London-based DJ and producer Steven Julien’s career has always been about contrasts. Across a decade of releases on labels including Eglo and his own Apron Records, as well as club sets around the world, he’s consistently mixed light and dark, soft and heavy, yin and yang. From rough-edged house and techno to laid-back soul and boogie, or meditations on his familial and musical heritage with 2018’s 'Bloodline' LP Julien’s music has always moved between moods, styles and emotions.

That eclecticism also defines Julien’s upcoming instalment in !K7’s iconic DJ-Kicks mix series. Featuring a broad spectrum of artists including Ryuichi Sakamoto, DāM-FunK and Todd Edwards, alongside a selection of his own exclusive productions, Julien takes us on an imagined journey from day to night: from a bucolic afternoon in nature to heady domestic vibes before a big night out, and finally the euphoric embrace of the dancefloor itself.

Julien describes his creative approach to DJing in general, and this mix in particular, as letting his energy and intuition guide him - it’s only on listening back to the finished session that he realised how often he mixes tracks in key, creating smooth transitions from one moment to the next.

That instinctive approach, where seamless mixing becomes second nature, speaks to Julien’s decade of appearances in DJ booths around the world: he cites sets at Ormside Projects in London, Doka and De School in Amsterdam, or Mitsuki in Tokyo as specific inspirations for this mix. Julien describes the feeling he’s tried to capture on tape as an out-of-body energy: just letting loose, and being yourself. “When you get in that position of doing what’s true to you, playing what’s true to you” he says, “people just resonate with that.”

TRACK LISTING

CD Tracklist:
1. Steven Julien - PAYN ME MIND Ft. Kristian Hamilton
2. Hudson Mohawke - Expo
3. D’Eon - Transparency
4. Ryuichi Sakamoto - A Day In The Park
5. The RAH Band - Out On The Edge
6. Steven Julien - Retriate Ft. Dreamcastmoe
7. Elli - Just For Me & You
8. Suze Ijó - Call Me
9. Chaos In The CBD Ft. Nathan Haines & Dave Koor - Emotional Intelligence
10. Brothermartino - KAH
11. BrandUn DeShay - Rukunetsu
12. Steven Julien - Number (DJ-Kicks)
13. Todd Edwards - Dancing For Heaven
14. DāM-FunK - Morphing
15. Kokoroko - Dide O (Ash Lauryn & Stefan Ringer Remix)
16. Kyle Hall - Sarabi
17. Josh Caffe - Justify My Sex Ft. Al White
18. My Girlfriend - UBER HYPE
19. Cheek - Venus Sunshine People (DJ Gregory Remix)
20. Mr Flash - Disco Dynamite
21. Devin Morrison - Shesbi
22. Ryuichi Sakamoto - Rio

LP Tracklist:
1 Steven Julien - PAYN ME MIND Ft. Kristian Hamilton
2. D’Eon - Transparency
3. Ryuichi Sakamoto - A Day In The Park
4. Steven Julien - Retriate Ft. Dreamcastmoe
5. Elli - Just For Me & You
6. Steven Julien - Number
7. Brothermartino - KAH
8. DāM-FunK - Morphing
9. My Girlfriend - UBER HYPE
10. Mr Flash - Disco Dynamite
11. Devin Morrison - Shesbi
12. Ryuichi Sakamoto - Rio

Occasionally an album comes along that seems to capture the mood of the time. ‘The K&D Sessions’ was one. In the late 1990s no afterparty, smoking session or languid Sunday afternoon was complete without Kruder & Dorfmeister blasting from the Bang & Olufsen. Now approaching it’s 25th anniversary the lore around this iconic release, steeped in a silvery cloud of smoke, retains a star quality which only shines brighter as time hurtles on. With the original having sold well over a million copies by this point in time, it’s hard to imagine a mix or remix compilation being able to inform a movement like ‘The K&D Sessions’ has.

