Klasse Wrecks continues its expedition through the wilderness of early 2024 with with a unique 4 tracker from Bufo Bufo. Distilling all styles and influences into one record, ‘Beelzebufo’ sees the producer capture rare species of electro, breakbeat and mangled rave together…resulting in a supernatural sonic hybrid. Play with caution…the sounds you hear maybe devastating to your ear.
Klasse Wrecks’ Grafiti Tapes series continues on at its own pace with a new release from Antwerp based graffiti writer, tattoo artist and musician Redray. Aside from being active in the Belgium scene in the late 2000s, Redray is also enjoying great success as a tattoo artist, having co-founded Brabo’s Hand Tattoo in the center of Antwerp. For GT13 Redray turns in a charming 6 track mini-album, with all individual songs are produced by a limited pallet of sonic tools. A tried and tested combination of vocoder, 808 drum machine, keys and screwed samples of old funk and soul records provide the solid foundations. Comfortably sat in-between the genres of G-Funk and Screwed + Chopped Rap, Redray elevates the beats with catchy vocal hooks sung through a Roland SVC-350 vocoder. The result is some of the sleaziest and greasiest sauce to ever adorn a Grafiti Tape.
DJ Steve’s third EP for Klasse Wrecks delves deeper into the sonic universe of the Sheffield producer’s arsenal, a slow but deliberate progression can be traced from the previous EPs. Whereas ‘Secret Touch’ and ‘Mainline’ ploughed a path made more by the lighthearted genres of UK Hardcore and Yorkshire Bleep, ‘Reality’ sinks lower into heady vibrations of psychedelia and heavy acid hallucinations. The producer again shows off his musical flair and control of his machine kingdom, every sound perfectly placed on the sound canvas. Classic 303 lines writhe under 101 basslines whilst 808 hihats shuffle over recognisable breakbeats, proving some things never go out of style.
Karlos Moran returns to his own Moran Music Group label (helmed by the people at Klasse Wrecks no less) for his 5th release. Showcasing the producers flair for classic US Deep House tropes and a deft talent when it comes to singing and playing instruments live, MMG005 is collection of 4 tracks of wonderful and positive vibes. Trainspotters might notice something familiar and newcomers might discover a new favourite artist, step into the house of Moran and enjoy.
Swedish born, London based producer Hans Berg provides the title track ‘A Floor of Stars’ for a brand new white label from Klasse Wrecks. Starry-eyed rave nostalgia for the 2020s, produced and presented without a cheapshot gimmick in sight. Luca Lozano provides a interpretation on the flip, increasing the breakbeat pressure slightly and taking a left turn into the hoover-vortex continuum. Its a space race journey of sorts, with the producer adorning the track with more rave decoration and climactic pianos flourishes.
Klasse Wrecks presents Luca Lozano’s 4th album, a collection of both previously unreleased and brand new material. Recorded between the years of 2015 and 2022 and in the locations of various studios in Berlin and Sheffield, ‘Man Of Science’ collates some of the producers most accomplished and interesting work to date.
Luca Lozano and Phran’s ‘Dos Ritmos’ project released its first record back in 2018, the Antropophony EP was a result of the duo’s shared appreciation for heavy percussion and worldly drums, sampled and mashed together to create a pan-national representation of polyrhythms and atmospherics. The second release from the duo sees Phran direct the project and expand the collaborative nature of the working process, contributors Ribes, Ivy Barkakati, Jonathan Sirit, and Hidden Memory all bring their own influences and flavors to the table. The ‘Materia’ EP steers the ship in a simliar direction to the first EP but the resulting tracks are more stripped down, driving and focus directly on whats makes a groove a groove.
The question ‘Who is DJ Steve?’ gets closer to being answered with the exciting release of his second EP on Klasse Wrecks. WRECKS036 brings more of the heat that DJ Steve is becoming known for. Direct lines are traced to back the formative years of UK Rave and Bleep music, production techniques are kept stripped back and faithful to the classic combinations of those numbers 808, 909, 303 and 101. ‘Secret Touch’ is a melting pot of acid lines, perfectly placed chord stabs and atmospherics that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Sheffield warehouse in 1992. The three original tracks are backed up with a hypnotic and perfectly grooved-out remix from Klasse Wrecks boss Luca Lozano.
Originally released on Volume and Tension in 1994, the ‘Duster’ EP was one of only two releases Toby Warren completed under the Hi Tech Criminal moniker, it has since gone on to become a rare gem of a record that swaps hands for princely sums. Klasse Wrecks makes the re-issue of the original tracks and an exclusive-never-heard-before mix of the title track. The 4 tracker harks back to a period in time when creativity and originality was at an all time high in dance music. The tracks on the ‘Duster’ EP defy categorization, part bouncing House, part progressive and driving Techno…all good.
