real tune ! air miles keeping every release impressive

Holidays on secluded beaches; long hikes up a mountain to catch the sunset; an unforgettable meal at a restaurant on the square: her preferred means of escaping reality had become impossible over the last year. Now she relied on her imagination to whisk her away. She closed her eyes and pictured herself somewhere free from the pressures of daily life; the waves gently lapping at her feet, the wind rustling her hair and the sun streaming down on her face.

For his debut release on Loose Fit Records, Leipzig-based producer Planetary Secrets explores themes of escapism, translating his personal take on what escaping reality means to him. Conjuring up fantastical feelings of nostalgia and imagined worlds throughout, the opener, 90s rave-inspired 'Guatemala Dreams', transports listeners into dense jungle, while B-side, 'Burning Fist', is a love letter to vintage video games, specifically Tekken. These two original cuts are backed up by remixes from Lobster Theremin affiliate Pépe and Breaka Recordings boss, Breaka.

Guatemala Dreams

PREMIERE: Planetary Secrets - Guatemala Dreams (Pépe Flute Of The Loon Remix)  [Loose Fit]

The mix series and music platform Mantissa takes its first steps into the label space with Mantissa 001. Written and produced by a close friend to the Mantissa family, this unnamed and elusive artist has helped us launch the label with a bang with three club focused, space inspired tracks designed to decimate a dancefloor or atone for a night's shenanigans at an after's.    

Space Cadet opens the extraterrestrial affair, weaving from acoustic elements to electronic and eclectic synth lines. The A side ends with Frozen Bounce, a wobbly number, woven together with quick cuts and jerky elements. U10A, the most structured of a complex affair is a warming club tool perfect for both, beginning and finishing an evening. It's remix similarly suitable for any party specific scenario, produced by the infamously talented artist Ciel.

Check out the snippets on our Soundcloud or pre-order on our Bandcamp to get the download of Space Cadet immediately!

@mantissa1

Buy:
https://mantissa.bandcamp.com/album/mantissa-001

PREMIERE: Unknown Artist - Space Cadet [Mantissa]

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* Read more: https://boltingbits.com/duncan-forbes-the-next-step-pepes-find-courage-from-fear-version-49-north
* Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FtZEUPqd3ew
* Pre-order: https://duncanforbes.bandcamp.com/album/49north-ep-1

After a brief lockdown-prompted hiatus - Duncan Forbes and his new 49North imprint, return for their 3rd outing... a 4-track EP, made up of 2 DF originals and a remix of each. One from the universally revered UK House & Techno don, Mr G; and the other courtesy of Pépe - without doubt one of the most in-demand artists on the underground right now.

The neon-lit, analogue House of 'Bluer Than Blue' kicks things off - it's liquid melodies and propulsive rhythm reeling you right in from the get-go.

'The Next Step' meanwhile, is a vast and sonoros, breakbeat-driven beast - chocked full of otherwordly atmosphere and an alluring sense of the mystical.

Close pal and DF collaborator - Mr G, then takes the shimmering, multi-color heart of 'Bluer Than Blue' and distills it down into one super-tight, bare-bones, swing-loaded roller; topped off with a seductive whispered vocal, skating rides and a perfectly-poised low-end lead.

That is before Pépe wraps things up with his unique spin on 'The Next Step'; for which he keeps the signature mood more or less intact - but brings a more euphoric, wide-eyed optimism to proceedings, as well as an inspired ethereal-meets-junglist central character.

Extra Tracks

PREMIERE: Duncan Forbes - The Next Step (Pépe's 'Find Courage From Fear' Version)

On his follow-up to ROOS10, French DJ and producer Adam BFD lets imagination thrive with five mesmerizing breaksy house cuts, best heard under a star-lit sky. Duality flows seamlessly throughout the whole record, Adam harnessing the power to connect everyday experiences with a higher state of consciousness.

The EP kicks off with ‘Digital Tales’ which layers wistful secrets over mood-altering pads; it’s hypnotic undertone grounding and continuous. ‘Cirrus Dreamz' ascends even further into the clouds, it’s steady pace expertly infused with cosmic melody and shuffling rhythms.

In a world driven by hyper-connectivity, Adam’s productions are a welcome reminder to stop and explore, none more so than in the immersive world of B side opener ‘1st sight’. Dynamic percussion provides the movement, while meditative sonics produce the feeling of being swept up in a magic carpet and taken along for the ride. Adam’s depth of field widens in title track ‘Rose’, a quasi-epic composition combining all the best elements of house and breakbeat.

