#3 Feat. Staff Picks in Indie Dance

ROTCIV is back with his new EP Memory, which marks the 20th release on Beartraxs label Melodize. Throughout the record, the Berlin-based and native Brazilian producer explores his signature dark, mysterious, and atmospheric vibes shaped by the underground and queer club nights and dance-floors that fuel his sound, refined over almost 30 years behind the decks. Maintaining Melodizes specialized sound deep-rooted in moody electronic principles, the EP opens with Memory, a piercing, dark, synth dynamic alongside rich tonal textures in both harmony and melodies alike. Unapologetic, yet calming and reminiscent of a slow drive through the winter nights; cold, yet bold, sharp, and comforting. First to remix Memory with a nostalgic, synth-heavy 80s remix is Frankfurt-based DJ, producer, and visual artist Chinaski. Integrating his signature bold synth hooks into the track, the remix features a bouncier approach with re-envisioned acoustic percussion and catchy synth arps, along with an eery dark disco feel. On the B side, Rotciv kicks in with Trintage, which gives a sinister sensation with its hypnotising bass synth lines alongside contrasting, choir-like pads. Seeping with articulate poly-rhythmic synth arps, Trintage guides the listener to be indulged into a dream-like state on the border between both digital and analogue soundscapes, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. Next up is New York-based and founder of Samo Records, Facets, who takes on the next remix for Trintage with a more electro-grunge techno approach consisting of heavier four to the floor kicks in company of Rotcivs hypnotic textures. Having shifted the synth melody rhythmically, a sense of space and tension is created. One last remix of Memory by Melodizes own label founder, Beartrax, rounds out the EP. Available exclusively via digital bonus, Beartrax features his deeply hypnotic aesthetic by driving in ethereal synths alongside cosmic arps and slow-rolling rhythmic and pulsating grooves.

Rotciv

#60 Feat. Staff Picks in Electro (Classic / Detroit / Modern)

Bristol-based producer Zobol lands on Brooklyn imprint Melodize with Killing Culture - a bold, four-track statement that fuses electro, breaks, and electronica into something raw, physical, and emotionally charged. Known as one half of the label Distorted Sensory Perception and as curator of the UK underground event series d3pth_p3rc3pti0n, Zobol brings a fiercely independent, hands-on ethos to his productions. Built entirely on hardware - including the Korg MS20, Roland JX-3P, Prophet Rev2, Acidlab Drumatix, Behringer TD-3, Elektron Octatrack, Soundcraft Signature MTK12 console, and finished in Ableton Live - the EP captures a live-wire energy that feels both urgent and immersive. The EP opens with Uprising, a track that sets a hopeful tone with flickers of brightness woven through its punchy rhythms - like the first sparks of something much bigger. Extrawelt reshapes the track with warm bass and swirling atmospheres, lending a more introspective, drifting character. Known for their decade-spanning contribution to electronic music - from their iconic debut on Border Community to defining live performances worldwide - the German duo once again deliver with a remix steeped in depth and analog soul. The B-side turns heavier. Weapon of Mass Distraction unfolds from a looping synth fragment, slowly ramping into a tense, bass-driven groove that hits like controlled bursts of energy - Relentless, exacting & distractingly armored with acidity. Closing track Oppression dives deeper into emotional terrain: the weight of distorted low-end channels the presence of authoritarian force, while fragile melodic elements flicker like voices struggling to be heard - eventually weakening, fading, and falling into silence. As shattered cultures bleed beneath a technocratic sky, the silenced cries of Palestine, Sudan, Yemen and other forgotten lands echo a world where humanitys dawn is cruelly denied; a stark testament to faltering global systems, demanding urgent change before the irreversible erosion of our shared future

Zobol