Collection: Various Artists

Japan will always be a source of great wonderment to us over the rest, as well as being a hugely inspirational land when it comes to all manner of cultures. Take electronic music, and specifically house and techno, which have always had their own distinctive take on the genre and that is now tapped into as Alex From Tokyo Presents Japan Vibrations Vol. 1, a tasteful compilation that transports you to the Far East and some of its finest moments from the 80s and 90s. Each tune comes from a trailblazer of the time and elements of ambient, downtempo, dub, world beats, deep house, new jazz and techno are all fused together into a faultless and tasteful collection.

Light Touches Records is devoted to shed new lights on hot rarities, unknown grooves as well as forgotten classics. While the older numbers are much sought after on Discogs, Andrea Passenger digs deeper into the best shades of disco, afro, boogie and funk to deliver the 10th release on the highly revered Light Touches Records. On A side, “Roots” is a relentless disco tune for incendiary peak times, while “Psych Afro Roller” keeps faith to the name going into crazier territories. On the flipside, “New Dance” adds some boogie tones and quirky synth arrangements, while “Feel The Feeling” rounds things up with its moody and deeper vibe. All tracks have been carefully edited by Andrea Passenger without overdubs, in order to bring the spirit of classic disco manipulators to today’s dancefloors! 12” limited to 300 copies (no digital).

TLM kicking off their 50th vinyl only release since 1996 Canadian Mike Perras is back with a new Jazzy House track called Life Goes On. A fantastic Rhodes driven groove that you never want to end. Next up is a track from England’s Craig Bratley head of the Magic Feet record label. Anima is a classic Deep House track featuring Tim Hutton on trumpet. Mark Turner also from England rounds off the A side with his Kevin Hedge (Blaze) tribute affectionately titled Tribute To Hedge.On the AA side we have DFRA Experience Jazz Band from Argentina with a track called Isolation. A superb laid back Jazz track composed and produced by Diego Ruiz with Pablo Raposso on Piano, Hernán Cassibba on Double Bass, Gonzalo Rodríguez De Vicente on Saxophone, Joaquín Muro on Trumpet and Bruno Varela on Drums. Finally on side AA is Markus Enochson Presents Suedojazz with a track called Sober. This Swedish group lead by Markus have reformed for this release having previously had remixes under the name Suedo Jazz on MAW Records and Wave Music in the early 2000’s. This is also their first original work to be released rather than a remix. For this track we have Robert Ikiz on Drums, Gustav Lundgren on Guitar, Hampus Lundgren on Double Bass and Markus Enochson on Keys.

For the second edition of our City To City series we arrive in Lisboa. A city with a rich heritage of electronic music born from a strong affinity to authentic, underground dance music culture. Institutions such as Lux Fragile have carried the sound of Lisbon since it's formative years in the late 90’s. Its long-standing resident DJs now deservedly receiving global recognition and in return, introducing a wider spectrum of appreciation for the sound of the city. Some of which are included on City To City: Lisbon. Here on the second instalment of City To City we introduce six original tracks from seven artists currently making waves in Lisbon. Kicking things off we have Lisbon native, label owner and someone whose name has been firmly integrated with the city for 20+ years, Kaspar from Lisbon AKA DJ Kaspar. With releases on esteemed imprints such as Clone, 4Lux, Stripped and Chewed alongside various works on his own Percebes Musica, we're proud to have Kaspar lead the charge. Mereces provides a raw, hypnotic groove layered with chopped vocals and synth lines which creating an analogue and spontaneous feel which Kaspar has become renowned for. Next up, and picking up the pace we have DJ Honesty and his peak time club track Jazz Mutant. Thumping kick drum, choppy b-lines, intricate drums and a perfectly placed vocal at the end of the first break-down create the foundations for dance-floor pleasure. The German native and long-time Lisbon resident has previously graced the likes of Sonar Kollektiv, Compost & Cabinet and is a welcome edition to this stellar line-up of talent. Closing out the A side we have another Lisbon native, Lux regular and label / record shop owner Jorge Caiado. Jorge is a staple on many a line-up across the city and now internationally flying the flag for the deep-house sound of Lisboa. DJing far and wide from Chicago and Berlin to Beijing and Toronto, Jorge can be heard pushing his minimal deep house sound through his sets and releases on Carpets & Snares, Groovement and the sister label of Chez Damier’s Balance Recordings, Inner-Balance. Jorge has provided the beautifully crafted Good Days for this release which see him layering up the textures, floaty synths, soulful vocal chops & melodic top-lines providing something which truly nourish the soul. Proper deepness! Flipping over we have UK born & Lisboa based Megatronic. Having recently released on labels such as Razor n Tape, Feedasoul and The Remedy Project, Megatronic has firmly established herself as a global artist. A maverick tour de force, she brings her infectious energy to the release via a bumping vocal house track with touches of Bruk vibes entitled Casey Screams. Next up we have Lisboa local and someone who has their feet deeply-rooted to the culture of the city, Moreno Ácido delivering a track entitled Until The Break of Dawn. Mario is diverse in his productions with previous output ranging from tougher, jackin’ tracks such as 100 Controls from his Trash/Treasure EP on Call To Action through to deep, intricate late night moods such as Until The Break Of Dawn. Closing out this special release we have two names most synonymous with the underground sound of Lisbon and more specifically the institution of Lux Fragil; Yen Sung & Photonz. The duo have previously worked together on projects such as Angel Rights on their own imprint Alphabet Street Music and we’re excited to have them provide a thumping track, heads down groover to close the EP. Changes is straight to the point. Rolling bassline, in your face stabs and a heavy dose of kick drum. Something you’ll hear at Lux on any given weekend and a fitting close to a brilliant VA representing all corners of the deeper side of Lisboa.

