Fresh from his ‘Let’s Roll EP’ on Radio Slave’s Rekids, Hopeworks curator Lo Shea further cements his status as a true innovator of the UK underground with the ‘Iterations EP’ on Dusky’s 17 Steps. Leading the charge, ‘Iterations’ is 8 dark twisted minutes of tripped-out melodic techno that will sweat the walls of warehouses from London to Tokyo - drawing a lineage from The Omen, Atomic Jam and The Orbit through to Berghain, De School and - indeed - Hopeworks itself. On the remix, Stockholm’s Peder Mannerfelt takes it down an industrial rabbit hole of terror-core synths, rave sirens and sonic paranoia. Across rest of EP, Lo Shea flexes his sonic diversity with ‘Ornithurae’ offering an intruiging mix of bruising bass, twitchy layer loaded percussion and sinister soundscapes - somewhere between d&b don Dillinja circa ’96, early Claude Von Stroke, Radioactive Man and fellow Sheffield legend Oris Jay. Dark, soulful and ravey, ‘Higher’ closes things off with a uniquely UK hybrid that traces lines through militant Tresor-heyday techno, vintage Strictly Rhythm diva house and hardcore vibes. More

Hope Works founder Lo Shea drops two murky cuts on Rekids with Thule and AE Recordings boss Thor on remix duties. On top of running his highly respected Hope Works event series in the North of England, Lo Shea’s reputation as a producer is unquestionable, with recent years seeing the Sheffield-based artist appear on credible imprints such as Phonica, Never Learnt, SZE, Transit and Dext Recordings. Metallic percussion is blended with growling bass in ‘Let’s Roll’ before introducing spooky synths to generate a mesmerising aesthetic. Energetic breakbeat drums and intricate melodies then forge ‘Tundish’ before Thor reinterprets ‘Let’s Roll’ by sucking you into a dub techno vortex; stripping shards off the original that cascade whilst driving you into an abyss. More

Sheffield's Hopeworks has become an essential melting pot for the cultural and musical future of a city whose electronic heritage has surpassed its industrial one. As creative director & resident DJ Lo Shea, returns to the vinyl arm of this warehouse institution with a blistering new EP Expertly programmed modern sonics possessed by the spirit of 90's rave & the UK's characteristic Bass influence abound here. From the syncopated and undulating 'A Way Through' to the straight up ravery of 'Mark X' on the A Side, to the hypnotic tribalism of 'Primitive Operations' we're looking at a crisply crafted modern Techno suite of the highest calibre. Bristol's Hodge handles a weighty remix of B1, amping the atmospherics and rounding off an EP of precision club tools par excellence. More

Sheffield's Hopeworks has become an essential melting pot for the cultural and musical future of a city whose electronic heritage has surpassed its industrial one. As creative director & resident DJ Lo Shea, returns to the vinyl arm of this warehouse institution with a statement of intent & a lithe follow up to last year's Deep Draw EP Following his successful Seaghdha series, Lo Shea continues to flesh out a distinctive sound which is informed and inspired by all those late nights. Expertly programmed modern sonics possessed by the spirit of 90's rave & the UK's characteristic Bass influence. Northern Lights leads the charge - a mechanised, syncopated stepper that could easily be a lost SunkLo release Elsewhere soundscape interludes sit alongside atmospheric, precision club jams, with the B Side struggling to contain the two stout A Side cuts it has to hold in place. A recent Resident Advisor podcast, winning plaudits across the board as well as away games for Phonica & Dext are certainly cementing a assured future for Lo Shea & Hopeworks ! More

Hopeworks opened just under two years ago, in the heart of Sheffield's former industrial centre This empty warehouse has since become the hedonistic epicentre of the city's vibrant all night clubbing scene As chief resident and director of Hopeworks, Lo Shea has built the ethos of the space from the ground up. Having hosted an enviable list of international guest artists as well as showcasing the best of tomorrow's talent, Hopeworks has become an essential melting pot for the cultural and musical future of a city whose electronic heritage has surpassed its industrial one. A platform to release the music inspired by the space and its loyal crowd, not to mention the artists who have contributed to its success, makes perfect sense. Who better to take the helm of this debut voyage than Lo Shea himself... Following his successful Seaghdha series, Liam continues to flesh out a distinctive sound that doesn't easily fit into genre divides, but which is informed and inspired by all those late nights. Often functional, always perfectly weighted - his productions have - given the diverse & astonishing energy of the space that feeds them - gained support from DJ's and dancers the world over... This is 100% Mixed In Sheffield & believe us, Hope, works. More

