Mantra ๒ is presented by fellow space cat @freybenedikt. He describes this mix as one “For the Birds and the Trees” and we couldn’t agree more.

Listen and dream. here, music is the medicine.

Mantra ๒ Benedikt Frey

Upfront the official release on September 19th.

Hot seducers. Two of them. On one 7inch. A/B Side business, hard to choose a fav, as both so fab. The A-Side is called “Happen”. It comes from prolific Tokyo based DJ and producer Hoshina Anniversary. A simple drum machine groove, a manic melody, witching siren sounds, psychedelic voices, some soft chords, and soulful high-pitched singing, somewhere between Dam-Funk coolness and Ian Svenonius- The-Make-Up sixties pop longing. One for warm sexy nights under neon lights. Out there in psychic realms. The flip brings a Dolphins interpretation. Yes, that feverish trio behind R.i.O., consisting of Nadia D'Alò, Benedikt Frey and Menqui. Their freshly recorded version comes with haunting nonchalant singing, displaying the tunes core melody as a more prominent actor of the play. Michael-Mann-Pop- Nostalgia with a baroque touch, that waves dark-ish. Even some Jon Hassle feeling is in there. Hoshina Anniversary disclosed, that the original song is inspired by jazz musicians like Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Jaco Pastorius and Keith Jarrett. None of them is directly stylistically audible. But their kind of blue is all over. On the A as well as on the B. Twice soul music for the free.

Text ML

Artwork Omnigroup
Mastering Falko Paul Eidner & Sebastian Blume
Distribution digitally Muting The Noise & physically Wordandsound

BandCamp

Hoshina Anniversary - Happen (Dolphins Remix)

TRIPS Album

11 Benedikt Frey - My Cat & Me (Lullaby for L)

Tracks:
Jurriaan Andriessen - She Walks in Beauty
Stephan Micus - Violeta
Enno Velthuys - Mercury
Ô Paradis - El Astro Rey
ESTADO DE BIENESTAR - Megafan de Haus Arafna
Trystero - Che Cosa Dicono 
DIIV - Raining On Your Pillow
Xvarr -Shadows 
The Opiates - Anatomy Of A Plastic Girl (Chris & Cosey Remix)
Cranes - E.G. Shining 
Dead Can Dance - Ocean 
Laurent Pernice - Plan De Coupe 
Automelodi - Cavallo
Zazou-Nodland-Lema - Stranger In The new Light 
Martin Dupont - My Analyst "Assez" 
Queen Lear - Black Sunshine (E PEE)
The Cure - Charlotte Sometimes 
Brannten Schnüre - Goldne Abendsonne, wie bist du so schön
Parade Ground - Gold Rush
Fantastic Twins - Twins Can’t Love
Hard Corps - The Breath 
Nengue - Los Niños Del Parque (Bionda e Lupo Neumisch)
Sasha Renkas - You'll Be Okay
Hellvete - In den beginne
Belle - Leaving it as it is
eoobe feat. Low Bat - My Love Parade Turned Into a Riot

In Between Days w/ Ofra & Elina Tapio Last week we spent a lovely 2-hours together at the Operator container overcoming our foggy morning brains with caffeine, being astounded by the sheer size of the new CDJs, and most importantly sharing passionate talks about music! Our recording is up on the website for playback with a selection of tracks to lull you into an autumn mood, silly chats as entertaining interludes between the warm embrace of some of our long-standing favourites and recent discoveries!

In Between Days - 17 w/ Ofra & Elina Tapio

1st episode of new show by Sacha Mambo, al around Leftfield from Ambient to downtempo, to dub and more...

Courtesy Of Choice w/ Sacha Mambo: 24th September '25

Tuned In Dropped Out (Accidentally High)

Live from Berlin via our audio stream today, with Reach Another System pres. BiGOTT 12’’ release! 
GOTT (Scannoir & Sneaker) for the next 3 hours!

GOTT (Scannoir & Sneaker) [11.10.25]

BUY VINYL: clawsisthebastard.bandcamp.com/album/splat-city-ii
C.L.A.W.S. comes to Dark Entries with a new ripping LP, Splat City II. C.L.A.W.S. is the solo project of musical luminary Brian Hock, who has been a key figure in the Bay Area underground for over two decades via his involvement in projects like Bronze and The Vanishing, as well as helming the record labels Squirrels on Film and Immortal Sin. With C.L.A.W.S., Hock takes on the dancefloor, picking up cues from the Hague’s Giallo-dipped electro, the skewed minimalism of Chicago acid, and the mind-rending forays of San Francisco post-punk icons like Chrome and Tuxedomoon. Following 2019’s inaugural Splat City EP, Splat City II continues to map the psychogeography of a metropolis both alien and immediately recognizable, one where life is cheap, but so are the thrills. Previously released on Squirrels on Film in digital-only format, this expanded vinyl edition of Splat City II features two new cuts. Things kick off with “Route 505” and “One Tear,” a duo of rompers that vibe like Tom Ellard and Chip E locked in a room with a vial of liquid. Next up, Bay Area deckmaster Tyrel lends his editing chops to “Vigilant Slimy Monsters,” sculpting a moody space disco beast. Squirrels on Film co-founder Solar teams up with Hock for “Black Magic Carpet Ride III,” a cavernous downtempo banger. The slow-mo pace continues with “Wild Slugs United,” which features the no wave-esque clarinet work of Paul Costuros. Closer “Don’t Flip the Crystal Ship” pays homage to Bayview venue Bay Area 51 with melancholic strings and a quartz-solid electrofunk bassline. Splat City II comes in a sleeve with artwork by Bert Bergen, which features a vampiric cat and sci-fi cityscapes. 


