London-based Benncart returns with another instalment of his Heartcore series, which explores the legacy of British dance music through a footwork-inspired lens with humorously added romantic undertones. Focusing on the first half of the glorious 90’s when jungle reigned supreme, the second volume incorporates numerous tropes signature to the style at the time. Pout-inducing bass, heavily chopped-up breakbeats, dub sirens, and ragga vocal samples are married with futuristic sound design and syncopated rhythms, while simultaneously giving a small nod to golden era hip-hop. The two presented tracks are in significant contrast with each other – “Heartcore Theme” brings forth aggressive, distorted tones, while “That Heartcore Shit” mellows things out with ethereal pads and a more melodic approach reminiscent of the so-called intelligent strain of jungle prominent in the mid-90’s. Both pieces deliver an idiosyncratic take on both sides of the hardcore spectrum that should satiate all junglists and junglettes hungry for a fresh take on the classic UK sound.

Music & Mix by Benncart
Mastering by Dubsknit
Artwork by aflo

Heartcore Vol. 2

Download

Benncart - That Heartcore Shit

The whole profit from this compilation goes to support our Friends from Ukraine - Suck Puck Records: suckpuck.com. Слава Україні!

Mastering by Dubsknit
Artwork by zgonowicz.com

МИР Traxx

We Rob Rave - Lazer Tag

Ruchy - Werun

Lux Familiar - Emergency On Planet Earth

Dubsknit - Spit In Your Mouth

DJ Praktyczna Pani - Whoaaa

DJ MFC Młody Bóg - Letmi

DJ Everythings - Tuuuuu

Baby Meelo - Loops of... Part II

Amane OG - несправедливість

@ys - faded

Listen to a track 'Rendition Of Magicant' taken from @gnyonpix upcoming EP - 'Music Is My Therapy' which will be out on the 6th of February 2k23 via our bandcamp page: https://polishjuke.bandcamp.com

Music Is My Therapy EP

06/02/2023

Gnyonpix - Rendition Of Magicant (taken from Music Is My Therapy EP)

Polish Juke’s first release of the year (and in over a year!) comes from a home-team heavyweight. Half of the iconic We Rob Rave duo, DJ, producer and engineer whose sonic imprint is present throughout the label’s catalogue - from his own productions all the way to his mastering work. Dubsknit, this time under an eerily similar alias SKNIT, delivers another installment into his extensive discography right to your doorstep in the form of a hectic six-tracker - “LOOP”.

To kick things off, right off the bat we’re hit with a loud and blasting double-header of “SLUSH” and “HEAT”, where thick kicks intertwine with synthetic and roaring sounds and skeletal melodies. As the artist himself mentions, to go a little bit against the grain of the infamous, lush WRR work, he decided to strip things down a notch and focus on the electro-infused, dubby bare bones of dance music. Right in the middle of the record, we’re headed into ravier territories, with four-to-the-floor, very Chicago-esque aesthetics of “FOOSY” and beautiful vocal chops of the energetic “YO FREE”. What follows is a peak-time bomb with the We Rob Rave running mate PZG called “BLOOD” which will most definitely turn out to be both a crowd and DJ favourite. To shut things off, SKNIT serves the halftime-leaning, euphoric “I COULD LOVE” with yet another example of his amazing understanding of working around vocals, reminiscent of the many hits in the We Rob Rave/Dubsknit realm.

Producer, drums, synths, bassline, flute & guitar - Dubsknit
Excessive weirdness - PZG
Cover Art - Maciek "Jurny" Recha

Loop EP

Loop

SKNIT - SLUSH

At some point in 'I'M TRYNA TELL YA’, a documentary on Chicago footwork scene by Tim & Barry, DJ Spinn talks about the difference between Juke and Footwork. Juke - the genre stemming from Ghetto House - is a club music. On the other hand Footwork - the next evolutionary stage of House music was created for rivalry and dance battles. When DJs played footwork tracks dance floors would be taken over by competing in circles footworkers limiting at the same time the number of clubbers. In order to reconcile the two trends - entertaining and competing, the producers started mixing the two styles. Thus, juke-footwork hybrid was created as a natural consequence of dance music development. A similar pattern was observed in the case of another hybrid - footwork-jungle, or when Trancework compilation was released last year featuring footwork remixes of trance tracks. 

