It is with undoubted excitement that Stroboscopic Artefacts can present the new release from Irish duo Lakker as SA019. This comes hot on the heels of Lakker's recent work for the label through the dark trappings of Monad XIV.?
'Harbour' could imagine a vessel out to sea, battling a tempest. Heavily distorted rhythms build like the swirl of a storm, a distress signal popping on, radio distortion. As implosion seems near a moment of calm sets in and a less maniacal beat assumes control. But the unpredictable hammers resume once more, thumping above a sheet of glinting and sharp precipitation. The storm eventually ceases, abruptly, and the 'Harbour' is left still.?? 'eeAea' is a different experience. It is based on surer footing, concrete beneath the limbs. A thump, incessant, pounds in the background, giving clarity to a winding sigh and dissonant percussion. Yet there remains melody in the madness, with beautiful hi ends peeking through the atmosphere and a strut which surges towards conclusion. The conclusion ends (unresolved) at 'Valentina Lane'. It is a street of mystery, set upon a gas of syncopated flashes and airy scrapes. An uncomfortable synthesiser hums in the background, darting high and interjecting low. And it meanders thence, pausing for the odd moment of reflection. It is as deliberate as 'Harbour' is chaotic; it is a tight, cogent finale.
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kAfter a decade of creating some of "the most distinctive techno around" (Resident Advisor) for the likes of Blueprint and Stroboscopic Artefacts, R&S is delighted to welcome Dublin based duo, Lakker into the fold with their stunning new EP 'Containing A Thousand'. Lakker: 'We're delighted to be releasing on R&S. It's one of those labels that has been huge in electronic music for years - anyone who is into modern electronic music will have a few R&S records in their collection. Ourselves included - classics from Joey Beltram and AFX up to the recent Tessela stuff. It's all in our bag!"
Their intricate, yet muscular soundscapes and skittering percussion have an epic, alien quality that set them head and shoulders above their less ambitious peers; witness the blistering noise of the brooding title track, the staggered, slurping beats and mechanistic clanks of 'Mausoleum', the crisp, propulsive grooves of 'K'antu' and jagged slashing drums of 'Thermohaline'. Having a background in punk, metal and broken beat as well as noise and techno helps give Lakker their truly unique and uncompromising sound - indeed their music has won them the most coveted recommendation in electronic music - Richard D James (Aphex Twin) himself has been known to deploy multiple Lakker tracks in his face melting live sets.
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The next release on Candela Rising is a 3 track EP from Irish duo Dara Smith & Ian McDonnell, a.k.a Lakker. All topped off with a remix of the title track by US born and Birmingham based DJ Skirt. After a string of extremely successful releases on Blueprint, Killekill and an early 2013 release in the shape of a remix for Stroboscopic Artefacts, Lakker are back and showing more range than ever before. 'Coal Bath' is a real Frankenstein's monster of a track, a Techno/Garage hybrid with haunting vocals hiding through the middle and broken beats that hit hard. Skirt's remix takes 'Coal Bath' and lays down some heavy demented bass, chops up the middle and grooves things up. All of which leaves a remix ready for the bunker or warehouse. On the flip, 'Rsspstp' is a heavy hitter. Distorted bangs set the pace for this one, which evolves into a prime example of the attention to detail Lakker are so famed for. Machine music at its best. The final track on the EP, 'Brood', is dark and dense, full of cold atmosphere, sub-low beats and distant, distorted drones. Techno for the darkest 'floors... More

Following on from their ‘Arc EP’ released in April, Lakker return to Blueprint with ‘Torann EP’ featuring five new cuts from this Dublin based duo. Dara Smith and Ian McDonnell (aka Eomac) formed Lakker back in 2001, with early tracks appearing on compilations for various labels, alongside a number of EPs, followed by their debut album ‘Ruido’ on Lazybird in 2007, plus more recent excursions on the likes of Killekill and Love Love Records. With influences ranging from breakcore and jungle to techno and electronica, their sound is just as far-reaching with organic sample-based productions and synthetic, processed electronic beats. Lakker’s ‘Torann EP’, their second release for Blueprint, kick-starts with the dappling beats of ‘Summer Rains’, before
moving onto the more experimental ‘Mustard Crying’. ‘Ciar’ takes us back to the dancefloor with ominous undertones, while ‘Static & Amp’
is a simple but effective exercise. Finally the diminutive but meticulous ‘One Note’ caps the EP off in fine Lakker style.

