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12"
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HIGH 158EP
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Highgrade Records is coming back to record stores around the world with a strictly limited vinyl edition record from the Londoner Ben Hoo and his Japanese compatriot Iori Wakasa. Ben, well known for his remixes for Fever Ray, Moby, M.A.N.D.Y, Booka Shade and Tiga, has been working together with Iori for two years and will continue the collaboration in future. "Panta Rhei" is a real addition to every record case because of its funky deepness. "No Intrusions" is dedicated more to the house genre, playing ping-pong with the deep groove. "Quench" you could buy sight unseen and still love it.
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CD
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HIGH 116CD
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Dachshund presents his debut album on the Berlin label Highgrade. The record is a victory for those who are tired of the sterile monotony that populates so much of the music to be found in the current scene. In each of the 11 tracks you can hear the heart and soul of a thoroughbred musician. Although Eleven Ridims is incredibly varied, from the melodic and quiet, to the pounding dancefloor killers and back, the album works as a unified whole. Perhaps this is a result of its method of creation. For Dachshund, Eleven Ridims is a unique opportunity to show another side of himself: from the path of pure dancefloor tracks through to more melodic pieces. At the same time, the album is a tribute to his musical roots. As the title suggests, Ridims is a Jamaican slang term for an instrumental track and it was the Jamaican dub of the '70s to the '90s, which as a teenager inspired the budding musician and led him, as a 15 year-old, to play guitar in a reggae band. From that point on, the music has never let him go. The reggae and dub influence of his past is still clearly evident here, as with the track "Intensity Dub," in which he brings the rough-riding and natural sound of the past back to life. Analog techniques result in distorted sounds, which radiate a unique energy. The track is very different from the standard dub techno -- a stroke of luck for Dachshund and typical of his method of making music. For Dachshund, Eleven Ridims is a new step in his career.
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12"
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HIGH 114EP
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Prompt, the founder of his own label 7Noise, continues to push boundaries with his new live project: the "Prompt Live Band," a fusion of electronic sound production and jazz. These three tracks were created in collaboration with the Chop Suey Quartet, bringing to life a real connection between the highly-concentrated nature of electronic rhythms and the loose and improvised sounds of jazz instrumentation. Remix by Highgrade co-boss Todd Bodine.
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12"
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HIGH 112EP
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Ahead of his highly-anticipated first studio album Wishful Thinking (HIGH 113CD), Philip Bader presents this tantalizing EP, featuring the track "Move On Me" featuring Spoony Talker, coupled with some very impressive remix treatment. Fabrizio Maurizi lends this hammering track his own unique signature. Also, no less impressive is Quenum's contribution. Todd Bodine also hasn't missed an opportunity to lend a hand, imbuing Bader's track with his typically fine-tuned, hypnotic beat -- a pinnacle of electronic music.
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CD
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HIGH 113CD
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Highly-regarded DJ Philip Bader presents his first studio album for Highgrade Records. The title of the album, Wishful Thinking, already expresses one of Bader's central desires: "I've tried to combine many styles, and also to bring in emotional elements to electronic music." With this album, he aims to leave behind any apparent restrictive boundaries and to simply let go creatively... wishful thinking? Not at all. Wishful Thinking plays with conventional stylistic expectations, mixing what at first seem to be incompatible genres into a diverse and exciting album. The excitement within Wishful Thinking is generated not least through the range of new and unexpected collaborations present on the album, for example, jazz singer Anna Luca, with her soulful voice shining through on the track "Shine On Us," as well as other guests Ja Hier and Spoony Talker. For the tracks "Sunshine" and "Wishful Thinking," we are treated to a voice never before professionally recorded, Bader's best friend's girlfriend. Wishful Thinking cannot be put into any one category, switching skillfully between electronic sounds, jazzy tones, and house rhythms, while other musical influences make themselves evident in the background. Nevertheless, the album exists as a harmonious whole that loses none of its power or originality through its creative diversity.
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12"
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HIGH 107EP
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Guido Schneider has produced another EP for Highgrade which presents the typical Schneider qualities right before our eyes, or even better: before our ears. The two tracks navigate precisely from the first bar, the minimal sound universe relying on elaborate percussion, flowing into fantastically harmonic vocals that lend the thumping beats an elegant softness. Simply stated, typically Schneider.
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12"
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HIGH 110EP
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Noah Pred's first EP for Highgrade Records sets an exciting precedent. "Motive Unknown" trickles organically into the aural canals, before the drips become digital drops and the track comes crashing from the speakers in a steady flow. The remix from Deepchild brings dub elements. "Folding Cranes" follows the thread through a musical universe infused with pounding percussion.
