passive cooling

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Skudge - Hunted

SKUDGE008. A-side heater from the forthcoming Skudge record. ‘Hunted’ has that pure.

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Perth Drug Legend - God Save Queen Jean

RSN006. Resin back in style with fresh cuts of moody, searing techno from Perth Drug Legend, one half of Finnish duo Clouds. 

From the ‘Clubbers Guide to Craigie’, out now on Resin. Nothing but heat from this Berlin imprint.

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Robert Hood / Floorplan - Shaker / Ritual 12″

EPM38. Fresh business from two sides of Robert Hood.

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DJ Qu - SS1

SS016. Strength Records don DJ Qu blazes out the gates for London label and party outfit secretsundaze. ‘SS1′ is a quintessential peak time track. 

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Japa Habilidoso - ‘Funk Do Sindicalismo b/w Agronomia Setorial’ 12"

FT025. The ‘most punk shit’ yet from the Future Times camp comes courtesy of Brazilian artist Japa Habilidoso, aka Guerrhina. This one goes in for sure, and represents a nice, exotic departure of sorts for the DC based imprint. The percussive dominant A-side cut ‘Funk do Sindicalismo’ hits hard, residing on the far reaches of the dance music spectrum. Love those spoken word samples. B-side track ‘Agronomia Setorial’ is more direct, blending a funk-laden with some gorgeous keys. Big release from FT!

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Glyn - Youtube Rips

777_03. Upstart Berlin label 777 comes correct with their next release, this time from a virtual unknown called Glyn. Taking the sassy title of ‘Youtube Rips’, these three tracks are wonderfully textured dance music, driven by thick synth arrangements and precocious bass lines.

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Manse - ‘A Slap In The Face of Public Taste’ 12″

LT014. Lobster Theremin’s weapon debuts on the label proper, following a killer 12″ on their black label series. UK artist Manse brings this 3-tracker of no frills techno heat entitled ‘A Slap In The Face of Public Taste’. The A2 title track sounds particularly crushing, with its insane, overdriven bass line. This ones out April 9.

A1 Sky Remit | A2 A Slap In The Face of Public Taste | A3 Kleptomaniac

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Healing Force Project - Strange Apparitions In My Recording Room (Hashman Deejay remix)

BH012. Ultra elevated euphoric rework from one of Mood Hut’s preeminent figures. Hashman Deejay laces this Healing Force Project track with a triumphant 2-step arrangement, the B side on a forthcoming 12” for Berceuse Heroique. Healing Force Project is the work of Italian artist Antonio Marini, and this will be his Berceuse Heroique debut following records on labels such as Acido.  

Check out the dark jazz inflected techno of the A side cut here.

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~~~ BOP003

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Jordan GCZ - Digitalis EP

FT023. 1/2 of acclaimed experimental duo Juju & Jordash, Jordan Czamanski (aka Jordan GCZ) comes correct with this bold, exploratory new 12” on vital DC imprint Future Times. ‘Swingonoguitaro’ casts the record off in style with cascading guitars and an elevated bassline. Dance music for minds open. Time slows for B-Side tracks ‘Fusionfuk’ and ‘Digitalis’, taking the walls off this one with their loose and expansive leanings. FT heads Max D and Mondo have their ears way open here. This one is sounding like an intriguing record on an always progressive label. 

We had the pleasure of catching Juju & Jordash a couple months back in Vancouver. Their live act is truly something special :)

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Cloudface - Bobok

BOP002. On the heels of Patricia’s already canonized ‘Body Issues’ LP comes the second vinyl release on the vaunted Opal Tapes. Next turning to Vancouver hardware don Cloudface (née David Reynolds) Black Opal have made a stunning choice. Affiliated with Mood Hut, Reynolds has released two perfectly realized records in the past year— the Devonian Garden and Wyre Drive EPs, put out on Mood Hut and Going Good, respectively. Both releases highlighted the artist’s beautifully nuanced and detail oriented dance music, with a deep attachment to melody.