The record comes to a contemplative halt with ‘Siniestro’ - an ambient bubble-bath with field recordings poignantly placed across developing pads yearning for connection; showcasing another side to a producer who knows how to tug at the heartstrings.

https://runningoutofsteam.bandcamp.com/album/rose-ep

>> @adam_bfd
https://soundcloud.com/runningoutofsteam

PREMIERE: Adam BFD - 1st Sight [ROOS012]

https://earthtraxonline.bandcamp.com/album/the-sensual-world-lp

Bartosz Kruczyński - the sometimes-ambient producer also known by his more club-ready moniker, Earth Trax - returns to the Shall Not Fade catalogue with his third full-length album. The Sensual World LP draws from both the moody, industrial soundscape of the cold wave-inspired LP1; and the warmer, more ethereal undertones of its successor. Whilst lending stylistic aspects from both, his latest release maintains their mercuriality and textural complexity whilst at the same time resembling something distinctly new. This 13-tracker sees the Warsaw producer continue to prove himself as one of the most versatile and consistent producers in the game.

Composed and produced during the 2020 pandemic, The Sensual World contemplates eco/environmental aesthetics and recontextualizes the genres that Kruczyński took as a springboard for the inception of his musical career. The aptly-named ‘Dream Pop’ and ‘Fireflies’ use arpeggiated melodies, vocal chops and luscious pads to capture the transportive allure by which early Earth Trax releases have been recognised; whilst later in the record, ‘Pearl’ and ‘Splash’ pair these tropes with those of industrial techno to create two pulsating dancefloor heaters. Elsewhere, the focus is on sound design and rhythmic complexity, with sharp, crystalline acid melodies (‘Metal) and ‘Dreams Made Flesh’’s broken drill beats and epic synths. Whilst other tracks see Kruczyński tap into the ‘bittersweet dance floor moments’ for which he has become renowned over the course of his illustrious career (‘Nowhere’), The Sensual World also offers its listeners sonic respite with some stripped-back, down-tempo slow burners ‘Nowhere’ and ‘Everlong’.

A protean producer who nonetheless has succeeded in helming a truly inimitable and idiosyncratic sound, The Sensual World LP sees Kruczyński cater for everyone - from the emotional ravers to the more hard-faced warehouse dwellers.

The Sensual World LP drops 20th May via Shall Not Fade.

https://soundcloud.com/shallnotfade
https://soundcloud.com/earthtraxonline

The Sensual World

Earth Trax - Fireflies [Shall Not Fade]

Following a debut EP release on Brazilian record label Yellow Island Records and a hypno-house debut album on colourful L.A imprint 100% Silk, California producer Etari readies four air-fresh cuts of club melodia designed for those deep moments in the dance on Running Out Of Steam.

Aesthetics of both artist and label are a heaven-made match; favouring melodic grooves and broken-beats that trigger blissed-out experiences both spiritual and physical. ‘Chemistry’ makes use of broken Baltimore rhythms and blends them with warped, supernatural vocals, feeding into both worlds of melancholy and paradise. 

‘Cinnamon Spice’ maintains the tempo with a fairy-light cut of footwork-electro – a sequence that begs to be lost in, angelic strobes of light beaming onto a looping trip cinematic sound – before the lo-fi house rhythms of ‘Lavender Luv’ cast our minds back to a simpler time when the sun was setting and the sand was still warm between our toes. 

‘Sweet Pea’ completes the release with a wubby piece of blissful Balearic; no sudden movements, swaying in the turquoise vibe as teardrops roll into the ocean. 

>> @etari

Lavender Luv

BUY RELEASE

ROOS016 // Etari - Lavender Luv

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* Read more: https://boltingbits.com/usotsuki-bout-us-heifer/
* Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5vtk37loXLg
* Pre-order: https://minordetail.bandcamp.com/album/heifer-vol-1

Minor Detail is a DJ / producer duo from Northern Ireland, consisting of C58 and DJ Debauchery, who self-released their first dubby, breaks-infused track called “Proximity Dub” in March 2022. To have a stage for their own releases as well as the ones of their favourite artists and friends, the two decided to start their own label, HEIFER. On the debut release of the new imprint, Minor Detail have brought together four artists who provided diverse, very dancefloor-ready tracks between breakbeat and techno.

