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2LP
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LAD 045LP
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Life And Death label boss DJ Tennis works with Israeli duo Red Axes as they express themselves with total freedom and explore the similarities and differences between their respective sounds. DJ Tennis and the Red Axes duo were first introduced to each other by The Pachanga Boys at a festival in Corsica. "Their faces, their expressions and their attitude -- gentle, smart, loving and funny -- impressed me at first sight," remembers Tennis. They have deepened their personal and musical connections since. Around a year ago, they were having a discussion and decided they should attempt to combine their "love of psy and Mediterranean influences" and scheduled a week of recording sessions together. After making at 9am and having a proper Israeli breakfast, the artists went to a studio on top of a decadent old shopping mall in the Centre of Tel Aviv. Each of them then set up in one corner of the studio with their own instrument (including Tennis's Pearl Syncussion, a small modular setup, a Juno and bunch of guitar pedals, while Niv and Dori "used their usual weird cheap instruments including bass and guitars" and they began playing, experimenting and jamming, recording everything they did then swapping stations and repeating the process. They then took all the recordings into various editing sessions and finalized the adventurous, multi-genre exploration that is Redrago. "The aim was to find a kind of Italian-Israeli connection in our musical approach," explain Red Axes. "The album journeys from psychedelic Italo disco to Israeli trance rock with a lot of rave elements. We call it falafel disco mixed with a 1/4 of spaghetti sauce." The album opens with the freaky synths and punchy drums of "Rave 'N Roll", which has layers of exotic instrumentation and beguiling sound design. "Redrago" is a Balearic track with expansive pads and sun-kissed melodies, while "Il Veliero" is a complexly woven tapestry of intoxicating leads and drunken tabla drum sounds with a psyched-out vibe. The soft rock licks and conversational synths of "The Kohlrabi Session" make for a chugging disco groover while "Plastelina" is a deep and late-night cosmic exploration that continues through the star gazing ambiance and long-legged drums of "Shalom Alanation". Acid squiggles and tropical vocals make "Ventilo" another fantastically fresh track while "Phantom Rag" closes out with a flurry of wild synth patterns, techno drums, and intergalactic feels. Four-color splatter on clear vinyl.
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12"
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LAD 045EP
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Life And Death label boss DJ Tennis works with Israeli duo Red Axes as they express themselves with total freedom and explore the similarities and differences between their respective sounds. DJ Tennis and the Red Axes duo were first introduced to each other by The Pachanga Boys at a festival in Corsica. "Their faces, their expressions and their attitude -- gentle, smart, loving and funny -- impressed me at first sight," remembers Tennis. They have deepened their personal and musical connections since. Around a year ago, they were having a discussion and decided they should attempt to combine their "love of psy and Mediterranean influences" and scheduled a week of recording sessions together. After making at 9am and having a proper Israeli breakfast, the artists went to a studio on top of a decadent old shopping mall in the Centre of Tel Aviv. Each of them then set up in one corner of the studio with their own instrument (including Tennis's Pearl Syncussion, a small modular setup, a Juno and bunch of guitar pedals, while Niv and Dori "used their usual weird cheap instruments including bass and guitars" and they began playing, experimenting and jamming, recording everything they did then swapping stations and repeating the process. They then took all the recordings into various editing sessions and finalized the adventurous, multi-genre exploration that is Redrago. "The aim was to find a kind of Italian-Israeli connection in our musical approach," explain Red Axes. "The album journeys from psychedelic Italo disco to Israeli trance rock with a lot of rave elements. We call it falafel disco mixed with a 1/4 of spaghetti sauce." This 12" provides club versions of two tracks from the album (LAD 045LP): "Redrago", a Balearic track with expansive pads and sun-kissed melodies and "Il Veliero", a complexly woven tapestry of intoxicating leads and drunken tabla drum sounds with a psyched-out vibe.
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12"
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LAD 046EP
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Life And Death welcomes Italian artist Whitesquare for a fantastic debut on the label that includes a remix from boss DJ Tennis. "Visual Distortion of Reality" kicks things off with a brilliantly rugged bassline underlining loose hits and drum fills. "Not Moving" is a spaced-out, electro-styled cut with lithe drums and sleek synths. "Jasmine" is another trip to the stars, with a squelchy bassline and crisp snares impossible to ignore as they ride on perfectly programmed drums. This one gets a subtle Re-Match from DJ Tennis who layers in a little more synth drama and darkness as a result.
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12"
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LAD 044EP
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Juan MacLean and Man Power debut as Juan Power for Life And Death. "Crescendo" is a nine-minute masterpiece with rickety house drums making you move while the shuffling percussion builds the pressure. Gorgeously warm chords eventually join the fray and have a blissful effect that sets you off dreaming and keeps you in a trance until the end. DJ Tennis steps up with an edit of "Excuse Me Daddy" that is deep and cavernous. "Praise The Toad" then picks up the pace with more live sounding drums and a sparkling lead synth that rises and falls to cosmic effect.
