The endless vaults of Ron Hardy continue to be mined, and continue to serve up timeless treasures that cut through as much ow as they did when the great man was tearing up the legendary Muzic Box in the Windy City all those years ago. Here we first get ‘Welcome To The Club’ edited by Hardy and awash with jazzy Rhodes jams and super raw drums. It’s the perfect mix of soulful spirituality and effective groove. On the flip is a classic amongst classics as ‘Peaches & Prunes’ rides on rugged drums and with fat synth twangs all loops, teased and layered up to great effect.
Berlin-based Tom Bolas has long been one of the most reliable re-editors on the Duca Bianca roster, regularly delivering inspired reworks of Balearic obscurities, flea market record finds and under-appreciated gems. Predictably, there’s a similar sonic aesthetic to his latest collection of re-cuts, his first for four years. Four groovers of Cosmic, Disco and Italo adventures for all.
J.E. Movement’s groundbreaking ‘Ma Dea Luv’. Toward the end of the 1980s South Africa’s recording industry was booming. Searching for a sound that could cross over to all in the country’s segregated society while also eyeing international success, a new duo emerged that quickly rendered its ‘bubblegum’ predecessors obsolete. Drawing on international trends and crafting lyrics for local ears, J.E. Movement – a duo made up of James Nyingwa and Elliot Faku – exploded onto the local scene with their debut album, ‘Ma Dea Luv’. The future had arrived. The six tracks on J.E. Movement’s 1988 debut give firm nods to UK Street Soul, New Jack Swing and Stock Aitken Waterman’s ‘Hit Factory’ sound and infuse them with an African rhythmic flair and homegrown lyrical sentiment.
For those of you that missed the memo the first time, we have compiled a selection of deep cuts from the mysterious R-Zone archives. See it as an introduction or perhaps a retrospective, depending on how long you’ve been around. R-Zone seeks to recapture the spirit of the original raves where faces mattered less than music and marketing and the cult of personality were not yet a thing. A simpler time some might say, but we know better. For when the lights are dim and the smoke and strobe rule supreme you might still transcend your daily grind and slip into the comforting womb of the R-Zone.
Romanian producer and DJ Andrew Red Hand has carved a unique niche in the world of underground electronic music. His work stands as a tribute to the raw energy of Detroit techno and electro, yet it retains a deeply personal, emotional tone that gives it timeless depth. He returns to Time Passages with the four-track ‘This EP ‘For My Father’ EP, offering his most focused and expansive vision yet. Includes a remix from an icon of the scene, DJ Hell.
Forbidden Dance continues its story with Brazilian synth virtuoso Pedro Zopelar and his 4-track EP. Known for his genre-blending productions that traverse ambient, deep house and electro, Zopelar crafts tracks that are both pulsating and sensual. His latest work is a testament to his ability to merge the warmth of vintage rhythm machines with futuristic synth explorations, delivering a sound that’s both nostalgic and forward-thinking.
French house maestro Franck Roger returns with the latest chapter in his Earthrumental Music series.A standout 4-track EP designed for deep, late-night dancefloor sessions. A masterclass in groove and atmosphere, this is essential listening for discerning house heads.
Rick Wade on Norm Talley’s Upstairs Asylum are words that will excite any true school house heads. Wade is a production machine who turns out always no-frills, trusty and tracky grooves of the sort that are always essential for building a vibe in a set, and Talley’s a fellow Detroit head who has long been helping to shape the house sound. ‘So Juicy’ begins with a flourish, lavish strings and chunky drums that slide along nicely. ‘Midnight Hustler’ sinks into a slightly more steamy and deep sound with hints of 60s US soul and funky licks, ‘Turn Out’ is a more traditional deep house roller with a comic vibe and ‘Lonely Symphony’ brings some cinematic string drama to a breezy blend of house beats.
Factory Floor return to Phantasy with a new single, ‘Tell Me’. As propulsive and direct as anything the cult UK electronic group has ever released, ‘Tell Me’ continues to perfect the dynamic in the band’s current lineup of Gabe Gurnsey, Nik Colk Void, and Joe Ward, with additional drum tracking by Stephen Morris of New Order. Situated between the sonic promise of enduring indie culture, yet naturally imbued with the band’s relentless forward-thinking ethos. Throughout, Colk Void’s inquisitive vocal guides the listener through an elastic square-wave bass groove that forms the rhythmic backbone to Tell Me, before Gurnsey and Ward’s frenetic drumming breakdown rains with pure abandon, exemplifying the band’s personal alchemy between genre, scenes, human, and machine.
As Dolly Records marks its 15th anniversary, the label celebrates with a powerful new various artists release that distills its core values: timeless quality, emotional depth, and a dedication to house, techno and beyond that moves both body and soul. Carefully assembled by label head Steffi with the same precision of her DJ sets, the compilation brings together a diverse lineup including both longtime allies and fresh additions to the Dolly family. Fifteen years in, Dolly continues to evolve without compromise. This release is both a reflection and a statement of intent.
“The 6th chapter as the previous 5 chapters is education that a lot of alleged “House” DJs and Producers are obviously lacking showcasing modern, vintage and out of print/promo labels: Trax Records, Underground House Records, Precision Records, Dezzarotic Records, L.A. Club Resource, Gherkin Records, Chicago Connection, Still Music Chicago, Dark Entries and Chiwax to productions from: Ron Hardy, Felix Da Housecat’s 1st production, Sweet D, Gene Hunt, Larry Heard, Farley Jackmaster Funk, Virgo 4, X2, Dmarc Cantu, Steve Summers, Boyd Jarvis, Juju, Leron Carson, G-Strings, Ron Morelli, Terence Woodard, Delroy Edwards, Mutant Beat Dance and a new production of jakbeat to come from Chicago with a new alias project dropping later this year in 2025 for a label we support. (more news on that later)
⚠️ warning ⚠️ This selection covers the building blocks of the early dance music scene with selections of today and yesterday incorporating musical blueprint dubs, a couple of vocals in between but overall: a raw style of basement underground tracks of Chicago and New York’s timeless heroes & icons we admire, honor and inspired by their education.
We hope this will give people the chance to listen to music many may have never heard on this side of sound that provides a provocative and thoughtful musical workout in your mind with vinyl turntables, a vintage mix console with an effects box and cd players.”
Morris Audio is welcoming Dutch artist Böhm with “People communicate EP”, full of dreamy, old school House with a techy edge. Techno, Acid or old school House, Böhm’s versatility while keeping a real underground edge is class.
London-based deep house duo Saison debut on NYC’s Nu Groove. With their four-track EP, Saison continue to show their versatility with this collection of tougher tracks built for the underground.
Longtime TX techno scene veteran Xander Harris is back for blood on the reactivated TRU (Texas Recordings Underground) label from fellow Lone Star cyborg Gavin Guthrie (TX Connect) as well as DJ/Producer Xinexport. Prepare to enter a world of scuzzy synths buzzing like cathode-ray screen-glow reflected back from bloodshot eyeballs, basslines sizzling like seared flesh around overheated nethacker brain-jacks, synchronized laser saws slashing serrated arpeggios to the rhythm of robotic drum machine assembly lines, dystopian melodies refracting through the haze like swarms of gleaming crimson camera eyes…6 trax of unstoppable terminator assault audio.
In a sea of disposable cookie cutter music Hieroglyphic Being continues to be a singular voice in the crowd. The 12 track album “The Sound Of Something Ending” deftly maps the intersection of house, techno, and EBM, while maintaining the curiosity of free jazz & the DIY of punk.
The Hipodrome Of Music 