Renowned for their sublime, lyrical take on dance music, DC / Berlin based duo Benoit & Sergio return to their spiritual home of Visionquest with some freshly crafted groove ridden thrills. More set in the smoke and heat of the club than their vocalised bittersweet visions, the 'Your Darkness' EP showcases the duo at their dancefloor focused playful best whilst incorporating infectious vocal samples, searing melodies and pulsing rhythms. Opener 'Splash' is at once murky and tropical as the bassline grinds underneath light footed percussion whilst title track 'Your Darkness' is a deep and moody groover with signature rich synth work. Closing track 'Beat Macho' is a wayward beast with a darker edge and satisfyingly complex chugging framework that makes for a heady trip into the depths of the night. Leaving an indelible mark on a selection of pioneering labels since 2009 - Spectral Sound, DFA, Hot Creations, Culprit and of course Visionquest have all fallen prey to Benoit & Sergio's unique brand of sensuous electronics. The duo first appeared on Visionquest for the imprints' inaugural release in 2011 'Where The Freaks Have No Name' featuring the ubiquitous 'Walk And Talk' - a quintessential slice of romantic techno. Then in late 2012 the 'New Ships EP' further demonstrated the duo's ability to mix visceral energy with the emotional. Gaining the title of breakthrough electronic artists of the year in 2011 and featuring in RA's best live act poll in 2011 and 2012, they also had the tracks 'Everybody', 'Principles', 'Let Me Count The Ways', and 'Walk and Talk' variously charted in top 20 year-end polls for Resident Advisor, Mixmag and DJ Mag. The duo have since been enlisted to remix heavyweights such as Matthew Dear, Metronomy, Hot Natured and covered Daft Punk. This year the duo is working on completing their long anticipated debut album co-produced with DARKSIDE aka Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington, and set to be released on the magically diverse Other People imprint. A single will be dropped as a teaser in the not too distant future. More

Culprit's 39th EP release is an altogether special affair. The masters of epic underground pop, one of the most exciting and respected songwriting/production teams in dance music, Benoit & Sergio enter the label's artistic canon in emphatic fashion. Their two- song Culprit debut glows with the duo's forward thinking musical ideas, at once sweeping and intimate, and which depth and sophistication represents a leap in the Los Angeles-based imprint's growth. . After the irresistible electronic sweep of the duo's last few releases, "Adjustments" EP is a turn to a more intimate scale yet with the usual musical ambition intact. Two songs share a common immediacy but are a ying and yang of the artists' mood. The shimmying playful strut of "Shake Shake," with an incredibly fun interplay of vocoder'd vocal, piano stabs and one of Benoit & Sergio's most infectious basslines is paired with one of their most plaintive and delicate moments in "Adjustments." The title track in particular finds the artists stretching the expected musical palette into a deeply affecting territory, where the poignant lyrics are underpinned by a gently hypnotic groove and luminous ambiance. It is a particular thrill for Culprit to present such confidently eclectic work that goes beyond the mere genre confines and, as a whole, represents one of the creative high points for both the label and the artists. More

After inaugurating the Visionquest label with the now canonical 'Where The Freaks Have No Name'--an EP whose A-side anthem, 'Walk and Talk,' inundated the dance music world with a lovelorn soulfulness--Benoit & Sergio return to the throne of Visionquest with 'New Ships,' the more beautiful younger sister to their debut. The opening track to the EP, 'Lipstick & Lace,' bounces along on a rubber-ball bassline and artfully selected percussive details before a dexterous vocal line about unfamiliar places adds a melancholic counterweight to the effervescence of the groove. Truncated piano chords and a mammoth synth hook, which fades into the song's second half, elevate the track into pop magic party-mode. 'Not In Your Nature' follows in the footsteps of 'Lipstick & Lace,' while at the same time, deepening the groove and lyrical content of its predecessor. A canopy of etherealized synths and vocals float above a libidinous bassline, to which are added slices of rhythm guitars that recall the tropical moodiness of Fleetwood Mac's 'Tango in the Night.' On the flip-side, the title track, 'New Ships' tilts on the waves of enormous bass and rollicking Rhodes chords. The echo drenched vocal line--"So many nooses around my neck, as I stare at the sea waiting for the new ships"--provides the emotionally ambiguous anchor to the track, as orchestral strings and high octane arpeggiation tug the cargo toward the night's peak-time…

