2025-03-16

ALCHEMY 25

Crystal Blue

Session Victim

It can take a while for an artist to find their musical voice. For Alex Andrikopoulos, it’s been a journey that’s taken the best part of two decades. Now he’s set to mark a major milestone in his transition from record store owner, label co-founder and DJ to producer with the release of his long-promised first solo album for Leng, Waving.

The Greek artist first joined the Leng Records roster in the autumn of 2020 
and has since gone in to release the acclaimed ‘Punta Allen’ EP for the imprint. Before that, he spent the first decade of the century running the popular Radical Sounds record shop in Athens, before refocusing on running Quantized Music with fellow DJ/producer Tolis Q and developing his DJ career, where his unique blends of disco, house and techno tracks earned him bookings at some of Europe’s most storied clubs.

Waving, which appears on the back of a handful of fine EPs for a variety of labels, is his boldest and strongest statement yet as a musician and producer. Created with a little help from guest musicians and collaborators including keyboardist Artis Boriss, bassist Brotha Gilla, percussionists Ilario Arnel and Harold Perez, pianist Luciano Ledesma and guitarist Alex Searle, the album brilliantly blurs the boundary between 21st century disco, afternoon-ready downtempo grooves, and the kind of dancefloor-minded Balearic fare that’s devilishly difficult to pigeonhole.

Fittingly, the set begins with previous single ‘Punta Allen’, an eight-minute chunk of organic dancefloor goodness which slowly unfurls before rising towards and gorgeous and joyous conclusion, and ends with the squelchy, slo-mo cosmic funk of ‘Patrol Di Caribe’, where trippy synthesizer lines, layered percussion and more tuneful style pan style lead ins catch the ear.

In between, highlights are plentiful, from the driving, piano solo-laden dub disco brilliance of ‘Down My Soul’ and the languid, sun-kissed, beach-ready downtempo grooves of ‘The Jamail Pass’, to the rubbery, pitched-down electrofunk of ‘Window Spells’ (featuring a fine lead vocal from Max Giovara, the flash-friend, dubwise Balearic funk of ‘Waving’, and the throbbing brilliance of ‘La Di Da Di’, whose crunchy Clavinet lines, fluid electric piano solos, snappy drums and pulsating, arpeggio-style bass encapsulate all that is good about the album.

The digital edition of the album also comes bundled with eight more tracks not featured on the double-vinyl LP. Featuring the same blend of expansive musicality, organic drums and dancefloor nous, this octet effectively extends the album via a string of similarly playable, club-ready and sofa-friendly tracks. Standouts include the non-stop, nu-disco-meets-house excellence of ‘Large Stacks’, Hammond-laced head-nodder ‘Take The High Road’, horizontal Balearic funk shuffler ‘Prezend’ and hazy, vocal-sporting dub disco roller ‘Angels of Rhythm’, which previously appeared on the flipside of Lex’s ‘Punta Allen’ 12”.

Waving

LENG SHOP

Lex - Patrol De Caribe

Golden Sounds, also known as Zangalewa, was a makossa group from Cameroon. It was created in 1984 by active members of Cameroon's presidential guard, Jean Paul Zé Bella, Dooh Belley, Luc Eyebe and Emile Kojidie. The men in the group provided comical musical entertainment, often dressing in military uniforms, wearing pith helmets and stuffing their clothes with pillows to appear like they had swollen bottoms from riding the train and fat stomachs from eating too much. The band is most famous for its song, "Zangalewa", which was a huge hit in Africa after its release in 1986. The song was also popular in Colombia where it was known as "The Military", and brought to the country by West African DJs. The song made their band so popular that they later changed the name of their group to Zangalewa, which means in Ewondo, a Cameroonian language, "Who Called You?" (Za'nga'lowa).

