GENRE/S: house, dubtechno, electronica

TRACKLIST:

A1 coco's visa 3:15
A2 canada balsam 6:18

B1 pardon my french 5:26
B2 con o sin 5:42
B3 let's dence 3:32

C1 modernation 5:28
C2 rumour (album version) 6:35

D1 clap gently 2:39
D2 tender date 5:22
D3 7eleven2 4:41


SHORT INFO:
isolée’s fourth album resort island is a record as that's in turns hazy and thumping, euphoric and melancholy, always delivered in brilliant splashes of color. "coco's visa" sets the tone, its soft chords lapping against the drums like waves against a dock. Gentle moments like this and the exquisitely bittersweet "let's dence" offset dreamlike club tracks of the kind only Müller could make. "rumour", the album's first single, is all ghostly strings and loping synths, a mellow joy-ride in magic hour light.
pardon my french (second single)
isolée need not apologize for this flirtation with the sound of French touch. "pardon my french" has the key elements that give the best disco and disco-flavored house records their magic: impossibly smooth bass tones connect perfectly plump kick drums, a strutting rhythm, glittering synths, all joining forces to give you the feeling of having a supremely, impossibly good time. On Resort Island, it's a vacation within a vacation, an artist so skilled at subtle, ambiguous moods going for straight up bliss, just this one time.
canada balsam (third single)
The third single from Resort Island is "Canada Balsam," a dreamlike club track of the kind only isolée could make. The beat is taut and punchy, a welcome echo of the minimalist flair of his early records. The rest draws from the lush sonic palette he's perfected since then: vaporous chords, swirling hand percussion, a subtly dramatic earworm melody that almost sounds plucked from a harp. It's the kind of tune that brings a wash of technicolour onto the dance floor, a cool breeze riding on a perfectly tight groove.
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12”

GENRE/S: House

TRACKLIST:

A rumour
B seven eleven

SHORT INFO:

One for a sundowner: “rumour” is the first single of isolée’s upcoming album “resort island”, his first proper long-player since 2011's „well spent youth“ on pampa records. With its glittering strings and buzzing bass „rumour“ feels like a warm embrace. The groove as well as its textures and soundscapes will take you (and you friends) out there to resort island watching a vast mirror ball rising up over the horizon..
The EP „rumour“ sees the release on isolée’s own new record label „resort island“ on February 24, and comes with an exclusiv epic B side track - entitled “seven eleven” - that will not be on the Album. This is deep in thought house music that levitates between intoxicated ecstasy and escapism.
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2022 repress

UPC A Barcode: 827170485860 Rel Date 11.02.2013
Tracklist A: Allowance B1 You could do your memories B2 Wobble
After his separation from Playhouse in 2007 and the rather longish break that followed it, it looks as if Isolée has finally found their new homebase with Pampa Records. Evidence of this may be found in such unprejudiced tracks as "Taktell", a single extracted from the album "Well-Spent Youth" . As is tyical for Isolée, it defies any clear-cut genre classification and creates its very own harmonic setting, merging associations of pop, house and distant landscapes into a unique sound voyage. Now his second EP on Pampa is being released, and "Allowance" doesn't leave an inch of a doubt where the road is headed. Without making any concessions to the needs of a DJ, from bar one the theme is being introduced in all its inherent necessity and then continually established until a seemingly worn-out, mainstream, pop autotune voice settles upon the cosy bass bed just like a cherry on the cake. We haven't known Isolée anywhere near as free and poppy in a very long time. A more mix-friendly version of the track will be available for digital download. "You Could Do Your Memories" lures the listener away into a daydream, as if he suddenly found himself in an unknown place at a new-wave party that cannot possibly have happened the way it did. "Wobble", on the other hand, leaves only few questions unanswered, the party definitely looks familiar, and just when we reach that point where the funk motif resulting from the fusion of bassline and chords is threatening to wear us down, we are being released.
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2024 repress

Tracklist A. XTC - B. Knee On Belly

Shortinfo: DJ Koze's 2013 album opus Amygdala has continued to bewitch all who encounter it since its release. Tipped as his own personal Sgt. Pepper, the sublime long-player revealed a fully-realised and personal body of work, complete with a classic songwriting at its core, House in its heart, and veins coursing with psychedelic color. "La Duquesa" was the album's dreamy single standout, a journey into deep, tropical ecstasy.