To celebrate this monumental milestone, we’ve created a limited boxset in 6LP and 3CD of ‘The K&D Sessions’, mastered and cut by LA luminary Bernie Grundman for a luxurious listening experience, with newly designed inner sleeves using unseen photos from the original photo shoot. Inserted in the box is a forty-page booklet containing multitudes more never before seen photos from the same shoot and notes which recount humorous tales surrounding the duo and the people who spent time with them in this epoch. Included on the 6th LP is their legendary 11 minute shimmering remix of Madonna’s “Nothing Really Matters”. The 6th LP also contains Peter Kruder’s Powercut Mix of Roni Size’s “Heroes” and K&D’s remix of U.F.O, “L.O.V.E.”. In addition there are two cerebral alternate remixes of Lewis Taylor, one being completely dubbed and the other the using the vocal line for this beautiful gem, “Lucky” and a special remix of “Speechless” by Count Basic. These have been staples in K&D’s sets and now take their rightful place collected in the canon of ‘The Sessions’.

TRACK LISTING

3CD Tracklisting:

CD1 (Mixed):
1. Roni Size, Reprazent - Heroes (Kruder's Long Loose Bossa)
2. Alex Reece - Jazz Master (K&D Session TM)
3. Count Basic - Speechless (Drum 'n' Bass)
4. Rockers Hi-Fi - Going Under (K&D Session TM)
5. Bomb The Bass - Bug Powder Dust (K&D Session TM)
6. Aphrodelics - Rollin' On Chrome (Wild Motherfucker Dub)
7. Depeche Mode - Useless (K&D Session TM)
8. Count Basic - Gotta Jazz (Richard Dorfmeister Remix)
9. Rainer Trüby Trio - Donaueschingen (Peter Kruder's Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapi-tänskajütenremix)
10. Lamb - Trans Fatty Acid (K&D Session TM)

CD2 (Mixed):
1. David Holmes - Gone Ft. Sarah Cracknell (K&D Session TM)
2. Sofa Surfers - Sofa Rockers (Richard Dorfmeister Remix)
3. Mama Oliver - Eastwest (Stoned Together)
4. Bomb The Bass - Bug Powder Dust (Dub)
5. Kruder & Dorfmeister - Boogie Woogie
6. Sin - Where Shall I Turn (K&D Session TM Vol. 2)
7. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - 1st Of Tha Month (K&D Session TM)
8. Kruder & Dorfmeister - Lexicon
9. Knowtoryus - Bomberclad Joint (K&D Session TM)
10. Rockers Hi-Fi - Going Under (Evil Love & Insanity Dub)
11. Strange Cargo - Million Town (K&D Session TM)

CD3 (Unmixed):
1. Count Basic - Speechless (Peter Kruder Vocal Mix)
2. Lewis Taylor - Lucky (Kruder & Dorfmeister Suicide Mix)
3. Knowtoryus - The Revenge Of The Bomberclad Joint (K&D Session TM)
4. Roni Size - Heroes (Peter Kruder Powercut Mix)
5. Madonna - Nothing Really Matters (Kruder & Dorfmeister Remix)
6. UFO - L.O.V.E. (K&D Session TM)
7. Lewis Taylor - Lucky (Kruder & Dorfmeister Reprise Mix)

LP Tracklisting:
A1. Roni Size, Reprazent - Heroes (Kruder's Long Loose Bossa)
A2. Alex Reece - Jazzmaster (K&D Session TM)
B1. Bomb The Bass - Bug Powder Dust (K&D Session TM)
B2. Lamb - Trans Fatty Acid (K&D Session TM)
C1. Count Basic - Speechless (Drum 'n' Bass)
C2. Rockers Hi-Fi - Going Under (K&D Session TM)
D1. Depeche Mode - Useless (K&D Session TM)
D2. Count Basic - Gotta Jazz (Richard Dorfmeister Remix)
E1. Aphrodelics - Rollin' On Chrome (Wild Motherfucker Dub)
E2. Knowtoryus – The Revenge Of The Bomberclad Joint (K&D Session)
F1. Truby Trio - Donaueschingen (Peter Kruder's Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitänskajütenremix)
G1. David Holmes - Gone Ft. Sarah Cracknell (K&D Session TM)
G2. Sofa Surfers - Sofa Rockers (Richard Dorfmeister Remix)
H1. Mama Oliver - Eastwest (Stoned Together)
H2. Bomb The Bass - Bug Powder Dust (Dub)
H3. Kruder & Dorfmeister - Boogie Woogie
I1. Sin - Where Shall I Turn (K&D Session TM)
I2. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - 1st Of Tha Month (K&D Session TM)
I3. Kruder & Dorfmeister - Lexicon
J1. Knowtoryus - Bomberclad Joint (K&D Session TM)
J2. Rockers Hi-Fi - Going Under (Evil Love & Insanity Dub)
J3. Strange Cargo - Million Town (K&D Session TM)
K1. Count Basic - Speechless (Peter Kruder Vocal Mix)
K2. Lewis Taylor - Lucky (Kruder & Dorfmeister Suicide Mix)
K3. Roni Size - Heroes (Peter Kruder Powercut Mix)
L1. Madonna - Nothing Really Matters (Kruder & Dorfmeister Remix)
L2. UFO - L.O.V.E. (K&D Session TM)
L3. Lewis Taylor - Lucky (Kruder & Dorfmeister Reprise Mix)

