The release demonstrates perfectly the diversity of Audio Doughnuts‘ interest. Whilst being best known for their genre-defying, consistently sell-out parties, Benin City‘s release is the start of big drive on the label front this year.

‘Baby’ is a softly atmospheric, acoustic cut, centred on the vocals of Joshua Idehen. LV, with whom the vocalist recorded an album last year, lays the synths and lyrics over a more rhythmic bassline; giving the EP an interesting variety of dance, acoustic and spoken word.

See the featured artwork and tracklist, buy the release from May 30, and stream the LV remix below.

‘Baby’ Tracklisting:
01. Benin City – Baby (Original)
02. Benin City – Baby (Acoustic)
03. Benin City – Baby (LV Remix)
04. Benin City – Baby (Radio Edit)
05. Benin City – Baby Parts 1 (Greeds)
06. Benin City – Baby Parts 2 (James Messiah)

With the likes of Slackk, BD1982 & A Taut Line, and Visionist in their discography to date, Myakkah‘s EP continues a impressive string of diverse and forward-thinking releases for the label.

The ‘Warehouse Soul’ EP is four tracks crammed full of invention, creativity, R&B sampling and deep, spacious grooves. Whilst not being overtly dancefloor orientated in its production, each track carries just enough rhythm for the club. ‘Eyes down’ is the perfect example, a 120BPM roller that would stop a crowd in its tracks.

Stream a preview of the EP below, see artwork and tracklisting, and head to the Diskotopia Mixcloud page to hear Myakkah‘s release promo mix.

‘Warehouse Soul’ EP Tracklisting:
01. Eyes Up
02. Eyes Down
03. I Want To Feel
04. Modern Life

Switched On Records stands out from a lot of young, London-based labels in the style of the music it pushes. It isn’t doing anything new or different – just pushing quality, and importantly, timeless house music. Definitely a label to keep an eye out for.

We have an exclusive track for you, one which perfectly demonstrates the label’s sound. Alex D££mnds‘ track, ‘Rick & Dust’ is of the same mould as his release, creatively sampled and of gentle pace. We discussed the idea behind Switched On, plans for the future, vinyl and London – read on and be sure to grab the exclusive download below.

You were formerly half of Deep Teknologi Records, with T.Williams, and ran Subversive Sounds before that. Is Switched On Records a drastically different idea to both of those?
On the face of it no, as all of the labels mentioned were about putting out good house music at the time, Switched On Records is about exactly the same thing – promoting good house music. However behind the scenes it is completely different as I’m now in a position to do what I feel is correct as I’m running Switched On Records solo. I have advice from close friends but ultimately the direction of the label in all aspects is down to me. Running it by myself comes with it’s own pressures, as the success or failure of the label is solely down to me.

Aside from your own forthcoming EP, who can expect to see release on the label in the coming months?
There will be more releases from Alex D££mnds for sure, he is a long-term project. I’ve also signed a producer called Rob Lee, whose material is a lot more laid back than Alex’s or mine, but he makes some killer bass lines. There’s also a collaboration EP from Urulu who’s from LA and Chaos In The CBD from New Zealand. That one is a certified hit and it’s a release I’m really excited about. I also hope to release material from up and coming producers Lost & Found, Ricky Torres and a few others over the course of the year.

Your ‘Autonomy’ EP will be your debut release. Why, after so long in the industry, have you finally decided to start putting out music?
I’ve always wanted to make music, even before I started DJ-ing, however I never found a platform that I could make sense of. I dabbled on Logic but never really felt that I could get the track I could hear in my head into a reality. About a year ago I finally found a method of producing music that I’m comfortable with. Producing my own material is important to me as it gives me the chance to really express what I’d like to think I’m about musically beyond DJ-ing. Before I didn’t have the time or patience to sit down and actually learn how to properly how to use the programs or hardware. A lot of it also came down to the fact that I was also pursuing a career in my other passion, film and television production.

Which other labels do you see pushing a similar style to Switched On’s at the moment? And which other producers would you want to categorize yourself with as S.E.F?
There are loads of really good labels about at the moment, pushing great house music. The first one that comes to mind is Hypercolour as they consistently release quality house music. In terms of myself and other producers, I know it sounds a little cliché, but I never follow anyone else’s path in anything that I do. There are many producers who I really admire, however when I decide that I want to make a track I actually stop listening to music altogether so as not to be influenced too much by anyone else’s work. The production side of thing is still fairly new to me and I’m trying to find my own sound.