"XTC" begins in the same spirit, and captures the all the blissful allusions of its name, but its initial gentility belies the deep intensity to come. Floating pads glow with celestial ambience as a kick drum is gradually coaxed into solid form, and the introduction of spoken text begins the second act. "Many people are experimenting with the drug Ecstasy," it says, "…is the drug like the lie and meditation the truth? Or am I missing something that could really help me?". "XTC" then transforms: sweetly imploring tones become demanding, gentle gradients between chords turn hard-edged, and sharp hi-hats cut through the haze. Complete with Koze's signature percussive quirks, it drives towards the track's final pay off: an undeniable, all-consuming, irresistible high.

"Knee On Belly" recalls Koze at his most tongue-in-cheek and overt; it is bright, bold and literally brassy, using cut-up horns of all shapes and sizes to patchwork together his own unique arrangement. With the highs and mid ranges accounted for, Koze adds in a swollen, thrumming bass line to mix to bring this floor-filler to life. "Knee on Belly" recalls a raw, filtered and funky approach to groove, with a nod to disco house and the art of artful sampling, as it orbits between its own neon highs and simmering lows.
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12”

TRACKLIST 12” Vinyl
A1 - Dave DK - Herzen Auf (8:08)
B1 - Dave DK - Ross 308 (7:21)
B2 - Dave DK - Don´t Eat The Homies (6:22)


PR EN: We'll spare everyone the Promo Palaver and let the wonderful music speak for itself.

Original Tracks written and produced by Dave DK / Published by Kosikos Publishing
"Don't Eat The Homies" contains a sample of the recording, "Run Between The Raindrops (While My Teardrops Fall)" performed by Sharon Revoal, courtesy of The Numero Group. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Written by Ellis Clarence Taylor Sr and published by Cleanteen Music Pub (BMI), administered by Secretly Publishing.


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2024 repress


UPC/EAN: 827170589568 Tracklist:
A1. Cybekks A2. Anton B1. Volta Cobby B2. Anton II
Info:
Robag Wruhme is well-known for flights of the fantastic; his many productions, remixes and DJ sets act as conversations between melancholic, melodic tenderness, the urgent thrill of dancefloor-ready moments, and the neutralising power of pared-down minimalism. 2015 marks the return of Robag Wruhme to the Pampa Records fold, following the whirlwind of acclaim for his 2011 album Thora Vukk. The intervening years now prove to have been worth the wait: Cybekks EP finds Robag on stunning form yet again. Title track "Cybekks" leads off with a weighty tread, thundering downwards with heavy drums and robotic feel, but as always with Robag, there is more than initially meets the ear. His signature blend of shifting textures begins to emerge: cloud-like chords of suspenseful pads appear and disappear on the horizon, shuffling high hats appeal directly to the dancing instinct, while gleaming constellations of high-frequency sounds are dotted over the arrangement's second half. "Anton" returns Robag to melancholic brilliance, with a lilting piano loop and subtle digital trickery that blurs the edges of each note. It is a short reprise with deep emotional impact, and its poignancy remains long after the final fade out. "Volta Cobby" reinvigorates the classic collision of tech, house and stipped-back body music; exploring a multitude of moods via saw-edged melodies, fast-forward voices, and snatches of cymbals, all expertly combined for a late night trip into what makes a dancefloor tick. "Anton2" is the the yin to the yang of its predecessor, drawing on electronica with a pastoral feel to finish the EP on an uplifting note, evoking the dreamy, hazy sunrise of a brand new day. This is another thing of brief yet undeniable beauty, with a revealing glimpse towards the end of Robag's songwriting prowess.

