Releases

25_05

SoHaSo - Complete Catalogue

Following the launch of the Eyes series, Early Reflex welcomes back Ikävä Pii for “Eyes II”, the second entry in this exploratory two-tracker format. 

Possibly the darkest tracks Ikävä Pii has produced to date, ‘False Binaries Fight for Primacy’ and ‘Permaweird’ are two detailed and twisted club tunes, encapsulating the perennial state of frustrated urgency of our times. 
Uneasy feelings are conveyed in both tracks, and refracted through the artist’s signature playful approach.
False Binaries Fight for Primacy is driven by the eerie ambiguity of its major/minor harmony, and a relentless rhythmic section that nods to post-punk as much as the track’s distorted, shouty vocals. The unsettling main theme of Permaweird is hinged on an alteration of the Locrian mode (often deemed the “weirdest” mode), and its timbre, albeit recalling familiar patches from the Process Fatigue era, here paints a much darker picture. 
Topical and heartfelt, these tracks update Ikävä Pii’s sound with an uncanny mutation, material for a standout moment in a club set. Already secret weapons in Ikävä Pii’s live show for nearly a year, they’ve left heads spinning on dancefloors in UK, Europe and beyond, and now find their proper home on Early Reflex.

Ikävä Pii said:
“What’s the purpose of club music in a climate where alienation is the norm and outdated narratives are collapsing?
We live in the permaweird: reality gets increasingly absurd, and yet we adapt to it every day.
Nothing to fight for: digital vs physical, liberal left vs authoritarian right, old vs young - just false binaries. There must be another way. 
In the meantime, activate punk mode, shout in the mic, use stranger scales. 
The only real binary is rich vs non-rich (and that’s what clubs should be about).
Thanks Venkatesh Rao and David Rudnick for the inspiration.”

‘Eyes II’ is available on all platforms starting from Friday 2nd May 2025.

© & ℗ 2025 Early Reflex. All rights reserved.

All tracks produced and mixed by Ikävä Pii at Niche Studio, London § Mastering at CB5 Studios § Artwork by Alessandro Scanu.

False Binaries Fight for Primacy

OUT NOW

Ikävä Pii - False Binaries Fight for Primacy

Two foundational releases from Toronto's Strobe Records get a well-deserved reissue on the Clone Classic Cuts series, spotlighting a pivotal moment in North American dance music. While often overshadowed by the Detroit and New York scenes, Toronto's underground in the early '90s was brewing its own potent blend of house and techno - and these tracks are prime examples of that cross-border synergy.

The Hayden Andre Project's contributions sit at the perfect intersection of tribal house rhythms and the emotive, machine-driven pulse of early Detroit techno. There's a raw elegance here - a sense of deep groove layered with just the right amount of percussive tension. It's no surprise that these tracks became staples in the crates of DJs both then and now. The production feels timeless, with hypnotic arrangements that still command the floor over three decades later.

On the flip, Kingdom Come, another alias of Ron Allen, delivers lush, blissed-out house music that channels the soulful energy of New York's golden era while adding a uniquely Canadian sensibility. Allen's piano work, layered with warm pads and swinging drums, gives these tracks an unmistakable vibe - equal parts deep house ecstasy and garage swagger. It's the sound of 3 a.m. euphoria, of packed dance floors and emotional peaks.

This reissue not only shines a light on the underrated Toronto scene but also remind us just how global and interconnected house music was becoming in the early '90s. For both collectors and newcomers, these are essential cuts - testaments to a moment when boundaries between cities and styles were blurred in the name of dance.

order @ clone.nl

The Hayden Andre Project / Kingdom Come - Tribal Life / Groovy Baby EP [C#CC036]

First single from forthcoming IHA EP Diwa (Out May 2nd).