'We Rob Rave' album by two Polish producers - PZG and Dubsknit - is a similar experiment, an attempt at creating yet another style niche on the border of juke and footwork, and (in this case) rave. PZG and Dubsknit are reaching for the rave classics from the first half of the 90s enriching them with energy, humour and footwork lilt. 'Blame Kills You' is an epic reference to the Blame’s track released in Moving Shadow - 'Music Takes You'. 'Desirave' refreshes another classic hit by Ellis Dee - 'Desire' with its classic vocal sample 'Feelings of desire to go out and dance, Come take my hand boy' taken from Ruffneck and Cheri Williams’ ‘The Power - The Rhythm’. Break core sounding 'Forced Mass' is a reinterpretation of 'Take Me higher' Force Mass Motion. Genuinely footwork style - 'I Deal This Way' - reincarnates M&M and Rachel Wallace’s 'I Feel This Way'. 'Lenny Is A Hooligan' is a DJ Hooligan’s sample ‘Rave Nation’ compilation and Lenny Dee’s ‘The Dreamer’. We get a similar music jigsaw puzzle (together with the history of dance music) with 'The Juke Experience'. 

'We Rob Rave' is filled with quotations and reminiscences but is also something more than a well-concocted sentimental sample puzzle. It’s a genre bridge between two crucial places for the history of dance and electronic music, namely America and England, which once again became an active transfer of mutual exchange of idea and inspiration. PZG and Dubsknit’s Ravewerk pictures this situation perfectly. 

Mastering by Yanni Turzanstein and Lukasz Szyda, 
Cover by Sebastian Oleksiak, Marcin Templar, Urban Alphabet

Free download

PREVIEW | PZG & Dubsknit - We Rob Rave LP

Split Series is a new publishing branch of Polish Juke. Its main goal is a confrontation of two producers - a Polish Juke representative and representative of the widely understood international juke/footwork community. Another crucial task posed in this series is to generate a creative offensive between the producers, an offensive, which is to inspire and create new contexts. Each of the releases consists of two original tracks and their remixes. 

The first duo of producers, the opening of the series, are one of the most uncompromising creators moving at 160bpm rate. On the Polish side, there is COMOC - a still surprising and seeking, on the international one, there is a Japanese footwork scene representative - CRZKNY, whose tracks display characteristic clear and heavy sounding called Gorjuke. 

The dynamics of the original tracks as well as the remixes oscillates between CRZKNY’s aggressive beats and COMOC’s dynamic riposte. CRZKNY refers to the argument of force, which COMOC aims at turning into a sophisticated and effective response; at some points the intensity of Kenny’s dynamics gets broken down by COMOC in a contrapuntal way with some spatial hip-hop rhythmics. The Split’s multitude of events happen in a rapid sequence, and the strategies as well as choices of the producers change radically with every track in response to the opponent’s move. 

Mastered by Łukasz Szyda
Artwork by Simo

PREVIEW | Polish Juke Split Series 01: COMOC vs CRZKNY

PRE-ORDER: https://polishjuke.bandcamp.com/album/konotopa-ep

@werobrave are back on Polish Juke! Over a year removed from Sknit’s stellar 10 inch release - Loop EP, on the newest addition to the PJ catalogue the producer rejoins his WRR partner PZG for yet another round of their trademark madness. Konotopa EP is a five-tracker overflowing with dancefloor ruggedness and sharp rhythms built upon punchy drum patterns and repetitive vocal manipulations, all over a subtle sonic palette which - though not a total novelty for the duo - provides a glimpse into what could be one of many future directions for the iconic bass heavyweights, as they went into this material aiming at both deriving from and redefining what new techno could sound like.

Mastering - Sexy Robot Introverts
Cover Art Model - Katarzyna Haładaj
Cover Tag - Merd / Made by Stricte

We Rob Rave - Flusher (taken from upcoming Konotopa EP)

Grab a new exclusive track 'Flip The Coin' made by Polish Juke crew members, @Benncart x @LuxFamiliar as @Bennelux! Enjoy!

