When it comes to house music there’s been something of a renaissance in New York City these past few years, and one of its main advocates is Levon Vincent. Born in Houston, Texas and raised on the East Coast; he now calls Berlin his home. As a club-goer, he cut his teeth during the pre-Giuliani New York heyday, where a vibrant scene was helping to push the elegant sound that would become known as NY house forward - and Levon witnessed it all first-hand. Working his way up through landmarks like Sugar Reef (of Sugar Babies fame) or Pat Field’s Boutique, and record stores such as Kim's, Tower, and Music Exchange, Levon joined a long, proud lineage of fringe arts based around New York's downtown culture. Ten years later, in 2001, he began to work at the legendary Halcyon record shop in Brooklyn. Halcyon, which doubled as a café, was more than just a record store - it was a place where music aficionados could sit and exchange ideas while listening to the music they love. With a meaty sound-system and their friendly and open policy, the shop soon became a hub for NY's most passionate dance enthusiasts. It was here that Levon met his future Deconstruct label partner Anthony Parasole, as well as DJ Jus-Ed; who subsequently went on to start the Underground Quality label - the label that has done so much to introduce their homegrown sounds to a global audience. Even artists from further a-field like Nina Kraviz or Anton Zap have UQ to thank for first promoting them. By 2008, Levon began his own label, Novel Sound. He started with a bang: a certified hit in the form of the label’s first release, ‘These Games’ EP. It’s a 4-track EP and the release featured a song by Jus-Ed as well. Levon repaid the swap on Ed’s own label, with one of 2009’s biggest tracks, ‘Games Dub’. With his industrial clanging beats, Levon’s dubbed-out sound quickly found him supporters from scene veterans like Craig Richards and Berghain’s Marcel Dettmann. Soon after, Levon was invited to play at fabric, Rex, Berghain, and of course the infamous Underground Quality party series at the now defunct Tape Club. As a producer, his immense focus and concentration come to a head in tracks that have attained anthemic status - the Ostgut Ton release ‘Late Night Jam’, with its driving chord-stabs, sits as comfortably in a percussive UK bass set as it does in any pumping techno set – as demonstrated by Pearson Sound on last year’s massive FABRICLIVE 56.

"In the 80s, I had some VCRs, a record player and a dual cassette deck. I had a group of friends at that time and we were really interested in DJing and making beats, we would combine various songs and recordings to make new songs and then combine those to make new mixes; stuff like, recording a spoken word track playing over Mr. Fingers or add movie dialogue to another record. We loved the dirty version of I'll House You, ‘I'll Hump You’. I remember us all agreeing on that record. Soul II Soul had a big impact, too. I regularly slip-up and refer to podcasts as "mix tapes", maybe because it's nostalgic or something. It still sounds right to me. Mix tapes are one of the very coolest things to come from Generation-X. After hearing or maybe reading about how Nitzer Ebb were doing their music I remember asking my mom to bring me to the Sam Ash store on 48th to get a sampler, not knowing the price of the things! Upwards of $10k! A few years later I did eventually get a used Ensoniq EPS-1, which was a more affordable semi-pro sampler. I think it was a popular piece of equipment, it was certainly a step up from my Casio SK-1... Many producers probably remember using the EPS-1 fondly."

Levon Vincent

Buy fabric 63 by Levon Vincent direct from the fabric store > http://goo.gl/cu94M

As the world catches on to the music and live performances of Klartraum duo Nadja Lind & Helmut Ebritsch, the pair look to the release of their deep yet wonderfully eclectic second album ‘Secret moon’… To celebrate we present you with this awesome 90 minute mix from Nadja.

Berlin based Nadja Lind & Helmut Ebritsch have been working together for over five years now, but it is in the last twelve months that the duo’s Klartraum project has really come to prominence. Both Nadja & Helmut have a solid musical history recording for the likes of Darkroom Dubs, Soma & Morris Audio yet it is through their shared musical output that they have really captured the imagination, producing deep and moving electronic music that fuses elements of techno, house and electronica.

Out of the studio the duo have taken their sound on the road, performing as Klartraum live at London’s Fabric, the infamous Ukrainian festival Kazantip and Goa’s renowned Shanti club to rave reviews and rapturous response. In the coming months they will also be appearing at dates in Australia and across Europe.

‘Secret Moon’ is a rich and diverse collection of tracks that reflect Klartraum’s journey since the release of their debut LP, ‘Evolution’ in 2011. From the opening atmospheric ambient recording of ‘Berlin Intro’ it’s clear that this is not to be a straight-laced ‘club’ album but rather a body of work that ebbs and flows through styles and sounds with little regard for genre. Downtempo cuts such as the breakbeat based ‘Something Wrong’ or the off kilter ‘Universe’ add a depth and variety to the mix yet Klartraum’s production skill and musical sensibilities work to make the album work as a whole. There is a deep hypnotizing feel to this whole album, keeping you locked into the experience as the album progresses. Tracks such as the epic ‘Secret Moon’ and the sublime ‘Sell Your Soul’ have an almost cinematic feel to them; drawn out, spacious and mesmerizing. Klartraum’s 2011 debut was a real achievement but ‘Secret Moon’ takes things to the next level with a strength and energy that is tempered with an audible maturity of production.

Nadja Lind & Helmut Ebritsch have their own way of creating music, making much of both their spiritual leanings and their hands of approach to ‘jamming’ out tracks live. Whatever it is that drives them it certainly works, for Klartraum are rapidly becoming an act that cannot ignored, making great music and taking it to the world via their passionate live performance. Long may it last!

Klartraum

Secret Moon

Lucidflow

Release Date: 22-05-2012

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www.klartraum.name

Italyʼs Doomwork prepare for the Summer release of their debut LP on Street King with ʻClub Abduction, The Singlesʼ this Spring.

With a list of supporters that take in 2000 And One, Pete Tong, Radio Slave, Loco Dice and Carl Cox, Doomwork have carved out a weighty reputation in just a few years and this, Part One of ʻClub Abduction, The Singlesʼ, is a fitting taster of things of things to come.

Fresh from a Beatport tech-house number one (Cowabunga on Christian Smithʼs Tronic imprint), the Italian duo unleashes one of their housiest works yet in ʻThisʼ while Dirtybirdʼs Solo provides the remix.

ʻThisʼ combines all of the usual Doomwork hallmarks, tight production, crisp drums and beat- perfect arrangement, with acidic twinges and a persistent, nagging groove punched through with an unmistakable vocal.

Fellow Italian, Solo, turns in a remix which employs rounded FM bass and bright layered keys to provide a modern deep house backing for the infectious vocal refrain. Unpretentious and soulful, Soloʼs remix of ʻThisʼ is a smooth, upbeat piece that will no doubt lift moods whenever dropped.

ʻClub Abduction, The Singlesʼ Part One is released on the renowned Street King imprint

Available to buy here >> http://goo.gl/uepRN

The mighty sound of Marco Bailey guests on this months Intec Digital Radio show.

Full tracklisitng included!

Marco also has a new 2 track EP out now on Intec Digital.

Head over to the website for more details...

www.intecdigital.com

This month's Intec Digital show features a live recording of Jon Rundell at Warung from 28/12/2011.

The second part of the show includes a slick studio mix from Daryl Stay who recently released a hot 2 track EP for the label.

intecdigital.com

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