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12"
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MSHIP 025EP
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Catz 'N Dogz return to their home label. This time, the guys team up with their friend, the hot producer, Pol_On, while also featuring the candid vocals of fellow Mothershipper, Monty Luke. The sexy analog sound of the original mix will fit well within any proper house set, especially the "Drama Queen Mix," which breaks into a beautiful melodic section 3/4s of the way through. Groovy.
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12"
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MSHIP 022EP
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The 3rd EP of tracks from Italoboyz' full-length Bla Bla Bla on Mothership. Those of you familiar with Italoboyz' music will be aware of its roots in the fusion of organic with electronic sounds and the collision of genres as varied as jazz, opera and folk with what we traditionally know as house and techno. "Techno Tower" and "Chinese" are a real testament to the Italoboyz' musical roots and will surely turn some bodies on the dancefloor.
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CD
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MSHIP 023CD
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This is the debut full-length release by Italoboyz. The 2007 hit "Viktor Casanova" was picked out of a folder of hundreds of demos by Claude VonStroke. It went on to sell out many, many times and started a somewhat unlikely and fantastical relationship between a small upstart U.S. techno label and two Italians living in London. The Italoboyz went on to then sign hit 12"s like Zinga to Get Physical and continued their hot streak on Mothership with Bahia, their masterwork featuring the only John Coltrane sample ever licensed for dance music. Italoboyz have always pushed the boundaries and tested the limits of traditional dancefloor music. Bla Bla Bla is the culmination of their hard work over the years and takes them to the next level -- producing live instrumentation. Of course it is the Italoboyz, so the live music is tweaked and twisted, but the source material is much more fluid. There are still some samples, but the majority of new material is recorded from long studio sessions in London with their many friends (including Masomenos). Piano, saxophone, live bass, percussion and old school drum machines show up frequently and are worked and played in unusual and creative ways, forming 70+ minutes you will definitely not hear anywhere else. Italoboyz have a distinct identity and will never get lost in the sea of samey-same music that flows freely these days. Minimal melodicism that thinks about the instrumentation as much as the dance.
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CD
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MSHIP 019CD
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3x12" version previously released on Mothership, now available on CD with an extra track, "Skeleton Key." This is the debut full-length release by Boston/Philly duo Voodeux. Two years ago, on the East Coast of America, a couple of highly technical production wizards joined forces and created their own genre of strange and creepy techno under the moniker, Voodeux. Tanner Ross and James Watts first released The Curse EP on Mothership in 2008 with great success. With DJ support rolling in from everywhere, Claude VonStroke soon commissioned them to record a full-length album of this new moody sound. The Paranormal is a concentrated vision of myth and mysterious beats, exploring the eerie afterlife side of techno like no other artists have done to date. It is a 10-track vision of ghosts and goblins hiding in the closet (or lurking in the dark corners of the dancefloor), ready to scare the daylights out of you. Using dark funk, ghoulish atmospheres, quizzical beats, growling, ominous vocal stabs and futuristic production, Voodeux is staking their claim as the next generation of American techno. The Paranormal is Halloween on wax, and a minimal techno masterwork for the modern underworld.
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12"
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MSHIP 021EP
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The 2nd EP vinyl preview of the Italoboyz full-length Bla Bla Bla on Mothership. Inspired by their move to London, the Where Is London EP also marks the start of their new live instrumental work. Piano strings are struck with paper mallets, re-twisted into addictive drum patterns and reversed samples of Big Ben. "L'Anagramme" samples Salvador Dali and some interesting dual piano work from Angelo. Italoboyz keep pushing the boundaries of dance music, and this is no exception.
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12"
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MSHIP 020EP
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"Lessons" by James Braun and Dan M is a very house-influenced assignment from Mothership, where we teachers can present techno and house and whatever else -- all in the same lecture. Visiting Professor AFFKT really goes the extra mile on the flip, adding some space and artistry to the curriculum. Don't be late for class!
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12"
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MSHIP 014EP
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The fourth and final installment in the Catz 'N Dogz 12" series. "Sunset In The East" is an epic opus, gradually unfolding in a cascade of warm toms, luxuriant ride cymbals, and assured sax stabs from talented guests dOP. On the flip, Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts' remix distills the track into the purest, most primal house music imaginable. His arrangement deftly remolds the sax sections to suit the track's progression, blurring the lines between percussion and instrumentation.
