Nathan Homan
BAR Records 09

Amsterdam based DJ and producer Mayo joins the Fides family with her Frenemies EP marking the 15th release of Fides Records.Mayo showcases 5 cuts of finely crafted electro and EBM-influenced Techno, it's impossible not to be drawn by her distorted voice that defines each track.Unrelenting grooves and a deeper look into her analog sound design flair, these tracks are timeless in sound and production quality.“Tell me how you die” kicks it off as the A1 with stomping analog kick and drums, a dark jumping bassline pushing the groove with ethereal synths.“Not your shadow” as the A2 strips it back into a 303Acidbass-based track marked by singular industrial sounds and Vocal Shots that are lost in the groove carried by a background synth sequence that follows throughout the track.The last track of the A Side is “Frenemies” a pulsing, meditative composition featuring label owner and Tresor resident Z.I.P.P.O, who added to Mayo's energetic, analog and eventually dark sense, a more mental, deep and intense face typical of the Italian artist. The B Side starts with Miami Legend Danny Daze’s Hell Mix of “Frenemies” in which he exhibits his unique sound design techniques, combining tribal-tinged rhythm, sharp FX that pops up from the corners of the soundscape with stretched vocals in order to highlight the track's protagonist: a modulated brass bass.Mary Lake’s Remix of “Tell Me How you Die” closes the EP with a deep kick drum driven forward with rolling and modulated closed hats that run through the track while atmospheric sounds carry the filtered Brass before dissolving into the end of the track.

MixCult Records unveils a new sub division of forthcoming releases under the name of TAMIZDAT, which in Russian TAM means “there” (as a reference of an aboard, western location), and IZDAT means “to publish”. It was the name for banned books and magazines published "there", that is, abroad.Tamizdat Records proudly presents an EP that celebrates the substance of dub techno. With "Sunlight," Genning invites you to experience the depth and warmth of his sound, weaving a tapestry of sonic landscapes that resonate with the soul. This vinyl-only release is a testament to the label's commitment to quality and the enduring artistry of Genning, promising an immersive and unforgettable musical experience for audiophiles and enthusiasts alike.

Chateau Chepere's fourth outing is another blissed-out bit of sunrise material that carefully accompanies dancers from a darkened dance floor out into the light. Zurich's underground mainstay Eli Verveine kicks off with the zoned-out tones and dusty deep house drums of 'Morning Dub' before Andu Simion & Dragos Roban aka Two Metromaniac Guys then comfort with the dubby, lo-fi deep house of 'Execution Error' with its hazy melodies and leggy bass. Australian underground talent Tim Jackiw then brings things back into sharper focus with the crisp dub tech of his classy closer 'Empty Theater'.

A basement, West London, 1994. An unknown artist surrounded by machines. The sun peeking through the curtain - a reminder that at some point, you really need to go to bed.But not yet, there’s still tunes to be made.The mysterious and highly sought after Sun-D EP gets a well deserved reissue on AGT Records. With shades of early progressive house, trance and bleep, this record is ready for the sunrise moments we’ve been waiting a long, long time for.

Split #1 marks the debut of a new vinyl series, to be hosted on the Various Artists catalogue of Pi Electronics. The split series will be bringing two artists on the same vinyl, with this very first release presenting music by Greek producers Fragedis and Nemmett.Coming from different backgrounds of electronic music, prolific figure of the Cretan islands' dance scene, Fragedis and one of the Athenean founding members of the "pi" crew, Nemmett, contribute their sharpest weapons to this release.On the A-side, Fragedis delivers a techno/breaks cut of dystopian melodies and vocal samples with his opening track "Flantza". His second track, "Klirish" blends industrial leaning percussions with Detroit techno flavored synths.On the flip side, Nemmett returns with his trademark industrial / breaks sound, in a hypnotic, rap vocal atmosphere with the track "Altars". His broken beat influences go more noise with his second track "Teeth", which concludes the B-side of the vinyl.

After this pair of Leeds residents made waves last November with their first EP for Pilot, Bobby O'Donnell and Reeshy return to lay down four new tracks that definitely stray towards the electro end of the breaks/electro spectrum. There's a sense of continuity, as the first EP's tracks - labelled 1-4, are followed by tracks 5-8, as well as being executed with a proper human touch that not all such machinefunk can boast. '6' is full of spiralling Drexciyan mystery, before being pared down to an LFO-style bass prod. '8' also echoes the former legends of Leeds with its dreamy pads and acid backdrop - something in the local water supply. Definitely funky enough to keep the breaks DJs onside, but with a thorough knowledge of love of 40 years of electronic music heritage at its disposal too, this is one release you should make sure you not miss.