Noiro DJ Void
Dream Drivers Ep

Orphic Apparition is a new label born out of a transatlantic meeting of minds. Facilitated by a long, hedonistic party in one of present-day London’s ‘meanwhile use’ venues Grow Tottenham, Canadian producer Raf Reza and British acid house luminary Paul Chivers spent a precious day in the studio to record a 3 hour straight to DAT session before Reza's return to Canada. The result of this spontaneous yet intuitive collaboration blurs the lines between Chiver’s long-standing Ramjac Corporation alias and Reza’s genre-spanning approach to dub, breaks and house styles. Part of the early 90s rave scene and an important member of the blueprint-setting Irdial label, Ramjac locks heads with the self-professed ‘lazy music guy from Toronto’ to adapt their studio session into five separate mixdowns.‘In The Grow’ begins with a bouncy, cut-up sounding Errorsmith-esque rhythm, the recurring fright night melody that distinguishes the record coming in all quick and powerful. The A2 ‘Rotten Mix’ offers a more traditional house approach in its composition, with dub FX and a nice DJ friendly outro. On the final uptempo choice the pair opt for a head-scrambling electro take. Choose your fighter! The ‘Swampy Dub’ on the flip really dismantles everything we’ve heard prior, slo-mo drums allowing a much different DJ experience and altering the freaky synthetic propulsion into an almost modern classical sound. A little like Paul Dresher’s eternal ‘Channels Passing’ (tip). Combined with the other edits this version almost becomes a totally different track. The final ‘Rootless Dub’ gives its clues in the title, removing all the tough drum sounds and allowing for an ambient decompression.Orphic Apparition will return soon.

The co-curated Air Texture Compilation series returns with two Brooklyn based selectors.As the cost of living in Manhattan proper moved artist minded migration patterns further afield, places like East Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Ridgewood became post-cultural centers in a way, with producer after producer gaining international recognition in the last 10+ years. New clubs such as Nowadays, Knockdown Center, and Elsewhere furthered the momentum, anchored by first mover Bossa Nova, and important festivals like Mutual Dreaming and Dweller came soon after. Collectively, the stage was set for a beautiful moment in electronic music history, still unfolding, and maybe something that could only happen in the States in a place like Brooklyn.

Delivering his first solo EP in over two years, Blue Hour releases Origins, the 21st release on Blue Hour Music. Following a succession of remixes, V/A contributions and an EP under his Tracing Xircles alias earlier this year, the Berlin-based producer and DJ shares four tracks diving deeper into his UK roots. Channelling breakbeat, techno and trance with the hallmarks of 90’s rave, Origins builds upon the foundations created from his EP ‘Devotion’ in 2020.In this eclectic EP, Blue Hour explores several sonic palettes. The title track blends celestial chords with urgent drums and acid basslines, while uplifting vocals and subtle melodies wind through the track. ‘True’ dips more heavily into breakbeat territory with evolving and immersive pads, soaring strings and a twinkling synth-line. A dynamic fusion of fast-paced energy and soft touches.On the flip, ‘Emergence’ dances a delicate line between melancholia and elation, as dystopian chords pool with a squelchy acid sequence and a classic house vocal. ‘Searching’ closes on an ambient tip with spell-binding pads and an angelic melody, conveying a bright side to Blue Hour’s aesthetic, akin to Origins as a whole.

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.

Do you like the Elton Chron? Its the best green I’ve ever smoked man! Put it on the turntable, sink into the couch, and let the warm fuzzies begin. Jad & The’s ‘Elton Chron’ brings the warm, happy, feel-good trip into the living room/club/bar mitzvah. A green dream within the smoke gleam its stoner paradise baby and its available soon.