Issuing a buy alert on the following stonks. This thematic portfolio tracks underground trends and should supplement a core portfolio of underground 90s and early 00s electronic music. Remember: diversified investing early and often is a proven investment strategy. Happy diggin' yo!

Buy Alert: 2024

mar24

Releases

STEP02 - Step Ball Chain 
Tapestry Of Sound
Pre Order @ One Eye Witness: https://cutt.ly/ocKIA8r
Digi Preorder: https://stepballchain.bandcamp.com/album/tapestry-of-sound

A1 Maypole Theme (Surrealist Piano Roll Mix) [6:58]
A2 Maypole Theme (Looming Giant Mix) [4:59]

B1 Wasp Of A Woman [5:50]
B2 Inhale, Exhale [5:32]

Visual Art and Music have historically shared an important, entwined relationship; often posing questions of which provoked which in a project? What about when the imagery is a medieval surrealist, hyper coloured XTC wonderland? Genre-blurred and stirred, daring and dynamic dance music for the twistedly imaginative minds and bodies! The Tapestry of Sound is an audio tribute to the liquid lockdown Tapestry of 2020, a wall-size mixed media art piece originally intended for a live-stream backdrop; despite not being completed in time, it became the epicentre of communal creative junction & release - no limits or logical sense. The result, a sonic terrarium cultivated by longtime partners in crime D. Tiffany and Roza Terenzi; with the help of friends, weaving their sapphic magic into something wicked and new for STEP02, Tapestry of Sound.

A maypole is a tall wooden pole often erected as part of late 19th century European Midsummer folk festivals, around which a dance often takes place; coinciding with Summer Solstice, or in Corona-era... Scrollstice. The A-side presents two contrasting offerings of the Maypole Theme, opening with the Surrealist Piano Roll Mix; an effortless euphoria gliding and twirling amidst a rolling 2-step garage routine, playfully anticipating melodic ecstasy via black and white keys. A complementary contrast offered by the Looming Giant Mix; sleek and deep. A hot-femme fiasco, driving and deviating between 4/4 and a freaky broken plot-twist; evoking imagery of the night, skipping fiercely round the pole; which was often considered a symbol of the union between masculine and feminine energy.

Wasp Of A Woman initiates the B side blowout, stripped back and sensual, but don’t be fooled; this is a straight-up b0mb. Low end throbbing underneath ferociously swung drums, topped by microphone assassin Kaylin with the fire lyrical content, a true upcycle of genres to set the mood for a flammable dancefloor. Cooling off, only slightly for a cigarette break, is Inhale, Exhale the final track from the EP. The tempo finally settling down but bumping up the groove with thumping toms guiding a playful party-starter, rhythmic and melodically inspired; infectiously cheeky with subliminal naughty memos teasing their way in through the backdoor.

Let your mind run wild with this effortless collaboration, two minds sharing the same obscurely forward-thinking visionary, the Tapestry Of Sound; a Meta Musical Time Capsule.

Mixing by Tapestry & Marco Pellegrino
Mastering & Cut by Marco Pellegrino @ Analog Cut
Distributed by One Eye Witness
Artwork by Sophia & Kathy

Tapestry Of Sound (STEP02)

Preorder Vinyl & Digital via Bandcamp:
https://bit.ly/3HezcqT

One Eye Witness:
https://bit.ly/3RT9lcL

The Naarm chapter of the Oyster Cult has been coming through with in a big way lately, and this one is no exception. Introducing Reflex Blue, the latest Antipodean export to put his stamp on a lysergic dancefloor sound indebted to the early ‘90s.

If Australia’s South East has proven itself a fertile breeding ground for tripped-out dance music, Reflex Blue is a case in point. Rather than sliding into pastiche, tracks like ‘Outdoor Dance’ and ‘Tension Rise’ offer forward-facing slants on trance-inducing prog house styles. They plumb the depths of nostalgia, all in the pursuit of dancefloor unity and fractal elation.

