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12"
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TFAD 009EP
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Hey world, what happened? Well anyway, Touch From A Distance is still here. Scratching their heads in awe of the ever-changing standstill of the past three years, the label managed to get the ball rolling again with the help of Melbourne brothers extraordinaire Donald's House who have honed their skills during lockdown downunder to achieve the impossible. They got even better while pivoting towards a slightly different sound; determined and muscular, yet trippy and playful. Juggling classic acid and progressive house tropes coupled with their prowess for perfectly balanced arrangements and catchy melodies, both "Bassian Plain" and "The Isthmus Of Kra" epitomize Pete and Jim's peak time powers to fullest. The same goes for Alex Kassian's remix of "Bassian Plain". Like Donald's House, Alex has been a core member of the Touch From A Distance family as one half of Opal Sunn from the start. He used the reset brought on by the pandemic to establish himself as one of the fastest rising stars of today's nightlife striking home with a slew of hit remixes and inspiring DJ sets all over the world.
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TFAD 008EP
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Opal Sunn's return to Nick Höppner's Touch From A Distance is sort of a recap of 2019 -- a year that proved pretty incredible for the duo of Alex Kassian and Oba Hiroaki. Their live show took them quite literally all over the world including Tokyo, Valencia, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Fusion Festival, England's beloved Field Maneuvers and last but not least: Panorama Bar in Berlin, where they performed twice in 2019 as part of the Touch From A Distance label nights. Their Laika EP has been largely inspired by their first Panaroma Bar performance in January of last year, one in which they - unassumingly, yet assertively - took the venue by storm. Eight months later their show in the Laika tent at the UK's best kept festival secret, Field Maneuvers, marked a second highlight in Opal Sunn's calendar. As a tribute, Opal Sunn have called the opening track to this record "Laika". Their second EP for Touch From A Distance is picking things up where their debut left off, meaning Opal Sunn's sound design is as pristine as a mountain spring and their arrangements are as tight and effective as ever. Having played numerous gigs in the meantime, there seems to be a new focus, though. All four tracks feel more centered and balanced, aiming quite effortlessly at a heaving dancefloor. "Laika," the EP's lead track, sees Opal Sunn at their most effective and peak time. A long build-up and a rolling 303 bassline make for a total sure shot of a track. On "Minority State," the duo lets their electro inclinations run free, fusing razor-sharp beats with icy melodies and abstract sound effects. On the B-side, "Holy Mountain" is essential Opal Sunn: glistening arpeggios, gliding melodies, and floating beats create a psychedelic atmosphere in which one predestined to lose oneself. The EP ends with "Tangerine Blues," an equally atmospheric and trance-y track embedded in a rather broken beat, going for a more cinematic vibe.
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12"
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TFAD 006EP
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Cameo Blush is the project of John Dunk from London. Some might already know him as a member of Ross From Friends live. "Murky Waters" has glistening arpeggios and seductive alien vocals. "Hypervisibility" takes clues from masters of abstract electronica, like Isolée, Lusine, and Boards Of Canada, creating an audible allegory of longing and sensuality. "Prophet Paradise" soundtracks the holodeck projection of a dayglow beach under a neon sun. "Year 2000 Problem" evokes images of bots passing the Turing test, overflowing with joy and falling desperately in love.
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12"
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TFAD 005EP
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After providing Touch From A Distance's inaugural release, the London-based DJ and producer Desert Sound Colony return to Nick Höppner's label. "Zenome Archetype" is a retro-futuristic joyride across mountainous bass and funked-up syncopation. "Taking It Out For A Rip" then couples a thumping 4/4-UKG-beat with a cheeky vocal sample, while "Walrus Rodeo" slows down the tempo and cranks up the folly for a slice of weird dancefloor fun Desert Sound Colony does so well. "Al Gore Rhythmic", a collaboration with Guava, closes the EP channeling classic two-step and golden era, hip-hop vibes.
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12"
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TFAD 004EP
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Early in 2018, Brother Nebula commenced emitting life signs from a little know sector of the universe. Nick Höppner's antennas happened to pick up the signals via the Legwork label, piquing his interest to find out more. Fast forward a light year, and Brother Nebula remains a mystery. The A side starts with "Double Helix", a concise dissertation on the effects of extended club use on the brain, before continuing into the interstellar disco of "Infinity 2". You'll glide through the electronic thermosphere on "Sky Walking", before expelling all thetans with the DX funk of "Going Clear".
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TFAD 001EP
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Touch From A Distance is Nick Höppner's new label, this time 100% his own. For the label debut Höppner enlisted the talents of Desert Sound Colony from London. His outstanding skills at sound design, composition and arrangement have now culminated in Fast Life EP. The four tracker presents DSC at his most focused and versatile, constantly shape-shifting between the rich, bass-heavy UK heritage and continental-European traditions of dance floor minimalism.
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TFAD 003EP
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Hailing from Brunswick, Melbourne, James and Peter Isaacs are the brotherly duo Donald's House. They've been making music for around eight years. This EP here is a collection of tracks written over a three-year period. James is a trained Jazz guitarist, while Pete has been buying and playing records for about 15 years. They've released two tracks with Sydney label Ken Oath. One on their debut sampler and one on their ambient tape. They previously lived in London, where they regularly attended CDR.
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12"
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TFAD 002EP
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Parallax EP is the new Opal Sunn EP on Nick Höppner's new label. Opal Sunn are Hiroaki Oba and Al Kassian, two expats from Japan. After releasing two EPs on their own Planet Sundae label, they're offering their follow up. Here, they continue to refine their style which displays and exquisite sense of space, melody, movement and groove. Opal Sunn's music straddles the line of body music and stimulation of the mind always bringing this contrast to fruition with their tracks.
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