Fashion icon, catwalker, curator, historian, commentator, activist, Grammy winner and – damn right – DJ, there ain’t much these days that Ms. Honey Dijon doesn’t do with aplomb. Most of her achievements thus far came via her passion for clubbing and the art of DJing, from those early Chicago parties to her role as a de facto ambassador for world dancefloors. Chatting to Honey for a few minutes, you swiftly realise when it comes to records, labels, releases, she’s a house music nerd, having been schooled by some of the Windy City’s masters and is as adept at bringing the past into the future as anyone else in the business. This compilation is a testament to someone whose knowledge of the underground labels of yore is encyclopaedic and Ms. Dijon has dredged the recesses of her clubbing memories. ’I’m a huge fan of research. So putting this compilation together was basically going into my dancefloor experience and finding gems I wanted to present to people that they may not have been familiar with or that they didn’t even know existed.’ Thus we have Psychedelic Research Lab’s anthemic NY banger ‘Keep On Climbing’, which came out on producer Scott Richmond’s own store label, Satellite, or Sir Lord Comixx’s London vibes on the aptly-named ‘Soul House’ which, says Honey, ‘I heard Danny play it at 7am in Twilo and it was so fuckin’ weird’. Kingsley O, the London boy marooned in Connecticut, contributes the Jersey vibes on Maydie Myles’ brilliant debut single, ‘Keep On Luvin’, reinforced by Blaze associate Cassio The Cassmaster’s ‘Getting Hot’.

This compilation is a pan-global, multi-era waltz through house music’s storied past. Repping Chicago, there’s Dance Mania’s Dance Kings, Blackjoy and Art Of Tones carrying the flag for Paris and even Shaboom’s Blackpool gets a nod. Some of these are forgotten classics, some are dollar bin finds, and there’s also a brand new Dijon track, sprinkled with her usual mustard-hot flourishes and lightly seasoned with some more recent efforts by Waajeed and Kiko Navarro. This can be consumed on a dancefloor, in the back of a cab or relaxing at home with a glass of something cold (or, if you must, hot).

TRACK LISTING

CD Tracklist:
1. Honey Dijon - Intro
2. Chestnut - Pot Of Gold
3. Charly Brown - Freaked Out
4. Stereo MC's - Good Feeling (Mr G’s Turn On Dub)
5. Johnny Dangerous - Dear Father In Heaven (Mr. Marvin House Of Dreams Mix)
6. Psychedelic Research Lab - Keep On Climbin’ (Mix 2)
7. Blow Out Express - You’re Mine (Sound Factory Bar Mix)
8. The Dance Kings - Climb The Walls
9. Buika X Kiko Navarro - Mama Calling (Tedd Patterson Remix)
10. Cassio The Cassmaster - Getting Hot (Broad Market Street Mix)
11. Maydie Myles - Keep On Luvin (West Tribe Beats)
12. Michi Lange - Brothers And Sisters (Radio Mix)
13. Shaboom - Bessie
14. D:Ream - U R The Best Thing (Def Club Mix)
15. Sir Lord Comixx - Soul House
16. Honey Dijon - Finding My Way (DJ-Kicks) Ft. Ben Westbeech
17. Art Of Tones - Praise
18. Waajeed - Right Now
19. Black Joy - Untitled (Solid Groove Remix)