Anonymous producer Alphonse returns to Klasse Wrecks for his third release on the label and brings with him a concoction of familiar sounds and flavors. The ‘Beechwood DNA’ EP sounds like a grip of the producer’s influences and inspirations funneled through his sample heavy approach to production, taking wild turns unannounced. Acid licks and unruly breakbeats are definitely nothing new but the producers considered summation of each track is truly original and surprising. The EP rounds off with the title track ‘Beechwood’, a painfully beautiful ode that captures a nostalgic mood and shows off the producers well-informed ear for a catchy sample.
Klasse Wrecks co-boss and Hong Kong citizen Mr. Ho links up with South Korean and Seoul based producer Mogwaa over international waters for the ‘Eui-Li’ EP. Baile Funk drums mix with moody deepness on ‘Bail-E!’ whilst vivid and dreamy 909 electro is captured on ‘Hustler’s Billiard’, demented acid breaks on ‘Conquest’ and angry and distorted funk lets loose ‘DistFreestyle’. The four tracker makes for a varied and sonically diverse EP that conjures and distills the two producers various influences perfectly.
Smooth acid injected edgy house cuts on this new Klasse Wrecks. For the last 3 years SJ Tequilla (Naota Matsuda) and Aaty Matoba have been a regular but hidden fixture in Berlin’s underground music scene. You may have caught them at their regular spot in a dark tunnel next to the sprawling Ostkreuz station in Kreuzberg, lucky to sneak a quick listen before the cops came in and shut things down yet again. Armed only with an electrical generator, a 606, 303 and various dub echo delay units the pair have slowly been refining their Teknobusker project into quite a special thing. Proving that creativity blooms best when using a limited set of tools, the SJ Teknobuskers music is gritty and dark but also retains an important sense of humour. WRECKS029 was recorded between the years 2018-2019 and does a deft job in capturing a flavour of the rhythms, tones and squelches that echoed down the tunnels during Berlin’s endless summers.
Filthy electro and acid on this new release on Klasse Wrecks’ sub-label Zodiac 44! A ‘as nasty as it wants to be’ four tracker from new producer Ludgate Squatter, the 8th in the labels 12 release only schedule (one for each sign of the Zodiac dummy). ZCANC closely adheres to the labels ‘outsider’ sound, distorted drums and an atmosphere so dark, demented and paranoid you start to worry a little for the artist after listening to the music. Little is known about Ludgate Squatter and maybe thats for the best, there’s an evil genius out there somewhere armed with a broken 707 and he’s taking no prisoners
The wunderkind from Wichita, Kansas collates another wonderful release on his own Moran Music Group, featuring music from Karlos’ archive old and new. Expect more of the same deep and warm vibes, all made with a special and loving touch.
Klasse Wrecks present the first release in the new Compact Wrecks series, a new set of releases coming on Compact Disc. Compositions on COM1 come from label founders Luca Lozano and Mr Ho in addition to producers associated with the label, namely Omega III, Fett Birger, Privacy, Your Planet Is Next, Dawl and Alphonse. The compilation, which clocks in at just over an hour, ranges from frantic jungle and breakbeat-infused acid to chilled-out trance, making time for forays into bleep, electro and house
Privacy returns to Klasse Wrecks after a 3 year hiatus and the wait has most certainly been worth the while. Four original tracks make up the ‘New Product’ EP, with the artist exploring new styles and tempos. Ranging from electro-speed to stomp-wave, each track is a masterclass in the style of Privacy’s ever expanding body of work.
Killer stuf on Klasse Wrecks Sub label Zodiac! Frozen Russian plains rich with moondust and cybo-fog lie still, a faint rumble is heard from behind the horizon and Buttechno checks his Pulsemeter 5000, deciding to head on whilst he still can. Sonic lighting strikes the dead earth, leaving echoes that reverberate for miles around as digital feedback waves sore through the airless landscape. Buttechno steadies his exxo-bike, firing the back up atomic engine before taking a deep breath and heading into the lost and forgotten city. ZCAPRI is the seventh of 12 releases from Z O D I A C 4 4.
Klasse co-boss Mr. Ho steps up to the plate and knocks it out of the park with a new EP of brand new and original material. Inspired by listening to various library music and funk records found whilst digging in Asia, the Hong Kong based artist lays down three tracks of boogie-disco and funk inspired House music. Funky walking basslines, eerie 1980’s synthetics and spacey snares make for a total tip.
The last Klasse Wrecks release of 2017 comes from Alphonse. The four tracks on the ‘Tribes of Atlantis’ EP display an acute and developed knowledge of all things House and Techno, fizzing with bonafide analog production the EP goes on a journey of warm deepness, clunky baselines and loose grooves.
The Hipodrome Of Music 