Mathew Jonson

Really one of a kind, he's developed one of the most distinctive voices in electronic dance music: when you hear one of Jonson's tracks, you almost immediately know it's his. And yet there's no mistaking any given track for another.

His standards for sound and presentation are exacting. Both on stage and in the studio, Jonson's fealty to analog equipment and real-time play—as opposed to mere playback—serves as a standardbearer for a kind of electronic music that goes way beyond the drag 'n' drop world of digital composition. Jonson has always been eager to get his hands dirty, and the music reflects that in gnarled bass sequences and long, intuitive lines. His sounds have serious teeth.

His music offers a rare fusion of populist intensities and nuanced musicality. With a keen understanding for the needs of the dancefloor and the universal laws of house and techno, he's thrown out the rule book time and time again, sneaking tricks learned from electro and even drum'n'bass into minimal clubs, and loading up his B-sides with tracks that do what they damned well please. (No kick drum? No problem.)



Out on Crosstown Rebels Now

And despite his quick ascent through the ranks of the techno elite, Jonson hasn't just stayed personally grounded. He's devoted much of his energy to supporting his own close musical family, both in the groups Cobblestone Jazz and the Modern Deep Left Quartet, and with his Wagon Repair label, which he cofounded with Jesse Fisk, Graham and Adam Boothby, Frank Meyerhofer and Konrad Black.

He studied classical piano as a kid, plus jazz drumming, and played drums in a marching band —thus laying both the melodic and the rhythmic cornerstones of his music today. (Plenty of musicians claim to be "classically trained," of course, rendering the phrase all but meaningless. But here's something you might not have known about Mathew: he's actually begun studying piano again, which suggests a musical seriousness that's rare in the world of auto-didact button-pushers.

Thanks to his father's work with sound technology, he also got his hands on synthesizers at the age of 9. By the time he discovered hip-hop as a young teen, he was recreating its electro-based beats on his own rudimentary setup at home.

It was in Victoria, when he was 19, that Jonson met up with the crew that would help guide his musical trajectory: Tyger Dhula, Danuel Tate and Colin de la Plante, who were playing and DJing parties around the area. The four started playing in clubs together, an early version of the group that exists today as Cobblestone Jazz and the Modern Deep Left Quartet. (The Modern Deep Left Quartet was the original name for the foursome; after de la Plante moved to Montreal, the remaining trio carried on as Cobblestone Jazz.) "It was all improvised," says Jonson of the group's early days. "We never really worked in the studio, we would just meet at the nightclub and jam. That's how it started. We did that for quite a while, and then it morphed into a residency at a club, once every two weeks." To keep it interesting, they would invite other musicians—on trumpet, violin, bass, sax, and rhythm sections—to join them.

After de la Plante left town, Cobblestone Jazz began focusing its efforts more squarely on the dancefloor, moving away from purely improvised sets to include composed and rehearsed passages. And Jonson gradually began honing in on his own sound, both in his productions and his DJ sets, inspired by a deeper, weirder sound that had begun filtering into the city's techno parties.

His first record, in 2001, was the first release on the B.C. label Itiswhatitis, appropritately titled "New Identity." Another followed in 2002, and in 2003. That year, he also made his first appearance on Perlon, "Alpine Rocket"—a track he recorded alongside Luciano during his first trip to Europe. And then, suddenly, Jonson was everywhere: Itiswhatitis, Sub Static, Arbutus, Kompakt, M_nus—and every track an anthem.

"I had all that music kind of saved up," says Jonson, "and then, just by chance, released it all at the same time. People criticized me for it, said that it wasn't a good idea. But it worked out for me. All the tracks did well. I wasn't saturating the market with bad music." He's right there.

In 2005, Jonson co-founded Wagon Repair, and it's been a blur since, a nonstop series of tours and recordings, solo and with his bandmates. Crucially, he moved to Berlin. Here, he and de la Plante—who moved over at the same time—have set up Cobblestone Jazz' European headquarters, providing not only the launch pad for European tours but, more importantly, the control center for the group's recorded activities. The studio is jawdropping, frankly: a semi-circle full of gear, from old workhorses like the 808 and 909 and SH-101 to unique beasts like their Cwejman and Roland System 100m modular system. Tate's Rhodes piano anchors one corner of the horseshoe, and everything feeds into a massive desk where tracks are mixed and recorded in real-time. Jonson makes his own music essentially the same way—only with two hands instead of eight.

Those two hands have come up with some remarkable material. Having perfected his brand of earthshaking epic with tracks like "Marionette," "Return of the Zombie Bikers" and "Symphony for the Apocalypse," Jonson has increasingly turned his efforts towards more personal, introspective music. He hasn't left the clubs behind—his new album, Agents of Time, features a number of tracks that are as hip-windingy wily as anything he's produced yet, full-on tracks like "Girls Got Rhythm" and "Thieves in Digital Land." But he's also taken advantage of the longplayer format to stretch out and indulge darker moods and slower tempos.

"I like to have phrases that sound like they're major, but then they go minor when they turn around," explains Jonson. "You think that you're in a happy place, but suddenly you're not. I like playing with that tension. When I look at the music I've made, the best music is always music that can stimulate any kind of emotion. It's more like a key, towards opening up whatever is inside of you -a gateway"

You can expect him to be unlocking even more emotions soon—ones you may not have even known you had—when he ramps up with Midnight Operator, a collaboration with his brother Nathan Jonson, aka Hrdvsion. With Nathan also based in Berlin, the two are finding common musical ground, expanding upon the platform they established with their lone, 2007 EP for Wagon Repair as they begin work on an album.

"Obviously, you can look at what I do with my label and the bands I have, to see what's important to me," says Jonson of keeping it in the family, so to speak. "I'm lucky because I have so many friends who are strong musicians. We can all feed off of each other. You know, when you're doing music, it's such a personal thing. To have an outlet with the labels to be able to release our music, and be able to all stay together, I think there's a lot of strength in that. Everybody is stronger as a group."

– Philip Sherburne

soundcloud.com/mathew-jonson

Dinky

Dinky was born Alejandra Del Pilar Iglesias Rivera and was named Dinky by her sister at birth. As a Child she studied Ballet and the Suzuki method (Piano) Since very early age she showed a natural musical and artistic talent. Born and raised in Santiago to a musical family ,she is a leading member of Chile's second generation of electronic-music greats.

It was in New York, where she had moved in the mid '90s to join the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, that Dinky's music career began to take off, as she immersed herself in the city's vital underground scene of the day. In her early twenties she turned out her first productions; within a couple of years she had release a spate of records in labels as Sonic Groove, Traum and Carpark, ranging from ambient, minimal house, techno to downcast new disco and electronic pop. In 2003, she moves to Berlin, a city that had captured her imagination nine years earlier during the heyday of E-Werk and Tresor. It was a good move: by 2005 she would release the massive "Acid In My Fridge" for Sven Väth's Cocoon imprint ; the record became a massive hit .

Dinky has gone on to become a regular fixture across the continental scene, playing regularly in the most important clubs, like DC10, Fabric, Amnesia or Cocoon Club, while in Berlin she currently holds the honor of a Panorama Bar residency since 2004.

 Dinky she never limits herself to one style.

She has released 4 albums ,3 mix Cds and dozens of singles. She is currently working on a new album where she is the leading singer and multi instrumentalist (voice,guitar,drums piano) Her last studio Album ("Anemik" ) was listed in the Top 20 albums of the year in Resident Advisor(2010 ). Early in 2012 she recorded backing vocals for Chilean Pop Star Jorge Gonzalez new album “Libro”. Her album will be released on the Uk based label Visionquest in the spring of 2013. Jazz, Disco and Blues are a big influence in her music.

www.dinkyland.org

Richard West aka Mr.C

Born in London in the late 60's, he started MCing in the London clubs aged only 16 & soon earned a reputation as a fast talking vivacious rapper working with LWR radio's Ron Tom, Jasper the Vinyl Junkie & Jazzy M. Mr.C then hooked up with Colin Faver & Evil Eddie Richards to became resident rapper at Camden Palace going on to MC for Colin Faver on the then illegal Kiss FM. Mr.C went into the studio to record his 1st house track with Eddie Richards as Myster-E which was released in August 1987. This inspired Mr.C to become a DJ to learn more about his beloved House & Techno music so in late '87 Richard took to the decks. Mr.C has since organized, promoted & been resident DJ at: Fantasy ('88), Base (Dungeons '89), Release (91), Harmony (92), Drop (93), Cyclone (94), Vapourspace (94 & 95), Flavour (The End 95 & 96), Subterrain (The End 95 - 2002), Superfreq (Worldwide 2002 - Present) & Super Disco Freq (LA 2010 - present).

