sonic signature that is part house, part techno and always comes with a healthy dose of off kilter invention. The first of the two remarkable tracks he serves up is the beautifully wide-screen synth vista of 'Love Your Illusion'. Warm but industrial kick drums and taught bass set the tone as searching synths then spray ominous across the whole face of the track. After building and teasing for a while, the synths go into melt down, decaying into acid gurgles and bubbles as the beats below grow that bit more driven. It's an epic and dramatic track that speaks of a lonely future with plenty of raw and analogue production élan and is just the sort of fresh ad refreshing new direction that will make dancefloors exceedingly happy. The equally impressive 'Masters of Puppets' is a little less devastatingly cinematic, instead Volta crafts a much more organic and human groove that is deep and shuffling, imbued with spoken word musings and subtle ad libs that help make it all the more inviting. The production is still exceptionally proud - every perfectly crafted element jumps out of the speakers and grabs your attention with the overall effect one of subdued house funk. These are two quite different but equally excellent tracks that have your head as well as your heel in overdrive when you are lost inside them. They are so proudly produced they speak wonders of the very real new talent the dance world has in Eric Volta. More

Art Department Presents Martina Topley Bird Featuring Mark Lanegan & Warpaint - 'Crystalised' is a re-imagining of The xx's modern classic of the same name. The original down-tempo version will be released on digital, featured on the 12" are remixes from Director's Cut aka bona-fide house legend Frankie Knuckles and Eric Kupper, French luminary Agoria and close label associate Deniz Kurtel. Masterfully re-built from the bottom up with Warpaint's instrumentation and vocals from Martina Topley Bird and celebrated American singer-songwriter Mark Lanegan, the original was then remixed to perfection for the 12". There are two versions from Directors Cut (Frankie Knuckles & Eric Kupper), the first is an impossible not to love Signature Mix and realigns the track for dance floor purposes. It's bouncy, airy and lush with gentle-jazz chords that emphasis the sweetness of the original version's vocals from Topley Bird. It's sweet and classic house music that will never sound old and is a typically masterful remix from the legend that is Knuckles and comes backed with a dub version. Former Infine boss and revered French producer Agoria then turns his hand to the track, slowing it down to a beautifully melancholic piece of deep house complete with heart-wrenchingly draped piano chords. It's a sublime remix of an already sublime track that Dixon loved so much he provided his own vocal re-touch of Agoria's epic original. Crosstown Rebels and Wolf + Lamb associate Deniz Kurtel's version is just as special. This version is darker and more roughshod round the edges, as is often Kurtel's way: there's great swing in the drums and moody vibes pervade from start to finish, with the vocal now sounding suitably ominous in the midst of it all. More

Luna) is the lead cut from his forthcoming debut album due early next year. It comes backed with a stunning remix from label bosses Art Department, their first mix in some time for the imprint and a real gem from the ever on-point production duo. Also offered up is an equally interesting effort from Eric Volta and that is sure to take the versatile young producer to the next level. The first original ‘Autophobia’ is a super slo-mo, seriously emotive track with barely any beats. Instead it’s an alluring meditation on mood and atmosphere that slowly percolates with a buried deep bassline, otherworldly effects and only the lightest dusting of percussion. Art Department’s Black Sky remix re-imagines the track for the dancefloor. Vibrant production has tinkling piano keys standing out nice and loud as wobbling sub bass props the whole thing up and chunky kicks drive things forward. It’s heart-breaking emo-house that also makes you want to dance and once again proves Art Department to be masters of their trade. Then it’s Ellum Audio and Lower East associate Eric Volta’s turn to re-interpret the track. He does so with nice loose, organic sounding drums and frazzled synth lines and hides the original vocal in the spaces in between. It’s a big bold track yet manages to retain its human emotion and nagging sense of loss. Finally, ‘My Ghost’ closes out the EP in rich house fashion. Bug rubber kick drums, tortured tones that wave up and down the scale throughout and slightly ghoulish vocals make for a vampire disco styled track that sweeps you up and carries you along on kinked waves of rhythm.
More

The No.19 Music label joins forces with Chicago House heroine Kate Simko for a stunning new single featuring the vocal talents of Jem Cooke and a sterling remix package from Tevo Howard and Kerri Chandler, making this one of the label’s biggest releases to date… ‘Your Love’ sees Simko pair up, once again with vocalist Jem Cooke for a beautifully balance slice of deep vocal house that shimmers and shines with a raw intensity, as Cooke’s ethereal vocals soar into the heavens. This is an outstanding production that highlights just why Kate Simko has been in such constant demand over the last few years and has all the hallmarks of being one of the summer’s deep House hits. The first of the remixes sees friend and musical partner Tevo Howard steps up to deliver a stellar rework built around a rolling arp line and taught drum programming that transforms Simko’s original into a brooding and emotive mix. Next up we have House music legend Kerri Chandler who turns in a vocal and instrumental of his ‘Bob Beaman mix’, so named because Kerri actually mixed the record down in the Munich club during a recent European tour. The results are outstanding, delivering two versions that pulse and purr with a stripped back intensity that makes this an instant winner, no less that than you’d expect from Mr Chandler and certain to be receiving DJ support across the board. More

