Back catalogue:

Review: Tresor again opens its vault, this time skipping the '90s inspired techno for four old school house cuts from Deepside, Santonio, Xperiment and AES, all of which featured on DJ Deep's excellent Kern mix CD. Deepside opens the first volume of Kern rarities with an acid based drum dance in "III", whereas Santonio plays on looped keys and jumbled strings in "Amnesia". Xperiment hits up a plodding bass line alongside a Beverly Hills Cop sounding melody and jacking drums, and AES brings the only vocals to the EP with a classic cut of Chicago house.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


With the 'Lucy Reworks' EP, label head Lucy, nom de techno of Luca Mortellaro, revisits four pivotal tracks from his label's peerless catalogue. In their original form, these tracks from Donato Dozzy, Caterina Barbieri, Lucy & Klock and Xhin each represent significant and deeply personal moments for Mortellaro in Stroboscopic Artefacts' history. And like the recent 'Ten Years Of Artefacts' album and the currently ongoing tour, this EP is a chance for Mortellaro to look back fondly at the label's past while closely considering its present and its future.

Review: The latest from Burnski's Vivid label is a three way split, six track affair with Oldboy, Xander and Longeez each dispatching a pair of tunes in the label's trademark roughneck breakbeat style. - Oldboy kicks off proceedings with the speedy junglisms of 'Blackbird' before the chunkier, funkier and a little more traditionally paced breaks heft of 'Walrus Party'. Xander's 'If I Tell EM' and 'Get To The Point' both plays off two step rhythmic twists and menacing bass against dreamy synths and more breakbeaty flourishes, before Longeez closes proceedings with the slightly sparser 'Evermore' - super sharp hi hats and echoing rasta dialogue - and the appropriately spinback-peppered 'Wheel Up'.

Review: Value for money selection of Movement tracks, you get six of them on three singles for the price of one in this special limited edition.

Review: Hard edge beats and bass runs on "Creepy". "Jack The Ripper" has moody soundscapes paired with pumping and jumping breaks. The scary vocals prepare you for the drop then - boom - we go mental. More metallic sounds and crisp beats are present on "Filth Invasion". Big tunes from the viral breaks crew.

Review: It's showtime!!! X One return with a monster track, with a very phat electro bassline mix on the B-side!!!

Review: X One keep true to form and release another bassline led track with synth riffs that stick in your mind and wont go away. The robotic style vocal adds an extra little twist and overall this one works the dancefloor well!!

Review:  X One deliver us another corker!! This very fat bassline driven track just simply rides along and oozes energy!! One side is accompanied by piano whilst the other has a large acid riff chugging it alone!!

Review: Essential exclusive: The X One crew dig deep inside and come up with this funky soulful pumpin groover.

Review: A great fat groover with a nice bouncy vibe and an electro flavour.

Review: X One return after a bit of a break. This is ace stuff which will work on both funky and tougher floors with it's bouncing bassline and subtle vocal hooks.

Review: "Don't Make Me Wait" is a limited X Press 2 promo featuring remixes of two tracks lifted from the band's "Makeshift Feelgood" album. The a-side is a re-rub by Diesel of "Don't Make Me Wait", featuring Bernard Fower, and very much in the style of the classic "Strings Of Life". The b-side is an Ashley Beedle re-working in a deep, soulful house groove of "Enjoy The Ride", a track featuring vocals from eighties band Kissing The Pink.

Review: Second single to be taken from the forthcoming album "Makeshift Feelgood". Featuring vocals from Rob Harvey of the Music. X-Press 2 release the second single from their highly-anticipated new album. Their online remix competition has generated much publicity (print, broadcast and online) and over 100 mixes have been submitted from all over the UK and the rest of world. Receiving much exposure including plays on Radio 1 (Pete Tong, Annie Mac and The Blue Room). Their live gigs have been very well received (Lovebox and Big Chill so far generating strong reviews).

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record has light surface marks/scratches, but otherwise in perfect working condition***


Almost five years have passed since we last heard from X Ray Ted, a Bristol-based party starter and champion turntablist best known for his occasional outings on Ghetto Funk. He's in typically funky form on his first ever vinyl outing, offering up two killer cut-and-paste workouts via a cheery Bomb Strikes "45". Both cuts are carefully crafted from largely familiar loops and samples, but tastefully enough done to ward off any accusations of cheesiness. A-side 'Mirror Ballin' is particularly potent, with the West Country producer peppering a tooled-up version of a familiar mid-tempo disco-funk groove with all manner of much-loved vocal samples. Flipside 'Party Time' lives up to its title, strengthening an even fierier disco-funk groove with the kind of cuts and samples guaranteed to get any dancefloor rocking.

Review: Xample's 'Get Out Clause' has been getting constant plays from the likes of Andy C, Sub Focus, Pendulum, Hype, TC,
Bryan G and Grooverider to name but a few. Re-orders for his debut Ram release, 'Lowdown' are still coming in thick and fast.