In December 1995 Mr.C opened the legendary night club The End in London with Partner Layo Paskin & then AKA bar 3 years later, which celebrated its 13th anniversary in December 2008. Sadly The End & AKA closed its doors for good on January 24th 2009. 1 Chapter closes & another begins.

Mr.C is founder & owner of Plink Plonk records, cofounder of End Recordings & cofounder & owner of Superfreq Records. Mr.C has also recorded under the names, Myster-E, Unity 2, Nu Jacks, Bass Bureau, The Shamen, Mantrac, Somnambulist, Animus Amour, Killer Loop, Mr.C & Tom Parris, Mr.C & 16B & the Sycophant Slags.

Mr.C is best known as front man of the pop group The Shamen with whom he notched up a string of top 10 hits including Move Any Mountain & the number 1 hit Ebeneezer Goode. The Shamen also won a highly coveted Ivor Novelo for Songwriters of the year UK in 1992. Richard's currently recording solo as Mr.C & also as the Sycophant Slags with his production partner Adultnapper & has just started a new & very fruitful collaboration with Affie Yusuf as the Indigo Kidz & has recent releases on Poker Flat Records, Wagon Repair Records, Get Physical Records & Adjunct Audio

Mr.C runs & promotes Superfreq events, which celebrates being 11 years old in March 2013 & ran monthly at Mr.C's club The End until it closed down in January 2009. Superfreq now has 2 residencies in London, the first as Superfreq E'special at the amazing luxury members club Paramount, perched 31 floors above London on the top of the famous landmark Centre Point & the second, a bi-annual residency at the legendary Fabric. Superfreq also does regular events in various venues in Los Angeles, in various clubs in Calais as well as holding down quarterly events at Junk Club in Southampton, Volatl in Chicago, Tree House in Miami & at various spaces in Moscow, as well as having completed one off events recently in Detroit, San Diego, New York, Dallas, Denver, San Francisco, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Panama, Mexico & St Petersburg.

Superfreq has accomplished 7 successful seasons in Ibiza, 3 at Club Underground, 2 seasons at DC10, 1 season at Blu & 1 season at Aura & also be hosted an arena at Kazantip Festival for the 2nd time last summer in the Ukraine. Superfreq has also completed 5 tours of South America, as well as having done 1 off shows the world over including U.S.A, Canada, Mexico, China, England, Spain, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Lithuania, France, Croatia, Greece, Latvia & Russia to name but a few places.

Smell the Coffee, Mr.C new album is out now on Superfreq



Tracklist: 1. Open Up 2. The Future 3. Wake Up 4. War Games 5. Can’t Get Enough 6. Step It Up 7. Interaction 8. Synchronicity 9. The Hunt 10. Smells Good

www.facebook.com/richardwestmrc

Josh Wink

When you’re as iconic a figure as Josh Wink, it’s not so easy to sum up a career in a few words—but there are a couple of terms that might serve to get a handle on the seminal electronic-music producer’s lifework. One of the most apt, certainly, would be longevity. A brief scan of Wink’s mammoth résumé reveals the following: Early-’80 days as an underage mobile DJ; a major role in fostering his native Philadelphia’s burgeoning warehouse scene during the house-music explosion later that decade; name-making ’90s club hits like “Don’t Laugh,” “Higher State of Consciousness” and “I’m Ready”; a label, Ovum Recordings, that’s undisputedly one of the most essential dance-music imprints; and his current position, after all these years, as one of the scene’s most vibrant and creative DJs and producers (witness the critical success of his 2009 long-player When A Banana Was Just A Banana).



Another word one could use to encapsulate Wink’s oeuvre is versatility. From the twisting, acidic breakbeat of the aforementioned “Higher States” to the organ-groove deepness of 2008’s “Stay Out All Night,” and from the pulsating ambience of 1996’s “Horizontal Dancing” to the streamline liquid techno of his recent remix of Agaric's “Who Made Up the Rules”—with side trips along the way for drum ’n’ bass beats and hip-hop rhythms (Wink was a regular at West Philly DJ battles as a kid)—his sound ranges as far and wide as anyone’s. The same could be said for Ovum as well, which over the 16 years has released music from such varied artists as dream-vibe drum ’n’ bass specialist Jamie Myerson, Wild Pitch originator DJ Pierre and jack-track master DJ Sneak, to mention but a few. As with Wink’s own material, it’s timeless music—you could play a cut like David Alvarado’s swirling, percussion-drenched “Klugh” at a techno hoedown today, and it would sound as fresh as it did upon its late-’90s release; as with most of Ovum's catalog, it's music that's not defined by time or trends.

Which brings us to our final term: integrity. It’s a trait that Wink possesses by the crateful, one that’s carried him through the vagaries of dance music’s endless cycles. Some who hit big when Wink did are content to live off past successes; others chase trends in an effort to stay relevant. But Wink has always been happy—determined, really, to do his own thing and follow his own path—if the music sells and the gigs keep coming, that’s great, but that’s not why he’s still in the game. “I got into this because it was something that I lived and ate and breathed,” Wink says. “There was so much passion for the music, there was nothing else for me. Whatever notoriety and success had come from this, it’s kind of a mistake, a byproduct, and I never planned for that. I never knew I could make a living from doing what I loved when I was a teenager; my parents thought it was a fad, actually.” And what do his folks think now over 25 years later? “Oh,” he says with a chuckle,” they love it.”

-Bruce Tantum

www.joshwink.com

Delta Machine

Depeche Mode 13th studio album is out at iTunes now!



www.depechemode.com

Dj Koze

Amygdala / Pampa 

 The world has been waiting for this album for eight years – DJ Koze returns with an astonishing, mindblowing album that has not exist in this form as of yet! "Amygdala" is Koze's Sgt. Pepper. It's an unreal 78-minute walk through Koze's mind, complete with moods, intensities, sounds and scenes as yet unheard of. It feels more like a double album, urging you to turn over and change the records time and time again. "Amygdala" amazes by its sheer musicality, deepness and its ethereal sound design. Nobody else could unite artists like Caribou and Dirk von Lotzow, Hildegard Knef and Mathew Dear, Ada and Milosh in such an organic way and on one and the same record as Koze did. There's never been anything like it. In the true style of Kosi Kos, it's all about "the courage to dare", about letting voices resonate undisguised in all their authentic peculiarity. About creating truthfulness. How much can you cut out, when does the flame die down? On the other hand, under which circumstances could it even burn for ever?


Shop at KOMPAKT

Mousse T.

