London artist Marika Hackman describes her music as ‘stripped back dark folk…a bit more abstract and darker than people would expect…hopefully something a bit different’ and her debut seven-track mini-album ‘That Iron Taste’, which has been out for a couple of months now on Dirty Hit Records, has been gathering comparisons with the likes of Syd Barett and Nico. Following the recent ‘Cannibal’ single that came in for much critical acclaim, ‘Bath Is Black’ is the next offering from the mini-album, and it’s been given the remix treatment by her brother Ben, who you’ll might know from his releases on Greco-Roman and Audio Culture.

Since the release of the debut album from the Ultraísta project last year, there have been a steady stream of remixes from artists such as Four Tet, FaltyDL, Zero 7, and Prefuse 73, and Temporary Residence has recently announced ‘Ultraísta Remixes’ that collects all the disparate work into one neat package. Out at the end of next month, the record has apparently ‘been sequenced to succeed as a stand-alone album’ making for a ‘surprisingly cohesive whole, and a remarkable companion to the original album’, with the vinyl format including bonus downloads of further remixes from the likes of Matthew Dear, Boom Bip, Nathan Fake and Maribou State. In semi-related news, the first offering from the ‘Speak Soon’ series of twelve collaborative EP releases on the Yellow Year label run by Prefuse73 is very nearly upon us, and will see the renowned beat maker joining forces with people whose work he admires such as Teebs, Nosaj Thing, Synkro, and Dimlite.

You might have already heard about the ‘Streetlights’ twelve inch by Paul White featuring Danny Brown that included a Dabrye remix, and it forms part of the forthcoming ten track ‘Watch The Ants’ EP on One Handed Music, who describe the release as ‘some of his boldest and best work yet’. While it boasts some other vocal appearances courtesy of grime MC Trim, New York heavyweight Sean Price, and Stones Throw’s Homeboy Sandman, there’s also plenty of trademark beats on offer played on an array of instruments that apparently hints at White’s forthcoming explorations into his krautrock, new wave and psych influences. The EP will be out on July 28th, but is available for pre-order directly from One Handed.

We previously mentioned North East beat maker Nick Cooke aka Cuttooth a couple of months ago when we posted something featuring Kiki Hitomi, that 4lux Records boss Gert-Jan Bijl described as ‘simply astonishing downtempo atmospherical soul’. The track will appear on Cuttooth’s upcoming self-titled second album which is out via the label’s 4lux White imprint on June 21st, and comprises dusty instrumental intermissions woven around an accomplished and cohesive collection of deep vocal tracks that include another contribution from Hitomi with the beautiful ‘Illusion Symptom’, a couple with Glastonbury Emerging Talent winner Birdie Jackson, while Sarah Linhares (Onra/AllCity) provides the vocals for ‘Breathe Deeply’. Of the release, which will be available digitally, Cooke says, ‘the label are calling it an excellent selection of carefully crafted downtempo hip-hop, soul, and avant guarde-esque ambience…but I really prefer people just to make up their own minds.’

The fourth release from boutique Berlin label Odd Socks is the first ‘various artists’ release, and marks the beginning of a series titled ‘Trips & Trinkets’. Four tracks are on offer, the first coming from Berlin based Josh T who returns to the label after the ‘Fresno/Yuuki’ twelve inch which marked its first release. He teams up with Arkist for some slow motion electronic funk for the the track ‘Fleabag’, which has been eagerly sought since the Bristol based producer posted on his soundcloud some months ago. AD Bourke is next with the warmly laconic sunday afternoon feel of ‘Water Sign’, and Leeds based Thomas TMS contributes his nicely measured debut release with the twisting and twinkling ‘Individualism’, while Saine rounds things off with some steady cinematic soundscapes. A very strong release definitely worth a further look, it’s available on vinyl or digital.

You might remember Parisian producer Moresounds from his ‘Breath Control’ EP on the Cosmic Bridge label run by Om Unit that came out about twelve months ago, and which featured four tracks of heavy dancefloor rhythms that mixed up elements of Dub, Hip-Hop and Dance Hall into a sharp and colourful electronic beat-scape. There’s a new album titled ‘Ghetto Dub Vol.1′ which is out on June 13th, and if this teaser video is anything to go by we should expect more hard rolling, space age rhythms with a heavy lean towards the dub end of things. Get this track for free download at Facebook for the usual ‘like’ function.

Bristol producer Hyetal has followed up his ‘Broadcast’ debut album on Black Acre with the eagerly awaited ‘Modern Worship’ long player on True Panther. Analogue equipment clashes with digital sound design over a twelve track collection that pulls in a broad range of influences from dream pop, cult synth scores, funk, and modern hip hop, forming something that has been called ‘twisted electronic pop songs and soundscapes with knowing nods to dancefloors across the ages’. On making the record, Hyetal recently explained ‘When I’m working on the tracks I imagine the visuals that could accompany it. To me Broadcast was mainly glass and metal, large structures, the reverberant sounds of an empty city, most of it set at night. This one felt more like a view of that city from the surrounding dessert obscured by a red fog, with some day trips to the coast line’. This time around singer and sonic experimentalist Gwilym Gold collaborates on a handful of tracks, while long-time collaborator Alison Graner from shoegaze outfit The Fauns provides a couple of vocal contributions.