Review: Headed up by two of the scenes stalwarts Andy C and Red One, this sister label to the legendary Ram Records label has built up its own reputation with a stack of killer tracks since its inception in 2002. "Mutants" by Xample, hits just about every spot when dropped. Backed with "Soundclash", this is a serious 12".

Review: Fledgling UK techno imprint Tabernacle heads to Berlin for their third release, inviting Xenogears aka The Analogue Cops to drop four tracks of raw, sometimes harsh, sometimes odd but always unadulterated machine funk. There's a lazy swagger to the opening of "crc04" that grabs you as soon as the heavy lines of synths drop over the stuttering drum machine crunch. It's the mid section crescendo of piercing sonics and crashing layers of percussion that add that extra layer of overwhelming sensory menace. In contrast, "Mino" ditches the menace for a smoother retro Detroit electro flex reminiscent of vintage Model 500, right up to the upwards sci fi synth freakery. The B Side opens with the sonic booms of "Livex15" throwing out elastic synth swirls over a big rusted beat, as industrial pressure grows beneath with ominous intent. In a word, magnificent! This excellent and rather limited release - only 200 copies pressed up - finishes on pulsing and quirky form with the subaqueous techno funk thrust of "Dreamsequence."

Review: The Xentrix sound has always been a bit apart! Lately he found himself producing weirder 'industrial-esque' minimal tracks, but still with a distinct dance floor edge to them. As a tryout for these experiments, the Kroma posse created a ltd series, all printed on 500 units. A1, "Clik Clak", has electroid sub bass and hypno industrial background noises. The A2, "Reussite", consists of more minimal squelches. On the flip "My Blood" unveils some 'industro soundscapes' to complement the pounding beats.

Review: There's a certain mysticism that hovers around Piramide Registrazioni, with its occult symbolism, mysterious artists and fuzzy, vintage sound. Label protagonist Xinner has been previously spotted alongside S. Moreira on Phonica Records, but here is sharing valuable wax space on Piramide 2 with Autre and Hawaiian Chips. Autre's version of old-skool deep house has an interesting urgency about it, and Hawaiian Chips turns out shimmering electro of the highest order. It's Xinner's tracks that stand out the most though, with synths straining under the weight of their own wobblyness and beats that punch out in clouds of reverb fog.

Review: Xosar established herself with an infectious live show, on display at regular appearances throughout the world, and with releases on labels like Rush Hour, Creme Organization and L.I.E.S.

Xosar's new release for Valcrond Video marks the onset of a darker, more dungeons & dragons oriented point of view. The four tracks feature both propulsive, doom-laden beats and expansive drum-free dream spaces. These sounds, appropriate for perved-out DJs and depressed teens alike, trace a narrative of pursuit, captivity, and erotic exsanguination.

Held in a stone tower, a prisoner's fluids are harvested for carnal application, before he is finally allowed to drain and find release in euphoric fields: bare dead trees, empty veins.

Review: Sao Paulo producer XRS emerged on global drum & bass scene with the release of the "Brazil EP" on V Recordings in 2001. But he is better known for his work with DJ Marky. Now recording and DJing on his own, XRS has signed exclusively to Horizons Music, and this 12" is his first offering to the label. The euphoric "System Half" oozes memories of the rave days, with its repetitive synth stabs, smoothly mixed with XRS' uplifting breaks, perfect to get a dancefloor going any night!

Review: The Nu Directions crew continue to sign quality tracks. This time the mighty XRS come in with two summery rollout tracks. Fans of XRS will not be disappointed!

Review: With a growing, glowing back-cat that features Symmetry, Critical, Proximity and Subtitles, Xtrah's pedigree speaks for itself. Now sporting some SGN stripes, here we find him at his darkest and most complex. "Shock Treatment" is colder than a spiteful sister; pulverisingly dark with a tonal distorted bassline that worms and wriggles between two notes, it means serious business. "Going Deeper" walks on a wilder side where skittish riddims leap schizophrenically, Metalheadz-esque reverse hoovers echo across the mix and chest-press subs boom from nowhere on the fills. Treat your floor to a shock today.

Review: Ben Xtreme and MC Ortie deliver their awesome debut for Blatant Beats, with serious dance floor consequences. Having already featured on the huge "Hardcore Heaven 3" compilation, DJ Kurt injects a healthy helping of Scouse Hardcore in his own unique style. Label mates Brisk & Vagabond crank up the tempo and turn up the heat with a scorching rendition complete with mid point hardstyle trickery. Whatever your flavour, this vocal anthem has been ramming the raves across the nation and beyond.