Mastered by Nate Ferrell at The MASStering House
Artwork by @Benncart

Polish Juke Exclusive | Bennelux - Flip The Coin

@Jakett is responsible for the next tune of our Exclusive Series.  Grab it for free and enjoy! BOOM! 

Mastered by Nate Ferrell at The MASSterring House
Artwork by Simo 

Polish Juke Exclusive | Jakett - Pjano

Polish Juke Split Series Vol. 2: Heisenbergs VS BSN Posse

Heisenbergs - Move That (BSN Posse remix)

We've reached 2000 followers on Soundcloud! Thank y'all for the support and please enjoy this free doooooope exclusive tune 'Werk Double Time' made by the bros @luxfamiliar, @rhythmbaboon & @dubsknit! Peace!

Music: http://polishjuke.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/polishjuke
Twitter: http://twitter.com/polishjuke

2000 Followers Exclusive | Lux Familiar, Rhythm Baboon & Dubsknit - Werk Double Time

The newest addition to the Polish Juke catalogue is 'Polish Juke Split Series 03' - the third installment of the collection based on the collaborative spirit of Polish and international artists. 

This release combines the work of Lukasz Szyda aka Symbiotic Sounds, the co-founder of one of the most interesting independent Polish record labels Sequel One Records; an artist responsible for the breakthrough 'Footsteps in the Jungle' album, and the duo MoonDoctor & FreshtillDef - owners of the Freshmoon Records. 

Two original compositions ('Get Smoked' by Symbiotic Sounds and 'This' by Moondoctor & FreshtillDef) and their respective remixes focus their sound on two distinctive categories. On one hand, the records offer the raw, agressive and deeply rooted in the Chicago tradition battle vibe. On the other, they present a futuristic hybrid of footwork and jungle.

Follow Symbiotic Sounds: @symbioticsounds
https://facebook.com/symbioticsounds
https://twitter.com/symbioticsounds
https://instagram.com/symbioticsounds

Follow MoonDoctor: @moondoctor
https://facebook.com/moondoctor
https://twitter.com/moondoctor
https://instagram.com/tony_moondoctor

Follow FreshtillDef: @freshtilldef
https://facebook.com/freshtilldef
https://twitter.com/freshtilldef
https://instagram.com/tony_moondoctor

Polish Juke Split Series 03

Symbiotic Sounds - Get Smoked

'Polish Juke Brotha' is the first track taken from Lux Familiar's upcoming EP entitled 'The Right Way'. Full release will drop next week Tuesday 31st January.

Tracklist:
1. Polish Juke Brotha
2. More Flava
3. The Right Way feat. Rhythm Baboon
4. Tonite feat. Benncart
5. Cool Life

Mastering: Nate Ferrell at The MASStering House
Photo: K. Kaczynska

The Right Way

Support

Lux Familiar - Polish Juke Brotha

We are more than proud to present the newest release in our catalogue; FIRST ONE RECORDED BY A FOREIGN ARTIST. The man behind 'Trip to Warsaw' EP is Surly, a producer and a DJ representing New Zealand and the Californian crew Juke Bounce Werk.

The album, deeply rooted in jazz aesthetics and harmonics, offers an unparalleled experimental, avant-garde sound, rich in its mix and in numerous textures hidden in the colourable calmness of all the tracks. From strictly jazz-oriented compositions ('Thriteen', '4Q 510-511', 'Train to Lodz') to the more hip-hop and R&B influenced cuts ('Scare Em to Death', 'Wait Til the Stick Comes').

'Trip to Warsaw' is a finessed journey combining inimitable melodies, minimalism, broken rhythmics and the one-of-a-kind, unique for Surly’s style footwork groove.

Mastering by Isaac Treece
Cover by Tom Ludvigson: facebook.com/tom.ludvigson.art

Trip To Warsaw

Astigmatic Records

Surly - 4Q 510-511

Listen to '2066465' - the first track from @babymeelo's upcoming EP 'Kush, Hoops, Rhymes & Pizza Places', out March 26th on @polishjuke. Enjoy!