Golden sounds- Zangalewa (waka waka) (Zamina mina)

Stream:
https://bfan.link/dasteworld 

Socials:
https://linktr.ee/daste.music

Credits:
Produced & Performed by daste.
Written by Braxton Tahi, Callum MacDonald, Tyler Harden (aka daste.)
Additional writing by Jess Cameron, Aidan Rahman, Felicity Vanderveen, James Vincent, Maxwell Byrne
Additional session performances by Jess Cameron, Aidan Rahman, Felicity Vanderveen, James Vincent, Jasper Gundersen
Additional production by Maxwell Byrne and James Vincent
Mixed by James Vincent
Mastered by Alex Gordon
Album Artwork by Tom Carroll
Press Photos by James Caswell

dasteWORLD

Wayside

Stream/Buy

Teddy Swims - Lose Control (HEYZ Flip)
Free Download: https://hypeddit.com/teddyswims/losecontrolheyzflip

"HEYZ'D And Confused" TOUR TIX: laylo.com/heyz/m/FMsVLV
8.01 - Tulsa, OK
8.23 - Tampa, FL
8.24 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
9.13 - Pontiac, MI
9.25 - Boston, MA
9.26 - Charlotte, NC
10.03 - Missoula, MT
10.04 - Bozeman, MT
10.10 - Albuquerque, NM
10.11 - Reno, NV
10.16 - Jacksonville, FL
10.17 - Atlanta, GA
10.30 - Boulder, CO
11.06 - Johnson City, TN
11.07 - Knoxville, TN
11.08 - Brooklyn, NY
11.13 - Charleston, SC
11.14 - Austin, TX
11.15 - Dallas, TX
11.21 - Madison, WI
11.22 - Chicago, IL
12.13 - Virginia Beach, VA
MORE TBA

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Soundcloud: bit.ly/Heyz_SC

Free Download

Teddy Swims - Lose Control (HEYZ Flip)

02 - Diogo Strausz - Caramba [Razor-N-Tape]

"Silver Bass," Eliot Lipp's followup track to "Kona,"  is somehow simultaneously more organic and more digital. This one sets sail with live drums, an electric bass & guitar groove with some layered piano samples. A dueling saxophone and Moog help shape the melody, and before long everything begins to morph into a digitally sequenced version of itself. Acoustic instruments are swapped with broken synth cuts and drum machines setting this breezy electro jam out on a journey.

Silver Bass

JKriv returns to home base Razor-N-Tape with the Intuition EP, a strong statement of how far his sound has traveled in the 2+ years since his last artist release on the label.

Blueprint, a driving club burner rooted on an unrelenting bass line, builds slowly through conversational synth elements until it opens up into a soulful vocal loop that explodes in a euphoric peak. The title track of the EP is a dubby slow roller that was equal parts inspired by 90s Ryuichi Sakamoto records and modern G-funk. Over its lithe piano, hooky vocoder melodies, and rolling bass, Megatronic delivers a melancholic message of relationship loss and renewal, and coda vocals are added by J himself.

Zone 1, an ode to David Morales’ amazing Red Zone 90s remix catalog, drives hard with insistent analog drums and absolutely filthy bass beneath a pillowy layer of lush and acidic synth elements. Wearing the influence of J’s favorite producer Larry Heard proudly on its sleeve, Paula’s Dance is a symphony of intertwining analog gear, with a mysterious and gorgeous vocal by Mexican singer Pahua.

Completed while JKriv was undergoing treatment for lymphoma in the latter part of 2024, this record is both deeply personal and a triumphant statement of determination under adversity. The beautiful cover artwork by The Myno captures both the vulnerability and focus that defined the period in which J made this music.