Here it is, the tenth and final chapter in the Seaghdha story, as Lo Shea wraps up a monumental series with a special, limited 12" & CD Compilation package First up we get four more new tracks on the wax, It's On is an atmospheric, driving House jam complete with melodic guitar effects, which ride the groove and combine with the devilishly deep low end to startling effect Got Swagger strips things right back to the bone, a skeletal rhythm framework, those trademark atmospherics and rock solid low end. Buchsheff sees us back in familiar Lo Shea territory, with a powerful warehouse rattler. Finally To Be Sure brings it all home with a cinematic ambient piece. As if that wasn't enough we also have a hand-stamped CD Comp, featuring those classic cuts from the earlier part of the series, which are now fetching serious change on the second hand market It's a great package, and a serious send off for what has been a hugely successful & widely supported musical endeavour More

Like the face-painted Celtic hordes that succesfully repelled all invaders, Seaghdha continues to dominate the high ground and provide sonic sustenance for rave caves the world over As the series continues to pick up new fans and plaudits aplenty, the modus operandi remains the same - precision club workouts, which ricochet between UK flavoured jams, to clean cut Techno & stripped down House Dirt Chambre, a loose translation into English from a Gaelic phrase which would make even the most hardened warrior chief blush is a robust, clank-a-thon of the highest order, submerged vocals, dustbin lid metrooimics and a rudimentary lawn mower preside over what unfurls into an irresistible dancefloor piece Full Swing takes usinto skeletal Mood II Swing territory - a nifty rhythm track number punctuated with vocal chops and atmospheric ear candy On the flip, Corner Jams sees a Kevin Saunderson 'E-Dancer' style snaking bass underpin a rusty tracked ghost train ride into the depths of the dankest dungeon Finally Someday gives us a taste of what Kenny Dope might be kicking out if he hailed from South Yorkshir einstead of Brookyln. An impossible to resist skin slapping groove with twisted brass refrains and an unrelenting march into the holo-deck for a spot of android Salsa More

The seventh instalment in Lo Shea's series of 10 vinyl only releases on Seaghdha. You know by now how this goes - precision club workouts, which ricochet between UK flavoured jams, to clean cut Techno & stripped down House. Vasquez leads the charge here, less about the legendary captain of the Soundfactory, and more the soundtrack to a drug deal gone bad in downtown Miami.
'Like Her' flails around a bowel troubling low end and crisp snare double act, piling on the pressure with an unrelenting groove and some deftly applied distortion
Elsewhere 365247 is in more familiar Lo Shea / Seaghdha territory, with some expertly manipulated, atmospheric sampling laid over a spare, shuffle-happy Herbertesque workout.
Finally Flash gives us a glimpse into sleepless basement, inhabited by addled humanoids, playing glass bottles More

100 YEARS is a new label and venue set up by esteemed Sheffield promoter, producer and studio engineer Liam O’Shea. The fist release features two tracks by him as LoShea and comes as a celebration of Sheffield’s enduring association with both techno and stainless steel. It was 100 years ago this year that stainless steel was invented by engineer Harry Brearley of the Brown-Firth research laboratory in Sheffield while seeking a corrosion-resistant alloy for gun barrels. As for the first release, it couldn’t be more Sheffield or more techno, frankly. Lo Shea took himself into the heart of Forgemasters Sheffield – a huge steelworks – and made field recordings that he then took away and turned into two powerful tracks that evoke the feeling of their environment - sweaty men in overalls lugging lumps of steel into blast furnaces, rumbling cranes, tumbling 100 tonne pipes and a generally oil stained air of coal fuelled industry. ‘Steel City’ starts of with the hum and throng of huge machines and blasts of hot air bursting through. Then come the pummelling, over sized kicks and ticking, jostling percussive sprinkles to form a wiggling but heavyweight groove straight from the heart of a smoggy factory. More

For the 25th release in our Phonica White series, we are very excited to have three stunning tracks from Disco wizard Ron Basejam! When he’s not producing and performing with the legendary band Crazy P, Ron Basejam aka James Baron can be found putting out all kinds of dance floor power tools on labels such as Razor N Tape, Futureboogie and his own RBJ edits imprint, as well as delivering amazing remixes.

