MAde – Wall To Wall Carpet EP

Paper always has an eye on Norway as a hotbed for new artists and MAde come out the starting gate fully formed with a brilliant EP of Scandinavian fjord funk.

You’re The One is a downtempo slice of Northern sunshine destined for Balearic classic status. Lush synths, pitched down drums and a soaring vocal makes this a go to track as the sun dips over the horizon.

Optics ups the tempo with a deep and melancholy house cut that nods to the 90s. Beautifully restrained with a wonky vocal, hypnotic synth riffs and dreamy pads, it is early morning ecstasy music to put a smile on the face of the most hardened clubber.

LA resident, Art Bleek delivers a remix of pure deep house class. Sparkling soulful production drives the 4/4 drums, subtle arps, keys, sax and vocals as they weave their hypnotic main floor magic.

Finally, rising Tromsø star, Third Attempt keeps You’re The One downtempo but strips things back and adds soul. The world fades away and things don’t get any better when this is spinning.

 

Juno: Their sound is more Royksopp than Todd Terje or Prins Thomas, though their use of colourful synths and clear boogie influences makes them a unique offering.

Daco: “Love the eighties vibes!”

Andy Wilson: “Original mix is very nice but Third Attempt is my fave here, perfect for summer days in ibiza”

Rich Hall (Super FU/Paper Street Soul): “You’re The One OG and third attempt remix for me, bostin”

James Rod: “Genial E.P. thanks for the music!”

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Mental Overdrive & Flash Atkins – Where?

Where? started life in Mental Overdrive’s Tromsø studio when Flash was visiting in 2019. Analogue and modular synths were broken out and record collections raided as they threw down and got to work. The result is a psychedelic head trip into the far reaches of jazz and Balearica that comes on like E2E4 if it had been made in Africa. Shuffling afrobeat, xylophone, field recordings and chants hypnotise as the bass locks in.

Manchester producer Daco delivers a mix of pure class with nods to MAW and 90s NYC tribal house. It is a percussion driven track of soulful deep beats as keys and samples ricochet.

Cal Gibson and Mark Limb take things subterranean with their bass heavy BCB dubbed version. Spacey atmospherics delayed broken drums and arps over crisp production make it a go-to for heavy ambience and fans of The Orb.

Rune Lindbæk: “Thumbs aloft!”

Rich Hall (Super FU): “Love the organic percussion and synth vibes on this, beautiful production”

Doc L Junior: “Balearic voodoo-vibes. Lovely combo!!”

Olle Abstract: “Love it. Original mix is the one for me”

 

                                                                                       STREAM / BUY 

Disco Rogues – Funk Moves EP

 

Nottingham producers and DJs Nick Kipsy and Dave Holland have been stalwarts of the city’s party scene and come together as the Disco Rogues for a killer four tracker.

Funk Moves is an off-kilter slice of nu-disco that warps a sample around stabbing keys, rock solid bass, acid and wobbly arp.

Chuggernaut takes a left turn into minimal murky territory with delayed synths, arps and bass that is pure darkroom. It’s got ALFOS written all over it

Italia is a more straightforward deep disco with a 90s flavour. Breakbeats, rave piano, throbbing synths and well placed samples take things late night.

The Slo Mo Disco mix does what it says on the tin, stripping things back but keeping it dancefloor.

Danielle Moore (Crazy P): Nice to have something which instantly categorises the sound. Keeps it simple :-) ….really like the tunes. Playable and tasty

Sean Johnston: “Chuggernaut is correct!!!”

Duncan Grey: “Another fine release from Paper. All good but Chuggernaut is the odds-on favourite for the Gold Cup”

From Beyond: “That Slo Mo Mix is the one for me. Chuggernaut a close second. Strong release!”

Disco Daze – “Brillian EP!”

Nutritious – Sold on “murky,” but already had me at “off-kilter.” Funk Moves is my fave here. The type of track I build toward. Love that.”

BUY / STREAM

Ukraine International

Along with everyone else, we are horrified by the current situation in Ukraine and the unfolding human tragedy. We feel that we have to do something, so have put together this fundraising compilation, ‘Ukraine International’.

There is a track from every country on Paper, reflecting the world’s unity in such awful times. That includes Norway, Venezuela, Italy, Iceland, South Africa, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Czech Republic, New Zealand, France, UK, Tonga, USA, Japan and Mexico.

The album will be only available for six months, with all profits from artists and Paper going to charities working in Ukraine and the developing refugee crisis.

 

Bandcamp     Spotify     Beatport     Juno     Traxsource

The Telemark Express – SparklingEP

Kjetil Lagesen and Jarle Bråthen’s The Telemark Express are back with two cuts of sublime Balearic fjord funk.

Divine Driveway channels Kraftwerk, kosmische and the 80s by way of the Mediterranean for a chugging late night / early morning track that would be equally at home in Berlin, Ibiza or Oslo.

Sparkling Vibrant keeps it low and late with a broken beat, shuffling percussion, creamy pads and spacey lead. A rolling arp comes in halfway that brings Warp’s Artificial Intelligence compilation to mind as it blends and hypnotises. Deep cosmic space music for those who know.

Craig Bratley: “Hints of the summer to come!”

Sean Johnston: “Yes, I like these very much!”

Massey: “Wonderful, wonderful stuff! Equal parts trippy, cosmic & balearic. Oh and also brilliant!”

