Category: Token Records

Artist:
Kr!z

Title:
Atlantis EP

Label:
Token Records

Cat#:
TOKEN112

Release Date:
25th November 2022

Format:
vinyl, download & streaming

Tracklist:
01.
Atlantis

02.
Atlantis
(Oscar Mulero’s Deconstruction)

03.
Nautilus

04.
Nautilus
(Marcal Remix)

Press Info:
Back from the studio with his second release on the label is Token’s very own boss Kr!z. Positioned at the forefront of the international scene for quite some time as a DJ and label head, Kr!z first unveiled his work to the public as a producer on a few compilations starting in 2017, leading to a debut full-length EP ‘Mantra’ in 2019 via Token. After solid follow-ups on Setaoc Mass’s SK_Eleven and James Ruskin’s Blueprint, Kr!z now offers ‘Atlantis’, pushing new depth into two original tracks with remixes by the infamous Oscar Mulero and exciting up-and-coming Marcal.

The title track ‘Atlantis’ claims the A1 wasting no time in clarifying the EP’s intention. A brewing whirlpool of pitch bending pads suck in the listener while rowing down linear percussion and resonant stabs. The cut boasts dimension as it tosses and turns throughout its duration, taking us right into Oscar Mulero’s ‘deconstruction’ as a follow-up. Respecting the cyclical spirit of the original track, Mulero slowly guides sustained bells through a thickened percussion-line to rethink Atlantis’s accents. Mulero focuses the pace of the record and we land on a slightly more sequenced B side. ‘Nautilus’ brings a loopy groove with momentary dissonant synth-work to polish things up. Stricter transitions provide structure to the EP as a whole, and the energy passes from a maelstrom to waves. To conclude, Brazil’s Marcal provides his take on ‘Nautilus’ by tightening the seams and adding his famed groove to Kr!z’s work. Particularly playful on the drums and fleeting stabs, Marcal adds sway to the mix with an infectious pulsating bassline that effortlessly pushes all other elements; never once losing his balance.

Snippets:

Full Track Streaming:
“Nautilus”

“Atlantis (Oscar Mulero’s Deconstruction)”

Video:
“Atlantis”

Video made by the29nov films

Special:
“EPM Podcast #159”

Recommendations:
Kr!z’ “Neutrino EP” on Blueprint Records
all stuff on Token Records we featured

Buy Vinyl:
Kr!z @ Bandcamp
Hardwax
Red Eye Records
Juno
Decks
Deejay
HHV
more soon

Buy Download:
Kr!z @ Bandcamp
JunoDownload
Beatport
iTunes
Hardwax
TraxSource
Boomkat
Bleep
more soon

Commercial Streaming Services:
Tidal
Spotify
Deezer
Apple Music
Youtube Music

Booking:
Outlined AM

Websites:
Kr!z
Token Records

Artist:
Mike Parker

Title:
The Burning Roundtable EP

Label:
Token Records

Cat#:
TOKEN111

Release Date:
14th October 2022

Format:
vinyl, download & streaming

Tracklist:
01.
Tripartite

02.
Ascension Chain

03.
Bass Model

04.
The Burning Roundtable

Press Info:
With a first appearance on Token through a remix for PTTRN’s ‘To Disapear Completely’, Mike Parker fully debuts on the imprint with ‘The Burning Round Table’ for 4 corrosive tracks of unforgiving power. Highly skilled in crafting cavernous ambiances and sharp tension, the American virtuoso offers a record emphasizing just that: imposing cuts to be selected with intention.

Parker immediately introduces the EP with gravitas through boiling, acidic A1 ‘Tripartite’. This first track stomps its way through an aquatic ecosystem with the occasional stab to reaffirm the vast dimension of the track. Parker uses texturally abstract atmospheres that dive the alert listener into its mysterious environment. The kick pummels onto Parker’s next piece ‘Ascension Chain’, which carries its name well. A heavy low-end clears space for a mesmerizing stepped lead in this track that evokes a similar size as its predecessor’s. Quick hi hat sections hurry the track along into the other side of the record that meets the listener with a clear transition. Part 2 of the EP begins with ‘Bass Model’, where Parker flattens the dimension of his project with a strong, operatic bassline and rhythmic syncopation. Movement is now prioritized in a B side that sets a convincing balance between techno and Detroit electro through a highly effective use of minimal elements. Closed hi hats are uplifted through sections of rolling rides to keep the pace persistent and the track tunneling. Parker then guides us to the final pillar of ‘The Burning Round Table’ with his title track as B2, a logical continuation to the song before. A sustained and highly saturated bassline pushes through head bobbing percussion with a vintage sounding vocal sample to wrap up the artist’s sonic trip. 