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2023 repress

UPC: 827170489462 Release : 18.03.2013
Tracklist: A. La Duquesa // ISRC: DEMM11300036 B. Burn with me // ISRC: DEMM11300049
"La Duquesa", the most tender and most refined piece of the album Amygdala, perfectly casual and serious, deep and euphoric, all at the same time, is dedicated to the Spanish Duquesa de Alba, who, as holder of 46 titles of nobility, is even more highly decorated than Queen Elisabeth. Koze is fascinated by this lady: With her peculiarly creepy appearance she seems like a relic from the past era of the Spanish nobility. She is the most pictured woman in Spain and a pop phenomenon. When, in 2011, she married a man 24 years younger than herself, the entire country badmouthed her. Sometimes Koze would love to be that younger man, who the Spaniards dismiss as a legacy hunter! Encore the needle is cookin'. Dj Koze did it again. His homage to Audrey Horne. "Burn with me" - a fucked up, deep and schizophrenic brainfoodbouncer with legato bass and hi hats way out of time. The beat burst like shagging, the dirty off hi-hat lashes remorseless in the twat-herd - everyone just wants to get laid straight away.
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2023 repress


Tracklist:
A1. It’ll all be over 03:55min
A2. Satyricon 04:58min
B It’ll all be over (DJ Koze remix) 05:01min

Release Info:
A heaven-made match is now complete with Gerry Read’s debut EP for Pampa Records. The British producer’s distinctively twisted, lo-fi sound, combined with Pampa’s deep-vein instinct for quality quirks, ushers in a new phase for two of house music’s most celebrated names.
The opening bars of “It’ll All Be Over” are immediately evocative, hinting at the patchwork style to come. Twangy banjo strings and a foot-stomp beat seem to herald a folksy arrangement, but that isn’t to be. Soft floaty pads rise up to form an unlikely partnership, softening sharp edges and adding sophisticated melodic expression. Once a compressed vocal sample is introduced, the entire structure reveals itself and begins to spin and loop in the style of iconic French house productions. Propelled further along by the endearing drama of flooded bass drum kicks, falsetto voices and xylophone pings, “It’ll All Be Over” is immediately memorable and expertly architectured.
Read’s second cut, “Satyricon,” is woven in the spirit of micro-house. Sharp waveform cuts, timely pauses, loops of noodling keys and hints of percussion shakers combine for a low-slung psychedelic effect. With the sunniness of a vintage folk-pop sample and sultry snatches of Spanish dialogue added atop a deep mid-tempo shuffle, Read secures his place alongside the Bradocks and Leclairs who came before him.
On the flipside, Pampa’s figurehead takes an expert turn at the controls of “It’ll All Be Over (DJ Koze remix).” The original’s jagged edges are buffed out, and shined up into a gleaming disco house anthem. With its artfully timed strumming breakdowns and cowbell accents, it is an appetising teaser of the forthcoming summer.



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2023 Repress

Tracklist:
A Blaue Moschee
B1 Petardo
B2 Empire

Pampa is a new label from old pals DJ Koze and Marcus Fink, dedicated to releasing club music that's seriously danceable without recourse to the tried and tested ingredients. A home for house and techno tunes that will conquer hearts and take root there forever, music that's brave and not afraid to break with convention. The first release is by Die Vogel, a collaborative project between Jakobus Siebels and Mense Reents. Jakobus is an innovative multi-instrumentalist who has previously recorded distinctive albums for Tomlab, Chicks On Speed Records, Karaoke Kalk; the no less talented Reents is a member of the groups Egoexpress, Die Goldenen Zitronen and Stella, and operates the Art Blakey Studios in Hamburg where this EP was recorded. Listening to A-side 'Blaue Moschee' you immediately know this going to be a strange and wonderful trip: oompa-style brass looped and layered over a stripped-back kickdrum, this tunes messes with all received notions of what house/techno music is! With a musicality and wicked sense of humour that naturally appealed to Koze and Fink, Siebels and Reents have created a timeless dancefloor banger using the most unlikely of elements. The result definitely isn't "jazzy techno" - the brass, far from being an afterthought, it's the very substance of the thing; it provides the melody, the bass, and the rhythm. Brass is the driving force behind the whole EP. B1, 'Petardo', is likewise driven by growling trombones and tubas, this time offset by cooing woodwind and set to a rolling, almost tribal drum tattoo. The horn chords are reminiscent of moody 60s British jazz, while the woodwind lends a South American fire and flair to proceedings. The track is full of subtle edits, but Siebels and Reents don't overwhelm the mix with synthesized sounds, instead letting the acoustic instruments speak for themselves. Closer 'Empire' again finds exquisitely arranged brass parts interlocking into a tough, single-minded groove, underscored with a skippy, broken 4/4 pulse and handclaps. Often when a new label claims to be taking risks and trying something new, the truth is rather less remarkable. Not in this case: Siebels and Reent have created a terrifically original, inimitable trio of tracks that combine the pop and the avant-garde, the cerebral and the physical, to absolutely stunning effect. It might be unusual and it might be clever, but it's still dance music pure and simple. magic!




