Author: Darren Ressler

GLXY 5 Tracks of the Moment

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GLXY

Adjectives like “rising” and “up-and-coming” have been used to describe London-based drum ‘n’ bass duo GLXY on countless occasions over the past few years. During this time their fresh, liquidy sound has evolved over the arc of various productions, where they’ve consistently presented engaging musical concepts. In the process, their profile has risen and they’ve amassed a legion of faithful believers.

With the April release of their flawless debut album, Research & Development (Shogun Audio), Tom and Jonathan from GLXY have officially arrived.

Their 12-track full-length is a brilliant musical statement, one of the best long-players of the first half of 2020 for sure. Research & Development features five sleek vocal tracks (our fave is “Conclusions” feat. Steo) as well as expansive, atmospheric rollers like “Changed Forever” and a funky, red-hot head-nodder called “The LP Track.”

From lockdown in London, the guys wax poetic about their five favorite tracks of the moment.

Calibre – Years

Been waiting for this tune for literally years! Calibre’s Shelflife releases are always a special time for his fans so we’re glad that number six is finally here!

Submorphics, Pola & Bryson – Albion

Put simply, one of our favorite releases of the year so far. Three friends joining forces to make some quality music!

Halogenix – Reminisce

Laurence can do no wrong. His latest Dragonforce EP absolutely bangs, and this is our fave cut from it.

Break – Got a Feelin’

It’s Break – not sure much else needs to be said. What a guy!

Sustance – Squirt

Oscar has been relatively in the shadows, mastering his sound. His productions are so cutting edge it hurts. Glad to see his latest release get the widespread attention it deserves. He’s dangerous!

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Say It Ain’t So: Brooklyn Record Shop Halcyon Closes

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halcyon brooklyn

As concerns grow over an upcoming “retail apocalypse” spurned by the global COVID-19 pandemic, much-loved Brooklyn, NY record emporium Halcyon has announced its immediate closure.

Opened in September 1999, the store has served music fans of many genres in various locations – Carroll Gardens, DUMBO and Williamsburg (the shop was housed inside of the now-closed Output Club) – around Brooklyn. Its most recent iteration was inside of the Etiquette Café and events space at 53 Broadway.

Halcyon announced its shuttering on Instagram: “We have come to the decision that now is the time we close our doors for the foreseeable future – we hope to reopen one day when the time is right. For now, we want to thank you all for your love, your loyalty and your community – you’ve inspired us throughout the years. Music is our culture’s heartbeat that carries us all through the good, the bad, the exceptional and the mundane. We encourage you all to keep Halcyon’s heartbeat going in your homes, your hearts and your lives. Thank you to you all who have been our family for the past 20 years. Until we meet again.”

With only a handful of record shops left in the Big Apple, Halcyon’s closure is a major loss, especially for those of us who like to shop for music in-person.

Walking into Halcyon was always a pleasant experience – the décor was well-thought-out, the vibe was positive and I always found Halcyon’s employees to be knowledgable and helpful.

RIP, Halcyon. You’ll be greatly missed.

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We opened our doors on September 9, 1999 in a small shop on Smith Street in Brooklyn, selling a wide variety of vinyl records from dance, jazz, funk, soul, rock, hip hop, techno, house and beyond. A common thread true to Halcyon’s ethos throughout the past two decades has been the shop’s dedication to creating and fostering a community around music, with our motto “united against silence” ringing true. We have come to the decision that now is the time we close our doors for the foreseeable future – we hope to reopen one day when the time is right. For now, we want to thank you all for your love, your loyalty and your community – you’ve inspired us throughout the years. Music is our culture’s heartbeat that carries us all through the good, the bad, the exceptional and the mundane. We encourage you all to keep Halcyon’s heartbeat going in your homes, your hearts and your lives. Thank you to you all who have been our family for the past 20 years. Until we meet again. 🙏🏻 #halcyon #unitedagainstsilence #vinylrecords #vinylcommunity

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Poker Flat Launches ‘20 Years’ Remix Contest

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pokerflat-remix-contest

Poker Flat Recordings, the minimal techno-house imprint run by DJ/producer Steve Bug, took a much-deserved victory lap in 2019 when it celebrated two decades of releasing high-quality music for the dance floor with various releases.

Now the Berlin- and Hamburg-based label is calling on producers to try their hand at remixing a trio of tracks from the Poker Flat catalog: Tim Engelhardt’s “First Contact,” Hannes Bieger’s “Tephra” and Bug’s “Chordwalk Empire.”

The winning remixes selected by the label will get an official release in the near future on Poker Flat.

To enter, you’ll need to visit this page where you’ll be instructed how to get stems for the track you’d like to remix and how to share it for consideration.

The remix contest ends on June 12.

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Influential German DJ/Producer Pascal F.E.O.S. Has Died

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Pascal Feos

Veteran German DJ/producer Pascal Dardoufas (better known as Pascal F.E.O.S.) has died, according to posts on social media. The cause of death is not yet known.

Dardoufas played a major role in shaping the sound of German electronic music in the ’90s, particularly in the arena of trance. Along with partner Jason Birchmeier, he helped pilot Resistance D through a spate of releases on Eye Q and Harthouse. Dardoufas and Birchmeier eventually parted ways. By 1997, Dardoufas had shifted his sound toward techno. That year launched his own label, Planet Vision, and released music by artists including Ricardo Villalobos and Thomas Schumacher. His debut album on the label referenced an acronym for his musical moniker, From the Essence of Minimalistic Sound.

During his multi-decade career, he produced four more full-length albums. He collaborated on various projects and released tracks under numerous names over the span of more than 200 releases: Sonic Infusion, Aural Float, Audiowerk, Azid Force, Infinite Aura, Bi-Face, Edenhouse, Hearts of Space, Minimalistic Source, Dune, Gen.D, and Syncorpation.

Dardoufas, who was based in Frankfurt, is being remembered on social media by fellow DJs and producers.

Tronic Records boss Christian Smith posted on Facebook: “Shocked to hear about Pascal FEOS’s untimely passing. We were starting to work together on a few projects for Tronic. Incredible talent, really nice and honest person, and I’m very sad he has left us. My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.”

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