Alan Backdrop First Order Approximation
SENSE002

Broken Techno / Electronica label Theoretical Rhythms is taking it to the next level with their first vinyl release. Label boss Nickel Eye is honoured with the production duties and come up with a beautiful album which can be described as an audio Sci-Fi poem. Rich textures and pads are present in all tracks giving the album trippiness bringing the listener on a cosmic excursion. Steady broken beats keep the things on a dancier side and the listener can have a dance while watching the stars listening to the album.Space Child is an album that would work equally well at home on an individual journey as well as on the dance floor where each party goer can take their personal trip

a1: main-room energy radiated by arpeggios and chords, with a nostalgic nod to the evergreen Italia novanta sound. a 'New World’ is on the horizon. a2: as 'Godspeed' takes the inner circle, hypnotic sequences infuse the journey with tension, while synthesisers intertwine creating idiosyncratic textures. b1: like a 'Sunbeam' on a cloudy day, a synth line shines through, coming out of left field, weaving a narrative with melodies and harmonies. b2: the ep reaches its crescendo concluding with 'Retrograde': an unwavering, euphoria-driven homecoming.

Super deep issht from Cologne's Good Call on Pegasvs’ highly-reputable label Burnin Music. The We Play House Recordings / Legends of Gelert / Frank Music artist serves up a classy 7-track LP that spans the sub-aquatic groove of ‘Prince Of Deep’ to the spacious funk of 'What Matters’ and the wobbly electro groove of ‘Let The Others Drink The Ocean’. There is a sublime atmospheric acid on ‘Rapid Transit’, rugged Detroit synth washes and soulful, dreamy vocals on ‘The Participator’, bouncing deep house and soaring pads on ‘Memory Identity’ and, finally, a colorful synth workout on ‘Speramus Meliora’. Lush stuff!

Secretsundaze marks a new chapter in the institution’s storied history with the foundation of imprint 9FINITY. Stemming from founder James Priestley’s daughter Ludo’s toddler-speak of ‘9FINITY’ to define something massive or huge, the label aims to run with this descriptor through no-nonsense, discerning dance records from artists at the vanguard of modern club music. The label makes a statement with its maiden release, a V/A compiled with the considered curation synonymous with the Secretsundaze name. 9FINITY001 brings together the talents of Eoin DJ, DJ Life, Luca Attanasio, Coffintexts and E-Talking across 5 tracks and digital bonus that act as a distillation of the label’s sonic vision. The EP kicks off with Eoin DJ’s ‘Red Rubber Roses’ (Rhythm Dub). A deep, yet driving affair that melds a subtle break with an organ bass line. Think Junior Vasquez meets Radiant Love and you’re getting close. Joining Eoin DJ on the A-side is Naarm production wizard DJ Life with ‘Aberration’. A true headspinner, Life pulls out all the stops on this one, brooding D n’ B style low end, his trademark psychedelic flourishes and a mid-track pace change for good measure. A statement of intent for the imprint on its opening stanza.The flip opens with exciting newcomer Luca Attanasio’s ‘I Like You Mind’. Straight up intelligent modern house music to kick start the B-side with moody keys and sensual vocal samples juxtaposing a rising bassline that emphasizes groove. Next is Coffintexts’ percussive ‘Make U Sweat’. Doing exactly what is says on the tin, a bold club track with a heavy Latinx vibe that implores the listener to move. Last but certainly not least, E-Talking closes out an impressive opening outing for 9FINITY with the balearic tinged, progressive ‘Party’. The EP also has an exclusive, Bandcamp only digital bonus with Coffintexts providing a dub wise, 140 version of ‘Make U Sweat’.

Incoming from Fantastic Man!

The Axis of People EP, on new label, Axis of People. FM is back with four club cuts, conjured up over the last year, that are so thoroughly road-tested, they practically come with their own mileage report.

“Ambient pads, bad-ass bass-lines and aero-arpeggios” plus all the good stuff we've come to expect from Fantastic Man over the years. Don't sleep!

In dialogue with both past and future, Slapfunk protégé Julian Anthony drops his debut solo EP and touches down with a 4-track invocation of classic 90s house templates.Tripped out sensibility meets sci-fi tendency as ‘Full Moon Fever’ and ‘Open Minded’ deliver full-bodied exercises in total dance floor immersion. Fractal fuel for the vision quest, they’re sophisticated like the finest dream house while channelling the buoyant, jacking heft of timeless Chi-town material.Wide eyed but tuff, ‘Stormy Tuesday’ rolls in with more of the groove-forward drive that typifies Anthony’s best work. It’s just the kind of immaculate gear we've come to expect from the Dutchman, and evoking golden era Dream 2 Science, ‘Virtual Reality’ ploughs the same furrow of propulsive, ‘90s-indebted house. Deep space projections radiating togetherness and warmth from the start.