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DFA revisits several classic and in demand 12"s with a new series of hand stamped white labels called 'dfa white out series'. only 200 copies worldwide. don't sleep. coming soon.. Benoit & Sergio, LCD Soundsystem and many more. More

Matt Tolfrey’s Leftroom imprint makes a triumphant return here with a remix package featuring Mathew Jonson, Silverlining, Maher Daniel and Sakro, all reworking cuts from his 2020 ‘All Shapes And Different Sizes’ LP. Across the past two decades the UK’s Matt Tolfrey has been at the forefront of the underground House and Techno scene, releasing material on many seminal labels in the industry such as REKIDS, Cocoon, Music For Freaks, Crosstown Rebels, mix compilations for fabric and Classic, and of course his very own Leftroom which returns here following its last vinyl release back in 2020 from Detroit’s Norm Talley and Ataxia. Up first on remix duties is Canadian machine maestro Mathew Jonson who remixes ‘How It’s Gonna Be’ featuring Tim Fuller, offering up his signature twitchy synth work, robust analogue drums and cinematic leads running alongside the original’s hooky vocal lines. Maher Daniel steps up next to remix ‘Feel The Same’, opting for an intricate electro tinged drum workout, wavey subs and hypnotic vocal chants. London’s Silverlining then reworks ‘Fantasy’ featuring Shaun J. Wright next, diving deeper via a skippy, swinging drum groove, airy dubbed out chords, snaking bass groove and soulful, intricately processed vocal licks. Lastly to round things out, Sakro remixes ‘Under The Skin' featuring Lil Mark, the Mexican artist reshapes the original with his unique drum-led, groove driven style, fusing crisp snares and shuffled percussion, alongside an amalgamation of choppy bass hits, bleepy synths and sweeping atmospherics.
PLEASE NOTE THE VINYL COPY OF THIS RECORD HAS INCORRECT STICKER INFO. More

Leftroom carries on their 15 year anniversary celebrations in fine style with a new EP from Detroit legend Norm Talley, who serves up two of his own bombs next to remixes of a previously released Ataxia track. Motor City star Talley has been defining a stripped back, dubbed out tech sound for many years on labels like Landed, FXHE and many others. He opens this EP with Pulscocks, a dark and chattery cut with a menacing bassline that lingers down low. It's a high pressure track for sweaty back room clubs. Cosmic Reality is a spaced out and hypnotic roller with deft minimal pads and an eerie sense of atmosphere that encourages you to get lost in thought. His superb remix of his good friends Ataxia's Rickaverse comes in two forms - the MF Mix, which is classic Norm Talley with its razor sharp hi hats and dubby, watery chords, and his house leading 313 Treatment, which rolls smooth and deep with lush piano chords and warped bass. These are four more cultured cuts from the always excellent Leftroom. TRACK LISTING: A1. Norm Talley - Pulsocks, A2. Norm Talley - Cosmic Reality, B1. Ataxia - Rickaverse (Norms MF Mix), B2. Ataxia - Rickaverse (Norms 313 Treatment) More

Leftroom continue their rejuvenated, rich vein of subversive form with this dynamite 12” from a man who needs no introduction whatsoever: Alex Arnout. Long time Leftroom kindred spirit and close friend, first time label artist, here we find the Dogmatik bossman in stone cold groove mode with three crystalline originals and a powerful remix from fellow London-based craftsmasn Voigtmann. ‘Phantom Power’ ignites the EP with pure signal energy. Unhurried in its gradually twinkling charm, what begins as a dark dubby sound soon flips into a timeless rising harmonic hook that’s unabashed in its strong themes of uplift and positivity. Watch as you floor turns to jelly when those chords sweep in. Then drop the Voigtmann remix and watch as every single limb loosens up to that distinctive, fluid dark late nightLondon funk that the Toi Toi Musik founder has made his own. ‘Distorted Lens’ brings up the rear, leading the B-side with bubbly jacking charm. Molten in its groove shape and flow, it’s peppered with vast emotional washes that sweep in and arrest the senses when you least expect it. Last but not least, ‘Ssub Space’ closes the show with a crafty flip from bubbling to wriggling. Here we find Alex fixes our focus on the dirtier bottom end of the track. Shifty, switchyand just on the right side of tippy, if this isn’t moving your lower lumber, you need to reconnect with a dancefloor very very soon. More