 

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Popsneon – Summer Snow EP (Paper Wave)

Summer Snow mixes up Kraftwerk, New Order and Hans Zimmer by way of Nottingham. Programmed drums propel the arpeggiated disco bass and sweeping synths for a track is equally at home blowing main room roofs off or on a pair of headphones.

Next Up Falling I’m Falling keeps the shiny production and acts as the perfect B side with a hooky top line, warm chords and trippy vocal to bring the human touch. Machine music at its best.

Changed Man has snatches of ghostly voices, sweet keys and reverbed synths. Sitting alongside the sounds of the autobahn is some mid-80s disco that would be at home on the White Isle before the secret was out.

Finally, Inward Cosmos takes a deeper electronic direction for a track that hypnotises with delayed EFX, spacey arps and lots of studio black magic.

BANDCAMP      SPOTIFY      BEATPORT     JUNO     TRAXSOURCE

Kimo – Home EP

Jakarta’s Kimo steps up for a new EP of brilliant chuggy nu-disco and trippy house destined for DJ boxes worldwide.

Home starts things off as they mean to go on with an eastern synth riff that builds over a big sub. Keys are introduced with the chord change before the drop and the slo-mo wild pitch acid breaks cover.

Oceana puts a donk in it, keeping things deep and stripped back but not for long. The music gets intense as a distorted riff builds with strings and snares bringing the heat.

Night Light drops the BPMs into psychedelic krautrock territory as the synths distort and hypnotise with a subtly changing chord for that soulful Balearic edge.

Finally, Odyssey is on a more dreamy disco tip that builds up Kimo’s trademark intensity as distorted synths riff with the bass. Perfection for watching the sunrise or set.

 

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D.S.D. – Umami EP

Dance floors all over assemble! New heat coming right at you from Paper as we present a debut E.P. by DMD, 4 tracks of infectious, spaced out house music grooves that tip the hat to the cosmic collective whilst also giving a nod & a wink to the mutant disco massive.

Straight up party playlist action all the way.

Keep On Moving stomps out of the gate with a relentless as heck bass line backed up by trippy synth stabs & chords that drives & drive you headfirst into the outer regions of your mind (and the dance floor).

Beat From The East goes down a slightly deeper route and is like a pitched down techno thumper which names up to its namesake with some pretty nifty far east style shenanigans in its breakdown which is ably assisted by some trusty piano stabs. Hooky as you like.a proper banger.

Suntime is defo the most psychedelic of this offering. Straight up peyote drenched style synths with plenty of those ace whirly style stabs amongst a lazy swung arp & rolling percussion work.

Broken Song closes off the party and is certainly the disco member of this family. Funky as heck bassline action with a warped up vocal stab fitting nicely around some cosmic-esque style synth work. Serious neck & head-nodding workout vibes.

Bill Brewster: “Keep On Moving is fun!”

Alice Palace: “DSD doesn’t disappoint with this release, some fail safe dancefloor fillers here. Tricky to choose a favourite but the piano chords in Beast from the East might just sway it for me”

Sean Johnston: “Yes, really into this one!”

David Dunne: “Splendid stuff! Show is done for this week but I’ll be sure to play something off this next week”

Olle Abstract: “Nice grooves. Love the mood!”

 

BANDCAMP     SPOTIFY     JUNO     BEATPORT     TRAXSOURCE

Trash The Wax # 9

They say all good things must come to an end and Trash The Wax Vol. 9 has the honour of being our penultimate collection of dance floor heaters and beaters. Believe it when we say we’re going out with an almighty kapow!

This ninth outing is packing fire with regular TTW providers such as Paper Street Soul kicking things off with a slab of post-punk electronica on ‘Notes On You’. Picotropico has been drinking the same kool aid with the Talking Heads-esque ‘Inmovil feat. Sima Itayim’.

If low-slung-chuggy-psych-acid-house is your bag then we’ve got you covered by Dan Wainwright, Coy Dog and James Rod who each crank up the ALFOS-o-meter to 11. House with disco tendencies gets fully represented here by Define, Gina D, Processman, J Kara, Dastardly Bounder and Flying Mojito Brothers who all guarantee a session kicking up dust on the dance floor.

Other Paper and TTW firm members The Secret Soul Society and Andy Buchan go for a housier hat throw into the ring on ‘D For Damaga’ and ‘Road To Barca’ whilst Jahn Solo drops an ultimate end of night feel good anthem on ‘Dance For Me’.

Bill Brewster: “Some nice gear here”

Will Tramp!: “Lovely stuff!”

Phil Rose: “Great comp!”

Daco: ” Lots of goodies involved and particularly diggin’ Fabio Santanna and James Rod & Aleito.”

 

BANDCAMP     SPOTIFY     JUNO     BEATPORT     TRAXSOURCE

 

Mr Tea – A Vehicle Mind

A Vehicle Mind is the first is a series of three EPs from San Francisco’s Mr Tea, who is making a name for himself as one of the best house producers around today.

J As In Giraffe is an absolute beast. Heads down acid, nailed to the floor 4/4 drums, a warped sample, the track subtly builds to the break when an arp is introduced and the club kicks off big sticks. Make no mistake, this is A-grade peak time DJ dynamite.

Desire is all about Wonder, who brings some heavy sleazy heat to the super-deep beats and production. Synths, subs and tripped out percussion take it big room and late night.

Dreams of Angels is a slice of sublime house music that is probably best played as the morning sun breaks through the club windows as that last rush takes things into the cosmos.

 

BANDCAMP     SPOTIFY     JUNO     BEATPORT     TRAXSOURCE