LP Tracklist:
1. Honey Dijon - Finding My Way (DJ-Kicks) Ft. Ben Westbeech
2. Buika X Kiko Navarro - Mama Calling (Tedd Patterson Remix)
3. Shaboom - Bessie
4. D:Ream - U R The Best Thing (Def Club Mix)
5. Stereo MC’s - Good Feeling (Mr G’s Turn On Dub)
6. Black Joy - Untitled (Solid Groove Remix)
7. Scott Richmond & John Selway Present Psychedelic Research Lab - Keep On Climbin’ (Mix 2)
8. Charly Brown - Freaked Out
9. Maydie Myles - Keep On Luvin’ (West Tribe Beats)
10. Johnny Dangerous - Dear Father In Heaven (Mr. Marvin’s House Of Dreams Mix)

“Universal.” That is the word that Tristan Hallis proudly states when describing his inaugural entry into DJ-Kicks’ storied lineage. As DJ BORING, the Australian DJ and producer has forged a vibrant and illustrious career that has taken him to all corners of the globe. Unlike his puckish alias, Hallis has earned a cherished reputation for his effervescent stage presence and bombastic sets, which take in a hi-NRG flow of oddball techno, Chicago house, future funk and the emotional depths of melodic trance and ambient music.

Fittingly, his DJ-Kicks mix is a winding journey through the moods, sounds and eras that coloured Hallis’ complex inner world during the compilation process. “Trying to compile this put me in a pretty strange headspace. To be honest, I was trying to compile a vast range of stuff so I just needed to be on my own to focus on it. I stayed in one day and then finished it off in my studio” Hallis explains. “Then I just totally zoned in – it all came spilling out of me.” “At first, I was going to do something completely different – it was just going to be dance music! But I think a lot of people like the at-home listening aspect, and that really resonated with me – it’s what I enjoy. I want people to feel that they can put the mix on at the start of their night, while they’re cooking dinner, before ramping up a bit before going out.”

Likewise, Hallis’ own approach to his DJ-Kicks selections is informed by the foundational tenets of the genre, where soulful melodies and grooves interact to build a feeling of euphoria. It’s a creative approach inspired by Moodymann’s iconic 2016 DJ-Kicks recording, in which the Motor City icon simmers slow soul, jazz and funk to a boil, releasing a melange of life-affirming house tunes. “When I first moved to London, my friend and I would play this at work, because it came out around that time. We just had an obsession with DJ-Kicks and Moodymann was our favourite. It’s all about the slow burn that then perfectly meshes into this energetic dancefloor area. I wanted to do my own version of that,” he says.

“This DJ-Kicks mix is my personality to a tee,” smiles Hallis, relishing the creative freedom of exploring myriad emotional territories as a DJ. “It’s a perfect balance of everything that I love; it’s hopeful and meditative, but also fun. I hope people listen to it front to back and go on the journey – because it goes everywhere.”

TRACK LISTING

CD Tracklist:
1. Anthony Napels - Orb Two
2. Patrick Holland - Fried
3. Surgeons Girl - Sympathetic Cycle
4. Thomas Fehlmann -Schizophrenia
5. Oscar Jerome - Berlin 1
6. Rampa - 79249 Intro
7. Matisa - Balet
8. Sally C - All Love
9. Teqmun - Nettle Dweller (Pariah Remix)
10. Beste Hira - Pembe Bulutlar
11. Burnski - Pacific
12. Cameo Blush - Art Of Worry
13. DJ BORING - You Luv Me
14. Shanti Celeste - Cutie
15. Hertz - More Funk
16. Bambounou - Expensive Discogs House
17. Jennifer Loveless - Back 2 Front (She Just Keeps Going)
18. Regal86- Fuel (Deep Dish Mix)
19. Tim Taylor Vs. Thor 54 - Over The Hill (Mr G's Hi Nrg Dub)
20. DJ BORING - N15
21. Odymel - Even Sven
22. Leo Pol - I'd Rather Be Getget
23. Ede & Deckert Feat. Sargland - Immer (Narciss 'Venice' Remix)
24. Moktar & Saad El Soghayar - Haraka حركة

LP Tracklist:
1. DJ BORING - You Luv Me
2. Patrick Holland - Fried
3. Sally C - All Love
4. Cameo Blush - Art Of Worry
5. DJ BORING - N15
6. Sfire - Sfire6
7. Burnski - Pacific
8. Leo Pol - I’d Rather Be Getget
9. Bambounou - Expensive Discogs House
10. Matisa - Balet

Smoke it! Feel It!