2025 repress Running Back’s Double Copy subsidiary for house music history returns with four musical masterpieces from Chicago, London and an international cast from Italy on its first various artist sampler. Originally released on Roy Davis Jr.’s Undaground Therapy outlet, Destination Heaven by the enigmatic Earth Boys project delivers a piece of cloud-nine-deep-house that was a staple at Frankfurt’s Wild Pitch Club and during the early days of its successor Robert Johnson. Produced by Cloudy Eyes and Cole Brooks, we unfortunately have never heard from the duo again. Luckily, Family of Few have been a little bit more productive. Also known as Mind Readers, Kevin Elliot and Billy ‚Jack“ Williams produced some of the more tender moments on Detroits 430 West label. Intervoles is amongst the most peculiar and catchy tracks that slow-burning dance floors can hope for. The flip side turns the attention to the conclusions that Europe drew from its US-role-models. Released in 1992 on Rena Records with the involvement of New York’s JoVonn (a distinct genius of deep grooves himself), the keyboard skills of Pierre Audetat and the production work of I. Betti, M. Clemente and W. Brown, Dummy Head is one of a kind. Swirly echoes, dubby textures and a heavy bass line mate on the Edit Mix of I Have Been Wanting You to create one of the very first examples of fully formed dub-house. Similar pioneering properties can be ascribed to the work of Rob Mello. We don’t have enough room here to list all his merits, but rest assured that the UK’s house scene wouldn’t be the same without him (Luxury Service Records, Classic et al). Under the Karim guise, Mello delivered a unique stroke of genius. Distilling the essence of deep house, while looking far into the future, In My Mind is many things at once: broken beat, electro, house with embracing chords, and – if you will – a warm-up banger. and does, what all the tracks in here do: turning heads then, turning heads now. Hardcore Deep House!

Four exclusive, unreleased tracks lifted from the forthcoming 'Eglo Records Volume 3' compilation,available on a limited edition 12" vinyl EP to celebrate 15 years of our trend setting, little independent label, born out of the basement of the legendary Plastic People night club. Featuring the don Zed Bias on the remix for Chunky's 'Dancing On Tables' alongside fellow Mancunian talent Metrodome, as well as Liverpools young Broken Beat wizard Sticky Dub, who serves up a deep, brukwise bubbler on 'Minerals'. Flip it over for brand new material from House music aficionado Giles Smith (formerly of Secret Sundaze) and the official debut release form label boss Alex Nut onhis lo-fi Electro House jawn 'Arcade Fun Pt.1' .The full compilation will be out in April featuring new tracks and previously released material fromthe likes of label artists Shy One, Steve Spacek, Stefan Ringer, Last Nubian, Malik Hendricks,Fatima, Destiny71z, Natalie Slade and many more....

From Chicago To New York via the Uk. Three well selected cuts out of the House Music Universe. Including Vick Lavender who is a founding Member of the Strictly Jaz Unit. A Donna Summer related House Version of her all time classic "Love To Love You". Last but not least the yet only Release on Disco Magic related JFD Records bringing all the vibes a Dancefloor needs. Soulful, Progy & classy NY school. Comes in Freedom Party Label Sleeve.

