VA – From Hell With Love [LIH016]

Eight tracks blend the boundaries between original productions, illicit remixes and straight re-edits. There’s a celebratory, life-affirming feel throughout, from the rubbery bass, D-Train synths and rolling house grooves of Giovanni Damico’s ”The Break Down”, to the bluesy deep house brilliance of Borrowed Identity’s ”Queens Bridge”. Highlights are plentiful elsewhere, too, from the hustlin’ electrofunk-meets-disco of Vogel’s own ”Come On”, to the killer synth solos and fuzzy bits of Tim Jules’ thrilling ”Slap Beat”.

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VA – From Hell With Love [LIH016]

VA – Future Times Catalog + [FREE DOWNLOAD]

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FUTURE TIMES CATALOG + is a special digital Future Times compilation, and a must for the uninitiated. Past + Present + Future tracks from the likes of Hunee, Hashman Deejay, Beautiful Swimmers, Jordan GCZ, Protect-U, Huerco S, Tom Noble, Maxmillion Dunbar or Steve Summers.

Name your price for this compilation.

VA – Future Times Catalog + [FREE DOWNLOAD]

VA – Ostgut Ton: Zehn [OSTGUTLP020]

VARIOUS - Ostgut Ton: Zehn

Its been zehn years, ninety-two 12”; EPs, twenty albums, fourteen DJ mixes, seven Unterton releases, two compilations, one 7 single and one cassette. Within this time, Ostgut Ton has grown as a label not only in terms of catalogue numbers and musical variety, but also in terms of experience, professionality and as a musical haven for Berghains and Panorama Bars residents.

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VA – Ostgut Ton: Zehn [OSTGUTLP020]

VA – Hits From The Manctalo Diskoteque 2LP [RL016]

Red Laser conductor general Il Bosco once again turns his beam on 8 tracks of mind melding italo. Providing a double vinyl release of tracks that have been inspirational to Red Laser Records and the labels releases. This isn’t by any means your run of the mill italo selection. Il Bosco knowingly selects a set that shows the true girth of style and fashion in the genre. Face grillers are ramped up next to sleazy pop sensibilities. Goth-synth disco frottages with 8-bit machine gun bass lines. Chugger masterpieces salivate on crystalline new romantics. As the compiler says ‘Truth is loads of Italo is shite but when its good it’s up there with the best electronic disco music you will ever hear’ Check this album and you’ll agree. For maximum disco potential several Red Laser protagonists have suitably revamped and edited some of the selections with Kid Machine & Il Bosco uniting in the cut, Flemming Dalum sprinkling his magic dust over a bonafide classic & Parisian Romain Bezzina repairing an old banger. As always Red Laser pay close attention to detail with all tracks carefully restored & remastered whilst the vinyl comes in full colour heavy card inners with two riso print poster sleeves & a gatefold pvc cover.

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VA – Hits From The Manctalo Diskoteque 2LP [RL016]

VA – Africa Airways Two: Funk Departures 1973-1982 [ASVN010]

Africa Seven Records presents volume two of their Africa Airways compilation, featuring 9 pure african funk tracks.

Continue reading “VA – Africa Airways Two: Funk Departures 1973-1982 [ASVN010]”

VA – Africa Airways Two: Funk Departures 1973-1982 [ASVN010]

VA – Consider This A Warning [EVENT010]

Bolstered by the unshakable body of work behind it, Brooklyn-born Berlin-based techno label Chronicle reaches its milestone tenth release with its gaze fixed dead ahead. Ten releases in, it pays to make a strong, defiant statement of intent, toasting to what the label has been about so far. More important though is to remind those tuned in to take heed, because the next step is always the most significant. Joining in on this behemoth project is; Aiken, Arnaud Le Texier, Ben Gibson, Hironori Takahashi, Imugem Orihasam, Echoplex, Mike Storm, Staffan Linzatti, & Zadig. The forward-thinking nature of the music in this collection sums up the ethos of Chronicle as a whole. Each artist has a distinct identity but they all strive to push techno into unexplored realms, placing the emphasis on atmosphere and psychological impact. In such an approach can the most affecting sounds be found, and there will surely be few listeners left unmarked by this record.

