F.U.S.E. – Dimension Intrusion LP [WARPLP12R]

November 17, 2023November 16, 2023 hipodromealbum, f.u.s.e., minimal techno, plus 8, re-release, reissue, richie hawtin, warp recordsLeave a comment

‘Dimension Intrusion’ was the first full-length studio album by Richie Hawtin, who was 22 years old at the time and living in Windsor, Canada. It was first released in June 1993 under the F.U.S.E. name on Hawtin’s own Plus 8 Records imprint and again as the second release of Warp Records seminal ‘Artificial Intelligence’ series. The album compiled previously released F.U.S.E. EPs from Plus 8 complemented with new music specially recorded for this release. It would be a fundamental album for the young producer, who was experimenting with different themes and techniques to find his very own sound. Largely inspired by sci-fi movies he used a collection of synthesizers and drum machines, playing with their electronic yet warm sound effects and in turn discovering some of his favorite instruments.

Poetical Licence – Footprints [LER1033]

November 14, 2023November 14, 2023 hipodromeleft ear records, poetical licence, re-release, reissue, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Poetical License was a brief project uniting Scottish born and Aotearoan (New Zealand) musician Mark Airlie and keyboardist and vocalist Keri Ansley after the duo met in New Plymouth. The solitary 7” came together in 1986, recorded at the infamous Auckland studio, The Lab. The A side’s fragile Footprints is as utterly charming as it is drenched in melancholia with a delicate glockenspiel lick and Ansley’s ethereal delivery of the vocals. On the B Side, Room 101 pivots to wonky rock and a more post-punk approach to composition. The two tracks shine brightly among an abundance of outsider gems made in Aotearoa during the 1980s

ACME – Rhythm Of Life [DBH-010]

November 7, 2023November 7, 2023 hipodromeacme, dbh music, delirium records, house, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

The 10th release on DBH Records comes from ACME. “Rhythm Of Life” was originally released on Delirium Records USA in 1996.

Bang The Party – I Feel Good All Over [RHRSS32]

November 7, 2023November 7, 2023 hipodromebang the party, chicago house, house, re-release, reissue, rush hour, rush hour reissues seriesLeave a comment

Before British house and techno found its’ distinctive groove at the turn of the 1990s, one act led the way: Bang The Party, a trio who emerged from London’s vibrant underground party scene in the mid 1980s and proved, beyond any doubt, that UK producers could make music every bit as magical as the pioneering productions put forward by their counterparts in Chicago, Detroit and New York. By the time long-running DJs and party promoters Kid Batchelor and Leslie Lawrence joined forces with trained engineer Keith Franklin at legendary North-West London reggae studio Addis Ababa in 1987, they’d spent years as DIY dance music activists in Britain’s capital city. They channelled these experiences and their love of imported house and techno sounds into a new project, Bang The Party. The latest Rush Hour Reissue Series release offers a snapshot of some of the numerous gems nestled in the Bang The Party catalogue, delivering a much-deserved celebration of one of Britain’s most significant early acid house collectives. It features four fully remastered cuts recorded and released between 1987 and 1990 – on-point and far-sighted club workouts that sound as fresh and timeless now as they did when Britain was sweltering under its infamous ‘second summer of love’.

Citi Express – Living For The City [AFS055]

October 29, 2023October 26, 2023 hipodromeafrobeat, afrosynth records, album, citieExpress, house, on record, re-release, reissue, ron friedmanLeave a comment

Cover versions of international songs have long thrived in South Africa’s music industry. Often unable to license the original tracks (until the early 90s the result of an international boycott of the country) labels instead hired producers and session artists to re-record them for the local market. Early house music in South Africa was no different. When Ron ‘Robot’ Friedman, former bass player for local rockers Rabbitt, was winding down his label On Record in the early 90s, he reached out for new inspiration as the popularity of ‘bubblegum’ disco waned. For one of the label’s final releases he hired young DJ/producer Quentin Foster, obsessed with the new soulful house sound coming out of the US, to take the reins on a studio project dubbed Citi Express. The result offers a glimpse into those early days of house, a uniquely South African take on a global sound that still resonates today — reissued for the first time on Afrosynth Records.