The slo-beat pioneers Kruder & Dorfmeister of Vienna are among the hottest producers in the dance universe. Even though they only produced two unreleased maxis, big names like Count Basie, Bomb The Bass, Alex Reece or United Future Organization had some of their tracks remixed by these exceptional producers. Their productions on compilations of Ninja Tune, SSR and Wall Of Sound are considered milestones regarding the trip-hop genre and many major companies are trying to release their debut album.

Since 1993 the two smart Austrians Peter Kruder & Richard Dorfmeister have been working together as a team and when being asked about their musical roots they name musicians like Miles Davis, Sly Stone, Brian Eno, Serge Gainsbourg or Bill Laswell. Besides this they are great admirers of the Gilles Peterson and Coldcut Radioshow of London's cult-station Kiss FM, which had a lot of influence on their musical open mindness. Their label G-Stone was able to gain outstanding reputation with its four releases and earned fantastic media reaction in international publications.

Besides their outstanding fame as producers both were able to blast even the hippest clubs on this planet with their extravagant DJ-sets. Their breathtaking mixture of trip-hop, dub, ambient and drum'n'bass is supposed to be way-leading thus supporting their cult-status. Smokin' tracks of Herbalizer, Statik Sound System, Hardfloor, Aquasky, Shantel and others are combined on their DJ-Kicks set, gathering the hottest labels from Ninja to Cheap, from Moving Shadow to Creative Wax. A dub producer helped to remix the entire material making it a thrilling club soundtrack for the 90s. By the way, during the work for DJ-Kicks and their debut album they refused remixes for U2, Grace Jones, Elvis Costello and the Fantastic Four.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Small World – Livin' Free (Soundtrack Mix)
A2. Aquasky – Kauna
B1. Hardfloor – Dadamnpheaknoizphunk? (Dubdope)
C1. JMJ & Flytronix – In Too Deep
C2. Shantel – Bass And Several Cars
D1. Tango – Spellbound
D2. Thievery Corporation – Shoalin Satellite

Suchi’s bouncy, airy productions are so organically deft that they almost belie the complexity that exists within. Prior to her !K7 debut the Oslo-born, London-bred, Delhiinfluenced DJ and producer found herself in a period of creative stagnation, while attempting to rediscover her own voice through production. After going back to the drawing board again and again she resolved to let go of overthinking, eschew the process, and let experimentation lead the way, revisiting some simmering sketches and work in new ways.

Ghungroo EP is the result of this reset, and rediscovers Suchi’s sense of playfulness through different production styles. It’s pressed on eco-friendly vinyl, PVR free and 100% recycled. “Ghungroo” is a homage to Suchi’s early years, and named for the small metallic bells strung around the ankles of classical Indian dancers. The track is equal parts cosmic, bassy and wavy, with a downwards bassline that plumbs the depths of low frequencies. The memory of early music passions emerges as the same melodic loop undresses and redresses in different guises - between breezy pads, glowing chimes and euphoric bells.

“Blåmerke” means bruise in Suchi’s native Norweigan tongue, and it leads heavily with double-time polyrhythmic drums, ravey rhythms and percussive bubbles popping. Triplets of synth stabs are artfully deployed with reverb and warped, stretched pads, bringing a whimsical twist to a track that is otherwise a tough-edged stomper. “Bottlepop” loosens up the tempo for a funky house framework, foregrounded by a big melodic synth riff. The track’s hookiness is enhanced by its old-school school feel, with distorted whistles and evocative pads. “Blåmerke” is then given a rework by Sam Goku who was chosen for his euphoric, dusty-sounding club tracks that hit hard; in his care the remix provides exactly that, via throbbing, shimmering, deep trippiness

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Beautifully rich and exotic electronic music that should appeal to lovers of Dekmantel, Hivern and Peggy Gou's Gudu label. It's got 'primed for festival season' written all over it...