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2023 repress

Tracklist:

A: Blume Der Nacht
B: Rue Burnout


DJ Koze doesn't aim for technical perfection for its own sake, but rather to serve the purpose of giving birth to great music. On his debut 'Rue Burnout EP' from his own Pampa label, he plays with finesse and sophistication, and implicitly understands the importance of subtlety, leading from dreamy and restrained parts to a noisy frenzy at the end. 'Blume der Nacht' starts with a looped piano solo from Arabian dodecaphony, interwoven with bangs of violine bows, piercing high-pitched strings, almost shrieking glissandi, deep angel chants and obsessive sharp rhythms. The 37 year old constantly horny wunderkind producer has made a habit of creatively foiling expectations, and works also under the pseudonyms Adolf Noise, Swahimi and recently Madima Lokkah to redefine the boundaries of electronic music. This daring concept works perfectly in the title track 'Rue Burnout' - it is very rare that you find house music this excitingly light-fooded and precisely transparent. The musician cuts the pigtail off the term 'Kackmusik' for good, and demonstrates how sounds are capable of creating the most delicate musical interplay.
Amen.
DJ Koze, Germany, April 2010.
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2023 repress

Tracklist
A. In your eyes 09:41min
B. As above so below 08:02 min

Release Info
Do you know what time it is? It's debut o'clock. Emitting his first material for Pampa, it's &ME - craftsman of all things deep and sturdy, at the same time connoisseur of emotive touch and virtuoso of sure instincts, one of the scene's central characters for a good amount of years now and one of the main figures of Berlin's Keinemusik-crew. The man has been hitting the bulls eye of public perception several times in the past, meeting everything it takes to get a crowd going with an intent on the detail when it comes to his arrangements and sound. These new two cuts seem nothing less than the essence of his abilities.
There is "In Your Eyes", the name lending A side to this EP, showcasing a rather pensive mood. It's just a few bars for the compound of kickdrum, tuned hi-hat tambourine and shimmering background noise until the first chords of an improvised piano-piece are tenderly laid upon the beat. Add a synth-motive coming back and forth and you'll have the main ingredients to this - in every sense of the word - floor-moving tune. Accordingly, the arrangement won't aim for an all too obvious sensationalism and rather opts for a flowing and intertwining call and response of its elements, ultimately resulting in a staggering impact anyway.
In comparison, "As Above So Below" on the flipside is adding a fair amount of emphasis. It unfolds in a dry and dense sounding beat-architecture that's suspense-packed with shaker sounds and subtextual field recordings. Most certainly, a slip-proof ground for this tune's centre-piece, a scale-riding synthbass sparking an almost anthemic trigger for floor-ecstasy. While details like subtle reverberating tapping and sparkling ambient textures sound like recorded deep down in a dripstone cave, the overall energetic layout pushes relentlessly to the heights of peaktime-grandeur. There you have it: "As Above So Below" - this tune works on every level.


