Michael Melchner
Radical Utopia EP

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.

Jose Guerrero aka Telomante lives in Valencia where he runs the label Mascarpone Discos. A prolific producer, he is running multiple projects such as Sentuhlà on Abstrakce Records or Rastrejo on his own label. Codantera is a contemplative stroll through soundscapes that leave a lot of space for improvisation, where harmonic fields and abrupt experimentations meet on the same level. The sonic warmth and the strength that emanates from it make this album a jewel of minimalist electronic music. “One could find orientation and support in the past of German electronic music, from 1975 to 1985, that is just as timeless, because courageous. Let us remember Cluster, Möebius and Rodelius or Conrad Schnitzler [...] this music speaks of beauty and the idea of a better world.” (Detlef Weinrich, Tolouse Low Trax).

Wake up sleepyheads; after another rotation around the sun and the fog of the early year drifting across the realm, what better way to break through than breaks. Spray is once again on the archival quest, dusting off jewels for the dancers, with this time’s excavation taking us to a 1994 North London bedroom (heard that before huh?). Originally released on D*Fusion Records, at a time when the ever-rising pulsating amphetamine twitch of hardcore was side stepped, with some furthering their fury into jungle, and others receding into more cerebral and ethereal realms. This collection of huge tunes falls into the latter from the producer Anoesis; a release for the post-post generation, when bygone specters of trance dance mania become the ghouls of the moment, the need for Rave ever increasing.All in all it takes about 15 seconds to know that ‘Heavy Water’ is an essential massive break your speaker hit. Gated vox pop out like sirens in the smoke and lasers, calling you to engage with the eternal/internal rhythm that is the acid squelch break. A perfect dose of psych deviates the song to a higher path. For the remix contemporary audio savant D. Tiff strips away the buzz saw grind of the original, encouraging hypnosis and trance-infected desires, with a touch of mooood.On the flip Diact is super keen for an ascension. A menaced freaky overlord, pulling at the strings that the dancers are mere puppets to follow, channeling a big beat essence. Trouble Down Groove assumes the form of the classic break and vocal flip, full of twitched sampling hype; 1 for the dancefloor headspinners. Aligned to the Anoesis sound, it’s mutated with a certain type of alluring growl, a sonic signature, and the key sound running through this EP.

We are delighted to present you a fresh EP from our French friend Gauvain. His tech- trance tracks with samples from old movies are bringing a mysterious dance vibe to any floor. Next to making dance music he is also known as JJ Boooth the man who can change wood into spectacular DJ booths..

Adam Pits is back with his second album on Leeds based On Rotation ‘Synthetic Serenity’ represents the next evolutionary step of Adam’s sound design and direction. In stark contrast to his first album, ‘A Recurring Nature’, this new release moves out of the forest and into the digital landscape, capturing the sound of a future world over 8 varied tracks.Adam Pits talks about the inspiration behind the new album:“It’s hard to put into words how much of an impact 2022 had on my life. I could talk for hours about the highs and lows, the journeys, both inside and out of my body. Or I could just make an album.Having delved into the deeper reaches of techno and ambient, I wanted to show my appreciation for these genres on the record. Atmosphere, clarity and warmth became the pillars of my new sonic exploration, with stress falling on my signature ‘journeying’ style. The album describes the idea of being at peace with machines and being open to the idea that in the future we will find ourselves more and more involved with one another.‘Synthetic Serenity’ is a product of a big energy release. It’s a testament to my acceptance of change in life and I believe it’s a true sign of my sonic evolution”

On behalf of re:discovery records, it is with great excitement that we announce the 2nd EP in the 3 part series that highlight the music from the 1990's Norwegian electronic act Neural Network. Picking up from where EP #1 left off, the A-side features the title track from their first album 'Brain-State-In-A-Box'. Originally, this was actually an edit from the 30+ minute live version that was played in 1993 where Keith Flint and the Prodigy crew gave them the thumbs up for being a great opening act for them to take stage to. A pinnacle UK rave track in all the essence, give this one a proper go. All 16 minutes of it! The B-side features our favorite ambient cut from Neural Network's 2nd album 'Modernité'. Titled 'Part 3' it is a deep, emotional and moving ambient track. Goosebump material to those that knew it orginally. All 3 of these EP's come with notes from the band on those special early days of their music and their inspiration. All these tracks are on vinyl for the first time with excellent artwork from UK's Grid Pattern. Bring back the Chill Out Rooms!