Fallbeil – Macht Macht Zement [BOIDAE003]

‘Macht Macht Zement’—what does it mean? 80s drums, synths and vocals, almost without context. Fallbeil, two soon-to-be men (aka boys), finish tracks at the rate of butchers kneading meatballs. Due to laziness and a lack of technique, everything gets recorded on one track and immediately thrown into the frier. Nothing is planned. First up, school detention followed by rough LoFi rap. The album contains a wide variety of themes; from mailmen to warthogs, from latecomers to sensible conversation, every track is created out of spontaneity. Two very short tracks on this album date back to 1999, when the boys performed as ‘Funky Granatos’ in the local youth centers. Sadly, their performances weren’t successful. Nobody wanted to listen to them and almost every concert ended in mass brawls. The track ‘Postman’ comes from the duo’s side project Grand Malheur and was recorded in 2015 in Bronxfeld. More output from this project will appear on various EPs in the near future.

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Fallbeil – Macht Macht Zement [BOIDAE003]

Grotto – Wait… No Hurry [LIVST004]

First official reissue of Nigerian Boogie Disco Grail LP produced by Grotto for EMI Nigeria and originally released in 1978. Contains dance classic’Bad city Girl’. Liner notes by Nigerian Music expert Uchenna Ikkone, include previously unpublished photos and extensive interviews by Temitope Kogbe. It contains more examples of disco-era dancefloor heat, with the band utilizing Moog synthesizers alongside their usual instrumentation. While naturally rooted in Afro-funk, the set contains some of the earliest examples of Afro-boogie while also touching on jazz-funk, psychedelic funk and undulating Afrobeat/Afro-disco fusion.

vinyl / CD

Grotto – Wait… No Hurry [LIVST004]

Darkhouse Family – The Offering [FW168]

First Word Records present you with ‘The Offering’ – the debut album by Darkhouse Family, a Cardiff-based duo consisting of Earl Jeffers & Don Leisure. Previously releasing music under their respective monikers, Metabeats and Jamal, they’ve produced an assortment of sounds over the years, from Hip Hop to House to D’n’B. Connecting as a duo almost a decade ago, this merger logically saw the birth of their own unique style, comprised of a bonafide fusion of genres. Recruiting friends Daf Davies on drums, Jonathan Williams on strings and cameos from Henry Wu; a keen eye on the soulful jazzy details is maintained throughout as swooning, sunny side keys, dusty samples and gorgeous vocals from the likes of Vanity Jay, Jessy Allen and Esther wrap themselves around their hybrid of chopped beats and Daf’s lavish, highly swung drums. Highlights include the Soul II Soul style “Journey To Love”, the twinkling slo-mo bruk of “GAEA”, the slinky slap bass and Rhodes tickle of “Modaji Suite” and the spiritual climax of the finale “The Accession”.

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Darkhouse Family – The Offering [FW168]

Tony Burkill – Work Money Death [ATALP008]

A stalwart of the Leeds music scene for the best part of 3 decades, Tony Burkill has so far maintained a low profile nationally, choosing to favour continued study and development of the instrument over the attainment of success or recognition within the music industry. Working as a sideman for hire on the local circuit, he has impressed audiences with his powerful and gutsy approach to improvisation and has been a well-kept secret amongst both musicians and audiences in the north of England since the 1980s.Recently featuring as a guest soloist on the debut album by The Sorcerers, Tony has been on the radar of ATA Records since the inception of the label. Impressed by his exuberant and earthy performance style they decided to embark on the writing and production of what was to become ”Work Money Death”, choosing to frame his playing in the context of the performers that have helped to shape his sound, most notably the spiritual jazz of the 60s and 70s.

vinyl / CD

Tony Burkill – Work Money Death [ATALP008]

Vakula – Techno Game [ARMA018]

Ukrainian producer Vakula, whose name is linked to the early days of Arma, re-emerges with Techno Game. The double vinyl features seven confidently-carved tracks that reflect Vakula’s current exploration of techno landscapes. As the cover suggests, it is a game. The author does little to nothing to explain the rules, throwing the listener into an elegantly structured space that feels alarmingly material.

