Boulderhead
MINDHELMET 18

It‘s all about a balanced brekky. Release your release.

Nothing but nice returns with the fifth slice in the series from co-head honcho James Andrew. Doing what he does best, the record showcases his distinct blend of house, tech house and garage with a bit of dubby deepness thrown in for good measure. Nicely!

Presenting the maiden voyage of Felon5 Records.

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.

Kepler's Perspective label welcomes Sydney-based talent Pistaccio, delivering four deep and slick, rolling tech-house cuts. Pistaccio may be an emerging artist, but his reputation for creating groove-driven, functional house music is already undeniable. This timeless EP resonates with sleek, dancefloor-ready energy, making it a versatile choice for any setting, from a daytime session, through to the afterhours.

Manchester via ten years in Berlin and now residing near the city of Porto in Portugal - prolific house DJ and producer SY joins the Slump Recordings family for the eighth escapade; a trip through progressive, groovy house music - two tracks that encompass the core ethos, cheekiness and nostalgia of the label. Bolstered with a stunning, balearic twist, Baldo reworks the A-side with a percussive pulse and hypnotic groove. B-side ‘Perceptions’ receives a London-centric remix from the label’s owner Baby Rollén - switching the flow of metric beats with syncopated breakbeats and wriggly acid leads!