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12"
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HIGH 109EP
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The name Dachshund is one immediately associated with experimentation, an innate feeling for rhythm and a good dose of tongue-in-cheek. "Extensive Talk" with its reduced beginning sounds like musical theater, almost. "Asymmetric Love," with its sprinkle of original sound ideas, is a groovy track. "Octogone" goes even further and weaves original loops and straight-edged percussion into a compelling carpet of sound.
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12"
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HIGH 106EP
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Philip Bader's second solo EP for Highgrade flatters the aural canals from the outset with an almost mystical sound, before suddenly popping out of the speakers, squeaking and peeping with urgent sound clips leading towards another musical realm. On the next track, Bader extends the conventional genre pigeonholes and crosses boundaries with audible pleasure. For whoever needs more on this theme: these two tracks are excerpts from a whole album, which will appear soon.
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12"
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HIGH 105EP
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PhonoKemi are one of the most exciting electronic musical exports that Denmark has to offer. Producer Jacob "Phono" Thiessen and first rate DJ Kim "Kemi" are a winning combination, creating intelligent tracks that always make more than their share of revolutions on the world's turntables. "Black Comes The Day" mixes hypnotic voices with intoxicating beats and elegant loop structures. Animated and optimistic.
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CD
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HIGH 100CD
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Highgrade Records celebrates its 100th release with 12 tracks from the Highgrade Disharmonic Orchestra. The creative combo featuring both label bosses Tom Clark and Todd Bodine, alongside Philip Bader, Daniel Dreier and Dale, began over a year ago with the intention of celebrating the tenth birthday of the Berlin label. And the resulting gift: a musical experiment. The five artists have bundled their creativity together into a symphony unparalleled in the techno scene. Every performance is like a jam session: All five laptops are interconnected, so each of the artists has the opportunity to react to the others and modify each track as desired. Thus, new arrangements are created and constantly re-interpreted. Drum machines and synthesizers are also in play, to further stretch the improvisational possibilities. No wonder then, that the 100th release follows in this creative vein. The Highgrade Disharmonic Orchestra, with Multilayer, kidnaps us away into vastly different musical worlds: from deep influences and custom recorded vocals to an array of technoid sounds and effects. Then back to groovy, swinging beats reminiscent of a balmy summer evening on the beach. Therefore, the record is something of a rollercoaster ride, where we never know what might be waiting behind the next curve. Typically Highgrade.
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HIGH 101EP
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Dachshund's lively productions have a passion for experimentation in rhythm and sound. The Swiss DJ, producer and label owner has his musical roots in reggae, which he has followed all the way to the sunny Caribbean. With a sly musical wink, he offers us three tracks produced with sophistication and elegance. A grooving mind-trip that perfectly fits the title of the EP.
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12"
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HIGH 099EP
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Phono and Kemi display their wealth of combined musical experience for Highgrade. These three tracks assemble punk rhythms, elegant voices and dizzying loops in a multi-layered sound excursion. The result is a perfectly-produced EP, but one that has not been ironed smooth. With the "Made in Denmark" seal of quality, PhonoKemi bring some extra depth to the party attitude.
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12"
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HIGH 098EP
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This is the first solo EP from Philip Bader on Highgrade Records. Wonderland Ghost is a gift for all friends of electronic dance music. The three tracks all exude the pleasure of working with the original beats and rhythms that rattle through Bader's music. These are elegantly-arranged sound montages that relentlessly push into the ears of an enraptured dancefloor, taking surprising twists and turns on their way to a land of pure musical fun.
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12"
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HIGH 096EP
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Tom Clark, Todd Bodine, Philip Bader, Dale and Daniel Dreier aka Highgrade Disharmonic Orchestra are an act that combines all their many and varied qualities. "Way Too Far" is a live recording with urban beats and pulsating flashes. "The Other Night" appears to hijack the veranda of a villa in the American South. Crisp rhythms are backed by muffled, thumping beats, a trumpet laments, a sexy sleep-talker emerges amongst gentle piano sounds. This is Southern passion under the disco ball.
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HIGH 097CD
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This is the debut album from Romanian producer/DJ Mihai Popoviciu. Recently there seems to have been an easterly wind blowing through the electronic music scene: more and more artists, particularly from Romania, have staked an impressive claim on the dancefloors of Europe's best clubs and on the ears of its house music audience. Among the luminaries of the trend is Mihai Popoviciu, one of the most innovative producers in Eastern Europe. Mihai has already gained plenty of experience as a producer and DJ -- he was only 14 years old when he discovered the electronic underground of his homeland. In 2001, he finally began his own music production, a pursuit which is closely related to his work as a DJ -- the one could not exist without the other -- two sides of a creative symbiosis. On The Unexpected Truth, Mihai Popoviciu shows two distinct sides of his musical mind. Across these tracks we find, on the one hand, his private and reserved expressions, and on the other a powerful and surging musical attitude. The record is characterized by its unconcerned and easy-going atmosphere, which transforms rapidly into driving percussion and minimal ambience. It is at once varied, original and catchy. Mihai himself considers The Unexpected Truth to be the essence of his artistic work. With this debut album he will appeal to both the party animal and the sofa connoisseur. Regardless of whether you're wriggling with the groove or chilling out at home, this album will be making the rounds in the deep recesses of your mind.
