Ociya – Celestial Body Music Part 1 / Part 2 [ACIDTEST018.1/ACIDTEST018.2]

Johannes Auvinen (Tin Man) and Max Ravitz (Patricia), two devotees in the cult of the TB-303, return to Acid Test with the Celestial Body Music series, a follow up to their 2020 LP Powers Of Ten. Recorded in Ravitz’s studio in Asheville, NC, Celestial Body Music once again showcases the pair’s penchant for raw yet emotive dance music. With Auvinen’s signature TB-303 programming and Ravitz’s typical melancholic flair, the duo’s styles merge seamlessly over the course of 8 tracks that harken back to the heyday of American techno and house. Following on from Powers of Ten, the pair continue to fix their eyes firmly on the stars, as Celestial Body Music’s song titles conjure visions of listening to Dance Mania 12”s on the ISS. With a tonal palette that features the well-trodden sounds of classic analog hardware like the TR-808, TR-909, TB-303, and SH-101, Ociya demonstrate their ability to breathe new life into these old instruments through thoughtful programming, arrangement, and mixing. This is made all the more significant when considering every song was recorded live to 2-track with no editing over the course of a few days. Sweet and savory both, the new material strikes a perfect balance between emotive sensibility and dance floor appeal.

Part 1 / Part 2

Ociya – Celestial Body Music Part 1 / Part 2 [ACIDTEST018.1/ACIDTEST018.2]

Simoncino – Resurrection Part 2 [LAX154]

Simoncino is back again on Skylax with the volume 2 of the Resurrection series. The made in Perugia prodigy delivers once again 3 titles paying homage to the sound of Chicago, the fabulous triplet lost tape 1, 2 & 3. On A1, the aptly named Lost tape 1 us leads into the meanders of the jungle house in direct tribute to the great marshall Jefferson all sprinkled with some ”detroit” sauce, this peaktime track will delight the most humid and demanding dancefloors. Lost tape 2 is more airy with these sparkling bells and its bass that lifts your guts, mental we tell you ! A bit as if paris gray was remixed in a hovering dub version. On lost tape 3, it is clearly the quintessence of the spirit of simoncino, his genius. This way of creating a universe that is both a tribute to the original chicago house and the italian dream house straight from the 90s. Completely trippy. And cherry on the cake on B2, we have a remix of the now classic ”on the dancefloor”, a title created in collaboration with Merwyn Sanders from Virgo Four (Chicago), from Detroit legend : Marcellus Pittmann ! 9 mn of pure madness. The Detroit – Chicago axis has never been so obvious. A must. Comes out on clear vinyl. Note that on the label’s bandcamp, with the purchase of the vinyl, you can get 1 exclusive bonus track (& what a track !) : Simoncino & Merwyn Sanders of Virgo Four ”On The Dance Floor” (Marcellus Pittman smooth remix).

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Simoncino – Resurrection Part 2 [LAX154]

Freddy Fresh – The Harvest [RX3]

Back in 2020, hip-hop, breaks and electro stalwart Freddy Fresh decided to turn his hand to vintage-sounding house and techno, self-releasing a set of tracks called The Harvest online. Rawax were impressed, with the popular label deciding to put the pick of the cuts out on vinyl. Title track ‘The Harvest’ sets the tone, with the veteran producer wrapping a house-tempo, post-electro groove in sustained organ chords, spacey synths and bubbly electronic melodies. ‘House-Spanner’ sees him doff a cap to The Middle of Nowhere-era Orbital (seriously, it’s very reminiscent of the Hartnoll brothers’ late ’90s output), while ‘Misunderstood’ is a woozy, delay-laden chunk of early morning U.S deep house. Elsewhere, the deep house dreaminess continues on the interestingly swung ‘Twain’, and clonking, TB-303 speckled ‘Horlywagon’.

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Freddy Fresh – The Harvest [RX3]

Ambassade – Young Birds​ / ​Palette [OM52]

De Ambassade have dropped the ‘De’ and are now known as Ambassade. Optimo Music will be releasing their second album in 2023. Ahead of that is this glorious 2 track 12” featuring music that took our breath away when we first heard it. Both tracks are exclusive to this release.

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Ambassade – Young Birds​ / ​Palette [OM52]

Soft Crash – Your Last Everything [BITE023]

Soft Crash is the collaborative project of two Italo Body Music trailblazers: BITE founder – Phase Fatale, and one of the label’s protagonists – Pablo Bozzi. United by a mutual passion for a particular melancholic yet sensual approach, and a sound that combines influences of synthwave, EBM, Italo and techno, the two have proved themselves to be a perfect match with ‘Spritzkrieg’ (2020) – their first EP on BITE. This time, Soft Crash present their first long player ‘Your Last Everything’. The album further expands the Italo Body Music palette into electro, acid house, bleep, hi-nrg, and IDM. Each of the eight tracks on the LP sounds layered and intricate, with a variety of interactions between different technical elements and intertwining melodies that reference high production methods from the 80s and 90s turned contemporary. The album centers itself around themes of dystopian cyberpunk and surreal cinematics. It looks to invoke emotion in cold and mechanical elements, making it feel like an organic new chapter in the duo’s ongoing exploration of the relationship between technology and the body.

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Soft Crash – Your Last Everything [BITE023]

Heap – False Hope [ISLA32]

Over the past decade, Vienna-based Florian Stöffelbauer – also known as Heap, has built a consistent reputation as a skilled DJ, producer and Neubau’s label head. Isla presents his latest effort “False Hope” which explores the intersections between industrial, electro and dark wave – all with a leftfield twist. As diverse as it is powerful, the 7 tracks featured here almost feel like nocturnal tales, chalking out Heap’s observations wandering through the streets of a silent city, with cigarette smoke permeating the air and sirens ringing in the distance.