Starlight – Starlight [AFS054]

October 29, 2023October 26, 2023 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, afrosynth records, album, disco, emil zoghby, john galanakis, re-release, reissue, starlightLeave a comment

South African production duo of Emil Zoghby and John Galanakis were responsible for a string of high-quality disco singles in the early 80s, typically cover versions of international hits — Klein & MBO’s ‘The Big Apple’, Sly & the Family Stone’s ‘Family Affair’ & David Joseph’s ‘You Can’t Hide (Your Love From Me)’ — backed with their own compositions. When Starlight hit the market with an album in 1983, it featured only one cover, the local hit ‘Picnic’, along with five of the duo’s original compositions, including their similarly styled response, ‘Picnicing’, which replaces the original’s sax with spaced-out synth stabs. Then there’s ‘Jah Jah Love’, an ecstatic disco sermon of dancefloor dynamite weighing in at over eight and a half minutes. Other tracks on this landmark album — ‘Let’s Go Dancing (Boogie Boogie)’, ‘Keep On Moving’ and an eponymous instrumental — offer a similar fusion of classic disco with newer Italo and proto-house influences: machine music with a human touch. Remastered from the original master tapes and reissued for the first time, Starlight is available on vinyl and digital platforms, 40 years after its initial release, via Afrosynth Records.

Major Problems – The Effects Can Last Forever [OW005-PWV]

October 12, 2023December 18, 2023 hipodromehouse, joey beltram, lenny dee, major problems, nu groove records, orange wedge, ralphie dee, re-release, reissue, technoLeave a comment

Patagonia Wave series is back on the Orange Wedge imprint. From the glorious collaboration of Joey Beltram, Lenny Dee and Ralphie Dee this is a masterpiece to have in your collection.

Martin Dupont – Hot Paradox LP [MW081]

October 5, 2023October 10, 2023 hipodromealain seghir, album, cold wave, martin dupont, minimal wave records, new wave, re-release, reissue, synth popLeave a comment

Minimal Wave presents the first vinyl reissue of French legends Martin Dupont’s seminal album from 1987, ‘Hot Paradox’. Martin Dupont was originally founded by Alain Seghir in Marseille in 1980. He enlisted numerous collaborators throughout the years, including Beverley Jane Crew, Brigitte Balian, and Catherine Loy. Martin Dupont was immensely talented with a rare dynamic between its varying members that was likely inspired by a combination of their magnetic personalities, creative vision, and the home studio where they recorded. Their music was colorful, enthusiastic, delicate, melancholy, and mysterious. A mixture of hot and cold, light and dark. They created electronic music that incorporated guitars, clarinets, and saxophones and is described by many as New Wave yet truly transcended genres. The ‘Hot Paradox’ album hasn’t been available on vinyl since 1987. It is one of Martin Dupont’s most exquisite albums, illustrating the band’s mastery of synthesizer work, drum programming, and vocal duets. The album is vibrant and emotive, simultaneously somber and bright, theatrical and danceable. It is an essential album in the French cold wave, new wave, and minimal synth scenes, and in recent years, has finally received the recognition it deserves beyond any musical categorization.

Schicksal – Perpetuum: Cycle I [MEC078]

October 4, 2023October 2, 2023 hipodromealbum, ebm, mecanica records, minimal synth, new beat, new wave, pedro bol, re-release, reissue, rudi huybrechts, schicksalLeave a comment

Schicksal is the alias of Rudi Huybrechts from Belgium. Heavily inspired by Front 242 first album “Geography”, DAF’s elektronische körpermusik “Alles Ist Gut” and of course Kraftwerk’s “Man Machine” and “Computer World”, Rudi bought his first Roland SH-101 synthesizer and started in 1982 with Schicksal to experiment with synths and drum computers. He spent lot of hours programming and composing on his bedroom and recording everything on a tape recorder. A selection of these old tracks are included on this album. You can definitely feel the vibe of this period and the place where the songs were created: the old industrial town of Hoboken, the culmination of the cold war and the aim of a young musician to combine melody and harmony into minimal electronic music.