The flip-side comes bearing nocturnal house incursions. But where ‘Creepin’ Around The Bend’ opts for rude, jacking propulsion, low-slung number ‘Low End Freqz (Dial Up Mix)’ dials up the seductive appeal while sticking to the same sonic palette. Seriously indulgent gear primed for the witching hour.

Reflex Blue - Fuzion EP | Kalahari Oyster Cult (OYSTER47)

Command D’s life between the urban and green surrounds of Eora/Sydney shine through in his Animalia debut with a smoked out, dubby four tracker. Diving between slinky downtempo and dance-floor driven beats, weighty bass-lines, crisp percussion and submerged pads wrap the record in a shrouded atmosphere of tension and release.

Animalia would like to acknowledge that all tracks were produced on the traditional land of the Gadigal peoples of the Eora Nation, and pay respect to their elders past, and present. Sovereignty was never ceded.

@commandd

A1: Esc
A2: Stat Point 
B1: Cycles
B2: 0 - Zone (feat. Cousin) (@secondcousins)

Artist: Command D (Charles Fester)(Sydney/ Eora, Australia) 
Title: Esc
Format: 12”
Distributed by: Clone (Rotterdam, NL)
Artwork & Design by Josh Abramovici (NYC, USA)
Mastered by The Herbalist aka Corey Kikos (Melbourne/ Naarm, Australia)

Command D - Esc (ANIMA9)

Mabel - Pleasure Phonetix
@mabelau

Vinyl Preorder: https://bit.ly/48PoRh0
Digi Preorder: https://t.ly/kgBI1

Busting into the Step Ball Chain domain is Naarm prodigy Mabel, who has already been making tectonic waves amongst the underbelly of clubland. Her signature psychedelic bratty-bass can be heard infiltrating doofs, raves and parties at feverish rates as everyone wants a taste of her slick, salacious sonics; Pleasure Phonetix generously offers five cuts for every spectrum of dance freak. Spanning tweaked out techno, stripped back electro flirtations and driving sophisticated psy-prog, Mabel never forgets to sprinkle a little vocal heat when it’s due - brace yourself for a rambunctious release.

Produced by Mabel Hutterer
Mastering by Marco Pellegrino 
Cut by Marco Pellegrino at Analog Cut
Distributed by One Eye Witness
Artwork by Sophia

Mabel - Pleasure Phonetix (STEP10)

Announcing HD003: “Terminus” by Lines of Love.

A huge welcome to Lines of Love for our first release of 2024.

The hardware wizard based out of Cologne, Germany is nothing short of extraordinary when it comes to incorporating ethereal sounds into his mind warping discography of music and this EP is no exception.

Expect a mix of stripped-back yet groove-filled cuts, alongside gritty and deeper sounds crafted for 4:00am in the basement…

This five tracker has been carefully curated to cater for everyone, tailored for big sound systems and not for the feint hearted.

Credits:
Production and Mixing: Lines Of Love
Mastering: Joe Buchan aka Other Joe
Artwork Design: Joe Marchall

HLXD003: Lines Of Love - Terminus EP

chronara

Pew Fellowship recipient, King James Britt (his real name) is a 30+ year, producer, composer, performer and educator in electronic music. As a composer and producer, his practice has lead to collaborations with the likes of De La Soul, Alarm Will Sound Orchestra, Saul Williams, director Michael Mann (Miami Vice) and many others, as well as being called for remixes from an eclectic list of giants, including, Meredith Monk, Solange to Calvin Harris. Most recently collaborating with MacArthur Fellow, Tyshawn Sorey for a recently released album project. In his role as performer, he has travelled globally playing thousands of venues and festivals, including, AfroPunk (NYC), Berghain (Berlin), MoogFest (Durham), Le Guess Who Festival (Utrecht) and The Kitchen (NYC). King was also the original DJ for the Grammy Award winning Digable Planets.
His curatorial work has been seen in many collaborations with the likes of MoMA PS1, Philadelphia Museum of Art and most recently Carnegie Hall. Blacktronika : Afrofuturism In Electronic Music, is a new lecture course at UCSD, created by Professor King Britt, researching and honoring the people of color, who have pioneered groundbreaking genres within the electronic music landscape. Genres span from Chicago House, Detroit Techno and Drum & Bass music. Using his position in the industry, the class has been attended by many, including Questlove, Julian Priester and Flying
Lotus. King remains one of the go to authorities on Afrofuturism in music.