There are producers whose work is immediately associated with success, and whose talent for seeking out new national and international voices is celebrated. In Germany there are only a few such figures in the music industry. Of these, there are even less whose Discography reads like a “Who’s Who” of the music scene. Mousse T. is one of those very few, whose songs “Horny” and “Sex Bomb” have provided a good example of the power harnessed when intuition and precision come together. But who is the person behind these productions which consistently find their way into the charts? Mustafa Gündogdu, alias Mousse T., born in 1966 in Hagen, Germany, describes his success succinctly: “I am a music lover with humour, who gives more than 100% for his love”. This love of music brought him to Hanover in 1990 where he set up his own studio while he was still keyboarder for the band “Fun Key B”. Two years later he gets to know the owner of Peppermint Park Studios and extends the label into dance floor music. At the same time, Mousse T. pursues his ongoing passion for DJing with great enthusiasm. In 1993 he founds, along with the owners of Peppermint Park and his partner Errol Rennalls, the label “Peppermint Jam Records” at a time when Mousse T. is starting to make a name for himself as a DJ on a wider stage. Several productions with international greats such as Ziggy Marley, Mezzoforte and Randy Crawford are the consequence. In 1998 the single “Horny” catapults the name “MOUSSE T.” into the international charts and establishes him as a solo artist. In the same year, further productions for musicians including Michael Jackson cause a sensation and bring him a Grammy nomination as “best re-mixer”. One might be forgiven for thinking that Mousse T. would rest on his laurels after such outstanding success. Quite the contrary: His curiosity for experimenting with new musical variations combined with his outstanding creative ability has driven him on. “Of course I feel very proud when I look at my Discography. But success for me is important mainly as a basis on which my further work as an artist can flourish. Apart from that, success is, of course, a great motivation and source of energy so that I can continue to give “more than 100%”.” This creativity and variation can also be seen in his new album “All Nite Madness”. “As far as my music is concerned I try to implement new ideas, and my love of music doesn’t draw a line at any particular musical style. So I try to mix lots of styles and develop interesting new songs and sounds that way.” These thoughts are also the basis for the choice of artists on the new album, which includes Emma Lanford, Kathleen Chaplin, Roachford and Calvin Lynch. Mousse T’s preference for a mixture of styles is clearly evident: “It is obviously important for me that the singers with whom I work have a fantastic voice, but they also have to have their own unmistakeable style. If, over and above that, they are great people, then we can do business.” The fact that MOUSSE T. values people so highly is shown in his effectiveness when working in a team. Regardless of a person’s stature, whether one of the music greats or an unknown musician, if the chemistry is right the cooperation flourishes through humour and enthusiasm and with the degree of discipline necessary for the implementation of creative ideas. During the frenetic phase of a track’s production, MOUSSE T.’s producer side emerges, as he controls from the background. However, the first hearing of new creations takes place in his closest circle, mostly with partner Errol Rennalls, with whom he also writes songs. “Errol and I normally function as the “idea’s man” and the “hook line man”. I often give a certain key word or topic and Errol fills this initial musical framework with meaning.” This perfect synergy can also be found on “All Nite Madness”. Whether you take the first single of the album “Is It ’Cos I’m Cool?“, the soulful “Monotony“, “Turn Me On“ with Kathleen Chaplin’s crystal clear vocals or “Underground“ on which ex-Stranglers frontman Hugh Cornwell lends his voice – the integrity of the creator’s style is evident on every track. The single „Is It’ Cos I’m Cool?“ has already developed into a huge hit in Germany and emphasises once again the enormous potential of MOUSSE T. songs. The LP, released on 5 April 2004 will captivate music lovers of a wide-range of styles. Mousse T. continues to deliver the goods in 2005. Right on time for the release of the ipod Mousse T. Special Edition in early november he will release his new single “Horny As A Dandy” with a new album following in 2006. After a few selected promo-gigs for his ipod Mousse T. will promote the new releases with a long clubtour throughout Europe.

www.mousse-t.com

Season's Greetings

1.Heathered Pearls - Beach Shelter, Loscil's Grind Remix / Ghostly International
2.Barker And Baumecker - Sektor / Ostgut Ton
3.Francis Harris - Pharoah In The Morning, Black Light Smoke Under The Pyramid Mix / Scissor & Thread
4.Monkey Maffia - Kinky Talk / Freude Am Tanzen Recordings
5.Ben Pearce - What I Might Do, Club Edit / MTA Records
6.Karmon - Feel It / Diynamic
7.Luca Bacchetti - A Night In Nassau, A Late Night Mix / Culprit
8.Сhristian Burkhardt - Delight / Oslo
9.Marc Houle - Oo Oo / Wet Your Self Recordings
10.Damian Lazarus, Shaun Reeves, Art Department, BLUD - Robot Heart, Instrumental Mix / No.19 Music
11.Hardage - Theres Enough For All Of Us feat Michael Franti, Deniz Kurtel 12 Remix / Vibe Me

1.Heathered Pearls - Beach Shelter, Loscil's Grind Remix / Ghostly International

Unlike some ambient music, Loyal, Jakub Alexander's release under the Heathered Pearls moniker, embraces the idea of melody with understated but distinct sounds emerging from the loops Alexander uses to construct his tracks. "I wanted to find a world that was built on repetition, erosion and melody because making these songs was about recreating soothing environments." The album's roots lie in a very utilitarian idea: "I started writing what now has become Loyal as a mental break from my personal anxieties," Alexander says. A study in the hypnotic, calming qualities of music, Loyal is also a tribute to Alexander's mother and Aunt (featured on the cover) who were crucial in instilling the taste and aesthetics so key to his music. "My mom introduced me to my first ambient record over 10 years ago. Loyal is a response to this." This is a record that's full of delicate beauty; it embraces fragility and lightness, sounding entirely natural despite being created electronically. Tracks ebb and flow into the mix and the songs themselves wash into your headphones like waves receding slowly into silence. The music is unabashedly beautiful with gentle currents of low level tones and gleaming sparkles of synth loops that build and decay.

Shop This www.ghostly.com

2.Barker And Baumecker - Sektor / Ostgut Ton

In order to provide our Berghain- and Panorama Bar residents with an artistic and social home, Ostgut Ton has been launched as a label at the end of 2005. Immediately, the interaction of club and label has proven to be a very fruitful combination. The unique sound architecture of Berghain especially, has directly left a mark on productions by Ben Klock, Marcel Fengler, Len Faki and Marcel Dettmann. The club serves as a permant linchpin for everyone involved. Here, all new tracks and records get their first test, the club is the reference. Over the last few years, this constellation brought forward a signature sound, which fortunately didn’t pick up on any recent trends dominating dance music. This sound can best be paradoxically described as an utterly unnostalgic take on Techno, which has been produced with the experience of Techno’s heyday during the 90s still in mind. Although the tempo has been slowed down, it still oozes with vitality. Of course this doesn’t mean that every Ostgut Ton sounds the same. On the contrary; It should just be clear that Len Faki’s „Rainbow Delta/Mekong Delta“ EP is the other, ravier side to Marcel Dettmann’s and Ben Klock’s coin. „Rainbow Delta“ has been voted ‚best track“ by the readers of german Groove magazine in 2007. As if this wasn’t enough, Len Faki also made best producer and best newcomer in the same poll.

With releases by Prosumer &Murat Tepeli, Tama Sumo, Nick Höppner and MyMy, the label also caters for the different shades of House music represented by all the Djs at Panorama Bar. Wether it’s a very personal take on Chicago’s oldschool sound as on Prosumer & Murat Tepeli’s debut album „Serenity“, or wether it’s MyMy’s contemporary style tailor made for dancefloors, Ostgut Ton hardly knows stylistic boundaries, as long the music meets the label’s quality standards. With all sleeves designed by friendly artists, there’s a visual counterpart to the club’s and label’s concept.

On the mix cds by André Galluzzi, Cassy and Marcel Dettmann released so far on Ostgut Ton, the focus lies on capturing immediate, authentic moments. None of the mixes went thorugh digital postproduction, as in our opinion nothing is more boring than flawless perfection. Especially Marcel Dettmann’s mix „Berghain 02“ has won wide spread, critical acclaim. It contains unreleased material by artists like tobias., Norman Nodge and Shed. On the occasion of its release, german Goove magazine dedicated a cover story to Marcel as well as Ben Klock. „Berghain 02“ has also just been voted ‚best compilation in 2008’ at Resident Advisor. The influential and highly frequented website also voted Ostgut Ton ‚best label 2008’ and made Shed’s debut album „Shedding The Past“ on Ostgut Ton their favourite album of the year. In just a few years, Ostgut Ton managed to foster an idiosyncratic style with an uncompromising and coherent release policy. It is no exaggeration to say that the label has become one of the most influential platforms for Techno and House of today, of which a lot may be expected in the future. We are looking foward to it.

Shop This www.ostgut.de

3.Francis Harris - Pharoah In The Morning, Black Light Smoke Under The Pyramid Mix / Scissor & Thread

Scissor and Thread is proud to present "Leland" the debut album by Francis Harris, better known as "Adultnapper." This long anticipated LP is a requiem to the artist's father, released to coincide with the second anniversary of his passing. The album, Harris' most expansive work to date, features Danish vocalist Gry on three tracks including "lostfound," the first single and video which was remixed by Mathew Herbert. Also featured throughout are Emil Abramyan, whose poignant performance on cello evokes comparison to Arthur Russell, and Greg Paulus (No Regular Play/Matthew Dear Band), whose improvisational free jazz inspired trumpet accents converse thoughtfully with Harris' own tonal melodies performed on piano and guitar. Leland was recorded and mixed by Francis Harris and Jordan Lieb on an SSL at JSM Studios, NYC. The album was mastered by Joe Lambert.