Seven wonderfully cohesive tracks span 'Untitled'. The slow house of opening track ‘Coffee’ sets the tone in style. The airy stasis jam ‘Bobok’ follows, with its subtle acid stabs accenting hypnotic lo-fi pads. Other highlights include the emotive trance of ‘Let Gone’ and the weightless, oscillating groove of ‘On None’. All in all ‘Untitled’ fits remarkably well into the Opal Tapes fold, alongside label artists HOLOVR, Huerco S. and 1991. The vinyl is beautifully packaged, and can be purchased here. Opal Tapes has recently announced a pivot towards vinyl, so be on the lookout for more forthcoming Black Opal releases. : )

Cloudface is also set to perform at this years New Forms Festival.

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Funkineven Feat Jay Daniel - Discipline 

Apron13. Apron don Funkineven with a fresh two tracker of killer experimental funk. 'Discipline / Abyss' is due out in early August.

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Jack J - MH007

Mood Hut sets their sights on the Vancouver summer with these three warm, classy cuts from Jack J, 0.5 of the Pender Street Steppers. Highly appropriate for July beach soirées, these tracks should garner some nice rotation this summer. The relaxed disco of ‘Looking Forward to You’ launches the record forward in celebratory fashion with balmy guitars and soft ascending bassline. ‘Take It to the Edge’ moves things deeper with chiming female vocals and classic sampling.

B Side ‘Something (On My Mind)’ is the tour de force here though, with its gauzy melody that cuts straight to your corazón. Matched with a beautifully floating bassline, the track is memorable even before the tear inducing sax melts in. This track has been hugely anticipated since it premiered on the Mood Hut Boiler Room session from earlier this year. Jack J might have provided the labels most immediate release so far, and it’s probably the record of the summer.

Also worth checking out is the artists beautiful 2012 album, 'Mother Official'.

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Imre Kiss - Raw Energy EP

LT006. Hungarian sound artist Imre Kiss elevates from the patchwork passages of his beautifully textured Midnight Wave cassette tape on Farbwechsel to land within the Lobster Theremin camp for his first vinyl release. The Raw Energy EP delivers an inspired versatility characteristic of truly memorable records. ’Stellar 0102’ launches the journey in a wash of ambience before a saturated, disjointed kick gets things going. The frenetic, maximal euphoria of electro inflected tracks like ‘Non’ and ‘Raw Energy (ARPOS Session)’ would be completely at home on labels such as Pinkman or Forbidden Planet. In contrast, 'Spellbound' strides through confidently, a low lying mid-weighted house jam. 'Belief' leads out the release, coaxing the listener into a gentle stasis with a haunting looped vocal. Hopefully this record gets shipped out soon so we aren’t left hanging with these previews. ; )

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Manuel Gonzales & Ramon Ramirez - Blowout 

BH011. Killer new release forthcoming on shadowy UK imprint Berceuse Heroique. Specializing in limited run 12”s, the label has amassed an impressive string of raw techno records in the past year from the likes of and Gesloten Cirkel and Breaker 1 2. Here Detroit artist Manuel Gonzales (aka MGUN) opts to go by his given name alongside newcomer(?) Ramon Ramirez. The tense and oddly soothing ‘Blowout’ centres around a beautiful weighty kick amid elegant, introspective strings. The recent NGLY white label on LIES comes to mind here. Don’t sleep on this one.

Video by Dro Carey.

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Manuel Gonzales - Filth EP

WB015. Coming off solid records for Don't Be Afraid, WIld Oats and The Trilogy Tapes under his MGUN moniker, Detroit artist Manuel Gonzales returns under his given name for Ukrainian vinyl imprint Wicked Bass. Three proper techno rollers comprise the 'Filth' EP. Wicked Bass is notable for releasing the very rare 'No Jack' EP by Huerco S.

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Head High - Megatrap (Mix Mix)

PH505. Oh wow. Shed all of a sudden drops a new record under his Head High moniker and we lose our shit. Released with no warning last week on the artists own Power House label, the Megatrap EP brings nine new cuts of raw, percussive dance music. The wonderfully titled ‘(Mix Mix)’ of the title track is a definite highlight with its powerful kick and classic vocal flip. Things really get going after poignant ambience enters before a riveting breakdown. Shed, through his respect for tradition and beautiful production, shows his true artistry once again.