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LAB US EXCLUSIVO. Adam Kesher follow up their outstanding debut EP on Disque Primeur with this loaded single, featuring four new tracks and four remixes from all over the place. This EP also marks the remix debut of the Lab's very own...
expand review Snack & C'mish! "P-Katherine(1)" is hype enough on its own (think Franz Ferdinand, but better), but Snack & C'mish get so funky with it(2) and turn it into an absolute dancefloor bomb. Fine work, dudes. Paris' premier ghettotech DJs, Goon & Koyote, get their hands on Kesher's first single, "Modern Times(3)," and Strip Steve puts down a HEAVY remix of "Irene(4)" - check the original(5), too. Also includes "Let The Earth Rejoice" and the original and Yuksek versions of "Feel You In My Arm." Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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LAB EXCLUSIVO. The long out of print debut EP from Adam Kesher gets a special repressing! This CD sold out immediately upon initial release and these tracks are only found on this EP (no vinyl was ever made). Turntable Lab is the...
expand review exclusive US distributor of this release - you won't find it anywhere else.
Y'all might remember Adam Kesher's first appearance at the Lab from their rock cover of Para One's rave anthem "Dun-Dudun" on Institubes, but this EP is actually the band's first release from '06. Think post-punk meets electro-rock with a bit of Factory Records. Take a listen and you'll find these French rockers got more going for them than the usual rave-banger sounds that their countrymen have blown up so hard lately. "Modern Times(1)" sets the whole thing off like a flaming kick in the ass. Frantic, fast paced drums, screeching guitars, and nasty low end synths make things real hot and sweaty (it's no wonder this track set off a slew of hype remixes). Next check "160(2)" for more on this driving, high energy tip (really reminds me of Gang Of 4 on this one). "You Make Me Feel Immortal(3)" and "Voyage Interieur(4)" aren't bad either, but feature a more mellowed out melancholy vibe. An impressive debut with 5 tracks total. -snackmaster
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If you missed out on any of AutoKratz' singles for Kitsune over the past year or so, here's your chance to catch up and find out why these two Londoners have been blowing heads with their electro-rock / digital house productions. Along...
expand review with the new track "Hearts(1)," Down & Out includes every A- and B-side from their four 12"s, including the electro-rock carpet ride of "Reaktor(2)," blippy "1,000 Things(3)," the dirty techno of "French Girls Play Guitar(4)" and "Pardon Garcon(5)." Comes in a unique red and black jewel case - check under the tray for a surprise. 9 tracks; 46 minutes -Van Hammersly
Here's comes the crossover! I know The Rub is synonymous with hip hop, reggae, funk and breaks in NY, but now you can add electronic dance tracks to the list. Leave it to the creator of The Rave to follow it up...
expand review with... Drugs Drugs Drugs Drugs. I know the name is a little obvious, and it's kind of a greatest hits of the last 2 years of NY dance music, but if you're in the dust - get on it bruh! Trends are like seasons here and you don't want to be left in the cold. So put your groove boots away and grab your fluorescent bandanna and Trizzy shades, and bang out to the hype sounds of Soulwax, Justice, Chromeo, brand new unreleased Kid Sister Track (featuring Kanye West), Arman Van Helden, Mylo, Claude Von Stroke, Green Velvet, Booka Shade, Das Glow, the Lab's own Egg Foo Youngstah, and many more!!! -C'mish
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It's confusing, why an artist/group like Black Devil Disco Club would go to such lengths to cover his/her/their true identity, and then further stir the blog soup with label text comparing the group's tunes to the art of Salvador Dali. It's confusing...
expand review because, while that stuff can be fun, BDDC's music is so good that it doesn't really need hyping. This third (and supposedly final) album from the maybe contemporary / maybe 70s artist contains just six songs, but those six supremely well-executed Italo, electro and disco hybrid jams definitely deliver. There are just so many things to dig in each track: those robot backup vocals in the sinister "Open The Night(1)," the subtle percussion and squelching keys on "Free For The Girls(2)," the overall haunted house vibe of "For Hoped(3)." And the uptempo opener "With Honey Cream(4)" is one of the top tunes this dude/group (see? this is tiring) has come with yet. Here's hoping this isn't really the end. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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The mysterious Black Devil Disco Club emerges once again, this time with a full album of epic dubs for all you space disco fiends out there. I never really knew the real deal behind the BDDC - I mean, the deep disco...