Shop This www.soundcloud.com/scissorandthread

4.Monkey Maffia - Kinky Talk / Freude Am Tanzen Recordings

The most club swarms usually receive Sören Bodner aka Monkey Maffia as half of the DJ-duo, which for 17 years brought the most eclectic exaltations to the dancers of the world. The Wighnom-y-lotion of classy techno is History! One is the magic number!

As an operator of the Freude am Tanzen/Musikkrause workshop and record store founder (Fatplastics) he loves the luminosity of the coarse and fevered dance music in every cubic centimeter of his soul. Vinyl is his daily bread, what pumps in his veins. Monkey belongs to the early 90’s as one of the tireless torch carriers whom bass drums provided the pace for his free spirit-sidekick the most club abstract. Peppered with a grotesque, lovely madness with a wink of the eye included.

Essentially he is an anarchistic selector with a sharp sense for the particular and distinguished note of a genre which has no name. Drilling through with his genre straddling style the borders of house and techno. Thereby he detected the often strict formalism of many a dance floor with a joyful stringency for surprise pickled with intensity with a dash of dramatics. Sounds seasoned as a real beat cuisine.

Monkey Maffia – A real cosmopolitan with a deep love for his home, a gentleman in a bear suit, and a free thinker as opposed to a drone is known as one of the most creative distribution centers of electronic music. Tirelessly he spins on the controllers as if they were wheels, thereby a determined focus on the dance floor is brought forth which is then unfolded. A richness of ideas yes, obsessive compulsive no – here the life is lived, not compelled!

Shop This www.freude-am-tanzen.com

5.Ben Pearce - What I Might Do, Club Edit / MTA Records

Shop This www.mtarecords.co.uk

6.Karmon - Feel It / Diynamic

Diynamic's recent member from the Netherlands released his first whole EP on the Hamburg based label. His debut shows that his production skills have evolved enourmously in the last few months which justifies his constant appearance on Diynamic. The opener is a dreamy track which literally takes you by the hand and leads you throughcold winter days. The huge power of its warm melody and the supporting vocals by Terry Shand embrace all kinds of music tastes.Also the dub version of "Take My Hand" shows that Karmon's productions are nothing but pure beat and sound facility. With "When Dark Becomes Night" Karmon creates a very connecting atmosphere between the name and the track itself. Its relaxed pianotunes and the short but veryintense acoustical break unite wonderfully with the melodic basslines. The melody of that track gives you a typical Diynamic earworm, we all love so much. The second b side track "Feel It" is a beautiful composition of both free heavenly melodiesand wonderfully arranged synth & basslines, giving its listeners a feeling of total clarity and inner consciousness. - WE FEEL IT!de features Dub Versions of both tracks.

www.diynamic.com

7. Luca Bacchetti - A Night In Nassau, A Late Night Mix / Culprit

Not unhumorously hailing from the small Tuscan town of Lucca, Luca Bacchetti is one of the foremost proponents of the seminal swing sound coming from the peninsula and abroad. Currently residing in Barcelona, the DJ, producer makes swift business of spreading his signature twists and musical turns through myriad productions and remixes released on Wagon Repair, Ovum Recordings, Crosstown Rebels, Culprit LA, Saved, Be As One, Defected, Sci+Tec, Hideout, Supernature and his brand new label Endless. Additionally, he’s accrued a host of accolades including a nod for Beatport’s best artist in 2008 that confirms Luca’s status as an industry leader. As a DJ, Bacchetti’s style is incomparable, showcasing his unique ear for selection and rare ‘voice’ to which he adds a sexiness uncommon amongst his peers.Equally versed at moving a dark basement club to fits of revelry as he is to casting a deep shadow across a sunny beach party, the breadth and depth of sources from which Luca culls his sets astounds constantly. It is this duality of emotion that interests the DJ and inspires the work on many releases. The contrasting shades of Luca’s sound have not been lost on the world’s clubbing masses. Worldwide venues like Womb, Fabric, Circoloco DC10, Cielo, Watergate, Arma 17, La Huaka, D-Edge have hosted the DJ to untempered excitement and have been converted to the light of the darker and brighter sides of his sound…

Culprit Records is the imprint of Los Angeles party organizers Droog. Culprit has previously only had digital releases, from Hot Natured, Lee Foss, Matt Tolfrey & Kenny Gibson.

Shop This www.lucabacchetti.com

8.Сhristian Burkhardt - Delight / Oslo

Releasing steadily since 2007 on labels like Raum, Oslo and Cocoon, Christian Burkhardt is no amateur. He now offers Offenbach, his first solo album (after his work Revolver LP with Einzelkind). Christian blends all the best of Funk, Hip-Hop and House with his very own Oslo style. 'Come On' is a chilled piece with dub-y chords and a funk feel. House energy percussion, hip hop vibes and an active bassline propel 'Delight'. A throwback to the golden days when House and Hip-Hop weren't that different. 'Jackson' holds a heavy kick and lets the bass groove fade in before a crafty break causes us to question our position then drops back onto the dancefloor with rhythm and bass. The vocal cuts provide the perfect ambient backdrop for the track, completing the full picture of 'Jackson'. 'Jondal' moves in with a similar groove to 'Jackson'. Stepping up and falling down, the jazz inspired bassline carries the groove. The title track 'Offenbach' reveals classic House percussion with the kick edging in with bass in tow. A dirty bassline attracting the groove and radiating the dancefloor vibes like there was no tomorrow. Piano keys cut in as the bass fade, revealing a classy, moody side of Christian. 'Pianissimo' and 'Use To Do It' take a darker, deeper path. Heavy kicks and deep ambience pour out and provide solid additions to the record. All in all, Christian offers variety in Offenbach, melting together many styles to create something new in his own flavor.

Shop This www.oslorecords.com

 9.Marc Houle - Oo Oo / Wet Your Self Recordings

Marc Houle grew up in Windsor, Canada with Detroit as his mid-90’s backyard party playground – as a kid he had a love for obscure new wave & analog synths, so it was just a matter of time before he started making music of his own. Ask any of his friends, and they’ll tell you the same: the guy is a prolific music-making-machinist, dedicated to quality, but quantity as well – with nearly 1,000 tracks to his credit (most of which are tucked away on his hard drive as super secret weapons). Now taking the reigns alongside his A&R partners Magda & Troy Pierce, Marc Houle has resurrected their label Items & Things, breaking it free from its former Minus sub-label status. Spanning electronic genres in a variety of forms… from disco tech to experimental to techno, to bring their eclectic tastes together as an outlet for music they discover on their travels & a home for their own releases. Marc Houle’s current sound can be described in cityscapes – somewhere between Chicago & Detroit, with a new-wave underbelly. His live performances are always diverse & genre-bending reigns supreme. No two sets are ever the same, except perhaps, their ability to impress the crowd. He’s travelled a long way from his 1997 residency at Richie Hawtin’s club “13 Below” in Detroit, to being asked to join the legendary Minus label, now making Berlin his home & continuing to show his diverse musical roots on his productions. In February 2012 Marc Houle released his heavy-hitting, second album and single “Undercover” on Items & Things, with more releases in the making.

www.marchoule.net

WetYourSelf! is the Sunday night party at fabric London.

On a weekly basis, the artistic force behind the phenomenon, DJs and producers Jacob Husley, Peter Pixzel and Cormac, pour their energy into a packed dancefloor. Their frequent 3-way back to back sessions are legendary, with the crowd feeding off their obvious child-like excitement for the musical journey they are at the helm of.

Their desire to create serious dance floor hedonism, yet present quality music in an unpretentious way, has irrevocably changed Sunday nights in London.