Originally released in 2014, Strut re-introduces Hardcore Traxx: Dance Mania Records 1986-1997, the highly sought-after definitive retrospective of one of Chicago’s most important and innovative house music labels. Emerging as a raw alternative to the powerhouses of Trax and DJ International during the mid-‘80s, Dance Mania continued to represent street-level Chicago club music into the ‘90s, helping to pioneer the Ghetto House sound. Hardcore Traxx traces the full story of the label from its heyday. Founded in 1985 and managed by Ray Barney, Dance Mania hit the ground running with its second release in ’86, the incendiaryHardcore Jazz EP by Duane & Co. Barney quickly became a trustworthy outlet for early house and acid productions by upcoming Chicago artists such as Lil Louis, Marshall Jefferson and Farley Keithaka Farkey “Jackmaster” Funk. The label set out its stall with a series of landmark Chicago releases including 7 Ways by Hercules, Li’l Louis’ The Original Video Clash, and international smash House Nation by Housemaster Boyz. During the ‘80s, it cemented its reputation for uncompromising club records and DJ Tools with sounds spanning raw garage (Victor Romeo’s Love Will Find A Way), acid trax (Robert Armani) and quality house (Da Posse). Into the ‘90s, Barney unleashed the groundbreaking "Hit It From The Back" by Traxmen and Eric Martin, ushering in a primitive new sound around faster, stripped down rhythms and X-rated party-starting lyric lines. Barney remembers, “Guys used to call in and ask for music on Dance Mania – they were saying, ‘gimme some of that ghetto stuff.’ Dance Mania producer DJ Slugo adds, “when we made Ghetto House… we made music for the bitches. Music for the grinding sh*t and all of that.” The sound spawned a whole new swathe of homegrown producers releasing a fast flow of no-compromise dancefloor bangers: Paul Johnson, DJ Deeon, DJ Funk, DJ Milton, Waxmaster and Slugo all became leaders of the scene. The influence of ghetto house became widespread, not least for Daft Punk, whose track "Teachers" from their Homework album in 1997 was effectively a tribute to Dance Mania. The new wave of productions also paved the way for the later Chicago juke and footwork scene. Today, with the label back up and running courtesy of Ray Barney and Parris Mitchell, Dance Mania remains a revered Chicago institution across dance music. With Hardcore Traxx, Strut traces the history of the label on a definitive compilation for the first time, from the early classics to ghetto house anthems alongside big money rarities and oddities hidden within their substantial catalogue. Produced in association with Dance Mania, the release is compiled by Conor Keeling (DJ behind the popular "Teachers" Daft Punk influences online mix) with help from Miles Simpson of Ransom Note. Physical formats feature full label history and artist interviews by DJ Chrissy Murderbot alongside rare photos.

Good friends and Record Mission co-captains, Dan Tyler (one half of the Idjut Boys) and Nick The Record, take the reins for the third volume of the Mr Bongo Edits 12" series. With previous editions coming courtesy of Danny Krivit and Luke Una, Dan and Nick set their sights on a hand-picked selection of iconic ‘70s Cuban recordings for this three-track cosmic whirlwind. Across the A side, Dan picks out two Juan Pablo Torres tracks, with Nick taking on Grupo Los Yoyi on the B. Tweaking, extending and reworking the recordings with a dose of extra magic they remould the tracks to fit the sounds and structure of today’s dancefloors. Having formed the Idjut Boys in the early ‘90s, Dan and Conrad McDonnell have crafted a dubbed-out, disco-tinged style that permeates their countless productions, remixes and DJ sets. Speaking of the two tracks Dan has chosen to rework for this EP he mentions, “Having been caught under an avalanche of good music from Mr Bongo, I took it upon myself to extend and add effects to a couple of the fantastic tracks from the Juan Pablo Torres LPs they recently re-issued. Just for disco jockey and barn dance use.” First, Dan looks to Cuban maestro Juan Pablo Torres’ 1978 album 'Algo Nuevo', taking one of the standout tracks ‘Cacao’ and giving it more space to breathe. Teasing out the scatting vocal line and percussive climax that nods to George Kranz's ’83 electronic disco anthem 'Din Daa Daa', whilst adding more cosmic tripped-out synths and space echoed dubs, Dan builds the tension to fine effect. This track sounds immense on a big club system and the swirling synths felt like they were lifting the ceiling off when we played it at the amazing La Paloma ballroom in Barcelona. Dan then turns his attention to Torres’ 1977 'Super Son' album, giving the psych-Latin-funk track 'Pastel En Descarga' a dub makeover. Rich in delay and drama, whilst maintaining and extending the breakers funk intro, he juices it up into a punchy, no-nonsense, cosmic-funk delight. On the B side, Tangent co-founder, long-standing Life Force resident and seasoned rework master, Nick The Record, revisits an edit that he originally constructed in 2009. Clocking in at over double the length of the original cut, Nick’s edit of Grupo Los Yoyi’s 1977 cut 'Paco La Calle', is made with dancers firmly in mind. This secret weapon builds and simmers, with the drums and percussion pushing and pulling before the psychedelic synth lines return in a sweltering fashion. In this new 2025 version, Dan is drafted in to work some brilliant new synth lines into the mix.

