Pepe Bradock
Imbroglios 1-4 12”
Atavisme

Pepe Bradock adds another 4-tracker to his unparalleled run of marvelous releases on his Atavisme imprint. A glorious synopsis of his unmistakable style fusing snippets of jazz, film soundtrack and eccentric humor and a huge atmospheric range from spooky to buoyant, often changing in seconds but always keeping that instantly-recognizable, quirky swing. This is the first part out of four.

Purchase Imbroglios 1 here:






Jimmy Edgar
This One’s For… 12”
Hot Flush

Two slices of erotic robo-pop and future sleaze, plus an instrumental of the title track "THIS ONE'S FOR THE CHILDREN", from this Detroit producer already well known on the underground with full length albums released on WARP and !K7. A sampler for his forthcoming "MAJENTA" album.

Purchase This One's For... here:







Vakula
Leleka 002 12”
Leleka

Panabrite
Soft Terminal LP
Digitalis

Panabrite is the project of Norm Chambers -- not a household name to most people, but for those who have been reveling in his music for the last few years, he is absolutely adored. He is also, we should add, the man responsible for one of the most-loved synth albums of the last few years, although that's a journey he took incognito and we just aren't at liberty to divulge that identity quite yet. Some will be quick to chalk Soft Terminal up as just another Kosmische record, but that's just the surface dressing. There is something deeper happening here: vivid, liquid dreams are sculpted into intricate fantasy landscapes, each layer revealing another aspect of Chambers' production prowess. The thing with Chambers, is that he has an innate ability to write richly-textured, melodic compositions that have as much in common with vintage electronic library music as they do with minimal synth-pop and '70s prog. Soft Terminal opens with "Rainbow Sequence" and "Index Of Gestures." The former remains understated, moving simply and slowly while pulling open the curtain on the rest of the album. With "Index Of Gestures," Chambers opens up the sequencers and lets them fly. Dizzying passages resonate and when the piece finally feels like it will lift off, he tightens the reins and dives straight into an underwater sequence. But that's only a small part of the story. "Janus" opens with finger-picked guitar arrangements augmented with synth chords and rising leads. The guitars return on "Sound Softly" while Chambers' ghostly, robotic vocals float away unscathed. On "Beta Axis Terminal," pointillist tones flutter in and out before sharp, sequenced chord progressions overtake them. As the piece continues to build, vocoder hovers above thickened basslines and you feel lost in a dystopian sci-fi novel. But ultimately, Chambers' pop sensibilities are most evident on the mini-masterpiece, "Camembert Symphony." Pushed along by the constant thrum of a drum machine, multiple melodies are interwoven, wrapping themselves tightly around you. Each soaring synth glues the song deeper into your mind before fading away into the sonic ether. Cut to vinyl at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin. Limited to 500 copies only.

Scuba
The Hope 12”
Hotflush

Soon, Scuba will release his third album through Hotflush. Entitled Personality and featuring 11 brand new tracks, it takes in a wealth of genres across contemporary dance music, proving once again Scuba’s place at the cutting edge of the electronic music scene. Preceding his LP will be The Hope, pushing on from the tense atmospherics of previous Scuba material, the single fizzes with claustrophobic bass pressure and menacing narration. Backed by an exclusive non-album cut Flash Addict, The Hope will proceed the album on the 6th February.

Purchase The Hope here:



Christian Naujoks
True Life/In Flames LP
Dial

Gatefold LP version. After his self-titled debut of 2009, True Life/In Flames is the second album by Berlin-based Christian Naujoks. Recorded by Tobias Levin at the Laiszhalle Philharmony Hamburg. A dense concert atmosphere sets the tone. Stringent seriality is combined with a romanticism of the minor key which one also finds in a certain corner of modern 20th-century piano music, in the vein of Michael Nyman, Wim Mertens, Arvo Pärt, John Cage and György Kurtág. Deep contemplation and solemn expression paired with intellectual clarity. Each note has weight, and every sound a purpose. Unlike Naujoks' debut, True Life/In Flames completely relinquishes the use of any sort of electronically-generated sound. Instead, there is a consistent stylization of what one might call "organic sound." The figure of the bedroom producer is relieved here by that of the composer and pianist. There's a piano, played by Naujoks; there's the marimba of Martin Krause and then Naujoks' voice. This album could be designated as a suite with various movements, bracketed by the conspicuous reprise of its most song-like piece, "Moments I" and "Moments II," as well as by the economy of the unchanging instrumentation and the black and white cover photograph by Dirk Stewen that references the recording location: the Laeiszhalle of the Hamburg Philharmonic. Piano and marimba stand there on an almost cave-like stage, surrounded by music stands, microphones and stacked Egon Eiermann SE 68 SU chairs -- a company of genuine instruments. Again, Christian Naujoks embraces the world of contemporary music-loving connaisseurs. True Life/In Flames is a gift for all those hunting the unique, the deep, the outstanding. All's quiet at the beginning, as it is at the end.

Yoko Duo
Behaving Like A Widower LP
Fauxpas

It's impossible to describe without metaphors what happens when listening to the debut album Behaving Like A Widower by Yoko Duo. Holger Zilske and August Landelius draw bright paintings with cool colors, framed by a mosaic of delicate glitches. This music comes without any irony or cynicism and guarantees a prominent place in the gallery of soulful legacy of the electronica genre for the Yoko Duo.

Purchase Behaving Like A Widower here:




Roman Flugel
Fatty Folders 2LP
Dial

After two outstanding 12" releases on Dial Records, German electronic music staple Roman Flügel continues with Fatty Folders, a full-length album presenting a colorful selection of essential works. Also known as Eight Miles High, Soylent Green, Sensorama and Alter Ego, Roman Flügel always has been a main influence on the Dial Records family. Roman Flügel's unique and unexpected productions explore an excitingly wide range of eclecticism, modernism and dandyism under a groove. Every single track is a magical journey and the whole album is like finding a universe as deep as an ocean. Here comes a true sound scientist who knows how to enchant the dancers, the connoisseurs and the lovers.

Gene Hunt
Chicago Dance Tracks Pt 1 DLP
Rush Hour

Part one of two 2LPs of never-before-released tracks from the archives of Gene Hunt -- rare, newly-unearthed Chicago house barn-stormers from the '80s. Gene Hunt shares his ancient treasures with us -- up to now, this stuff resided only on reels! Featuring a truly all-star line-up. TIP! The tracks included here are all rough, uncut versions, oftentimes homemade drum computer jams that never made it to final production at a professional studio. They represent early output of the artists involved, some tracks dating back as early as 1982-1983. Besides unreleased tracks by Mr. Fingers, Steve Poindexter, Farley J.M.F. and Steve Hurley, the compilation also includes reworks and original versions that were never properly released, like Ron Hardy's original version of "Sensation" or Mike Dunn's rework of Gherkin Jerks' (Larry Heard) "Acid Indigestion." The vinyl release holds seven tracks, all presented in their original length and includes one vinyl-only bonus track, Steve Poindexter's "Betsy Smithe." All tracks have been restored and remastered from the original, first generation reel-to-reel tapes. The artwork shows original Chicago flyers and the release comes with an insert with artist interviews, a Gene Hunt interview by Jackmaster Farley and original photos from back in the day.

Purchase Chicago Dance Tracks Pt 1 here


Mark E
Stone Breaker 2LP
Spectral