Their club guests have included luminaries from around the globe:

Alex Under, Argy, Ben Klock, Chris Liebing, DJ Hell, Ellen Allien, Gaiser, Kiki, Marc Houle, Marcel Dettman, Martinez, Miss Kittin , Oxia, Sascha Funke, Sebastien Leger, SMD, Stephan Bodzin and Style Of Eye to name a few

It’s little wonder that WYS! has become the most loved underground techno and house night in London and they are now spreading their gospel with regular parties in Europe including 6 summer dates at Space Ibiza.

The recently launched WYS! Recordings are avialable on vinyl and digital and have showcased music and remixes from Alex Under, Chris Liebing, David Keno, Kanio, Lopazz, Mathias Mesteno, Miss Kittin and Pig & Dan.

Shop This www.wetyourself.co.uk

10.Damian Lazarus, Shaun Reeves, Art Department, BLUD - Robot Heart, Instrumental Mix / No.19 Music

Shop This www.no19music.com

11.Hardage - Theres Enough For All Of Us feat Michael Franti, Deniz Kurtel 12 Remix / Vibe Me

Deniz developed a deep love and connection to the sentiments of electronic music during her studies in the USA. Growing up with constant exposure to art from her mother, an influential art initiator in Turkey, and years of intensive classical piano training left her with a professional work ethic and a passion for art. An accomplished interactive sculptor, she quickly made a name for herself in the experimental art scene combining the use of sophisticated computerized LED arrays and mirrors. Her work has been the centerpiece of countless Wolf + Lamb parties in Brooklyn, and has appeared in various art festivals and exhibitions such as Burningman, Communikey, Horizons, Love's Secret Domain, and Rabbit Hole.

www.denizkurtel.com

Brand new deep and nu'house label. Dry and straight housy groove, hypnotic vocal cut, involving melodies... this is the vibe to reinterpret the real club culture. On Vinyl 12" and Digital

distribution by Intergroove.de and Decks.de

w/ MUSSEN, DENIZ KURTEL, JORDAN PEAK, KRIS WADSWORTH, DAPAYK, SOMEONE ELSE, ALAN FITZPATRICK, BUTANE, DEEPCHILD, RAFAEL KAKUDO, HUGO, MARCOS IN DUB, ANDREA DI ROCCO, SISHI ROSCH, DUSTIN PHIL, FABIO ALAMPI, ADRIAN RODD, KISK, SARP YILMAZ, FRANCESCO BONORA, MACIT KIMYACI, SO INAGAWA, WHIM-EE

Shop This www.vibemerecord.com

Jackmate

Kenny Dixon Jr. can fulminate for as long as he wants about white-boy soul: German producer Jackmate is the man to prove him wrong. RA's Bjørn Schaeffner goes to Stuttgart to dig for treasures.
By RA

Will 2009 be the year that burnt down the house? Signs of oversaturation hang in the club air like ill-foreboding stars in a prehistoric sky, with too many house-infected productions swamping dancefloors across the globe. Honestly: Who needs another maxed-to-the-effect-stomper in the guise of house? Strictly bongo rhythm till you drop? House, house and more fucking house?

For many producers reduced, raw and classic house tracks have become the be-all end-all. But while this is an increasingly trendy affair now, there aren't many artists who have been at this game as reliably as Stuttgart's long-running mainstay Michel Baumann, AKA Jackmate. As a DJ, Baumann mostly plays newer stuff that gives off a traditional house and techno vibe in his sets. "I love to include classic productions, but not in an orthodox way. When I hear a DJ who only plays house tracks produced before 93', I ask myself: is this guy playing in a museum?"

Baumann is dragging on his self-rolled cigarette. Friday night in Stuttgart city, five days to Christmas. The spacious rooms we find ourselves in are not only home to Baumann's extensive studio and band equipment, but to his bed, shower and kitchen as well. Living and working in an industrial building: Quite befitting for a producer from Germany's motor city. "Ha! The motor city. Sure, the automobile industry. But that's were the parallels between Stuttgart and Detroit stop. Stuttgart is a nice and tidy place to live, whereas Detroit is a ruin. And with the US automobile sector going to pieces now, the outlook for the city is bleaker still. When we tagged our first label compilation as Motorsoul, that was purely for nostalgic reasons."

In the '60s and '70s, the US army garrison in the city flooded the area with soul, funk and jazz. A great habitat for young Baumann: As a kid he absorbed the black music tradition to the bone. "My mother introduced me to psychedelic and soul when I was twelve, later I got into funk and rare groove, started to DJ with breakbeats and then hip-hop. And later, of course, I got hooked on house music from Chicago and New York. The early productions by Lil' Louis and Larry Heard did it for me."

The phone rings. It's Baumann's buddy Tobi Ettle. He wants to fax a signed contract for Baumann's upcoming gigs in Japan. Usually, Baumann is booked under his moniker Jackmate, which encompasses the trackier side of his DJ spectrum. A DJ set as Soulphiction, on the other hand, is potentially more open-minded: "People should be aware of who they book. It's quite annoying when I'm pestered every ten minutes I should play minimal. But sure, I can bang the night away at 115 BPM," says Baumann without a trace of irony in his voice.

While DJing is unsurprisingly Baumann's main source of income, his Philpot and Phil E labels fare well. Like many imprints, Baumann and Ettle have adopted the policy to launch digital downloads six weeks after the physical release. "Also, we're considering to stop offering MP3. With WAV-Files, at least you safeguard the artist's intention that his productions sounds the way it's intended to be and not something that's mutilated by an algorithm. This is our statement of appreciation for vinyl." Speaking of musical treasures pressed in plastic: The visitor's request to inspect Jackmate's vinyl collection is politely denied. "I'm afraid the room where I store my records is currently not in a state for a visit," explains Baumann.

Thankfully, Jackmate's selection of all time faves and current will shine a light through his musical cosmos anyway. "I hope my selection will interest the RA readers. Keep in mind that it's good music that counts in the first place, no matter what genre."

soundcloud.com/soulphiction-aka-jackmate
facebook.com/soulphiction
myspace.com/jackmateakasoulphiction
www.pamparecords.com

V? Fall 2012

Sonic Flavors

Kenny Dope, Little Louie Vega, The Missile (Ken Dog Beats)/ Henry Street Music. Be The Music (Original Mix) Mr. Scruff / Ninja Tune. Innerplace (Ripperton's Paradisco Radio Re-edit) Nhar, Ripperton / Perspectiv Records. Secreto (Original Mix) Audiofly, Muan, Robbie Akbal / Akbal Music. Wolfen (Original Mix) Jackmate / Phil e. Strange Wolves (Dead Seal Dub) Class B Band, Dead Seal / My Favorite Robot Records. I Bring Headphones Up (Original Mix) David Pher / Susurrous. Don't Sleep (Tiefschwarz Rmx) Dapayk / Mo's Ferry. Channel E (Original Mix) Itamar Sagi / Be As One. Gnade Und Vergessen (Echologist Dub)Deepchild Echologist, Brendon Moeller / Affi.n Namanii Gesha (Original Mix) Mathias Kaden / Recovery Tech. Shakes (Hatikvah Remix) Nadja Lind, Hatikvah / Lucidflow. Forced Hands (Tom Hades Remix) Bageera / Refuge Digital (Soundz Good). Moog Phunk (Par Grindvik Remix) Benny Grauer, Par Grindvik / Doppelgaenger. Past Tundra (Original Mix) Valgeir Sigurdsson / Bedroom Community.

Art Department

The brainchild of Canadian techno/house Legend Kenny Glasgow and Canada’s fastest rising star and No.19 label owner - Jonny White. As individuals both Kenny and Jonny have released countless critically acclaimed records and are regarded internationally as two of the most forward thinking, revolutionary underground producers out of North America. Kenny’s credentials date back to the late 80’s and include productions on Narcotic, Jinxx, his own Method 11/11 label and Turbo. Whilst White’s revered No.19 Music label along side a blindingly fast - growing discography have seen him rapidly rise to the forefront of the international scene.