Schicksal – 24 Hours [MEC077]

October 4, 2023October 2, 2023 hipodromeebm, mecanica records, new beat, pedro bol, re-release, reissue, rudi huybrechts, schicksal, subway recordsLeave a comment

Schicksal is the alias of Rudi Huybrechts coming from Hoboken, a small town near Antwerp. He started experimenting with synths and drum computers in 1982. Heavily inspired by Front 242 first album “Geography”, DAF’s elektronische körpermusik “Alles Ist Gut” and Kraftwerk’s “Man Machine” and “Computer World”, Rudi spent lot of hours programming and composing at home with just some gear and a tape recorder. Some of these tracks appeared on local compilations but it was not until the hype of New Beat in Belgium that Schicksal gained a real attention. In 1988 Rudi persuaded Marc Grouls, the resident DJ of discotheque Prestige in Antwerp, to play the track “24 hours”. All the people on the dancefloor just got wild and the next day Schicksal signed a contract with Maurice Engelen for the release of a maxi-single on Subway Records.

Max & Intro – We Design The Future [MEC083]

October 4, 2023October 2, 2023 hipodromeintro johnnie, max & intro, max vincent, mecanica records, minimal synth, re-release, reissue, synth popLeave a comment

Max & Intro was a short-lived duo formed by Vincent Max and Intro Johnnie in Belgrade. In 1984 they composed “Ostavi Sve” (in English: “Leave Everything”), probably the greatest ex-Yugoslavian minimal synth song of all times with heavy rotation on radio and even TV appearances. It was a tribute to Fairlight synthesizers, in that time non affordable for these young musicians and became an obsession, especially for Max. In 1985 was published their first and only release “We Design The Future” including “Ostavi Sve” and the B-side “Beogradska Devojka”, another synth gem.

Robert Hood – Master Builder [TRESOR032]

September 30, 2023September 28, 2023 hipodromedetroit techno, minimal techno, re-release, reissue, robert hood, techno, tresor recordsLeave a comment

Twenty five years after its initial release, and accompanying the re-release of ‘Internal Empire’ Tresor Records present a new cut and pressing (180gm) of Robert Hood’s essential ‘Master Builder’. The ongoing importance of this single and its adjacent album is indisputable, essential both to techno and to Tresor. It is a history intertwined. This work elevates its maker as master, and remains a cherished moment in the Tresor story, sharing an irrefutable singular magic, sounding as present and indispensable as when first created. To understand this work fully is to stand back and celebrate its impact.

Drexciya – Grava 4 [CAL009RE2023/C#25LP]

September 18, 2023September 15, 2023 hipodromealbum, clone aqualung series, clone records, detroit, drexciya, electro, gerald donald, james stinson, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

Drexciya presents Grava 4. Earth has finally discovered Utopia. (Drexciya Home Universe) Earth scientist discovered the home planet of Drexciya on 2-14-2002. Within moments Dr. Blowfin was given the orders to initiate the seven dimensional cloaking-spheres to hide the other three planets from earths view. The star chart is authentic; you will be able to find the star by using the coordinations on the star chart. The planet Drexciya can be found in the international star vault in Switzerland & recorded in the astronomical compendium. Updated artwork version for 2023, first limited run on translucent silver vinyl.

Model 500 – Starlight [M024]

September 16, 2023July 11, 2025 hipodromedetroit techno, dub techno, juan atkins, metroplex, model 500, moritz von oswald, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

Metroplex continues its run of reissues with more seminal releases from the label’s essential back catalog. The long-awaited reissue of M024: Model 500’s eternal techno meditation “Starlight”, a mid-90s collaboration with dub techno maestro Moritz von Oswald of Basic Channel, Maurizio, and Rhythm & Sound fame. Remastered from original tapes and sounding super fresh.

