At the beginning of this year, we shared the stream of a dub version of Julio Bashmore’s “Battle For Middle You” single by Ramadanman, which was oddly credited to one Maurice Donovan. Now, it seems that DJ/producer/label head/musical multi-tasker David Kennedy is officially inaugurating his new alter-ego as a seasoned and surprisingly outspoken Chicago house producer with the release of Donovan’s first 12″. The “Babeh” b/w “Satisfied” single will drop in late April via the SSSSS label. Before then, you can check out the artwork for Kennedy’s record, and stream both vintage house-obsessed tracks, courtesy of FACT, below.

Though LA-based DJ/producer J Rocc has long been hard at work honing and crafting his own brand of sample-based hip-hop for about two decades, it’s not until next month that the veteran artist will have his first artist album released under his working name. Entitled Cold Rock Stuf, the forthcoming LP will drop via Stones Throw on April 5, and features the 12-track record on one disc with a companion “mystery disc”—one of three variations packaged with different copies of the album—also included. You can check out the artwork and tracklist for J Rocc’s Cold Rock Stuf, along with a stream/download of one of its tunes, below.

1. Rocchead’s Delight
2. Don’t Sell Your Dream (Tonight)
3. Stay Fresh
4. Stop Trying
5. Thru the Tulips
6. Party
7. Chasing the Sun
8. Play This (Also)
9. Malcom Was Here (Part 1 & 2)
10. Take Me Away
11. Too Many Clowns
12. The Truth

“Play This (Also)”

Quebec’s purveyor of equatorial dance genres, Poirier (pictured above), has announced his brand-new musical endeavor, an imprint called Also Records. The producer’s new label exclusively releases singles, and is “dedicated to making songs from home and abroad available as quickly as possible.” The first of those releases is “ZiggyZa ZiggyZi” by Montreal’s L’Xtrmst.Zen, which you can grab here for $1.00, and watch the video for below.

Last week, when we shared the sad news that longstanding electronic label Institubes was calling it quits after eight years (though sister label Sound Pellegrino will soldier on independently), we also learned that some members of that now-defunct roster would be starting their own label. Today, we present to you Marble, the new imprint run by DJs/producers Surkin, Bobmo, and Para One (pictured above). The proprietors have put together a quick little “megamix” to mark the launch of their endeavor, and to highlight tracks that are forthcoming from Marble—including music from all three label heads, Canblaster, Das Glow, and others. You can check that miniature DJ set below.

One of Detroit’s influential producers/DJs from the city’s “second wave” of techno innovators, Stacey Pullen, has announced a new EP set to drop on his own Blackflag imprint. The label, which Pullen resurrected last year with his own “Alive” track, has had a limited but well-received catalog of releases since it was founded over a decade ago. Now set to build upon this respected past, Pullen has announced he will be dropping the Get Up EP digitally on April 5. The EP, comprised of only the title track and an accompanying dub version, is said to find Pullen mining his well of experience for a rhythmically dominant track complete with a “a blessing from the Godfather of Soul.” Techno legends sampling James Brown? Yep, we’re intrigued too. You can check the artwork below.