Introducing Pala EP, the first instalment of Pressure Dome’s new tape series and a PD debut from London’s City Kudu. So far finding its home across Manchester’s Access Memory imprint, and Kudu’s own beloved brainchild, Kite Hill Records, the emerging producer’s discography toys with space and rhythm to create immersive environments.

In keeping with this theme, Pala EP is a thoughtful display of the ways in which light and shade can co-exist in dance music, each track bolstered by driving bass lines and accented by delicate melodic flares. Honeysuckle and Jade draw on dubbed-out soundscapes taken from the schools of Basic Channel and SND, both enlivened by the dynamism of tuned drums. The former is haunted by a fragmented voice, whilst the latter is bathed in a plaintive ambience. Connected in their half-time pace, Pala and Twine work to further emphasise the dichotomy between light and shade. The title track’s dancehall-indebted rhythm accompanies radiant pads, whilst Twine represents its gritty counterpart, not a far cry from the work of Livity Sound extraordinaires Toma Kami and Kouslin. 

Exclusively on offer to those swift enough to get their hands on a limited edition cassette, the B-side sees Kudu wear the EP’s influences on his sleeve, offering an inspiration mix featuring music that has fed into the sound of the EP.

@citykudu

Pala

Pre-Order

City Kudu - Pala (PDT001) [clips]

Somatic Rituals co-founder Kombé embraces flux and uncertainty on his debut EP, ‘Foreign Exchange’. He tools up five tracks built for adventurous DJs, constructed from an assemblage of liquid polyrhythms - inspired by the constant movement of foreign exchange markets and the plurality of Kombe’s own cultural and sonic references that give rise to his distinct sound.

buy: https://kombe.bandcamp.com/album/foreign-exchange

‘Foreign Exchange’ balances function and narrative across its 25-minute length, with each track serving as a strong individual statement and as a part of a greater whole. The EP contrasts and finds common ground between disparate ideas and concepts, rooted in intelligent percussion, intentional sampling, and a synthesis of organic and machine-made sounds. It explores the parallels of currency exchange and cultural exchange, perpetually fluctuating financial markets and the shifting sands of the audio marketplace, the fetishisation of money and fetishisation in electronic music - whilst juxtaposing East African and European vocal samples over hypnotic, angular grooves that evoke traditional and ritual-based musical contexts. Rhythms slowly unfurl and coalesce into a storm, periodically settling into moments of reprieve while encouraging dancers to find their own relief in the syncopated patterns.

EP opener ‘Batian’ opens with skipping, filtered synth stabs over a stuttered kick that develops into a driving, serpentine rhythm underneath whirling atmospherics reminiscent of torn metal, sinew, and electricity. ‘Emerging Markets’ disorients you with a woozy, seasick groove underpinning a clicktrack beat, all welded to a disjointed kick that steps in and out of the arrangement, taunting a response from dancers. ‘Third Pillar’ functions as an elevated DJ tool with its galloping rhythm and bubbling hand drums that settle dancers into their hips, while vocals reminiscent of ASMR on a bad acid trip evoke the harmony and dissonance of man-machine collaboration. ‘Taarab Fragments’ moves into moodier territory, welding DNA from Swahili coastal genre Taarab to subaquatic Detroit electro atmospherics - holding a delicate tension until a darbuka line bursts through and rewards your patience. The textural, pensive, and beatless ‘Future Entropy Quest’ closes the EP with spiralling synth swirls and a looming bassline that suggests the questions provoked by the record have no clear resolution, leaving listeners to sit with the parallels of enduring volatility of markets and cultural values.

Kombé delivers a clear statement of intent with ‘Foreign Exchange’, offering a hybrid vision in the form of dance music for a freaky club or tripping forest rave that flows between worlds, cultures, and traditions with fluidity and grace.