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VA – Consider This A Warning [EVENT010]

VA – Smallville Ways: 10 Years [SMALLVILLECD010]

VARIOUS - Smallville Ways: 10 Years

This year, Smallville Records is celebrating a decade in the game with the Smallville Ways compilation.

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SMALLVILLE044SMALLVILLE045

VA – Smallville Ways: 10 Years [SMALLVILLECD010]

VA – The Dance [KM040]

The Dance is the result of a long lasting musical love affair between Kontra-Musik’s Ulf Eriksson and Sebastian Mullaert (aka Minilogue). As most love affairs, it started off as an exciting experiment: Ulf would play records and Sebastian would bring out his music gear and play a live set. As they were touring with this live concept, their sounds started to really integrate, and after one especially fine night at Trouw, Amsterdam, Ulf and Sebastian decided it was time to conceive The Dance. Once the decision was taken, everything else came naturally. The Dance was to be recorded live, in one take, at Kontra-Musik’s home field Inkonst, Malmo, Sweden.

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VA – The Dance [KM040]

VA – French Synth Lovers #2 [SERLP004]

Serendip.Lab presents a compilation gathering 10 great and rare tracks of french synth wave released between 1981 and 1984. The A side reflects this sunny sweet synth pop scene, whereas B side, more cosmic, is made of instrumentals.

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VA – French Synth Lovers #2 [SERLP004]

VA – Berlin Atonal Vol. 3 [ATONAL001]

Berlin Atonal is proud to pick up on a tradition begun in 1984 with the publication of two volumes of live recordings from the 1983 edition of the festival. Those records bore witness to the most inventive, adventurous sounds of the festival. Berlin Atonal Vol. 3 carries this custom forward three decades with selections from four of the standout performances of Berlin Atonal 2014. Of course Cabaret Voltaires lauded and historical first show in over 20 years is featured, Richard H Kirk’s no-nostalgia and machinery driven set firmly putting the Cabaret Voltaire project in a future-facing direction. Miles Whittaker’s surprising and muscular live performance also contributes a cut, as does festival favourite Fis with his characteristically lumpy, textural soundscapes. Finally, two selections from Abdulla Rashims memorable session gesture toward a possible future for synthesised music.

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VA – Berlin Atonal Vol. 3 [ATONAL001]

VA – Ideas Of Reference & The Luna Sea [LSD014]

Light Sounds Dark’s steady plummet into the 5th dimension continues in earnest as the label reach their 14th release. A rather special unit, certain to dissipate as cleanly and as smoothly as a 150mics dose of Sandoz’ finest; best to pay the admission and take the trip now if you want in. Fortune favours the brave and fearless exploration is surely required. Gone are the boogie, cosmic and Balearic coloured fractals, replaced now by dark industrial menace, no-wave bleakness and post-punk tribal space music. Painstakingly sequenced and arranged over three discs to give you a truly immersive journey; fasten those seatbelts and take a trip on the rainbow super highway.

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VA – Ideas Of Reference & The Luna Sea [LSD014]

VA – Time Capsule aka 808 Box [FR008]

808box

Madrid’s Fundamental Records not only release a high volume of contemporary electro, but they do so in fine style thanks to their overloaded packs and comprehensive compilations. This time they really done a number on us with this 808 Box release, a jaw-dropping fifty-tracker sealed in a trendy DJ shoulder bag tagged with the most infamous of all drum machines on the planet..! The music comes from all corners, and we see familiar faces laying down some truth on those beats; check the gear by Patronen, CPU, Alex Stark, Luke Eargoggle, Sync24, Tau Sagittarii and UHU.