The pair, despite being close friends and stalwarts in the Toronto electronic music scene for years, had not joined forces in the studio until only as recently as 2009, when Damian Lazarus called on them to remix Riz MC for his prestigious Crosstown Rebels Label. The result was an entirely new sound that drew cues from the best of both artists. It was a futuristic and raw, synth-driven, underground masterpiece, the start of a new idea and the birth of Art Department…

Before long the two were working full time in the studio to expand upon what they had created but now with a new focus… the concept for Art Department was to create a live dj/vocal performance based on the new sound they were beginning to produce and would feature Kenny Glasgow’s unique and sublime vocals that had been heard only 10+ years earlier on records like “Pressing On”. It wasn’t long before Damian heard what the pair had been working on and immediately offered them a deal with Crosstown Rebels that would include several singles, remixes and a full length album due out at the beginning of 2011.

The momentum continued and Art Department performed their first ever live show at the Crosstown Rebels Get Lost event at the 2010 WMC in front of a jam packed room, along side an A list cast of 17 artists from the label. DJ’s, promoters and party animals regarded the performance as one of the most ground-breaking & important shows at this years WMC…Simple label boss - Will Saul was quoted saying “the live show was the best thing we’ve heard since we heard Mathew Johnson for the first time…”. The follow up performance came the very next night at Jamie Jones & Lee Foss’ Hot Natured party where Art Department treated the enthusiastic crowd to a mind-bending dj set and secured their spot as residents for the much lauded Hot Natured brand.

With massive support from the rebel crew along with an exciting release schedule including collaborations with Seth Troxler, Jamie Jones and Soul Clap there is no doubt that this will be yet another inspired chapter in the story of these Canadian talents.

Art Department at Beatport
Art Department at RA

Tale Of Us

In other words Tale Of Us are Carmine Conte and Matteo Milleri. Both originally hailing from outside of Europe, Karm was born in Toronto and Matteo in New York, they moved to Milan while very young and this is where they met and formed the working bond that they now share. At the moment they are living out of Berlin an inspirational frontier that is allowing them to enlarge their bonds.Their music and productions are a mixture of new sounds and genres ranging from pop to house, nu/disco to rock with everything in between, music that can make people dance feeling their deepest emotions come alive.

The first full debut release of the duo will be out on 'Visionquest' (Label of Seth Troxler, Ryan Crosson, Shaun Reeves & Lee Curtiss) in Spring 2011 whilst tracks already appear on labels such as 'Barraca Music', 'Cocoon' and 'Life & Death'. Various collaborations took place in 2010 alongside fellow 'Visionquest' label mates Shaun Reeves & Ryan Crosson for critically acclaimed remixes and EP's. In particular the Tale Of Us remix on 'Life & Death' (Thugfucker - Disco Gnome) has seen them achieve much praise, airplay and success in record sales. Future remixes on the horizon sees the duo try their hand at something totally different with a dynamic remix for an upcoming album of the rock band 'Who Made Who' which fuses together both rock and techno whilst managing to create something incredibly raw and interesting.

Karm & Matteo have already played in clubs such as Watergate, Weekend, Privilege, Tenax, Barraca & DC10 and have been throwing secret loft parties in their hometown of Milan, known as 'Just This'. Such a wide range of clubs already played illustrates the natural talent in both and production and performing, helped in part due to their expansive understanding and knowledge of all variations of music.

Upcoming events will see them perform both Live & DJ sets at locations around the world during WMC at Miami, at Detroit Movement Festival (DEMF),or Sonar Barcellona,they are also officially booked at Klubber's Day Madrid,Fiesta Privada Rome, Elita Festival Milan and many other quality venues through Europe.

Stay tuned for this growing Tale...

Tale Of Us at Beatport
Tale Of Us at RA

Maceo Plex

Located deep within the circuitry of a mechanical alien host known as Maetrik you will find a complex web of synaptic dispersements resembling what could be called a soul. And this soul which drives it's host and manipulates it's every move is finally beginning to emerge. Its name is Maceo Plex. The emergence of such an entity has been the result of a need for feeling, a need for interplanetary funk. We as humans consider this need a feeling, a feeling rooted in emotion, and emotion being the very basis of humanity.

Maceo Plex is on a quest to fullfil his need to inject feeling and funk into the world, and he's already proving to be quite productive. With deep and funky works of audible engineering for the label Crosstown Rebels in the form of a full length album titled "Life Index", a night with Maceo Plex will be one of galactic proportions.

To explain the evolutionary process behind Maceo's existance we must travel back to 1993, to the beginning of his creativity. At the start...Maceo was intrigued by a pair of circular shaped objects designed for holding discs created from vinyl that produced vibrations resulting in sound and music. Soon he began conjuring up mixxes of techno, electro, and house music that quickly gained him popularity within the early 90s rave culture. But in 1997, while Heavily influenced by the sounds of other modern funk theorists such as Model 500, Kenny Larkin, Idjut Boyz, Convextion, etc... Maceo began experimenting with hardware modules containing knobs and keys to form his early musical compositions. Seduced by the sounds of techno & electro, Maceo grew into a technologically advanced being later to be known by various names such as Mariel Ito or Maetrik.

After many years of prolific works on such labels as Treibstoff, Dumb Unit, Cocoon, Audiomatique, Modern Love, Mothership, to name a few...Maceo aka Maetrik travelled the world playing in some of the best clubs such as Rex, Cocoon, Fabric, Womb, etc... Now in 2010 Maceo has begun to strip back some of his robotic body armor known as Maetrik in order to expose a more musical and groove based side the world has not seen yet.

The profound change has taken Maceo Plex from the complex and dark life in America to his current homebase of Valencia, Spain. The sunny and relaxed atmosphere has been quite useful to Maceo in his lengthy inward journey that is very apparent in his music. After a much needed retreat into the funky sounds of Parliament Funkadelic, Moodymann, Atjazz, Isolee, and Luomo, Maceo has finally completed his transormation and is shining brighter than the star Sirius....and his newest musical output reflects his radiation in a variety of beautiful colors. In late 2010, Maceo's single "Vibe Your Love" will finally be released on the very foward thinking label Crosstown Rebels and will include a hefty funk remix treatment by Zev of the Wolf & Lamb clang. Soon following will be the full length debut album aptly titled "Life Index" which chronicles Maceo's life long transformation into the soulful ball of energy he is today.

Once experienced, the album will make it abundantly clear the level of versatility Maceo Plex posesses among his many auditory shells. And the world will understand Maceo's pristine vision of house music from beyond.

For All Booking Inquiries: Booking@Ellumaudio.com

For All Label Requests: Alta@Ellumaudio.com

www.soundcloud.com/maceoplex

www.residentadvisor.net

Boxer

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Audience, 2012 is the year of BOXER. And it has already been 10 years since Frank Martiniq came up with "Adriano". For Boxer, this was a fantastic kick-start into the international and national music world, and up to now, you can still enjoy its traces engraved on the asphalt. We would like to celebrate this little, yet significant event—on vinyl and of course with you! With streamers, confetti, and with four artists which are particularly dear to us: Robag Wruhme, von Spar, Lexy/Shades of Gray and Le Dust Sucker. An alluring aperitif to start 2012.

Shop at KOMPAKT

BOXER: "Times changed in 2002. So did we. And we moved on - at first it was just a hobby (Mehrwert Records), now it has become our job. The responsibility we feel towards our artists made this step necessary. At the start there was a one-sided promo-12. Frank Martiniqs club hit Adriano became Boxer Sports first release. 70 releases later Eric Eltrons and Beatschubiger's club-oriented record labels attracts a steadily growing community of fans and artists worldwide. Recent playlists and frequent demands for licenses prove how well the label works in spite of promoting unknown artists at the beginning. Boxer Sports & Kickboxer musically sophisticated label discography includes international signings like Dusty Kid, Rodriguez Jr, Kolombo, Steve Lawler&Audiofly, Delon & Dalcan, Matzak, Paul Nazca, Solaris Heights, Phonogenic, Ekkohaus, Paul Rich & Okain, Marascia or as well as German artists such as Haito, Martin Eyerer, Ron Flatter, Stephan Hintz, Patrick Chardronnet, Frank Martiniq, Wessling&Schrom or Goldfish & der Dulz among others. Also Great Remixers and Remixes from Oliver Koletzki&Florian Meindl, Popof, Kollektiv Turmstrasse, Robag Whrume, Michael Maier, Catz`n Dogz, Simon Baker, DASO, M.A.N.D.Y or Gui Boratto to name just a few!