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Vakula – Techno Game [ARMA018]

Nocturnal Emissions – Nocturnal Emissions [MNQ102]

Nocturnal Emissions has been one of the best kept secrets of the industrial genre since the 1970s. Led by Nigel Ayers, the band was one of the first to use tape cutting, avant-garde art, and underground video works to create a stage experience that was being cultivated by like-mindedartists like Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire. The band moved on to using samplers and electronic noise in their early 80’s work, creating a twisted funk sound that would go on to influence everyone from Foetus to Negativland. They still utilized their former tricks, upping the ante with extremist performance art and more professional video displays. The group avoided signing to a major label, instead focusing on releasing their own music more effectively. They followed this path into the 90’s when they started http://www.earthlydelights.co.uk, an incredibly detailed website that promotes their various ideologies (they are strongly against the British monarchy and believe that citizens should have unlimited access to space travel) and constant release schedule. The band has released countless tapes and CDs of their material, and continues to unleash their noise through their website.

vinyl / CD

Nocturnal Emissions – Nocturnal Emissions [MNQ102]

Black Zone Myth Chant – Feng Shen [GRVTS010]

Among many of the producer’s aliases and side monikers, Black Zone Myth Chant is surely Maxime Primault’s finest accomplishment as an artist. Having come through via Low Jack’s unfailingly pleasing Editions Gravats over the last few years, he has now begun to establish himself as our go-to man for sounds that truly lie on the periphery of what is deemed normal or sane. Feng Shen is his new LP, once again coming out through Editions Gravats, and it’s a wild, ethereal journey from start to finish. The frameworks are loose and cavernous, but most tracks going further than ambient or drone do contain plenty of rhythmic flow, making them playable on the more open-minded of dancefloors. “Spiritual Decay Dub” perfectly reflects the diversity of sounds on here, their mysticism, and Black Zone Myth Chant’s ability to construct meaning out of sparse sounds.

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Black Zone Myth Chant – Feng Shen [GRVTS010]

Tensal – Disco Negro [TENSAL008]

After a little more than three years since the beginning of the label, Tensal returns with a very strong new double work. It contains eight tracks in which he defines the new evolution of his sound without losing too much sight of his roots.

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Tensal – Disco Negro [TENSAL008]

Acronym – Malm [FIELD026]

Field Records welcomes Acronym for a new album, Malm, which follows many great ambient laced deep techno EPs and LPs on Semantica and Northern Electronics. The 10-track beatless affair pays homage to one of his lost friends who was torn between his dualistic nature. In a state of paranoia, stress and inner conflict, even brief moments of panic can be fatal for yourself and the people around you. This album is born from those ideas and was recorded and arranged between 2015 and 2017 in different parts of the world using various analog and digital synthesizers and effects. Informed by grief and sorrow, the album evolved through a number of different forms and finally comprises three acts; the first two showcase the artist’s take on the mental and physical circumstances during the events that took place on the 4th of January 2016 in Malmi, Helsinki, and the final act presents his viewpoint after that date. The Swedish artist offers absorbing and meditative passages of ambience and sombre atmosphere across all pieces here. Long, tailed pads gently come and go, occasional percussive sounds get sprinkled about and bleak keys bring real tenderness. It’s an escapist listen that ranges from oppressive and heavy to more subtly uplifting and is one of the most coherent and cohesive albums you could wish to hear.

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Acronym – Malm [FIELD026]

Pauline Anna Strom – Trans-Millenia Music [RERVNG10]

Special re-issue in the form of a compilation of various tracks from Pauline Anna Strom’s albums: Trans-Millenia Consort (1982), Plot Zero (1983), Spectre (1984), Japanese Impressions (1988), Aquatic Realms (1988) and Mach 3.04 (1988). Essential ambient works by one of the pioneers from back in the days.

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Pauline Anna Strom – Trans-Millenia Music [RERVNG10]

Claro Intelecto – Exhilarator [127DSR]

New long player from Manchester’s Claro Intelecto. Entitled ‘Exhilarator’, the 13 track album marks a return to action for the esteemed producer. A cinematic album of icy techno, weighty bass and poignant melody. From plaintive keys and slow motion drums awash with melody to corrugated industrial drums that don’t let up, this is a diverse album in both mood and texture. Moments of ambient celestial beauty exist next to breezy and summery grooves while skewed and sludgy acid sits next to serene underwater dub. Stewart’s mission to step outside his usual self has resulted in another landmark electronic album.

vinyl / CD

Claro Intelecto – Exhilarator [127DSR]

Oscar Mulero – Pattern Series Compilation [WUPSD1]

It’s time to celebrate, nothing less than 50 releases spreaded along 17 years of existence. For this very reason we have planned an awesome remixes pack, splitted in two EP’s based in the limited clear vinyl Pattern Series originals and with an amazing digital release including all original cuts of the series not available digitally until now. If you weren’t lucky enough to get the translucent limited vinyl pattern series, now you have the chance of having them in your digital crate via the online version of the release.