Patrick Luca's cultured Island Issues returns with a run of new releases for 2025, starting with Madrid Issues. This various artists collection focuses on producers based in Madrid and features label friends old and new including Damián Schwartz, José Cabrera, Dubbyman, DJ F, Deenamic and Caustica. Deenamic has been making moves for years on labels like Freebeat, Neroli & Mother Tongue's curated Yellow Jackets. His 'Mad-430' is a moody and lo-fi dub house cut that opens in deep and atmospheric fashion with deft synth lines woven into the mix. Next is Prayers For The Long Life head honcho DJ F, who has worked under various aliases and explored a range of sounds across the acid, electro, techno and house spectrum. He offers 'D-Mind' which is a sweet blend of grinding, mechanical house groves and glowing melodies that leave hypnotic and wispy trails. Caustica is a mysterious alias from a producer also known as Diffuse Arc and Persa, that works across downtempo, house and electro. His 'Tears' is a lively jam with electro rhythms doused in lush synth harmonies and a warm machine soul. The flip-side opens with a remix from usual suspect Dubbyman, who is a specialist of deep atmospherics. He remixes Chirie Vegas's 'Fackin' Jacks' ft. Kunta-K and flips it into a dubby beatdown with low-slung and rolling kicks, Spanish rap vocals and loved-up chords for a feel-good late-night sound. Then comes master craftsman Damián Schwartz, a richly musical house expert: his 'Azul' is a punchy deep house vibe with leggy kicks and jazzy synth improvisations that dart about above classic Detroit chords. Last of all, José Cabrera is another Spanish mainstay who co-runs A Harmless Deed with Schwartz and has his own raw style. 'Game Over' taps into classic house with cowbells, hopeful chord structures and a warm, balmy groove that brings the good times. Madrid Issues shines a light on the rich vein of underground talent that call the Spanish capital home while also offering up plenty of tasteful club sounds.

Mark Grusane presents Midwest Rhythms Vol. 3 on Disctechno: a compilation of five stripped down, off-kilter house tracks from four producers out of Chicago and Detroit and one from Grusane himself. On the A side is a spaced out synth-laden “Memory Blank” from DJ Slush (aka Eric Schwab) and a pulsing, bass-heavy beatdown on “AYYYO” from Deon Jamar. The B side features Jordan Zawideh’s reverb-heavy drum machine & synth duet “Axolotls”, Mark Grusane’s pounding, in-your-face atonal track “The Recoil”, and finishes with Thomas Xu’s grooving arpeggios on “School Street.” Not to be missed for fans of the contemporary Midwest underground."

DAYBREAKERS, a new London based label focusing on the deepest of deep house, from classics to rarities, dubs, hits & b sides. First up for the label is a focus on Jeffrey Collins’ Music Station label from Englewood, New Jersey. Music Station was a staple on dancefloors across the USA in the 90s. This EP selects four of the best from the label. The A Side has Mixes of Elaine Monk’s - Something For Nothing, mixes so good we had to include them both. On the Flip, the Club Dub of Cherie Lee’s 'Love Me Or Leave Me' will keep the dancefloor rolling, and then B2 is the Smack Rain Vibe Mix of Gerideau’s Take A Stand', a deeper than deep anthem perfect for any discerning red lit basement full of dancers. Don't miss out, buy or cry.

MÚSICA PARA BOLICHE takes us to Argentina. Along the journey, we will discover that Maradona is not the only thing we have in common with our cousins across the ocean. Let’s dive into the 1980s Buenos Aires scene, a time straddling dictatorship and disco music, in search of dusty gems forgot-ten even in their homeland. The EP contains four tracks spanning Italo, electro, and proto-house, carefully selected by Jack Bulgaro, restored, and edited by DJs from Italy and Argentina.