“Today is a good day... Rework’s ‘You’re So Just Just’ formerly released on Playhouse is making an exclusive return on Leftroom for Record Store Day. One of my favourite records of all time and a firm fabric anthem, I had to ask Paranoid London’s Johnny AUX for a remix and also gave it a go myself with one of my EC1 Mixes. There is a limited vinyl run on this so grab it while they are still on the shelves!!!” - Matt Tolfrey - April 2018 More

Late 2014 saw Leftroom drop Contexterrior and Tuning Spork’s main man Jay Haze’s new project ‘Finding Oriya’ alongside ESB, which picked up support from the likes of Dave DK, Breach, Mr.G and Massimiliano Pagliara. Here the imprint returns to the project and highlights one of its lead cuts whilst enlisting the services of old school house head Nail, and the ever on-point Cottam on remix duties. First up is the Nail remix which takes a typically groove-led format bringing hooky bass stabs, bumpy rhythms and an amalgamation of swirling atmospherics and vocal murmurs into the limelight. Next up Nail delivers a second remix under his new Smoke guise, and this time strips back the original track into a swirling, seven and a half minute dubbed out interpretation with snaking stab echoes and robust sub lines running throughout. Cottam takes the lead on the flip with his ‘Club Dub’ of ‘Refine To Deepness’, delivering his signature rugged dropped tempo house style with crunchy drum sounds, stuttering arpeggios and an infectious stab sequence. The original of ‘Refine To Deepness’ then shapes up the package, bringing Haze & ESB’s mesmerizing and hypnotic original number back into focus. More

Steve Lawler has been at the top of his game for close to two decade now having been DJ’ing in Ibiza, London and further afield since the mid 90’s, 2006 saw the launch of his ViVA Music imprint, which over the years has welcomed many of today’s tastemakers onto the roster. To date Steve retains a heavy touring and release schedule, with his ViVa Warriors brand spanning the globe and regular output coming via leading imprints in the industry like Hot Creations, where he delivered the ‘House Record’ EP in 2014 and here he adds another driving force to his affiliations, namely Leftroom. Title cut ‘Call Of The Cuckoo’ opens up the two tracker and in typical Steve Lawler fashion we’re treated to an amalgamation of rugged bass tones, penetrative, unfolding drum programming and cleverly chopped vocals. The end result is a powerful dance floor cut as you’d expect from such a seasoned producer.On the flip side Lawler offers up ‘Can’t Stop’, which lays its focus on a heavily swung drum groove, chuggy bass sequences and wandering arpeggio licks to round things off on a raw, up-tempo tip. More

CD LEFTCD006 UPC: 5060376934762
TRACKLISTING:
1. Intro 2. Wail Away Baby 3. Can't Keep Giving In 4. Founded In You 5. Friday Always Remembers 6. Darkness Inside 7. Refine To Deepness feat Tyler 8. The Other Day 9. Finding Oriya 10. Outro

Philadelphia-born producer Jay Haze has carved out quite the career for himself over the past decade, having headed up the successful Tuning Spork and Contexterrior imprints, as well as operating under his Fuckpony pseudonym which has seen him unveil material for the likes of Get Physical, Cocoon and BPitch. Here we see Haze pair up with ESB (Electric Sound Broadcast) aka Elan Benaroch, notably known for his work with Canada's Deepen Sound, to deliver this long player for the Leftroom label.
Across the ten-track long player 'Finding Oriya' we see Haze & Elan explore a variety or ethereal, mindbending and profound textures to create an intelligent, understated and charming collection. From the dropped-tempo nu-disco tinged feel of 'Darkness Inside', 'Wail Away Baby' and 'Founded In You', through to the entrancing feel of 'Refine To Deepness', 'Can't Keep Giving In' and 'Friday Always Remembers', the duo display their perspicacious and fundamental knowledge of electronic music production in its discerning and heartfelt form. More