Snippets:

Special:
“Dekmantel Podcast 223”

Recommendations:
Mike Parker’s “Spitting Electricity” on Mote-Evolver
all stuff on Token Records we featured

Buy Vinyl:
Mike Parker @ Bandcamp
Deejay
Decks
OYE Records
Juno
Hardwax
HHV
more soon

Buy Download:
Mike Parker @ Bandcamp
JunoDownload
Beatport
iTunes
Hardwax
TraxSource
Boomkat
Bleep
Clone Digital
more soon

Commercial Streaming Services:
Tidal
Apple Music
Spotify
Deezer
Youtube Music

Booking:
Octopus Agents

Websites:
Mike Parker
Token Records

Artist:
Deniro

Title:
Saola EP

Label:
Token Records

Cat#:
TOKEN110

Release Date:
09th September 2022

Format:
vinyl, download & streaming

Tracklist:
01.
Saola

02.
Vaquita

03.
Gharial

04.
Baiji

Press Info:
After a more than convincing debut on Token with his contribution to 2020’s Fuga II compilation, Deniro returns with a 4-part sonic manifesto entitled ‘Saola’. With each track name referring to either a highly endangered or extinct wild animal, Deniro offers analog efficiency denoting various ecospheres through minimalist composition. Linear in form yet immersive in effect, Saola guides the listener from lucity into spacious abyss.

Initiating the EP with the title track, ‘Saola’ confronts with what can almost be perceived as a hastily played piano. The A1 provides nail-biting dissonance to kick things off with hypnotic delay, gripping the listener until the very end with consistent progression through a simplistic albeit powerful percussion line. Deniro then picks up the pace and shines things up with a brightly stabbed synth and 16th hats to roll us through the highly efficacious followup, ‘Vaquita’.
Even more explosive than its predecessor, Deniro uses ‘Vaquita’ to show tense restraint in his arrangement that’s complemented by his pressing lead sequence.

The record is then flipped to reveal a B side that takes off as soon as the needle hits the wax. ‘Gharial’ begins explosively full-on, throwing the listener into a vicious pursuit soundtracked by a fleetingly polyrhythmic arpeggio. The energy is underlined by rolling snares and toms to expand the width of the EP before arriving into the final excursion through the record’s most introspective piece. High pitched plucks like stars brush along a song that inspires discovery. Whirlpooling white-noise in the far stereo field gives deep ambience to ‘Baiji’, offering an ethereal conclusion to an suspenseful adventure.

Snippets:

Full Track Streaming:
“Baiji”

Video:
“Gharial”

Video made by the29nov films

Special:
“at Dekmantel Festival 2022”

Recommendations:
split EP “Liquid Shards” w/ Deniro on Reclaim Your City
all stuff on Token Records we featured

Buy Vinyl:
Deniro @ Bandcamp
Deejay
Decks
Juno
Red Eye Records
Hardwax
more soon

Buy Download:
Deniro @ Bandcamp
JunoDownload
Beatport
iTunes
TraxSource
Boomkat
Bleep
Clone Digital
Hardwax
more soon

Commercial Streaming Services:
Tidal
Spotify
Deezer
Apple Music
Youtube Music

Booking:
Source Artists

Websites:
Deniro
Token Records

Artist:
Sterac

Title:
Light In The Darkness EP

Label:
Token Records

Cat#:
TOKEN109

Release Date:
08th July 2022

Format:
vinyl, download & streaming

Tracklist:
A1.
Mangled

A2.
Light In The Darkness

B1.
S.O.

B2.
Solidify

Press Info:
Gracing Token with a 12” of reliable effect, Sterac (a.k.a. Steve Rachmad) offers 4 titles that go beyond the club – balancing raw Detroit influences and contemporary depth. With a reputation built on years of developing his scene through important record releases and local as well as international activity, ‘Light in the Darkness’ confirms Rachmad’s artistic relevance in a quickly developing scene.

With a tone-setting introduction for the EP, Rachmad immediately grips the listener’s attention with the pragmatic yet nostalgic ‘Mangled’. Chord stabs inch away from a brutal on-beat drum sequence, a technique responsible for many hits in the genre, this time tastefully repolished through spreaded wooden percussion in direct support. ‘Mangled’ boasts what A1’s should – a worthy first impression – before luring us into what can be considered the apex of the EP. ‘Light in the Darkness’ claims the project title with a gradual exploration through celestial bodies. A minimal opening with a simple acid bassline shows a great deal of attitude before the listener gets caught in an unexpected tide of cosmic pads, dimensionalizing an initially linear record . With slow waves of rich synth work enveloping the only anchor to time that is rhythm, the result is a closed-eyed dance floor experience to be selected in prime conditions. Thick pads are immediately offered again, this time more orchestral than mental. The softness of this primary sound design is expertly dissected by a razor sharp resonant top synth and an upward drum construction, completing the spectrum of sound and unveiling a record with a size fit for warehouse capacities. Rachmad adds almost cinematic suspense to the EP with ‘S.O.’ – certainly not to be underestimated. This leads us to the project’s closer ‘Solidify’, a delirious club groover. With a sound as bent and confronting as a house of mirrors, Rachmad leaves us with a final chapter to keep the heart racing past the end.

Snippets:

Full Track Streaming:
“Solidify”

“Mangled”

“S.O.”

Special:
“Reclaim Your City 463”

Recommendations:
Sterac’ “Different Strokes” on Mote-Evolver
Sterac’ “Numbers EP” on Mote-Evolver
all stuff on Token Records we featured

Buy Vinyl:
Sterac @ Bandcamp
Deejay
Juno
Decks
OYE Records
Red Eye Records
HHV
Hardwax
more soon

Buy Download:
Sterac @ Bandcamp
JunoDownload
Beatport
iTunes
TraxSource
Boomkat
Bleep
Clone Digital
Hardwax
more soon

Commercial Streaming Services:
Tidal
Spotify
Deezer
Apple Music
Youtube Music

Booking:
AD Sound

Websites:
Sterac
Token Records