Kombé - Foreign Exchange - [SORI003]

Release date : February 16th
Pre-order : gridrecords.bandcamp.com/album/contrast-ep

Grid kick off 2024 with Contrast EP, a mesmerising collection of future-facing tracks from certified one-to-watch Plebeian (@plebeiann). The NYC producer is quickly garnering deserved attention for his acutely detailed and explorative bass productions reminiscent of Objekt and Djrum.

With his EP Plebeian offers up four shimmering and lush dance organisms that exist in an ecosystem entirely of their own. Microscopic drum engineering coupled with flourishes of dubbed out percussion, moments of blissful beauty and infinitely oscillating synth swells, all distilled to create 4D soundscapes that will captivate and intrigue the listener.
credits

All tracks produced and mixed by Andrew Nerviano
Mastered by Krikor Kouchian
Artwork by Unité Services

Supported by : Akanbi, Amor Satyr, Ayesha, Azu Tiwaline, Bake, Bambi, Big Ever, Blume, Breaka, Cameo Blush, Clemency, Cleveland, Chris Farrel, Daisy Moon, Danielle, De Grandi, DJ Fart In The Club, DJ ojo, Dyslecta, Emily Jeanne, Eric Cloutier, Forest Drive West, Fred P, Giant Swan, Hassan Abou Alam, Henzo, Huerco S., Joanna OJ, Jurango, K Wata, Kouslin, Laurent Garnier, Luke Slater, Martha, object blue, Orson, Soso Tharpa, STL-P, Syz, Toupaz, Tristan Arp, Truncate, Solid Blake, Vladimir Ivkovic, Yushh and more.

GRID012

Contrast EP

Plebeian - Contrast EP [GRID012] previews

Next up on Soft Raw!

Austrian maverick Toupaz mints the latest Soft Raw with a grip of rhythmically dexterous, highdefinition firecrackers for the club. Keisaku is a continuation of Danielle’s commitment to highlight the most innovative emergent talent striking a sweet spot between elegance and intensity on her label.

If you’ve kept your ear to the ground these past few years you might have come across Graz resident Timo Bürgler’s outstanding transmissions as Awo Ojiji which landed on well-respected labels like Eclipse Tribez and Control Freak. He debuted as Toupaz last year with a drop on the equally on-point Well Street, and now he builds on the promise of that release with this fiercely inventive four-tracker.

The magic in the Toupaz sound lies in the way he manipulates drums, using non-standard palettes of percussion and making them move in mind-bending ways. The wild rhythmic displays are matched by a virtuoso approach to synthesis and sound design which ducks, dives and darts around the many-limbed beats.

It’s not a simple case of studio shock and awe, though — Timo understands how to maintain subtlety and intrigue even in the most complex, fizzing peaks of his tracks. That’s why, from the bashy strains of ‘Hiccup’ to the high-pressure piledrive of ‘Tubular’, he delivers a sound absolutely in line with the Soft Raw ethos. It’s volatile, daring material, but in the right hands it has an unreal power to unleash on an unsuspecting dancefloor.
credits

releases March 21, 2024

Written & Produced by Timo Bürgler
Mastered by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven
Distributed by One Eye Witness
Design by Atelier Superplus
softraw.bandcamp.com
@soft__raw

Toupaz - Keisaku | Soft Raw (SFTRW03)- Snippets

In the frosty embrace of Berlin's winter, French Berlin DJ and Refuge Worldwide radio host, ophélie, unfurls their debut release on hundert records. We are happy to present “Electric Blue Gecko” as the single from the record. 



Following their inaugural release on the leftfield club music label "Early Reflex," they carefully craft mesmerizing, yet meditative bass music tracks. Ophélie presents her own version of the sonic vision that they explore in their monthly radio show "Therapy Dog". Influences of drum and bass meet the minimalist razor-sharp yet spacious sounds.