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Heap – False Hope [ISLA32]

Helena Hauff – Living With Ladybirds [FRO003]

German DJ Helena Hauff and ‘Return to Disorder’ label owner was the first female to be named BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix of the year in 2017. Helena’s focus has always been on productions and DJing making her characteristic gnashing electro, acidic techno and chugging EBM tunes and sets her focus ahead of the limelight and fame that so many court. Hauff’s background comes from fine art, maths, physics and acoustics meaning her creative flair is perfectly expressed through the coaxing of weighty club sounds from her machines. With ‘Living With Ladybirds’ Hauff lays down four EBM-infused tracks recorded in her method of using strictly analogue equipment. There’s the eccentric electro of ‘Jonas’, the travelling melody behind ‘Your Turn To Fly’, the stripped down pulsing techno of ‘Touching Plastic’ and the rich rolling acid techno of ‘Pinch’.

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Helena Hauff – Living With Ladybirds [FRO003]

Means&3Rd – Life’s Glorious Mosaic [NUANCE002]

Means&3rd returns to Unveiled Nuance with 002 following the label’s debut ‘Thought Contortion’. This time coming armed with 4 tracks providing a more direct club sound and falling in line with NUANCE001’s affinity for low-end, tight percussion and underlying tribalism.

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Means&3Rd – Life’s Glorious Mosaic [NUANCE002]

Altinbas x Cirkle – Time in Motion EP [SK11X015]

Debuting on the SK-X series with another collaborative EP are Belgium’s Altinbas and Greece’s Cirkle. Blending nail-biting cuts of psychotic synth lines through sharp arrangements with dubbier mental atmospheres, the two guide us through a mastery of pragmatic club music. Balancing efficiency and space, Time in Motion provides 4 tactics for a driven dancefloor.

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Altinbas x Cirkle – Time in Motion EP [SK11X015]

VA – The Dark Side Of Italo Disco Vol. 2 LP [ZYX55949-1]

Here comes the second volume of “The Dark Side Of Italo Disco“ compilation. This Italo Disco vinyl series is synonymous with deep, mystical, melancholic songs. Harder and darker beats make these songs selected by Flemming Dalum very special titles of the Italo Disco scene.

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VA – The Dark Side Of Italo Disco Vol. 2 LP [ZYX55949-1]

VA – Sailor Of Wrong Era Volume Three [WEDIGIT007]

“Volume Three” of the compilation on Slow Motion’s international sister label Wrong Era: “Sailor of Wrong Era”, named after the infamous Berlin boat parties that became a true happening in Summer 2021, is finally here. Ten tracks comprising the very own Wrong Era style, crafted by renowned veteran artists and upcoming international talents from all around the globe.

VA – Sailor Of Wrong Era Volume Three [WEDIGIT007]

soFa Elsewhere – All My Friends Are Witches [PT010]

Brussels based master tastemaker & DJ (and producer), soFa deliver his first ever solo EP “All My Friends Are Witches”, tipping Planet Trip records into double digits. Take a head first dive down the wormhole of soFa’s dubbed out triiips made even more special with incredible vocalist collaborations with Saeko Killy, Ank and Nyati Mayi, plus a mind bending remix from fellow PT extended family Mogwaa to close out the EP. Recorded by soFa & friends during the first covid lockdown at Rocket 23 Studios Molenbeek – Brussels.

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soFa Elsewhere – All My Friends Are Witches [PT010]

Drexciya – Digital Tsunami [TRESOR182X]

Tresor Records announce forthcoming special editions of its entire catalogue of Drexciya and related projects. 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of James Stinson and the releases of the Transllusion and Shifted Phases albums. In recognition, the rightsholders, their families, and the label have commissioned Detroit-based contemporary artist Matthew Angelo Harrison to re-conceptualize the covers of Tresor’s Drexciya-related catalogue. On November 11 are cominng ‘Harnessed The Storm’ and ‘Digital Tsunami’.

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Drexciya – Digital Tsunami [TRESOR182X]

Drexciya – Harnessed The Storm LP [TRESOR181LPX]

Tresor Records announce forthcoming special editions of its entire catalogue of Drexciya and related projects. 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of James Stinson and the releases of the Transllusion and Shifted Phases albums. In recognition, the rightsholders, their families, and the label have commissioned Detroit-based contemporary artist Matthew Angelo Harrison to re-conceptualize the covers of Tresor’s Drexciya-related catalogue. On November 11 are cominng ‘Harnessed The Storm’ and ‘Digital Tsunami’.

vinyl / CD

Drexciya – Harnessed The Storm LP [TRESOR181LPX]

Detroit In Effect – Let’s Rock All Night [MAP017]

It’s been 10 years since the last M.A.P. release, but the Detroit Party Train is going full steam ahead. Four new hot D.I.E. traxxx by the legend that is DJ Maaco. Will rock up any floor!

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Detroit In Effect – Let’s Rock All Night [MAP017]

Volta Cab – Bundesautobahn 98 EP [LUBREE001]

Lubree revisits the original motif of Hypress with luminous calculation, launching a series of new releases in the near future. Thus, the first release features electro ballads dipped in gentle rawness along with disco bangers and EBM-styled acid house. The original tracks are produced by “Volta Cab” and the remixes by Rotterdam’s DJ Overdose and Venezuelan-born and Barcelona-based DJ/producer Cardopusher.

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Volta Cab – Bundesautobahn 98 EP [LUBREE001]