Pascale Project
Good People Only EP

ANF are back on NAFF, delivering a batch of hi-fi floor numbers with a hyper-focused remix by D.Tiffany. In the face of pre-digested information, our brain tends towards the path of least cognitive strain. Avoid the shortest route in favour of the considered. Ever-evolving music for ever-evolving minds.

Following much love for his EPs, remixes and club sets, the virtuosic DJ/producer Simo Cell’s debut album 'Cuspide des Sirènes' doesn’t disappoint. In fact, it takes things to a whole new level. With a fantastical menagerie of anthropomorphism, sounds create characters and tools; the mermaid-like Sirens, the mind controlling Octopus and the Magic Conch Shell: “Have you heard of the legend of 'Cuspide des Sirènes'? This is not a simple tale, but an incredible tapestry woven over many years and through countless wondrous adventures. I will recount the legend as it was recorded in the ancient scrolls. The album’s story explores the themes of magic, enchantment, charm, and allure, but also personal fears. The protagonist (me) embarks on a quest to find the hidden lake and confront his own demons, in order to understand and master his own power. The protagonist is armed with a powerful conch shell. As he embarks on his journey, he will encounter Sirens who will teach him various chants. These melodies hold unique powers and grant the main character the strength to confront and overcome any danger that may arise.” Simo Cell Musically, the LP is a continuation of Simo’s journey that began with the ‘YES.DJ’ EP, with a synthesized/modernized take on noughties hip hop, bass music, trap, ghetto house and ghetto tech – but here he broadens the scope, massively. Exploring new pathways through magical landscapes, via infused melodies, emo and pop, the sensations are bright and addictive, like a sugar and endorphin cocktail. There’s a screen sheen and video game quality too, sounding like the high-octane score to an action flick from the year 3000, with unimaginably wild SFX. 'Cuspide des Sirènes' is the kind of record to stop someone in their tracks, to ask “what IS this?”, provoking bass face, perplexion, fascination and manic glee, all at once. Not so much organised chaos as intricately-crafted-borderline-unhingement, the album is slightly bonkers, in a very good way. There’s a boundless sense of childlike, unencumbered imagination at play, and an abundance of fun, but there are moments of serious-deep-beat-science for the heads, and introspective passages too. There’s a lot going on, with detail, layers, flourishes, arrangement, melodies and myriad fresh sounds – but it’s never too much; just a really engrossing listen – the kind that that ruins ones appetite for prosaic, vanilla dance music, rendering such 2D pursuits boring and obsolete. Ideally, the album is meant to be experienced as a seamless narrative from start to finish, so leave any inhibitions or preconceptions at the door, and let the pied piper of electronic futurism lead you way down the rabbit hole. 

The West Coast has long been synonymous with a sunny, breezy take on tech house thanks to artists like Fresh and Low, Hipp-E and Halo and Doc Martin. Lesser known but just as influential was LA based producer Eric Spire and some of his Silver Pearl label mates. Back in the late 90s they cooked up plenty of forward-thinking cuts with a heavy, psychedelic edge on the now cult imprint. Now some of the best of them have been assembled by Sushitech label head Yossi Amoyal across four superb 12"s that offer a great reminder of this vital era.

Ste Roberts debuts on Alien Communications with 4 cuts of forward thinking electro, exploring various sound palettes and skulls.

Almost halfway through 2023, Voitax returns with a bass heavyweight of the highest order.Marc alias Tymotica has been showcasing his musical ambitions not only as a founding member of the Munich-based label »Ruffhouse«, but also through his sonic ventures as a DJ and producer. Luca, on the other hand, an equally ambitious DJ and producer going by the name of DJ Ion, has his roots in hip-hop, jazz, and 90s techno. His debut on Don Williams’ a.r.t.less imprint proves that adequately. Their fusion turned out to be quite fruitful, as shown by their diverse yet well-centred record »Anthea« on Club Qu.With »Bionic Gradient«, their promising collaboration enters another chapter, a representation of their precise curation of musical components, as well as an impressive design of their sounds. This progressive bass EP features dubstep-, grime-, trap-, and hip- hop influences, nuanced with dub and IDM. Through each track, the duo links crispy polyrhythms with well-chosen samples that perfectly complement the contemporary, high defined sound. Catchy leads, long reverb tails, metallic soundscapes, and detailed drum programming are carefully fused with the underlying warm bass body. All this comes down to an astonishingly eclectic bass EP that is built to be dropped on the dance floor, yet invites you to dive into an abstract and dreamy world on its own.As both are continuously working on new material, we are more than excited about what is to come!

Following Tom Jarmey and Aiden Francis on Houseum sublabel Ellipse Records, French artist 440 Hz steps up next with his ‘Deep Sea Driving’ EP. It’s a psychedelic six-tracker, mellow through subaquatic melodies, though also built for the club with powerful bass, punchy, stripped-back percussion and breakbeat, UKG and acid influences. ‘Mindscape’ kicks the proceedings off with swirling pads, organ keys and crisp grooves before ‘Gazoline’ joins in with its dubbed-out synth hits and elastic womp-like bass.The gorgeous ‘Soul Mirror’ then enters with 2-step drums, trippy harmonies and echoing vocals, while the title track ‘Deep Sea Driving’ features resonant bubbling synths, minimal four-to-the-floor rhythm and more hypnotic layers of underwater melody. Closing out the release, the dancefloor-oriented ‘Chez Jola’ chugs along with alien sounds, reaching for the stars with rolling percussion and gated effects, with peak-time bouncer ‘SF/S’ finishing via acidic basslines and subtle rave elements.