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12"
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HIGH 095EP
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When Guido Schneider and Jens Bond join forces, fans of electronic dance music go weak at the knees. These two tracks clearly showcase the rhythmic abilities of former drummer Bond with crisp beats that get straight to the point. Coupled with the ability of Schneider to create subtle arrangements with original compositions and a sophisticated sound palette, the result is a densely atmospheric work. Warm rhythms and psychedelic vocals travel to the heart of the musical jungle.
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12"
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HIGH 091EP
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Anyone who advertises on their Facebook site that they create "music for dogs" while working under the name Dachshund must have a sense of humor. And indeed, it seems the Swiss DJ, producer and label boss doesn't think much of sterile production and is prepared to use his sense of passion and fun to create rhythms of every kind in his work. Groovy, original and funky, this is music that booms from the speakers.
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12"
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HIGH 092EP
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Todd Bodine, Tom Clark, Philip Bader, Daniel Dreier and Dale aka Highgrade Disharmonic Orchestra have bundled their musical creativity together and shown audiences at Watergate and other key locations their premium quality live performance. This unique live atmosphere now comes to you as an EP release -- three tracks that exude the groove of a sweaty night on the dancefloor, forming a coherent, highly varied and engaging work that all electronic music fans will feel in their hips.
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HIGH 094CD
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Berlin label Highgrade presents the second volume in their Group Of Connected Heads compilation series, once again tapping into the extensive and diverse network of the Highgrade family and combining a variety of artists and styles into a coherent whole. Within the 12 tracks of the second edition, we find Highgrade residents like Tom Clark, Todd Bodine, Jens Bond and Daniel Dreier, old hands such as Markus Homm, Mihai Popoviciu and Ludwig Coenen, and newcomers including Andri, Dachshund, Cab Drivers, Phono And Kemi and Julie Marghilano. The result is a cohesive and harmonious album -- a glimpse into the innovative Highgrade universe. The common thread of all these artists is their originality: everyone brings their own voice, their own unmistakable style -- and so, a record is created that presents thoughtful sound images followed moments later by funky rhythms that burst from the speakers, and finally returns to the deep-down and dirty. However, this is more than just a compilation series, for here are not only various artists and their works, but a connection between art and craft -- the artwork, which resembles a family tree of the various creative minds, was once again created by artist Malte Hagen Olbertz.
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HIGH 090EP
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Tom Clark and Benno Blome are two techno veterans who have provided musical inspiration for all those who have followed. The three tracks on their collective Highgrade release (including remixes from D.Diggler and Dario Zenker) will immediately flatter your ears. Concentrated, hypnotic and hammering beats subtly develop their own unique atmosphere. Clearly more than just a decorative accessory, the vocals from A Guy Called Gerald sometimes whisper mysterious and dark, before coming back again deep and urgent.
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HIGH 089EP
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Swiss artist and producer Andri says: "The people on the dancefloor should be able to experience the story of my sets and completely forget themselves." But while his sets and tracks are carefully composed, they also retain a sense of humor. This is the case with this Highgrade release: the tracks skillfully play with original samples, crackling beats and sexy bass lines, developing a very unique field of tension, punctuated with a lot of fun-filled Andri groove trademarks.
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12"
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HIGH 088EP
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Prompt has been producing electronic music since the mid-'90s and during this time has made a string of outstanding EPs, some of which have even won awards. His debut EP on Highgrade set the tone for his convincing mix of sound design and subtle hooks. On Sharing Sounds it's all about deepness expressed through dense, loopy forests and deep, broken valleys. Few other techno producers have such a distinctive style or unique voice.
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12"
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HIGH 086EP
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Daniel Dreier has been one of the most active members of the Berlin techno scene for over 10 years. As a resident DJ at clubs like Watergate and Panorama Bar, he has created his own wobbly minimal funk and delivers beats that keep the dancefloor in a state of jiggling suspense. Little wonder then, that this latest Highgrade release, featuring the tracks "Black Madonna," "Last Dinner" and "Angeldust" is a record that moves your hips from the very first beat.
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12"
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HIGH 087EP
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Mihai Popoviciu is one of the most talked-about newcomers in the house and techno scene. But to call him a "newcomer" is a misnomer. Mihai has been releasing quality music for years, on labels such as Gigolo, Level Non Zero, Brise, Diynamic and, of course, Highgrade. Since 2007, he has sworn allegiance to the Highgrade flag, either alone or with production partner Markus Homm. Trapped In Brakets features three brilliant club tracks of outstanding quality, custom-made for the dancefloor.
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