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2023 Repress

Tracklist:
A. Nata Alma (Club Smash Hit Version) 08:40
AA Venq Tolep (Hit Club Version) 06:24

Release Info:
Robag Wruhme, working on the material. On the very same piece. And performing two different movements. First, thinking in category Album: who will hear it where? also: mood, position, length. Second, thinking in category Maxisingle: a spinning-tool for the club – another form of another functionality: accelerating the rhythm, lowering the harmonicmelodious, still preserving the nature of the song. And each version should make you HOT for the other!
Nata Alma, a voice loses itself in the infinite, a car brakes, a horse whinnies, the sun scorches relentless. Further, further on, towards the flickering, stoically. Water, flames on the horizon, Fata Morgana, a mirage. »And you might say, we've got no place to go?« - okay? no notokay at all!: Shuffle!
Nata Alma, melancholic Eight-minute-forty. A love song, a wave good-bye: »And you might say, that you need me no more?« sings Sidsel Endresen alongside Bugge Wesseltoft's swells and ebb-aways – metal never sounded so longing; a buzzing swing, a siren call from afar.
Robag Wruhme takes a seat at the organ and plays minor bass notes. He gets up, leaves the room and lays down a dry rock of funk: wooden kick on wooden snare, tight-cut voices, driving hi-hats and shakers, gated synth danglers and percussion loops. Relentless, stoically. »And you might say, that it's over?« – relentless, maybe, but that's how he creates the Further: keep going! dance it off! a new day rising!
And right here. Flip it and keep on moving: Venq Tolep. A summer meadow, grass-stains, a gentle breeze, an early smell of hay. Venq Tolep. Endorphins tickle under the skin. A
percussive spectacle, dance of the insects. Hopping around in flat shoes, the beat is phat and reverberated by a cluster of trees. Stabs on the e-piano set in, picturing the euphoric moment when Loving-feelings walk hand-in-hand with a Hint of Melancholy.
Robag Wruhme, Nata Alma and Venq Tolep - music for dance floors, inside and outside, music for the summer, day and night, and for convertibles on the way there.




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2023 repress

Tracklist:
A. Seeing Aliens (Extended Breakthrough Version)
B. Nein König Nein

Info:
DJ Koze exists both above and beyond club culture as we know it - his albums and remixes flying free from genre and trend - and symbiotically woven into its heart. Yes, he always abstracts and weirds out the principles of house, techno, hip hop, pop, psychedelia, exotica and so forth, but he does that because he understands them. And when it comes to club-demolishing tracks, he understands those principles as well as just about anybody on earth.
Thus he could create an enduring club tune like 2015's "XTC" that is strange, contemplative, even disturbing, bore little relation to anything around at the time, yet still got bodies moving and sweating better than way more obvious techno bangers. And thus the Knock Knock album, which melts a million genres and none into one another, can comfortably include "Seeing Aliens".
"Seeing Aliens" unquestionably is a banger, its bass riff snaking around your body like a python, its high-drama strings, pianos and outbursts of noise designed for maximum crowd pressure release. But, again, it sounds like nothing else, and its dynamics and twists unfold over eight and a half minutes in ways that will mess with your head every time no matter how many times you hear it.
The exclusive b-side track, "Nein König Nein" ("No King No"!), meanwhile, is slightly gentler on the face of it: it's less about sonic pressure, more about hip-shaking syncopation. But it too tells strange fairytales in its peculiar and brain-tweaking accumulation of detail, and though you'll hear archetypal sounds from the heart of house and disco in it, every last one of them becomes new and otherworldly.

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2023 Repress


Tracklist:
A. Jelly Legs 6:59
B1 El Point 7:41
B2 Chicama 7:46


Release Info:
A crackling fire is burning under the bridge.
BANG! the brow hits against the steel drum, Hey!
I only bowed down! BOING! The elbow jabs into the door of an abandoned ragtop, To lash the laces! CRACK! the knee strikes the rusty trash can, Of my brand new black sneakers!

RASP! YAWP! SCREEECH! The gang rabbles on the dancefloor. Metallic sounds blaze out of the speakers. A rustle, a chatter, a rattle, a flapper. Cops troop in gazing in wonder while converting into liquid coppers. A warm kicking bass sets in. A voice from down below. Though, right next to your ear. The floor is demanding a sacrifice.
Jog your head, swing your hip. Wave your hands, and shake a leg: Tighten up, and then let go, for this Dance aboulic!