In 2009 we will work hard on the label to serve you some nice surprises & great music. And by the way. KICKBOXER will move your ass too. The fantastic cover art is done by oli flunke from "the pixelz" BOXER!

Visionquest

Seth Troxler, Ryan Crosson, Shaun Reeves and Lee Curtiss, the most innovative and exciting new breed of DJ/producers to come out of the city of Detroit in a generation. Last year their remix of Kiki’s ‘Good Voodoo’ on BPitch Control was one of the summer’s biggest underground hits and together they have released tracks on leading labels like Crosstown Rebels, Spectral Sound, Get Physical, Circus Company, Supplement Facts, Wolf+Lamb, Wagon Repair and Minus. Both individually and together they play regularly at clubs the world over like Fabric (London), Watergate (Berlin), Cityfox (Zurich), Tenax (Florence), Fiesta Privada (Rome), Cocoon (Frankfurt) and Circoloco@Dc10 (Ibiza) as well as holding their weekly ‘Soulshower’ residency at Club Der Visonaere in Berlin. Their Visionquest party at the Old Miami at this year’s Detroit Electronic Music Festival brought together many of the scene’s freshest talent in a spirit of friendship, fun and radical progression, much needed in a scene so easy to stagnate.

First up a bit of history... for over two decades the city of Detroit, Michigan has been the home and birthplace of techno. In the mid eighties, inspired by German electronic bands like Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream, the ‘Bellville Three’ (named after their high school), Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May started experimenting with synthesisers and drum machines establishing a musical soundscape that was soon hailed as techno. In the early nineties local African-American DJs like Jeff Mills, Rob Hood and Mike Banks were joined by local white kids, Richie Hawtin and Dan Bell, who experimented with stripping the sound back to its bare essentials creating the early template for minimal techno. A decade later, this inspired Ann Arbor college kids Matthew Dear, Ryan Elliott and Hawtin’s friend Magda, to build on this sound, exporting it globally and creating one of dance music’s dominant scenes. While all this was happening house legends like Theo Parrish, Kenny Dixon Jnr and Aaron Carl were defining the Motorcity’s unique and deeply emotive take on house music.

Now comes Visionquest, a new generation of young, talented producers from Detroit who draw influence from all who have come before them, following in their footsteps, while defining a unique sound of their own. Here you have four DJs who have grown up organizing parties and DJing in the city and around the world for the last ten years. Their attention is firmly focused on the deeper soul of quality electronic music, driven by emotion and developed from their very different musical backgrounds. Visionquest have their roots in Motown, draw ambitious spiritual vibes from forerunners like Theo Parrish and Moodyman, deliver the quality of sound and attitude of a best selling Minus record rounded off with the dreamy, otherworldly vibe of the Spectral sound.




Matthew Burton & Kate Rathod are the next duo to leave their distinctive mark on the Visionquest imprint. Delivering a deep and dreamy melodic work out with softly fractured beats and reverberating vocals 'The Flip Side EP' is three wintry cuts of understated house music.

Influenced by their techno forefathers and favouring analogue gear, the duo's organic production style exudes an improvised quality. Kate says her strengths lie in the melodic side of things, whereas Matthew is more about creating the groove but whether you're witnessing the unique sound they make through this EP or their expanding live set, the pair's fizzing musical chemistry is clear. 'The Flip Side EP' perfectly encapsulates this raw sound padded with soul.

From a naked kick and snare, 'Warehouse Fool' builds with warm pads, melting vocal echoes and spacey FX. The stripped back beauty of restrained hypnotic beats will provide a soothing after-hours soundtrack. 'New Funk' has more dancefloor purpose with its rolling, dirty groove and dynamic synth melodies.

In 'Flip Reverse Girl' suggestive vocals coalesce with a casual swinging groove fuelled by deep broken beats. The composition is simplicity at its finest, an entirely self-possessed sound that strikes a chord with its atmosphere, jamming feel and wry sensuality.

Long-term partners turned collaborators Matthew Burton and Kate Rathod have been producing music together for around 3 years, collecting various hardware synths, instruments and effects, which allows their sound is continually evolve. Matthew has been in electronic music for the past decade and worked with Connect Four, Retrofit and Leftroom, also giving Sammy Dee's Ultrastretch label its first release. Kate came to dance music a little later after meeting Matthew in 2007.

After an acclaimed RA podcast, collaborative releases on Retrofit and Organic Art Movement and now Visionquest, Matthew and Kate's live act will continue grow their burgeoning set of fans.

Get EP at Beatport

TRACK LISTING A1. Warehouse Fool B1. New Funk B2. Flip Reverse Girl www.vquest.tv

Terranova

Hotel Amour / Kompakt
He doesn't like treading on well-known grounds: Fetisch witnessed the beginnings of club culture, and he was there when House and Techno started to blossom. As an early adopter, he simply doesn't see the benefit of rehashing what has gone before, but wants to move forward, seizing the future he was promised in the days of yore by the likes of Larry Levan, Grandmaster Flash, Ron Hardy or Lee Perry. Whether teen punk, Hip Hop's first European trainee or House DJ in the most legendary booths of the late 80es, Fetisch inhaled the glamour of the night and learned the tricks of the trade from those who knew it best. Originally conceived in 1996, Terranova became Fetisch's go-to project to explore new club territory and collaborate with like-minded people, building his own cult following ever since. KOMPAKT truly feels honored to be the home to an artist drawing on such a rich background in club culture, especially with new album HOTEL AMOUR being readied for actual world dominance. But whoever wants to conquer the world has to get there first. With much of the album's ideas conceived on a night train between Berlin and Paris (Fetisch's second home), these tracks certainly share their creators' wanderlust, never settling in one place, but staying eager with new rhythmic landscapes (and hotel rooms). Together with Berlin's house staple and Terranova fellow &ME (a member of the act since 2007), they pours new wine in the old bottles of dance's dramaturgy, respecting he formula, but not necessarily sticking to it. Heavy bouncing bassdrums fuse with juicy synths, high-precision sequencing rules the frequency range, and an armada of guest vocalists bring their own brand of seduction to the fore: Whomadewho's Thomas Hoffding, husky-voiced Billie Ray Martin, eternal globetrotter Snax, German underground celebrity Udo Kier, acclaimed actress Nicolette Krebitz as well as the one and only Khan, all lend their voices to the album. Their tale is equally one of excessive hope, fragile glamour and the crippled beauty of the downfall, but above all it is concerned with unconditional love for the music. Like German grandmaster Westbam once said: We never stop living this way.



Terranova AKA: FETISCH / &ME  is an electronic dance music duo by DJs/producers Fetisch, &ME, based between Berlin and Paris.

Fetisch was born in Berlin and lives in Paris. Between those cities you will find a lot of music that he has had a stake in. Growing up between Brussels, London and New York, his knowledge of the electronic underground is as vast as the influence he has had on the scene - refusing to accept any borders in music is what has made him one of the most distinctive personalities in dance music you will ever find.

With a strong sense of punk and coming from a hip hop point of view, Fetisch spent his teenage nights at New York's legendary Mudd Club, Roxy and Paradise Garage. His career was launched spinning records at NY mainstays Danceteria and Tunnel, followed by an infamous first recording "Axis" in 1990 with the Stereo MCs released on Geest/Warlock Records. As this was the heyday of rave, he also could be regularly found DJing at illegal warehouse parties and at London's infamous Wag Club.

Having moved back to Berlin in the mid '90's, Fetisch formed Terranova in 1996 as a project with shifting members and various vocalists to create a blend of electronica, house, hiphop and punk. Terranova's first compilation was released as a part of the now legendary !K7 DJ Kicks series, they also stayed on with the label releasing the massively acclaimed 1999 debut album "Close The Door" which was recorded at Connie Planck's Cologne studio. The same landmark studio where Bowie recorded and Kraftwerk launched their career.