No 19 revisit the recently released, critically acclaimed Tone of Arc album ‘The Time Was Right’ for the next EP. Disco king Prins Thomas and Southern Fried duo Luca remix C & Brigante remix two key tracks fro the album to fantastic effect. First up we have Prins Thomas, known the world over as one of disco’s foremost innovators, he is boss at the Internajsonal label and has his own singular sound that takes its cues from prog rock and kraut as much as disco past and present. Here he reworks ‘Goodbye Horses’ into an even more lovelorn, dubbed out and slow burning disco licker than was the original. Laced up with a cosmic 80s vibe, innocent melodic stabs and his usual celestial synthesisers, it’s a mature and patient track that rewards your close inspection on every level. Deservingly hyped Italian duo Luca C & Brigante then offer two remixes of ‘Love Kissed’. Mouse With No House Mix goes first and strips back the poised and purposeful, low slung and sun kissed funk of the original into a deep and space house jam rich with glowing harmonic melodies and a slowly churning bottom end. A perfect set builder that teases with acid as much as it rewards with its inviting chords. The duo’s second remix of the same track is even more heavyweight and heads down as you’d expect of something called a Warehouse Dub. The duo allows plenty of space around their arrangement for the deepness to really sink in. Their finely balanced, groove inducing claps and hits churn along at an oh-so appealing pace that manages to both sexy and serious. This is a finely thought out remix packages that breathes new life and fresh angles into Tone of Arc’s still standout originals and will likely see them rolled out plenty more times this summer.
More

Following on from last year’s hugely popular Soul Clap Social Experiment compilation, electronic music heavyweights Art Department step into the driving seat to compile and mix the latest installment in No.19 Music’s album series. This is a outstanding taster in the form of the vinyl sampler featuring original material from My Favorite Robot & Art Department themselves… More

The next musical offering from No.19 comes in the form of Robot Heart. A record almost destined to be a classic before its creation. This is the same Robot Heart that burners chase through the desert on bikes deep into the Playa to partake in one of the worlds most enigmatic events. It´s been praised by the likes of Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the best parties on earth and continues to top the lists of dj´s lucky enough to play atop the legendary mobile soundsystem..After 5 years on the Playa, and now being known worldwide for what have become legendary events, the talk about Robot Heart’s magical sunrises sessions at Burning Man elevated to a new level as Art Department (in collaboration with Shaun Reeves, BLUD and Damian Lazarus) composed and debuted the first ever ode to Robot Heart. Jonny White & Kenny Glasgow are two of our favorite artists who are widely recognized for being pioneers and pushing boundaries with electronic music. They´ré extremely talented DJs and music producer who’s musical style and personality personifies that of the Robot Heart Bot (bus), so when the idea of having one of the many talented artists who have graced the decks of the Bot to write the Robot Heart anthem, asking Art Department to bring the spirit of Robot Heart to life was the obviously choice. More

Jonny White’s No.19 Music imprint looks to new artist Cameo Culture for a stunning debut single of soul, emotive music backed with a remix from the ever-excellent Ryan Cavanagh AKA Slow Hands… The much-lauded No.19 Music has, in recent months, been making it clear that it is a label unafraid of music experimentation. From the richly produced vocal offerings of Tone of Arc to the darkly twisted compositions from Konrad Black & Art Department or the uplifting recordings of Louie Fresco, No19 has its sights set on quality music with little regard for defined genres. Now the Toronto / Barcelona based label is teaming up with more fresh talent in the shape of multi-instrumentalist song writer/producer Dave Robertson AKA Cameo Culture. The single kicks off with ‘Night Swimming’, an infectiously melodic and uplifting, yet deep slice of vocal slo-mo house. Argeppiated bass, Rhodes keys and organic percussion provide the base for the enchanting vocal performance of Robertson & girlfriend Alyssa, add in some old school piano chords and an atmospheric arrangement and you have an instant balaeric anthem! More

Canadian musical heavyweights Konrad Black & Art Department join forces for a single that is set to be one of the big underground records of the summer… Together they offer up the wonderfully deep and dubby ‘Graveyard Tan’, a record presented with two different version, both of which are build around a darkly soulful vocal incantation and searingly twisted synth riff. The A side presents, Version 1, a richly mixed, bass heavy affair that has you hypnotized from the opening bar with it’s 6am audio aesthetic whilst the flipside offers up Version 2 with its intense FX brought to the fore. ‘Graveyard Tan’ is another standout single from No.19 Music and is likely to be heard at every dark afterhour club and after party for months to come, watch out.
More