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Oscar Mulero – Pattern Series Compilation [WUPSD1]

Legowelt – Legendary Freaks In The Trash Of Time [CWCS009LP]

Five years after the illustrious Paranormal Soul LP, techno derelict Danny Wolfers aka Legowelt returns on Clone with “Legendary Freaks In The Trash Of Time”. A vivid collection of twelve genre-defying tracks: from late-night hermit house to Memphis rap influenced slowjam electro, from Amiga 1200 technorave to cosmic spaceweed trance, including the whole universe in between. All blended together in a mix of subdued sensuality and psychedelic splendour, this album is flavoured with Legowelt’s typical crunchy LO-FI sampler and synthesizer aesthetic. Wolfers’ own hand-drawn sleeve artwork illustrates the album’s mood without the need for much further promotional blurb… colourful stories embodying societal malaise and its dwellers – yet with a dash of aspiration. Music for misfits, witches, dreamers, cyberpunks, outsiders, geeks, and freaks. Legowelt’s people.

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Legowelt – Legendary Freaks In The Trash Of Time [CWCS009LP]

Alessandro Cortini – Forse 1 [IMPREC373LP]

Alessandro Cortini (Nine Inch Nails/How To Destroy Angels) composed the Forse series using a Buchla Music Easel. Forse, meaning ”maybe” In Italian, is a series of 3 double LP releases Cortini recorded for Imprec to release in 2013. ”All pieces were written and performed live on a Buchla Music Easel, in the span of one month. I found that the limited array of modules that the instrument offers sparked my creativity. Most pieces consist of a repeating chord progression, where the real change happens at a spectral/dynamic level, as opposed to the harmonic/chordal one. I believe that the former are just as effective as the latter, in the sense that the sonic presentation (distortion , filtering, wave shaping, etc) are just as expressive as a chord change or chord type, and often reinforce said chord progressions. Of all the years with Nine Inch Nails the period spent writing and recording the instrumental record Ghosts I-IV is probably the one which changed my approach to music making the most. After that record I started getting more into instrumental composition, although I tried to approach it in a different way. While we had a vast array of tools and instruments at our disposal then, I decided to approach my pieces limiting myself to one instrument only, as I found myself being more decisive when faced with a limited creative environment.”

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Alessandro Cortini – Forse 1 [IMPREC373LP]

Trancesonic – New Crime LP [DE175]

Tranceonic is the duo of Carlos Perón and Boris Blank of Yello who met in 1971 in their hometown of Zürich. From 1973 to 1976 they played in the New Wave group Urland. After the split of the group Perón founded the Tranceonic studio with his equipment in his private flat. Carlos invited Boris over to his studio and a concentrated work began. The idea was to make experimental new music with the hopes of having a hit in the United States. Everybody at this time was into punk, but Tranceonic loved industrial and electronic sounds. Their foresight and innovation created new ideas. Perón and Blank made electronic avant-garde music informed by the Berlin and Cologne schools. By 1978 the two had enough material to record an album and made a trip to San Francisco to visit Ralph Records. The Residents promised to release the music if the duo removed all the tape hiss, which never materialized. ‘New Crime’ is the first ever vinyl compilation of material produced, recorded, performed and mixed at Tranceonic Studio between 1976-1979.

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Trancesonic – New Crime LP [DE175]

Acid Jesus – Flashbacks 1992-1998 [AERO030]

Acid Jesus, the first of many collabs between Roman Flügel and Jörn Elling Wuttke. Situated in Germany’s then blistering techno scene and especially a mirror of Frankfurt at the time (and it´s holy label trinity of Playhouse, Klang and Ongaku), Flashbacks are also a feedback loop to what was happening in the UK and the USA. Flügel and Wuttke succeeded with their own and unique take on it, that owned as much to Underground Resistance and the Belleville Three as it did to Sven Väth and Andrew Weatherall. Including 3 (+1 more on MP3) unreleased tracks.

vinyl / CD

Acid Jesus – Flashbacks 1992-1998 [AERO030]

O Yuki Conjugate – Scene In Mirage [ERC053]

Emotional Rescue returns to the music of “dark ambient” pioneers O Yuki Conjugate (OYC) with the reissue of their debut album, ‘Scene in Mirage’. Released in 1984, it’s post-industrial; cold wave overtures mixed with an ambient oeuvre created a compelling album that has gained cult status. Quickly selling out in its original pressing, inexplicably their record label decided not to re-press, so an expanded cassette version called ‘Scene In Mirage/Soundtracks’ was re-released on the band’s own Final Image label with an accompanying video. Here, Emotional Rescue’s re-issue combines the best of both versions in a lovingly recreated sleeve taken from the original design templates. Based around original members Roger Horberry and Andrew Hulme, OYC is now returning in its fourth incarnation with live shows and hopefully, new music to come. Watch the horizon.

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O Yuki Conjugate – Scene In Mirage [ERC053]