Leafar Legov
Mirror

Pleasure Club’s very own Bobby. makes a welcome return to the label with the Space Age EP.After a recent outing on Cabaret Recordings, he traverses further into cosmic territory with three tracks that transcend time and space.Fasten your seatbelts, prepare for a journey into the unknown, and please keep your arms and legs inside the spacecraft at all times..

When hearing this material today and realizing it was originally released in '96, one can't fail to acknowledge the timelessness of these sounds – clearly illustrating how ahead of their time these productions were. Ranging from 130 to 145 BPM this EP presents a solid study in synthetic rhythm and percussion layers masterfully juxtaposed with unidentifiable electronic noises and nuances. A trademark sound signature of their own. Unmistakeable Spiral Tribe from a special era in party culture brought back when we need it the most – forward the revolution.

From 1995 comes Kenny Larkin's staggering long player 'Metaphor'. Larkin's 2nd full length under his own name sees the Detroit firebrand continuing his singular approach to techno and electronic music with this set of futurist leaning jams that still stands head and shoulders above today in 2021. Packed to the brim with soul, emotion and depth 'Metaphor' is the natural successor to 'Azimuth' released only the year before, it's the manifestation of Larkins 'techno soul' agenda laid bare through the fusing motor-city minimalism, driving techno-funk and deep as the ocean ambience and melody to deliver a truly original and awakened collection of timeless tracks. As with his other LPs and projects, this record is a remarkable document and testament to how ahead of the curve Kenny Larkin was / is as a producer and creator. It's quite hard to believe these signals were beamed down to us in the midst of the 1990's. The quality and breadth on display across these discs deftly explains why these records are so coveted and cherished today and why this expanded reissue is such an exciting proposition. File under 'essential Detroit'.'Metaphor' has been legitimately reissued for 2021 on Kenny’s own Art Of Dance imprint. Remastered from DAT tapes (with the exception of 2 tracks) and original sources by Curve Pusher. Designed by Atelier Superplus.

Berlin-based DJ duo and mobile record shop The Ghost launch their new imprint Ghost Recs. Long-time friend and associate DJ Pipe offers up four smoking-hot dance tracks for GRECS 001. Each cut with its own housey and unique flava, it’s a record to open your mind and move your hips.

Back in 2021, when Volodymyr Gnatenko agreed to work on his debut album, none of us could have predicted it would be released, post-pandemic, against the backdrop of war. At the time, the 23-year-old producer from Lutsk was riding high on a string of well-received 12s for labels such as Where We Met and Animals On Psychedelics, besides local Ukraine labels such as LSS557 and Rhythm Buro. He was, between covid closures, playing live at Kyiv clubs such as Closer and Kureni, looking to tour in Europe, and spending every spare second making music.How things change. When missiles began to rain on Kyiv, Gnatenko, alongside a few friends from Closer, hid in his studio. For a while, the bombings did not stop. But for the producer, neither did the music-making. Choosing to stay in the city, he continues to make beats, managing only to mix down between bombing raids. He changed his first name to match that of his president, ditching the previous spelling of his name because it was the same as the aggressor, “the same as my worst enemy, I am ashamed and disgusted that I started my career with it”.The album speaks of softer, easier times. A combination of rich ambience, and laidback breaks alongside loose progressive and trance-fused dancefloor tracks, this debut brings together all the strands that Gnatenko plays with. The process, he says, was exhausting and long. Yet the results are lighter, fresher. Maybe because, he says, “it is dedicated to my future wife. All the tracks are my words of love for her". Deeply hypnotic and freely moving between ideas, it feels like it was made a lifetime ago, not a matter of months. Now, it resonates with a new defiance. It is a debut with an extra layer of meaning.

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression”Rovas presents Aleexe (Panea Records) with a solid four-tracker EP that provides a complete experience into this inspiring artist's intellect.My Shoulder is Your Shoulder”, kicks off this EP with a highly danceable and dense vibe. Deep synths evolve with snappy percusions and a bassline that leaves no doubt: this is going to be serious shit. “Teson” follows on the same side getting the table ready, with some breaky vibes and a resting bassline, mastered by cheeky vocals and playful synths.The B side seems to spread a brighter atmosphere designed for the daytime, delivering stripped back and sensual contrasting tracks. “Teapetesis” incorporates great melodies and rolling riffs that bring the energy flow up until the end. Lastly, “Comprehension” gives a closing with the perfect dreamy calmness.