Producer and DJ Dave DK with his new »Chicama« EP on Pampa. Three kicking, bumping tracks for all day and all of the night. Euphoric percussive floorkillers with a hint towards an alluring gloominess.




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UPC: 827170138728 Release date : March 24th 2014
Tracklist: A. Amygdala (Roman Flügel remix) B. Nices Wölkchen (Robag´s Bronky Frumu Rehand)
Despite all the collaborations on last year's Amygdala by Pampa cult leader DJ Koze, there was still one recurring comment from the public: The album still had DJ Koze's trademark stamp all over it. That is why have been taking the proper steps to rectify this problem, offering a remix series, to further disassociate DJ Koze from this otherwise respectable assortment of songs. Here is the second installment. First up is Roman Flügel, co-founder of the legendary label powerhouse Ongaku/Klang/Playhouse, not to mention his more recent releases on Clone and Live At Robert Johnson. We have no idea what kind of app he used, but somehow he transformed the title track "Amygdala" from a laid-back, wind-chiming electro-pop number into a clock-working tech-house fairy tale. Roman wisely and tastefully retains the original guest spot from Milosh (of the duo Rhye), offering a grittier backdrop for his lulling vocal delivery. Next comes Robag Whrume, who is no stranger to any Pampa fan, having released an album and a mix CD with us, aside from his countless other works. Here he has taken the pleasant puffiness of DJ Koze's "Nices Wölkchen" and incubated it in a deep house cocoon. The witch-shifted voice of guest singer Apparat is given a new life, hovering amidst a mesmerizing mechanical groove. As always, there's nothing formulaic about Robag's formula as he serves up little moments of magic.

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2023 repress

Tracklist:
A. 1979 B. Nokturn (Grand Finale)
Shortinfo:
Pampa's favourite Barnhus boy returns to the label fold, and his previous episode is no easy act to follow: 2010 was the year, Holy Love was the name, and "Purple Drank" the undeniable track of the year; it captured the dancefloor zeitgeist with its sultry tempo, and created an classic with its instantly recognizable vocal. While he last left us falling down the rabbit hole, Axel Boman's newest concern is upward, forward, accelerated motion. "1979" cool-toned and pensive take on classic downtempo deep house. It holds on to the necessary bare banes of percussion, but surrounds it with light touches and a soothing pastoral feel. Time is taken and moments have room to breathe, in this meditative exploration of gently shifting moods. "Nokturn (Grand Finale)" is carnivalesque in the grandest sense, with endless movement via its dominant percussion pattern. Its looping background is perpetually primed for take off, building in intensity as the Latin rhythms preoccupy the shoulders and hips. A double bass phrase minimalist bass loop takes care of the low end groove, and together with glimpses of vintage disco sounds, creates another surefire hit.

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12”

TRACK LIST
A1 - DJ Koze – Wespennest (feat. Sophia Kennedy) 8:03
B1 - DJ Koze – Candidasa 10:21

Original Tracks written and produced by Stefan Kozalla / Published by Kosikos Publishing
A1 - Vocals and lyrics by Sophia Kennedy


Release Info:
DJ Koze unveils a spiritual and surprising journey into rapturous spheres with Wespennest EP. The visionary artist and master of electronic sound, presents his first own release after 2018's global club hit "Pick Up".

"Candidasa" and "Wespennest" are the result of DJ Kozes inspiring stay in a secluded Benedictine monastery on the enchanting island of Sulawesi. Amidst this idyllic setting, he found the perfect environment to unleash his musical vision. He composed all of the music of "Candidasa" while lying on his stomach, in an act of deepest devotion and self-reflection. In doing so, he fed exclusively on so-called heroin kebabs to immerse himself in a trance-like state of creative flow. The result is a soundscape of unimagined depth and beauty that enchants the senses and transports listeners to another dimension by massively increasing the frequency of flicker fusion.

