Andy Kas
MINDHELMET 17

* Co-produced by OkayokayokayThe thinking person’s tekkers. Release your release.

Faith Beat’s 11th signal comes from Ploy with The 'Flirt' EP. A 5 track journey through the darker shades of house and touches of garage - his signature kick drums and bass lines move your body, while vocal samples pull at your heart and mind.

Janeret hits the bullseye with four silky prog cuts drenched in celestial synths and low-slung basslines, primed for big room hypnosis. Translucent melodies dart and shimmer while heavyweight drums flex like they own the place.All four tracks on Haŵs’s 30th release pulse with a propulsive, late-night swagger - slick, seductive and soaked in golden-hour allure. With endless weighty grooves and otherworldly sheen - this is Janeret at his most commanding. Printed in gold for good reason.

Picasso has been going from strength to strength in recent years and his debut on NorthSouth represents another side to his ever evolving sound. Opening up the EP is Robbie Growler, a tried and tested dancefloor ripper, drums with an infectious groove and THAT bassline, this ones destined for those big 3am moments. Next up is Superstylin’ Glidin’ - bouncier in nature, the arpeggiating bass and melodies have this one suited perfect for both earlier or later in the night when the crowd needs a little lift. On the flip side we open up with Bounce 2 It! Those familiar with Picasso’s sound of late may feel a strong affinity with this one, dubby, housey & hazy. The EP is rounded out with Sixth Sense, on a similar tip to the track before, this is one for those deeper moments, warm, lush pads and smoky groove - close your eyes and nod away!

Mama is here. This producer hailing from Italy has been making waves in the underground music community landing a strong string of releases on the prolific labels for you to check out. Now it is time for him to present to the world of “Sottopasso”, the 4 track EP with quite wide range of sound yet all absolutely in line with vision of the label and with utmost touch of freshness starting from A1 and finishing to B2. All the tracks names are with Italian flavor and is very close to the artist’s heart and resonate with the memories and experiences that personally shaped the man we are witnessing today. The artwork as always executed by the legend of the graffiti art Gkoner, which is showing a spooky entrance that one is about to enter if one dares too. This work has found its home on the label with a sense of proudness of Mama and excitement for it to find homes to its rightful owners brings a lot of positive feelings.

Haŵs kicks the new year off with ‘Mind Illusion’ - a cerebral 4-tracker from Vince Void reconciling the fractures between future, past and present. A tribute to the progressive era of the early 1990s, the record flirts between classic elements and a contemporary undercurrent, tracing the arc of the genre from its dawn to an optimistic, bubbling examination of where the sound now heads today.“Mind Illusion” lays the first brushstrokes down with cinematic intent. Gazing down as though floating above the final fragments of a British summer rave, the track clings to the imminent sunrise, cascading into lush chords, Juno stabs and a lingering prayer for the eternal August night.“Transmissions” extends the wish for preservation by exploring the vast horizons of the sky. A low and resonant engine pushes the track airborne into the stark void, moulding itself into varying forms in response to its enveloped surroundings - somewhere between the breathing Heart and Soul nebulas, a melody of airy strings and pads piercing through a spiralling, rollicking cluster of stars.“Revival” slows down the machine by shifting gears and grounding itself in a personal experience of illness and eventual recovery. Capturing the steady pulse of moving from incapacitation to renewal, the track expands and transmutes into a supple, singular bassline.“Space Talk” guides the record to an introspective close. Meditating on its own fading dreams and an invocation of a day led laissez-faire, the track asks to be honoured with an intention of quiet abandon, moving through hypnotic drums, mellow 303 acid patterns and ethereal pads as though whispering a secret on the vulnerable threshold of sleep.Sometimes there is too urgent a fever in those that ask: well, what’s next, and what can I do to make what I want to happen, happen today? The 29th record on Haŵs has no specific answer on its journey to the next stage of evolution, except that in the question lies the mistake.Slow down, gather your faint thoughts, and drift along with the unresolved, receded tide - because it’s within the tomorrow that you'll find how all the good things in life took time.