Scott Featherstone
The Underlife EP

‘Albino Sound concocts textual delights in shades of metal on his forthcoming EP for Turnend Tapes.The ‘Metallurgy’ EP forthcoming on Turnend Tapes sees Japanese artist Hirotaka Umetani transmit four club orientated tracks through a UK bass lens, delineating from past musical excursions and so marking a turning point of his works.Indicative of this shift is the vast and varied sources of inspiration Hirotaka has tapped into in creating ‘Metallurgy’. Translating visual into sound through Hirotaka’s own experience, bare witness to granular detail made macro through swathes of sound design kinetically akin to the flurry of mineral-rich hot water springs, seething in chemical harmony.Entwining impressions of the past with forecasts of the future Hirotaka deftly connects the dots between the sounds stemming from the alchemy of metal and it’s interplay with the natural environment as we proceed ever closer to organic-synthetic assimilation.’

After recent resurrection from the early 90s on labels Mirror Zone, Animals on Psychedelics and Klasse Wrecks, Memphis returns with the Essences EP brought to you from timezones past and present. Staring at the eye peering from the centre of Side A you’ll find yourself aboard an Obsidian Submarine roaming through an alien world’s vast oceans battered by clanking synths, drenched by foaming acid and awash in tense pads. Coming ashore the buzzing tribal rhythms and floating ambience of Essences provide an immersive hyper-real landscape to consider the fundamentals of where we’ve been and what we’ve seen. Moving over to Side B, where the eye seems to have melted into a distant nebula, On Stranger Tides conjures a liana-covered lost temple built from ancient rock kickdrums and bone-dry hihats permeated with stuttering chants and a plaintive call into the night.Finally we head back to 1994 to rediscover an old prog house gem dug up from the Beneath a Different Sun EP, omitted due to time constraints from the Mirror Zone 2018 re-release, and now given a chance to breathe again.Thanks to Jeremy Hegge for his beautiful field recordings and Snoozy of Rat Face Records for all his sonic guidance.

Empathy is the codeword when it comes to The AM's second solo EP: The 'Sexworker' EP. A short story through music and art, allowing you a moment to walk a mile in another seasoned professional's shoes... Imagine life through her eyes, her thoughts, her feelings, her actions and motivations as her work takes her from flirty fun to a much more severe and fierce role as a vigilante, fighting for justice and retribution for women who've been abused and wronged. As the EP progresses, the further we're plunged into this dark nocturnal world of carnal chaos, deceit and danger. Sat in a not-so distant neon tomorrow, downtown Detroit, this is the vivid concept and narrative conjured by Detroit native, violinist-turned-techno artist The AM (Ann-Marie Teasley) Sliding into our collections since her debut tracks last year as one half of HLX-1, 2022 has been all about The AM solo releases; in March we had 'Black Majik' on Tresor. Now on Deeptrax 'Sexworker' is another revelation from the agenda-setting artist who's crafted a completely immersive narrative that ranges from the playful electro beats of 'Intercosmic Lap Dance' to the runaway juggernaut 'Black Galaxy' (a collaboration with Scan 7's Track Masta Lou). Each track adding layers of tension and intrigue, cutting through the late night sleaze and exploitation with raw machine soul, 'Sexworker' is steeped in detail... But loaded with enough space for your imagination. Fronted by a stark futuristic city artwork, 'Sexworker' takes place in The AM's stomping ground but could just as easily happen anywhere in the world... Amsterdam, London and right now, our speakers. This bumps in an exciting yet timeless way. It's AM 24/7 right now.

Natural Sciences introduce the first issue of Embryo: a 50 page magazine, 12" record, A3 Poster and mix series, ft: Hieroglyphic Being, Beau Wanzer, Fumu, Margenrot, Breathing Problem Productions, December, Ki Jeal, Bacon Grease and other artists and labels from across the underground.The first issue comes with an exclusive mix from Sawf (available as a QR Code) and killer two-track 12" from Smpl Smpl.Enclosed in heavy-duty PVC Wallet (w. flap) and outer sticker, inside sticker and hi-gloss A3 poster.

EYA returns with a four-artist VA mining the outer reaches of trance and electro from 110–140bpm.We lift off with a throbbing slow-burner from mid-90s Danish duo UFO, whose ‘Make It Light’ was previously only available on limited CD.Things accelerate on ‘Out Of Touch’, the latest in a line of shimmering dancefloor missiles from Sohrab. On the flip, DJ N4 falls fully into a trance on ‘Bio Aggregation’, with vocalizations, acid lines and organic percussion all driving us to warp speed.‘Bad Weather’ by French electro wiz Fasme completes the trip, a craftily mutating electro-meets-prog epic whose beautiful outro will see you home safely. Enjoy the ride.