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2x12"
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LAD 043EP
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Life And Death looks to Mexican artist Paulor for a new EP that includes two of the fast-rising artist's journeying originals, plus big remixes from dance luminaries JD Twitch, Vitalic, Superpitcher, and Fango. Paulor is an associate of The Pachanga Boys' You And Your Hippie Friends label and resident DJ at Mexico's celebrated Topaz Deluxe club in Monterrey. Sunshine, synth craft, and dramatic guitar licks characterize his deep-cut motorik grooves on the likes of Kompakt and DGTL, and he shows those skills off once more here. Opener "Spaceship" is an expansive track with a pixelated lead that takes you on a trip through the cosmos as heavenly pads add a subtle sense of uplifting euphoria and surely get the club under their spell. The superb "Planet Gold" is slower and more mysterious, with drums that are just as inviting and well set, but an eco-system of pads that shimmer and shine in the night sky above and lock you in a dream state. A wandering bassline finishes the whole thing in fantastic fashion. French techno legend Vitalic does his thing on the "Spaceship" remix, layering in more rugged and angular synths and a flabby bassline that results in absolute lift off. Fango is another fast riser who has been tipped for big tings by Michael Mayer and his "The Suppa Robot Dancer Remix" is a raw electro version with slapping hits and brain frying bass that underpins off kilter percussion to body popping effect. Optimo's JD Twitch is one of the most eclectic and widely informed names in the game and his take on the track is unhinged and unpredictable. Metallic percussive hits, intergalactic tension and big drums all coalesce into something both serene yet unusual. Long-time Kompakt affiliate Superpitcher closes things down with two of his trademark remixes: the first is a zoned-out, ten-minute cosmic opus and the second is six escapist minutes of deep space ambience. This is set to be a breakout EP from Paulor, and one that comes with an adventurous set of remixes from some of dance music's most inventive artists.
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12"
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LAD 038EP
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DJ Tennis's Life And Death welcomes electronic innovator Moscoman for a label debut. Right from the off "Wave Rave" is an unusual but effective offering that pairs hands-in-the-air, trance-inducing chords with more reflective melodies and rugged drums. After that one packs a truly emotional punch, "Dinner For One" is downright dirty. Wild, detuned synths spray about over snares and rolling drums and the whole thing works you into a lather. "550" is a dreamy and zoned-out house track. "Space Comfort" is playful number with sci-fi keys bleeping up and down the scale while harmonic keys and withering retro synth chords.
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2LP
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LAD 040LP
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Life And Death announce the sophomore edition of the Displaced Soundtracks. Continuing on the thematic thread of sound tracking an imaginary short movie, label founder DJ Tennis aka Manfredi Romano, asks some of the greatest contemporary club producers to take on the task of interpreting this idea in their own unique style. Romano explains that "the score is a translation of our imagination, memories and emotions into music, with no protocols." Opening the soundtrack, Vatican Shadow swaps his thunderous techno for a more cosmic and gentle approach, setting the tone for an equally serene soundscape from London-based DJ and producer Midland. Japanese Future Terror head honcho, DJ Nobu, layers dense cerebral textures exuding the punk spirit of Life And Death. A similar rule defying energy can be heard by Ninos De Brasil who fuse carnival percussions with straight up old school techno. Both Scuba and Uchi bring the futuristic synths of a space age tomorrow we've all been waiting for. German producer Isolee interprets the task with his minimal productions and Italian producer Cosmo closes the compilation with psychedelic soundscapes turning into a distorted gabber missile. Romano proves yet again that Life And Death is a label which evolves through each reincarnation of itself, never failing to impress. Gatefold sleeve.
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12"
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LAD 041EP
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DJ Tennis' highly acclaimed Life and Death imprint continues to traverse sonic boundaries with no exception. The next release, Trooper EP comes from London-based producer Joseph Ashworth, featuring outstanding remixes from the inimitable Ron Trent and founder of Margot Records, Sebra Cruz. Ashworth says, "Trooper EP pushes a new sound that I have been exploring - with grit and excitement taking charge rather than finesse and tidiness. It makes me think of some kind of disturbing military march, a little bit aggressive and a little bit noisy, hence the name."
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12"
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LAD 042EP
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Fresh off their outstanding performance at Life And Death's hedonistic circus in Amsterdam, Marvin & Guy return with their second etching in the label's stone -- Solar Warriors. "Idra", featuring techno-chanteuse, Perel, balances effervescent, nouveau-synth passages with a cosmic, spoken-word recital. Cut from similar silk, "Notte" featuring Allo pushes further outwards, while peering deeper within. "Stige (9AM Mix)" sees the duo complete their galactic revolution in fine form.
