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Sister Synthia

LOTR x RWW - Alex Kassian's Ambient Special - 23 Nov 2021

Interview: http://offtherecord.net/phonica-friends-family-mix-series-22luther-vine/

The Friends and Family mix we have been all been waiting for. The long time standing Saturday manager of Phonica records steps up for just over an hour of what he knows best: deep dug out and well selected tech house grooves.

There has been many recognisable faces from dance music to work the weekend shifts at Phonica over the years. Artists like Heidi, Anthea and Danielle have all spent Saturdays and Sundays shifting the latest 12"s to the vinyl hungry punters of the Soho haunt. As these staff faded from the floor to bigger things Luther Vine has filled this void with a gusto and eagerness matching to his past colleagues (of course with his own flavour).

With a hand in the Phonica record label, running its latest Phonica AM off-shoot and also running his own imprint Fragments Of Reality with Ralph Lawson of 20/20 Vision - it is no secret that Luthers ear falls expert to minimalistic cuts as well as grooving tech-house sounds. This you can also find in his solid productions on the two previously mentioned labels including a pretty memorable cut with good friend Subb-An (who also released the debut release on Phonica AM) on Fragments Of Reality Vol. 2.

On top of all this Luther is a very credible DJ in the circuit having exhibited his skills all around the UK, further afield and as well as laying it down at London institution fabric on more than one occasion. For this mix he takes us into the deepest corners of his record bag with an all over minimalistic and tech house excursion with a perfectly built narrative and warmness to the craft.

Phonica Friends & Family Mix Series 22: Luther Vine

Body Singer EP

Italian DJ and producer Pancratio lands on Love on the Rocks with ‘Love Letters’, his first EP for the cult Berlin-based label founded by PARAMIDA. The record, another bold and unique entry in the label’s impressive catalogue, arrives after a decade of behind-the-scenes influence and personal artistic evolution for Pancratio, marking a turning point in his journey: from anonymous studio architect to an expressive, full-fledged solo artist.

Pancratio has long been a quiet force in underground music. As the founder of Otta Res Lab, he spent years producing, mixing, and mastering records for other artists, building a reputation among insiders for his meticulous analog workflows and deeply felt soundscapes. Now, with Love Letters, he turns the spotlight on himself.

Crafted in just a matter of weeks during a period of profound personal transition, the EP tells the story of Pancratio’s relocation from Rome to Berlin, a leap of faith that would shape the emotional and sonic narrative of the release. Following a summer immersed in the city's clubs and festivals, the producer returned to the studio with renewed clarity and purpose. What followed was a spontaneous burst of creativity: one track a day, each emerging with fluid ease from his analog-heavy setup.

“I called the record Love Letters because it's a message to all the people I left behind,” Pancratio shared in a personal note. “It’s my way of saying: everything’s going great here. I made the right choice.”

His music caught the attention of PARAMIDA thanks to the encouragement, and quiet hustle, of friends and collaborators Simone de Kunovich and Giammarco Orsini, both longtime allies of Pancratio and contributors to his label One Trip to Avyon. What began as an offhand suggestion turned into a fast-forming collaboration, with Pancratio sending a new track to Paramida every day for a week. The EP took shape naturally from those exchanges.

Pancratio sets the tone from the start on ‘A Neverending Story’, with layers of kicks, vocal samples, huge grooves and deceptively simple and effective percussive loops, then flips the track, without warning, with pads that add unexpected melancholy and emotional depth.

‘Artificial Intelligence’ jumps right into its groove, setting up a left turn into retrofuturistic sci-fi romance. Intimate, softly-spoken vocals lead into an otherworldly, vocoded lullaby, and then Pancratio removes the ground from beneath our feet. Masterfully extending sections of breaks, we’re lifted out of the arrangement before being dropped right back in the deep end, in moments that will destroy dancefloors while enveloping them in complexly touching emotional highs.

From there, the tonal contrasts just get bigger, weirder and more beautiful. ‘I Promise’ builds an irresistible house groove into a hypnotic summer jam, before tearing a hole in it it with a patchwork of vocal samples and off-pitch synths, snapping it out of its comfort zone and into completely unexpected territory before dropping it right back into the deep end. It’s a devastating sequence handled with the lightest touch, mirroring the twists and turns of its subject matter in a moment of sublime sonic storytelling.

Love Letters continues Pancratio’s pursuit of emotional depth through minimalist, analog-rooted production. Each track is a one-take from start to finish, recorded straight from his hardware setup and only minimally mastered, evoking a tactile sense of warmth and spontaneity rarely found in today’s digital-heavy landscape. 

Love Letters is not only a new chapter in Pancratio’s artistic evolution, it’s a heartfelt message delivered in music: to friends, to places once called home, and to everyone just now discovering his world.

Pre-order: loveontherocks.bandcamp.com
Wholesale enquiries: distribution@loveontherocks.cc

© 2025 Love On The Rocks. All rights reserved.

Love Letters

Pre-order

LOTR029 Pancratio - Love Letters

Instant Driver EP marks Huerta’s sixth release on his Leizure imprint, delivering four distinct, club-ready house cuts. The title track brings a fast-paced, vintage progressive feel—an intriguing departure from Huerta’s typical style. The A2 track also strays slightly from the norm, driven by moody melodies and a menacing bassline. On the B-side, listeners are treated to two quintessential Leizure grooves that stay true to the imprint’s established sonic identity.

Buy Vinyl

Huerta - Instant Driver EP (LZR006)

Duncan Thomas is the second little mushroom to come out of the Growing Pleasures flush. With his 'Celebration' EP, he offers up 4 juicy juicy magical treats of the best kind.

Label: @growingpleasures-spores
Buy: https://growingpleasures.bandcamp.com/album/celebration-ep

PREMIERE: Duncan Thomas - Celebration [Growing Pleasures]

Duncan Thomas is the second little mushroom to come out of the Growing Pleasures flush. With his 'Celebration' EP, he offers up 4 juicy juicy magical treats of the best kind.

BUY:
https://growingpleasures.bandcamp.com/track/i-just-wanna-get-down
https://deejay.de/Duncan_Thomas_Celebration_EP_SPORE002_Vinyl__1170949

PREMIERE: Duncan Thomas - I Just Wanna Get Down

Opening up the box of memories for the third time. Rewind to May, its the end of the night, beginning of the day..
Down in our sonic aquarium of H0l0, the sun is squeezing through the windows while the lights continue to flow through the ceiling. Our dear friend DJ Senc steps up for a set that reminds the dancers we are just half way through. First time in New York, felt like he is a regular. What a debut for the legend, Lupo di Mare. Thank you Alfredo <3

Can You Jigit? Archives 003 - DJ Senc

Duncan Thomas - Whats In Your Mind

https://growingpleasures.bandcamp.com/album/celebration-ep

https://soundcloud.com/duncan_thomas
https://soundcloud.com/growingpleasures-spores

Duncan Thomas is the second little mushroom to come out of the Growing Pleasures flush. With his 'Celebration' EP, he offers up 4 juicy juicy magical treats of the best kind.

𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐅𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 ➟ Duncan Thomas - Zapotec

Bookings/Inquiries: tom@thecheckin.org
https://soundcloud.com/thecheckin

_Hoove_
_Howl Records_
_Silky Beats_
_The Check In_
_Space Tours_
_Circa Groove_
_Deux Mesures_
_One Offs_

Sister Synthia

Duncan Thomas

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