   

The artwork was created by Sena Oh who developed the visual style in close collaboration with ophélie. The digital fauna is presented visually through the unmistakable artistic style of the Korean Berlin artist. Whether you're tuned in with headphones or absorbed through pulsating subs of the club, get ready for an experience that transcends the dance floor.

Pipa Pipa

Electric Blue Gecko

Bandcamp

Ophélie - Electric Blue Gecko

@plebeiann
@grid-records

BC: https://gridrecords.bandcamp.com/album/contrast-ep

Grid kick off 2024 with Contrast EP, a mesmerising collection of future-facing tracks from certified one-to-watch Plebeian. The NYC producer is quickly garnering deserved attention for his acutely detailed and explorative bass productions reminiscent of Objekt and Djrum.

With his EP Plebeian offers up four shimmering and lush dance organisms that exist in an ecosystem entirely of their own. Microscopic drum engineering coupled with flourishes of dubbed out percussion, moments of blissful beauty and infinitely oscillating synth swells, all distilled to create 4D soundscapes that will captivate and intrigue the listener.

pi pi pi premiere: Plebeian - Contrast (Grid)

@jdotbalance
@slinknyc

BC: https://jdotbalance.bandcamp.com/album/verdant

SLINK welcomes Chicago via Texas producer Jdotbalance to the family for his latest release, "Verdant". We've been floored by his work since hearing his debut EP "High Exposure", and could not think of a more natural fit for the label.

"The sound of this project is derived from a juxtaposition of filth and lushness" - Jdotbalance

Equal parts plasmic swirl and feverish soundclash, these four tracks bend and shatter with tireless momentum. A balancing act between unhinged rhythmic workouts and dense networks of texture, this one is guaranteed to twist your limbs and scramble your brainwaves. Let these loose on your nearest soundsystem to activate the peak time freak time.

Verdant

pi pi pi premiere: Jdotbalance - late (SLINK)

we’re happy to be finally back to you with new music! Highly talented new artist Shai FM, straight outta Philadelphia and Chinese roots, is dropping his debut record called “Motion Blur". Five mesmerizing dancefloor tunes plus a killer percussive remix by one of our Japanese favs, T5UMUT5UMU! To top it off, a stunning design work by our visionary friend Leonardo De Marchi.

Written and Produced by Jia Liu
Design by Leonardo De Marchi
Mastering and cut by Lawrie Dunster
pressed in Italy

SHAI FM - MOTION BLUR EP (INCL. T5UMUT5UMU REMIX) [A-A08]

Spectrum

🦐BAIT6-VEP2-ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY STEPS🦐 
Bait’s second VEP (Various EP) is a 4-track dive into a rather modern phenomenon: 150 dubstep, as DJs and crowds seem to be enjoying the faster bass sounds, yet broken rhythms and heavy halftime pulses. For this release we’ve got L.A.’s rising bass-music star @carreo, specialised in racing wobblers, who recently released her second solo EP on her label @fastatwork (first one was on Darwin's @specrecords). Track 2 is Berlin-based Femme Bass Mafia member @gaia-formella’s first ever release, a reflection of her upbringing in and around London, drawing inspiration from playful breaks to deep wobbly bass. Third track is by @fastcastle label captain Gent1le $oul, also Berlin-based and pushing hybrid dubstep in the German capital with hot vinyl releases and parties. Last but not least, @splt_music’s mental banger “Grill Party” that Beatrice M. happened to discover in Laksa’s Truant podcast (https://soundcloud.com/truants/truancy-volume-318-laksa) and reached out after dropping an “ID?” comment on soundcloud. The Lyon-based producer never misses, his tracks have been played out multiple times by Garçon and Agonis, in the continuity of merging bass and techno, always with an aspect of prog.
credits
releases May 3, 2024
mastering by @bademjan

One Hundred And Fifty Steps VEP (out 03.05.24)

i made a deal prod me

A Record Label founded in 2017. Operating from Hamburg & Berlin.

Ophélie - Electric Blue Gecko

hundert

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