This release kicks off with ‘The Hurt Inside’, evoking late night Los Angeles highway cruises and the driving power of Knight Rider, it breaks down into a glorious euphoria for the breakdown before hitting Mach 10 again with the raw funk bassline and drums kicking back in. Over on the B-Side, proceedings begin with ‘Don’t Bus My Aux’ which finds Ron Basejam digging into a Deep House-in- fused world, drawing you in with Balearic pads before erupting with thunderous bass, vocal chops and chants that are expertly contrasted against soulful Rhodes-esque keys while the percussion grows into frenzy.

Rounding out the release, ‘Music People’ sets a call to the dance floor as its mantra, sitting some- where craftily between House and Techno with ease. The sung vocals flutter in the background with the marching drums and rumbling low end maintaining a cavernous groove. The track builds into an almost Boards of Canada-style warbling synth breakdown before sinking into the pounding percussion for the climax.

Artwork as always is supplied by the talented Pedro Carvalho de Almeida. More

Since 2017’s ‘Song For Mr Lewis EP’ on Phonica White, Austin Ato has dropped stunningly funky 12”s with ease on many respected house labels including Classic Records and Defected. We were waiting for the right track for his follow-up on Phonica White and when we heard ‘When Love Is Tender’, we knew it was the one - a huge disco house based on an obscure Philadelphia-style jam.

It’s the simplicity of the original mix that sets the tone with pumping and driving Disco drums backed to roof raising saxophone licks and soulful vocal snippets, with those all-important deeply moving Philly string samples that are restrained when necessary and released at all the right moments, especially when the drum drops. ‘All Night Long’ highlights Austin Ato’s sample chopping expertise. The drums roll effortlessly through the track as dusty Soul and Disco samples echo and repeat, conjuring sonic memories of Andrés and Pépé Bradock’s best work. More

Phonica White is back with a special four track EP from up and coming London-based producer Keisuke titled ‘At Last’.

Hailing from Manchester, Keisuke (aka Christopher Iwatsu) has a long and varied background in music. From an early age he learned and performed orchestral percussion, touring the UK and Europe. Then, while studying in Glasgow he became immersed in the city’s fertile club scene and began to fuse his percussive experience with dancefloor production, slowly honing his craft over the past decade.

For a debut 12”, the record is therefore a refreshingly refined statement of intent. The four tracks range from uplifting rolling rhythms (‘At Last’) to serpentine melodies (‘For Petre’) and bumping introspection (‘Going Nowhere’) to lighthearted complexity (‘Hatsu’). Every piece is carefully considered and executed, primed for the floor and the mind.

Artwork as always is supplied by the talented Pedro Carvalho de Almeida. More

Up next on Phonica White is Brooklyn based artist Justin Cudmore. He is a well-known DJ thanks to his memorable sessions at The Bunker among other New York and many of the best clubs worldwide as well as teaming up with Mike Servito and Gunnar Haslam as Hot Mix DJ collective.
As well as DJing, Justin has always been a fan and creator of dance music, he started being part of Chicago’s underground scene, deepening his appreciation for the classic House and Acid that you can still feel in these new tracks.
This new release follows in the wake of ‘Forget it’, his last celebrated EP released by The Bunker though in our minds his sound has progressed yet again, sounding fuller, faster and rounder. More

Following a successful run of releases and remixes in 2019, London based production partnership Kassian return to Phonica White for their second release on the imprint. Continuing to focus on quality output, the pair put forward their ‘Shuffling Words EP’ which aims to expand on their evolving style of house music.

Joe Danvers (aka Danvers) and Warren Cummings (aka Warren Xclnce) form a duo that through a mutual respect for each others musical tastes and prior successes, combine their influences into their own direction within electronic music. To date they chart continued support from the likes of Giles Peterson, Jamie XX, Detroit Swindle, Horse Meat Disco, Crazy P, DJ Seinfeld, Artwork, DJ Boring and many more...

The title track ‘Shuffling Words’, is a warm and soulful house joint characterised by a rolling bass and playful synths, delivering all the elements the duo have become known for. Next up is ‘Ex-Culture’ aligning more with Techno than their familiar House/Disco edits, this one is a clear progression in the duo’s production style which builds up to an enormous atmospheric climax and is designed for the dancefloors. Closing the EP is ‘U Make Me’. A rolling lofi house cut featuring an infectious reverberating vocal catching the ear throughout. This EP is set to kick start another strong year for Kassian, where they will aim to build on the successes of 2019.

