ToolBox Records

Ascratch toolz and demos from the X-Ecutioners. 2XLP for afficionados.

"Elevations above Sea Level" is the second Mound Magnet part from Lithops aka Jan St Werner, 1/2 of the prolific duo Mouse on Mars, 1/3 of last year's surprise collaboration "Von Südenfed" with the Fall's Mark E Smith and 1/2 of the dsp group Microstoria. Though he is a prolific producer he seems to have a fascination with rollover dates (he cancelled mostly every Lithops gig in the last 5 years) does that spill into a fascination with cycles of nature? No! Actually he's more interested in the cycling by man-made machines, as expressed in the Mound Magent sequel. "Elevations above Sea Level" gives us aural diagrams of a large, hypermodern cities with futuristic vehicles moving around. The electrical ticking of fluorescent advertising panels, a thwappy airiness of the ventilation system, the rattles of trains and chopped up hums of distant roads, the mechanical groans that maintenance machinery starts up with, rain drumming on the stretched glass roofs of urban malls, the howling groans of motorcycles on city highways. It's not an ambient record by any means, nor is it purely musique concrete. It's rather an acid fulled hallucination of how to detect an idea of the future in the noises that surround us. Though he uses some of the sound editing methods like his contemporaries (and his own other groups), this doesn't mass into huge pools to make a statement; the basslines, hums, jolts and whooshes divide and multiply into sections like buildings and streets are divided, from sub-basements to rooftops, alleys and boulevards, by stories. Lithops' narcoleptic programming has a precision which holds the listener completely captive -- difficult, haunting and highly enjoyable. Vinyl limited to 300 copies.

The new Portishead inna Etched vinyl verion. One sided collector.

Probably one of the albums on Ad Noiseam which took the longest to complete. Begun years ago, Mad EP's fourth full length album sees this highly praised musician focus on low frequencies and everything which comes with them. Syncopated beats, guest vocals by Shadow Huntaz, MC Equivalant and others and the multi-instrumentation which has made Mad EP famous are all brought back on this artists's heaviest and most direct album to date.

REPRESS ! Fat breakbeat from the twice DMC World Champion !! No repress since it came out in may 2005 !!

"A matter of consciousness": Lapsed's third album sees his pair up with turntablist and producer nonnon and a crew of renowned MC to deliver a wild ride of glitchy electronic hip-hop with an edge. Ranging from heavy head bangers to lyrical narratives, "The Death Of Convenience" impresses by its variety, detail and its maturity. A very rich, well thought and thought-provoking album bearing fruits of many influences and sleepless nights of careful composition.

Planet Rock + some CD represses of 12'' from the early time !