Codei

Annie Hall - Practical Optimism EP - Delsin Records - dsr-e15

buy vinyl: https://www.delsinrecords.com/release/9074/annie-hall/practical-optimism-ep
buy digital: https://musicanniehall.bandcamp.com/album/practical-optimism-ep

a1. Divergent Thinker
a2. Managing Nothing
b1. Ability To Multitask
b2. Practical Optimism

Spanish Electronica, IDM, Electro all-rounder Annie Hall presents her first full EP for Delsin Records. After a sneaky under the radar contribution to an untitled white label series earlier, she hereby delivers four magnificent cuts of machine heavy electro melancholia to form her Practical Optimism EP. Broken beats with Detroit atmospheres strengthened by knife sharp lazer beams, bumpy drum programming and mesmerizing vocal use form the core of an excellent piece of work that represents both Hall and Delsin in optima forma.


Buy @ Delsin Shop

Annie Hall - Practical Optimism EP (DSR-E15)

Everything Liquid - Everything Liquid EP
BUY LINK: https://orcd.co/everythingliquid
Label: Stratasonic Records (https://soundcloud.com/stratasonic)
https://www.instagram.com/stratasonic_records
Everything Liquid > (https://soundcloud.com/everything-liquid)
https://www.instagram.com/everything.liquid/

Everything Liquid is a brand-new duo formed in LA. This is their first outing, and it speaks to a pair who have some serious studio chops. They have immediately cooked up a highly developed sound that showcases masterful drum programming, a range of organic and synthetic sound designs and great balance between dynamic grooves and musical synths that leave a lasting impression. 

The EP opens with 'No Signal' featuring Chicago's Jamaican-American singer-songwriter Jesse Boykins III who has previously featured alongside the likes of Hudson Mohawke, Tiga and Machinedrum. It's a thrilling broken beat cut with punchy rhythms oﬀset by the gorgeous falsetto vocals that bring smoky soul next to expressive synth lines and lush chords. The dub version is pared back to the kinetic beats and meticulous percussion for direct dancefloor action. 

The superb 'L A R P' is another masterfully programmed blend of warm, smeared chords and prickly broken beat patterns that sweep you oﬀ your feet and 'Time' then gets more deep and late night. Sultry spoken words bring a sense of intimacy to the organic grooves that rise and fall beneath lingering melancholic keys. Finally, 'Airbud' is an almost eight-minute synth symphony that takes you on a journey through widescreen worlds. Some pads flicker like a dodgy light build, some arc up in grandiose fashion and others twinkle like distant stars. It's a trippy place to get lost.

BUY LINK

PREMIERE : Everything Liquid - l a r p

Bandcamp: https://sohaso.bandcamp.com/album/herbology

If you are into psychedelic and adventurous electronica, you'll love So Oishi's second EP for the Dutch record label SoHaSo. Herbology is a five-part trip where acoustic and electronic elements merge in slow motion. On his last record, The Lithospere EP, Japanese producer So Oishi showed off his skills in a variety of styles. But this time, Oishi keeps things slow and dreamy for most of the ride. 

The opening track, The Opposite Shore, has a Heart of Darkness-kinda vibe, with strange noises emerging from the river banks somewhere deep in the jungle. On Canopy Rites, we've seem to have reached an African village, judging by the tribal rhythms coming from the shacks ashore. 

Next up is Artemis, the only proper club track on this otherwise intimate EP. With its kick drums and howling bass, it reminds us of early Underworld productions. It’s a surprising center piece on Herbology. With Sinking and Herbology we're back in chill out territories, where acoustic instruments like tablas and flutes float harmonically with electronic soundscapes. 

Japanese producer https://soundcloud.com/sooishi has carved out his little safe space on planet SoHaSo and we rather like it there. We hope you do too. 

Artwork by Bas Dobbelaer

So Oishi - Herbology

So Oishi - Canopy Rites

So Oishi - Sinking

So Oishi - Artemis

So Oishi - The Opposite Shore

Something Happening Somewhere
OOSSHA / NOWHERE

http://www.sohaso.com
https://sohaso.bandcamp.com/

Something Happening Somewhere (SoHaSo). 
Founded by https://soundcloud.com/nunodossantos, residing in Utrecht, The Netherlands. "The name itself leaves a lot open for your own imagination."