JKriv - Intuition (feat. Megatronic)

DC Promo Tracks #1577: "No War" by Macchianera is part of the release "Incognito Trax 006" on Flexi Cuts @flexicuts_wax  

Buy Now: https://fanlink.tv/incax006 

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instagram.com/dreamchimney • https://dreamchimney.bandcamp.com • twitter.com/dreamchimney

⭐ More Dream Chimney: https://www.dreamchimney.com ⭐

DC Promo Tracks: Macchianera "No War"

Jolene 04 EP
Label - Jolene Records
Released - 14th March 2025
BUY FROM - https://jolenerecords.bandcamp.com/album/jolene-04

House music has been a defining feature of the lives of the Parton brothers for as long as they can remember. They have lived and danced through many evolutions of it and bring all that knowledge and a love of 90s style and classy French touch cool to their own work. It has landed them big releases on plenty of top labels, often laden with superb samples and plenty of dance floor impact. Now they are focussing on their own Jolene Records and impress once more with this fourth outing.

Support ➟➟
https://www.instagram.com/jolenerecords
https://soundcloud.com/jolenerecords

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PREMIERE: Mike Parton - Housewife  [Jolene Records]

Piero Farho, LevyM - Phylicia (Extended Mix)

PREMIERE: Sunner Soul - Jazzy Style [Vintage Music]

Hell Yeah series File Under Balearic Gabba continues its mission to bring some vital, previously digital-only Balearic Gabba weaponry to vinyl for the first time. This second volume has again artwork by Planet Luke and features Wallace next to new school stars SIRS and Pedro Bertho.

Tartan Records label head and British talent Wallace opens up with a remix of Sewell And The Gong's 'Better Words' that has been a real summer hit for label head Marco Gallerani.
The original came on Jason Boardman's fine Before I Die label and is one of those jams that transcends genre and wins over techno heads, Adriatic beach groovers and festival main stages alike. It is "proper Balearic Gabba" says Marco with its tropical percussion, humid pads and watery droplets all adding lush atmosphere to the dubby drums. The chords and reedy leads are beautifully delicate but get floors in a blissed-out, loved-up trance.

SIRS is an artist on fire right now and already impressed on this label with his remix of Aura Safari which is one of the year's standout Balearic house jams. He has a new single on the way for Hell Yeah but first flips label mate My Friend Dario's 'Tellaro' into a wobbly, psyched-out dub disco and breakbeat chugger. The zippy synths and shimmering keys are underpinned with a taught bassline and playful vocals that bring great fun and irresistible party vibes to any set.

Hell Yeah mainstay Verdo then has his 'Boulevardier' remixed by Pedro Bertho, a rising talent from Brazil with a steamy South American style. This one is a modern beach classic that unites both young and old heads with its frayed analogue drums and snappy percussion joining the dots between 80s Chicago house, new age and Balearic with its big piano chords and phased bass all getting hands the air.

Bandcamp

Sewell And The Gong - Better Words (Wallace Remix)

Championed heavily by Gilles Peterson, lovetempo’s modern soul classic “But I Do” gets a vinyl release with a trio of remixes. Crackazat delivers in his signature style, weaving the organic elements and earworm vocals of the original into a deep and jazzy mix. Londoner Daisybelle bumps the BPMs up a few notches and adds pulsing synths to her take, and Brazilian duo From House To Disco turn in a dubby club remix to round out the record.

But I Do (12“ Mix)

Off the dome* First time dropping something. was just listening to this and started venting, I hope you enjoy a little, just was feeling it some.

Andre 3000 Off Rhythm Laughter vent/freestyle Off the dome*

Moby & Goddard. ft. Lovelle - 'Stereo'

First Part is out! 2+3 coming soon 💕🎶

Back in their familiar DOG home, as ever, there's warmth and musicality running through it all, blending dusty house, broken beat and a touch of downtempo haze. ....plenty of live instrumentation, a few carefully chosen samples, and the sense that these are producers still having fun, even after all these years in the game. (Juno records 2025)

Defy Gravity

The Unheard

Etienne De Crecy - Live At Love Family Park (Part 2)

Cut in Brooklyn // Good for Dance!

Contact:
Tapey [a] Razor-N-Tape [dot] com

Demos: demos [at] Razor-N-Tape [dot] com