expand review italo sound is so authentic, yet so futuristic I was never sure if this stuff was new or actually from the late 70's. A little investigating into the liner notes and some discogs hunting reveals the man behind Black Devil as Bernard Fevre who actually recorded all of the "Disco Club" cuts back in 1978 using only synths, a drummer, and the occassional tape loop - no MIDI or computers. Simply stunning! After laying dormant for almost 30 years, Fevre has returned in the new millenium to drop these bas ass dubs on ya'll. Check these - "The Devil In Us(1)," ""I Regret The Flower Power Dub(2)," "Coach Me(3)," and "On Just Foot(4)." Trust me, these are all top notch tracks that deserve front placement in your deep space disco crate. This CD version even includes 6 extra tracks (3 of which were featured on the uber-dope "Black Sunshine EP") featuring Black Devil collaborating with modern disco masters like Prins Thomas, In Flagranti(5), Elitetechnique(6), Unit 4, Quiet Village(7), and Black Mustang. Highly Recommended. -snackmaster
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LAB EXCLUSIVO: purchase this CD and receive The Black Ghost's Mixtape CD for free!
The Black Ghosts are quickly rising on the indy rock scene. They inhabit the same intersection of rock and dance / electronic as Hot Chip and Cut Copy. You'll...
expand review probably recognize the hit "I Want Nothing(1)" as well as the newest single "Repetition Kills You(2)." Other singles include the dubsteppy "Some Way Through It(3)" and "Anyway You Choose To Give It(4)." Change of pace album cuts you should check: the breezy "It's Your Touch(5)," "Something New(6)" (kinda reminds me of Billy Joel?), and the hip-hop beats track "Until It Comes(7)." 11 cuts in all. -the mgmnt
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Do you like distorted, grinding square waves? Well then, step right up, step right up! Debut album from Boys Noize, aka Alexander Ridha, and the name don't lie - this is some NOIZE. Totally skronked out dance musics, even harsher but somehow...
expand review cleaner sounding than his French counterparts at Kitsune and Ed Banger. If you've been feeling Boys Noize's remixes (too many to count - Bloc Party, Feist, Para One, Tiga, Kaiser Chiefs, etc.) chances are you'll like his style here. Highlights: "Don't Believe The Hype(1)," "Wu-Tang Part 2(2)," "The Battery(3)," "Deny Selected(4)," "Oh!(5)" and "Shine Shine(6)." Also includes a bonus remix of Feist's "My Moon My Man." 14 tracks; 67 minutes. -Larri Byrd
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Chaz Jankel is one of my biggest heroes. He started his career in the late 70s as the keyboardist and guitarist for Ian Dury & The Blockheads, lending co-writing talents on some of their biggest hits like "Spasticus Autisticus" and then later...
expand review producing his own solo jams, which remain timeless today. So good in fact, that he's still producing futuristic jams over 30 years later for Tirk records and even getting remixed by cutting edge groups like Hercules & Love Affair. This new collection combines some of his best known hits like "Ai No Corrida(1)" (which was covered by mf'n QUINCY JONES), "Glad To Know You(2)," which to me sounds like where Chromeo got a lot of their sound (made in 1981), and "3,000 Synths(3)" an uncatagorizable futuristic synth jam with mean bass and epic movements. There's a lot more classics, but let’s move on to the new stuff. Check the smooth yet hard groove on the title track, "You're My Occupation(4)," the undeniable pop disco groove on "Get Myself Together(5)," and the reggae infused instrumental jam that pays homage to "Glad To Know You," "To Woo Lady Kong(6)." If you're into new disco, Chaz Jankel is like required listening. He's not only an influence to many influential artists, he's living proof that dance music can be timeless. Recommended. -C'mish
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This limited edition 2CD version of Chk Chk Chk's Myth Takes includes a bonus CD with alternate versions and remixes of tracks from the album. The band with the weirdest name in showbiz returns with another album full of dancefloor freakouts and...