Did you hear the Alex D££mnds EP and start a label to release it, or start a label and find an EP that suited your plan?
Switched On Records was always on the cards. I’d had the idea of the label for quite a while as I wanted to tie in my video and music work and have it all under one name. Alex wasn’t the reason for creating the label but definitely was the catalyst. I’ve known him for some time and he would always send me through his work. When I listened to his DJ sets I knew that he had something different about him. I was surprised and intrigued about the maturity of his sound. When he sent through Credentials I must have played it over 50 times that day! I was really blown away by it. I put to him that I’d love to start off the label with an EP from him and within a matter of months it was all sorted out.

Is there a specific label position regarding the vinyl format, or will it differ between releases? How do you personally see the health of the vinyl format at the moment?
The aim is always to release vinyl and hopefully in the very near future I will be able to find a distribution deal that makes sense to both sides. Ideally every release on the label will also be on vinyl. My own perspective on vinyl is that is an essential part of the music industry. I used to work in Uptown Records and have seen first seen first hand just how vital it is to people who have chosen music as their living. When it all dried up it put a lot of people out of business including where I worked. Recently there has been a resurgence in vinyl sales and production which is fantastic. However you cannot discount the digital age and just because a release isn’t on vinyl that doesn’t necessarily make it a bad one.

Is London the best home for a sound and label like yours?
Without a doubt. I’ve been very fortunate to have travelled a lot and from what I have experienced there is nowhere else that is as culturally diverse as London. This has led to a very unique sound coming out of the city over many years from bands like The Rolling Stones to genres like Jungle, Dubstep, Grime etc. London is a trendsetter when it comes to music so there’s no better home for Switched On Records.

You’ve been kind enough to give us an exclusive for our readers, Alex D££mnds’ track ‘Rick & Dust’ Talk us through the track itself.
I’m hoping it gives a good introduction into the style that Switched On Records will be putting out in the future. The track is a slice of mature, quality produced house music. It’s all about promoting music that people will hopefully listen to for a while and not just as part of a passing fad.

Stream ‘Rick & Dust’ below or download by clicking on the player

This has all the makings of a quality event. Set in one of the capital’s top venues, Elephant & Castle’s Corsica Studios, the GETME! team are bringing quite a line up; headlined by Fade To Mind‘s Nguzunguzu, the bill features everything from hip-hop and US beats, to some of London’s most original sounds.

Evian Christ and a yet-to-be-announced special guest follow, Rinse and Eglo DJ, Alexander Nut, is billed fourth with a string a exciting DJs and live acts in support.

For a chance to win the two tickets, answer this question:

Where are Evian Christ from?

Send your answers to competitions@hyponik.com for your chance to win, and head to the Facebook Event for full line up and more info.

Following on from a successful first night, the Formula Records gang are back. Label boss, Champion, will play back-to-back with rising trio Funkystepz. UKG legend Sticky is next on the bill, Rinse FM‘s grime duo Elijah & Skilliam feature, and finally, the Hyperdub man, D.O.K. Guaranteed vibes, for absolutely free.

Champion has put together a high-energy mixtape ahead of the event, a perfect example of the vibe to be expected.

See the Facebook event for more info, and stream the promo mix below.

Similar to many of us, Hodge, also known as Jacob Martin, had his first experiences of dance music as a 10-year old school boy, whizzing around a dark roller-disco. He has since left his native Kent and setup camp in the creative hub that is Bristol, making a real mark on the cities vibrant electronic music scene and the current resurgence in house.

Whether it be his work as Hodge, or as one half of Outboxx (alongside Matt Lambert); Martin is pricking up all the right ears right about now. Stand out releases on Pollen, Immerse, Idle Hands and Well Rounded are seemingly just the start for this talented character.

His mix provides us with just under an hours worth of warm, viscous house – brightening up this murky month of May. It features material from Hodge, Kowton, Levon Vincent, Alex Coulton, Virgo Four and more.

Stream below, or click on the player for the download.