TRACK LISTING

A1. Ghungroo
A2. Blåmerke
B1. Bottlepop
B2. Blåmerke (Sam Goku Remix)

For the 15th anniversary of this timeless classic, !K7 Records are re-issuing Tosca’s seminal album ‘No Hassle’ in an audiophile 3LP format. Multi-instrumentalists Richard Dorfmeister and Rupert Huber have been friends since their Vienna schooldays. Richard later became half of the globally acclaimed DJ-producer duo Kruder and Dorfmeister, while Rupert worked in piano composition and sound-art installation. ‘No Hassle’ is Tosca’s fifth studio album. A luxurious tapestry of analogue and digital sounds, submerged samples and live instruments, it evolves and expands into an hour-long ambient symphony. The title reflects not only the duo’s laidback approach to making music but their whole philosophy of life. ‘No Hassle’ is all about contemplation and concentration. While recent Tosca releases like J.A.C. (2005) and the remix collection Souvenirs (2006) were a move towards classic song structures and club-friendly grooves, their latest is a much more introspective journey into inner space. It was conceived as a single seamless sea of sound, deeply layered with liquid rhythms and tidal melodies. Warm and enveloping, each leisurely track flows gently into the next, a musical ocean moving in slow motion. This is an album to plunge deeply into and get lost inside. 

TRACK LISTING

1. My First
2. Elitsa
3. Springer
4. Birthday
5. Oysters In May
6. Joe Si Ha
7. Elektra Bregenz
8. Fondue
9. Rosa
10. Raymondo
11. Mrs. Bongo
12. No Hassle 

‘Mr. Machine’ is a record that put them alongside names as Steve Reich and Philip Glass, but with considerably more groove. More than anything, Daniel, Jan and Paul are keen that the Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble are not written off as a curiosity.

“Often people focus a lot on this whole "cross-over" aspect,” says Brauer. “We wish people would simply notice we have good chords, melodies etc. and take the music as it is. Because we make it the way we feel, and not for other, let's say purely conceptual reasons. Some only seem interested in how it’s made. Some reviewers perceive us as minimal techno, some as modern classical, some as nu jazz and so on. But we don’t divide the world into techno and nontechno.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A rhythmic, hypnotic selection of classical instrumentation and cyclic music-concrete riffs, underlaid by pulsing bass and snapping jazzy percussion. It's dance music made by nature, or like that bit in Spaced where tyres does the 'everyday raving' bit.

TRACK LISTING

1. Mr. Machine
2. Bop
3. You Make Me Real
4. Pretend
5. Mi Corazon
6. On Powdered Ground (Mixed Lines)
7. Teufelsleiter
8. 606 ‘N’ Rock ’N’ Roll

London-based, Australian-born Teneil Throssell, aka HAAi, is known for a strain of sonic psychedelia that metabolises precise sound design, melodic techno, electronic pop and thundering beats. Following the release of her acclaimed 2022 album, Baby, We’re Ascending, HAAi has reached what she calls “another career milestone” - an invitation to steer the next edition of !K7 Records’ acclaimed DJ-Kicks series.

HAAi approached this mix with two concurrent goals: to continue to iterate on her artistic theme - which she named ‘always ascending’ - and to highlight her flair for hyperkinesis and drama behind the decks, which she achieves with BPM left-turns, endless upwards tilts and sharp accelerations, liminal transitions and moments of pure euphoria. Within the sweeping journey she moves through an expansive selection of heritage classics, future-facing artists, friends, heroes, and voices from close-knit communities, alongside a number of her own exclusive productions.

TRACK LISTING

2LP Tracklist:
A1. HAAi X Jon Hopkins X KAM-BU - Always Ascending
A2. HAAi - ZiGGY
B1. I. JORDAN - Life On The Wing
B2. Joshua James - We Go Again
B3. DJ PGZ - Quality High
C1. Koreless - Seven (Drumhell)
C2. Cocktail Party Effect - Make It Undone
C3. The Blessed Madonna - Strength
D1. Manni Dee, River Moon - Hot
D2. HAAi - SHiNE

CD Tracklist:
1. HAAi - Intro
2. Lähetys/Transmission - Pan Sonic
3. HAAi - Ziggy
4. The Blessed Madonna - Strength
5. Jaco - Show Some Love (Rhythm Invention Remix)
6. Agoria - Boomerang
7. HAAi - SHiNE
8. Manni Dee, River Moon - Hot
9. I. JORDAN - Life On The Wing
10. Perc & Fractal - Up (Perc Remix)
11. Radiotrance - Plasma
12. Tunnidge - Geddeon
13. Surusinghe - Bet
14. Cocktail Party Effect - Make It Undone
15. Koreless - Seven (Drumhell)
16. Christian Smith, John Selway -Total Departure
17. HAAi X Jon Hopkins X KAM-BU - Always Ascending

For Richard Dorfmeister and Rupert Huber, the idea of rebirth is a creative driving force – an artistic device which not only informs their work, but anchors it.