Detroit producer Zach Saginaw, also known as Shigeto, has a follow up to his ‘Full Circle’ full length in the pipeline, and has recently let a couple of tracks go for free over at his Soundcloud. Of them he says : ‘Just about a year ago my computer was stolen at a show in New York. I lost an albums worth of material and learned about backing up the hard way but was able to recover two tracks….both feature my dear friends Brandon Mitchell aka MC Kadence and Carlos Garcia aka L05. Their vocals really make the tracks for me however, I felt they didn’t sit right for my next album and stood alone. I wanted you to have them and they’ve been on my laptop for way too long. Download them, do whatever you do to relax, sit back, turn up and enjoy.’

Seattle based Hush Hush Records places a spotlight on the emotional and introspective ‘Night Bus’ sound that they describe as ‘a multi-genre aesthetic that elaborates on the world of headphones, late-night travels, intimate encounters, and contemplative rides on public transportation’. And following the ‘Skylight’ debut album from hometown producer Kid Simpl that came out towards the end of last year, the label have just released a remix collection featuring interpretations of the album’s dreamy, bass leaden, atmospheric originals from the likes of Devonwho, Placeholder and Tay Sean. ‘Skylight Remixes Vol.1′ is available for free download here.

We previously mentioned Brooklyn producer Kurtis Hairston aka KRTS when his debut album ‘The Dread Of An Unkown Evil’ came out towards the end of last year on Project Mooncircle. The release’s deep themes such as apprehension, fear, and doubt, with a prevailing dread of an uncertain future, were coupled with elements of house, cinematic ambience, jazz and bass music to present an intimate portrait of what the label called ‘a musician battling to make it between families, loves, losses, and futures’. Here, label mate Sieren has provided a remix of something from the album, which has been made available for free download.

A couple of months ago, we featured Rome based Bad Panda Records that was started over three years ago with one ambitious idea in mind, to put out one new digital release every Monday as a free download, with the aim of ‘stimulating people to listen, download, share and remix’. Recently, there’s been a single from Kelpe, and a big remix EP of material from Vancouver artist Giovanni Randisi’s SMAUG project, that featured interpretations from the likes of Cogi, Fedbymachines, With Joyful Lips and Alphabets Heaven. This week there are four tracks courtesy of Italian producer Giacomo Mazzucate, who under his Yakamoto Kotzuga moniker has delivered the beguiling ‘Rooms Of Emptiness’ EP.

After being on something of a hiatus since an EP by WIFE back in October last year, Left_Blank look set to continue their aesthetic of dealing with ‘the slightly stranger, skewed and smudged area of dance music’ when they release a self-titled EP from the Saa project between Asher Levitas of shadowy London collective Old Apparatus, and Oslo based composer and vocalist Linn Carin Dirdal. Called ‘gloriously intricate avant-pop, as exciting as it is unclassifiable’, the music is said to be influenced by classic pop production of the seventies and early eighties, the early 4AD sound of The Cocteau Twins, and contemporaries The Knife. Those familiar with Levistas’ production on the third Old Apparatus release via Sullen Tone, the ‘Alfur’ EP, will recognize the bright tones, complex rhythms, and deep layers that fit nicely with Dirdal’s vocals over four tracks.

Bristol producer Matt Preston, otherwise known as Phaeleh, will follow up the ‘Fallen Light’ album on his own Afterglow label with the forthcoming ‘Tides’ long player. Out on July 1st, the release will include ‘Whistling In the Dark’ featuring the vocal talents of Hannah Cartwright aka Augustus Ghost, last heard on the Houndstooth released ‘Murder Cries’ single as one half of Snow Ghosts with Throwing Snow. The track is accompanied by a fine looking video from Raquél Aly that premiered at Pigeons & Planes, and for the time being if you fancy some free, mellow sounds from Phaeleh, the ‘From The Vaults’ EP is available here for an email address.

The new ‘In Brackets’ EP by Dark Sky on Mister Saturday Night is a much less hard edged and more well rounded affair than the London trio’s recent output on Tectonic, or with Ben Westbeech’s Breach project on Naked Naked. Featuring four refined cuts of late night, warm sounding, moody music more in fitting the New York label’s deep house aesthetic, the release is only available on limited edition hand stamped vinyl from all the usual record stores. It’s hard to pick out a favourite from among the four tracks that include the ethereal feel, steady beat and slight melancholic lean of the title track, the stuttering, wobbly low end wind-down of ’5AM’, the chopped-up jazz stylings of ‘Voices’, or the nicely measured, deep rolling rhythms of ‘Rare Bloom’.

If you already have each individual EP from last year’s Old Apparatus output on their own Sullen Tone label, then you might not think that the forthcoming ‘Compendium’ album, which is slated for a June 3rd release, is necessarily aimed at you. But as the group recently explained ‘we have always envisioned the separate EP’s forming a larger, more descriptive body of work and up until now that is an experience that has only been accessible through seeing our live show’ continuing ‘the way that the tracks are woven together allows a fuller insight into the sonic landscape we’re trying to create’.

It’s also an obvious starting point for anyone who wants to get more familiar with the Old Apparatus sound, which has been described as something that ‘carves its own niche, leading you by the hand into unknown territory, exotic and mysterious, but shot through with a sense of magic and wonder that always pulls it out of the horror it hints at’. That sound will be available in all it’s machine-tooled glory when the highlights from the EP’s are presented in a sequenced mix, thereby bringing together strings, shoegaze, acoustic guitar, 2-step, jungle rhythms, chopped up hip-hop, deep ambient textures, and everything in between. This video that premiered at Dazed Digital features an exclusive live recording of the material that will feature on the album.