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12"
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MSHIP 015EP
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Like the alien skull that adorns its cover, Voodeux's Bones EP is certainly from another place and time. Reach for "Bones" if you want to rip the crowd's heads off. Burly slabs of bass rain down while crystalline atmospherics splinter. "Skeleton Key" broadcasts its spidery theme over an ever-evolving, increasingly paranoid chord sequence. Once the kick drops back in, the chords frost over with a layer of ice, smashing through the frame with all the subtlety of a Yeti attack.
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12"
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MSHIP 012EP
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Omanko is the only word that is unmentionable in Japanese media and public speech. It's also the second volume of singles from Stars of Zoo by Catz 'n Dogz. A hybrid of cinematic swells, quirky drums and guitar plucks, its unorthodox groove builds relentlessly, anchored by a shouting chorus and warm bass bubbles. The keyboard theme will tip the peak-time crowd over the edge. Italoboyz integrate shards from the original into their tension-fuelled agenda, with breakdowns, vocals and baritone sax stabs.
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12"
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MSHIP 013EP
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The third installment in the Catz 'n Dogz vinyl series. "SF" is a throwback to classic house with a modern twist -- a playground full of joyful children invade its sly, bongo-laden grooves. "2" is more ominous -- its primary percussion enters like springs filling up an echo chamber, gradually morphing into several competing themes that weave together. The bass is a serious force, creating a physical presence that must be heard on a large system to be believed.
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12"
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MSHIP 005EP
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Early 2008 release. At the forefront of the new wave of German techno, P.Toile and producer Alex Krüger (aka Tigerskin, Dub Taylor) have created a jittery, bubbly bomb -- with no pianos. Chopped-up vocals and rolling snares conjure up images of an 18-wheeler chugging down a lonely highway on a rainy night with a faulty CB radio. Ethereal pads pierce the darkness, and the percussion hammers back in. Sven Tasnádi's remix explores the track's main chords from underwater. A groove unfurls, punctuated by rolling congas and sudden crashes. Majestic.
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12"
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MSHIP 004EP
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Late 2007 release. Todd Bodine always brings a swinging groove that works for both minimal and house DJs alike, and the Secret Edge EP definitely delivers. The title track will turn any stale room fresh and get everyone's toes tapping and asses wiggling. It's got elements of Detroit, Chicago and Berlin, all wound-up into a really nice party-starter. "Back To Back" is a submariner's dream, with water sounds bubbling over a low funk groove -- dreamy, dancefloor magic with a fat bottom-end.
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CD
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MSHIP 011CD
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First full-length release on Claude von Stroke's Mothership label, subsidiary of Dirtybird. This is the debut release by Catz 'N Dogz, the Polish duo who also comprise 3 Channels. 3 Channels have amazing releases on Crosstown Rebels, Trapez, and Dirtybird, but Catz 'N Dogz is a totally new and original sound. Stars of Zoo is a hybrid masterpiece; a beautiful cross between the best elements of deep house, minimal techno, and cinematically-arranged live instrumentation. This is an album of songs, not tracks, yet each individual segment of the album -- from the lush sonic soundscapes of "Sunset in the East" to the complicated spirals of "2" -- reveals new delightful details upon each listen. Catz 'N Dogz have created a sound that is at once timeless and contemporary, respecting techno's past by keeping their sights firmly set on its future. Featuring guest artists dOP, The Nature Boys, Monty Luke, and Mathias Kaden.
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12"
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MSHIP 009EP
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"Piña Colada" is a juicy slice of sun-drenched techno from Rodriguez Jr. (aka Olivier M. of The Youngsters). This is techno for sweaty street parties, BBQs, and moonlit beach raves. On the B-side, Voodeux twists the gleeful melody into something sinister, infusing spine-tingling soundscapes and booming toms into the mix. Maetrik deconstructs the theme and rebuilds it with galactic-sized bass and careening melodies -- a fitting conclusion to this shimmering collection of summer techno.
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12"
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MSHIP 008EP
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Maetrik's Space Chronic EP combines the innovation of techno with a sense of fun. "Sex With Bass" explores the type of low frequencies that usually occur when suspension bridges tear apart. "Stab Jockey" throws a techno curveball, utilizing rhythmic synths over a simple beat. Midway through, the line clears out for full-frequency busting bass drops. "Crawl Machine" immediately builds a head-nodding groove that wastes no time firing off its boosters. Sneaky builds shoot you off into orbit.