As the avant-garde electronic group Tosca, the two artists have lived many musical lives, from their early electronic experiments with tape decks to the blissed-out dub compositions with which they have made their name.

Their most recent album, OSAM, takes this idea of renewal even further. Now they have reworked the source material from their ninth record and selected some of their friends to help make MIRAGE: The OSAM Remixes.

TRACK LISTING

1. Dementamente (Brendon Moeller Reshape)
2. Clean Up (Balint Dobozi Remix)
3. Clean Up (D'AL SENIO Remix)
4. Shout Sister (Tosca Mirage Ambient Version)
5. Dementamente (Brendon Moeller House Dub)
6. Nobody Cares (Sam Irl Dub)
7. Entrecote (Domenico Ferrari Remix)
8. Osam (Oberst & Buchner Remix)
9. Osam (Tosca Mirage Remix)
10. Dementamente (Brendon Moeller Campfire Dubu)
11. Make Up (Cay Taylan's Ambient Diary Mix) 

As a self-described sponge for club music, London-based Bristol transplant Ian DPM has cut a singular figure in both the West Country and the capital in just a handful of years. Already situated as the tastemaker behind music curation platform Definite Party Material, co-owner of Scuffed Recordings, and Noods Radio and Rinse FM resident, Ian DPM’s emergence as a producer has marked him as an expansively curious, bass-forward figure at the bleeding edge of genre boundaries.

After retreating to his hometown of Portsmouth during lockdown to absorb the blueprints of ‘90s techno, Ian emerged with a new phase of experimentation: techno-inspired and indebted, yet eschewing loops and grids for a loose-limbed, open minded engagement of the form.

Taking inspiration from the iconic carnival rides that are inseparable from their high-octane happy hardcore soundtrack, “One For The Waltzers” begins with a distant rumble of muffled breakbeats that inch ever closer. But rather than dizzying lights and in-the-red maximalism, “One For The Waltzers” gradually reveals its knowingly deep shimmy and groove. It is a drum-heavy and rhythmic production, masterfully using negative space to showcase every contour of its slowed-down rave horns and acid house synth lines.

“KE01” inhabits the flipside of the same sonic world. Here, feverish percussive energy contrasts against pensive melodic synth chords. It’s a heady warehouse affair, familiar and complex, referential yet contemporary, and only adds to the momentum that Ian DPM is gathering.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Big n wobbly fairground tackle for rushing sonic nostalgia and dizzying, amyl-huffing greatness. Mega.

TRACK LISTING

A. One For The Waltzers
B. KE01

Growing up in Chicago, later Detroit-based music producer, Theo Parrish is internationally well known for his own inimitable downtempo house music style. The approach Parrish took to compiling DJ-Kicks was very ambitious, inviting his Detroit peers to produce a collection of brand new material, and in turn creating the first ever all exclusive entry to the esteemed series.

"Detroit creates. But rarely imitates. Why? We hear and see many from other places do that with what we originate. No need to follow. Get it straight. In the Great Lakes there are always more under the surface than those that appear to penetrate the top layer of attention and recognition. What about them that defy tradition? Those that side step the inaccurate definitions often given from outside positions? This is that evidence. Enjoy."

• First official compilation by Theo Parrish
• All exclusive unreleased material
• Includes new music from Theo Parrish
• 19 tracks mixed across a two volume CD set
• Triple LP sampler containing 15 full length tracks

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Never afraid to veer away from the norm. The Detroit innovator instantly breaks convention by commissioning all-exclusive content from his Motor City broths and sisters. Not only does this add to the collectability of the compilations, it gives his community a platform and shines the spotlight on artist I haven't even heard of. A truly celebration of community spirit and also one of the most geo-centric DJ Kicks releases to date. A briliant, inventive and thoughtful concept incredibly well executed. And given Theo's dedicated craft at mixing records, the mixed CD version is just as essential as the vinyl compilation!

