Suzanne Ciani & Jonathan Fitoussi – Golden Apples Of The Sun LP [OBL06]

Obliques and Atmospheric present their new album “Golden Apples of the Sun”. It is the result of close cooperation between Suzanne Ciani and Jonathan Fitoussi. The American electronic music pioneer has joined the French composer to sign a four-hand album around mythical synthesizers like Buchla, Moog and Ems. Mainly recorded in California, facing the Pacific Ocean, the white sound of synthesizers mixes constantly with the sound of the waves and wind. The music generated is directly blended with the surrounding elements of nature. It is both organic and live, hypnotic and rhythmical, powerful and dreamlike.

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Suzanne Ciani & Jonathan Fitoussi – Golden Apples Of The Sun LP [OBL06]

VA – Pay What You Want Sampler #4 [FREE DOWNLOAD]

Akuphone, the French independent label founded in 2015 by Cheb Gero, presents the fourth Pay What You Want compilation, featuring tracks from Ak’chamel, Dada Black Sheep, Damo Suzuki, Fuji-Yuki, Kadef Abgi, Leviot and Tasos Stamou among other.

VA – Pay What You Want Sampler #4 [FREE DOWNLOAD]

Felipe Gordon – Psychedelic Melancholia LP [HD16]

Felipe Gordon presents ‘Psychedelic Melancholia.’ With his new album, the praised Bogotá phenomenon producer shares the melancholy of a period of his life and the emotions that come with it. Through eleven tracks punctuated by collaborations with the finest artists on today’s lo-fi scene, including Saib and Made In M, among others, Felipe Gordon introduces a new sound while maintaining jazz as the primary influence. Drawing from hip-hop, boom bap history, and the transcendental energy of Indian music, ‘Psychedelic Melancholia’ showcases his eagerness to explore diverse genres. Creating its own hypnotic, infectious sound, enter the colorful world of ‘Psychedelic Melancholia.’

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Felipe Gordon – Psychedelic Melancholia LP [HD16]

Cosmica Bandida – Lagrimas Saladas LP [TERRAM007]

Cosmica Bandida’s debut studio album “Lagrimas Saladas” is an amalgam of sounds influenced by the diverse backgrounds of the members, who find themselves in Munich a city where the leftovers of cosmic music and 70s disco meet cumbia and tropical vampirism. Dark cumbia and psychedelic music collide with the moods of space disco in an album that engages the body. On the flip side, a group of eight remixers has united to deliver remixes for all the Club enthusiasts out there. Lipelis sets vinyl lovers on fire with his Dubby Disco Remix of “Salsa Bandida”, while MaSpaventi, Volta Cab, Los Pulpitos, and Hektisch Sprengen DJs bring their soulful and dubby trip-hop torch songs to the release. Prepare yourself for Grischerr & Heap’s glitchy and deconstructed industrial reggaeton remix of “Pájaro del desierto”, along with a powerful deconstructed club beatdown by Kobermann. Jacques Satre’s psychedelic stupdep remix adds the perfect finishing touch to the package.

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Cosmica Bandida – Lagrimas Saladas LP [TERRAM007]

SIRS – The East Is Near EP [SIRS]

The Berlin-based musical polymath SIRS (Sounds in Real Stereo) returns to his own Sirsounds Records imprint serving up more sumptuous original compositions on the searingly good ‘The East Is Near EP.’ SIRS has elegantly produced and cleverly arranged spicy and exotic cuts for different moments of the dance, however they all have something in common – an Eastern touch.

SIRS – The East Is Near EP [SIRS]

Fratelli Malibu – Tema di Susie Reloved [RLV02]

Tema di Susie’ is one of the main themes from the soundtrack composed by Alessandro Alessandroni for the 1976 Italian noir ‘Sangue di sbirro’, known in English as ‘Blood and Bullets’. At once sweet and sentimental, haunting and melancholic, ‘Tema di Susie’ stands out from the other tracks in the film, which are more action oriented. Like the rest of the score, however, it exemplifies the way in which, during the ’70s, Italian film composers created their own version of the sound of American blaxploitation cinema, with its groovy blend of funk, jazz, and soul. Neapolitan duo Fratelli Malibu have taken Alessandroni’s melodic theme and woven it into a mesmerizing tapestry of rhythmic beats, world percussion and ethereal atmospheres. Drawing inspiration from funk/Afrobeat, synth-pop and Italo-disco, they’ve conjured a psychedelic-tinged, afro-cosmic groove that’s bound to transport you to another dimension. On the B-side we have a vocal retouch version, courtesy of the Italian funk/soul collective Banda Maje. Their vocalists, Chiara Della Monica and Cristina Cafiero, elegantly infuse cinematic and Balearic vibes into the mix, paying a wonderful homage to Fratelli Malibu’s exquisite arrangement.

