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SUZI is the new label from Cleveland, the Brussels-based artist behind releases on Kalahari Oyster Cult, ESP Institute and Hivern Discs. The label’s inaugural release unites contributions of 4 artists, with a common ground of techy, playfully modern-sounding tracks with a serious edge and a decent amount of bleeps.


New Shotgun!

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 “One For The Waltzers”. 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.

Verscheibung by Roman Flugel arrives for the rather fine Die Orakel label overseen by LARJ's Oliver Hafenbauer. The four tracks are split between stripped-back techno and druggy, off-piste ambient (the bubbly, post-party weirdness of closer "Track 4"). The most obviously floor-friendly cut opens the EP, with Flugel layering wonky, minor key melody lines over a dense but minimalist groove. Elsewhere, check the Villalobos-ish strangeness of "Track 3", and the druggy, pitched-down experimental throb of "Track 2".

New Tempo Records sublabel; TempOzone releases Brighton based producer Etch; who dives deep into the underworld of Breakbeat / Acid-Techno science with these five rugged 'n raw tracks. Etch is the most inventive break-experimentalist in operation right now. Cutting breaks is his modus operandi. This beautiful crafted crystal clear vinyl 12" comes in a new designed Tempo Records high quality "Kraft" outer sleeve and a beautiful coloured innersleeve. All tracks mastered by Stuart Hawkes of Metropolis Mastering, London.

Iro Aka are back on Hivern with the last installment of the trilogy that started back in 2020 with "El Passatge de les Ombres". The present album, "Planet Earth", which will also be released on CD, showcases a new side of the catalan duo. The seven songs share a clinical approach in sound design of both percussion and ambiances. Cuts like the opener "14.696" build up slowly while "Aquamarine", one of the singles, showcases a more euphoric side of the project. This combination of tension, spaced out beats and hypnotic cuts reflects Iro Aka's commitment to creating a cohesive and immersive work that rewards thorough listens. Illustration by Vica Pacheco and design by Eenyakee.