Follow King Britt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kingbritt/?hl=en

Coloring Lessons Mix Series 063: King Britt

SPT009 marks the return of Changer to the label, with 3 original tracks (pres. by Oprofessionell) alongside a remix by co-head Frank Heise.

Pre-order: spacetraxberlin.bandcamp.com/album/spt009
Release date: 01.04.2024

More info to the artist of this track:
@oprofessionell

Changer - Undiscovered Expeditions

Recorded in one take no edits from my phone in philadelphia playing tapes in Rorys collection. 

final pov tender feeling night sky excerpt 
mister water wet ‘compost’ excerpt
micro incubus excerpt
angel 1 fy excerpt
perila house of care excerpt 
michael vallera ‘rome’
daniel wyche ‘the fire in the lacquer house’ excerpt
baby birds don’t drink milk ‘good times in the trenches’ excerpt
exael ‘hom’ 
ulla floor side a 
vehicle blues ‘177’

3XL w/ Special Guest DJ 'Listening to Lillerne Tapes' on NTS radio 040324

Name: Stephanie Neptune
Alias: Doctor Earth (@doctorearth)
Pronouns: She/Her
Location: Just moved to Cork, Ireland

Influences: Larry Heard (who's records are so good it literally changed my life), all the Chicago, Detroit & NYC house OGs, the old heads who kept pushing boundaries on the dancefloor and the young cats who've taken it even further, every dance record shop that's still open (against all odds), The Loft, the Sweaties, MTZ, Page Six (the dj not the scandal rag), my TURRBO brothers, the Lot crew, the UCC music department, the nightlife historian Tim Lawrence, and any-buddy i've met while groovin' out there. 

Affiliations/Residencies/Projects: My only current affiliation is University College Cork (lol) but in my many years knocking around New York I rolled with The Lot Radio, Sweat Equity, CLEAR, and TURRBOTAX ;)

Favorite Quote: "In the music the village never ends." - Letta Mbulu "The Village"

Advice for the DJs, producers and artists of our community: Freak how you feel, and support everyone who does the same.

With this mix Doctor Earth asks for you to please learn more about and consider donating to:
❁ The Hungry Monk Rescue Truck & Food Pantry (https://www.monkworx.org/)
❁ eSIMs for Gaza (https://linktr.ee/gazaesimsdonor)

Read more and tracklist - https://thedaisychain.club/2024/03/05/daisychain-320-doctor-earth/

Daisychain

Daisychain 320 - Doctor Earth

trickpony - Pillow Talk
STEP11

Vinyl Preorder: https://t.ly/_JdmN
Digi Preorder: https://t.ly/_ZybS

Step Ball Chain’s unconventional prototype band trickpony is the 11th release on the ever evolving imprint. An assortment of sensual cyber jams collaged together by the trio over timezones, birthed in Perth, Australia by Mike Midnight and Roza Terenzi; old friends joined by Helsinki’s visionary songstress Maria Korkeila. A trinity of alchemy blossomed into an audio rendition of exquisite corpse, layers of each entity glistening through amongst a united cosmos; trip hop atmospherics and downtempo drippings. 

The five track EP reveals a metamorphosis of nostalgia, a foot in the ever present and daydreams of future. A subconscious deep dive into lustful pop, guided by spine tingling vocal fantasies; textural hallucination, harmonic odes to the golden era underground and a flirtation with drum and bass, tribal percussive freakouts and dream tinged lyrics of desire. 

Pillow talk is a timeless exhibit of esoteric treasures, a portal to a private world of modern enchantment that reveals itself in new ways each listen, music for lovers created by a supergroup of innovators to be digested, shared and cherished.