The list of contributors and collaborators with Terranova is rich and vast. They have worked with Manuel Göttsching ('Tokyo Tower'), Ari-up (The Slits), Tricky, Mike Ladd, Kaos, Cath Coffey and Princess Superstar amongst others. Terranova has been released through iconic dance labels such as Ministry of Sound, DJ Hells Gigolo Records, Compost,Island Records and !K7. After teaming up with &ME (the Ghanian DJ and founder of Keinemusik) in 2007, he signed with the famous imprint Kompakt from Cologne, the secret capital of German electronica. Following two massively received club singles "So Strong" and "I Want To Go Out", 2012 sees the release of their full length "Hotel Amour"- a blend of deep house, pop and electronica - which features the likes of Khan, Snax, Tomas Hoffding of Whomadewho, Billie Ray Martin, Nicolette Krebitz and actor legend Udo Kier.

Fetisch continues on his work with &ME, now a solid member of Terranova and their notorious famed act, The Lottergirls. They have also written and produced soundtracks for movies and Theatre, and a long list of remixes for groups as diverse as New Order, Roxy Music, Fisherspooner, Ennio Morricone, Gui Boratto... even Herbert Groenemeyer!

In their own words: “We grew up and got our education in clubs and will produce and play music until we drop.”

www.terranovarecordings.com

Sound Recap

2OO9 FLASHBACKS VOL 4: Record Check Velizar in the mix 0409, Element, NYC 

DOWNLOAD

TRACKLiSTiNG:  Damian Lazarus/ Moment/ Get Physical Music 
Pablo Bolivar/ Escape From Galaxy Five, Chapter One/ Justified Cause Recordings 
Ada/ Forty Winks/ IRR (International Records Recordings) 
UES/ Muendeke/ Resopal Schallware DJ Hell/ The Angst & The Angst Part 2/ International DeeJay Gigolo Records 
Dragosh/ La Joaca/ Velizar Edit/ Viva Music 
The Emperor Machine, The Juan Maclean/ One Day/ The Emperor Machine Remix/ DFA Records 
Guy Gerber/ Timing/ Cocoon Recordings 
Solee/ Impressed/ Gui Boratto Remix/ Parquet Recordings 
Miniboy/ Ghosts in My Mind/ Chakaboom

Zopelar

Falling In Love \  Zopelar  /  D-Edge 

Zopelar is one of our dearest local prodigies. Hailing from a small-town at the heart of Brasil and devoting his life to music from an early age, his love for this artform grew stronger as he explored the myriad layers that sedimented into today's pop. Further developments led him to a classical training in the craft and the result is a burgeoning trajectory to which this EP is a crucial moment. One marked by the inflection on his approach, until then heavily influenced synth pop and post punk to the epiphany that followed his discovery of electronic dance music. A discovery that is translated to perfection, both conceptually and emotionally, by the title track of this EP, "Falling In Love". A work where the gentleness of the delicate chords and the energy of the the relentless progression culminate on a passionate epic that is destined not to fill up hearts with its content, but to flood them with its intensity. Diversely, Kolombo's interpretation synthesizes the feelings that burst on the original's groove and encapsulates it into a powerful journey of an irresistible corporeal pull that moves elegantly through the speakers to the audience's ears, leaving indelible marks on the listeners' minds. "Poiesis", Zopelar's collaboration with another local promise, Felipe Sá, gifts us with a fierce rhythmic voyage energized by the bassline and enveloped by the somewhat dark ambience yielded by the synth pads. A flipside that complements with sophistication the main title's enterprise while providing it with a well deserved conclusion.



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2011 Fave 50 Sonic Flavors

Jazzler (Dixie Yure) - Its So Fine Jazzler (Dixie Yure) - Its So Fine Los Domingos Vuelo A Casa (Luciano Remix) - Ernesto Ferreyra Cormac - Cold (Chris Liebing Remix) Forever Dolphin Love (Erol Alkan Rework) Carlo Lio - White Frivolous - Serenade Des Excentriques Simon Baker - Olek markus_suckut-symbiosis Love Recycled - Solomun Trentemoller - Shades Of Marble (KiNK Remix) Dimensiones Imposibles (Pezzner Remix) - Maurice Aymard
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I C U - Art Department
Noir & Haze - Around (Solomun Vox Remix)
Aquarius Heaven - Universe
Disco En Paradiso - Tuccillo
Salvo Carel - Resampling 1983
Diabla (Joash Remix) - Funk D'Void
Feet - Rampa & Re.You
Acouphene (Original Mix) - Adil Hiani
Ethiopia's Rising - Argy
Ice Cream & Bonus Miles - Solomun & DJ Phono
Plus This - Carlo Lio - Show Me - Carlo Lio
Battle Your Head - Distortion
In D#5 (Solfeggio Version) - Arandel
Gatito (Diegors & The Don & Gata Negra Remix) - $990

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Bummalo - Maceo Plex & Elon
Can't Buy Love - Aquarius Heaven
Ali Love & Luca C - Different Morals (Clockwork cw Remix)
Ici (Mollono.Bass Remix) - Pupkulies & Rebecca
Mikael Stavostrand, Cesare vs Disorder - Massive Attack (Mikael & Cesare Rework)
Stop - Aquarius Heaven
Take My Hand (Feat. Khan) - Terranova
Winterflower - Larry Heard
Corporate Butcher (Solomun Remix) - Tiefschwarz
Hapbee (Original Mix) - Alex Flatner & Lopazz

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We Play House (M.A.N.D.Y.'s Sw) - Tahloula
Next Exit Lost Lake - Troy Pierce
Perc - You Saw Me (Sigha & Truss Remix)
Avant - Jackmate
Feelings - NTFO
New Chez Moi - DJ W!LD & Shaun Reeves
Primitive Cannible (David Gtronic Remix) - Santos
Yellow Train - Resonance
Perc - Porter (Sawf Onestep Rework) 
Ragysh - Todd Terje
Todd Terje - Ragysh
Something Special (Original Mix) - Miguel Campbell
Stay High Baby (Original Mix) - Maceo Plex
Martin Dawson - Think About It feat. Nicholas Ryan Gant (Maceo Plex Remix)
Maceo Plex - Vibe Your Love (Original Mix)

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House Music Antiquity

"By 1981 they declared that Disco was dead and there
were no more up-tempo dance records. That’s when I
realised I had to start changing things to keep feeding
my dance floor".

FRANKiE KNUCKLES

Although some house a ficionados will refuse to admit it, the development of house music has much of its success accredited to the rise and fall of disco. As a result, to appreciate the history of house music, we need to look further back than the 1980s and the development of the TR909 and TR808 drum machines; we also need to examine the growth of disco during the 1970s. This is because disco still forms a fundamental part of some of today’s house music and in many instances older disco records have been scrupulously sampled to produce the latest house tracks.

Pinning down an exact point in time where disco first appeared is difficult since a majority of the elements that make disco appeared in earlier records. Nonetheless, arguably it is said to have first originated in the early 1970s and was derived from the funk music that was popular with black audiences at that time. Some big name producers such as Nile Rodgers, Quincy Jones, Tom Moulton, Giorgio Moroder and Vincent Montana began to move away from recording the self-composed music and started to hire session musicians and produce hits for artists whose only purpose was to supply vocals and become a marketable commodity.

Donna Summer became one of the first isco-manufactured success stories with the release of Love to Love You Baby in 1975 and is believed by many to be the first disco record to hit and be accepted by the mainstream public. This ‘ new’ form of music was still in its infancy, however, and it took the release of the motion picture Saturday Night Fever in 1977 before it eventually became a widespread phenomenon. Indeed, by the late 1970s, over 200 000 people were attending discotheques in the UK alone and disco records contributed to over 60% of the UK charts.

As with most genres of music that become popular, many artists and record labels jumped on the wave of this new happening vibe and it was soon deluged with countless disco versions of original songs and other pointless and poorly produced disco records as the genre became commercially bastardized. As a result, disco fell victim to its own success in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the campaign of ‘disco sucks’ growing ever more popular. In fact, in one extreme incident Steve Vahl, a rock DJ who had been against disco from the start, encouraged people to bring their disco collections to a baseball game on the 12th July 1979 for a ritual burning. After the game, a huge bon fire was lit and the fans were asked to throw all their disco vinyl onto the fire.

Continue read full article at SECRÉTIVITÉ

Written By Rick Snoman, Dance Music Manual