VA – dolly 15YRS [DOLLY15YRSD]

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.

VA – dolly 15YRS [DOLLY15YRSD]

Norm Talley – Cosmic Waves [UAR021]

Detroit don Norm Talley is as consistent as they come in house music circles. Despite a fine catalogue of cool cuts, ‘Cosmic Wave’ is his standout and a clear fan favourite. It dropped back in 2010 but has been reissued many times on different labels, this time on his own Upstairs Asylum. It’s the very essence of stripped-back and functional house/techno but with an impossibly impactful machine soul, the drums, synth waves and percussion all looping infinitely. But within that endless repetition there is beauty, hypnosis, and catharsis to be found. Sheer class, before you even get into the shimmering, sublimely gliding remix from Luke Hess & Brian Kage and the sparser ‘Cosmic Reality’, all stop/start funkiness rooted down by massive electronic handclaps.

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Norm Talley – Cosmic Waves [UAR021]

Luke Hess – Arkeo LP [DEEPLABS011]

”Arkeo is my most eclectic and techno-driven album to date. A fusion of my love for subterranean aesthetics and my deeply-rooted connection to Detroit’s underground music scene. While always keeping the dance floor in mind, this album also reflects something more personal: my spiritual journey and how it applies to my daily life.”

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Luke Hess – Arkeo LP [DEEPLABS011]

Luke Hess – These Streets [DOLLYTS01]

Dolly is kicking off a new TS series, focused on serious high quality techno in the widest sense. The first release in the series comes from Detroit dub techno specialist, Luke Hess. Dynamic, pumpy and melodic, deep techno bombs with super solid remixes by Portuguese techno talent Vil as well as the Italian power duo Fireground.

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Luke Hess – These Streets [DOLLYTS01]

El Choop – Closing Motif EP [ECHOCORD091]

El Choop makes a welcome return to Echocord this March with the ‘Closing Motif’ EP, Deadbeat and Luke Hess step in on remix duties. Hess delivers a typically classy interpretation, taking the core of the original and twisting it into an IDM tinged cut via crunchy broken drums and shimmering synth textures.

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El Choop – Closing Motif EP [ECHOCORD091]

Luke Hess & Jeff Hess – The Sea Was No More [DL010]

HESS, Luke/JEFF HESS - The Sea Was No More

New DeepLabs Record release featuring a special collaboration by label founder Luke Hess & his brother Jeff Hess. This is the 10th Anniversary release on DeepLabs featuring full sleeve artwork by Haqq. Three functional and diverse Detroit Techno tracks with stripped down analog sounds reminiscent of the mid-90’s warehouse scene.

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Luke Hess & Jeff Hess – The Sea Was No More [DL010]

Luke Hess – Supercinema 002 [SUPERCINEMA002]

Every night, the young men’s dreams are invaded by space shuttles and alien creatures. Every morning, the two guys try to keep the sounds of those hallucinations alive. For the second EP, Supercinema Records welcome Detroit veteran techno producer Luke Hess.

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Luke Hess – Supercinema 002 [SUPERCINEMA002]

VA – 10 Years Of Jaunt [JR007]

Jaunt celebrates a decade in the game this year, with the British clubbing institution marking the milestone in typically esteemed fashion. 10 Years of Jaunt – Sea, Land, Air is a 12 track V/A compilation spread across three distinct vinyl discs, each of which is based around some of the world’s core elements; themselves a mode of transport or a manner to embark on a ‘jaunt’. Each featured artist is somebody who the label has forged a connection with at some stage during their ten year journey – and each track has been titled to the artist’s own interpretation of a ‘jaunt’. The tracklisting itself has been tailor made to build and develop like their a Jaunt event, with deep, hypnotic, up tempo strands included alongside numerous surprises along the way.

part 1 / part 2 / part 3

VA – 10 Years Of Jaunt [JR007]

VA – 5 Years Of Finale Sessions Vol.1 [FSL003]

Finale Sessions celebrates it’s 5 year aniversery with Luke Hess, Patrice Scott. Basic Soul Unit and label boss Michael Zucker .

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VA – 5 Years Of Finale Sessions Vol.1 [FSL003]

VA – 15 Years With Echocord [ECHOCORD071]

VARIOUS - 15 Years With Echocord

After 15 years in the game, Kenneth Christensen’s Echocord mark that achievement with an exclusive ten track compilation spanning their broadest parameters, from a beatless panorama by STL thru mesmerising dub techno from Deadbeat.  Along the way they present a clinical, squashed dub-stepper from Arovane, Struktur 1; the Detroit ghetto acid of Hoodmode by Luke Hess; purified dub suspension from Fluxion; and strangely enough, a vocal turn from Mike Dehnert in Track Providing Home.

vinyl / CD

VA – 15 Years With Echocord [ECHOCORD071]

VA – X [KM043]

To celebrate Kontra-Musik Records hitting the ten-year mark, founder and label owner Ulf Eriksson has put together a collection of some of our finest releases. This has been a daunting task, for we are happy to announce that we could easily have made several very different compilations that we would have been equally contented with – there are so many superb tracks we had to leave out. This has, however, been a labour of love. Much like the label itself. Eclecticism has always been a lodestar for Ulf Eriksson, as we hope this collection gives testimony to. The label has always been moving freely between techno, house and more experimental sounds. Kontra-Musik intends to show different angels of perspective, not to convert you to a new Religion or Ideology. Being open to a broad variety of sounds and rhythms – judging them not solely by their functionality but rather by their personality – has been the Kontra-Musik way from day one. While it has been a crooked and sometimes exceedingly hard road to follow, we’re hoping to carry on for several years to come. After 10 years, the label still feels meaningful and current to us – in short: it’s still worth it. Kontra-Musik would like to thank everyone – from contributing artists to faithful friends of the label who have supported us all these years. None of this would have been possible without you.

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VA – X [KM043]

Robin Kampschoer – IO [LET002]

Hypnotic, deep and painstakingly produced stuff that makes maximum impact with minimum components. Serene and blissful techno rollers that will take any dance floor to a the next level produced by dutchy Robin Kampschoer. His first release for the young Amsterdam based LET label/Party Crew comes with a remix from none other than Detroit’s Luke Hess.

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Robin Kampschoer – IO [LET002]

OB Ignitt / Luke Hess – Star Gazing [OBONIT004]

Considering the spacey title, artwork and long-standing Detroit credentials of both Luke Hess and Omar-S collaborator Ob Ignitt, you’d expect these two tracks to be on the intergalactic side. The duo kicks things off with “Jefferson Reserve”, a tactile, floor-friendly chunk of energetic deep house blessed with classic electrofunk bass, deep space pads, and the kind of glistening, far-out synthesizer melodies you’d expect to hear the Cantina Band play in one of the Star Wars movies. They move further towards techno territory on flipside “Calm of Night”, where warring lasers fizz between the speakers whilst progressive house-influenced chords and rhythms propel the track forwards at the speed of light.

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OB Ignitt / Luke Hess – Star Gazing [OBONIT004]

Johannes Volk – Hydro Funk [DOLLY023]

This is Johannes  Volk’s second EP for Dolly. Two fierce but club friendly rolling techno tracks featuring an epic Luke Hess remix. With their warm and euphoric chords ‘Hydro Funk’ and ‘Shadow Section’ will take you right back to the golden days of techno. Detroit’s Luke Hess on remix duties takes ‘Hydro Funk’ into even deeper territories. An hypnotic and melancholic, yet very driving detroit techno tool.

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Johannes Volk – Hydro Funk [DOLLY023]