Alyhas Occibel Tiago Walter
Emotional Damage

Through 35 hedonistic highlights stretched across three volumes, Music For The Radical Xenomaniac delivers the first ever deep dive into The Netherlands’ colourful house sound of the 90s and the under-celebrated producers and record labels whose music soundtracked a countrywide cultural movement.Plenty of books and documentaries have celebrated the riotous raves, legendary clubs, high profile DJs and promoters who shaped The Netherlands’ hedonistic house scene throughout the 90s. Music For The Radical Xenomaniac dares to challenge these narratives by shining a light, for the first time, on those who created the scene’s kaleidoscopic, game-changing and globally influential soundtrack.Leading the charge were a disparate group of key creators who not only forged links with their counterparts in Detroit, Chicago, New York, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom, but also became celebrated figures on the worldwide electronic underground (Eric Nouhan, Aad De Mooy, Orlando Voorn, Stefan Robbers and Steve Rachmad). Alongside key underground imprints (Stealth Records, Basic Energy, ESP, Prime and Outland Records included) and lesser-known producers, these pioneers gave flavour to a radical musical movement via open-mindedness, unheard-of creativity and a genuinely futuristic ethos. All of these artists and labels are represented throughout the series.So, what defined this hedonistic house sound from The Netherlands? Stylistically, it was varied – as the series so emphatically proves – but was defined by a set of distinctive sonic characteristics: emotive musical motifs, high-frequency synth sounds, mellow basslines, pulsating rhythms and more than a touch of hallucinatory intent.Volume 1 boasts a wealth of notable tracks and slept-on gems. There’s ‘No Strings Attached (Freedom of the Soul Work)’ by Marionette, a magical spell of percussion-rich fairy-tale house from 1991 courtesy of R.o.X.Y Amsterdam resident DJ Dimitri and mellow pioneer Eric Nouhan, and the sole single by Eindhoven techno producer MAX404 as Faceless Techno Bastards, the rushing excellence of ‘Go Mellow’.Other highlights include Rachmad Project’s ‘Summer Breeze’, a chirpy house masterpiece from foundational producer Steve Rachmad that first appeared on Outland Records offshoot Spiritual Records, a genuine oddball obscurity from John Krengiëlczak as Land of Fantasy, Tales And Myths (‘And They Lived Happily Ever After’), and a seriously sought-after cut from Rotterdam duo Space Trax, 1992’s ‘Aura’.Packed full of forward-thinking 90s gems remastered for today’s dance floors by Alden Tyrell, Music For The Radical Xenomaniac Volume 1 is a life-affirming celebration of a distinctly Dutch musical movement, whose rich textures and melodies are still inspiring new generations of DJs and dancers today.

Rushing us headlong into a vorticist maelstrom of hard-edged drum stutter and polychromatic synth fragmentation, Sansibar sophomore long-player for Kalahari Oyster Cult - “Sans Musique” - tackles the very essence of post-trancey, breaks-loaded UK blends with unabashed joy to wreak havoc on his path. Throughout seven tracks oozing burnt kerosene and depleted uranium residue merged with a hint of sacred incense, Sansibar deploys his extra-wide vision for the present and future of dance music.“Scully” attacks pedal to the metal, hi-intensity bass onslaughts and knee-buckling breaks roaring as the groove slings us at bullet-speed into a hot, narrow barrel of floor-focused aggression. Fusing rattling DnB engineering with Goa trance motifs, “Force of Equilibrium” showcases Sansibar’s hybrid attachment to functionality and headspace fractalisation. Hi-velocity rimshots, pep vox samples and alien basslines blazing, “NRJ” eases us into a shape-shifting network of underground tunnels dwelled by shady raving creatures, harking back to Prodigy’s early wares and subsequent offshoots of the 90s era.One to bend your mind to, “Teal’c” taps into an even darker vein with its fast-cascading hats and von Oswald-ian dub whirlwind set against a surgically laid-down, unstoppable EBM bass comber. Jagged and oneiric to the finest extent, “Send It” peeps at prime Hokusai and Photek material in its first stretch, slowly making room for further spacious liquid junglism as bars run by. Cranking the 2-step/garage power levels up a notch, “Fantasmas” sends us spinning into orbit right away, while the LP’s closing track “Aurora” takes us on a languidly serene voyage of a finale, tempo slowed-down and suave trip-hop flavours exuding with increased sensitiveness.--Hailing from Helsinki, Finland, Sansibar is a non-pareil cosmic traveller - also producer, resident DJ at Kaiku and Post Bar and wave agitator on IDA Radio and EOS Radio - whose genre-unbound sound credentials for the likes of Kalahari Oyster Cult, Natural Sciences, Émotsiya, Darknet, Avoidance et al. have helped establish as one of today’s most intriguing talents in the European scene.

Landing this summer is a fantastic body of work from talented Irishman, Tr One, and quite notably the inaugural release on his own “Intrinsic Rhythm” label. His debut album “From The Studio Of” is a masterpiece that maneuvers between innovative strains of deep house, spaced out electro, and discerning mellow techno; the studio album spans across fourteen tracks including an acid tinged remix from, Cignol, and some stellar input from, Mihail P. Continuously inspired by the greats, and drawing influence from an array of sounds of the past whether that be, Chicago, Detroit and beyond, Tr One has now found himself with a cohesive series of tracks that speaks with power and creativity, and will see the light of day on both 2 x seperate 12” EP's and digital.The first EP cruises into “Pitchshift” a deep, and melodic Detroit beatdown influenced trip featuring the vocals of Elaine Dowling. “Turning Point” drifts you up a notch, emotional synths breathe life into the crisp drum arrangements, but never getting carried away. The intelligently constructed “I’m Dreaming Again” sways gently in the realms of the after hours, hypnotic and captivating sounds from the Carlow based producer. Maintaining the enigmatic mood is “Stay Offline” a distinctive bassline drives the track allowing the other elements to converse peacefully. Cignol’s remix of “Turning Point” brings a new acid dynamic to the album, squelchy lines bounce around tidy drum work.

For our first-ever LP we proudly present INTRO’s “Odyssey Of Shifting Emotions”. A collection of tracks recorded in the 90’s by the Madrid-based legends Francisco & Nacho Sotomayor. Before moving into various musical realms, the pair had been quietly honing their craft for years. Meticulously programming near-perfect drum loops and placing them onto subtle layers of otherworldly synthesis. The music inspires intro-mental journeys yet remains tinged with energy and emotion. These are the sorts of contrast that can be expected on this LP. While clearly sharing certain themes, each track brings its own ideology to the table, allowing this record to humbly fit in your bag on an array of occasions.

« In Praise Of Nothing » is the debut EP of the brand new S.A.C.S 89 imprint created by Stephen & Charlou former founding members of OPAQ Records. S.A.C.S 89 stands for Society Against Conformist System and aims to defend uncompromising music. On this first record founders Charlou & Stephen provide 2 tracks each and 2 collaborations ranging from techno & EBM to synth-pop. An invitation to join their new system.