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12"
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LAD 039EP
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The Rapture's Luke Jenner ventures firmly into the dance floor, this time in full force, on Glittering Jewel, the Brooklyn-based producer's debut under his Meditation Tunnel guise. Following his initial outing, La La La (LADBLZ 002EP, 2018), on Life and Death's vinyl-only sub-label, Blitz Series, Glittering Jewel sees Jenner step up with three outsider cuts, dripping in personality. While dilapidated drum machines, crunched beyond recognition, propel the record into techno territory, Glimmering Jewel retains the artist's bespoke youthful sense of blue-eyed naiveté, with Red Axes coming through with an unclassifiable, stripped-down reinterpretation of "Fire Fly".
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12"
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LAD 037EP
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Heavy Dreamer is Autarkic's first, four-track outing on Life And Death. Ever present tones of kraut and punk rock flow throughout the EP, beginning with "Some Things To Keep", a pumping, warehouse floor-filler. "Realistic Guru", the trippiest of the lot, is tailor made for an early morning DJ Tennis afterparty excursion. The title track stands as a testament to this new wave of artists, coming from the shores of Israel's Mediterranean coastline. Slowing down the pace on "Powerhouse", Autarkic hints at moments of Bauhaus's and Tones On Tail's doom and dance pop.
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12"
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LADBLZ 002EP
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Life And Death continue with the second volume of DJ Tennis's ongoing, limited, vinyl-only series LADblitz 02, featuring Awanto 3 and Meditation Tunnel. Dekmantel affiliate Awanto 3 offers-up an infectious after-party gem, with "The Phone We Call It". Slow-burning cosmic keyboards pair with elements of Detroit techno and a subtle wink to Aphex Twin's masterstroke, "Xtal". The flip contains a killer from Meditation Tunnel, the newly-birthed project from The Rapture's Luke Jenner; "La La La" is a Blitz future classic filled with syncopated bass guitar, crusty synthetic strings and the purest of vocal performances.
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12"
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LAD 035EP
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The Saqqara EP is a multilayered, sonic canvas from the mind of Chris Barratt, under his new alias, Barratt. The title track is a late-night floor-filler -- a bold yet uniquely personal necropolis built from riveting delays and arpeggiators. "Time Bending" sees DJ Tennis join in, stepping up with his trademark, rough around the edges production aesthetic. Barratt hones-in on a confident, stripped-down style on "Khaos" -- rhythm versus melody. 1983 soundtracks a ride to utopia on a rocket-fueled Vespa, leading to "Collider", the land of un-quantized madness, where the most treasured of synthesizers live amongst their drum machine counterparts.
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12"
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LADBLITZ 001EP
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A track each from Joakim and Kiwi. Get it before it gets you.
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12"
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LAD 036EP
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Contemporary Italo-disco and foggy rave culture mark Margot's first 12" on Life And Death, Amore a Bordo Pista. Machines breathe on "Amore a Bordo Pista", where throbbing synth-bass meets timeless vocoder, as premiered on DJ Tennis's Essential Mix debut. The afterparty and warehouse meld on the flip, "Salsce", is a mind-bending time-warp somewhere between panic and introspection. Technicolor signee, Dauwd, aces his re-depicton of the title track, hinting at golden-era Chain Reaction, while Kiwi slows down "Salsce", retaining all of its drive, adding further cosmic brushstrokes. Four weapons of the mind, a trippy affair.
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2LP
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LAD 030LP
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Seven years into its celebrated journey, Life And Death assembles its third and most adventurous compilation to date: Displaced Soundtracks. For the first instalment in a new series, DJ Tennis has given free rein to some of his most trusted contemporaries, enabling many of today's most respected dance music producers to display their hidden talents as composers. Gathering music from a long-aborted film, the collection stands as another bastion of Life And Death's perpetual evolution. Duncan Gray embraces dissonance, Black Merlin, Appleblim, and Artefakt go interstellar, and Fango channels post-punk squat music. Hades Rocket showcases the expertly-sequenced synth work that has graced Simian Mobile Disco's illustrious career, while Redshape revisits all the right sides of '80s wave and library music. Danny Daze and synth-savant KiNK embrace non-standard tempi with great success, while Axel Boman delivers sitar-laced gospel-house without a bass drum. Elsewhere, your favorite producer's favorite producer, Stimming, teams up with pianist Lambert and the pair learn to fly. Inspired and challenging, Life And Death ventures into their eighth year confidently, constantly evolving without compromise.