expand review kaleidoscope beats for your coke-addled hipster dome. They sound tighter this time out, and Nic Offer's vocals have gone from screechy to sultry, as he's taken it down a couple decibels and switched to a more whispery delivery, best demonstrated on the creepy, uptempo title track(1) and the urban narrative of "Must Be The Moon(2)." (The latter actually sounds like he's doing some 80s style white guy faux-rapping.) The thunderous "All My Heroes Are Weirdos(3)" has been making the rounds for a minute, as has lead single "Heart of Heart(4)," but both are more than welcome here, a very human breath of fresh air on a day when it seems like everything coming out of the office speakers is electronic. Speaking of which, check the epic, shape-shifting electro joint "Bend Over Beethoven(5)" – these guys and their krazy titlez! 10 tracks; 48 minutes. Limited edition. -Chris Lemon-Red
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The Chromatics are on fire lately and are popping up everywhere I look - DJ Dixon's Body Language mix, the After Dark CD, and the Italians Do It Better 12's, etc...I see what's going on. Ruth Radelet is actually a...
expand review powerful mage and we're all quickly falling under her spell. If those releases weren't powerful enough, they go ahead and give us the NIGHT DRIVE SOUNDTRACK! Whether this is a real soundtrack to a movie is unclear, and frankly, I don't give a damn. Sure it would be awesome to see the beautiful Ruth Radelet starring in a film, but I'm just happy to hear more of her music. "Night Drive(1)" is the only track I've seen appear on another comp. That means 9 tracks of all new material! Sweet for you (and me -Ed.). Now you have tons of new music to make-out to. The cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill(2)" is an awesome slow burner especially good for the fireplace, while "Healer(3)" and "Tomorrow Is So Far Away(4)" brings the beat to the heat for that extra bump. The saucy synthwork with Ruth's poetic vocals is magically seductive and will have you demanding multiple listens. And just in case you're not in the mood for words, there's the instrumentals "I Want Your Love(5)" and "Let's Make This A Moment To Remember." Sounds like Smokey Robinson singles? Not quite, but they are smokey for sure. Highly Recommended. -C'mish
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When Chromeo say "deluxe," they mean DEEE-LUXE. This expanded 'Fancier Footwork' edition of their massively popular and officially crossed-over second album features all the hits that your friends who watch Jimmy Kimmel would know: the bumping title track(1), "Tenderoni(2)," "Bonafied Lovin'(3)," etc....
expand review But wait... that's not all! The second disc includes some of the dudes' "greatest hits" ("Needy Girl(4)," "Rage(5)," "You're So Gangsta(6)," the DJ Mehdi collab "I Am Somebody(7)") plus a whole mess of remixes from both the Fancy Footwork and She's In Control albums from the likes of DFA, MSTRKRFT, Crookers, Lifelike, Playgroup and more. 9 remixes in all - that's bang for yer buck. The first CD is also enhanced with all of Chromeo's videos to date (including "I Am Somebody!"). A whomping 24 tracks and over 100 minutes of music in total. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Are you ready for some 8-bit? After 3 years of hype building, Crystal Castles' first full-length of punk / electro mayhem is finally upon us. Included are already-faves like "Alice Practice(1)," "Air War(2)," "Crimewave(3)" and "xxzxcuzx me(4)," plus plenty of newies like...
expand review the floating "Magic Spells(5)" and "Reckless(6)." Recommended if you like Atari and/or diminuitive hipster girls yelling through stacks of distortion. 16 tracks total. -Chris Lemon-Red
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After a couple of 10"s and an EP that floated up from his homeland of Australia over the last two years, Cut Copy (Dan Whitford) drops a full-length CD that makes good on some of that advanced warning. Cut Copy isn't the...
expand review abstract impressionist his countrymen (and label-mates) The Avalanches are. He instead blends a specific scope of influences - new wave and mellowed-out dance music, mostly - with windblown, electronic rhythms and vocoder vocals. "Future(1)" resembles a contemporary edit of a Human League song, with its synthesized droplets and wistful romanticizing. "Saturday(2)" and the closing "A Dream(3)," meanwhile, shuffle with more breezy house beats. The difference between Cut Copy's nostalgic dance and that of others' is that that he's not as self-conscious, evidenced on songs like "The Twilight(4)" and "Bright Neon Payphone," which expand his sound to incorporate an indie-pop jones. 11 tracks total. -Jazzbo
If you need to catch up the last two years of cool electro and punk disco, this is an awesome selection. Lab favorites Cut Copy select 25 of the hottest 12" tracks, most of which are so hot, we have a hard...