On "Wespennest” the wonderful Sophia Kennedy takes the stage and breathes a new dimension into the music with her impactful lyrics and vocals. With generous dedication, Sophia has provided exclusive excerpts of her yet unreleased songs, giving this track a radiant psychedelic power. The combination of DJ Kozes musical genius and Sophia Kennedy's glorious vocals creates a club track full of wonderment, opening up a mystical rapturous world for listeners. Already an instant classic of German dance music.

With "Candidasa" and "Wespennest" DJ Koze has once again pushed the boundaries of electronic sounds and created a spiritual journey that touches the soul and frees the mind. This EP is the first harbinger of his highly anticipated new album, which will be released in 2024. The time until the release can be wonderfully bridged with the magical album "Hit Parade", which DJ Koze has produced for the British legend Róisín Murphy and on which we can be carried away into the world of musical brilliance.
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2023 repress

Tracklist
A. Pick Up (12" Extended Disco Version)
B. The Love Truck

DJ Koze might be one of the world's best producers, but above all he's a DJ, and it's his DJ ear that governs. Just as in a great set, so with his releases: "Seeing Aliens" came out of nowhere, a big buzzing beast of a track, to announce that Koze was back on the scene and prime everyone for the coming album, knock knock. But now that Koze has your attention, it's time to remind everyone what's most important about club music, pull things back, take a turn to the left, and get deep into the groove.

Thus "Pick Up": the second single from knock knock is 100% pure groove, doubly so in the extended 12" version. In a sense it's incredibly familiar - it is essentially a filter disco record, very close to something you could imagine coming out of Paris around the turn of the millennium. But of course, this is Koze. Nothing is normal or familiar in his world, and he's taken this most foundational of clubland staples into new territory. Flipping samples of Gladys Knight & the Pips "Neither One Of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)" and Melba Moore's "Pick Me Up, I'll Dance", it creates something completely airborne, shot through with emotions such as gods must feel: not quite explicable to the human mind but strong enough to knock you off your feet. In its way it's absolutely as powerful as "Seeing Aliens", but it comes in like the proverbial iron fist in a glove of velvet.

The flip, a ten-minute new track, "The Love Truck" is a big contrast again. If "Pick Up" is giddy flight, "The Love Truck" is woozy floating. Its sharp, clicking percussion recalls 2000s minimal techno, but this time absolutely nothing is generic. The long, intense, on-and-off bass tones, the flickers of birdsong, the pure voices slipping in backwards as if from the future... it's all like the most blissful dream, and culminates in a coda so subtle yet so beautiful it's like ever time you've ever seen the sun rise and thought "I never want this to end", all the while understanding deep down that the fleeting nature of the pleasure is also what give it its power. But of course, being created with that consummate DJ's ear, it's also full of the thrill of wondering what Koze has in store next.

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2023 repress

12”

TRACK LIST
A DJ Koze - Drone me up, Flashy feat. Sophia Kennedy (&ME Remix) 9:07
B1 DJ Koze - Muddy Funster (Mano Le Tough Fuzzy Munster Remix) 5:38
B2 DJ Koze - Illumination feat. Róisín Murphy (Mano Le Tough Needs A Birra Light Remix) 6:12

PR EN:
&Me, the chunky critter, did it again! This hypnotic one-off was stoically crafted to be lifted into the next dimension with thousands of people. Where the hospitality of all-encompassing love and euphoria awaits with arms raised and eyes closed.

Mano le tough found the original Muddy Funster so boring that he ran out of cigarettes. Even as a non-smoker! With his congenial version of this evergreens, this deranged pig forces his cranky perception on us and takes us into a mystical world in which no two stones are alike, but whose unique construction represents an earthquake-proof pyramid of love whose dimensions have perfect relationships to the size of the earth and to mathematical laws. Illumination feat Roísín Murphy as Mano Le Toughs needs A Birra Light Remix persistently pulls us music-loving dance muffins under the disco ball with all the TikiTaka tricks in the book, only to let us go and spin gloriously free at the crucial moment. So beautiful, we dance, wow.
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