The Infinite Wheel – Java Dub / Enviro [DRIVE10]

May 18, 2025May 16, 2025 hipodromedowntempo, dub, house, midnight drive, re-release, reissue, the infinite wheelLeave a comment

The Infinite Wheel are a visionary duo who emerged from the DIY and Anarcho-Punk underground of the early ’80s West Country scene. Both members have been deeply involved in numerous influential projects, releasing chart-topping music under names that are instantly recognisable. But it’s their groundbreaking work in the ’90s that truly captured the attention of Midnight Drive label. “Java Dub / Enviro” are immersive, longform explorations that stay true to the dub tradition – expansive soundscapes that pull the listener in, treating the mixing desk as an instrument in its own right. Thunderous basslines and cavernous echoes intertwine with tribal percussion and celestial ambient synths, creating a rich, enveloping sonic universe for both deep listeners and dancers alike.

Yolek – Systems [Brainwaves]

September 28, 2024September 26, 2024 hipodromebrainwaves, breaks, downtempo, electro, yolekLeave a comment

Brainwaves is an electronic music label from Geneva, Switzerland. ‘4818’ is an epic plunge into the world of Yolek, deploying a kit faithful to its influences: sharp drums with a hip-hop groove, steady bass guiding the trance and mysterious synth lines. The dark yet driving character of this first track also demonstrates the simplicity with which Yolek takes us along: every sample is in its place, nothing sticks out, and it’s strangely beautiful. ‘Alice Soundsystem’ continues in full force: with an electro-downtempo rhythm and a cliff-hanger arpeggio, the track develops a tension worthy of the most difficult investigations to solve. The obscure dance continues amidst interspersed vocals and oscillators, as Yolek’s machines unleash their full potential to solve this case.

XIII – Permanent Rain LP [KH046]

December 10, 2023December 8, 2023 hipodromealbum, alessio capovilla, ambient, anna homler, downtempo, experimental, hans harsen, knekelhuis, sabina kaufman, xiiiLeave a comment

‘Permanent Rain’ is introspective listening. Lean back and let your ears catch a source that moves, breaths, resonates and rises, until a quiet truth swells upon us. XIII captures truth in all its honesty. Sometimes it feels so physical, it’s as if time and elements of nature are peeled of layer after layer. This record combines songwriting with sonic hypnosis. A rhythmic, esoteric oasis, containing currents of mysticism, yet accompanied by contemporary electronics. Its elements translate to a brew of mutant raga, neofolk and tripped out celtic fantasies.

Sea Of Disillusions – Part III [BLESSYOU018]

October 25, 2023October 24, 2023 hipodromebless you, downtempo, experimental, sea of disillusions, sound metaphors records, tribal, youcef debbihiLeave a comment

Youcef Debbihi continues to impress and surprise after already his 3rd volume as Sea of Disillusions, output on Sound Metaphors. This 4 tracker extends what was already started and established in the previous volumes, expanding his studio excellence into more break beat oriented directions, either at high speed in the form of almost Drum’n’Bass with “K2” or slowed down as a more trip-hop tempo with “Break Whale”. B-side slows down to upper 90BPM range of driving rhythm under atmospheric dubby hints of humidity “5deF”, and, finalizing with a beatless Ambient mix of “Loon River” which sounds like the slow motion intro to an epic trance anthem that never fully takes off, setting the stage for something heavy to be mixed in. Downtempo, triphop, tribal, dubbed out atmospheric nuances, grandly produced.

Khidja – Transmissions Part 2 [MTLP0012B]

October 8, 2023October 6, 2023 hipodromealbum, andrei rusu, downtempo, experimental, florentin tudor, house, khidja, malka tuti, romanian, tamir hassan chenLeave a comment

Khidja’s new album ‘Transmissions’ on Malka Tuti is divided into two separate releases. Part 1 was released at the beginning of the summer and now at the beginning of autumn Part 2 is out. The album was written and produced by the Romanian duo, Andrei Rusu and Florentin Tudor, over the last several years, showcasing the diversity in the Khidja’s production; from shuffle to slow mow, to ‘chugging’ to new age 4th world.