Written & Produced by Michael Gunson, Katie Campbell and Maria Korkeila
Mastering by Marco Pellegrino 
Cut by Marco Pellegrino at Analog Cut
Distributed by One Eye Witness
Artwork by Nicola Tirabasso

trickpony - Pillow Talk (STEP11)

Roza Terenzi - Let's Ride
Dekmantel (DKMNTL066) 

a1.	3.I.Y.
a2.	Bricks
b1.	Freak N Tweak
b2.	Open Me

https://shop.dekmantel.com/release/6346

Australian producer Roza Terenzi is next on Dekmantel with a quasi-cosmic, tropospheric slab of deep rave. The blend of breakbeats, distorted rhythms, and quirky yet sublime analog melodies evoke the senses, making this an exciting label debut from one of the underground’s rapidly rising stars. 

'Let’s Ride' kicks of with '3.I.Y.', a track that initially reverberates and tweaks, as if crashing in from outer space. 'Bricks' slows the tempo down, and adds larger degrees of space, with a 110bpm chilled out timbre, and a wispy-palette. 'Freak N Tweak' is another slice where the mood cuts gently between ambient bliss, and analogically synthesised, percussive electro - like a downtempo, cerebral take on classic electronica. The EP’s closer 'Open Me' takes the music back to full rave-speed, with layers of classic-era breakbeats and vintage sounding keys, all manifesting itself in Terenzi’s contemporary take on pulsing, esoteric dancefloor rhythms.

DKMNTL066 // Roza Terenzi - Let's Ride

It was somehow inevitable that long time friends Klasse Wrecks and Pelvis would come together and release a joint venture, the UK/Hong Kong based record label and Australian multi-disciplinary fashion/music/design-house had been orbiting each other for years with similar styles and taste (see Luca Lozano’s ‘King Blade EP’ as proof). It only took the well timed and serendipitous sending of demos from mutual friend Roza Terenzi to seal the deal and concept of the split release and thus KWXPR001 was born. The 4 tracker is typical of both labels direction and even more so the signature style of Terenzi’s bleepy and sharp-as-a-knife productions. The two original tracks ‘Metal Glo’ and ‘Allstarz’ are representative of Roza’s mutant production style, taking in electro, breaks and futuristic atmospheres and show off the flair and confidence of the rising star from Perth.

WRECKS026 - Roza Terenzi " Metal Glo " EP

https://soundcloud.com/roza-terenzi

One of the first visitors to Planet Euphorique, Melbourne-based producer Roza Terenzi makes her triumphant return with the first LP release on the label. A playful yet cohesive collection from post-electro and extra-terrestrial techno to dreamy prog-house and low slung zingers, bumping us into the new decade. Modern Bliss, the sound of Roza Terenzi fully realized.

Never shy to experiment with unconventional sounds or mingle influences, the album presents 9 offerings to suit every flavor of raver. Opener, "Jungle in the City," takes down-tempo to a new astral plane with blushing pads and tumbling pixels, perfectly poised for a spine-tingling after hours sunrise.The title track "Modern Bliss" featuring Barcelona based singer/producer Ivy Barkakati encapsulates the dancefloor euphoria we have come to expect from Terenzi; in essence the energy of this release, contemporary jubilation and contentment amongst a chaotic world. Flickering percussion prancing above deep rolling bottom end, allowing bubbling stabs and synth sequences to lift Barkakati's intoxicating vocals to dizzy heights. “Exactly where I need to be, my thoughts create reality” truer words…

Flipping it over to the B side things heat up, “Yo-Yo” chimes in immediately with a tough onslaught of metallic polyrhythms and a pulsating melodic bassline coaxing you down a path less travelled and preparing you for the sexy sub action that demands your attention, "That Track (Rewired Mix)", buckle up to sweat. Sweet relief comes with the C side “Exhale”, dipping in tempo; esoteric atmospheres to fill your ears, something fresh to absorb with each listen.  To close off the record, something old and something new, “Eternal Lust” a delicate ode to the lovers and from the vaults “My Reality Cheque Bounced (Feat. DJ Zozi)” - a raucous party starter serving up that label defining sound, futuristic and bombastic, tipping its hat to the break. 