First off, we have “#2” by techno, electro and breaks producer Cosmic Chaos from Liverpool, UK. Dark choir style pads, arpeggiated synths and basslines are combined with breaky drums and percussion in this one to create a very driving electro track.

With "Bout Us", Parisian producer Lungo presents us a new track under his alias Usotsuki. This superb roller combines a UK Garage aesthetic with UK-style Breakbeats in a stripped-down way, all centered around raw, unpolished drums, snappy claps and percussion and a thumping bass line, with some synths piercing through here and there.

“BZTTRX22” by Irish duo Street Legal from South Derry is the most techno-oriented track on the first HEIFER release. It combines ravey, 90s-inspired synth sounds with massive drums, a bass synth playing octaves and a rolling sampled drum break, resulting in a track fitting best to a party in an abandoned warehouse.

Finally, the Various Artists EP includes a track by Liverpool-based DJ Debauchery. The title “Donk-y Kong” already tells us that we can expect a UK Hard House styled track. It indeed includes the characteristic donkey offbeat bassline as well as short synth stabs, driving drums and some vocal cuts which sound like samples from a video game – presumably from the one the title refers to. Definitely a fun track for fans of the genre!

PREMIERE: Usotsuki - Bout Us

Sport1000

Dreamsupport

Sport1000 - B Side: Dreamsupport

https://callsuperandparris.bandcamp.com/releases

There was an aging writer called Mortise Koshimitsu who lived in a small apartment. The apartment was beset with problems. It was damp, the wiring was frail and in the summer the leaking pipes added a must and swelling to the wood in the windows that effectively countered the joys of the heat. Koshimitsu’s life had been lived chiseling away at circumstance, and circumstances had not proved easy. There was however, one small reliable rush to be had, and it lay through a gloomy doorway, down some stairs and past a register.

Side A.

Call Super and @parris_dj

Call Super and Parris - Chiseler's Rush

Strictly speaking, this one isn't a premiere, but we've made an exception for Bluff Records' debut release.

Originally released in 2000 as an extremely limited white label promo, Voy-E's 'Day Off' EP is a little known nugget of gold that was produced during Florida's breakbeat boom in the late '90s. Sadly, due to label complications, this gem never went on to receive the full release it deserved. Luckily for us, newly formed London-based label Bluff Records has stepped in to save the day - having spent months tirelessly tracking down the original label owner, who now resides in North Carolina, USA.

Lovingly restored from the original master CD, the EP consists of three beautifully crafted club tracks, each touching on elements of breakbeat, rave and electro. Our pick for the premiere is the title track 'Day Off'. 

Pre-order your copy here: bit.ly/bluffvoye

Bluff Records 001 Promos

Pre-Order

Phonica Premiere: Voy-E - Day Off [BLUFF RECORDS]

The landscape was a wonder to behold; flowers danced in the wind next to strange, angular plants, and huge ferns towered high into the sky. Though the sun's rays beat down on the plant life below from morning to night, they blossomed and flourished in these tropical conditions, happily existing in their own microscosm. One where nature ruled and human's weren't there to destroy it...

After an almost year long hiatus, London-based imprint air miles return with a new offering from Familiar Strangers boss Remotif. The Bristol DJ and producer, who has previously released music via Alfresco Disco and his own imprint, makes his debut on air miles with the transcendental 'Gondwana at Noon' which, following the format of the label's last offering, comes complete with three remixes from Nathan Micay, Molly and Jeigo.

Gondwana At Noon

PREMIERE: Remotif - Gondwana At Noon (Jeigo's Remix) [air miles rec.]

Ransom Note is an online music, arts and culture magazine. We provide a home for readers and writers with boundless enthusiasm, esoteric knowledge, fierce opinions and impeccable taste.

With our core team immersed in all aspects of dance music, we publish news, articles, and interviews covering the greatest in innovative, underground culture from across the globe. We offer regular, exclusive music and mixtapes from our favourite artists, and publish features shining a light on everything from the freshest new artists to the untold tales from rave history.

Alongside this we offer musings on film, books, life, and art, generating some context and controversy as an antidote to the reheated PR that clogs up the internet. Our office is fuelled by Tunnock’s Bars, cat memes, hangovers and a ridiculous, never ending love for our culture.

We're always interested in getting new writers on board – feel free to get in touch if you’ve got a story to tell.

With love until the grave.

PREMIERE: Remotif - Gondwana At Noon (Jeigo's Remix) [air miles rec.]

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