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12"
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MSHIP 007EP
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"The deep jungle can be an intimidating place. Home to bird-eating spiders, deadly jaguars, and fierce natives, most ordinary folks wouldn't last more than a day. Fortunately, the jungle also holds plenty of swingable vines, feastable roots & berries, and the great 'Scarlet Macaw.' Label boss Claude VonStroke's first record on Mothership is an ode to this majestic bird. In the original version, ominous strings support a complicated percussive ecosystem of coconuts, bananas, and crocodile spines. The swinging jungle techno is also punctuated by a sparse series of analogue outbursts. 'Scarlet Macaw Unstrung' takes the jumpy workout a step further, stripping the strings and emphasizing the raw energy of the bare drums. Both versions show an unexpected deeper side of VonStroke that has popped up lately on his remixes of 'Warpaint' (Hussle) and 'Pitch It' (Connaisseur). Edgar Dirksen's star is on the rise. Well known from Neuton to Cocoon as everybody's friend, he follows up his 2007 release on Weave Music with the retro-tinged 'Scarlet Macaw' remix, guiding the tune back to civilization through a maze of icy decompression chambers."
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12"
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MSHIP 006EP
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"After the genre-smashing, seven vinyl pressings deep (and counting) success of Viktor Casanova, there is no way that the Italoboyz could possibly top their first appearance on Mothership, right? Wrong! We are happy to report that they have created an organic techno masterpiece in 'Bahia,' enlisting the help of one of the greatest jazz musicians of our time -- John Coltrane. You've never heard the master like this -- the Italoboyz have molded the original 'Bahia' into a stomping peak timer as only they can. Their trademark monster kick underpins stuttering jazz kits, a playful piano line, and an insistent, soulful tenor sax sample from the man himself (cleared after four months of intense negotiations). Bahia's intro leads into one of the most surprising and euphoric breaks you will ever hear. There are two versions to choose from -- the 'Party Swing' mix gets right to the point, grabbing you by the scruff of your neck. The flip side's 'Mucho Lungo' mix is perfect for those late night warehouse moments, taking its time to deliver the sweet payoff."
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12"
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MSHIP 003EP
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"Voodeux is the deep techno moniker of Tanner Ross & KiloWatts (from Dirtybird.) On 'The Curse' Ross & Watts expand their catalog of sound beyond the funk and into the sublime. Instead of swiggles and bounce, we get creeping bass lines and chilling echoes. With 'Thriller' as a distant relative, side A1 makes for the graveyard, zombies in tow, and as the track matures, so do the chills on the back of your spine. 'The Spell' goes one step further, taking the sound of a distant train, shards of ghoul-sound and an ancient wind under a pulsing beat and chiming melodies. It's Halloween on wax. Mike Shannon, founder of Cynosure and master of all things trippy, puts his own well-crafted stamp on this dark sound. Shannon has recorded for ~scape, Force Inc. and many more. And no one's gonna save you from the beats about strike."
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12"
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MSHIP 002EP
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"Two of San Francisco's hottest DJs, Monty Luke and Tasho bring us their very first release, a low down paranoid techno groove to keep you biting your nails and shaking your ass. Monty Luke was handpicked by Carl Craig as a resident of Craig's Demon Days tour while Tasho is a very respected resident of San Francisco's incredible Stompy parties. Both have been an integral part of the San Francisco dance scene for well over 10 years. 'Paranoid' takes its lead from old skool acid funk but takes us one step further into the future. Tasho's heavy techno bassline sits directly in the pocket and Monty Luke's twisted nervous funk vocal make this an irresistible dancefloor nerve splitter. Top Berlin producer, Todd Bodine (Tresor, Highgrade, Immigrant) rocks the remix adding the necessary bumpy tweaks and hot precision to make a great track even more freaky. We might see more of Todd on mothership in the future!"
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12"
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MSHIP 001EP
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"Here is Mothership. Claude Von Stroke's brand new label. Says Ricardo: 'Viktor Casanova is a record with a huge surprise effect. I have played it since I got it from the guys 3 months ago and every time -- the same reaction. It has been a long time since I had a track which caused that much attention on the dancefloor. It happens not that often, that every single time I play the track, lots of people ask me what it is, or they even ask if it's me who put the opera singer sample over a record -- Viktor Casanova is the best example, that the only really important thing about a good tune is the idea behind it -- nothing more and nothing less.' Says Loco Dice: 'the first time when the boys sent me the track I fell in love with it. I was like: yeahhh, that's the shit! Since then, it is always in my head!'"
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