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Irish lads Ian Mc Donnell and Dara Smith have been recording for some time as Lakker with a number of releases for the likes Lazybird, Alphabet set, Acroplane and most notably Killekill. Here we proudly present their first Blueprint record in the form of the Arc E.P. A superb mix of bass driven techno and electronica across the four tracks here but the office fave has to be A2's super-shuffling piano track 'Ed'
which reminds very much of mid-period Anthony 'Shake' Shakir material from days long gone...
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Dino Lenny’s latest two singles for Belgian titan R&S Records get coupled together for a vinyl release. ‘Lose Control’ and ‘Washington Street’ are both served up with alternate mixes. The London based Italian producer fired out another irresistible club heater on the ‘Lose Control’ single, racking up Top Ten chart positions across the dance DSPs. On the Tea With Quincy Mix, legendary American musician Jerry Hey in drafted in to add his unmistakable horn playing to this version of ‘Lose Control. Hey is a highly seasoned orchestrator and session musician, playing on hundreds of classic recordings including Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, ‘Rock With You’ and ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’, and also playing with Earth, Wind & Fire, Donna Summer, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, George Benson and numerous others, including Quincy Jones, whom the mix title doffs its cap to. A special ‘4am Mix’ of ‘Washington Street’ from Dino Lenny himself sits on the flip side, a propelling and heavyweight dancefloor cut laced with seductive saxophone and climaxing with sparkling melodic electronics.
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Another legendary R&S classic repressed in very limited numbers only on a one-sided 12" vinyl. The original 1992 release from Dutch producer Jaydee was a 10 minute long Hammond organ workout - many remixes over the years but you cant surpass the original!!! More

Joey Beltram mega-ultra-classic, ‘Energy Flash’ re-mastered by Matt Colton. Pressed nice and loud on a one sided 12”. E.S.S.E.N.T.I.A.L.!!! (...still after all these years...)

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Ada Kaleh, the Romanian composer and DJ, follows up on his recent releases for R&S Records and Apollo with a brand new single, ‘Unravelling’. Featuring the vocals of Fela Kuti at his most potent, ‘Unravelling’ also includes a featured performance from Eric Leeds, the American saxophone player most noted for his work with Prince, both in the studio and as part of the Purple One’s touring band. Ada Kaleh constructs a hypnotising and minimalistic rhythm, reminiscent of Tony Allen's drumming style, speckled with dubbed out complexions and kaleidoscopic sonics that provide the perfect bed for Fela Kuti’s distinguished vocal delivery and conscientious lyric. The illustrious jazz musician Eric Leeds lends his prowess to the main mix here, as his smoky saxophone tones glide across ‘Unravelling’ with pure professional class! More

Spanish sound designer and producer Architectural layers intense beat science and waves of ethereal tones across three stunning new tracks on the ‘Clothed in Light’ EP for R&S Records. Also known for his production work under the aliases Reeko, Humano and Neither (amongst others), the experimental producer has issued a slew of mind bending releases for labels like Music Man, Pole Recordings, Non Series, Ellum Audio and his own Mental Disorder imprint over the past two decades. The ‘Clothed In Light’ EP finds Architectural back on R&S Records, following his 2020 released ‘Planet Is But A Dream’ single. More

Four tracks of esoteric and spatial electronica are served up on Quartz’s debut release for R&S Records. Via releases for Metalheadz, Rupture London and System Music, amongst others, the ascending producer from Cardiff has impressed with his unique take on drum & bass, and more recently via grime influenced dubstep. A thrilling hybrid of sounds and rhythms are pulled together on the ‘Deity Spear’ release as Quartz deploys angular breakbeats, gargantuan bass tones, convoluted rhythms, and panoramic sound design across four mesmerising tracks. The opening track ‘Lilac Cobwebs’ is a reference and homage to his deceased mother, featuring a snippet of one of her last voice notes to him, and a reference to a colour he fondly remembers of her. A spellbinding and dense release from one of the UK’s most audacious producers. More

