Rick Wade on Norm Talley’s Upstairs Asylum are words that will excite any true school house heads. Wade is a production machine who turns out always no-frills, trusty and tracky grooves of the sort that are always essential for building a vibe in a set, and Talley’s a fellow Detroit head who has long been helping to shape the house sound. ‘So Juicy’ begins with a flourish, lavish strings and chunky drums that slide along nicely. ‘Midnight Hustler’ sinks into a slightly more steamy and deep sound with hints of 60s US soul and funky licks, ‘Turn Out’ is a more traditional deep house roller with a comic vibe and ‘Lonely Symphony’ brings some cinematic string drama to a breezy blend of house beats.
Factory Floor return to Phantasy with a new single, ‘Tell Me’. As propulsive and direct as anything the cult UK electronic group has ever released, ‘Tell Me’ continues to perfect the dynamic in the band’s current lineup of Gabe Gurnsey, Nik Colk Void, and Joe Ward, with additional drum tracking by Stephen Morris of New Order. Situated between the sonic promise of enduring indie culture, yet naturally imbued with the band’s relentless forward-thinking ethos. Throughout, Colk Void’s inquisitive vocal guides the listener through an elastic square-wave bass groove that forms the rhythmic backbone to Tell Me, before Gurnsey and Ward’s frenetic drumming breakdown rains with pure abandon, exemplifying the band’s personal alchemy between genre, scenes, human, and machine.
Shadows Hold is a Dark Wave/Post Punk solo project based out of Los Angeles, USA. Emerging from the underground music scene, Shadows Hold creates a blend of Darkwave, Post-Punk, and EBM throughout his tracks characterized by ethereal vocals, atmospheric sounds, and strong leads. After several independent releases, Shadows Hold returns with ‘Nexum‘, a 3-track EP that expands on the project’s distinct sound. The music uses reverb and mood to give shape to feelings that are hard to put into words.
Estonian meteoric label Sad Fun lets loose “Sauna Belt” 12 inch by Roma Vjazemski. Vjazemski brings along four tracks from his recent limited cassette “Handlebar” for Berceuse Heroique & adds an extraterritorial remix by Philipp Otterbach. Loose oddball electronica by the Tallinn based astronomy enthusiast.
‘Opening Patterns’ comprises five compositions taken from Peter Van Hoesen’s live performances, purpose-built to shape the first moments of each set. These five immersive pieces serve as the sonic foundation of his recent live shows. Expansive and detailed, they explore rich harmonics and shifting frequencies, with each track carrying its own distinct identity. Functional yet expressive, they now offer a new starting point —not just for the Belgian producer, but for adventurous DJs and curious listeners alike.
Gravitational Waves proudly welcomes Mule Driver for a special 808 Day release – celebrating the iconic Roland drum machine that changed electronic music forever. Now based in the Netherlands, Mule Driver is the head of Confuse Machine Records, known for his raw, hardware-driven sound. The tracks on this release were originally produced between 2016 and 2017, capturing a pure, unfiltered energy from his archives. Revived and re-contextualized, they carry the spirit of the 808 in its most rugged and rebellious form. Mule Driver is thrilled to join the Gravitational Waves family for this powerful sonic tribute. All tracks were recorded around 2016-17. The release closes with an excellent edit by GW head DJ Nephil.
Influenced by the likes of Wanexa, Eddy Grant, and YMO, Legowelt teams up with synth-funk artist Shook for a colorful, fun, and melodic new LP on Nightwind Records. A raw mix of saturated Italo disco, city pop, and electro-funk — drenched in haunting melodies that will linger in your mind for months to come.
Mystery Friend is a DJ & Producer from Argentina who lives in the west of Buenos Aires. His search and musical selection delves into the origins of House, Techno, New Beat, Italo Disco & HI-NRG, reviving the nostalgia of the club sound of the 80’s, but maintaining that youthful freshness of the new generation. This is a collection of 13 edits of New Beat, EBM and early Techno.
“This spring, I released my new album Ninety Nine Eyes. Since then, I’ve been working independently to build a tour that brings this music to life on stage — across a wide stretch of Europe, from the Balkans to Amsterdam, and onward through cities like Warsaw, Skopje, and Rome.
This journey has been fully self-initiated: reaching out to venues, confirming shows, navigating logistics — all in the spirit of keeping the music alive and shared. But none of this would exist without the incredible help of a group of local promoters who believe deeply in this music. We’re building this tour step by step, city by city — and their trust and dedication are the backbone of this road.
To sustain this momentum, I need a small push of support to help cover basic travel needs and flight tickets for the upcoming legs of the tour.
Now, I’m turning to you for support to raise 1000–1200 euros to cover essential costs: international flights and basic logistics for the upcoming leg of the tour. To make this happen, I’m opening up a very personal part of my archive:
I’m offering the first three unreleased tracks that shaped the sound of Ninety Nine Eyes — the moment when my music started to shift and evolve after Mulid El-Magnoun. These tracks are not available anywhere else.
Alongside that, I’m sharing a small collection of hand-sewed fabric eyes — each one stitched by my partner and the art director of the project, Alaa Eideh. These are not just artworks — they are extensions of the journey we’ve both taken with this album.
If Ninety Nine Eyes spoke to you — or if you believe in the road that music can carve across borders — your support means everything.”
Aura Sonora returns with a second release, bringing together two meticulous studio craftsmen, DYL from Romanian & Tammo Hesselink from The Netherlands. Their “Moire Patterns” EP kicks off with ‘Pattern 1’, a deep and rhythmic slice of rubbery techno that rides broken beats with atmospheric pulses up top. ‘Pattern 2 slows down to a predatory crawl with icy pads making a dystopian vibe then ‘Pattern 3’ brings a sense of mystic tribal ritual deep in some futuristic jungle and ‘Pattern 4’ closes down with more fantastically crafted, dubby, broken rhythms that are topped with organic percussion and almost impossible not to move to. Pure rhythm science brilliance.
As Dolly Records marks its 15th anniversary, the label celebrates with a powerful new various artists release that distills its core values: timeless quality, emotional depth, and a dedication to house, techno and beyond that moves both body and soul. Carefully assembled by label head Steffi with the same precision of her DJ sets, the compilation brings together a diverse lineup including both longtime allies and fresh additions to the Dolly family. Fifteen years in, Dolly continues to evolve without compromise. This release is both a reflection and a statement of intent.
Detroit don Norm Talley is as consistent as they come in house music circles. Despite a fine catalogue of cool cuts, ‘Cosmic Wave’ is his standout and a clear fan favourite. It dropped back in 2010 but has been reissued many times on different labels, this time on his own Upstairs Asylum. It’s the very essence of stripped-back and functional house/techno but with an impossibly impactful machine soul, the drums, synth waves and percussion all looping infinitely. But within that endless repetition there is beauty, hypnosis, and catharsis to be found. Sheer class, before you even get into the shimmering, sublimely gliding remix from Luke Hess & Brian Kage and the sparser ‘Cosmic Reality’, all stop/start funkiness rooted down by massive electronic handclaps.
The Hipodrome Of Music 