Music by Baby Meelo
Mastering by Paweł Bartnik at heavyweight.pro
Artwork by Zgonowicz

Baby Meelo - 2066465

Enjoy the first single 'CALM' taken from KΣITO's forthcoming 7 track EP 'CAPE' (+ 1 bonus track available only for all whose will purchase the EP on Bandcamp). Out June 20th, 2018 on @polishjuke!

Music by KΣITO http://keitosuzuki.com
Mastering by Paweł Bartnik at http://heavyweight.pro
Artwork by Hermes https://www.instagram.com/hermesartgraphics

CAPE

KΣITO - Calm

We have reached 3000 followers on our Soundcloud! Thank you all so much for listening to our music and supporting us. To celebrate this exciting milestone, we want to give you a real treat - a new tune from Warsaw-based trackmaker - Miko. 'GET HIGH' is filled with summer vibes, and it is an ideal soundtrack for those warm, sunny days. Once more, thank you and see you after the summer holidays! 

Music by Miko 
Mastering by Mikołaj Krencik 
Artwork by saiko instagram.com/saikostudio 
Sign up for our newsletter: bit.ly/polishjukenewsletter

Miko - Get High (Free download)

Enjoy the first track taken from Darren Keen's forthcoming 5-track EP 'Total Nerves On Absolute Maximum'. Out February 28th, 2019 via @polishjuke!

Music by @darrenkeen
Mastering by Paweł Bartnik at http://heavyweight.pro
Graphics by Simo instagram.com/simo.works

Total Nerves On Absolute Maximum

Darren Keen - Big Chords

Polish Juke leaves 2019 with one more treat. The crew welcomes Warsaw producer hæra and his abstract vision of footwork.

Gospel EP is not only a tribute to juke culture and microhouse production – it was made parallel to hæra’s academic research around the presence of vocals in electronic music. That is why it is built almost entirely out of choral vocal samples put together into 6 original tracks along with one remix from Wrocław based producer Baby Meelo. It’s minimal, yet it doesn’t fall into the current canon of minimal footwork. The atmosphere created by hæra is not designed for the dancefloors. Instead, it’s meant to create a meditative and ethereal experience.

Music by hæra
Mastering by heavyweight.pro
Artwork by Simo instagram.com/simo.works

Gospel

hæra - Benedicta Es

@yoshiiswxdn is a musician, multi-genre producer, sound engineer, composer and a dBs Music Berlin graduate who has been roaming the paths between Poland, Berlin, Iceland and Milan for the past couple of years, while touring and collaborating with fellow artists. Inspired by the history and sounds of Polish Radio Experimental Studio, he seeks for original textures and compositional solutions that very often tend to be contradictory at their aesthetic cores.

He officially made his debut in 2019 with the independent release of an experimental EP entitled "Patience" which vividly showcased the producer's wide spectrum of musical inspirations, ranging from modern classical and experimental music to footwork or progressive r&b. 

Currently, making a stellar debut in the Polish Juke crew, Yoshii Sxwdn explores his unreleased recordings of the past to observe himself both externally and introspectively, whether it be through a mirror reflection, cementing a very personal legacy or reminiscing over what's behind. "self_esteem" EP is a unique take on the footwork framework, rich in thick vocal textures, charmingly eerie harmonies and startling drum patterns.

Full 5-track EP is available under the link: https://polishjuke.bandcamp.com/album/self-esteem-ep

self_esteem EP

Support artist

Yoshii Swxdn - _smoke_it_up_roll_it_up_ (taken from self_esteem EP)

Listen to @babymeelo's track titled 'Vices, Part II (feat. @rhythmbaboon)' taken from his new album "The Greatest Misses". Album will be released on a LIMITED CD edition and digital on the 10th of June, 2020. 
PRE-ORDER it now: https://polishjuke.bandcamp.com/album/the-greatest-misses

Music & Mix by Baby Meelo
Mastering by Michał Kupicz
Artwork by Kamil Lach (zgonowicz.com)

The Greatest Misses

PRE-ORDER

Baby Meelo - Vices, Part II (feat. Rhythm Baboon)

@Bennelux is creating a parallel footwork universe as an alternative to Golden Age Hip-Hop.