Manchester based DJ/producer Antagonist cues up a collection of dense and uncompromising electronic tracks on his R&S Records debut. The ‘Rites’ EP pulls together 5 new tracks that lean on the artist’s drum ‘n’ bass roots and influences, a sound that has informed his DJ sets and studio productions since he launched the project in 2004. Channelling his productions towards the more cinematic and darker side of drum ‘n’ bass and broken beats, Antagonist has released a strong run of EPs for labels such as Samurai Music, Ronin Ordinance, One.Seventy and his own Discipline imprint, stamping his hybrid sound across these well received releases. Layers upon layers of shadowy ambience and wistful tones are punctured by hard edged beat-science, as Antagonist goes in deep on the complex breakbeats, chopping back and forth knifelike loops and dynamic kicks. A highly accomplished debut for the R&S label from this sonically exciting young producer. More

What can be said about Joey Beltram’s ‘Energy Flash’ that hasn’t be said already! The track still gets rinsed, week in, week out, across radio stations, clubs and festivals, testimony to the sheer importance of this techno classic. Released originally in 1990 on the R&S Records label, ‘Beltram Vol. 1’ included the aforementioned ‘Energy Flash’, alongside three equally ground-breaking dance tracks that possibly get overshadowed by the big lead track. But tracks like ‘Subsonic Bass’ broke the mould and went on to influence a raft of rave and drum ‘n’ bass tunes, thanks in part to its use of the now legendary ‘hoover’ bass sound. The sinister acid of ‘Jazz 3033’ still sounds as fresh today as it did 33 years ago, and the menacingly titled ‘Psycho Bass’ reveals the EP’s most passive moment, as its solid breakbeat cuts through ethereal tones and chugging synths. ‘Beltram Volume 1’ has been remastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, and the release comes in an updated sleeve, faithfully recreating the 1990 packaging. More

What can be said about Joey Beltram’s ‘Energy Flash’ that hasn’t be said already! The track still gets rinsed, week in, week out, across radio stations, clubs and festivals, testimony to the sheer importance of this techno classic. Released originally in 1990 on the R&S Records label, ‘Beltram Vol. 1’ included the aforementioned ‘Energy Flash’, alongside three equally ground-breaking dance tracks that possibly get overshadowed by the big lead track. But tracks like ‘Subsonic Bass’ broke the mould and went on to influence a raft of rave and drum ‘n’ bass tunes, thanks in part to its use of the now legendary ‘hoover’ bass sound. The sinister acid of ‘Jazz 3033’ still sounds as fresh today as it did 33 years ago, and the menacingly titled ‘Psycho Bass’ reveals the EP’s most passive moment, as its solid breakbeat cuts through ethereal tones and chugging synths. ‘Beltram Volume 1’ has been remastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, and the release comes in an updated sleeve, faithfully recreating the 1990 packaging. More

lThere are techno classics, and there are techno classics! It’s without doubt that Joey Beltram has played a pivotal role in the growth of the techno sound that gestated in Detroit and was lapped up in Europe during those early years. Beltram spearheaded a darker sound that became a staple in the UK and European rave scene in the early 90s, and a sound that continues to come back around for revival and a new twist on the genre from the producers and DJs of the day. ‘Beltram Volume 2’ was first released on R&S Records in 1991, and despite the huge success of the ‘Energy Flash’ single, released a year prior, ‘Volume 2’, some say, is ‘Beltram’s definitive release on R&S’. Deep, dark and deliciously hypnotic, all four cuts on this EP still sound as raw and devastating 30 years later. Big tunes at seminal clubs like Rage (Fabio & Grooverider) and the network of UK raves soundtracked by the likes of Carl Cox, Colin Faver, Eddie Richards et al, Beltram’s unique sound help spawn the bass heavy drum & bass genre that was also burgeoning at the time. ‘Beltram Volume 2’ has been remastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, and the release comes in an updated sleeve, faithfully recreating the 1991 packaging featuring Christel Brodahl’s now legendary oil painting. More

lThere are techno classics, and there are techno classics! It’s without doubt that Joey Beltram has played a pivotal role in the growth of the techno sound that gestated in Detroit and was lapped up in Europe during those early years. Beltram spearheaded a darker sound that became a staple in the UK and European rave scene in the early 90s, and a sound that continues to come back around for revival and a new twist on the genre from the producers and DJs of the day. ‘Beltram Volume 2’ was first released on R&S Records in 1991, and despite the huge success of the ‘Energy Flash’ single, released a year prior, ‘Volume 2’, some say, is ‘Beltram’s definitive release on R&S’. Deep, dark and deliciously hypnotic, all four cuts on this EP still sound as raw and devastating 30 years later. Big tunes at seminal clubs like Rage (Fabio & Grooverider) and the network of UK raves soundtracked by the likes of Carl Cox, Colin Faver, Eddie Richards et al, Beltram’s unique sound help spawn the bass heavy drum & bass genre that was also burgeoning at the time. ‘Beltram Volume 2’ has been remastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, and the release comes in an updated sleeve, faithfully recreating the 1991 packaging featuring Christel Brodahl’s now legendary oil painting. More

Repress!