Tracklist:
01.Hodge – Bells ( Unreleased )
02.STL – Never Asked Why ( Something )
03.Kowton – Never Liked To Dance ( Idle Hands )
04.Fingers inc – 326 Donnie ( Gene Hunt’s Box remix )( Rush Hour )
05.Virgo Four – Boing ( Hieroglyphic being mix ) ( Rush Hour )
06.John Heckle – Life On Titan ( Mathematics )
07.Levon Vincent – Revs/Cost ( Novel Sound )
08.Skudge – Melodrama ( Skudge Records )
09.Kowton – Dub Bisous ( Forthcoming Pale Fire )
10.Alex Coulton – Bounce ( Unreleased )
11.Rhythmic Theory – Twilight Distinction ( Forthcoming BRSTL )
12.Hodge – Holographic Prose ( Forthcoming Well Rounded Housing Project )

This Wednesday, May 16, three massive promotions present a global line up of experimental beats in Fabric’s room one. The event focuses on a rare performance from Brainfeeder‘s bass-toting hero Thundercat, who’s ‘The Golden Age of Apocalypse’ album charted in a number of weighty end of year polls last year, with the LA artist offering up a fully live show at fabric.

Support comes from fellow innovators Floating Points, who’s Eglo label continues to astound, and Slugabed, who’s debut album ‘Time Team’ also sees a release next month, plus relative newcomer and Caledonian producer Offshore. For anyone who can’t make it down, our friends over at Fact will be streaming Slugabed’s set in its entirety.

To be in with a chance of winning one of four pairs of tickets up for grabs, answer the following question:

In which year was Ninja Tune founded?

Send your answers to competitions@hyponik.com for your chance to win, get more info from the Facebook event, and see the flyer below.

The man best known for his contributions to Roy Ayers’ 1998 album ‘Pieces of a Dream’ and ‘Mothership Connection’ – the George Clinton and P-Funk collaboration, is in Peckham this Saturday. Grooves has released material on seminal dutch house/techno label CLONE, and also heads up the Natural MIDI imprint, which is geared towards the edgier analog sound, whilst Modified Suede which represents his more organic soulful side. This is a character submersed in vinyl culture and sound, with 20 years worth of output spanning anything from jazz fusion, through to high-octane, jacking techno.

Hailing from Forest Hill by the way of Ghana, Andrew Ashong is on support duty. This man has a serious record collection and his past collaborations with Theo Parrish make for an vibrant addition to the bill. The Deep Soul Konnection crew bring their vast knowledge of all things disco and house, whilst Rhythm Section/Boiler Room man Bradley Zero tops off a real stand out night for South East London.

Be sure to check this top notch mix from Scott Grooves below. Head over to the Rhythm Section Facebook page for further info.

Following the success of ‘More Than Me’, which has become a fail-safe dancefloor filler with its infectious vocal hook, Eliphino is back with two tracks due for release on June 4, via London-based label Somethinksounds.

‘Vrybody’ features another catchy vocal sample, something becoming a trademark of this producer. Set against a driving 4/4, bassline, ‘Vrybody’ fuses house and garage in a track that demonstrates a darker side to his production.

The flipside ‘Dont Make Sense’ has a funkier vibe, featuring an ear-grabbing melody and garage-inspired basslines.
This is an impressive EP, 2 creative tunes which maintain Eliphino’s reputation as a serious name in bass music.

Stream ‘Vrybody/Dont Make Sense’ below.

Fourteen tracks are set to drop again in the next volume of Tempa‘s Allstars Compilation. A digital bundle featuring tracks from Skream, Benga, DMZ, Kode9, Icicle, SBTRKT, Ramadanman, Pinch and more, will be issued on May 28.

This release looks back to some of the productions that have shaped dance music in London over the past decade. A refreshingly roots-based release, full of back-in-the-day dubstep sounds – heavy basslines, long shadowy samples and nothing complicated.

See artwork, and full tracklist below.

Tempa Allstars Tracklisting:
01. Touch – DJ Abstract
02. Babylon (Dub Mix) – Kode 9
03. Give Jah Glory – Digital Mystikz
04. Truly Dread – Loefah
05. Rubber Chicken – Caspa
06.. Tolerance – N-Type
07. Roller – Benga
08. Jah Love – Rusko
09. Everything – About You Martyn
10. Hitch – Skream
11. Motion Sickness – Pinch
12. Bidding War – Ramadanman
13. Anything – Icicle
14. Sleep In Tokyo – SBTRKT