90s Hip-Hop was a musical signpost to millennials. Both Astigmatic Records crew and Bennelux duo’s roots are deeply connected to four elements of hip-hop culture. ‘Old to the New’ is a combination of early musical inspirations blended with modern 160BPM juke and the footwork world.

‘Old to the New’ is a sentimental journey through the culture that has started a new wave of artists – from graphic designers, painters, directors and dancers to electronic music producers. Hip-hop music was always meant to be a progressive music, taking elements from the past to create something fresh. Bennelux are making sure their mixtape isn’t deprived of these features unlike a lot of current rap music.

Bennelux is a producer duo based in London (UK) and Poznan (Poland). @Benncart and @LuxFamiliar are sp ecialised in high energy Juke music, Footwork, Jungle and everything else based around 160BPM. On ‘ Old to the New’ mixtape they’re paying homage to 90s hip-hop from New York. 

We wanted to go back in time and create something completely fresh and unique moving it to the current fast-moving field of juke and footwork descending from Chicago. Most of our songs started from samples that were previously being used in some of the classic hip-hop tunes that shaped our musical taste. – says Benncart 

The majority of this project was recorded in 2014 when an undoubted pioneer of Chicago’s juke/footwork scene, DJ Rashad passed away. On the mixtape, we can find two tracks that are self-devoted to the legendary Teklife CREW  producer, including ‘Moment of Silence’ which had its premiere in 2016 on Soundcloud, taking by storm the footwork community. 

The mixtape is released on vinyl at a very limited amount of 222 copies. Each of the copies will have a handmade number and a unique tag alongside the illustration of the old Poznań Główny Railway Station. The record won’t be available on streaming platforms. The vinyl and digital version will be available only through Bandcamp. 

We’d like to dedicate this release to the people that believe in our music and have been supporting us in these uncertain times. Pre-order is available from 5t h June. The mixtape will be out on 17 th July.

Old to the New

PRE-ORDER VINYL

Bennelux - We Are Here

In the 90's Simon Reynolds penned a series of articles published in the Wire that touched upon different, then freshly emerging dance music genres born in the United Kingdom throughout the decade. After years of closely investigating some of the most innovative styles that surfaced from the underground, he realized all of them bare many similarities and are linked to each other by expanding on the ideas brought to life by the early British rave subculture and the music that soundtracked it - Hardcore techno, otherwise known as Ardkor. He called this idea "hardcore continuum", and the some of the genres that he included as part of it were Jungle, Speed Garage, 2-step, Grime or Dubstep. Benncart's "Heartcore vol. 1" is the first installment in a series of short releases inspired by the continuum. The concept behind "heartcore" is combining emotive vocal samples with heavy bass, hard-hitting drum breaks and experimental, forward-thinking sound design, all mixed with contemporary, footwork-inspired approach. Two tracks that comprise the first volume are a perfect example of this. Heavily inspired by early jungle, they are sure to rattle bass bins and be useful for many DJ's that move in the 160 BPM territory.

Music & Mix by Benncart
Mastering by heavyweight.pro
Artwork by aflo

Heartcore Vol. 1

Benncart - Losing My Heart Over You

Amane OG's blasting "Computer Life" is the newest entry to the storied Polish Juke catalogue while simultaneously marking the artist's debut on the crew. This four-track release opens 2021 up with a bang showcasing the producer's raw and unique take on the classic Chicago footwork format. Though it's quite varied in styles, the album firmly sticks to the cold, percussion-driven, synthesized aesthetic throughout its runtime - from the opening late 90s/early 00s gaming nostalgia of "Defrag", through the stomping, bass-heavy r&b chops of "Chłopaki w Footwork grają" and the undeniable funk of "Don't Stop Da Bangs", all the way to the ghoulish harmonies of the closer - "You're Someone".

Music/Mix by Amane OG
Mastering by heavyweight.pro
Artwork by Simo

Computer Life

Amane OG - Defrag

The CREW collecting the Polish musicians, producers, and DJs who love the sounds of Chicago juke/footwork music.

Polish Juke Traxx

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