Gari Romalis
Detroit Underworld (Incl. Derek Carr remix)

Balmat’s second release comes from Hoavi, aka Kirill Vasin, a Russian electronic musician whose work approaches what might be familiar reference points—deepest dub techno, atmospheric ambient, liquid drum’n’bass—with a singular and refreshing point of view.We first became aware of Hoavi after coming across one of his tracks in a DJ mix by Leech, aka Peak Oil label founder Brian Foote; we began corresponding, which led to a massive zip file of unreleased tracks turning up in Balmat’s inbox. Music for Six Rooms has been culled down from that bounty, its disparate moods distilled into 10 profoundly immersive tracks that touch upon dream pop, dub techno, and new age, all swirled together into the headiest of ambient dreamscapes.Active since the early 2010s, when he founded his Shells Rattle label, Hoavi has released on a number of labels including floe, Snare Tapes, Fauxpas, and Minor Notes. In October, Peak Oil will finally release his album Invariant, recorded in 2019 and intended for release in 2020, then tied up in pressing-plant backlogs for over a year. Balmat’s Music for Six Rooms follows roughly a month later; we think that the two albums offer a wonderfully complementary view of Hoavi’s talents—one rhythmic, the other largely beatless, yet both of them sensuous in the extreme.Music for Six Rooms appears in two slightly different editions. The vinyl edition appears on a single piece of vinyl upon which some tracks have been subtly edited in length, to ensure maximum audio fidelity; the digital version features extended edits and runs some 18 minutes longer, in total, for a maximally immersive experience. All vinyl purchases include a download of the full digital album.

Sector is back! After his contribution as memeber of Clock DVA in the 80’s, Dean Dennis decided that it was time to move on and start something new. He wanted Sector to be more experimental and abstract,fusing a range of musical styles: Industrial techno,hip-hop-drum and bass ,jazz fusion and detroit house. Resurrection part 1 is the first gem of the trilogy tapes that includes unreleased tracks taken from an old archive.

When Fred sent me the demos for his first release I remember being compelled to shut off all the lights and listen to them in complete darkness at full volume. I’m not sure why his music makes me want to do that but when he sent me this next batch I found myself needing to repeat the same process.

Berlin-based French selector Shonky adds a new dimension to his music career with the launch of his brand new label, Stoned Pilot. Inspired by his love of collaboration, the platform will focus exclusively on collaborative projects with each new release. At his studio in Berlin Shonky has assembled a mouthwatering array of equipment; vintage synths, drum machines and sequencers. The set up allows him to cultivate a highly creative atmosphere - a playground for those who visit - and the resulting productions exude the kind of energy that you typically find during liberating jam sessions. Shonky cites the studio, and its many playthings, as a key part of his growth as an artist. While everyone he invites to join for a session leaves feeling invigorated by the experience.On the first release he appears with Otis, an Italian producer who lived in the same building as him. Through lockdown the two men became better acquainted and they decided to hit the studio together. The result is the Humanizer EP, featuring four cuts that encompass the merging of Shonky and Otis’ individual styles into one cohesive body of work. On the EP the duo delve into the deeper side of the dance floor, utilising bass, rhythm and energy to explore varying styles and tempos, tinged with an air of mystery.So the stage is set, Stoned Pilot heralds a new phase in Shonky’s career, from global tours, to his exemplary back catalogue and now label owner with a core ethos centred on creative collaboration.

Green VinylRhythm Section welcomes Nicola Cruz to the fold with his debut EP on the imprint - “Subtropique”. Inspired by an Ecuadorian upbringing, percussion is at the heart of how Nicola operates. His rhythmic style finds a natural home on the London label - which presents 5 expansive efforts equally indebted to traditional drumming as they are to contemporary club sounds. Remaining sonically cohesive without feeling the need to settle into a definable style - the tracks are tied together by a lucid psychedelic thread which, despite challenging the expectations and fundamentals of electronic dance music - demand movement at a time where we yearn for it.

Social rules and understandings shape what people feel and how they do or don't express their feelings... and this is the Interactive View of Emotions. Berlin based, Iranian Kamyar Keramati inaugurates his own label, taking you on a Voyage through low-end leaned Techno, Trance, New-beat and Break-beat with sharp and punchy beats that were caught in the air, and expressed amongst the midst of the winter pandemic.