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Fratelli Malibu – Tema di Susie Reloved [RLV02]

Roger Gerressen – The First Android Church Of Claude Shannon LP [CHXIV07]

Elevating the paradigms of electronic music, Chapelle XIV Music unveils “The First Android Church Of Claude Shannon,” an immersive LP from Yoyaku household Roger Gerressen. Bathed in the aesthetic allure of retro-futurism and the imaginative dimensions of classic sci-fi cinema, this opus synthesizes the arcane with the avant-garde in a masterful tapestry of sound. Comprising six intricately crafted tracks, the album serves as an auditory odyssey that transcends the borders of genre. Whether enveloped in the nebulous ambience of a discerning DJ set or fueling introspective home listening marathons, these compositions resonate with an arresting quality that’s evocative yet profoundly innovative. Within the multi-dimensional soundscapes of this album, listeners find a harmonious blend of homage and innovation. Drawing inspiration from Claude Shannon—the mathematical genius and pioneering mind behind modern digital circuit design theory—”The First Android Church Of Claude Shannon” stands as a testament to the synthesis of past and future. With Roger Gerressen at the helm, the boundaries of electronic music are redefined, creating an aural experience that is both cerebral and soul-stirring, beckoning the listener into an uncharted territory of sonic exploration.

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Roger Gerressen – The First Android Church Of Claude Shannon LP [CHXIV07]

VA – Shipwrec Electro Sampler 1 [SHIP071]

Electro is fundamentally modern. The coldness of the machine laid bare, a human attempt to express through circuits and wiring. Despite adhering to specific codes and norms, it is a sound that refuses to be pigeonholed. It is with this in mind that Shipwrec has collected a wealth of international talent to showcase their own vision of this bracing style. Serge Geyzel incises from the needle drop, the acid blistered “Still There” is sliced and quartered by scissoring snares. Endfest changes the trajectory with the modular warmth of “La Chouffe” before the lines change and Manasyt delivers the darkened angles and punishing percussion of “Row Hammer.” Andrew Red Hand maintains the shadowy synthlines of his predecessor, industrial undertones bubbling to the surface in distortion-soaked aggression. The mood shifts with Alpha Visitor. Crystalline chords are punctured by crisp drum patterns, stabbing keys and broad arcs unveil a world of sci-fi inspirations. The finale comes from Jauzas the Shining. Broad sweeps introduce “Shemale” before dripping drums are countered by samples and icy blasts. Modern machine music from six masters.

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VA – Shipwrec Electro Sampler 1 [SHIP071]

VA – The Electro Guilde II [ZC​-​ELEC009]

Sound Synthesis, Acidulant and RAIM perform their best Electro Acid tracks on the second Zodiak Commune ‘The Electro Guilde’ release. RAIM is a collaboration between Sound Synthesis and Acidulant.

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VA – The Electro Guilde II [ZC​-​ELEC009]

K15 – The State Of Play [ESC012]

K15 returns home to Esencia for his next ofering “The State Of Play”. Devoted, still is a lush number, where delicate harmonies whirl around the soulful composition. Sizzling percussion, warm pads and a hety slice of low-end combine to create a bouncy afair – primed for dancers and listeners. state of play closes out the EP in fine form. e opening chords, the Moog lead, the spirited percussion come together to create an infectious slice of music.

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K15 – The State Of Play [ESC012]

Kyle Hall – Postcard To Another Planet EP [FTC09]

Kyle Hall makes another entry into the already fine discography of his Forget The Clock label with another fine four tracker. His usual raw style pervades from the off with the well swung drums and bumping kicks of the title track soon to get you in the groove. His signature diffuse synth work is what brings warmth and soul to the dusty drums of ‘Track 2’ while ‘Sarabi’ ups the pace with a more hurried groove and pent up sense of party joy. A second bonus track closes proceedings, with ‘Track 4’ layering up low slung drums and meandering cosmic leads to heady effect.

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Kyle Hall – Postcard To Another Planet EP [FTC09]

Bang The Party – I Feel Good All Over [RHRSS32]

Before British house and techno found its’ distinctive groove at the turn of the 1990s, one act led the way: Bang The Party, a trio who emerged from London’s vibrant underground party scene in the mid 1980s and proved, beyond any doubt, that UK producers could make music every bit as magical as the pioneering productions put forward by their counterparts in Chicago, Detroit and New York. By the time long-running DJs and party promoters Kid Batchelor and Leslie Lawrence joined forces with trained engineer Keith Franklin at legendary North-West London reggae studio Addis Ababa in 1987, they’d spent years as DIY dance music activists in Britain’s capital city. They channelled these experiences and their love of imported house and techno sounds into a new project, Bang The Party. The latest Rush Hour Reissue Series release offers a snapshot of some of the numerous gems nestled in the Bang The Party catalogue, delivering a much-deserved celebration of one of Britain’s most significant early acid house collectives. It features four fully remastered cuts recorded and released between 1987 and 1990 – on-point and far-sighted club workouts that sound as fresh and timeless now as they did when Britain was sweltering under its infamous ‘second summer of love’.