Doxa Sinstra – The Other Stranger / Strange [DRIVE009]

September 16, 2023September 14, 2023 hipodromedowntempo, doxa sinstra, experimental, leftfield, midnight driveLeave a comment

Mysterious Dutch outfit Doxa Sinistra have been operating on the fringes of the industrial-experimental and sound collage tape scenes since the very early 1980s. Their output has long been coveted by fans of DIY and left-field music since their earliest transmissions, and this featured 1983 recording ‘The Other Stranger’ might well be one of their most known. A truly strange offering, the track is a cascading acidic and minimal stripped piece, bathed in disparate resonant sample sources that could possibly have been recorded straight from the TV set. This special 7” Midnight Drive vinyl only edition also features the more stripped back rhythm track version entitled ‘Strange’ on the b-side that is a slightly longer mix with a different arrangement and no samples, letting the minimalist acid and drum machine workout unfurl at its own steady woozy pace.

Levon Vincent – Silent Cities II [NS-48]

August 5, 2023September 21, 2023 hipodromealbum, ambient, downbeat, downtempo, levon vincent, novel soundLeave a comment

Levon Vincent released on Novel Sound bandcamp a follow up of his cassette album “Silent Cities”. “Silent Cities II” is a perfect extension is Levon’s private moods and states.

Khidja – Transmissions Part 1 [MTLP0012a]

June 13, 2023October 4, 2023 hipodromealbum, andrei rusu, downtempo, experimental, florentin tudor, house, khidja, malka tuti, romanianLeave a comment

MTLP0012 ‘Transmissions’ will be divided into two separate releases – Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1, presented here, is released in June, while Part 2 will be released in the 2nd half of September 2023. The album was written and produced by Khidja over the last several years. Part 1 consists of 5 gems showcasing the diversity in the Romanian duo’s production – from shuffle to slow mow, to ‘chugging’ to new age 4th world…

JUNA – Archetipo EP [SRNDS004]

May 13, 2023May 11, 2023 hipodromedisco, downtempo, experimental, juna, nathan dawidowicz, serenadesLeave a comment

An intriguing and revealing hypnotic immersion from the enigmatic duo JUNA. “Archetipo” explores the landscapes of the unconscious. The word “persona” in Latin means mask: thus the personality, the scenery of the ego, is transformed into a theatre of archetypal images, merging word and music, like a rhetorical figure, a synesthesia. The aesthetic-musical research is a poetic-sound journey into the psyche, to tell and celebrate it.

Voertuig – Techno Garage [TNL-OCS003]

April 6, 2023April 6, 2023 hipodromealbum, downtempo, electro, experimental, house, tonal oceans, voertuigLeave a comment

Beyond ecstatic to finally offer a glimpse into the world of Voertuig. Working on music for several years, purely for themselves in sheds and studios tucked away in the outskirts of The Hague, Tonal Oceans presents an album by the four piece act containing music embodying the true spirit of the city.

Schwabe @ Dekmantel Selectors 2022

December 4, 2022December 2, 2022 hipodromedekmantel festival, dekmantel selectors, downtempo, experimental, schwabe, synth waveLeave a comment

soFa Elsewhere – All My Friends Are Witches [PT010]

November 12, 2022November 11, 2022 hipodromeank, disco, downtempo, dub, mogwaa, nyati mayi, planet trip records, seako killy, sofa, sofa elsewhereLeave a comment

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.

Exhausted Modern – Notions of Causality EP [BT68]

November 11, 2022November 11, 2022 hipodromebrokntoys, downtempo, electro, exhausted modern, experimental, ladislav zensor, layupLeave a comment

Ladislav Zensor returns for a 3rd EP on the brokntoys label with Notions of Causality. The Czech producer showcases his trademark atmospheric electronics, soundtracking a world on the verge of collapse. The EP is completed by a remix by d&b producer Overlook.

Förslag På Musik – Bre Dang / Sincerely Yours [SR7001]

August 5, 2022August 4, 2022 hipodromedisco, downtempo, dub, forslag pa musik, house, sunken rock recordingsLeave a comment

Förslag På Musik is back for his third strike on Sunken Rock Recordings in the format of a proper 7” inch double sider. In his charectaristic breezy style the A side moves around somewhere in between reaggae and dreamy synth vibes while the flip takes you on dubbed out excursion filled with heavy bass and drums.

Levon Vincent – Silent Cities [NS46]

July 16, 2022September 14, 2023 hipodromealbum, ambient, cassette, downbeat, downtempo, levon vincent, novel soundLeave a comment

Levon Vincent returns with his fourth full-length studio album “Silent Cities” a striking departure from his previous records. This, his first release experimenting with the cassette format, Silent Cities is a kind of mixtape through more private moods and personal pitches (literally given Levon’s non-standard tunings). While Levon has always produced dance floor jams with the intention of raising people’s heart rates, Silent Cities began with 72 bpm: his average resting heart rate, and the concept of tuning the music he was making to his own body rather than increasing anything. This brought the tempos down to 72 bpm or even half of that, at 36bpm. Programming the record during the empty cityscape of Berlin lockdowns, this is the first time Levon’s created an album for the home stereo or for headphone listening whilst navigating through a city. A mixtape specialist in his youth; he was always wanted to play with the cassette format. The results are sure to delight any listener, with the ever-present ambient, krautrock, shoegaze, hip-hop and electro influences coming to the foreground on this work.