Mike Huckaby – The Tresor EP [TRESOR252]

September 15, 2023September 13, 2023 hipodromedetroit techno, mike huckaby, re-release, reissue, tresor recordsLeave a comment

Following the club and label’s 20th Anniversary back in 2011, Tresor memorialised its two decades of existence with an exclusive mix from one of its esteemed Detroit connections, Mike Huckaby. On that mix, Mike Huckaby included an exclusive production of his, the first one to be released on Tresor Records. Today, Tresor announces the repress of the “The Tresor Track” on wax, making up for a massive A.side cut at 45 RPM. This title is on its way to stand along with the label’s most important classics, a genuine anthem for the Berlin techno institute.

Tyree – Video Crash [CVR10]

September 12, 2023September 12, 2023 hipodromechicago, chicago house, chicago vinyl records, re-release, reissue, rockin' house, traxman, tyree, tyree cooperLeave a comment

Tyree might not get the headlines that many of his Chicago peers do but it’s hard to see why. One reason might be that he was big on hip-house, a fusion of, well, hip-hop and house that never quite fully took off and got the respect it should. Here he offers something more raw and aligned with the first wave of Chicago jack. ‘Video Crash’ is a scintillating analogue fusion with pushing synths and caustic perc. It gets even more acidic on the remix and then the Traxman Funkbomb rework ups the vocal event for pure destruction.

Transvolta – Disco Computer [RV009]

September 11, 2023September 11, 2023 hipodromedan lacksman, disco, italo-disco, random vinyl, re-release, reissue, transvoltaLeave a comment

Dan Lacksman is a Belgian electronic music pioneer who co-founded the Electro Pop Dance formation Telex and is credited for their classic ‘Moskow Diskow.’ He also worked under the Transvolta name but put out only one single, 1978’s impossibly hard-to-find classic ‘Disco Computer.’ Dan himself has carefully remastered the original for this special 12″ reissue. It’s still a retro-future sound all these years later with the signature talk box vocals and sleek drum machines under cosmic synths. On the flip is a long version of ‘You Are Disco’ which is a similar vibe but with a slightly more lively groove and vocal. Two serene dancefloor gems by any standards.

Roy Ayers – Virgo Vibes LP [NSD819LP]

September 3, 2023August 31, 2023 hipodromealbum, jazz, nature sounds, re-release, reissue, roy ayersLeave a comment

Long before becoming an icon of funk, acid jazz, and R&B, Roy Ayers was a promising young jazz vibraphonist. Originally released in 1967, Virgo Vibes was Ayers’ second album, and his debut for Atlantic. With five cool, funky jazz tracks, the LP features talented musicians like Joe Henderson, Charles Tolliver, Bruno Carr, Jack Wilson and the mysterious pianist Ronnie Clark (Herbie Hancock playing under a pseudonym). A rare treasure infused with the relaxed, sunny vibe that defined Ayers’ stellar career, Virgo Vibes is now available again on vinyl.

Surgeon – Balance [TRESOR096]

September 1, 2023August 29, 2023 hipodromealbum, anthony child, detroit techno, minimal techno, re-release, reissue, surgeon, techno, tresor recordsLeave a comment

Tresor Records is fortunate enough to be sitting on a catalogue of past releases that no other label in electronic music would turn down. One of the finest in this collection were contributed by Surgeon. His inimitable combination of Detroit techno and post-industrial sounds emanating from his British homeland found its fullest expression in these masterful trio of releases. Tresor Records have decided that its time to give ‘Balance’ another airing.

Surgeon – Basictonalvocabulary [TRESOR073]

September 1, 2023August 29, 2023 hipodromealbum, anthony child, detroit techno, minimal techno, re-release, reissue, surgeon, techno, tresor recordsLeave a comment

Tresor Records is fortunate enough to be sitting on a catalogue of past releases that no other label in electronic music would turn down. One of the finest in this collection were contributed by Surgeon. His inimitable combination of Detroit techno and post-industrial sounds emanating from his British homeland found its fullest expression in these masterful trio of releases. Tresor Records have decided that its time to give ‘Basictonalvocabulary’ another airing.