Artwork as always is supplied by the talented Pedro Carvalho de Almeida. More

We welcome production partnership Kassian to the fold for the 20th release on Phonica White. Consisting of Joe Danvers (who has released records on Wotnot music and Boogie Cafe recently) and Warren Cummings (aka Warren XcInce), Kassian spawned from their mutual respect and a wide crossover in each others’ musical tastes, using their influences of Jazz, Soul, Broken Beat and Hip Hop to produce House with a more personal and innovative touch.
It’s a fruitful collaboration, with Joe’s background in the Bristol club scene and Warren’s experience at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM resulting in a nuanced yet functional take on the classic House sound, particularly evident on their new ‘Faux Polynesia EP’ on Phonica White.
“Their debut release in October for the well-respected Heist Recordings from Amsterdam was well received and amassed impressive support from admired selectors. They kick off their Phonica release with title track ‘Faux Polynesia’, a warm, rolling atmospheric House cut that has been getting many DJ plays. On the flip is the uptempo bumper ‘System’ with it’s spoken word hook and cheeky organ riff before rounding off the EP with ‘This One’s For You’, a truly special end of night anthem in the making! An excellent house EP with 3 strong tracks.”
Artwork as always is supplied by the talented Pedro Carvalho de Almeida.
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STL has been a firm favourite of Phonica Records ever since his first releases surfaced in the early 2000s. Although he is highly revered within the underground scene, he’s always kept a low profile and consistently pursued his own blend of boundary pushing abstract and experimental House & Techno. The majority of his music has been released through his own ‘Something’ imprint but his unique productions have also found a home on Perlon, Smallville and Detroit’s Echospace. The two tracks on ‘The Amplified Bleep Package’ EP marks his first contribution to Phonica’s white label series and we’re extremely happy have him on board. ‘Earworm’ on the A side is a rough and rugged house cut comprised of dusty analogue kicks, warm tape hiss and gritty percussion that locks you into an irresistible groove straight from the start. This is an energetic, club-ready late night stepper. Flipside you’ll find an entirely different vibe to the heavily distorted ‘Earworm’. Clocking in at just under ten minutes, ‘A Cat And Her Solar Life’ is a cosmic journey filled with beautiful synth melodies and harmonics.

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Phonica White returns with two extended cuts from their mainstay artist Iori. Monsoon & Rainfall mark Iori’s 5th contribution to the label and it may be his best yet. Monsoon on the A-side is a deeply hypnotizing piece of dub techno that’s destined to cause dance floor destruction. Steady kicks & toms open the track up before a relentless downpour of intricate percussion and low-end stabs lock you in for the track’s 10 minute duration...definitely one for the long nights in dark rooms. The B-side is a calming contrast to the A side storm. Deep and meditative, Rainfall comprises sparse modulating synth keys coupled with a bouncy rhythm section and airy spaced-out sound effects that create a dreamy atmosphere. This is Iori on top form.

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A new white label brought to you by a group of friends including Moire´, Disguise, etc. in collaboration with Phonica Records. This marks the debut release from the creative imprint NEVERSLEEP whose previous work includes the art direction and A&R of Moire´’s debut LP ‘Shelter’ - out now on Werkdiscs/Ninja Tune - plus various visual work from Disguise. On the A side - a massive floor remix from Moire´, melding rhythms and percussion with a driving bass and lead. On the flipside, Disguise makes an appearance first with a collaborative ‘PARTY GIRLS’ edit alongside Moire´ and then with his own take of ‘MOUTH SHUT’. This release marks the sound debut of Disguise, whose visual and video work on ‘Shelter’ helped shape the strong aesthetic root of the album. This can be seen again in the video mixtape on NEVERSLEEP’s website - neversleep.co - presented to complement the release online. More

The eleventh Phonica White release comes from Q.V aka Quiet Village duo Matt Edwards and Joel Martin! We’re big fans of both Matt and Joel’s various musical projects over the years so we’re particularly proud to present their latest collaborative release, the split 12” ‘Social Music / Change’. We can honestly say this 12” is quite a coup for Phonica! Joel and Matt are behind a number of important and highly original records, either together as Quiet Village and Maxxi & Zeus or under aliases such as Radioslave, Velvet Season & The Hearts Of Gold, Cabin Fever, REKID, The Machine and more for their individual projects. This marks their first outing as Q.V. The deep, hypnotic ‘Social Music’ slowly unfurls over its 9 plus minutes, ominous atmospherics swirling over drums, dubbed out jazz samples dropping in and out, resulting in a unsettling yet mesmerising track. Flip over for extended percussive masterpiece ‘Change’, another exercise in restraint as the latin-flavoured drums are eventually joined by otherworldly voices and screams, reverb-soaked vibraphone and submerged piano. These are two expertly crafted examples of Matt and Joel’s production capabilities just asking to be played loud, we’re sure you’ll agree!

