Various
Various IV

The Full Circle Released imprint is here. Finally - some might say - as these Parisian Masterminds stoke their engines with a faster grade of fuel. Always in keeping with trend, these well-versed contemporary historians have delivered something fit for the peak of the moment, a progressive A side that surely crosses over; with a break in the beat, surges of euphoria and darker moments that harken back to the hard trance we knew, this number fills the Full Circle brief and more! The B side is a true dub, nestled in at just the right tempo, it sails on through with plenty of heavenly space about it, balanced with subtle percussion and just a pinch of sonic wonk. Those starting to panic about the speed of it all can of course just hit the 33 dial for some 1/2 speed love, it’s Full Circle after all.

Second release by Jinger aka Traumer

After a short break, renowned underground label Bass Culture is back. The outlet has been a source of high quality electronic music since 2009, building a solid reputation over the past 13 years. Label boss D’Julz leads the charge with the first Bass Culture EP since mid-2021.The Est. 1992 EP sees the seasoned Parisian delving into his own history to produce four cuts that epitomise the sounds present in the early nineties, all wrapped up in contemporary packaging, so they sound fresh, polished and vibrant.The EP kicks off with ‘Highway’, which merges a 4×4 beat with rolling breaks. A funky bassline drops in along with a vintage melody. As the track develops, D’Julz adds more layers to create a symphony of retro sounds, all bouncing off each other to produce a delightful, uplifting cut.Next up, ‘Your Mom’s Fav DJ’ also utilises breakbeats to drive the track forward, with a solid groove undulating in the low end. Sultry pads add depth, while Rhodes keys usher in the jazzy second half after a short breakdown. A smooth, mesmerising cut full of flavour. The title track begins with a mysterious riff, gradually introducing that iconic nineties organ to form the bassline. The atmosphere is enchanting, D’julz building the tension and energy with a considered approach. A cut that has a relatively simple arrangement, which creates maximum impact as it hypnotises the listener with its mystical allure.Lastly, ‘SFUMATO’ closes the EP with a touch of high class funk. This is deep house with funkadelic rhythms straight out of the seventies era. The track emanates warmth, wrapping you up in its smooth, comforting composition. A great finale for an EP that epitomises the depth and range of Bass Culture… And we’re back.

Strange Echoes 95 - 99 is music that woke up yesterday bearing a message for tomorrow. Excavated from the late-90s and largely rematerialising for the first time on vinyl, the album carries a selection of sonic diamonds by bona fide sound experimenter Xingu Hill (John Sellekaers). The fully remastered tracks pull the curtain back two decades to offer a snapshot of a prolific five-year period in Sellekaers' expansive soundverse, which runs the gamut from brain-bending, emotive ambient outings to driving, acerbic industrial experiments. Timeless music for keeps in the age of disposables; a reference to early rave and trip-hop aesthetics that could just as very well be one music clairvoyant's nostalgia-inspired preview of things to come.

For Reflection 3 we give a warm welcome to Suddi Raval who has had releases previously as one part of Together on FFRR, Thumbs Up Magic, Gorgeous Records and his own imprint T-Wax Records. He has always been involved in the music scene over the years and although known for his love of Acid House, here we see him delve in to the world of Electro.Suddi re-ignites his passion and serves up 2 Electro jams that are packed with heavy beats, bleeps, big basses, modulated leads and have that authentic original 1980s Hashim-like feel.Scott works his magic on 2 Electro cuts with rich pads, reverses, modulated leads, crisp drums, panning keys, warm basses, eerie soundscapes, processed and gated vocal samples, Mantronix-esque bass sequences and rolling toms.All 4 cuts reflect on how Electro was in the 80s and remain as pure as the stuff being made then.