As 'Portrait With Firewood' is Felix's most personal body of work to date, the product of an emotionally turbulent 2017, capturing the range of feelings and emotions he went through in vivid sonic beauty. By putting aside his previous sampladelic approach he returned to his childhood instrument of the piano as a core starting point. "It's a confessional record… I realise that's a word mostly used to describe singer/songwriter rather than (largely) instrumental music, but I think it's apt. There's a sort of emotional candour." Felix is classically trained in the jazz tradition and influenced by the likes of Keith Jarrett and Alice Coltrane. Previously he was shy at the prospect of fans hearing his piano playing, but determined to overcome this fear he has brought forward a new honesty to his work. "Finding the confidence to work with my own piano improvisations was a big part of that. Once I had figured out how I was going to make the music, it actually fell in to place rather quickly." Felix's goal was to create something "overwhelmingly beautiful", but also to capture the "inherent melancholy in beauty in all it's impermanance and fragility". He took inspiration and solace from performance artist Marina Abramovic. "She has an incredibly deep understanding of the human condition, and expresses it in such a poetic way. Many of the themes of her work had particular resonance for me over the course of 2017 as I worked on the album. I was moved to tears on several occasions watching her videos or reading about her work." Felix collaborated with cellist Zosia Jagodzinska and vocalist Lola Empire. Jagodzinska recorded several takes of improvisations over the track 'Creature' which Felix would chop, pitch and layer into new melodic lines and seed throughout the album. Felix's new approach expanded to experimentation with field recording, contact micing his beloved piano and purchasing his first hardware synth, all in service of enriching the personal, humane quality of the record. "Music helps me to communicate the sorts of things that I find almost impossible to put in to words. I think the process for this album has helped me create a more rich and emotionally complex body of work than I have managed before." More

Joe McBride AKA Synkro has built up a hugely impressive catalogue of releases over the last few years. Via albums and singles for Apollo, Exit Records and his own Synkro Music imprint, the Manchester based producer and sound architect has amassed a dazzling archive of elaborate, emotive and intellectual soundscapes drawing in influences across a spectrum of bass culture and electronica. On the ‘Information’ EP, it’s business as usual, as Synkro deploys four fresh and forward thinking tracks that slither across the genres with ease. From the frantic percussion and dubwise tones of title track ‘Information’ to the absorbing textures and crackling ambience of the beatless opener ‘Cycles’, the attention to detail and the depth of layered sonics across all four tracks afford the listener a truly mesmerising experience. The dusty and dark skank of ‘Signal’ is a real mood piece, whilst ‘Last Breath’ closes the EP drenched in sanguine sentiments. More

Originally released on R&S Records in 2006, Chizawa Q revives his ‘Asia’ release with the surfacing of a new remix, the ‘Asia 4 (Lost Q Mix)’. The Japanese producer, who has enjoyed a modest string of releases for F-Communications and Deka Traxxx, fires out an epically irresistible remix that is sure to soundtrack the summer clubs and festivals ahead. With its roots in the Detroit school of techno, it’s easy to hear the influences of such legends as Underground Resistance and Rolando, and the melodic style of jazzy techno established by artists like R&S Records’ Dave Angel, Vince Watson and Steve Rachmand, but the ‘Lost Asia’ EP is no pastiche. Emotive and musical, delivered with the purity and spirit often lacking in modern techno, Chizawa Q’s music is a reminder that the authentic sounds always rise to the top in the end. More

Operating on the outer rim of the drum & bass scene for over a decade, Blocks & Escher have been designing intelligent and forward-thinking electronic dance across a multitude of releases for labels such as Metalheadz, Digital Soundboy and their own Narratives Music. Their first release of 2022, ‘Shot In The Dark’ EP, pulls together four outstanding cuts of shadowy breaks and abstract electronica. Otherwise known as Phillip Smith and Will Hansen, Blocks & Escher distilled their sound into the critically acclaimed 2018 album ‘Something Blue’. Released on Goldie’s Metalheadz imprint, the long player displayed a confident maturity of sound, and a more than capable accomplishment of pulling the visionary sounds of drum & bass into a new era. The industrial breaks and hoover bass of ‘Shot In The Dark’ anchor a wave of cinematic synth sweeps, fashioning an arresting opening track on this accomplished EP. The ingenious beats continue to unfurl across ‘Abyss’ and ‘This One’, as brooding atmospherics wash over in waves. The finale of ‘Dance Girl’ ramps up the BPMs and beat complexity, as a breathless assault of rhythm and sound captivates and rewards in abundance. More