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Bang The Party – I Feel Good All Over [RHRSS32]

VA – The House Of Web reworked Vol. 2 [ACIDO037]

Eight individual projects with various international origins, these two ep’s contain reworked and remixed material of Takuya Sogimoto’s early work that has been released on acido in 2020 and 2022, as well as some unreleased trax from 1994/95. Packaged in two editions of 300 copies, released separately. This is Volume 2 incl music from DJ Sotofett, Dynamo Dreesen & SJ Tequila, DJ Gizzard and DJ Yoav B.

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VA – The House Of Web reworked Vol. 2 [ACIDO037]

Robert Bergman – Flight/Golf 4 [B15]

A tribute record of sorts. But Brew style. In a sci-fi techno way a take on Sleng Teng. Use the machines, do not let them control you. The flip contains a car chase theme song that’s tailored to perhaps the best car ever made. The VW Golf 4. Which can only be improved with a blown soundsystem. And possibly with actual cars who are in pursuit.

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Robert Bergman – Flight/Golf 4 [B15]

Michael Kuntzman – Michael Kuntzman EP [ML2242]

A 2023 return to Alleviated Records for Michael Kuntzman after his split ep ‘the Underground Files 1’ from 2016. Four Freaky Dixie Jacking tracks from Memphis, giving meaning to the ‘Deep South’ here.

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Michael Kuntzman – Michael Kuntzman EP [ML2242]

Neud Photo – Echoes [LONEWOLF014]

NYC experimental producer Neud Photo is up next on Eya’s Lonewolf series with a killer 5 tracker named ‘Echoes. The EP brilliantly oscillates between various inspirations with a strong machine sound; an incredible and hauting journey into electro, new beat, minimal and techno.

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Neud Photo – Echoes [LONEWOLF014]

VA – Well of Sand [MIST007]

Sure Thing presents Well of Sand, its second compilation. Six tracks from label friends and favorites, each new to the roster and offering bold, untempered explorations of tempo and weight, a concise yet expansive collection recalling the deliberate cadence of rippling sand and the sheen of shimmering oases.

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VA – Well of Sand [MIST007]

Citi Express – Living For The City [AFS055]

Cover versions of international songs have long thrived in South Africa’s music industry. Often unable to license the original tracks (until the early 90s the result of an international boycott of the country) labels instead hired producers and session artists to re-record them for the local market. Early house music in South Africa was no different. When Ron ‘Robot’ Friedman, former bass player for local rockers Rabbitt, was winding down his label On Record in the early 90s, he reached out for new inspiration as the popularity of ‘bubblegum’ disco waned. For one of the label’s final releases he hired young DJ/producer Quentin Foster, obsessed with the new soulful house sound coming out of the US, to take the reins on a studio project dubbed Citi Express. The result offers a glimpse into those early days of house, a uniquely South African take on a global sound that still resonates today — reissued for the first time on Afrosynth Records. 

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Citi Express – Living For The City [AFS055]

Starlight – Starlight [AFS054]

South African production duo of Emil Zoghby and John Galanakis were responsible for a string of high-quality disco singles in the early 80s, typically cover versions of international hits — Klein & MBO’s ‘The Big Apple’, Sly & the Family Stone’s ‘Family Affair’ & David Joseph’s ‘You Can’t Hide (Your Love From Me)’ — backed with their own compositions. When Starlight hit the market with an album in 1983, it featured only one cover, the local hit ‘Picnic’, along with five of the duo’s original compositions, including their similarly styled response, ‘Picnicing’, which replaces the original’s sax with spaced-out synth stabs. Then there’s ‘Jah Jah Love’, an ecstatic disco sermon of dancefloor dynamite weighing in at over eight and a half minutes. Other tracks on this landmark album — ‘Let’s Go Dancing (Boogie Boogie)’, ‘Keep On Moving’ and an eponymous instrumental — offer a similar fusion of classic disco with newer Italo and proto-house influences: machine music with a human touch. Remastered from the original master tapes and reissued for the first time, Starlight is available on vinyl and digital platforms, 40 years after its initial release, via Afrosynth Records.

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Starlight – Starlight [AFS054]