C.L.A.W.S. - Splat City II CLIPS

Stream: 
- https://open.spotify.com/track/5FUfl2gdvFdCBSQ26dQNaY?si=54982d91ca22478a

almiire:
- https://linktr.ee/almiire

2727

2727 - sped up

Immerse yourself in a 'Galactic Exploration,' a deeply atmospheric journey crafted with expansive pads and subtle, evolving synth textures. This track unfolds with a graceful elegance, inviting listeners into a realm of serene contemplation and vast sonic horizons. Deep, resonant bass undertones provide a gentle anchor, while shimmering arpeggios drift through the mix, evoking images of starlit nights and distant galaxies. Perfect for relaxation, meditation, or as an evocative backdrop for creative endeavors, it is a truly immersive auditory experience.

Galactic Exploration #02

A song about lonliness and poor self image. 

Corners

+ @riolabel @initinit

Benedikt Frey is many. Or just one? He is a composer. An arranger. A DJ. A Liveact. A ghost producer. A fan. He also plays in bands like INIT, or Dolphins or KEYS +++ produced the last two albums for Chris Imler. Downbeat in experimental dub zones. The goat for Edits and remixes. When house was his nation, he used to listen to pen names like Suedmilch or Venedikt Reyf. He still likes the music formed under their umbrella, but today his tomorrow is not echoed in yesterday. His sound signature moved on. Into the open. He founded labels like R.i.O. or Serious Trouble. 

He lives in Berlin. Physically. In mind Benedikt Frey is at many places. Traveling far thru his home studio that is a flat a studio a flat an instrument a record collection a flat a studio. Everywhere gear, vinyl, tapes, instruments, rooms for spontaneous sonic notions, these moments, when a sudden strike of stimulation falls. He is inspired a lot. For music to dance. Music for films. Music for live shows. Music for dancing glows. Techno, house, downbeat, ambient, jungle, electronics outside the norms. Those transportive ones. Jamming with others. Jamming with his mind. In Berlin Wedding, North of the town, where the lights dimmed low, neighbors share the flow, and a small river runs slow.  As a DJ he plays here, there, everywhere. Big clubs, small shacks, festivals, gatherings. From fast to 90 BPM - as he feels. 

For himself. For the crowd. In the spur. He still remembers his club kid days. Going to dance with friends. Down there in Offenbach. Doing the Robert Johnson. Collective emotions for a better tomorrow. These he still seeks. In his music. His shows. His collaborations. You can book him for a party. For enlightenment. For ecstasy or introspective perspectives. Dancing slow, whilst pirouetting a high-pitched show. 

Since more than a decade. His own music is out there, too. Bringing his spirits in sound. On his own labels. On international imprints like ESP Institute, Hivern Discs, Craigie Knowes, or Emotional Response. Solo works. Driving ones. Slow drills. Teased during his DJ dates around the planet. 

The music plays day and night. Inspiration comes. From a simple kick drum. A movie sequence. A bird on the sill. A picture, totally still. Can’t kick that feeling when it hits. Benedikt Frey. In dreams. In streams. In music. Emotions. Situations. At night. In those flashy lights, when it bites.

24.5. b2b with NVST, Kauz Zürich
10.05. Säälchen, Berlin
26.04. Zentralwäscherei, Zürich
25.04. b2b Philipp Otterbach, Arkaoda, Berlin
04.04. Sameheads, Berlin
13.03. Säule, Berlin
22.02. Kegelbahn, Luzern
21.02. Fribourg, CH

---- BYE24

17.12. Kiosk Radio,  Bxl
15.12. Curly Teeth b2b w. NVST, Bxl
30.11. Panorama Bar, Berlin
16.11. La Culottee, Paris
19.10. LAF, Pforzhyme
05.10. Sameheads, Berlin
28.09. Buka, Milan
21.09. Chemiefabrik, Zürich
14.09. Ausland, Berlin
16.08. Salon Des Amateurs, Düsseldorf
21.07. Am Bach Festival, Lucerne
05.07. Kappa Futur Festival, Turin
14.06. Masters, Zagreb
18.05. Outracena, Lisbon
27.04. Arkaoda, Berlin
24.02. Macadam, Nantes
26.01. Sameheads, Berlin

11 Benedikt Frey - My Cat & Me (Lullaby for L)

benedikt frey

Recent comments

( slick)

Related tracks