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12"
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LAD 032EP
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After offering-up paratrooper as part of DJ Tennis's recent DJ-Kicks, the Israeli duo Red Axes arrive on Life And Death for an original EP. "Sami" is a post-Moondog shamanic tribal trip, while "Round" combines dilapidated post-Goa electronics with just the right amount of cowbells and guitars psych. "Vego Gam" is a lo-fi western spaghetti full of tape delays and amplifiers sauce, while pulse waves and wind blows on a big Russian bell on the title track, "Kalacol" featuring Yuli Vainshtein.
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12"
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LAD 031EP
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Drug Dilling EP offers first new material from The/Das on the label since 2013's Outfashioned (LAD 010EP). Fabian Fenk and Philipp Koller's latest EP is the result of playful and pure studio sessions, during which they aimed to capture the often-overlooked club-friendly side of their project. The breakbeats of "Top Vibes" come as a welcomed surprise, while "Holy Rollers" pairs wobbling synth pads with a vocal cameo by DJ Tennis. The standout title-track recalls hazy after-party moments. Detroit stalwart DJ Bone delivers a focused reinterpretation, backing expertly-sampled organ takes and flanged vocal lines in an enticing bed of Afro-Cuban rhythms.
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12"
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LAD 034EP
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Italo-cosmonauts Marvin & Guy board Life And Death with the Superior Conjunction EP. Alessandro Parlatore and Marcello Giordani's four-tracker explores parallel worlds through expert synthesizer sequencing and cavernous vocals features. Celestial melodies paired with Athena's stream of consciousness Italian recital guarantees dancefloor devastation with "Superior Conjunction". The hypnotic theme of "Arpadia" complements the title track's restrained drama, while Fantastic Twins elevate "The Train Of Fantastic" to an altered state of being.
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12"
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LAD 029EP
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Life And Death welcome Italian synth wizard Lucy for the label's first release of 2017. Luca Mortellaro's cavernous techno offering comes equipped with a DJ Sotofett version and a rendition by Planetary Assault Systems, further cementing the diversity of the label's scope. DJ Sotofett recalls fine nineties loop techno, while Luke Slater once again confirms his pioneer status.
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12"
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LAD 028EP
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The first release by Parisian iconoclast Joakim on DJ Tennis's Life And Death records is a miniature nocturne for dancefloor meditation, a cascade of unfurling fizzy moods and introspection. "Daemon" is the most Life And Death style track on the EP. It's full of modular synth tweaking and a nod to the '90s Detroit techno epic/melancholic vibes. "Would You Give Up?" started as a very slow "R&B meets techno" groove inspired by the freaky early Micronauts releases. The tempo change in the middle of the track (going from around 85 to 115bpm) is for the more adventurous DJs.
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12"
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LAD 027EP
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Manfredi Romano aka DJ Tennis presents a release that is decisively "out of the box"; a small cathedral made of subtle shades and unusual EQ's, where ideas seduce and frighten. "Divisions" is led by Danish singer and guitarist Jeppe Kjellberg. "Chirality" is a deep, insistent, gelid voyage. Tennis' production skills are paired with Sophie Trudeau's (Godspeed You Black Emperor) string work. The original edits have been revisited by Roman Flügel, who masterfully rubs "Divisions"; turning it into a sensual, devious, laid-down affair. Plaid grace "Chirality" with their very own touch made of alien sounds and mutant rhythm architectures.
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12"
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LAD 026EP
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Is the mind fully contained within the physical brain? Or can it traverse places outside the self and consensual reality? Exploring this theme of journeying beyond one's strict sense of self, label-mates and friends Tale of Us and Mind Against join together to create a work that exceeds the sum of its parts. With a restrained but expressive sonic palette, these accomplished artists from the Life and Death label team play with tension and release to bring the listener to a place that certainly seems to exist -- even if it's not clear exactly where it is.
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12"
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LAD 023EP
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Mind Against and Federico Maccherone aka Somne present their collaborative Vertere 12", showcasing their winding sense of melody, constantly turning inward and outward at once. Mainstay of the electronic music scene Tobias Freund delivers an outstanding remix that elevates the original to another level entirely. With a relentless beat and a sonic force that is hard to describe with mere words, his remix comes out of the gate like a runaway machine rapturously drunk on its own self-awareness. Guaranteed to drive dancefloors large and small to the euphoric edge of the ecstatic state.
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12"
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LAD 021EP
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A longtime friend of the label and an artist who needs no introduction, Recondite presents two unique techno narratives for his much-anticipated first EP on Life and Death. Like the turning of the great Boethian Wheel, "Think Twice" is an ever-advancing, urgent reminder of the transitory nature of the eternal now, leaving the listener with a shaking sensation deep in the bones. "Serak" begins with a bellowing bass emitted like a series of holotropic breaths from belly of Stanislav Grof himself. Its portentous melody winds and wanders until exploding midway thru the piece in a burst of restrained emotion.
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