Fantastic four track album sampler from Jay Haze & ESB's forthcoming 'Finding Oriya' album released this November on Leftroom. Philadelphia-born producer Jay Haze has carved out quite the career for himself over the past decade, having headed up the successful Tuning Spork and Contexterrior imprints, as well as operating under his Fuckpony pseudonym which has seen him unveil material for the likes of Get Physical, Cocoon and BPitch. Here we see Haze pair up with ESB (Electric Sound Broadcast) aka Elan Benaroch, notably known for his work with Canada's Deepen Sound, to deliver a long player for the Leftroom label. Finding Oriya is the musical culmination of the journey towards fatherhood for Haze, here we see Haze & Elan explore a variety or ethereal, mind-bending and profound textures to create an intelligent, understated and charming collection. From the electronic beauty of 'Finding Oriya', the dropped-tempo nu-disco tinged feel of 'Founded In You', through to the entrancing feel of 'Friday Always Remembers', ands the mid-tempo magic of 'Can't Keep Giving In', this eclectic four track sampler is a great introduction to the eagerly anticipated album More

The Leftroom imprint marks a milestone 50 releases this October, offering up the 'Four Fingers' EP from Matt Tolfrey and jozif under their newly formed Kerb Staller guise. Kicking things off is the original mix of 'Safety Instructions', seeing the pair employ a classic amen break, a 303 bass hook and chuggy guitar licks as the driving force. While the latter stages see vocal murmurs build tension in the depths of the cut, as the envelope of the acid line is opened up to a squelchy, psychedelic feel in true acid house fashion. Ibadan's Jerome Sydenham steps up to rework 'Safety Instructions' next, providing a typically raw interpretation. Contrasting to the original cut Sydenham brings heavy distorted rhythms to the forefront here, as the nexpansive atmospherics and synth licks are subtly eased into the groove to create a slow-blooming reshape. Opening the flip side of the release is 'Siren Song', taking things in a more album based, musical direction with a stuttering bass hook, clavia synth licks and original vocal lines helping create a charming and brilliantly unique composition from the duo. Thugfucker steps up to follow with his 'Lio's Wide Shut Rework' of 'Siren Song', the Life & Death artists treat us to their signature melodic and entrancing style, fusing warm analogue pads and wandering arpeggios into a hypnotic workout. More

Word of Mouth' is the October released debut album from the tireless Leftroom Records boss and producer/DJ, Matt Tolfrey. Featuring a rich selection of talent, from the relatively new such as James Teej, Jem Cooke and Kevin Knapp, to legends like Marshall Jefferson and Ya Kid K, 'Word Of Mouth' is a return to the feel of classic house albums of old where collaborations with vocalists, engineers and mix engineers were worn as a badge of honour. Matt Tolfrey is a fixture of modern house music that can feel a definite sense of pride over his achievements. Once a young upstart who was championed by DJs as diverse as Craig Richards and Pete Tong, he's now a mentor to many via his various Leftroom imprints while still retaining the obsessive and energetic enthusiasm for music and it's machinations. A recording artist who has released on Cocoon, Rekids, Crosstown Rebels, Saved, Culprit and more, Tolfrey's touch in the studio is undoubted but with 'Word of Mouth' we're treated to a unique insight into his influences, working methods and what makes him tick.
Tracklist:
1. Encarta
2. Never Assume (feat. James Teej)
3. The Truth (feat Marshall Jefferson)
4. Downtown (feat Kevin Knapp)
5. Mission to Paradise (feat Jem Cooke)
6. Darkside of The Disco Ball
7. Turn You Out (feat Ya Kid K)
8. Distant Story (feat Jem Cooke & Kevin Knapp)
9. The Spooks (feat Kevin Knapp)
10. Not So Little (feat Kevin Knapp)

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