expand review time keep them in stock in vinyl. Big tracks from Joakim, Munk, Who Made Who, In Flagranti, Daft Punk, Mstrkrft, Soulwax, Justice, DFA, Presets, Midnight Juggernauts, and other buzz-worthy bands. In addition, the guys have included several of their own tracks of the unreleased / remix variety. Fully mixed. Comes packaged in a metal case. -the mgmnt
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The term "highly anticipated" gets tossed around a lot, but it might actually be an understatement in the case of the new full-length from Cut Copy. This shit is already #1 on the Australian charts... okay, you probably only have to sell...
expand review like 30 copies to top the said chart, but this is a great little record which quite a few people have been salivating for. "Little" isn't the right adjective actually, as Cut Copy (with help from DFA's Tim Goldsworthy on production) step up with some epic future/retro dance sounds - check the new version of "Hearts On Fire(1)," the intense "So Haunted(2)," "Nobody Lost, Nobody Found(3)," album opener "Feel The Love(4)" and the alternately jangly/squelchy disco jam "Lights & Music(5)." Comes with a big fold-out insert designed by Australia's Alter. 15 tracks, 50 minutes. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Environ CD reissue of Daniel Wang`s 2000 debut solo album. If you are not familiar with this guy, he's making moves in the underground dance world, similar to how labelmates Metro Area blew up a couple years back. Founder of his own...
expand review Balihu label, Wang utilizes vintage instruments for unique sound suitable for the headphones or the progressive club. The original tracklist has been modified with new versions of "All Flowers Must Fade(1)" and "Misty(2)." "Black Boots and Sine Waves(3)" and "Glimmer In His Eyes(4)," twin cult classics from the Nocturnes 12" have also been added as bonus tracks. Lookout for the massive "Rings of Saturn(5)," originally a 150 copy white label release. Limited edition. -the mgmnt
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OK, these motherfuckers heard a Klaus Schulze record and were like hey, let's do that instead of mediocre house punk. So basically these are 4 really long droned out proggy synthesizer compositions. What's dope about this record is that it's somehow more...
expand review listenable and accessible than anything old Klaus ever did with Ash Ra or without. It is a little strange to put it on though. People are like "dude you are listening to Vangelis." And you say "no no really I'm cool, it's on DFA! James Murphy!" Still they are like "shut up dude this is Tangerine Dream or Van der Graaf Generator or some shit. Tomita." Fuck them though, you are probably high as shit anyway. You know those really epic and overwrought Popol Vuh soundtracks Werner Herzog always uses? No? Then you probably won't like this. If you think I am being obscure and strange right now, this is probably as good a time as any to let you know I don't listen to rap music. You should try this record out though. Make sure you listen to the whole thing. But if you like this, be prepared. There are a lot of records that sound exactly like this that aren't cool and you will be coming up to people like "hey check it out! Irrlicht!" and you will be scoffed at and made to talk about Broken Social Scene or something. Not that that's bad, I'm just saying. -Bob Bannister
You know the deal when Jens & Isi (BKA Digitalism) get on the decks - lots of distorted electro, 80's sureshots custom edited, and hype blends to animate the crowd. For their Digital Decks mix, the pair sticks to this formula and...
expand review the results will get kids actin' da fool. 30 tracks are spotlessly mixed together from the likes of Chemical Brothers, Armand Van Helden, Alter Ego, KIM, Daft Punk, Thomas Bangalter, WestBam, Lipps, Inc., 20 Fingers, Klaxons, Test Icicles, Gang Of Four, Joy Division, Bucketheads, and of course Digitalism.
About 1 hour and 10 minutes of non-stop rockin'. -snackmaster
The first volume of DJ Alex From Tokyo's Time Warp mix achieved Lab's Truly Underground Cult Status (sells more copies through the stores than the website). Alex, whose also in the production group Tokyo Black Star, is in the Rong...
expand review / Bogman style of playing obscure records no matter the genre (although you get a loose cosmic vibe from his selections). For this sequel, he revisits his crates for a seamless, one hour and twenty minute mix. He switches through rare disco, downtempo, house, and techno effortlessly. In addition, the mix comes untracked, which I think he did on purpose to give it that cassette mixtape effect. Alex brought these straight to shop from Tokyo, so I doubt you'll find these elsewhere. Classy tri-fold digi-pack packaging too. -the mgmnt
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