Smooth & Simmonds
Climax (Reissue)

CROWD, a new techno label hailing from Berlin with FJAAK at the head, has just released its debut EP, paying homage to oldschool techno while infusing a contemporary twist that is sure to please listeners of both eras. Produced by the legendary Sterac aka Steve Rachmad, the EP is showcasing the versatility and timelessness of techno. The tracks are based on DAT recordings from the 90s that got carefully crafted, highlighting the pure energy and raw emotion of the genre, always leaving the listener wanting more. CROWD's first release marks the beginning of what is sure to be an exciting journey for techno enthusiasts and dancers alike. The label's ethos revolves around the people and the dancefloor, and this is also reflected in its events, which are centered around the gatherings. The event's / label's focal point is undeniably the crowd, which is regarded as the pivotal element of the night. Once again, CROWD gatherings will center their essence on them, with an unwavering focus, ensuring no distractions dilute the experience.

Pletnev takes the reins for the label's third release with four weighty peak time cuts.

Heels & Souls Recordings’ fifth reissue sees them reach across the Atlantic to Vancouver, pressing up Pilgrims Of The Mind’s 'What’s Your Shrine?' for the first time ever on vinyl, 25 years since its CD-only release on Map Music. A departure from the label’s previous releases, the LP is a beautiful smorgasbord of styles - progressive house, downtempo, ambient, tech house and trance all nestle together, a wiggling journey of sonic delight from the mind of Stephane Novak.Turn the dial back to ‘97 and Vancouver's underground had a distinctive buzz to its rumblings, an amalgamation of scenes and styles gave rise to a cohort of producers that were unconstrained by genre, offering up a heady mix of sounds to expand the mind. ‘Welcome To Lotus Land’ the key 1996 compilation on Robert Shea’s seminal Map Music, championed much of this output including two cuts from POTM. Stephane then released his first and only full-length album, ‘What’s Your Shrine?’ on the same label the following year.Picking out choice moments from an album as considered and complete as this is tough. Those horizontally inclined will be drawn to the ambient dwellings of ‘Sandcastle’ & ‘Following the Sofuto Kuriimo’, tracks like ‘Nothing Can Pull Us Apart’ and ‘L’Amour? Encore?!’ are perfectly suited to warming up limbs on the dancefloor, ‘My Baby Likes Rum’ and ‘Loosejaw’ prime for one in full swing. Yet to pick individual tracks misses the stunning sum of its parts that this 70+ minute cruise is, surely one of the finest albums from the American West Coast during its halcyon days of the ‘90s.Digging deep in his vaults, Stephane managed to uncover the original unmastered DATs that have been given a fresh mastering by Justin Drake at the Bakehouse Studios. This beautiful, double-disc gatefold comes complete with liner notes from Ciel, words from Stephane himself, plus never-before-seen photography - the complete package this music always deserved.

With a name like Sleep D one might mistakenly assume that this Australian duo produces mid tempo sounds to drift away on. Greasy Beats and Blobs Vol. 1 proves otherwise. For their inaugrual appearance on Cocktail d’Amore we find a selection of warped and slippery sounds mounted onto a skeleton of body shaking rhythm. Phantom opens the record without hesitation launching into sci fi soundscapes and electro inspired beats. Airbags feels like anything but a safe landing as it shape shifts during its runtime without ever losing its sense of urgency to dance. On the B-side we are offered up two very different pieces of electronic bliss. Screw Drive does exactly as the name implies as the incessant bass line digs deeper into your mind and drives you out into the middle of nowhere as lush pads evolve Into burst of cosmic radiation. Young Street perfectly closes the selection with a meditative embrace filled with micro sounds floating in and out of the stereo field urging you to come back down to earth.

Pub is back with a 2020 remaster of the classic 'Summer' and a brand new track titled 'Fragile Root'Summer was originally released in 2000 on the Vertical Form label and has been out of print ever since. It even made it into Fact Mag's Top 20 Dub Techno tracks of all time

DJ Dex aka Nomadico of Underground Resistance is nearly out of time. So the Replicante is here to get more life... fucker!!! Dame más vida... Qiero más vida!!! There's no time to warm up or over think it... just feel the groove, move and you'll get there. The Off World is here, not in L2 orbit hiding behind the earth. This is the funky dark place that rumbles your dancefloor. His mentor Gaff has something to say about getting more life but he needs to slow down and disappear into the bass. Always on the move, spinning over skyscrapers and rising vertically into the clouds, the Spinner Theme is thumping and sets the mood just right.