TRACK LISTING

CD1:
1. De'Sean Jones & Ideeyah - Pressure
2. Donald Lee Roland II - Simba's Theme
3. Meftah - When The Sun Falls
4. Theo Parrish & Duminie DePorres - The Real Deal
5. Specter - The Upper Room
6. Deon Jamar - North End Funk
7. Ian Fink - Moonlight (Duality/Detroit Live Version)
CD2:
1. John C & Meftah - Full
2. MBtheLight - AGAIN (T’s Edit)
3. De'Sean Jones - Psalm 23
4. Raybone Jones - Green Funk
5. Jon Dixon - Wind Drifts (Instrumental)
6. Whodat & Sophiyah.e - Don’t Know
7. KESSWA - Chasing Delerium Feat. Nova Zai
8. Raj Mahal - Hudsons
9. De'Sean Jones - Flash Spain
10. Jason Hogans - Surrounded By Trees
11. Howard Thomas - Experiment 10
12. Sterling Toles - Janis

3LP:
A1. De'Sean Jones & Ideeyah - Pressure
A2. Donald Lee Roland II - Simba's Theme
A3. Jason Hogans - Surrounded By Trees
B1. John C & Meftah - Full
B2. Meftah - When The Sun Falls
B3. De'Sean Jones - Psalm 23
C1. Ian Fink - Moonlight (Duality/Detroit Live Version)
C2. KESSWA - Chasing Delerium Feat. Nova Zai
D1. Specter - The Upper Room
D2. Raj Mahal - Hudsons
E1. Raybone Jones - Green Funk
E2. Whodat & Sophiyah.e - Don’t Know
F1. Howard Thomas - Experiment 10
F2. MBtheLight - AGAIN (T’s Edit)
F3. Sterling Toles - Janis 

Renard Bleu marks the first new music released by Takada in nearly twenty years; it would be difficult to overstate the importance of her return to the public eye.

Her first solo record, 1983's Through the Looking Glass, has been rediscovered and heralded as a lost classic; the influence of her percussion trio, the Mkwaju Ensemble, continues to permeate and inspire a new generation entranced by its lucid beauty, playfulness, and sensual patience.

Takada has performed in numerous film score orchestras, including the ensemble for Akira Kurasawa’s Dreams, coincidentally a key influence on Renard Bleu.

Le Renard Bleu, the new musical and cinematic collaboration between Lafawndah and composer Midori Takada, and filmmakers Partel Oliva, takes a cross- generational echo as ground zero for recovering a crucial myth for uncertain times: the blue fox.

As transmitted by Takada, the fox appears in both ancient Senegalese and Japanese folktales as the trickster archetype; belonging both to the heavens and to the earth, the fox is the agent of chaotic good, shaking the world up when its energy has become stagnant. Above all else, the fox is famous for its cunning nature.

In the ensuing years, Takada has worked closely with theater group the Suzuki Company of Toga on productions of Electra and King Lear, an experience, she says, that allowed her to pursue “a unity of music, body and space.” Recent live solo performances have evinced the depths of her exploration of all three.
Equally, it is Lafawndah’s freedom of tone, decentralized maps of ancient and modern music cultures, and alloying of devotional intensity with modern songcraft casts her as a distinct relative of Midori Takada’s.
Over the course of two EPs, self- directed music videos, and countless live performances, Lafawndah has drawn out an uncompromising exploration of how theater, situational intervention, and choreography can amplify the affective palate of forward pop music. One can trace the influence of artists such as Meredith Monk, Carlos Sara, and Andy Kaufman as much as musical antecedents AR Rahmann, Missy Elliott, or Geinoh Yamashirogumi.

It is in a mutual commitment to this unity that Lafawndah, Takada and Partel Oliva find fertile aesthetic common ground.

Created in partnership with KENZO and premiered today via their channels, it was Partel Oliva who imagined a contemporary cinematic frame for the myth of the fox to re- appear, creating a hybrid of choreography and narrative around Takada and Lafawndah's performance of their joint composition (also titled Le Renard Bleu.) Returning to film in Japan for the third time, Partel Oliva's moving image work (Club Ark Eternal, The Pike and the Shield) has set the standard for and revolutionized the fashion art film. Their deployment of original music, dance, and a highly stylized mis en scene coalesces here in the casting of Los Angeles krump artist Qwenga as the eponymous fox, stalking the halls of the ancient Noh theater in which Takada and Lafawnda's performance takes place.