Review: Xvectors are an Edinburgh-based 4 piece, who came together in mid 2003. The short, sharp bursts of intense, claustrophobic, guitar-driven dance music soon caught the attention of fledgling London label Adult Baby, who gave the band a deal to record their first 7" single. New fans were found in the shape of Soulwax, Tim Sweeney, Rory Phillips, the legendary Jamie Principle and JD Twitch and JG Wilkes. The band are now well known as being tremendous live performers, at once appearing to help you on the way to clammy nightclub gratification, while feverish, dark pop premonitions and murky psychological introspections are brought to life through their lyrics. With the release of "Now Is The Winter Of Our Discotheque" the band have surely stood out of the shadows and are now destined to set up more permanent camp in clubs all over the country. The triple A sided single is completed with Xvectors blistering cover of Jamie Principle's Chicago classic "Your Love", making this 12" a must have for all fans of (dirty) disco.

Review: The Poverty Is Violence stable are firmly established now as an essential conductor for rabid, rowdy and downright rasping mechanics from subterranean operators of all shapes and sizes. Anonymous but reportedly veteran Dutch producer XXX previously appeared on the label in 2016 with the wild Noorder Scannen 12", and now returns with a bludgeoning new release. There's a consistent metal grind to the percussion on Westzaan Doelen, while the synth tones in between tend towards the jagged and abrasive, there's space and poise in the arrangement to lift this out of knuckleheaded noise. "Don't Go After Her" reverberates with clamouring intensity while the beefy chassis of "Just The Two Of You" shimmers under an acidic glaze - this is full-tilt deviant music executed with finesse to match the grime.

Review: Manchester's XXXY has been causing quite a stir in bass circles over the last couple of years. Now based in London his move towards the housier end of things appears to continue with this newie on Rinse. Deep and melodic, "Got Me So", conjures up melancholic warehouse parties of the late 80s, but updated with a big swirly breakdown and pitched up vocals. "Get Ready" is campy and retro and before you know it you're dancing on a pedestal with RuPaul at Sound Factory circa 1993, but "Studio 9" is the most badass track on here, with seriously attitude-heavy, jukey drums, laser stabs and hypnotic vocals. Awesome.

Review: London producer XXXY marks a change in direction away from emotion soaked bass deviations towards something much more pressurised and thrilling on You Gotta Do You, the fourth release from fledgling capital label Orca. The title track aligns neatly with the recent Swamp 81 output, with fizzing 808 patterns augmented by intermittent bmore thrills amidst the ever escalating swathes of acid tinged, electro pressure. Equally as impressive is "Open Your Eyes" with XXXY indulging in some rather winning Amen filled dynamics, though it's the smartness with which the brilliant throwback junglist vibes are unveiled which impresses the most (just ahead of the stomping bass that tightly parades the lower reaches).

Review: Originally from the Black Country (the glottal rich manor of Walsall to be exact...), John Twells is now based up north in Manchester - from where he runs his Type imprint and casts out dark, yet never suffocating, compositions under the Xela pseudonym. Having recorded silicon-rinsed soundtracks alongside Gabriel Morley as Yasume, Twells is best known for his work released under the Xela appellation. Showing an astonishing evolution in sound from early releases such as 'For Frosty Mornings & Summer Nights' and 'Tangled Wool', through to the ink-blot atmospherics of 'The Dead Sea', what originated in the clinical environs of Digitalis was gradually eroded by thickly hued instrumentation and sublime arrangements - with Twells incorporating a vast palate of sounds and influences that retains sharp and piquant flavour despite the rich ingredients. Featuring a fantastically macabre set of illustrated cover art from Matthew Woodson (www.ghostco.org), 'The Dead Sea' is Xela's ode to all things maritime - with the album's thematic thread detailing a doomed ocean voyage that meets an abrupt end amongst a swarm of malignant zombies. Drawing on the work of 1970's horror directors (Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci and George Romero et al.) and their respective soundtracks, 'The Dead Sea' pays a considerable debt to the likes of Goblin or Fabio Frizzi - albeit frayed with a bloodied disposition that reveals a love of Earth, Circle and Wolf Eyes. Nowhere near as oppressive as this description could have you believe, Xela also exposes a deep seam of kaleidoscopic folk amongst his collection, with generous nods going to the freewheeling antics of labels such as Fonal and The Jewelled Antler Collective. Opening through the lace-curtained drone of 'The Gate', Xela manages to be both wilfully obtuse yet unremittingly focussed - as a cold-water batch of foggy soundscapes briefly parts to reveal some insistent percussion. Next up are the heat-haze melodies of 'Linseed' and its tender coalition of acoustic shards and mealy rhythms, before a Victorian music box is exposed to some virulently thrumming necromancy for the startling 'Drunk On Salt Water'. From here Xela continues to coax both light and dark from a palate of instruments he's accrued whilst travelling the globe, ranging in style from the throbbing Theramin-heavy electronics of 'Creeping Flesh' and the tarnished grandeur of 'Savage Ritual', through to the seething distortion of 'Humid At Dusk' and nervous shimmer of 'Briefly Seen'. Horrifically good!