Jack Dixon follows a string of critically acclaimed releases for Apollo (R&S), Take and Losing Suki (Hypercolour) with his debut outing for Hotflush. Influenced by the sparse atmospherics of Wolfgang Voigt, the playful intricacy of Autechre beats and the off-kilter grooves of UK garage, the Berlin-based producer is unconstrained by genre or place, pioneering a modern, progressive sound that?s already garnered him a glowing reputation. In turns colourful, ambient, melodic and driving, his new EP feels right at home on Scuba?s label. Beginning with a deceptively clean
and minimal rhythm, ?E? slowly gives way to lush glacial drones, skittering beats and huge euphoric drops to form a bold production that sits somewhere between the early morning techno dancefloors of Berlin and the murky sweatbox raves of late-night South London. On the flip, he delivers the soulfully taut ?Find Shelter?. Warped vocals weave in and out of an insistent, jazzy house groove, backed by a tapestry of glitches, vinyl crackle and live drum flourishes. It all leads to one of the most delirious and ecstatic drops you?ll hear this year.
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Things have been a-brewing in the Tender Hooks camp. We've been markedly quiet on the release front but finally - with little to no further ado - we're ready to get things rolling once more. Tender Hooks are proud and honoured to introduce T.Wiltshire and his debut 12" The Sandringham EP (limited to 300 copies, vinyl only). Support from Midland, Axel Boman, Kornel Kovacs, Laurent Garnier, Catz 'n Dogs, Rob Da Bank, Simian Mobile Disco & more. T.Wiltshire meticulously crafts wily house and techno jams on a fully analogue setup, fusing the sounds of raw, layered atmospheres, hypnotic synth loops and pumping slo-mo rhythms. This emerging producer finds balance between fine-tuned studio gems and all-out live recordings - we'll be showcasing both all wrapped up on a hand-stamped vinyl-only release, limited to 300 units. The A-side 'Memory Boy' has your head nodding from the outset. Refined yet raw; silky synth patterns creep in and around the solid rhythms. Jon's Arrival is a lush blend and build of textural layers and ethereal vocals with just the right amount of bass. On the flip we've got two live jams recorded straight to tape. Pam Quiqly is a snappy, eclectic groover with visceral looping synths and risings motifs throughout. Run With Fires closes proceedings with its techno-leaning aesthetic - strong, bold lines with raucous arpeggiators and a huge low end.

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For the second release on London-based Tender Hooks, Lakosa & Rick Grant deliver 'Static / Temptations', a smoky lo-fi techno workout featuring remixes fromKornel Kovacs and Severn Beach. With releases on George Fitzgerald's ManMakeMusic and TAKE Records (which he runs a third of), Rick Grant has for the last few years been honing his craft. His recent collaborator, Birmingham-come-London resident Stef Smith aka Lakosa has been releasing a steady stream of garage-inflected Techno for 2nd Drop, Kerri Chandler's Madtech Records and many more. Opening track 'Static' is a dusty late-night groover. Indistinguishable samples ebb and flow around the beats before a bumping bass movement delivers the muscle 'Temptations' is a darker cut of sooty techno. A meaty drum pattern provides the backbone while subtle synth motifs and vocal nuances float throughout. Severn Beach steps up with a burgeoning dancefloor edit of 'Temptations'. The somewhat darker alias of house maestro James Fox, Severn Beach pushes the envelope for high-gain, warm & punchy techno. With releases for Audio Culture set to drop this year and a brace of other exciting projects, we're excited to have this talent on board. Fresh out of Sweden's Barnhus Studio comesKornel Kovacs, rounding off the EP with a startling, melancholic remix of 'Temptations'. Completely flipping the vibe of the original on its head, Kovacs masterfully weaves the source material into non-linear forms with plenty of "strössel" on top. Tender Hooks is a label & bi-monthly(ish) party residing at Corsica Studios in South London. More