microcastle’s third offering of 2022 finds the label showcasing new interpretations of Ivory’s ‘Light Through Water’. Released in December of 2020, the five-track artist showcase was a portrait of our time, as well as the state of club music, in that the truest art is that without boundaries. It’s a vision that has led Italian producer Daniel Tagliaferri aka Ivory to projects via Exit Strategy, Innervisions, Sum Over Histories and more. Recorded in his home of Milan, ‘Light Through Water’ continued Daniel’s mission to create bold synthesizer symphonies from the tools of the club, but with an even keener lean towards aspirational optimism. Played by Ame, Dixon, Toto Chiavetta, Innellea, Trikk and more, it was a project that was born out of and revels in the creative spirit. Moving forward to its reimagination, it seems only natural that a community of like-minded artists in Auggie, Colossio, Ditian and Shiffer, should transform the release in their own essence.

Making his label debut and providing the lone interpretation of ‘Stream Machine’ is Auggie. The Italian artist and Volt resident first emerged in 2020 with releases via Borders of Light and MoBlack. Currently calling Milan home, Auggie’s colourful creative vision and exacting design would quickly summon the praise of electronic music tastemakers Dixon, Frankey & Sandrino and Toto Chiavetta, leading him to projects via Innervisions, ISOLATE and Sum Over Histories. 2022 has yielded further successes for Auggie, with a renewed focus on the dance floor as evidenced by a titanic take on Tal Fussman’s ‘Survival Tactics’. Bringing that same energy to ‘Stream Machine’, Auggie takes inspiration from the monolithic original, remodeling the track into a maniacal slice of malevolent machine-funk techno. Complete with striking vocal fragments, hyperactive rhythms and a forest of prophetic designs, it’s an adrenalized energy-rush for the ages - one where Auggie lands sounding heavier than ever.

Colossio has been a rising force across the Indie Dance spectrum for the better part of a decade. Based in Mexico and taking inspiration from krautrock, psychedelia and the golden age of Mexican cinema, the Monterey resident has continued to open up endless creative avenues and furthered his boundless appeal with releases via Calypso Records, Duro and Exit Strategy. Inventive and prolific in equal measure, Colossio now makes his microcastle debut with a highly stylized take on ‘Time Lapse’. While maintaining the elusive spirit of the original, the Mexican artist crafts a sweeping sonic experience all his own, an aquatic journey into an oceanic hinterland, where billowing grooves and submerged designs surface from their marine architecture, onwards to a finale of warping grooves and wavering overlays.

Moving forward, selection three welcomes Ditian to the label with the lone interpretation of ‘Arpstairs’. Splitting time between Buenos Aires and Berlin, the Argentinean artist has carved out a unique place in the electronic underground over the last half decade. With an immediately recognizable sonic signature, Ditian channels languages of varied musical landscapes, churning them into his own complex rollercoaster of intricate electronica. A sound that is equally at home on rebellious dance floors around the world or in the sweet spot of a late-night leftfield listening session. A short but meticulous discography reflects Ditian’s choosy nature; with Exit Strategy, Innervisions and TAU serving as the primary landing spots for his musical output. With the year being highlighted by a four-track showcase for Aera’s Applied Magic, Ditian now makes his microcastle debut with a stirring take on Ivory’s ‘Arpstairs’. Rather than burst into a dancefloor whirlwind or electronic symphony, Ditian’s ‘Luna’ Dub evokes its emotions through slow burn repetition, dodging expectations and emphasizing its conceptual charm, painting idyllic scenes of solitude, as hypnagogic arps unveil a semi-conscious dreamland, before Ditian’s experimental attitude reveals itself during a second act of robot recalibration and mesmerizing machine progression.

Rounding out this quartet of label debutants is Shiffer who provides the lone interpretation of ‘Minderals’. Hailing from Switzerland, Patrik Schifferle aka Shiffer first came to our attention in 2017 with a contribution to Siamese’s ‘Anthology’ collection. Closely associated with the imprint moving forward, Patrik would become one of the label’s core artists, delivering nine originals and a remix over the next five years. Shiffer’s timeless yet ever-evolving sound would also find a home on Exit Strategy, Innervisions and Sum Over Histories, while his eclectic DJ sets continue to see him grace some of world’s trendiest venues and festivals. Following on from a remix of BAD SPIRIT’s ‘Run From Home’, Shiffer makes his microcastle debut with a heady rendition of ‘Minderals’. Striking a balance between supreme club dynamics and off-kilter electronics, Shiffer takes the original’s distinct percussive cadence and remodels it against waves of unpredictable synth phrasing and haunting vocal choirs, all while percolating lines and soaring atmospherics continue to deliver much-needed dance floor curveballs for the more adventurous selectors out there.

Mastered at Calyx, Berlin