1991 techno classics - repressed and reissued for 2021!
Second Phase (aka Joey Beltram and Mundo Muzique) are 2 legendary producers whose output shaped an entire generation of ravers, DJs and producers minds. 'Mentasm / Mind To Mind' is one such influential release, literally creating new styles, new directions and impacting on dance music for decades to come. Unique programming and fresh sounds made their records stand out head and shoulders above everyone else's output. 'Mentasm' particularly broke ground with it's now infamous 'hoover sound', influencing house, techno and trance music to come and even spilling over into the nascent hardcore, jungle and D&B scenes where it was often imitated or sampled by producers who wanted that ruff, visceral feel for their own tracks, but didn't know how to create it themselves. A new energy was born and it emanated from this milestone 12". 'Mind To Mind' on the flipside is equally as deadly, but in a deeper, more spaced out realm it maneuvers and pulls into a trippy early morning space, the yin to 'Mentasm's yang. This is a quintessential techno record, a glimpse of innovation from back in the day. File under 'classic'. This special 2021 edition is reissued by R&S Records from original master sources, remastered by Curve Pusher. More

Presenting a special limited edition reissue of a stone cold classic from the R&S vaults, 1993 style, remastered and repressed on special transparent wax. Capricorn aka Dutch producer and DJ Hans Weekhout originally released the '20Hz' 3 track EP on R&S sub-label Global Cuts to much acclaim.
A record that was literally everywhere in '93 and still rocks any club today, '20Hz' is undoubtedly an all-time anthem with it's combination of rolling, thunderous drums, glacial marimba-like melodies and a tense trance inducing atmosphere that literally lifts the dancefloor to another place. 'Didn't I' is also a proper old-school peak-time stormer, it's uptempo, dripping in positive vibes with sampled soulful vocals and chopped up drum breaks all encapsulated within a real rave sensibility. Closing out the EP we are treated to 'For The Soul, Body & Mind' which is a much darker, deeper and menacing vibe than the previous cuts. More in line with the earliest fringes of jungle, hardcore and bleep tehcno the track takes us on a journey into the heart of the night with it's bass heavy and intricate sound programming and breakbeats, proving that Hans Weekhout was an extremely versatile and open minded producer. Overall, a truly classic and essential EP from the heyday of European house and techno that still packs a punch today! This special 2021 edition is reissued by R&S Records from original master sources, remastered by Curve Pusher. More

Master sampler Fed Conti has a way of making grooves sound as light as a feather, elevating kraut and jazz phrases to dreamy realms where the imagination is tickled. To kick off the forthcoming debut PROGedia album, revered producer and remixer Charles Webster adds his inimitable touch to the single ‘We Are The Night’, expanding on Conti’s heartfelt arrangements, playing with beats and textures, as he travels smooth melodic lines. PROGedia is the newest alias of the Italian producer Fed Conti, also known as Mahjong and Nardis. After having played his Hammond organ with several jazz deities, and produced samples for Coca Cola and Universal, he is finally unleashing his kinky musical imagination in the PROGedia album; ‘We Are The Night’ kicks off a mixture of kraut, psychedelic grooves and nu jazz, tied together through clever arrangements and a refined sampling process. ‘It’s an escape from modern decadence,’ says Fed, who adores the authentic and offbeat. It only makes sense, then, that the first track of his upcoming album is called ‘We Are The Night’; during the darkest hours PROGedia’s retro extravagance can claim a foothold, offering a warm breeding ground for quirkiness, infatuation, and musical liberation. The renowned producer Charles Webster, too, is a real music fetishist; he got his first instruments at the age of 13 and went on to collaborate with the likes of Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, founding his own Love From San Francisco project and following with two decades of classy and sophisticated music productions. For this occasion, he has added his unmistakable touch to the ‘We Are The Night’ title track, complementing PROGedia’s infectious grooves with poignant rhythms and motley textures. More