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Luv Jam returns to Phonica White with a stunning new 12" and this time Prosumer lends his remix skills with his awesome reinterpretation of title track 'Quip22'. Luv Jam - the prolific Andrew Cole - has had a string of strong releases over the past few years for the likes of Throne Of Blood, We Play House, Tsuba, Blind Jacks Journey, Crow Castle, Rawax, Housewax and of course Phonica White. That 12" for Phonica - the squelchy acid deepness of 'Mature Oak' back with Cottam's remix - proved to be one of the most popular in the Phonica White series so we're delighted to announce his return. This time, the entire A-Side is taken up by Prosumer's captivating remix of 'Quip22', seven minutes of house mastery that builds slowly then bursts into life under a flurry of synth stabs. The originals grace the flip, kicking off with the melancholic 'Quip22'. It's a gradually building swirl of piano, percussive hits and dreamlike synthetic strings. The slow-mo robotic chugger 'Synth68' completes the 12" in fine early 90s digital style with plenty of snare roll. Limited vinyl pressing – hand stamped. Special artwork by Pedro Carvalho de Almeida.
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Phonica Records welcome the latest addition to their ever-growing stable of talent, Pick A Piper! The brainchild of one Brad Weber, usually found behind the drum-kit at Caribou’s live shows, Angus Fraser and Dan Roberts, Pick A Piper Combines dance-music structures, polyrhythmic percussion, atmospheric sound design, loopy melodies and a focus on electronics and production technique to create a sound poised between the organic and the synthetic and Phonica White have been blessed with two killer remixes to release on a limited stamped and numbered 12”. On the A-side one half of Junior Boys and increasingly prolific producer in his own right, Jeremy Greenspan delivers his first ever solo remix! His reworking of “Lucid In Fjords” is one of the most epic tracks we’ve heard in a while – clocking in high on the BPM scale, Jeremy pulls out all the stops with an acid-tinged and dubby remix complete with covert pan flute sample. On the flip Phonica fave Dan Snaith, dons his Caribou alias for an uncharacteristically abstract remix of “Once Were Leaves”. Moody and bass-heavy, it builds around two other-worldly vocal samples; one pitched down, one ethereal, working in tandem to create an atmospheric backdrop for Caribou’s downbeat drum programming. This is Caribou showing off a different side to his productions, one we personally would like to hear more of!

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Occupying the full A-side ?Moon? is an epic of a track. Clocking in at just under 11 minutes, ?Moon? combines all the elements of Iori?s productions that we?ve come to know and love; carefully sculpted (almost tribal) drum patterns, a seriously bottom heavy throbbing bassline, percussive fx throughout, subtle chords and even a pinch of acid. A monstrously heavy track that craves loud soundsystems. Flip over for ?Spread?, which contrasts brilliantly to the happenings of the A-side. Whereas ?Moon? is bolshy and gung ho, ?Spread? showcases subtler more restrained side to Iori?s character. Again we?re treated to intricate drum work, this time though, it?s all about the airy synths, gently pulsating bassline and the groove that captivates you from the off. This eleven minute journey just ain?t long enough? Limited vinyl pressing of 444 copies ? hand stamped and numbered. Special artwork by Pedro Carvalho de Almeida. More

Luv Jam - better known as Andy Cole - made his name through outings on We Play House and Lany Recordings, and 'Mature Oak' finds him in fine form; an epic, atmospheric track poised on a bed of analog synths and warm pads, driven by galloping drum mechanics that gradually give way to its climax, an irresistibly squelchy acid bassline that marks it as one of Cole's most memorable productions to date. On the flipside we get treated to Cottam’s first ever remix. Cottam has made an impeccable name for himself, with his signature colourful series of untitled 12’s and a contribution to the Story imprint. True to his roots, Cottam’s re-rub of “Mature Oak” is a slo-mo, motorik chugger that makes excellent use of the original’s acid line while taking the whole track a step further. It’s a proper heads down affair that begs for a soundsystem loud enough to do it justice. Limited vinyl pressing of 444 copies – hand stamped and numbered. Special artwork by Pedro Carvalho de Almeida.

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