Music/Report: 31 Mar 2017
Will Kinsella

Haze of our Lives: A round up of this fortnight's dance releases

The newest from Matador’s RUKUS label, Haze Moon, leads the charge in a busy fortnight.

Matador’s RUKUS imprint will release a four-track EP titled Haze Moon from Anna on April 14. The impressive release consists of two explosive original cuts, ‘Haze Moon’ and ‘Far Beyond’, alongside remixes from label boss Marc Houle and Matador himself. This marks a shift of gear for the Dublin-based imprint, originally a platform for Matador’s own productions, as this year will see a number of artists release on the label.

Elsewhere, Hybrasil unleashed the Adjust EP on Italian label Loose Records on March 24, while on April 24, the RASSOR EP gets a release on Shinedoe’s Dutch-based Intacto Records. Gregor Tresher’s Break New Soil, meanwhile, will feature Hybrasil’s ‘Flexo’ on the Breaking New Soil compilation on May 1. For good measure, Hybrasil’s Glorify EP surfaces on Ronnie Spiteri’s Kenja Records on May 25, while his self-titled label Hybrasil launches on April 10 with a two-track EP.

In other release news, the latest effort from Meath-based producer Mark Greene on Orange Recordings hit online stores on March 6. Based in Holland, techno imprint Orange is headed is up by Steve Mulder.

Lee Kelly, aka Sage, has a vinyl-only EP out on Chicago imprint Tasteful Nudes, which hit record shops on March 12. Hailing from Dublin, Sage is a resident DJ with Subject Dublin and works at All City Records. Sage’s music is influenced by early midwestern house and techno, and stamped with his own sonic signatures.

Sarah Lennox, meanwhile, released her latest track ‘Turbulence’ on March 24 on the Playground Label, which features a remix by label boss Jaaw.

Other notable releases of late include Daragh Casey’s Zero on Souled Black, and the upcoming material from Luke Creed on French label Nocturnal Frequencies. With Creed operating under the alias Scenedrone, the tracks will arrive in April and feature remixes from Birken, RE_P and Drvg Cvltvre.

The busy Creed also has a remix due out on another French label, Round, as well as an original on Advanced. In addition, Creed has launched a new Dublin club night, 0perator, with Alan Byrne. Phew! Incidentally, Creed’s label, Variance, currently have a 20-track compilation available as a free download from their bandcamp page, variancelabel.bandcamp.com. Following that, there will be an LP from Airsilk V Harushi Clan.

Elsewhere, Long Island Sound have two releases out at the moment. The Last Place You Look EP hit online stores on March 2 via Kyoku Records, which follows on from a various artists EP for Roots For Bloom Colours. David McGoff, meanwhile, has a remix for Alex A out on 1980 Recordings’ Miami 2017 compilation, and Another Alias launched his new vinyl/digital label, White of My Eyes, with a limited edition run of 300 on February 16.

Finally, Micko Roche is set to launch his debut album, Bleu, on Subatomic. The LP is already receiving support from Balearic heavyweights Jose Padilla and Pete Gooding, with some of the tracks also licensed by Chris Coco for the revered Balearic compilations. As a member of the Butterfly Band, Roche has performed all over Europe and charted in the Irish top 4. This solo album, though, is inspired by the beautiful coastline surrounding his studio in Whitestown East, a rural townland in County Waterford.

On the album, Roche has used live instruments, including Spanish guitar, Fender Strat, Gibson Les Paul and tenor sax, along with various synths and digital production software. Bleu is scheduled for release on May 19, so make sure to keep an eye out for it.