Phonica Records

Ellen Allien’s first solo EP outside of her own BPitch Control imprint is set for release on Boddika’s Nonplus. Our pick for the premiere is the hypnotising, big-room techno cut 'Trigger'. Check out the feature on Off The Record below!

Pre-order your copy here: bit.ly/ellenstand

Full article on Off The Record: bit.ly/PhonicaPremiere71

Prolific New York DJ and producer Eli Escobar steps up for the 51st edition of the Phonica Mix Series with a sublime 1 hour and 20 minute long live mix, packed with all kinds of silky smooth house and disco gems.

Check the full feature on Off The Record: bit.ly/PhonicaMix51

Swedish DJ and producer Almaty's debut release 'Gennaro' is an ode to experimental rave icons Andrea Parker and Future Sound Of London. Arriving early August via Violet's Naive imprint, this hot 12" comes with a heavyweight selection of remixes from Octo Octa, Photonz and Endian.

Octo Octa's pounding yet melodic techno re-work is our pick for the premiere. Check it out below!

Pre-order your copy here: bit.ly/almatynaive

Full article on Off The Record: bit.ly/PhonicaPremiere70

The 20th release from Nina Kraviz’s трип imprint pays homage to the previously unexplored sub-cultures of 90s electronic dance music, such as hardcore, gabba, acid-techno and ambient. The 'Don't Mess With Cupid, 'Cause Cupid Ain't Stupid' 2xLP features ten original tracks from heavyweight producers Universal Indicator (aka Aphex Twin), Biogen, Exos and Nina Kraviz herself, amongst others.

Our pick for the premiere is the whirring, trippy-techno stomper '3-1 Tap Lush' from Icelandic producer Bjarki. Check it out and pre-order your copy below!

Pre-order your copy here: bit.ly/tripcupid

Full article on Off The Record: bit.ly/PhonicaPremiere69

Julius Steinhoff returns to Smallville with his first solo 12" since his excellent Flocking Behaviour LP was released in 2014. The title track 'Along The Coast' is our pick for the premiere. Check it below!

Pre-order your copy here: bit.ly/juliuscoast

Full article on Off The Record: bit.ly/PhonicaPremiere68

Widely respected for their fast-paced and hi-energy old-school electro sounds, which were mostly released via their own M.A.P Records imprint throughout the 90s and 00s, DJ Maaco and Odell aka Detroit In Effect have secured a name for themselves as one of Detroit’s most influential duos over the last three decades. Now running things solo, DJ Maaco steps up for the landmark 50th edition of our Phonica Mix Series.

Full feature Off The Record: bit.ly/PhonicaMix50

DJ Boring returns to Shall Not Fade with four feel-good summer jams. Our pick for the premiere is the A1 track, Exotic Feelin'. Check it below.

Pre-order your copy here: bit.ly/fortahn

Full article on offtherecord: bit.ly/PhonicaPremiere67

For the 49th edition of the Phonica Mix Series, we welcome London based DJ, producer and head of the FUSE label and events series, Enzo Siragusa.

Full feature and interview on Off The Record: bit.ly/PhonicaMix49

Secretsundaze one of London’s most well known and best loved DJ duos have consistently followed their hearts not the hype. Their party of the same name is still standing tall after 16 years and as DJs they have played many of the best clubs worldwide. It’s only in the last year that they have made it into the studio together having both produced previously separately. Giles as Two Armadillos with the much missed Martin Dawson and James alongside both

Marco Antonio Spaventi and Dan Berkson.

‘Still Hope’ is their second single and the follow up to ‘Motorway Jam’ (their double A side with Palms Trax from late last year) which sees them collaborate with Anthony Anaxagorou, a British born Cypriot award winning poet and essayist, whose poetry and fiction have appeared on BBC Newsnight, BBC4, ITV and Vice. Hearing his lyrics via their good friend Simbad, Secretsundaze connected with Anthony and ‘Still Hope’ is the fruit of their labour.

The original is a potent and political spoken word piece delivered over a rolling house groove. Definitely one for the deeper moments with its late night heady feel and full vocal not letting up. The ‘Poems in the Heart’ floor version strips the vocal back and adds dramatic strings for a more direct dance floor approach.

Ex Slum Village Detroit producer Waajeed released a couple of killer EPs in 2017 on his own Dirt Tech Rock imprint so we had to get him aboard for the remix. His ‘Detroit Hardcore Dub’ does what is says on the tin and is a peak time slammer while his ‘Searching Dub’ goes down a jazzier, spacey route with live sounding drums and dreamy pads.

“We’re very happy to be releasing our debut EP on Phonica Records, a store and label close to our hearts, having shopped there since day one and James also working behind the counter in the earlier days. We’ll let Anthony’s words do the talking but suffice to say, it’s been a great experience and opportunity working with him and we’re happy to be able to use our music as a platform to spread some positivity with the world, especially in it’s current sorry state of affairs. There’s Still Hope!” Secretsundaze

For Phonica’s landmark 20th release on the main label we go back to a classic from the same year the shop opened; Stereofuse’s ‘Casino EP’, originally released on Berlin label Salo in 2003.

The ‘Casino EP’ marked the first collaboration between Martin Wörner & Thorsten Diegel as Stereofuse. They followed it up with a string of other 12”s for other labels but it’s this initial 12” that has been fetching high prices second-hand as one of the most sought after releases on Salo and for very good reason. A timeless EP sitting somewhere between house and techno (before tech-house became a disputed tag-line!) with the likes of Ricardo Villalobos & Craig Richards playing it regularly in their sets.

The EP kicks off with ‘Black Jack’, a pacey track which gets stuck in a serious groove. Skittering percussion, short looping samples and a breakbeat-feel in parts. A real tension builder and was a staple in the sets of Daniel Bell for many years. It is followed by ‘Hot Slot’, a techy dancefloor stomper led by a bouncing bassline and some intricate rhythmic patterns. The sweeping sound effects on this are bound to do some damage on a big system!

On the flip is the other killer track on the EP - ‘Royal Flash’ is an understated and hypnotic minimal gem. The percussion and synth stabs give this track a sense of continuous forward motion whilst the long, soothing pads keep it firmly planted in the ground. ‘Pokerface’ closes the EP with expansive, luscious pads and circling delay, gently underpinned by a deep bassline.

While Thorsten and Martin eventually went their separate ways to work on their own individual projects, with renewed interest in the Stereofuse project this timely reissue could well mark a starting point for future collaborations. This record is also the first in a series of EPs released to commemorate 15 years of the Phonica Records shop in Soho, London.