With subconscious salutes to the astrological world of OG maven Fiorella Terenzi, “Modern Bliss” invites you into an encapsulating, electronically ethereal universe. A record to summarize the myriad of diverse and evolving sides to Roza Terenzi, the full length allowing her to capture a moment in time with possibilities to transcend dance music expectations. It’s the listeners' decision whether to take a personal introspective journey through the sounds - or share the bliss with friends, united strangers and all those who dance in harmony on the tiny Planet Euphorique...

Roza Terenzi
Title: Modern Bliss LP
Cat: PE011
Format: 12” x 2
Distributed by Rubadub
Artwork by Jenny Grant
Preorder: February 25, 2020
Release date: April 17, 2020

Roza Terenzi "Modern Bliss"

STEP01 - Step Ball Chain 
Roza Terenzi - Stylish Tantrum
Pre Order @ One Eye Witness: https://bit.ly/2GZPc4m

A1 Cosmology [6:21]
A2 Stylish Tantrum [7:19]

B1 Chosen Family Feud - Roza Terenzi & D.Tiffany [5:26]
B2 Illusions [5:40]
B3 Sxc Saloon - Roza Terenzi & Saoirse [5:59]

Popping The Cherry of 2020’s latest modern-contemporary record label; Step Ball Chain, is Roza Terenzi with “Stylish Tantrum”. Suggestive title to set the tone; the 5 track EP insisting sharp, sassy, high-tempered bombs with full bodied bounce. Unexpected tempo and timing variations, flared-up bpms, half time drum cuts and slicked modular flourishes, Terenzi’s signature cheek ramps up to an extra twisted club climate, atmospheric and evocative in texture as always. Featuring collaborations with D. Tiffany and Saoirse, the release covers extended dancefloor territory, assertive anthems delivering femme finesse, choreographed to perfection.

The A side fires up with an exuberant 4-by-4-2-the-floor routine, Cosmology. Vocal cuts from the queen Fiorella, billowing bells and dramatic synthetic sweeps to form fluidity over the tight bouncy low end. Whilst flirtatious melodic notions come and go, zip-lock percussion and commanding drumwork hold it down; squeaky steeze not-so-politely letting you know what’s to come. Deceivingly dubwise introductions soon furiously interrupted with Stylish Tantrum. Ricochet rhythms and bone breaking clap backs echo around your head, electrifying percussive fills and vocal spills snatching your attention before the everything glues together vicious harmony, baseline pulsating underneath a whiplash drum display - one for the dangerous deejays.

Chosen Family Feud opens the B side, a collab with seasoned associate @d-tiffany, showing off a bossy stomping brigade. Mumbling voices, waspy sirens and spooked out synth lines haunt the beginnings of the track, stripping back to a bassline breakdown before wailing vocals and clattered percussion take over, cymbals bursting. B2 is a moment to reflect, Illusions brings the energy down, low slung metallic backbeats thrown over encompassing, effortless pads and soaring resonance. The downtempo atmosphere crept up on by a double time d’n’b re-jig, softly gliding in over the growling sub, chopped breaks reflecting and falling. Closing out the record is another joint effort, recorded in Melbourne with @saoirsemusic ; Sxc saloon dashing back to the dancefloor, hot and deep. Throbbing bass married with slick galloping drums, sensuous fleeting whispers looping to draw you into hypnosis before a climactic tempo plummet intended to turn heads.

STEP01 is kicking its heels up, stomping, strutting and trailblazing for what’s to come.

Mixing by Katie Campbell & Thomas McAlister
Mastering by Alden Tyrell 
Cut by Marco Pellegrino at Analog Cut
Distributed by One Eye Witness
Artwork by True Tender

Roza Terenzi - Stylish Tantrum (STEP01)

stepballchainrecords@gmail.com
https://stepballchain.bandcamp.com/
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