Umberto
2020 EP

Get inside the gambling den.Das Wettbüro is the new music on candomblé that will make you want to never stop playing. Toggling between love infested disco and droner Krautrock, leaning into Kosmische and Late 80s House - it is a pleasure to be surprised as their vision unfolds. These men don’t play for free. And they always win. Now bet your Money on this record.

The Younger Than Me debut on Warning hits hard with two powerful original cuts and sharp remixes. The Early Sound Of Nothing is a deep Rave belter driven by the 90s reminiscences that YTM is known and loved for. Maruwa gently coats his production in a slick mix of uplifting House and funky Trance, perfect for an energetic morning workout. On the flip Counter Future turns up the tempo creating a meltdown of choral Jumpstyle vibes before the EP gets finished with another rework by Sophie du Palais who takes the track into a mean bath for a round of sinister Ketamine sex.

InfoHolly Lester’s Duality Trax imprint has quickly established itself as one of most exciting emerging labels from within the modern electronic circuit. Undoubtedly inspired by the golden era of house, techno, bleep and club, the label also has its crosshairs fixated firmly on the future and has become a one-stop-shop for the very best in early-hours euphoria and contemporary heads-down sonics.Despite its young age the label already boasts a stellar back catalogue, releasing tracks and records from Fio Fa, Violet, Cromie, rRoxymore, Roza Terenzi and more – and the fourth in the series comes from Steffan Todorović and Joonas Aro under their Abdul Raeva alias.Holly is no stranger to either artist, having set up the Terrazzo label with Gestalt Records and Coymix head Steffan. It’s a sonic match-made-in-heaven, with both contributing artists and label head sharing an admiration for bouncy, fun and deep club music that dangles its legs on the border of emotionality without taking itself too seriously.The label head was first drawn to the lead track ‘Atlas Corporation’ with it’s soaring resonant lead reminiscent of the classic ‘Rez’ by Underworld. Ear-wriggling acid lines and psychedelic atmospherics balance a gritty and driving drum rhythm across a kaleidoscopic six minutes, before ‘Death Race’blends techy dub with Abdul Raeva’s signature proggy sauce, best played as the sun begins to rise again.Staying true to the concepts of gender and sonic duality, the remix comes from Australian DJ and Pure Space-founder Andy Garvey who turns in a breakbeat-laden, broken acid-techno rendition of the A2, before we come to a meditative close with the tropical, downtempo sounds of ‘Guardian of the Vault’.

Old friends John Cravache and I:Cube teamed up to release Chimère Fm’s debut album on Versatile records.Endless improvised studio sessions seamlessly blending electronic synthesis and post dada cinematics.Dreamy synth funk rubs against pagan rhythms and minimalist electronic drones.This album will take you to soundwave paradise.Chimère Fm is an imaginary radio station broadcasting its stellar weirdness livefrom Paris !

Sweat Ur Prayers, the next wavy addition to Radiant Love’s catalogue, is the first solo-EP of Byron Yeates. In their messaging, their timbres and grooves, the 4 tracks speak faithfully to Yeates’ inclinations as a DJ and label-head: the playfulness and buoyancy, a constant nod to the roots of rave, and a faith in dance music’s transformative power.Opening the release is the title track, a bubbling and breakbeat-laden 8 minutes. Mantric repetition is a running theme throughout the EP, and we hear “Raindrops falling all around, freeing me from other sounds; trickling down my weary eyes, bringing me back, I’m ready to fly” as an opening salvo. Yeates’ is known for his vast, enduring DJ sets, inducing sheens of sweat from all involved – with these tracks, it’s clear he’s unafraid to take his time to build tension as a producer as well. The percussive conversation between hi-hat and snare complexifies until a clap enters near the 2 minute mark and suddenly we’re in the main, driving groove.“Waves” is a dial-back to downtempo, floatation and introspection. The dancer and writer Gabrielle Roth is sampled, speaking on her 5 Rhythms movement meditation technique – the term “sweat your prayers” comes from her texts on ecstatic physicality. The track shimmers and sways in bright pads and delayed-out drum breaks, setting the reflective tone for “Dreaming is Essential”, co-produced by Eoin DJ. Opening with Radiant Love co-founder Ruin, her candid vocals are perfectly aligned for the dancefloor’s vulnerability: “What am I avoiding? I wish I could hold myself, like the dance holds me.” The track unfolds through layers of percussion and shadowy texture, taking a pivot to optimism halfway through, as a warm synth-line accompanies Ruin’s repetition: “Dreaming is essential.”Lawrence Lee’s remix of “Sweat Ur Prayers” adapts the bounce of the original’s bassline to a classic, stabby rave synth. Again there is a percussive focus, but force and warmth are foregrounded, rather than polyrhythm – a shot, rather than a spritz. We hear again the opening mantra, and although “I’m ready to fly” may seem in opposition to Ruin’s “Let the dance hold me”, Sweat Ur Prayers seems to say they are one in the same movement.