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VA – Time Capsule aka 808 Box [FR008]

VA – Wild In Blue (Soundtrack) [GDLP002]

After a year in the making Giallo Disco presents GDLP002 the previously unreleased soundtrack to fictitious writer/director Joel Hughes controversial 80s teen drama Wild In Blue. Featuring tracks from label heads Antoni Maiovvi and Vercetti Technicolor as well as the maestro Umberto, Canada’s Kindest Cuts, Italy’s Queen Of Coldwave Mushy, Germany’s Mirror Talk, the legendary HORD and Fever Dream. Halfway between The Breakfast Club and Gregg Araki, with influences ranging from Gothic Electro, HiNRG Synth Pop and Cosmic Melancholy, this Various Artist affair tugs the heartstrings and warps the mind.

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VA – Wild In Blue (Soundtrack) [GDLP002]

VA – Nation Presents: The Modern Electronic Element Series III [NAT017]

*THIS IS A PRE ORDER ITEM, THAT MUST BE PAID FOR IN ADVANCE IN ORDER TO SECURE YOUR COPY*

Continue reading “VA – Nation Presents: The Modern Electronic Element Series III [NAT017]”

VA – Nation Presents: The Modern Electronic Element Series III [NAT017]

VA – De Niro Is Concerned [TRP002]

Second release on Trip with great tracks by our former intern Deniro, Icelanders Bjarki and Exos, Proper records veteran Steve Stoll and others.

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VA – De Niro Is Concerned [TRP002]

VA – Electroconvulsive Therapy Volume 3 – Obscure Singles Circa 83-86 [MR049]

Medical Records continues it’s unearthing of extremely rare singles in it’s Electroconvulsive Therapy series. Once again, teaming up with Crispy Nuggets blog, we have assembled yet another collection of long out of print and underground singles and rare tracks. The first 2 tracks are by Belgium’s Tipical Me from the Claustrofobian b/w Pope No Hope 7″. These 2 tracks are perfect synth pop in every way. The second artist is UK’s Secession, and we have included their debut 7″ released in 1983. Though known for their later more electronic based pop and dance tracks, these two tracks display their earlier dark beginnings with chilling guitars and a more early 4AD aesthetic. Both tracks from the 7″ are included. The third artist is France’s Leidenschaft who released one lone 3-song cassette in 1986 with 2 of the tracks featured here. Leidenschaft could loosely be compared to early Clan of Xymox with French cold wave leanings. The 2 cuts are very atmospheric and lovely indeed. Back to the UK, we included the wonderfully minimal A + B sides of the rare 1984 7″ by Black Fantasy. Original copies of this single have been selling for insanely high prices these days. 2 more tracks were also included on this compilation which complete the theme nicely. V.U.D. was an Italian outfit who recorded a track entitled “Look!” which was included on the “First Relation” v/a compilation LP released in 1983 on Mask Productions and curated by Lisfrank. Quirky and undeniably catchy, we absolutely adore this track as will everybody who hears it. The last track included on this LP is the A side of the rare 1984 7″ by UK’s Almost Alone entitled “Blue City”. Dense and atmospheric synth pop with definite New Romantic tendencies, this track is a perfect closing track for this diverse collection. This collection will certainly appeal to fans of rare minimal synth, early synth pop, or EBM.

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VA – Electroconvulsive Therapy Volume 3 – Obscure Singles Circa 83-86 [MR049]

VA – The First True Language Volume 1 [MATH078]

VARIOUS - The First True Language Volume 1

Mathematics Recordings presents a two volumes retrospective of their releases. On this first volume we find tracks by IFM, Echo 106, Bon Voyage, Kuba Sojka, Joe Drive, Takeshi Kouzuki, John Heckle and Marcello Napoletano.

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VA – The First True Language Volume 1 [MATH078]

VA – Lifesaver Compilation 2: Live At Robert Johnson [PLAYRJC035]

Live At Robert Johnson presents a second Lifesaver compilation.  The label is calling the eight-track collection, which arrives two years on from the first instalment, “another episode of togetherness.” It presents music from the LARJ roster, with Roman Flügel, Portable, Orson Wells, Massimiliano Pagliara, Lauer, TCB and Benedikt Frey all chipping in with a track each.

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VA – Lifesaver Compilation 2: Live At Robert Johnson [PLAYRJC035]