Sea Of Disillusions – Part II [BLESSYOU006]

June 25, 2022June 15, 2023 hipodromebless you, downtempo, experimental, house, sea of disillusions, sound metaphors records, youcef debbihiLeave a comment

Part II of the Sea of Disillusions project by Youcef Debbihi, another assortment of beautifully produced atmospheric, dubbed out downtempo techno. Yousef Debbihi does it again, another perfect collection of tracks, mandatory for any tasteful DJ bag roaming in the fields of contemporary produced dancefloor business. A crafty display of his mastery in the studio, this EP gives full perspective on Yousef’s oeuvre and capabilities. If you got part I, this is mandatory, another tasting in the downtempo cosmic domaine – no regrets guaranteed.

¥Øu$Uk€ ¥Uk1Mat$U with friends – Midnight is Comin’ [MNSXLP003]

May 28, 2022June 20, 2022 hipodromealbum, ambient, downtempo, experimental, midnight shift, ryo murakami, yousuke yukimatsuLeave a comment

Versatility does not even come close to describing how the humble Japanese ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U is considered to be one of the best DJs in the world by many of his peers. In this special mix album, Yukimatsu gathers round his producer friends to build vessels of the story structure. Threading the pages together, interweaved by friendship and sine waves, he has crafted a masterful presentation from their individual messages. Pulling and stretching all sonic shapes and shades while exploring the farthest reaches of sound, the result is a frequency soup of twelve outstanding tracks that when sequenced together, become part of a greater, grander story: Midnight is Comin’.

VA – Ordinary Dreams Vol. 2 [OD002]

May 22, 2022May 20, 2022 hipodromecompilation, disco, dj ray, downtempo, eirwud mudwasser, errortica, good block, house, jex opolis, mayurashka, mogwaa, paula tape, phuk Hugh, planet trip records, symptoms of loveLeave a comment

Starting 2022 right with the much-anticipated volume 2 in the Ordinary Dreams compilation series. This time Levelling up to a 12 track double disc physical release of end to end cuts from Planet Trip friends and family around the world. As always expect a deep sonic journey through dub, downtempo and reggae to the oddball, tribal and dream state mutations of house music. Contributions from an all star cast of heads including; Symptoms Of Love, Paula Tape, Jex Opolis, Mayurashka, Errortica, Good Block, Mogwaa, DJ Ray, Ivy Barkakti, the Romanian Eirwud Mudwasser and more.

Exhausted Modern – Deform | Reform [MRG012]

January 23, 2022November 10, 2022 hipodromeambient, cassette, downtempo, electro, exhausted modern, experimental, ladislav zensor, layup, marguerite recordsLeave a comment

After first appearing on MRG010, Czech artist Exhausted Modern is back on Marguerite Records with a solo EP called “Deform | Reform”. A side opens up with the dreamy electro-ish “Giving form to chaos”, followed by the high tension ambient-techno cut “The self unselving”; A3 is a trippy oddball slow-tempo jams called “Old disguises”. B side unwraps with “De creatura” and “Riddles of creation”, respectively on B1 and B2: the Endless Illusion boss crafted two ambient cuts characterized by haunting soundscapes, weird voices cut ups and deep basslines. The title track ”Deform _ Reform” closes the EP in a Sabres of Paradise-esque manner with a communion of dub and industrial rhythmics and patterns.

John Talabot / Khidja – HVN C/D [HVNcd]

June 18, 2019November 2, 2020 hipodromeandrei rusu, downtempo, florentin tudor, hivern discs, house, john talabot, khidja, oriol riverolaLeave a comment

The new installment of the Hivern split series features John Talabot and Khidja. Both tracks have slowish tempos, are built around obsessive motifs and make an outlandish use of delays. An unsettling and menacing atmosphere, fruit of masterful exercises on tension building, that seems tailored for those early moments in a set when you feel the need to rise the pressure without causing too much of a blast. These tracks are prime examples that’s there’s space for functional tracks away from the most obvious paths. And that’s the ultimate purpose of the series.